JP2017096465A - Slide bearing and etching device using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a slide bearing which can suitably remove sludge or the like which is relatively large in an adhesion force, and an etching device.SOLUTION: An etching device 10 comprises at least a transportation roller 20, a slide bearing 22 and an etching treatment part 14. The slide bearing has a plurality of penetration holes 24 which can discharge sludge or the like in a peripheral direction. The etching treatment part comprises a detachable etching liquid block member 40, and is constituted so that an etching liquid is not injected to the slide bearing 22, and a cleaning liquid can be injected to the slide bearing 22 by being removed at cleaning.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a slide bearing capable of rotatably supporting a shaft member used in a transport mechanism, and an etching apparatus using the same.

  In general, it is known that a shaft member used in a transport mechanism, an internal combustion engine, or the like uses a bearing member between the shaft member and the holder in order to reduce a load applied to the rotating shaft member. The bearing member includes a rolling bearing and a sliding bearing, and the rolling bearing is used for an axle or the like because of its low rotational friction and smooth movement. Sliding bearings are highly resistant to vibration because of their high damping and rigidity, and are often used for bearings in engines and internal combustion engines. The rolling bearing and the sliding bearing can support the shaft member so as to be slidable by using a lubricant between the shaft member and the sliding bearing.

  A sphere that rotates in a rolling bearing is generally made of metal because accuracy close to a perfect circle is required. On the other hand, the sliding bearing can be made of a resin-based material other than metal, and can be used in a high temperature environment or a chemical solution environment. Furthermore, by using a resin having lubricity, it is possible to configure a bearing on which the shaft member can slide without using a lubricant. Since the lubricant is not used, the lubricant is not mixed into the liquid and can be incorporated into a device using the liquid such as a cleaning device or an etching device.

  For the reasons described above, a slide bearing is employed in the single-wafer transport mechanism that constitutes an apparatus for etching a glass substrate, a metal substrate, or the like because a strong acid or strong alkaline chemical is used. However, due to the sludge generated during etching entering between the shaft member and the slide bearing and sticking, the transport roller may stop or the transport gear may be damaged. .

  Therefore, there is a technique in which a groove for removing foreign matter that has entered between the shaft member and the slide bearing is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the slide bearing (for example, see Patent Document 1). According to this technique, it is said that the load applied to the shaft member can be prevented from being increased by the foreign matter by taking in the foreign matter such as sewage and earth and sand into the premises.

JP 2002-364634 A

  However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 assumes that foreign matters such as sewage and earth and sand having a relatively small adhesion force to a slide bearing or a shaft member are removed, and the adhesion force generated in an etching apparatus or the like is removed. It is not suitable for applications that remove strong sludge. If the groove formed on the inner peripheral surface of the slide bearing is filled with sludge, the sludge cannot be removed. And it is possible that sludge adheres to a shaft member and a load is applied to a shaft member. In particular, it is conceivable that sludge accumulates in the groove formed under the slide bearing, and sludge accumulates at the place where the load of the shaft member is most applied, so it is considered that the sludge tends to adhere to the shaft member. It is done.

  In addition, it is considered that the groove that has been filled with sludge becomes difficult to remove because the sludge is fixed. Since the plain bearing has a cylindrical shape, it is not easy to maintain the inner peripheral surface. Furthermore, since the single-wafer transport mechanism includes a plurality of transport rollers, it takes time and labor to maintain all the slide bearings.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a slide bearing and an etching apparatus capable of suitably removing sludge having a relatively large adhesion force.

  The slide bearing according to the present invention is configured to be able to rotatably support a shaft member used in the transport mechanism. The plain bearing is formed of a cylindrical member formed in a cylindrical shape, and the cylindrical member has a plurality of through holes that penetrate the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface. A plurality of the through holes are arranged along the circumferential direction in order to exclude foreign matters attached to the shaft member. Preferably, the through hole has a size capable of introducing the cleaning liquid from the outside.

  The cylindrical member preferably has chemical resistance, and it is particularly desirable to use a resin having acid resistance and alkali resistance. Examples of the material of the plain bearing include UHMW (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), but are not limited thereto. By having acid resistance and alkali resistance, it can be used in an environment in which a peeling solution for peeling off a protective material such as an etching solution or a laminate for etching glass or metal is scattered. In addition, it is desirable to use a material in which a solid lubricant is blended. If a lubricant such as oil is used in an environment where the etching solution or the stripping solution is scattered as described above, it may be mixed in the solution and adversely affect the processed product. Therefore, a material in which a solid lubricant that does not elute with an etching solution or a stripping solution is blended instead of a lubricant such as oil is suitable.

  Sludge generated when glass or metal is etched adheres to the apparatus and is laminated to deteriorate the apparatus. This sludge enters between the shaft member and the slide bearing and tends to adhere to the shaft member. The through hole formed in the cylindrical member can be removed from the through hole by removing the sludge from the shaft member so as to scrape off the sludge adhering to the shaft member. Moreover, by injecting the cleaning liquid from the through hole, the cleaning liquid can be allowed to enter between the shaft member and the slide bearing, and sludge that could not be detached can be washed and removed.

  The etching apparatus according to the present invention is configured to perform an etching process on an object to be processed such as a glass substrate. The etching apparatus includes at least a transport unit and an etching processing unit, and is configured to include an etchant shielding member that is detachable from the etching processing unit.

  The transport means includes a plurality of transport rollers that support the glass substrate from below or from above and below, and a slide bearing that rotatably supports at least one end of the rotation shaft of the transport roller. The transport roller is attached with a transport gear that can drive the rotational movement, and can rotate. A slide bearing is disposed at the front end of the transport roller and in front of the transport gear. By arranging the slide bearing, the transport roller can be slidably supported.

  The etching processing unit can spray an etching solution from the spray nozzle onto the glass substrate conveyed by the conveying means. Spray nozzles are arranged above and below the conveying means. A removable etching solution shielding member is provided between the spray nozzle and the slide bearing, and the etching solution shielding member prevents the etching solution from being applied to the slide bearing. Since the etchant is often circulated and the sludge component generated during the etching process is often included in the etchant, it is necessary to prevent the etchant from directly contacting the slide bearing. The risk of sludge entering the bearing can be reduced.

  The spray nozzle disposed in the etching processing unit is configured to be able to spray a cleaning liquid in addition to the etching liquid, and may be configured to spray the cleaning liquid directly from the spray nozzle to the slide bearing with the etching liquid shielding member removed. preferable. By comprising in this way, it can remove by injecting a washing | cleaning liquid to the sludge stuck between the conveyance roller and the slide bearing. Since the etching liquid shielding member is detachable, it is preferable to remove it before spraying the cleaning liquid.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to suitably remove sludge and the like having a relatively large adhesion force.

It is a figure showing the schematic structure of the etching device concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of a conveyance mechanism. It is a figure which shows an example of an etching liquid shielding member. It is a figure which shows an example of the slide bearing which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the shape of a holder. It is a figure showing the time when the washing | cleaning liquid is injected in the etching process part.

  Hereafter, an embodiment of the etching apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are views showing an external appearance and a schematic configuration of an etching apparatus 10 configured to etch a glass substrate 100. The etching apparatus 10 includes a preprocessing unit 12, an etching processing unit 14, a water washing unit 16, and a transport mechanism 18. The transport mechanism 18 includes a plurality of transport rollers 20, and a plurality of transport mechanisms 20 are arranged at a constant interval from the most upstream position where the glass substrate 100 of the etching apparatus 10 is loaded to the most downstream position where the glass substrate 100 is unloaded.

  Each of the pretreatment unit 12, the etching treatment unit 14, and the water washing unit 16 has a slit-like opening through which the glass substrate 100 can pass through a part of the partition wall. The glass substrate 100 that is sequentially conveyed by the conveyance roller 20 is configured to be conveyed to the most downstream position of the etching apparatus 10 by passing through the opening. Each opening is preferably provided with a liquid draining means such as a squeeze roller or an air knife in order to prevent water or etching liquid from being brought into the adjacent processing section.

  The pre-processing unit 12 is arranged in front of the etching processing unit 14 and is configured to clean the surface of the glass substrate 100 carried in from the most upstream position before the etching processing unit 14 performs the etching process. By performing the pre-cleaning, foreign matters and the like attached to the glass substrate 100 are removed or the surface is wetted, so that the surface abnormalities due to the foreign matters and gases are prevented from appearing in the etching processing unit 14 provided in the subsequent stage.

  The etching processing unit 14 is configured to perform an etching process on the glass substrate 100 whose surface has been cleaned by the preprocessing unit 12. The etching processing unit 14 includes a plurality of spray nozzles 42 above and below, and is configured to inject an etching solution onto the glass substrate 100 being conveyed. The spray nozzle 42 is preferably swung so that the etching solution can be sprayed uniformly over the entire area of the glass substrate 100. By swinging, it is possible not only to spray uniformly but also to remove the etchant staying on the upper surface of the glass substrate 100 and sludge generated by the etching.

  The water washing unit 16 is configured to wash the glass substrate 100 etched by the etching processing unit 14. Since the glass substrate 100 may be abnormal on the surface if the etching solution remains attached, the glass substrate 100 is appropriately cleaned. An air knife for drying is attached to the tail end of the water washing section 16 so as to dry the water. The dried glass substrate 100 is conveyed and carried out to the most downstream position.

  The etching solution used in the etching processing unit 14 is accommodated in a tank and configured to be supplied to the spray nozzle 42 and sprayed. Further, the etching solution used for the etching process is collected at the bottom of the etching processing unit 14 and stored in the tank again. Since the etching solution contained in the tank contains sludge, it is taken out from the tank and filtered and returned, or a partition is provided to separate the etching solution and sludge in the tank. Thus, the etching solution is cleaned. When the etching solution is used, the etching rate drops. Therefore, the etching rate is maintained by replenishing a constant amount of the thick etching solution.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the transport mechanism 18 that constitutes the etching apparatus 10 and is a view when a part of the transport roller 20 is removed. The transport mechanism 18 includes a transport roller 20, a transport roller support unit 32, and a gear unit 30. The conveyance roller 20 includes a gear 300 attached to one end of the conveyance roller 20 and two sliding bearings 22. The conveyance roller support unit 32 is configured to support the conveyance roller 20 and includes a holder 34 for supporting the conveyance roller 20. The gear unit 30 includes a gear shaft 304 to which a plurality of gears 302 are attached, and a gear 300 attached to one end of the conveying roller 20 is engaged with the gear 302.

  The conveyance roller 20 includes a gear 300 attached to one end of the conveyance roller 20, a slide bearing 22 attached to the inner side of the gear 300, and a slide bearing 22 attached to the other end, and is installed on the conveyance roller support portion 32. Setting is achieved by accommodating the slide bearing 22 in the holder 34. The conveyance roller support part 32 is installed so as to extend in the same direction as the conveyance direction of the glass substrate 100. The conveyance roller 20 is attached so as to be in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance roller support portion 32. It is preferable that the holder 34 is not circular so as to fit the outer peripheral surface of the slide bearing 22 but is formed so as to have a gentle V-shape or a recess in the middle portion of the holder 34. The reason is that by providing a gap between the slide bearing 22 and the holder 34, sludge and the like can be easily discharged from the gap. Detailed description of the sliding bearing 22 and the holder 34 will be described later.

  The gear shaft 304 is attached so as to be in the same direction as the conveyance roller support portion 32. The gear 302 arranged on the gear shaft 304 is arranged so as to match the position of the holder 34 installed on the conveyance roller support portion 32. The conveyance roller 20 can be driven by making the gear 300 attached to one end of the conveyance roller 20 set in the holder 34 mesh with the gear 302. The gear employed in this embodiment is preferably a spiral gear or a worm gear, but other gears can also be employed. Moreover, it is preferable that the raw material used for a gear is comprised with acid-resistant resin, and the solid lubricity is mix | blended.

  The etching apparatus 10 is configured to etch the glass substrate 100, but when the glass substrate 100 is etched, sludge is deposited as a product. This sludge is mixed in the etching solution, and when sprayed from the spray nozzle 42, the sludge comes into contact with the wall surface of the etching apparatus 10 and the transport roller 20 and is stacked. If this sludge enters the gap between the conveying roller 20 and the slide bearing 22, it will be stacked and fixed there. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, an etching solution shielding member 40 is arranged to protect the transport mechanism 18 arranged in the etching processing unit 14 from the etching solution. By arranging the etching solution shielding member 40, the etching solution is not directly sprayed onto the slide bearing 22 and the gear portion 30.

  By disposing the etching liquid shielding member 40, the etching liquid is not directly sprayed on the slide bearing 22 and the gear portion 30, and therefore, the risk of sludge sticking is reduced. However, since it is necessary to leave a gap in the etchant shielding member 40 in order to pass the transport roller 20, the etchant is not completely blocked. When the etching solution is sprayed into the gap, the etching roller contacts the conveyance roller 20 inside the etching solution shielding member 40. The contacted etching solution travels along the transport roller 20 and reaches the slide bearing 22, and sludge tends to adhere in the gap between the transport roller 20 and the slide bearing 22.

  In the conventional slide bearing, the diameter of the slide bearing is increased in order to reduce the load applied to the transport roller 20, or the sludge to be fixed is collected by providing a recess on the inner peripheral surface of the slide bearing. It was. Although the load applied to the transport roller 20 is reduced by increasing the diameter of the slide bearing and providing a gap, the transport roller 20 is shaken and the processed material transported by the transport roller 20 cannot be transported stably. . By providing the concave portion in the slide bearing, it becomes possible to reduce the load even if sludge enters, but if the concave portion is filled with sludge, the effect of catching the sludge is lost and the load applied to the transport roller 20 increases. .

  The slide bearing 22 according to the present invention shown in FIG. 4 makes the load applied to the transport roller 20 constant without causing sludge to stick even if the etchant enters the gap between the transport roller 20 and the slide bearing 22 as described above. Can keep. The slide bearing 22 has a plurality of through holes 24 in the circumferential direction. The through hole 24 is configured to scrape sludge to be fixed to the transport roller 20 and to remove the sludge. Further, the detached sludge can be discharged from the through hole 24, and sludge does not collect in the gap between the transport roller 20 and the slide bearing 22. Moreover, the edge 26 is formed in the both ends of the slide bearing 22 so that it can fix to a holder. Since the edge 26 is formed, the holder 34 does not come off the wheel while the transport roller rotates.

  5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example of the shape of the holder 34. FIG. The holder 34 accommodates the slide bearing 22 and can be fixed so that the slide bearing 22 does not rotate. In addition, the holder 34 is preferably not formed in a circular shape that fits the outer peripheral surface of the slide bearing 22, but is configured so that the bottom portion 28 of the holder 34 has a gentle V shape or a concave portion in the bottom portion 28. With this configuration, when the slide bearing 22 is set in the holder 34, the low bottom 28 comes below the edge 26 of the slide bearing 22, so that sludge captured by the slide bearing 22 passes through the through hole 24. It is possible to make it possible to discharge out of the holder 34. More preferably, it is good to form the inclined surface which falls toward the outer side in the location which supports the slide bearing 22 in the holder 34. FIG. If there is such an inclined surface, it becomes easier to remove sludge from the periphery of the slide bearing 22.

  The etching solution used in the etching apparatus 10 may deteriorate as it is used, and may cause surface abnormalities such as unevenness and undulation on the surface of the glass substrate 100. Moreover, sludge adheres to the wall surface of the etching processing unit 14, the spray nozzle 42, and the tank that stores the etching solution. If the sludge adheres to the etching apparatus 10, the etching apparatus 10 is deteriorated and the solidified sludge is peeled off and clogs the spray nozzle 42. Cleaning is necessary.

  The etching solution stored in the tank is discarded, and the cleaning device is cleaned by putting the cleaning solution in the tank and spraying it from the spray nozzle 42 before replacing it with a new etching solution. When cleaning, as shown in FIGS. 6 (A) and 6 (B), it is possible to clean the gear portion 30, the sliding bearing 22 and the holder 34 by removing the etching solution shielding member 40. Even during cleaning, the spray nozzle 42 can be swung so that the cleaning liquid can be sprayed to the gear portion 30, the sliding bearing 22 and the holder 34. The cleaning liquid sprayed onto the slide bearing 22 enters the through hole 24 formed in the slide bearing 22 and can clean sludge that has not been completely detached. Further, it is preferable to perform cleaning while driving the conveyance roller 20 during cleaning. Since the cleaning liquid can dissolve the sludge, not only can the sludge be detached by spraying the cleaning liquid while moving the transport roller 20, but also the cleaning liquid will hit all the transport rollers 20 and be cleaned without leaving sludge. Can do.

  The cleaning liquid used here is not limited as long as it can dissolve sludge. However, it is not preferable that the cleaning liquid remaining after the cleaning liquid is discarded affects the etching. In that case, it is preferable to wash the water by putting water into the tank after discarding the cleaning liquid.

  Conventionally, the sludge adheres to the transport roller 20 and the sliding bearing, which causes a load on the transport roller 20 and causes a transport trouble and a failure of the apparatus. Furthermore, since it was necessary to perform maintenance by removing each slide bearing that had been stuck, labor was required. Since the slide bearing 22 of the present invention has a plurality of through holes 24 in the circumferential direction of the slide bearing 22, not only can the sludge to be attached to the conveying roller 20 be scraped and removed, but also the sludge can be discharged from the through holes 24. In addition, no sludge accumulates between the conveying roller 20 and the slide bearing 22. Further, when the etching apparatus 10 is cleaned with the cleaning liquid, the etching liquid shielding member 40 is removed, so that the cleaning liquid can be sprayed into the through holes 24 formed in the slide bearing 22 and the sludge that has not been detached can be cleaned. Can do.

  The above description of the embodiment is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above embodiments but by the claims. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10-Etching apparatus 12-Pre-processing part 14-Etching process part 16-Washing part 18-Conveying mechanism 20-Conveying roller 22-Slide bearing 24-Through hole 26-Edge 28-Bottom part 30-Gear part 32-Conveying roller support part 34-holder 40-etching liquid shielding member 42-spray nozzle 300-gear 302-gear 304-gear shaft

Claims (3)

A slide bearing capable of rotatably supporting a shaft member used in a transport mechanism,
The sliding bearing is composed of a cylindrical member formed in a cylindrical shape,
The cylindrical member has a plurality of through holes that penetrate the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface,
A slide bearing according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the through holes are arranged along a circumferential direction in order to eliminate foreign matters attached to the shaft member. An etching apparatus configured to perform an etching process on a workpiece,
A plurality of transport rollers that support the object to be processed from below or from above and below, and transport means having a slide bearing that rotatably supports at least one end of a rotation shaft of the transport rollers;
An etching processing unit capable of injecting an etching solution from a spray nozzle onto a member to be processed conveyed by the conveying means;
Comprising at least
An etching apparatus comprising a detachable etching liquid shielding member disposed between the spray nozzle and the slide bearing.   The spray nozzle disposed in the etching processing unit is configured to be able to spray a cleaning liquid in addition to the etching liquid, and the cleaning liquid is directly sprayed from the spray nozzle to the slide bearing in a state where the etching liquid shielding member is removed. The etching apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the etching apparatus is configured as described above.

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