JP3285683B2 - Disk substrate cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning a disk substrate such as a magnetic disk for cleaning the surface of the disk substrate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, various processes are performed on a disk substrate such as a magnetic disk used as a recording medium, and a cleaning process is added after the processing.

There are two known methods for cleaning a disk substrate. One method is to remove only the disk substrate from the cassette case in which the disk substrate is placed and to clean the disk substrate.

Another method is a cleaning method in which the disk substrate is cleaned while the disk substrate is kept in a cassette case. A conventional method of cleaning a disk substrate will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0005] There are roughly two types of conveyors: a carry-in conveyor 1, a carry-out conveyor 2, an immersion tank 3, a steam drying tank 4, a waste liquid tank 5, a canister 6 containing a solvent 12, and a cassette case 8 containing a disk substrate 7. The hanger 9 is classified and configured. The solvent 12 is, for example, isopropyl alcohol (IPA).

First, as a preparation for operation, a canister 6 containing a solvent 12 of isopropyl alcohol (IPA)
Air is sent through the air pipe 22 under pressure and the solvent 12 is passed through the solvent supply pipe 17 and the filters 14 b and 14 c to the immersion tank 3 and the steam drying tank 4, and the water level high level sensor 25 a,
Inject up to b.

Next, the power of the bottom heater 18 and the side heater 19 is turned on, and the solvent 12 is heated. Since the solvent 12 of isopropyl alcohol has a boiling point of 84 ° C., the bottom heater 1
8 and the side heater 19 are set within a temperature range of 100 ° C. to 130 ° C. When the solvent 12 starts boiling, the preparation is completed.

Next, the function of each tank will be described. In the immersion tank 3, the ultrasonic oscillator 10 is used to wash off deposits such as dirt on the disk substrate 7. The solvent 12 is removed by the operation of the circulation pump 11 so as to remove impurities and the like from the circulation pipe 13 through the filter 14 a in order to remove dirt from the solvent 12, and is sent out to the immersion tank 3 again. The operation is repeated during operation. When the amount of the solvent 12 decreases during operation, the water level low level sensor 2
6a reacts. When the automatic valve 16c opens the solvent 12 in the canister 6 and air is supplied from the air pipe 22, the automatic valve 16a opens and the filter 14 is opened.
b, and is supplied from the solvent supply pipe 17 to the immersion tank 3.
The solvent 12 is supplied until the water level high level sensor 25a reacts. Thus, the amount of the solvent 12 in the immersion tank 3 can be always kept constant.

In the steam drying tank 4, the solvent 12 is always steam cooked by the bottom heater 18 and the side heater 19. The liquid is agglomerated by the cooling coil 15 in which water of 10 ° C. or less is passed around the upper part of the steam drying tank 4 to become a liquid. A solvent receiving tray 20 a is provided around the steam drying tank 4, and the solvent 12, which has become a liquid, is collected and sent out to the bottom of the steam drying tank 4 through a solvent injection pipe 21. By cooling the solvent 12 which has become a vapor as described above, the solvent 12 is supplied as a liquid. However, the solvent 12 is reduced and the water level low level sensor 2
6b, the automatic valve 16c is opened, and air is fed through the air pipe 22 to the automatic valve 16c.
When b is opened, the solvent 12 in the canister 6 passes through the filter 14c and is sent to the steam drying tank 4 through the solvent supply pipe 17. The water is supplied until the water level high level sensor 25b reacts, and the solvent 12 in the steam drying tank 4 can always be kept constant.

The solvent 12 obtained by steam-rinsing the disk substrate 7 in the steam drying tank 4 is accumulated in the solvent receiving tray 20b, and the automatic valve 16e is opened to collect in the waste liquid tank 5 through the waste liquid pipe 23a. When the waste liquid solvent 12 accumulates at the high water level sensor 25c, the waste liquid discharge pump 24 operates, the automatic valve 16f is opened, and the waste liquid is discharged to the outside. When the low water level sensor 26c reacts, the waste liquid discharge pump 24 stops and the automatic valve 16f closes.

To drain the liquid during cleaning of the tank, the immersion tank 3 opens the automatic valve 16d and sends it to the waste liquid tank 5, or opens the manual valve 33a and discharges the discharge pipe 32a.
To the outside through The steam cleaning tank 4 includes a manual valve 33.
b is opened and discharged outside through the discharge pipe 32b. In the figure, 27a to 27c are water level pipes.

As a cleaning procedure, a cassette case 8 containing a disk substrate 7 is sent by the carry-in conveyor 1. The cassette case 8 set on the carry-in conveyor 1 by the transport hanger 9 is transferred to the first immersion tank 3. The cassette case 8 is immersed in the solvent 12 of the immersion tank 3,
Repeat up and down movements in 2. By the operation of the ultrasonic oscillator 10 provided at the bottom of the immersion tank 3, dirt, dust, dust, and the like adhering to the disk substrate 7 are washed away.

When the cleaning in the immersion tank 3 is completed, the disk substrate 7 and its cassette case 8 are removed from the second tank 4 by the steam cleaning tank 4.
The substrate 12 is transferred by a conveyor 9 and heated by a bottom heater 18 and a side heater 19 to heat up the solvent 12 in the tank and generate steam. The cassette case 8 is lowered by the transport hanger 9 into the atmosphere of the steam, and the rinse is performed by the steam.

When the steam cleaning is completed, the transport hanger 9 rises, stops on the upper portion of the steam drying tank 4, and starts drying the disk substrate 7. After drying is completed, it is transferred to unloading conveyor 2,
The washing process of the disk substrate 7 is completed, and the disk substrate 7 is carried out.

[0015]

However, in such a conventional apparatus for cleaning a disk substrate, the disk substrate 7 is not provided.
And the cassette case 8 are always in contact with each other, so that there is a problem that washing remains at the contact portion and causes stains.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a disk substrate cleaning apparatus which can more reliably wash the surface of a disk substrate and eliminates the cause of stains.

[0017]

In order to achieve this object, a disk substrate cleaning apparatus according to the present invention comprises a means for lowering a cassette case containing a disk substrate and a method for lowering the cassette case containing a disk substrate in a steam drying tank. A structure is provided in which a disk holder for fixing the disk substrate by contacting the lower portion of the outer periphery of the disk substrate just before the stop and a means for lowering and stopping only the cassette case are provided.

[0018]

In the above construction, when the solvent is heated by the heater in the drying tank to produce cooked steam, and the disc is rinsed with the steam, the contact portion between the disc substrate and the cassette case is moved to the outer peripheral portion of the disc substrate. Is fixed by a disk holder, and the disk substrate is kept out of contact with the cassette case. For this reason, the steam drying of the disk substrate is performed without being disturbed by the cassette case, and the cause of the stain on the disk substrate is eliminated,
This solves the problem in the characteristics of the disk.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall view of a disk substrate cleaning apparatus. Except for the device in the steam drying tank 4, the configuration is the same as that of the above-described conventional example. Therefore, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

The feature of the present embodiment lies in the configuration of the device in the steam drying tank 4. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the disk holder base 28 is fixed to the upper portion of the solvent receiving tray 20b by the base fixing bolt 31. The disk holder base 28 is made of stainless steel and has an opening so as to communicate with the waste liquid pipe. In order to support the lower part of the outer periphery of the disk substrate 7, holder plates 29 extending upward are fixed to both side surfaces of the disk holder base 28 with bolts 30. The holder plate 29 uses a Teflon material excellent in heat resistance and chemical resistance. The tip of the holder plate 29 has an acute angle of about 45 ° so that the contact surface is small on the outer peripheral portion of the disk substrate 7 so that the two disk holders 29 can support and fix the disk substrates 7 and 25. .

The cleaning function in the operation of the apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The cassette case 8 containing the disk substrate 7 is sent by the carry-in conveyor 1. In this cassette case, 25 disk substrates 7 can be set. The cassette case 8 set on the carry-in conveyor 1 by the transport hanger 9 is transferred to the first immersion tank 3.
The cassette case 8 is immersed in the solvent 12, and the vertical movement is repeated in the solvent 12. The operation of the ultrasonic oscillator 10 removes dirt, dust and the like adhering to the disk substrate 7.
When the washing in the immersion tank 3 is completed, the cassette case 8 containing the disk substrate is transferred to the steam drying tank 4 by the transfer hanger 9. The cassette case 8 is lowered to the atmosphere where the solvent 12 is turned into steam by heating. Here, the disk substrate 7
When the solvent 12 heated to steam comes into contact with the disk substrate 7, the temperature of the disk substrate 7, which was at room temperature, rapidly rises. Further, the temperature of the solvent 12 cooked into steam instantaneously decreases. Aggregation occurs and the disk substrate 7 is rinsed.

Here, the characteristic operation of this embodiment will be described.
To prevent the disk substrate 7 from contacting the cassette case 8, the cassette case 8 is first lowered to the steam drying tank 4 by the transport hanger 9. During the lowering, the disk substrate 7 comes into contact with the holder plate 29, and the disk substrate 7 is supported and fixed. The transport hanger 9 descends from this, only the cassette case 8 descends and stops at a fixed position. At this time, the contact between the disk substrate 7 and the cassette case 8 disappears. In this state, rinsing with steam is performed.
Upon completion, the transport hanger 9 rises, and at the same time, the cassette case 8 also rises. The disk substrate 7 supported and fixed by the holder plate 29 also fits in the cassette case 8 as the cassette case 8 rises, and the disk substrate 7 ascends and rises once near the cooling coil 15 near the upper part of the steam cleaning tank 4. After stopping, the disk substrate 7 is dried. After the drying is completed, the cassette case 8 is transferred to the unloading conveyor 2 by the transport hanger 9. It is carried out by the carry-out conveyor 2 and the washing is completed.

In the above operation, the disk substrate 7 is supported and fixed by the sharpened end portions of the holder plate 29 attached to both side surfaces of the disk holder base 28, so that the contact surface with the disk substrate 7 can be reduced. ,
Further, it can be separated from the cassette case 8. By performing the steam cleaning in such a state, the occurrence of the stain due to the contact between the disk substrate 7 and the cassette case 8 is eliminated.

[0024]

As is apparent from the above description of the embodiment, according to the present invention, in the steam cleaning in the steam drying tank, the disk substrate is supported and fixed by the holder plate to make contact between the disk substrate and the cassette case. Can be eliminated. Therefore, there is no residual cleaning, and there is no problem in the characteristics of the magnetic disk that causes stains. In addition, the method of cleaning only the disk substrate of another type requires a high cost for the separation from the cassette case and the transport mechanism of the disk substrate.

Since the cleaning apparatus according to the present invention transports the entire cassette case, it has a simple structure, is inexpensive and has cost advantages.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an entire disk substrate cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part in a steam drying tank of the disk substrate cleaning apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an entire conventional disk substrate cleaning apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a main part in a steam drying tank in a conventional disk substrate cleaning apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 carry-in conveyor 2 carry-out conveyor 3 immersion tank 4 steam drying tank 5 waste liquid tank 6 canister can 7 disk substrate 8 cassette case 9 transport hanger 12 solvent 20b solvent tray 28 disk holder base 29 holder plate 30 bolt 31 base fixing bolt

Continued on the front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G11B 5/84-5/858 C04B 33/30 F26B 13/10 F16F 15/36

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An apparatus for lowering a cassette case containing a disk substrate, and a disk holder for stopping and lowering the disk substrate only when the cassette case containing a disk is lowered is provided in a steam drying tank. An apparatus for cleaning a disk substrate, wherein the apparatus is separated from the disk substrate.