Nozzle Cleaning Device With Elastic Clamping Wiper
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the TFT-LCD panel manufacturing industry, nozzle clogging leads to spray bifurcation and poor process outcomes, with existing methods like using metal foils or film flakes for cleaning being inefficient and prone to foreign object contamination.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning device comprising a wiper positioned between clamping plates with elastic clamps, allowing for easy insertion into the nozzle spout to clean without causing wear or pollution, featuring a wiper with a fixed and cleaning portion, and a hand-held portion for convenient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If metal foil is used to scrape the nozzle spout, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but foreign object contamination and nozzle wear increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a disposable film flake instead of reusable metal foil. The film flake is designed to be consumed during the cleaning process, eliminating the risk of foreign object contamination from reusable materials and reducing nozzle wear through its softer, non-abrasive composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal to film material, and changes the physical state from rigid to flexible. This transformation allows the cleaning material to be soft enough to avoid nozzle wear yet effective enough to remove clogs, resolving the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and harm prevention.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If film flake is used to clean the nozzle spout, then foreign object contamination is reduced, but insertion difficulty and operation time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible film flake that can dynamically adapt its shape during insertion. The film can bend and conform to the spout geometry, making insertion easy despite its flexibility, while maintaining its cleaning effectiveness throughout the operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a thin film structure that is both flexible enough for easy insertion and sufficiently rigid when clamped to perform effective cleaning. The film's dual nature resolves the contradiction between ease of insertion and cleaning effectiveness.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If film flake is used for cleaning, then nozzle wear is reduced, but the film flake bends easily requiring two-handed operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the film flake with a clamping device that integrates multiple functions: holding the film, providing leverage for insertion, and maintaining clamping force during cleaning. This combination eliminates the need for two-handed operation while preserving the film's wear-reducing properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a clamping device as an intermediary between the operator and the film flake. This intermediary provides the mechanical advantage needed to handle the flexible film easily, reducing operation complexity while allowing the film to maintain its low-wear characteristics.
4Productivity
If clamping force is increased to hold the wiper, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the risk of nozzle damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the wiper from rigid to flexible, allowing it to deform under clamping force rather than transmitting the force to the nozzle. This enables strong clamping for effective cleaning while protecting the nozzle from damage through the film's compliance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively cleans the nozzle spout with minimal wear and no pollution, improving efficiency and ease of operation by using a wiper system that maintains a clamping state to insert and remove the cleaning device without manual alignment.
Implementation Method 1
a first elastic clamp and a second elastic clamp, the first bent portion and the second bent portion are held in a relatively clamped state by a clamping force of the first elastic clamp
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a cleaning device, comprising a wiper, a first clamping plate, a second clamping plate, a first elastic clamp and a second elastic clamp. The first clamping plate comprises a first plate body, a first bent portion and a first end portion. The first bent portion extends between the first plate body and the first end portion in a bent manner. The second clamping plate comprises a second plate body, a second bent portion and a second end portion. The second bent portion extends between the second plate body and the second end portion in a bent manner. The wiper is positioned between the first clamping plate and the second clamping plate. The cleaning device is moved relative to the nozzle to wipe the nozzle for cleaning. The wiper will not generate pollution and basically causes no wear to the nozzle.