Cleaning device

Abstract

A cleaning device according to the present invention is for removing foreign matter adhering to at least one side of a plate-like or film-like object, the cleaning device comprising: a roller-shaped cleaning brush which is disposed to be rotatable about a rotary axis perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the object and parallel to the object surface and which collects foreign matter while rotating; and a foreign matter collection mechanism that collects foreign matter that has adhered to the cleaning brush. The foreign matter collection mechanism has at least two flickers which are plate-shaped and have ends that contact brush tips of the cleaning brush, and a wall surface to which the two flickers are secured. The cleaning brush and the flickers are electrically charged with the same polarity. The two flickers, the surface portion of the cleaning brush caught between the two flickers, and the wall surface constitute a closed area in a side view.

Description

cleaning device

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

[0002] In recent years, cleaning devices have been developed for removing foreign matter 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, thin resin plates, film materials, thin metal plates, and the like.

[0003] One such cleaning device is known to have a brush roller unit that is detachably disposed above the object being transported and removes foreign matter from the surface of the object using a brush roller (see JP 2022-34005 A). This cleaning device can remove relatively large foreign matter from the object by charging the brush roller.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-34005

[0005] In the cleaning device, the brush roller is charged to attract foreign matter, so if left as is, the foreign matter may remain attracted to the brush roller and accumulate. For this reason, the cleaning device is equipped with a foreign matter removal mechanism that includes a collection roller that collects the foreign matter removed from the target object by the brush roller, and a blade that scrapes the foreign matter off the collection roller.

[0006] This type of foreign matter removal mechanism uses a roller to collect foreign matter from the brush roller, making it difficult for the foreign matter to scatter, and by positioning the blade away from the position where the collection roller contacts the brush roller, it is easy to prevent the foreign matter from re-adhering to the target object or the brush roller. However, there are issues with the large number of parts and the difficulty of miniaturization.

[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 being collected.

[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 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 side view.

[0009] The foreign matter collection mechanism of the cleaning device of the present invention can be made compact while preventing foreign matter removed from an object from scattering when collected.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of a cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view (partially enlarged) showing the internal structure of the cleaning device of FIG. 1 taken along line A-A. FIG. 3 is a schematic top view showing the roller configuration of the cleaning device of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a brush unit constituting a part of the cleaning device of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the brush unit of FIG. 4 taken along line B-B. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the brush unit of FIG. 4 taken along line C-C. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the positions where two flickers contact the cleaning brush in the brush unit of FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a roller unit of the cleaning device of FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a cleaning device different from that of the cleaning device of FIG. 2. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the brush unit of FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a cleaning device different from that of the cleaning devices of FIGS. 2 and 9. 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.

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

[0012] (1) A cleaning device according to one aspect 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 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 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 side view.

[0013] This cleaning device can scrape off foreign matter adhering to the brush tip of the cleaning brush using two flickers, which reduces the number of parts and facilitates miniaturization of the foreign matter collection mechanism. Furthermore, because the two flickers are charged with the same polarity as the cleaning brush, the scraped foreign matter easily adheres to the two flickers. Furthermore, 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, so the foreign matter scraped off by the two flickers easily remains within this closed area. Therefore, this configuration of the cleaning device can prevent foreign matter removed from the target object from scattering when being collected.

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

[0015] (3) In (1) or (2) above, the end of one of the two flickers may contact the tip of the cleaning brush at one of two intersections between the tip of the cleaning brush and a plane passing through the center of the rotation axis of the cleaning brush and parallel to the surface of the object, where the rotation of the cleaning brush is in the direction away from the surface of the object, or between this intersection and a contact point where the tip of the cleaning brush contacts 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 direction of rotation of the cleaning brush. By configuring one flicker to contact the tip of the cleaning brush at the above-mentioned position, relatively large foreign particles scraped off by the one flicker fall downward under their own weight and are prevented from re-adhering to the cleaning brush. Relatively small foreign particles that slip through the one flicker are scraped off by the other flicker located downstream in the direction of rotation 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 foreign matter from scattering when collected.

[0016] (4) In any of (1) to (3) above, the angle between the surface of one flicker and the surface of the other flicker may be 90 degrees or less. By making the angle between the surface of 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 foreign matter scattered within this closed space is reduced. Because 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 foreign matter during collection can be more reliably prevented.

[0017] (5) In any of (1) to (4), the foreign matter collection mechanism may be disposed at both ends of the cleaning brush and have a pair of side walls that cover the end faces of the cleaning brush in a side view, and a closed three-dimensional space may be formed by the two flickers, the 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 scattering of foreign matter during collection can be more reliably prevented.

[0018] (6) In any of (1) to (5) above, in a side view, a tangent to a virtual circumference passing through a contact point where an end of the flicker contacts the cleaning brush, the tangent to the contact point, and the surface of the flicker may form an angle of 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 angle between two lines and the perpendicular 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 Embodiments of the Present Invention] A cleaning device according to each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] 1 to 3 is a cleaning device that removes foreign matter adhering to at least one surface of a plate-shaped or film-shaped 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 conveying 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 tasks such as collecting or disposing of removed foreign matter is improved. Furthermore, if the type of brush unit 1a and the roller unit 1b needs to be changed depending on the type of object S or foreign matter, the entire unit can be replaced.

[0023] <Object> Although the 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 object S may be a laminate. The cleaning device 1 can also remove foreign matter from a laminate that is prone to peeling, such as a polyethylene terephthalate substrate (PET substrate) on which a ceramic layer (green sheet) is laminated.

[0026] The front and back surfaces of the object S may be flat as shown in Fig. 2, but may also have depressions. The object S may also have holes or the like. Furthermore, the cleaning device 1 can remove foreign matter from an object that has a pattern, such as an electrical wiring pattern, formed on the front or back surface, and the 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 are no particular limitations on 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 is below the lower limit, the time required to remove foreign matter may be long, and the efficiency of foreign matter removal may be reduced. 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 object S has foreign matter adhering to at least one surface. The foreign matter is mainly divided 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 object S is often electrically charged. The following explanation will be given 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 positive and negative charges described below will be reversed. Furthermore, the effects 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 that is 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 within an imaginary 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 11 and a brush portion 12 formed by planting a plurality of bristles on the circumferential surface of the core 11. In the cleaning device 1, as shown in FIG. 3 , the brush portion 12 is disposed so as to traverse the object S in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction D, but it is also possible for the brush portion 12 to be disposed so as to come into contact with a portion of the object S.

[0031] The rotation direction of the cleaning brush 10 at the contact point 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). By rotating in the opposite direction to the transport direction D at the contact point with the surface of the object S, the cleaning brush 10 can scrape up foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object S and adhere the scraped up foreign matter to the brush portion 12. In the following, an example will be described in which the rotation direction of the cleaning brush 10 is the opposite direction to the transport direction D, but the rotation direction of the cleaning brush 10 may also be the same direction as the transport direction D.

[0032] The bristles forming the brush portion 12 are preferably made of a material that physically attracts foreign matter, such as synthetic resin fibers. The bristles forming the brush portion 12 are also preferably made of a material that can be charged with an electric charge that attracts foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object S by the force of an electric field, such as synthetic resin fibers containing a conductive material such as carbon black, carbon fiber, metal powder, or metal whiskers.

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

[0034] The cleaning brush 10 comes into contact with the surface of the object S in a charged state. By bringing the cleaning brush 10 into contact with the surface of the object S in this charged state, 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, -500 V, and more preferably -400 V. On the other hand, the applied voltage is, for example, less than 0 V, and preferably -50 V or less. By applying a voltage to the cleaning brush 10 within the above range, it is possible to efficiently remove foreign matter, particularly positively charged foreign matter. The reference potential (0 V potential) of the applied voltage is the portion (stage) where the rotation axis of the first opposing roller 13 or the conveying 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 amount of the cleaning brush 10 against the object S is preferably 0.3 mm, more preferably 0.5 mm. Meanwhile, the upper limit of the average pressure amount is preferably 1.5 mm, more preferably 1 mm. If the average pressure amount is below the lower limit, foreign matter on the surface of the object S may not be sufficiently scraped away. Conversely, if the average pressure amount exceeds the upper limit, the resistance between the cleaning brush 10 and the object S increases, which may interfere with the transport of the object S and damage the surface of the object S. Note that the "pressure amount" refers to the difference between the distance between the surface of the core 21 and the object S at the contact point between the cleaning brush 10 and the object S and the length of the bristles of the brush portion 12, and the "average pressure amount" refers to the average pressure amount of all bristles that come into contact with the surface of the object S during one rotation of the brush portion 12.

[0037] The lower limit of the peripheral speed of the cleaning brush 10 is preferably 1 m / min, more preferably 3 m / min. On the other hand, the upper limit of the peripheral speed of the cleaning brush 10 is preferably 30 m / min, more preferably 15 m / min. If the peripheral 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 peripheral 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 Matter Collection Mechanism> As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the foreign matter collection mechanism 20 includes two plate-shaped flickers 21 (a first flicker 21 a and a second flicker 21 b) and a wall surface 22 to which the two flickers are fixed. That is, the pair of flickers 21 a, 21 b are each fixed to the wall surface 22. The wall surface 22 and the flickers 21 a, 21 b may be formed separately or integrally. The pair of flickers 21 a, 21 b may also be fixed to the pair of wall surfaces 22. FIG. 5 illustrates the pair of flickers 21 a, 21 b fixed to the pair of wall surfaces 22, and the flickers 21 a, 21 b and the wall surface 22 formed integrally. The foreign matter collection mechanism 20 of this embodiment further includes 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 tip of the cleaning brush 10 (the tip of the brush portion 12).

[0040] The flicker 21 is made of a conductive material, and may be made of, for example, stainless steel 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. As the cleaning brush 10 continues to rotate, the bristles of the brush portion 12 move away from the flicker 21 and vibrate (rock) as they attempt to return to their original shape due to their restoring force. This vibration causes foreign matter adhering to the tips of the bristles of the brush portion 12 to be flung upstream in the direction of rotation and fall into the dust receptacle 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 contacts the cleaning brush 10 upstream in the rotation direction, mainly removes relatively large foreign matter with a particle size of 50 μm or more, while the second flicker 21b, which contacts the cleaning brush 10 downstream, 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 within the closed region R. Since fine foreign matter is more likely to scatter, keeping it within the closed region R can prevent the foreign matter from scattering.

[0043] 6, the ends of the two flicker members 21 are configured to contact the tip of the cleaning brush 10 over the entire length in the direction of the rotation axis, and both side edges of the two flicker members 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 flicker members 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, which more reliably prevents foreign matter from scattering during collection.

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

[0045] The lower limit of the voltage applied to the flicker 21 is preferably, for example, -1000 V, and more preferably -800 V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the applied voltage is preferably, for example, -200 V, and more preferably -400 V. By applying a voltage 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 be set to the same potential.

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

[0047] As shown in Figure 7, the end of one of the two flickers 21 (the first flicker 21a) preferably contacts the tip of the cleaning brush 10 at one of two intersections P1 and P2 between the tip of the cleaning brush 10 and a plane P0 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, the intersection P1 being 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 where the cleaning brush 10 contacts the surface of the object S. In other words, the first flicker 21a and the cleaning brush 10 preferably contact each other within a range of 90 degrees or less in the direction of rotation of the cleaning brush 10, with the contact point P3 between the cleaning brush 10 and the object S as the reference (0 degrees). The end of the other flicker (the second flicker 21b) preferably contacts the tip of the cleaning brush 10 downstream of the end of the first flicker 21a, the one flicker, in the direction of rotation of the cleaning brush 10. 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 under its own weight, preventing it from re-adhering to the cleaning brush 10. Relatively small foreign matter that cannot be removed by the first flicker 21a is scraped off by the second flicker 21b located downstream in the direction of rotation 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, making it easier to collect by the two charged flicker 21. Therefore, this configuration more reliably prevents foreign matter from scattering when collected.

[0048] The upper limit of the angle (first angle) θ1 between the surface of the first flicker 21a (one of the flickers) and the surface of the second flicker 21b (the other of the flickers) is preferably 90 degrees, more preferably 80 degrees. Meanwhile, the lower limit of the first angle θ1 is preferably 45 degrees, more preferably 60 degrees. By setting the first angle θ1 equal to or less than the upper limit, the closed region R is narrowed, thereby minimizing the distance between the flicker 21 and foreign matter scattered within the closed space. Because electrostatic force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance, the electrostatic force between the foreign matter and the charged flicker 21 increases, allowing the foreign matter to quickly adhere to the flicker 21. This more reliably prevents foreign matter from scattering during collection.

[0049] 12 , in a side view, the angle (second angle) θ2 formed by the tangent to the contact point P4 on an imaginary circumference C1, which is centered on the rotation axis and passes through the contact point P4 where the end of the flicker 21 contacts the cleaning brush 10, and the surface of the flicker 21 is preferably 60 degrees or less. Setting the second angle θ2 to 60 degrees or less improves the ease with which the dust receptacle 24 collects foreign matter adhering to the brush portion 12 (the foreign matter is repelled toward the dust receptacle 24). The second angle θ2 refers to the smaller of the two angles formed by the tangent and the surface. The center of the imaginary circumference C1 is the radial center of the cleaning brush 10.

[0050] Both of the two flickers 21a and 21b may be disposed at the second angle θ2 relative 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 be disposed at the second angle θ2.

[0051] The upper limit of the second angle θ2 may be 55 degrees or 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 those with a particle size of 50 μm or more, scraped off by the first flicker 21a. The dust receptacle 24 is disposed below the first flicker 21a. Because the large foreign matter tends 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 rotatably about a rotation axis perpendicular to the conveying 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 point with the surface of the object S is preferably the forward direction relative to the conveyance direction D. In this case, the cleaning roller 30 may be driven to rotate in the forward direction by a drive device, but may also be configured to rotate along with the conveyance of the object S. In a configuration in which the cleaning roller 30 rotates along with the conveyance of the object S, a drive device is not required. The cleaning roller 30 rotates in the forward direction by contacting the surface of the object S being conveyed.

[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 at 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 electrostatic force, thereby enabling more effective removal of the foreign matter.

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

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

[0057] The material for 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 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, the outer layer 33 has better abrasion resistance than when made from silicone resin, butyl rubber, or the like, and can reduce contamination by plasticizers and low-molecular-weight substances.

[0058] The acrylic-mixed polyurethane refers to a mixture containing polyester polyurethane or polyether polyurethane as the main component, and further containing (1) thermoplastic polyurethane and silicone-acrylic copolymer resin, (2) acrylic resin (e.g., a graft compound in which aminoethyl groups are grafted onto 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. Using acrylic-mixed polyurethane as the material for the outer layer portion 33 facilitates the removal of foreign matter that tends to be negatively charged from the surface of the object S. The term "main component" refers to the component with the highest content, e.g., a component present at 50% by mass or more.

[0059] The fluorine-containing polyurethane is a mixture containing polyurethane as a main component and including thermoplastic polyurethane and a urethane-fluorine copolymer. By using the fluorine-containing polyurethane as the material for 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 foreign matter adsorption effect 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 matter removal mechanism> The foreign matter removal mechanism 40 is arranged to be rotatable around a rotation axis that is 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 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 region 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 point with the surface of the cleaning roller 30 is opposite to the rotation direction of the cleaning roller 30. By rotating the brush roller 41 in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the cleaning roller 30 in this way, 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 the same polarity and a large absolute value as the potential of the cleaning roller 30 in this way, foreign matter adhering to the cleaning roller 30 can be easily transferred from the cleaning roller 30 to the brush roller 41 at the contact point. Therefore, foreign matter adhering to the cleaning roller 30 can be more reliably collected.

[0064] Except for the above points, the brush roller 41 can be configured in the same manner as the cleaning brush 10, and therefore further description will be omitted.

[0065] The foreign matter collection mechanism 42 of the foreign matter removal mechanism 40 can be configured in the same manner as the foreign matter collection 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] <Conveying Mechanism> The conveying mechanism 50 applies a propulsive force for conveying the object S. The conveying mechanism 50 has an upstream conveying mechanism 50a arranged upstream of the cleaning brush 10 in the conveying direction D, and a downstream conveying mechanism 50b arranged downstream of the cleaning roller 30 in the conveying direction D.

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

[0068] One of the pair of conveying rollers 52 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 Conveying Mechanism) The downstream conveying mechanism 50b conveys the object S that has passed through the cleaning roller 30. The downstream conveying mechanism 50b can be configured in the same manner as the upstream conveying mechanism 50a, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

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

[0071] (First Opposing Roller) As shown in FIG. 2 , 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 .

[0072] The first opposing roller 13 is rotatably disposed in a position where its rotation axis is parallel to and opposite to the cleaning brush 10, and rotates along with the transport of the object S. In other words, the rotation direction of the first opposing roller 13 at the contact point with the back surface of the object S is the forward direction with respect to the transport direction D.

[0073] A voltage of the same polarity but lower than the voltage applied to the cleaning brush 10 or a voltage of opposite polarity is applied to the surface of the first opposing roller 13 relative 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 object S facing the cleaning brush 10 to be adsorbed by the cleaning brush 10.

[0074] The first opposing roller 13 is formed in part or in whole 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 in a position where its rotation axis is parallel to and opposite 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 point 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 the same as those of the first opposing roller 13.

[0078] A voltage of the same polarity but lower than the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 30 or a voltage of 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, making it easier for foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object S facing the cleaning roller 30 to be adsorbed by the cleaning roller 30.

[0079] (Pressing Device) 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 pressing device that presses 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 axes of the first opposing roller 13 and the second opposing roller 34 and the surfaces 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 or with unevenness in the object S when the object S enters, resulting in an inability to clean the object S. Furthermore, the cleaning brush 10 and the cleaning roller 30 can be brought into contact with the object S while applying an appropriate pressure, thereby improving the efficiency of foreign matter removal.

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

[0081] (Motor, High-Voltage Circuit Board) Brush unit 1a and roller unit 1b require motors to rotate cleaning brush 10, brush roller 41, etc., and high-voltage circuit boards to control them. These motors and high-voltage circuit boards are preferably included in brush unit 1a and roller unit 1b, and are unitized as a whole.

[0082] The power source for driving these components may be a single power source of, for example, 24 V. Using a single power source simplifies the configuration and facilitates miniaturization of the device.

[0083] <Advantages> Because the cleaning device 1 can scrape off foreign matter adhering to the brush tip of the cleaning brush 10 using the two flicker rods 21, the number of parts is reduced and it is easy to miniaturize the foreign matter collection mechanism 20. Also, because the two flicker rods 21 are charged with the same polarity as the cleaning brush 10, the scraped foreign matter easily adheres to the two flicker rods 21. Furthermore, because the two flicker rods 21 and the surface portion and wall surface 22 of the cleaning brush 10 sandwiched between the two flicker rods 21 form a closed region R in side view, foreign matter scraped off by the two flicker rods 21 easily remains within this closed region R. Therefore, due to these configurations, the cleaning device 1 can prevent foreign matter removed from the target object S from scattering when being collected.

[0084] 9 is a cleaning device that removes foreign matter adhering to at least one surface of a plate-shaped or film-shaped 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] <Feed-out unit> The feed-out unit 61 feeds the object S, for example, wound on a reel, to the winding unit 62. The reel of the feed-out unit 61 may be driven or non-driven. When the reel of the feed-out unit 61 is driven, it is preferable to control the drive of the feed-out unit 61 so as to prevent excessive slack or tension from occurring in the object S between the feed-out unit 61 and the winding unit 62. A known motor can be used to drive the feed-out unit 61.

[0086] <Winding Section> The winding section 62 pulls and winds the target object S onto, for example, a reel. The pulling force of the winding section 62 moves the target object S along the conveying direction D. A known motor can be used to drive the winding section 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 above 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 above upper limit, power consumption may become too high.

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

[0089] As shown in Figure 10, the brush unit 2a of the cleaning device 2 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, a foreign matter collection mechanism 20 that collects foreign matter adhering to the cleaning brush 10, and a first opposing roller 13, and 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, and 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 collection mechanism 20 of the cleaning device 2 are configured in the same manner as the cleaning brush 10 and the foreign matter collection mechanism 20 of the cleaning device 1 of the first embodiment, and therefore the same reference numerals are used and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0091] The first opposing roller 13 of the cleaning device 2 is configured in the same manner as 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> As described above, the foreign matter collection mechanism 20 of the cleaning device 2 of the present invention can be made smaller while preventing the foreign matter removed from the target object S from scattering when being collected, even for cleaning devices with a roll-to-roll configuration.

[0093] 11 is a cleaning device that removes foreign matter adhering to at least one surface of a plate-shaped or film-shaped 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 Tool> 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 chuck can be used. Furthermore, it is preferable that the fixing part 70 cover the entire surface (contact surface) 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 on which 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. The brush unit 3a may move in the direction opposite to the movement direction M, and in such a 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 movement direction M of the brush unit 3a and the surface of the object S.

[0098] <Brush unit> The brush unit 3a of the cleaning device 3 is rotatably arranged around a rotation axis that is 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 flicker strips 21 whose ends contact the brush tips of the cleaning brush 10, and a wall surface 22 to which the two flicker strips 21 are fixed, the cleaning brush 10 and the flicker strips 21 are charged with the same polarity, and the two flicker strips 21, the surface portion of the cleaning brush 10 sandwiched between the two flicker strips 21, and the wall surface 22 form a closed region R in side view.

[0099] The cleaning brush 10 and the foreign matter collection mechanism 20 of the cleaning device 3 are configured in the same manner as the cleaning brush 10 and the foreign matter collection mechanism 20 of the cleaning device 1 of the first embodiment, and therefore the same reference numerals are used 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 smaller while preventing 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 implemented in various other forms, including modifications and improvements, in addition to the above-described forms.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the foreign matter collection mechanism has been described as having two flickers, but the foreign matter collection mechanism may have three or more flickers. By using three or more flickers, foreign matter of different particle sizes can be collected efficiently 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 first embodiment described above, a case was described in which two foreign matter collection mechanisms are provided to collect foreign matter adhering to the cleaning brush (brush roller), but the present invention also intends to provide a cleaning device in which only one of the foreign matter collection mechanisms is provided.

[0105] In the first embodiment, the cleaning device removes foreign matter adhering to one side of the object. However, 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 roller unit that removes foreign matter from one side, and a brush unit and 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. Furthermore, in the second and third embodiments, the cleaning device may also 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 upstream in the transport direction of the object, and the cleaning roller with a forward rotation direction is arranged downstream, but this order can also be reversed, i.e., the cleaning roller with a forward rotation direction is arranged upstream in the transport direction of the object, and the cleaning brush with a reverse rotation direction is arranged downstream. Also, in a cleaning device that removes foreign matter from both sides of an object, the arrangement order 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.

[0108] As described above, the foreign matter collection mechanism of the cleaning device of the present invention can be made compact while preventing foreign matter removed from an object from scattering when collected.

[0109] 1, 2, 3 Cleaning device 1a, 2a, 3a Brush unit 1b Roller unit 10 Cleaning brush 11 Metal core 12 Brush portion 13 First opposing roller 13a Metal core 13b Insulating layer 20 Foreign matter collection mechanism 21 Flicker 21a First flicker 21b Second flicker 22 Wall surface 23 Side wall 24 Dust tray 30 Cleaning roller 31 Metal core 32 Inner layer portion 33 Outer layer portion 34 Second opposing roller 40 Foreign matter removal mechanism 41 Brush roller 42 Foreign matter collection mechanism 50 Conveying mechanism 50a Upstream conveying mechanism 50b Downstream conveying mechanism 51 Belt conveying portion 52 Conveying roller 53 Endless belt 61 Feed-out portion 62 Winding portion 70 Fixing portion C1 Virtual circumference S Object D: Transport direction M: Movement direction R: Closed area O: Rotation axis P0: Parallel surfaces P1, P2: Intersection points P3, P4: Contact points 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-shaped or film-shaped object, comprising: a roller-shaped cleaning brush rotatably arranged about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the transport direction of the object and parallel to the surface of the object, and which collects foreign matter as it rotates; and a foreign matter collection mechanism for collecting 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 of the cleaning device.

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. A cleaning device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the end of one of the two flickers contacts the tip of the cleaning brush at one of two intersections between the tip of the cleaning brush and a plane that passes through the center of the rotation axis of the cleaning brush and is parallel to the surface of the target object, where the rotation of the cleaning brush is in the direction away from the surface of the target object, or between this intersection and a contact point that contacts the surface of the target object, and the 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. The cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein the angle between the surface of said one flicker and the surface of said other flicker is 90 degrees or less.

5. A cleaning device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the 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 in a side view, and a closed three-dimensional space is formed by the two flickers, the 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 comes into contact with the cleaning brush and the surface of the flicker is 60 degrees or less.

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