Cleaning Device

Abstract

The cleaning device of the present invention is a cleaning device that removes foreign matter adhering to at least one surface of a plate-shaped or film-shaped object, and is equipped with a roller-shaped cleaning brush that is rotatably arranged around a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the transport direction of the object and parallel to the surface of the object and collects foreign matter while rotating, and a foreign matter collection mechanism that collects foreign matter adhering to the cleaning brush, the foreign matter collection mechanism being plate-shaped and having at least two flickers whose ends contact the brush tips of the cleaning brush and a wall surface to which the two flickers are fixed, the cleaning brush and the flickers are charged with the same polarity, and the two flickers, the surface portion of the cleaning brush sandwiched between the two flickers, and the wall surface form a closed area in a side view.

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In recent years, cleaning devices have been developed to remove foreign matter such as dust adhering to the surfaces of objects such as glass substrates for flat panel displays (FPDs), printed circuit boards carrying electronic components, thin resin plates, film materials, thin metal plates, etc.

[0003] As such a cleaning device, a cleaning device including a brush roller unit that is detachably disposed above the object to be transported and removes foreign matter from the surface of the object by a brush roller is known (see JP 2022-34005 A). This cleaning device can remove relatively large foreign matter from the object by charging the brush roller. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-34005 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the cleaning device, the brush roller is charged to attract foreign matter, so if left as is, there is a risk that the foreign matter will accumulate on the brush roller. For this reason, the cleaning device is equipped with a foreign matter removal mechanism, which is a collection roller that collects the foreign matter removed from the target object by the brush roller, and a blade that scrapes and removes the foreign matter from the collection roller.

[0006] In this type of foreign object removal mechanism, the foreign objects are less likely to scatter because the roller is used to collect the foreign objects from the brush roller, and by providing the blade at a position away from the position where the collection roller contacts the brush roller, it is easy to prevent the foreign objects from re-adhering to the target object or the brush roller. On the other hand, there is an issue that the number of parts is large and it is difficult to reduce the size.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of such inconveniences, and aims to provide a cleaning device having a foreign matter collection mechanism that can be made compact while preventing foreign matter removed from an object from scattering when it is collected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a cleaning device that removes foreign matter adhering to at least one surface of a plate-shaped or film-shaped object, and is equipped with a roller-shaped cleaning brush that is rotatably arranged around a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the transport direction of the object and parallel to the surface of the object and collects foreign matter while rotating, and a foreign matter collection mechanism that collects foreign matter adhering to the cleaning brush, wherein the foreign matter collection mechanism is plate-shaped and has at least two flickers whose ends contact the tips of the cleaning brush and a wall surface to which the two flickers are fixed, the cleaning brush and the flickers are charged with the same polarity, and the two flickers, the surface portion of the cleaning brush sandwiched between the two flickers, and the wall surface form a closed area when viewed from the side. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The foreign matter recovery mechanism of the cleaning device of the present invention can be made compact while preventing foreign matter removed from an object from scattering when it is recovered. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of a cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view (partially enlarged view) showing the internal structure of the cleaning device taken along line AA in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic top view showing the roller configuration of the cleaning device in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a brush unit constituting a part of the cleaning device of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the brush unit taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the brush unit taken along line CC in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining positions where the two flickers come into contact with the cleaning brush in the brush unit of FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the roller unit of the cleaning device of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a cleaning device different from the cleaning device in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the brush unit of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a cleaning device different from the cleaning devices shown in FIGS. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the angle of flicker with respect to the contacting cleaning brush in the brush unit of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] [Description of the embodiment of the present invention] First, the embodiments of the present invention will be listed and described.

[0012] (1) A cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a cleaning device for removing foreign matter adhering to at least one surface of a plate-shaped or film-shaped object, and includes a roller-shaped cleaning brush that is rotatably arranged around a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the transport direction of the object and parallel to the surface of the object and collects foreign matter while rotating, and a foreign matter collection mechanism that collects foreign matter adhering to the cleaning brush, wherein the foreign matter collection mechanism is plate-shaped and has at least two flickers whose ends contact the tips of the cleaning brush and a wall surface to which the two flickers are fixed, the cleaning brush and the flickers are charged with the same polarity, and the two flickers, the surface portion of the cleaning brush sandwiched between the two flickers, and the wall surface form a closed area in a side view.

[0013] The cleaning device can scrape off foreign matter adhering to the brush tip of the cleaning brush using two flickers, so the number of parts is small and the foreign matter collection mechanism can be easily miniaturized. In addition, since the two flickers are charged with the same polarity as the cleaning brush, the scraped off foreign matter easily adheres to the two flickers. Furthermore, since the two flickers, the surface portion of the cleaning brush sandwiched between the two flickers, and the wall surface form a closed area in side view, the foreign matter scraped off by the two flickers easily remains inside the closed area. Therefore, the cleaning device can prevent the scattering of foreign matter removed from the target object when it is collected due to these configurations.

[0014] (2) In the above (1), the absolute value of the electric potential of the two flickers may be greater than the absolute value of the electric potential of the cleaning brush. By making the absolute value of the electric potential of the two flickers greater than the absolute value of the electric potential of the cleaning brush in this manner, foreign matter scraped off by the two flickers can be more reliably attached to the two flickers.

[0015] (3) In the above (1) or (2), the end of one of the two flickers may contact the tip of the cleaning brush at one of two intersections between the surface parallel to the surface of the object and the tip of the cleaning brush, the intersection being in the direction in which the cleaning brush rotates away from the surface of the object, or between the one intersection and the contact point in contact with the surface of the object, and the end of the other flicker may contact the tip of the cleaning brush downstream of the end of the one flicker in the rotation direction of the cleaning brush. By configuring the one flicker to contact the brush tip at the above-mentioned position, relatively large foreign matter scraped off by the one flicker falls downward by its own weight, and can be prevented from re-adhering to the cleaning brush. Relatively small foreign matter that slips through the one flicker is scraped off by the other flicker located downstream in the rotation direction of the cleaning brush. The smaller the foreign matter, the more likely it is to scatter, but the foreign matter scraped off by the other flicker tends to remain inside the closed area, making it easier to collect by the two charged flickers. Therefore, by configuring in this way, it is possible to more reliably prevent the foreign matter from scattering when being collected.

[0016] (4) In any of (1) to (3) above, the angle between the surface of the one flicker and the surface of the other flicker may be 90 degrees or less. By making the angle between the surface of the one flicker and the surface of the other flicker 90 degrees or less in this way, the closed area is narrowed, and the distance between the flicker and the foreign matter scattered in the closed space. Since the electrostatic force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance, the electrostatic force between the foreign matter and the charged flicker becomes large, and the foreign matter quickly adheres to the flicker. Therefore, scattering of the foreign matter during collection can be more reliably prevented.

[0017] (5) In any of (1) to (4) above, the foreign matter collection mechanism may be disposed at both ends of the cleaning brush, have a pair of side walls covering the end faces of the cleaning brush in a side view, and form a closed three-dimensional space with the two flickers, a surface portion of the cleaning brush sandwiched between the two flickers, the wall surface, and the pair of side walls. With this configuration, there is no path for foreign matter to move from the closed area to the outside, so that scattering of foreign matter during collection can be more reliably prevented.

[0018] (6) In any of (1) to (5) above, in a side view, an angle between a tangent to a contact point on a virtual circumference that is centered on the rotation axis and passes through a contact point where an end of the flicker contacts the cleaning brush and a surface of the flicker may be 60 degrees or less. By having the flicker contact the cleaning brush at an angle of 60 degrees or less with respect to the tangent, the efficiency of foreign matter collection by the foreign matter collection mechanism can be improved.

[0019] In this specification, "perpendicular" includes not only exactly perpendicular but also the case where the intersection angle with respect to the perpendicular line is within ±10°. Similarly, "parallel" includes not only exactly parallel but also the case where the angle between two lines is within ±10°.

[0020] [Details of the embodiment of the present invention] A cleaning device according to each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] [First embodiment] 1 to 3 is a cleaning device that removes foreign matter adhering to at least one surface of a plate-like or film-like object S. The cleaning device 1 includes a cleaning brush 10, a foreign matter collection mechanism 20 that collects foreign matter adhering to the cleaning brush 10, a cleaning roller 30, a foreign matter removal mechanism 40 that removes foreign matter adhering to the cleaning roller 30, and a transport mechanism 50.

[0022] In the cleaning device 1, the cleaning brush 10 and the foreign matter collection mechanism 20 are unitized as a brush unit 1a, and the cleaning roller 30 and the foreign matter removal mechanism 40 are unitized as a roller unit 1b. The brush unit 1a and the roller unit 1b are configured to be detachable. By configuring the brush unit 1a and the roller unit 1b to be detachable in this manner, the convenience of the work of disposing of the collected or removed foreign matter is improved. Furthermore, when it is necessary to change the type of the brush unit 1a and the roller unit 1b depending on the type of the target object S or foreign matter, the whole unit can be replaced.

[0023] <Object> Although the target object S is illustrated as a flat plate-shaped member in FIG. 2, there are no particular limitations as long as it is a plate-shaped or film-shaped member.

[0024] Examples of the plate-shaped object S include a glass substrate for an FPD, a resin substrate, a printed circuit board for mounting electronic components, a ceramic green sheet for forming a multilayer ceramic capacitor, a thin resin plate, etc. Examples of the film-shaped object S include a resin film, etc.

[0025] The target object S may be a laminate. The cleaning device 1 can also remove foreign matter from a laminate that is easily peeled off, such as a ceramic layer (green sheet) laminated on a polyethylene terephthalate substrate (PET substrate).

[0026] The front and back surfaces of the object S may be flat as shown in Fig. 2, but may have depressions. The object S may also have holes or the like. Furthermore, the cleaning device 1 can remove foreign matter even from an object having a pattern such as an electrical wiring pattern formed on the front or back surface thereof, which pattern forms steps.

[0027] The average thickness of the object S is not particularly limited, but the lower limit may be, for example, 30 μm or 50 μm. If the average thickness of the object S is less than the above lower limit, the object S may be difficult to handle. On the other hand, the upper limit of the average thickness of the object S is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 5 mm.

[0028] The object S is transported at a constant speed in the transport direction D shown in FIG. 2 by the transport mechanism 50. There is no particular limit to the transport speed of the object S as long as it is within a range in which foreign matter can be removed from the object S. The lower limit of the transport speed of the object S may be, for example, 5 m / min or 10 m / min. The upper limit of the transport speed may be, for example, 30 m / min or 20 m / min. If the transport speed of the object S does not meet the lower limit, the time required to remove foreign matter may be long, and the efficiency of removing foreign matter may decrease. Conversely, if the transport speed of the object S exceeds the upper limit, foreign matter on the surface of the object S may not be sufficiently removed.

[0029] Before being cleaned by the cleaning device 1, the target object S has foreign matter adhering to at least one surface. The foreign matter is mainly classified into relatively large foreign matter having a particle size of 50 μm or more and relatively fine foreign matter having a particle size of less than 50 μm. Furthermore, the foreign matter adhering to the target object S is often electrically charged. Below, the explanation will be continued taking the case where the foreign matter is positively charged as an example, but the foreign matter may also be negatively charged. If the foreign matter is negatively charged, the following positive and negative charges will be reversed. Furthermore, the effect of the present invention can be obtained even with uncharged foreign matter.

[0030] <Cleaning brush> The cleaning brush 10 is disposed so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis perpendicular to the transport direction D of the object S and parallel to the surface of the object S. That is, the rotation axis of the cleaning brush 10 is disposed so as to be perpendicular to the transport direction D in a virtual plane parallel to the surface of the object S. The cleaning brush 10 collects foreign matter while rotating. The cleaning brush 10 is roller-shaped, and as shown in FIG. 5, has a cylindrical core metal 11 and a brush portion 12 formed by planting a plurality of bristles on the circumferential surface of the core metal 11. In the cleaning device 1, as shown in FIG. 3, the brush portion 12 is disposed so as to cross the object S in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction D, but it is also possible to dispose the brush portion 12 so as to be in contact with a part of the object S.

[0031] The rotation direction of the cleaning brush 10 at the contact portion with the surface of the object S is preferably the opposite direction to the transport direction D. In other words, the cleaning brush 10 is preferably driven to rotate in the opposite direction by a drive device (not shown). The cleaning brush 10 can scratch up foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object S by rotating in the opposite direction to the transport direction D at the contact portion with the surface of the object S, and the scratched up foreign matter can be attached to the brush portion 12. In the following, a case where the rotation direction of the cleaning brush 10 is the opposite direction to the transport direction D will be described as an example, but the rotation direction of the cleaning brush 10 may be the forward direction to the transport direction D.

[0032] The bristles forming the brush portion 12 are preferably ones to which foreign matter physically adheres easily, for example, synthetic resin fibers. The bristles forming the brush portion 12 are preferably ones that can be charged with an electric charge that attracts foreign matter adhered to the surface of the object S by the force of an electric field, for example, synthetic resin fibers containing conductive materials such as carbon black, carbon fibers, metal powder, and metal whiskers can be suitably used.

[0033] The cross-sectional shape of the bristles of the brush part 12 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a star shape, etc. The outer shape of the bristles of the brush part 12 is also not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a straight shape, a wavy curve shape, a shape formed by combining a curve and a straight line, etc. The larger the surface area of ​​the bristles of the brush part 12, the easier it is to adsorb foreign matter, so that bristles forming the brush part 12 having, for example, a star-shaped cross-sectional shape are preferably used.

[0034] The cleaning brush 10, in a charged state, comes into contact with the surface of the object S. By bringing the cleaning brush 10 into contact with the surface of the object S in this manner, foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object S is attracted to the surface of the cleaning brush 10 by the force of static electricity, so that the foreign matter can be removed more effectively.

[0035] The lower limit of the voltage applied to the cleaning brush 10 is preferably, for example, -500V, and more preferably -400V. On the other hand, the above applied voltage is, for example, less than 0V, and is preferably -50V or less. By setting the voltage applied to the cleaning brush 10 within the above range, it is possible to efficiently remove foreign matter that is positively charged in particular. The reference potential (0V potential) of the applied voltage is the portion (stage) where the rotation axis of the first opposing roller 13 or the transport mechanism 50, which will be described later, comes into contact with the target object S. The same applies to the reference potential of the applied voltage described below.

[0036] The lower limit of the average pressure contact amount of the cleaning brush 10 to the object S is preferably 0.3 mm, more preferably 0.5 mm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the average pressure contact amount is preferably 1.5 mm, more preferably 1 mm. If the average pressure contact amount is less than the lower limit, foreign matter on the surface of the object S may not be sufficiently scraped off. Conversely, if the average pressure contact amount exceeds the upper limit, the resistance between the cleaning brush 10 and the object S increases, which may cause a hindrance to the transportation of the object S and may damage the surface of the object S. Note that the "pressure contact amount" refers to the difference between the distance between the surface of the core metal 21 and the object S at the contact portion between the cleaning brush 10 and the object S and the length of the bristles of the brush part 12, and the "average pressure contact amount" refers to the average pressure contact amount of all bristles that come into contact with the surface of the object S when the brush part 12 rotates once.

[0037] The lower limit of the circumferential speed of the cleaning brush 10 is preferably 1 m / min, and more preferably 3 m / min. On the other hand, the upper limit of the circumferential speed of the cleaning brush 10 is preferably 30 m / min, and more preferably 15 m / min. If the circumferential speed of the cleaning brush 10 is below the lower limit, foreign matter on the surface of the object S may not be sufficiently scraped up. Conversely, if the circumferential speed of the cleaning brush 10 exceeds the upper limit, the frictional force between the brush portion 12 and the surface of the object S increases, and the transport speed of the object S may decrease.

[0038] <Foreign object collection mechanism> As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the foreign matter collecting mechanism 20 has two plate-shaped flickers 21 (first flicker 21a and second flicker 21b) and a wall surface 22 to which the two flickers are fixed. That is, the pair of flickers 21a and 21b are fixed to the wall surface 22. The wall surface 22 and the flickers 21a and 21b may be formed separately or integrally. The pair of flickers 21a and 21b may be fixed to the pair of wall surfaces 22. FIG. 5 shows the pair of flickers 21a and 21b fixed to the pair of wall surfaces 22, and the flickers 21a and 21b and the wall surface 22 formed integrally. The foreign matter collecting mechanism 20 of this embodiment further has a pair of side walls 23 disposed at both ends of the cleaning brush 10 and covering the end faces of the cleaning brush 10 in a side view, and a dust receptacle 24.

[0039] The ends of the two flickers 21 come into contact with the brush tips of the cleaning brush 10 (the tips of the brush parts 12).

[0040] The flicker 21 is made of a conductive material, and may be made of, for example, SUS with a thickness of about 2 mm. When the cleaning brush 10 rotates, the tips of the bristles of the brush portion 12 come into contact with the flicker 21 and bend downstream in the direction of rotation. When the cleaning brush 10 rotates further, the bristles of the brush portion 12 move away from the flicker 21 and vibrate (swing) as they attempt to return to their original shape due to their restoring force. Due to this vibration, foreign matter adhering to the tips of the bristles of the brush portion 12 are flicked upstream in the direction of rotation and fall into the dirt receiver 24. In this way, the flicker 21 can brush off foreign matter adhering to the brush portion 12.

[0041] Of the two flickers 21, the first flicker 21a, which comes into contact with the cleaning brush 10 on the upstream side of the rotation direction, mainly removes relatively large foreign matter with a particle size of 50 μm or more, while the second flicker 21b, which comes into contact with the cleaning brush 10 on the downstream side, mainly removes relatively fine foreign matter with a particle size of less than 50 μm.

[0042] 4, the two flickers 21, the surface portion of the cleaning brush 10 sandwiched between the two flickers 21, and the wall surface 22 form a closed region R in side view. That is, the wall surface 22 is formed in a shape such that the two flickers 21, the surface portion of the cleaning brush 10 sandwiched between the two flickers 21, and the wall surface 22 form the closed region R. With this configuration, fine foreign matter scraped off by the two flickers 21, particularly the second flicker 21b, can be made to remain easily inside the closed region R. Since fine foreign matter is more likely to scatter, by keeping it inside the closed region R, scattering of the foreign matter can be suppressed.

[0043] 6, the ends of the two flickers 21 are configured to contact the brush tip over the entire length of the cleaning brush 10 in the rotational axis direction, and both side edges of the two flickers 21 are configured to contact the pair of side walls 23. In other words, a closed three-dimensional space is formed by the surface portion of the cleaning brush 10 sandwiched between the two flickers 21, the wall surface 22, and the pair of side walls 23. With this configuration, there is no path for foreign matter to move from the closed region R to the outside, so scattering of foreign matter during collection can be more reliably prevented.

[0044] The flicker 21 is charged with the same polarity as the cleaning brush 10. In the cleaning device 1, specifically, the flicker 21 is negatively charged. The absolute value of the electric potential of the two flicker 21 is preferably larger than the absolute value of the electric potential of the cleaning brush 10. By making the absolute value of the electric potential of the two flicker 21 larger than the absolute value of the electric potential of the cleaning brush 10 in this manner, the foreign matter scraped off by the two flicker 21 can be more reliably attached to the two flicker 21.

[0045] The lower limit of the voltage applied to the flicker 21 is preferably, for example, -1000V, and more preferably -800V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the voltage applied is preferably, for example, -200V, and more preferably -400V. By setting the voltage applied to the flicker 21 within the above range, it is possible to efficiently remove foreign matter, particularly positively charged foreign matter. Note that the two flicker 21 can be set to different potentials, but it is preferable that they are set to the same potential.

[0046] The lower limit of the potential difference between the flicker 21 and the cleaning brush 10 is preferably 200V, more preferably 300V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the potential difference is preferably 600V, more preferably 500V. If the potential difference is less than the lower limit, the foreign matter scraped off by the two flicker 21 may not adhere sufficiently to the two flicker 21, and the foreign matter may not be sufficiently prevented from adhering to the cleaning brush 10 again. On the other hand, if the potential difference exceeds the upper limit, the cost of the equipment for applying a high voltage and the cost of the electricity required for operating the cleaning device 1 may increase too much compared to the improvement in the effect of preventing foreign matter from adhering to the cleaning brush 10 again.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 7, the end of one of the two flickers 21 (first flicker 21a) may contact the tip of the cleaning brush 10 at one of two intersections P1 and P2 between the surface P0 of the cleaning brush 10 that passes through the center of the rotation axis O of the cleaning brush 10 and is parallel to the surface of the object S and the tip of the cleaning brush 10, the intersection P1 in the direction in which the cleaning brush 10 rotates away from the surface of the object S, or between this intersection P1 and a contact point P3 that contacts the surface of the object S. In other words, the first flicker 21a and the cleaning brush 10 may contact each other within a range of 90 degrees or less in the rotation direction of the cleaning brush 10, with the contact point P3 of the cleaning brush 10 and the object S as the reference (0 degrees). The end of the other flicker (second flicker 21b) may contact the tip of the cleaning brush 10 downstream in the rotation direction of the cleaning brush 10 from the end of the first flicker 21a, which is the one of the flickers. By configuring the first flicker 21a to contact the brush tip at the above-mentioned position, relatively large foreign matter scraped off by the first flicker 21a falls downward due to its own weight, and is prevented from re-adhering to the cleaning brush 10. Relatively small foreign matter that could not be removed by the first flicker 21a is scraped off by the second flicker 21b located downstream in the rotation direction of the cleaning brush 10. The smaller the foreign matter, the more likely it is to scatter, but foreign matter scraped off by the second flicker 21b tends to remain inside the closed region R, and is therefore easily collected by the two charged flickers 21. Therefore, by configuring in this way, it is possible to more reliably prevent foreign matter from scattering when collected.

[0048] The upper limit of the angle (first angle) θ1 between the surface of the first flicker 21a, which is one of the flickers, and the surface of the second flicker 21b, which is the other flicker, is preferably 90 degrees, more preferably 80 degrees. On the other hand, the lower limit of the first angle θ1 is preferably 45 degrees, more preferably 60 degrees. By setting the first angle θ1 to be equal to or less than the upper limit in this way, the closed region R becomes narrow, and the distance between the foreign matter scattered in this closed space and the flicker 21 is kept small. Since the electrostatic force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance, the electrostatic force between the foreign matter and the charged flicker 21 becomes large, and the foreign matter quickly adheres to the flicker 21. Therefore, scattering of the foreign matter during collection can be more reliably suppressed.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 12, in a side view, an angle (second angle) θ2 between a tangent to the contact point P4 on a virtual circumference C1 that passes through a contact point P4 at which the end of the flicker 21 contacts the cleaning brush 10 and the surface of the flicker 21 is preferably 60 degrees or less. By setting the second angle θ2 to 60 degrees or less, it is possible to improve the ease with which the dust receiver 24 collects foreign matter attached to the brush part 12 (foreign matter is flicked off toward the dust receiver 24). Note that the second angle θ2 means the smaller of the two angles between the tangent and the surface. The center of the virtual circumference C1 is the radial center of the cleaning brush 10.

[0050] Both of the two flickers 21a, 21b may be disposed at the second angle θ2 with respect to the cleaning brush 10, or one of the two flickers 21 may be disposed at the second angle θ2. It is preferable that at least the first flicker 21a is disposed at the second angle θ2.

[0051] The upper limit of the second angle θ2 may be 55 degrees or may be 50 degrees. The lower limit of the second angle θ2 is not particularly limited and may be 10 degrees, 20 degrees, or 30 degrees. The dust receptacle 24 collects relatively large foreign matter, mainly having a particle size of 50 μm or more, that is scraped off by the first flicker 21a. The dust receptacle 24 is disposed below the first flicker 21a. Since the large foreign matter has a tendency to quickly fall downward due to its own weight, the dust receptacle 24 can collect the foreign matter while preventing it from scattering.

[0052] <Cleaning roller> The cleaning roller 30 is disposed so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis perpendicular to the transport direction D of the object S and parallel to the surface of the object S, and comes into contact with the surface of the object S.

[0053] The rotation direction of the cleaning roller 30 at the contact portion with the surface of the object S is preferably the forward direction with respect to the transport direction D. In this case, the cleaning roller 30 may be rotated in the forward direction by a drive device, but may be configured to rotate together with the transport of the object S. In a configuration in which the cleaning roller 30 rotates together with the transport of the object S, a drive device is not required. The cleaning roller 30 rotates together in the forward direction by contacting the surface of the object S being transported.

[0054] The cleaning roller 30 may be brought into contact with the surface of the object S in a charged state. In this case, the cleaning roller 30 is preferably charged to the same polarity as the cleaning brush 10, and more preferably has the same potential. By bringing the cleaning roller 30 into contact with the surface of the object S in a charged state, foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object S is attracted to the surface of the cleaning roller 30 by the force of static electricity, so that the foreign matter can be removed more effectively.

[0055] As shown in Figure 8, the cleaning roller 30 can be configured to have, for example, a cylindrical core metal 31, a cylindrical inner layer portion 32 covering the peripheral surface of the core metal 31, and a thin-film cylindrical outer layer portion 33 covering the outer peripheral surface of the inner layer portion 32.

[0056] A conductive elastic material is used as the material of the inner layer portion 32. An example of such an elastic material is polyester-based urethane containing carbon.

[0057] The material of the outer layer 33 may be any material that can be charged with an electric charge that attracts foreign matter adhering to the surface of the target object S by the force of an electric field, and examples of such materials include polyurethanes, such as acrylic-mixed polyurethane and fluorine-mixed polyurethane. By forming the outer layer 33 from polyurethane, it is possible to achieve superior abrasion resistance compared to when the outer layer 33 is formed from silicone resin, butyl rubber, or the like, and to reduce contamination by plasticizers and low molecular weight substances.

[0058] The acrylic-mixed polyurethane refers to a mixture that contains polyester polyurethane or polyether polyurethane as the main component, and further contains (1) thermoplastic polyurethane and silicone-acrylic copolymer resin, (2) acrylic resin (e.g., a graft compound in which an aminoethyl group is grafted to a main chain made of 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 for the outer layer portion 33, foreign matter that is easily negatively charged can be easily removed from the surface of the target object S. The term "main component" refers to the component that is most abundant, for example, a component that is contained in an amount of 50 mass% or more.

[0059] The fluorine-mixed polyurethane is a mixture containing thermoplastic polyurethane and urethane-fluorine copolymer as the main component of the outer layer 33. By using the fluorine-mixed polyurethane as the material of the outer layer 33, foreign matter that tends to be positively charged can be easily removed from the target object S.

[0060] The lower limit of the average thickness of the outer layer portion 33 is preferably 2 μm, more preferably 5 μm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the average thickness of the outer layer portion 33 is preferably 500 μm, more preferably 50 μm. If the average thickness of the outer layer portion 33 is less than the lower limit, the surface of the cleaning roller 30 cannot be sufficiently charged, and the effect of adsorbing foreign matter may not be sufficiently obtained. Conversely, if the average thickness of the outer layer portion 33 exceeds the upper limit, good charging characteristics for adsorbing foreign matter may not be obtained.

[0061] <Foreign object removal mechanism> The foreign matter removal mechanism 40 is arranged to be rotatable around a rotation axis perpendicular to the transport direction D of the object S and parallel to the surface of the object S, and comprises a roller-shaped brush roller 41 that collects foreign matter while rotating, and a foreign matter collection mechanism 20 that collects foreign matter adhering to the brush roller 41, the foreign matter collection mechanism 20 is plate-shaped and has at least two flickers 21 whose ends contact the brush tips of the brush roller 41 and a wall surface 22 to which the two flickers 21 are fixed, the brush roller 41 and the flickers 21 are charged with the same polarity, and the two flickers 21, the surface portion of the brush roller 41 sandwiched between the two flickers 21, and the wall surface 22 form a closed area R in side view.

[0062] The brush roller 41 comes into contact with the surface of the cleaning roller 30. It is preferable that the rotation direction of the brush roller 41 at the contact portion with the surface of the cleaning roller 30 is opposite to the rotation direction of the cleaning roller 30. By making the rotation direction of the brush roller 41 opposite to the rotation direction of the cleaning roller 30 in this manner, foreign matter adhering to the cleaning roller 30 can be efficiently collected.

[0063] It is preferable that the potential of the brush roller 41 has the same polarity and a large absolute value as the potential of the cleaning roller 30. By making the potential of the brush roller 41 have the same polarity and a large absolute value as the potential of the cleaning roller 30 in this manner, foreign matter adhering to the cleaning roller 30 can be easily moved from the cleaning roller 30 to the brush roller 41 at the contact portion. Therefore, foreign matter adhering to the cleaning roller 30 can be more reliably collected.

[0064] Except for the above-mentioned points, the brush roller 41 can be configured similarly to the cleaning brush 10, and therefore further description will be omitted.

[0065] The foreign matter collecting mechanism 42 of the foreign matter removing mechanism 40 can be configured in the same manner as the foreign matter collecting mechanism 20 that collects foreign matter from the cleaning brush 10 described above, and so the same reference numerals are used and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0066] <Transport mechanism> The transport mechanism 50 applies a propulsive force for transporting the object S. The transport mechanism 50 has an upstream transport mechanism 50a arranged upstream of the cleaning brush 10 in the transport direction D, and a downstream transport mechanism 50b arranged downstream of the cleaning roller 30 in the transport direction D.

[0067] (Upstream transport mechanism) The upstream transport mechanism 50a transports the object S and inserts it into the cleaning brush 10, and has a plurality of belt transport parts 51 as shown in Fig. 1. Each belt transport part 51 has an endless belt 53 wound around a pair of transport rollers 52 spaced apart from each other along the transport direction D as shown in Fig. 2.

[0068] Of the pair of conveying rollers 52, one is a drive roller to which a rotational force is applied, and the other is a driven roller that rotates together with the endless belt 53 due to the rotation of the drive roller. The multiple belt conveying units 51 are arranged at regular intervals in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction D.

[0069] (Downstream transport mechanism) The downstream transport mechanism 50b transports the target object S that has passed the cleaning roller 30. The downstream transport mechanism 50b can be configured in the same manner as the upstream transport mechanism 50a, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0070] <Other configurations> In addition to the above-mentioned configuration, the cleaning device 1 may have the following configuration.

[0071] (First opposing roller) The cleaning device 1 may include a first opposing roller 13 that comes into contact with the surface of the object S opposite to the surface that comes into contact with the cleaning brush 10, as shown in FIG.

[0072] The first opposing roller 13 is rotatably disposed at a position where its rotation axis is parallel to and opposed to the cleaning brush 10, and rotates together with the transport of the object S. That is, the rotation direction of the first opposing roller 13 at the contact portion with the back surface of the object S is the forward direction with respect to the transport direction D.

[0073] A voltage having the same polarity but lower than the voltage applied to the cleaning brush 10 or a voltage having an opposite polarity is applied to the surface of the first opposing roller 13 with respect to the rotation axis of the first opposing roller 13. Alternatively, the first opposing roller 13 is grounded. This promotes the adsorption effect due to the force of the electric field of the cleaning brush 10, making it easier for foreign matter adhering to the surface of the target object S facing the cleaning brush 10 to be adsorbed to the cleaning brush 10.

[0074] The first opposing roller 13 is formed partly or entirely from a conductive material. Examples of such conductive materials include metal materials such as stainless steel, copper, and aluminum. The first opposing roller 13 can be formed only from the conductive material, but as shown in Fig. 3, the first opposing roller 13 may be configured such that the outer peripheral surface of a core metal 13a formed from the conductive material is covered with an insulating layer 13b made of synthetic resin or the like.

[0075] (Second opposing roller) The cleaning device 1 may include a second opposing roller 34 that comes into contact with the surface of the object S opposite to the surface that comes into contact with the cleaning roller 30.

[0076] The second opposing roller 34 is rotatably disposed at a position where its rotation axis is parallel to and opposed to the cleaning roller 30, and comes into contact with the back surface of the object S in an electrically charged state. The second opposing roller 34 rotates as the object S is transported. In other words, the rotation direction of the second opposing roller 34 at the contact portion with the back surface of the object S is the forward direction with respect to the transport direction D.

[0077] The second opposing roller 34 is partially or entirely made of a conductive material. The conductive material used for the second opposing roller 34 and the configuration of the second opposing roller 34 may be similar to those of the first opposing roller 13.

[0078] A voltage having the same polarity but a lower voltage than the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 30 or a voltage having an opposite polarity is applied to the surface of the second opposing roller 34. Alternatively, the second opposing roller 34 is grounded. This promotes the adsorption effect due to the force of the electric field of the cleaning roller 30, and foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object S facing the cleaning roller 30 becomes more likely to be adsorbed to the cleaning roller 30.

[0079] (energizer) The first opposing roller 13 and the second opposing roller 34 may be unitized as an opposing roller unit. This opposing roller unit may have a biasing tool for biasing the first opposing roller 13 and the second opposing roller 34 against the object S, and may be configured so that the distance between the rotation axis of the first opposing roller 13 and the second opposing roller 34 and the surface where they contact the object S is variable. This configuration prevents the cleaning brush 10 and the cleaning roller 30 from colliding with the edge of the object S when it enters or with the unevenness of the object S, making cleaning impossible, and allows the cleaning brush 10 and the cleaning roller 30 to come into contact with the object S while applying an appropriate pressure, thereby improving the efficiency of removing foreign matter.

[0080] The biasing tool may be, for example, a spring. The biasing tool may be provided individually for the first opposing roller 13 and the second opposing roller 34, or one biasing tool may be provided on the opposing roller unit body to bias both the first opposing roller 13 and the second opposing roller 34.

[0081] (Motors, high voltage boards) The brush unit 1a and the roller unit 1b require motors for rotating the cleaning brush 10, the brush roller 41, etc., and high-voltage boards for controlling them. These motors and high-voltage boards are preferably included in the brush unit 1a and the roller unit 1b, and are unitized as a whole.

[0082] Moreover, the power source for driving these components may be, for example, a single power source of 24 V. By configuring the components with a single power source, it is possible to simplify the configuration and facilitate miniaturization of the device.

[0083] <Advantages> The cleaning device 1 can scrape off foreign matter adhering to the brush tip of the cleaning brush 10 by using the two flickers 21, so that the number of parts is small and the foreign matter collection mechanism 20 can be easily miniaturized. In addition, since the two flickers 21 are charged with the same polarity as the cleaning brush 10, the scraped off foreign matter easily adheres to the two flickers 21. Furthermore, since the two flickers 21, the surface portion of the cleaning brush 10 sandwiched between the two flickers 21, and the wall surface 22 form a closed area R in side view, the foreign matter scraped off by the two flickers 21 easily remains inside the closed area R. Therefore, the cleaning device 1 can prevent the foreign matter removed from the target object S from scattering when collected by using these configurations.

[0084] Second Embodiment 9 is a cleaning device that removes foreign matter attached to at least one surface of a plate-like or film-like object S. The cleaning device 2 includes a brush unit 2a, a delivery section 61, and a take-up section 62. The cleaning device 2 is a so-called roll-to-roll cleaning device.

[0085] <Transmission section> The let-off unit 61, for example, sends out the target object S wound around a reel to the winding unit 62. The reel of the let-off unit 61 may be driven or non-driven. When the reel of the let-off unit 61 is driven, it is preferable to control the drive of the let-off unit 61 so that excessive slack or tension is not generated in the target object S between the let-off unit 61 and the winding unit 62. A known motor can be used to drive the let-off unit 61.

[0086] <Winding section> The winding unit 62 pulls and winds the target object S onto, for example, a reel. The target object S moves along the conveying direction D due to the pulling force of the winding unit 62. A known motor can be used to drive the winding unit 62.

[0087] The conveying speed of the object S at this time is not particularly limited, but the lower limit of the conveying speed of the object S is preferably 5 m / min, more preferably 20 m / min, and even more preferably 50 m / min. On the other hand, the upper limit of the conveying speed of the object S is preferably 150 m / min, and more preferably 120 m / min. If the conveying speed of the object S is below the lower limit, the cleaning efficiency and therefore the productivity of the object S may decrease. Conversely, if the conveying speed of the object S exceeds the upper limit, power consumption may become too large.

[0088] <Brush unit> The brush unit 2a is fixed between the delivery section 61 and the winding section 62, and removes foreign matter from the target object S that is moving due to the tensile force of the winding section 62.

[0089] As shown in Figure 10, the brush unit 2a of the cleaning device 2 is rotatably arranged around a rotation axis perpendicular to the transport direction D of the object S and parallel to the surface of the object S, and is equipped with a roller-shaped cleaning brush 10 that collects foreign matter while rotating, a foreign matter collection mechanism 20 that collects foreign matter adhering to the cleaning brush 10, and a first opposing roller 13. The foreign matter collection mechanism 20 is plate-shaped and has two flickers 21 whose ends contact the brush tips of the cleaning brush 10 and a wall surface 22 to which the two flickers 21 are fixed. The cleaning brush 10 and the flickers 21 are charged with the same polarity, and the two flickers 21, the surface portion of the cleaning brush 10 sandwiched between the two flickers 21, and the wall surface 22 form a closed area R in side view.

[0090] The cleaning brush 10 and the foreign matter collecting mechanism 20 of the cleaning device 2 are configured similarly to the cleaning brush 10 and the foreign matter collecting mechanism 20 of the cleaning device 1 of the first embodiment, so they are given the same reference numerals and detailed description is omitted.

[0091] The first opposing roller 13 of the cleaning device 2 is configured similarly to the first opposing roller 13 of the cleaning device 1 of the first embodiment, and therefore the same reference numerals are used and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0092] <Advantages> In this way, the foreign matter collection mechanism 20 of the cleaning device 2 of the present invention can be made smaller in size while preventing the foreign matter removed from the target object S from scattering when it is collected, even for cleaning devices with a roll-to-roll configuration.

[0093] Third Embodiment 11 is a cleaning device that removes foreign matter adhering to at least one surface of a plate-like or film-like object S. The cleaning device 3 includes a brush unit 3a and a fixed part 70. The brush unit 3a is movable so as to pass over the upper surface of the fixed part 70.

[0094] <Fixing fixture> The fixing unit 70 fixes the object S while contacting the back surface of the object S. That is, the fixing unit 70 fixes the object S so that the front surface of the object S is exposed.

[0095] The mechanism by which the fixing part 70 fixes the object S is not particularly limited as long as it can fix the object S, but for example, a vacuum suction type chuck can be used. Moreover, it is preferable that the fixing part 70 can cover the entire surface (contact surface) on the side that comes into contact with the object S so that the object S does not bend when removing foreign matter. In other words, it is preferable that the area of ​​the surface of the fixing part 70 that comes into contact with the object S is larger than the area of ​​the contact surface of the object S.

[0096] The fixing portion 70 is disposed along the passing direction of the brush unit 3a (movement direction M in FIG. 11), which will be described later, and the brush unit 3a can pass through the fixing portion 70. At this time, the object S is equivalent to being in a state where it is relatively moving in the opposite direction to the movement direction M (transport direction D).

[0097] More specifically, the fixed part 70 is disposed so that the surface of the object S faces the side of the brush unit 3a where the cleaning brush 10 is exposed. When the brush unit 3a passes the position of the fixed part 70, the surface of the object S is disposed so as to come into contact with the cleaning brush 10. Note that the brush unit 3a may move in the direction opposite to the moving direction M, and in that case, it is preferable that the surface of the object S is retracted to a position where it does not come into contact with the cleaning brush 10. This retracted position may be a position vertically separated from the surface of the object S, or may be a position horizontally separated from the moving direction M of the brush unit 3a to the surface of the object S.

[0098] <Brush unit> The brush unit 3a of the cleaning device 3 is arranged to be rotatable around a rotation axis perpendicular to the transport direction D of the object S and parallel to the surface of the object S, and is equipped with a roller-shaped cleaning brush 10 that collects foreign matter while rotating, and a foreign matter collection mechanism 20 that collects foreign matter adhering to the cleaning brush 10, the foreign matter collection mechanism 20 is plate-shaped and has two flickers 21 whose ends contact the brush tips of the cleaning brush 10 and a wall surface 22 to which the two flickers 21 are fixed, the cleaning brush 10 and the flickers 21 are charged with the same polarity, and the two flickers 21, the surface portion of the cleaning brush 10 sandwiched between the two flickers 21, and the wall surface 22 form a closed area R in side view.

[0099] The cleaning brush 10 and the foreign matter collecting mechanism 20 of the cleaning device 3 are configured similarly to the cleaning brush 10 and the foreign matter collecting mechanism 20 of the cleaning device 1 of the first embodiment, so they are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0100] <Advantages> In this way, the foreign matter collection mechanism 20 of the cleaning device 3 of the present invention can be made compact while preventing the foreign matter removed from the object S from scattering when it is collected, even for cleaning devices that are configured to move the brush unit 3a instead of transporting the object S.

[0101] [Other embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various other forms in addition to the above-described forms with various modifications and improvements.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the foreign matter collection mechanism has two flickers, but the foreign matter collection mechanism may have three or more flickers. By using three or more flickers, foreign matter with different particle sizes can be efficiently collected in stages.

[0103] In the above embodiment, a foreign matter collection mechanism is arranged at both ends of the cleaning brush, and has a pair of side walls that cover the end faces of the cleaning brush when viewed from the side, and a closed three-dimensional space is formed by the surface portion of the cleaning brush sandwiched between two flickers, the wall surface, and the pair of side walls. However, a closed three-dimensional space is not a required configuration, and part of it may be open.

[0104] In the above first embodiment, a case was described in which two foreign matter collection mechanisms for collecting foreign matter adhering to the cleaning brush (brush roller) were provided, but the present invention also intends a cleaning device in which only one of the foreign matter collection mechanisms is provided.

[0105] In the above first embodiment, the cleaning device removes foreign matter adhering to one side of the object, but the cleaning device may also remove foreign matter adhering to both sides of the object. In this case, it is preferable to provide a brush unit and a roller unit that removes foreign matter from one side, and a brush unit and a roller unit that removes foreign matter from the other side. The foreign matter collection mechanism may be provided in all or some of these units. Also, in the above second and third embodiments, the cleaning device may be configured to remove foreign matter adhering to both sides of the object.

[0106] In the first embodiment, the cleaning brush with a reverse rotation direction is arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction of the object, and the cleaning roller with a forward rotation direction is arranged on the downstream side, but this order can be reversed, that is, the cleaning roller with a forward rotation direction is arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction of the object, and the cleaning brush with a reverse rotation direction is arranged on the downstream side. Also, in a cleaning device that removes foreign matter from both sides of an object, the order of arrangement does not need to be the same on each side, and the order can be different on both sides.

[0107] In the first embodiment, the present invention also contemplates a cleaning device that does not include a cleaning roller, that is, a cleaning device that is configured only with a cleaning brush. [Industrial Applicability]

[0108] As described above, the foreign matter recovery mechanism of the cleaning device of the present invention can be made compact while preventing foreign matter removed from an object from scattering when it is recovered. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 1, 2, 3 Cleaning device 1a, 2a, 3a Brush Unit 1b Roller unit 10 Cleaning Brush 11 Core wire 12 Brush section 13 First opposing roller 13a Core metal 13b Insulating layer 20 Foreign object collection mechanism 21 Flicker 21a 1st Flicker 21b 2nd Flicker 22 Wall 23 Side wall 24 Garbage Receptacle 30 Cleaning roller 31 Core 32 Inner Layer 33 Outer layer 34 Second opposing roller 40 Foreign object removal mechanism 41 Brush roller 42 Foreign object collection mechanism 50 Conveyor mechanism 50a Upstream transport mechanism 50b Downstream conveying mechanism 51 Belt conveyor 52 Transport roller 53 Endless Belt 61 Transmission Department 62 Winding section 70 Fixed part C1 Virtual circumference S Object D Conveying direction M Movement direction R closed region O Rotation axis P0 Parallel planes P1, P2 intersection P3,P4 contact point θ1: Angle between the surface of the first flicker 21a and the surface of the second flicker 21b θ2: Angle between the surface of the first flicker 21a and the surface of the second flicker 21b

Claims

1. A cleaning device for removing foreign matter adhering to at least one surface of a plate-like or film-like object, comprising: a roller-shaped cleaning brush that is rotatably disposed about a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the object and parallel to the surface of the object and that collects foreign matter while rotating; a foreign matter collecting mechanism for collecting foreign matter adhering to the cleaning brush; Equipped with The foreign object recovery mechanism is At least two flickers having a plate shape and ends contacting the brush tips of the cleaning brush; The wall on which the two flickers are fixed and having The cleaning brush and the flicker are charged to the same polarity, The cleaning device, wherein the two flickers, a surface portion of the cleaning brush sandwiched between the two flickers, and the wall surface form a closed area in a side view.

2. 2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the absolute value of the potential of the flicker of the two sheets is greater than the absolute value of the potential of the cleaning brush.

3. Of the two flickers above, an end of one of the flickers contacts the tip of the cleaning brush at one of two intersections between a plane passing through the center of the rotation axis of the cleaning brush and parallel to the surface of the object and the tip of the cleaning brush, the intersection being in a direction in which the rotation of the cleaning brush moves away from the surface of the object, or between the one intersection and a contact point in contact with the surface of the object; 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein an end of the other flicker contacts the tip of the cleaning brush downstream of the end of the one flicker in the direction of rotation of the cleaning brush.

4. 4. The cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein an angle between a surface of said one flicker and a surface of said other flicker is 90 degrees or less.

5. the foreign matter collection mechanism is disposed on both ends of the cleaning brush and has a pair of side walls covering the end faces of the cleaning brush in a side view; 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein a closed three-dimensional space is defined by the two flickers, a surface portion of the cleaning brush sandwiched between the two flickers, the wall surface, and the pair of side walls.

6. A cleaning device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein, when viewed from the side, the angle between the tangent to the contact point on an imaginary circumference centered on the rotation axis and passing through the contact point where the end of the flicker contacts the cleaning brush and the surface of the flicker is 60 degrees or less.