JP5316496B2 - Cleaning medium and cleaning device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a solid cleaning medium and a cleaning apparatus for removing deposits attached to an object to be cleaned without using water or a solvent, and in particular, a cleaning medium suitable for removing film-like deposits. And a cleaning device.
More specifically, for example, in the reuse and recycling of parts of image forming apparatuses such as a flux cleaning device, a copying machine or a laser printer, which are fixed in the form of a film generated in the soldering process, the photosensitive layer of the photosensitive drum, the fixing The present invention relates to a cleaning medium and a cleaning device for removing a release layer of a roller or a resin film such as a fixing toner.

In the soldering process, in order to increase the wettability of the solder, it is common to apply a viscous liquid called flux to the substrate by spraying. Since the flux is fixed by heat to a jig called PCB or a pallet that holds the PCB by the heat of the solder, it is necessary to remove the flux.
Especially, jigs made of epoxy resin with glass fiber called pallets, which have been used in the soldering process in recent years, are used repeatedly for soldering, so it is difficult to deposit and remove the flux thickly. is there.
In addition, office equipment manufacturers such as copiers or laser printers collect used products from users, disassemble, clean, reassemble them, and reuse them as parts in order to realize a resource recycling society. We are actively engaged in recycling activities.
In particular, in reusing parts of the image forming apparatus, it is required to effectively use resources by reusing the tube of the photosensitive drum.

Conventionally, photoreceptor drums have been recycled as raw materials by material recycling and reuse as raw materials, or by peeling off the photoreceptor layer with a stripping solution, blast treatment, or polishing treatment. It was. However, in material recycling, it becomes necessary to newly manufacture a raw pipe, so that there is a problem that energy consumption and environmental load are large and the cost is high.
Further, when the pallet or the photoreceptor layer is peeled with the peeling solution, the dissolved resin is reattached, and therefore the peeling solution cannot withstand repeated use. Therefore, it is difficult to keep the regeneration cost low. Moreover, the treatment of the solvent in which the deposit such as the coating film or flux is dissolved may cause a new environmental problem if the treatment of the stripping solution after the coating film is peeled off. Furthermore, when a highly flammable solvent is used as the stripping solution, there is a problem in terms of safety. As described above, reduction of cost and environmental load is a major issue.
On the other hand, in the case of a cleaning method by blasting or polishing, a process of cleaning and drying the blasting material or abrasive after processing is required. These cleaning methods have a problem in that the energy consumption of the waste liquid treatment and the drying treatment after washing is large, and the cost is high. In addition, there is a problem that the pallet and the raw tube after the treatment are likely to be deformed.

In order to solve this problem, the present applicant has proposed a cleaning apparatus using a cleaning medium. This cleaning apparatus uses a flexible laminar cleaning medium, and can remove the deposits adhering to the object to be cleaned by the collision of the cleaning medium. However, this cleaning device is effective against powder stains such as toner or dust, but has not been able to exhibit a sufficient cleaning ability for an object to be cleaned that is covered with a film-like deposit.

The present invention aims to provide a cleaning medium and the cleaning equipment can be enhanced cleaning quality and cleaning efficiency with respect to the film-like deposit.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cleaning medium and a cleaning device that do not generate a cleaning residue even if the component has a complicated shape.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a lamellar cleaning medium with a function of biting into an adhering material at the edge portion and scraping it off, and also restoring the biting property of the edge by being appropriately folded.
Specifically, the invention according to claim 1 is used for cleaning the deposit attached to the cleaning object by causing the cleaning medium having a thin piece shape to fly and the cleaning medium repeatedly colliding with the cleaning object. The cleaning medium has a groove on at least one surface, and when the collision is repeated, a part of the cleaning medium is folded at the groove, and a new edge is formed at the broken portion. Is formed, and this is repeated to improve the cleaning quality and cleaning efficiency for the deposit .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the cleaning medium according to the first aspect , the cleaning medium includes a plurality of cleaning media having different thicknesses .
The invention according to claim 3, in the cleaning medium of claim 1, wherein the cleaning medium is characterized by being composed of a plurality of different shapes of the cleaning media.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the cleaning medium according to the first aspect , the cleaning medium includes a plurality of different sizes of cleaning medium.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the cleaning apparatus , the cleaning object is cleaned using the cleaning medium according to any one of the first to fourth aspects .

According to the present invention, it is possible to maintain the cleaning performance by the edge of the washing medium is maintained at all times. Since the amount of bite during the cleaning medium collides with the edge of the washing medium is maintained is not reduced, the ability for removing a film-like deposit cleaning medium is an effect that does not deteriorate diameter.

It is a figure which shows the mechanism structure of the washing | cleaning apparatus of this invention. It is a partial expanded sectional view of a washing tank unit periphery. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the detail of a holding means. It is a schematic diagram explaining the mode of the deposit | attachment removal by a sliding contact. It is the elements on larger scale of FIG. It is a figure which shows the case of the collision from which conditions differ. It is a figure which shows the time-dependent change of the washing | cleaning medium which is easy to carry out plastic deformation. It is a figure for demonstrating the mechanical physical property of a washing | cleaning medium. It is a figure for demonstrating the deformation | transformation embodiment of a washing | cleaning medium. It is a figure for demonstrating the deformation | transformation embodiment of a washing | cleaning medium. It is a figure for demonstrating the deformation | transformation embodiment of a washing | cleaning medium. It is a figure for demonstrating the deformation | transformation embodiment of a washing | cleaning medium. It is a figure for demonstrating the deformation | transformation embodiment of a washing | cleaning medium. It is a figure for demonstrating the deformation | transformation embodiment of a washing | cleaning medium. It is a figure for demonstrating the deformation | transformation embodiment of a washing | cleaning medium. It is a figure for demonstrating the deformation | transformation embodiment of a washing | cleaning medium. It is a figure for demonstrating the deformation | transformation embodiment of a washing | cleaning medium. It is a figure for demonstrating the deformation | transformation embodiment of a washing | cleaning medium. It is a figure for demonstrating the deformation | transformation embodiment of a washing | cleaning medium. It is a figure for demonstrating the deformation | transformation embodiment of a washing | cleaning medium. It is a mechanism block diagram of the washing | cleaning apparatus which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the effect | action of this embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the detail of a circulating airflow generation means. It is a figure for demonstrating the detail of a washing | cleaning medium reproduction | regeneration means. It is a figure for demonstrating the control system of this embodiment. It is a piping system diagram. It is a time chart of operation of this embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the state from the initial state of a cleaning medium to a flight start. It is a figure for demonstrating the state from the initial state of a cleaning medium to a flight start. It is a figure for demonstrating the washing | cleaning operation | movement in this embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the deformation | transformation embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows distribution of the mechanical physical property of each washing | cleaning medium.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The cleaning medium is shown as a reference example except for FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a cleaning apparatus according to the present embodiment. 1A is a front sectional view of the cleaning apparatus, FIG. 1B is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1C is a top view of the cleaning apparatus.
1A to 1C, reference numeral 1 denotes a cleaning device, 2 denotes a cleaning tank unit, 3 denotes holding means, 4 denotes an object to be cleaned, 6 denotes a cleaning tank, 7 denotes cleaning medium acceleration means, and 8 denotes cleaning medium regeneration. Means 9, 9 is a cleaning tank body, 10 is a separating means, and M is a cleaning medium.
The cleaning apparatus 1 removes the adhering matter adhering to the object to be cleaned 4 held by the holding means 3 by colliding with the cleaning medium M flying by an air current.
The cleaning tank unit 2 includes a cleaning tank 6, a cleaning medium acceleration unit 7, and a cleaning medium regeneration stage 8.
The cleaning tank 6 has a cleaning tank body 9 and a separating means 10. The cleaning tank main body 9 is formed in any one of a semi-cylindrical shape, a rectangular shape, or a pyramid shape sealed on both sides, and has an opening at the top. The separation means 10 has a large number of small holes or slits through which the gas and the removed deposits can pass, but the cleaning medium M cannot pass through.
The separation means 10 is a porous member such as a wire net, a plastic net, a mesh, a punch metal, or a slit plate, and is formed in a smooth shape (for example, a semi-cylindrical shape) in which the cleaning medium M does not stay. 9 is provided at a constant distance from the inner surface of the cleaning tank main body 9.

The cleaning medium acceleration means 7 as the circulating air flow generation means includes a cleaning medium acceleration nozzle 11 and a compressed air supply device 12. The cleaning medium acceleration nozzle 11 has a plurality of jet nozzles. The compressed air supply device includes a compressor. The cleaning medium accelerating nozzle 11 has a plurality of jet nozzles arranged linearly along the center of the bottom surface of the cleaning tank body 9, and the cleaning tank body 9 and the separating means 10.
And is provided in a form penetrating through. The compressed air supply device 12 supplies compressed air to the cleaning medium accelerating nozzle 11 through an air supply pipe 14 having a control valve 13. The compressed air supply device jets the supplied compressed air and causes the cleaning medium M to fly.

FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of the cleaning tank unit, and shows the right half as viewed from the back side in the thickness direction of FIG. 1 (a). 2A is an enlarged view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of another embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning medium regeneration means 8 includes a cleaning tank body 9, a suction duct 15, a suction device 16, and a cleaning medium speed reduction means 17. The suction duct 15 is formed as a gap between the cleaning tank body 9 and the separating means 10.
The suction device 16 sucks air in the cleaning tank main body 9 via the suction pipe 18 and sucks air sucked into the suction duct 15 or removed film-like deposits via the separating means 10.
The suction device 16 has a performance that sucks a sufficient flow rate compared to the flow rate of the compressed air ejected from the cleaning medium acceleration nozzle 11 and makes the inside of the cleaning tank main body 9 have a negative pressure. Note that FIG.
As shown in the partial enlarged sectional view of (b), the separating means 10 may be fixed to an opening provided in a part of the inner surface of the cleaning tank 6 and may be provided with an independent suction duct 15 outside.
The cleaning medium decelerating means 17 has a certain length. Laminar flow forming part 19 formed in a concave shape
Is provided on both sides of the cleaning tank body 9. At the corner of the horizontal upper surface of the laminar flow forming portion 19, a prismatic linear guide 20 having a thickness of about 5 mm is provided.
The linear guide 20 is made of a fluororesin having a smooth surface and holds the holding means 3. Furthermore, the linear guide 20 guides the movement of the holding means 3 together with the parallel side guides 21 of the laminar flow forming portion 19. A gap 22 between the horizontal upper surface of the laminar flow forming portion 19 formed by the linear guide 20 and the holding means 3 is set to a size that does not allow the cleaning medium M to be sandwiched. The linear guide 20 may be of a size that allows the incoming airflow to be sufficiently fast, and the cleaning medium M
Appropriate conditions may be selected according to the size of the.

The holding means 3 has a plate shape longer than the length of the cleaning object 4, and has a concave cleaning object holding part 23 that matches the shape of the cleaning object 4 at the center. The cleaning object holding unit 23 is made of an elastic member such as urethane rubber or foamed resin, and fixes the cleaning object 4.
When the cleaning target surface of the cleaning target object 4 held by the cleaning target object holding unit 23 is a flat surface, the cleaning target surface is positioned at the same height as the plane other than the cleaning target object holding unit 23 of the holding unit 3. It is embedded and fixed in the cleaning object holding part 23. The cleaning object holding unit 23 may hold the cleaning object 4 in any way as long as it holds the cleaning object 4 so that there is no gap where the airflow does not leak and the cleaning medium M is clogged.
The holding means 3 is detachably attached to a driving means (not shown) such as a linear motor, an air cylinder, or a wire driving means, for example, and the driving means is driven by a control signal from the control device to wash the washing tank unit 2. It moves along the laminar flow forming part 19 in parallel with the above operation. An operation of removing the deposits attached to the cleaning target 4 with the cleaning apparatus 1 will be described.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view for explaining details of the holding means 3. FIG. 3A is a view for explaining how to attach the object to be cleaned and how the holding means is attached to the cleaning tank unit. FIG. 3B is a view for explaining the movement of the holding means 3.
First, an appropriate amount (the optimum number determined by experiment) of the cleaning medium M is put into the cleaning tank 6. And as FIG.3 (a) shows, the washing | cleaning target object 4 holds the washing | cleaning target object holding | maintenance part 2 of the holding means 3. As shown in FIG.
3, the direction of the cleaning object 4 is changed to the cleaning tank unit 2 side, and the holding means 3 is placed on the cleaning tank unit 2. The holding means 3 holding the cleaning object 4 is connected to a driving means (not shown), and the cleaning object 4 is moved onto the cleaning tank 6 as shown in FIG.
When a control device (not shown) is operated in this state, the control device first drives the suction device 16 to suck the air in the cleaning tank 6. When the air in the cleaning tank 6 is sucked by the suction device 16, a differential pressure from the outside air is generated in the cleaning tank 6. A gap 22 between the laminar flow forming portion 19 formed by the linear guide 20 and the holding means 3 serves as a flow path, and an air flow toward the cleaning tank 6 is generated. This airflow passes through the flat surface of the laminar flow forming portion 19 and is made into a laminar flow, and the outside air flows into the cleaning tank 6.
Next, the control device drives the compressed air supply device 12 and opens the control valve 13 to supply compressed air to the cleaning medium accelerating nozzle 11 to generate a vertical upward air flow from the cleaning medium accelerating nozzle 11 into the cleaning tank 6. generate.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning medium M flies in the cleaning tank 6 and collides with the cleaning object 4 by the circulating airflow (including turbulent airflow) generated by the cleaning medium acceleration nozzle 11. 4 The deposits adhering to the surface are efficiently removed. The cleaning medium M that has collided with the cleaning object 4 falls toward the bottom of the cleaning tank 6 due to the flow of air and gravity, and the cleaning medium M slides down in the vicinity of the cleaning medium acceleration nozzle 11 while being sucked on the separating means 10. .
At this time, the adhering matter adhering to the cleaning medium M is separated from the cleaning medium M through the separating means 10, and the adhering matter separated by the separating means 10 passes through the intake duct 15 and the suction pipe 18 and is sucked into the suction device 16.
It is collected by. In addition, the cleaning medium M that has dropped in the vicinity of the cleaning medium acceleration nozzle 11 flies in the vertical upward direction again due to the airflow ejected by the cleaning medium acceleration nozzle 11. By repeating this operation, deposits attached to the surface of the cleaning object 4 are removed.

The cleaning medium M can fly by an air current. Actually, the characteristics (shape, material, etc.) of the object 4 to be cleaned and the characteristics of the film-like object adhering to the object 4 (pencil hardness) Or at least one of the material, weight, size, and shape of the cleaning medium M, and the necessary air velocity and flow rate are determined.

<Operation and effect of flaky medium>
1. Followability to airflow (→ High-speed flight and complex motion)
1-1. When the airflow force acts in the direction where the projected area is large, the lamellar cleaning medium M is easily accelerated by the airflow and flies because the mass against the air resistance force is very small.
1-2. The flake-like cleaning medium M has a low air resistance in the direction in which the projected area is small, and the high-speed motion is maintained for a long distance when flying in that direction. The flaky cleaning medium used in the present invention has a thickness of 20 μm or more and 200 μm or less and an area of 100 mm ² or less.
The higher the speed of the cleaning medium M, the greater the energy of the cleaning medium M, and the greater the force acting when it comes into contact with the object 4 to be cleaned, the higher the cleaning quality.
In addition, the cleaning medium M having a higher speed increases the number of times it repeatedly circulates in the cleaning tank 6 and increases the frequency of collision with the object 4 to be cleaned, so that the cleaning efficiency is high.
1-3. Since the air resistance of the flake-like cleaning medium M varies greatly depending on the posture, the cleaning medium M not only moves along the airflow but also moves in a complicated manner such as suddenly changing its direction. Therefore, the cleaning object 4 having a relatively complicated shape is used. High cleaning ability can be obtained in
1-4. A turbulent air flow as shown in FIG. 1 is generated around the object to be cleaned 4 by the action of the air flow. The jet stream itself from the cleaning medium acceleration nozzle 11 also becomes a turbulent stream, but the laminar flow forming section 19
Are further disturbed by the combined laminar flow, and the randomness of the collision of the cleaning medium M against the cleaning object 4 increases.
From this point of view, the cleaning medium decelerating means 17 assists the random collision of the cleaning medium M with the cleaning object 4 by the cleaning medium acceleration means 7.
The flaky cleaning medium M, which is more susceptible to air resistance than its mass, has a high ability to follow turbulence and performs complicated movements.
Further, since the cleaning medium rotates while rotating due to the vortex of the turbulent airflow and repeatedly contacts the cleaning object 4, the cleaning efficiency is high even for an object having a relatively complicated shape.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a state in which a film-like deposit due to sliding contact is removed. In FIG. 4, symbol d indicates a film-like deposit, and C indicates the moving direction of the cleaning medium.
When the edge of the cleaning medium M collides with the cleaning object 4 during high-speed movement, the film-like deposit d is scraped off. As shown in FIG. 4B, the scraped deposit d ′ adheres to the cleaning medium M, flies off, and is attached to the cleaning medium M by colliding with another cleaning medium M or separation means 10 or the like. Kimono d 'is pulled apart. This will be described in more detail below.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. FIG. 5A shows a point in time when the cleaning medium M starts to collide with the object to be cleaned 4, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram relating to a collision when the conditions of the cleaning medium M and the cleaning object 4 are different.

2. Contact / collision behavior (edge action, sliding contact)
2-1. When the edge of the lamellar cleaning medium M having a pencil hardness larger than that of the film-like deposit collides, the film-like deposit having a lower pencil hardness is more likely to be dented or scratched, and the contact force is washed. Since it concentrates on the edge part of the medium M, even if the mass is small, it can bite into a film-like deposit.
Here, the pencil hardness is measured by a method according to JIS K-5600-5-4, and is the core number of the hardest pencil that does not cause scratches or dents on the evaluated lamellar cleaning medium M. means.
2-2. When the contact or collision of the cleaning medium M is an oblique collision as shown in FIG. 5A, a force parallel to the contact surface is applied to the deposit d by sliding contact as shown in FIG. 5B. Easy to make. Therefore, the film-like deposit can be scraped off. In addition, when the adhesion force between the film-like deposit and the object to be cleaned is weak, a force parallel to the contact surface acts by sliding contact, which causes a shift at the adhesion interface and promotes peeling. There is also an effect. Therefore, a film-like deposit d having a large area can be removed by a single collision, and the cleaning efficiency is high.
2-3. When there is a gap at the interface between the film-like deposit and the object to be cleaned, if the cleaning medium M enters the gap, as shown in FIG. It can be easily peeled off and removed.
2-4. When the flake-like cleaning medium M is sucked by the suction device 16 and collides with the separating means 10, the film-like deposit d attached to the cleaning medium M is easily separated by vibrating.
Therefore, the cleanliness of the cleaning medium M is maintained, and the reattachment of the film-like deposit d to the cleaning object 4 can be suppressed, so that the cleaning quality is high.

Further advantages of the lamellar cleaning medium M will be described.
By making the cleaning medium M into a thin piece, the amount of material used as the cleaning medium M can be reduced, and the environmental load and running cost of the cleaning process can be reduced.
These are epoch-making features not found in conventional blast shot materials or barrel polishing media materials.
The cleaning apparatus disclosed in the present invention has a configuration particularly suitable for cleaning by circulating a lamellar cleaning medium M by an air flow.
Thus, the flaky cleaning medium M is considered to be the reason why the cleaning quality and the cleaning efficiency are high with respect to parts having complicated shapes.

When the cleaning object 4 is cleaned by the flying cleaning medium cleaning M, the cleaning tank 6 is at a negative pressure as described above, and therefore, from the gap 22 between the laminar flow forming portion 19 and the holding means 3, A strong laminar air current flows in. Therefore, the cleaning medium M trying to enter the gap 22 is not pushed back and discharged out of the cleaning tank 6. Further, when the cleaning medium M slightly enters the gap 22, the flow path formed by the gap 22 has a sufficient distance to attenuate the flying speed of the cleaning medium M, so that the cleaning medium M does not leak out of the cleaning device 1. It is decelerated and finally pulled back into the cleaning tank 6.

When this cleaning medium M is caused to fly by the cleaning medium acceleration nozzle 11 to clean the object 4 to be cleaned, the control valve 13 is intermittently driven to repeatedly eject and stop the air flow from the cleaning medium acceleration nozzle 11. By repeating the jetting and stopping of the air flow, a timing at which the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the cleaning tank 6 increases occurs, and a force for pulling the cleaning medium M back into the cleaning tank 6 can be obtained more reliably.

In parallel with the intermittent drive of the control valve 13, the control device reciprocates the holding means 3 along the side guide 21 and the linear guide 20 of the laminar flow forming part 19 of the cleaning tank unit 2 and back and forth of the cleaning tank 6. To clean the entire surface of the object 4 to be cleaned. After the holding means 3 is reciprocated at least once, the control device stops driving the compressed air supply device 12 and the suction device 16 to complete a series of cleaning operations.

In the present invention, the term “brittleness” means “a property that an object is destroyed without being deformed by an external force or by being slightly deformed”.
Specifically, the fold-like cleaning medium M has a folding resistance of 0 or more and less than 65. Here, folding resistance is measured in accordance with JIS P8115, and means the number of reciprocations until 135 ° bending is repeatedly performed at R = 0.38 mm until breakage occurs.
On the other hand, ductility means “the property that an object is stretched without being broken even when subjected to a tension exceeding its elastic limit”.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a change in shape of the cleaning medium over time that is easily plastically deformed.
When the cleaning medium is used repeatedly, the impact on the edge and the deflection of the entire cleaning medium are repeated due to the collision with the object to be cleaned, and damage is accumulated. Although the cleaning medium is deformed and broken, it finally becomes one of plastic deformation, ductile fracture, and brittle fracture.
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a pattern at the time of collision of a flaky cleaning medium.
In the case of a cleaning medium that easily undergoes plastic deformation, as shown in FIG. 8C, the end of the cleaning medium is greatly deformed, resulting in an increase in contact area and relaxation of impact force. As a result, the contact force at the end at the time of collision is dispersed, and the cleaning ability is reduced. Therefore, the amount of biting into the film-like deposit is reduced, and the cleaning efficiency of the cleaning device is reduced.
Also in the case of a cleaning medium that undergoes ductile fracture, as shown in FIG. 8D, the plastic deformation at the edge of the fracture surface of the cleaning medium increases, resulting in an increase in contact area and relaxation of impact force. As a result, the contact force at the end at the time of collision is dispersed, and the cleaning ability is reduced. Therefore, the amount of biting into the film-like deposit is reduced, and the cleaning efficiency of the cleaning device is reduced.
On the other hand, in the cleaning medium that brittlely breaks, the plastic deformation at the edge of the fracture surface of the cleaning medium is small.
Dispersion of contact force at the end is less likely to occur.
In addition, even if film-like deposits adhere to the end of the cleaning medium, it is possible to continue to form new ends by repeating brittle fracture, and the cleaning efficiency does not decrease.

Examples of the brittle material include glass pieces, ceramic pieces, resin film pieces such as acrylic resin, polystyrene, and polylactic acid.
The cleaning medium is destroyed by repeatedly applying a bending force to the cleaning medium. In the present invention, whether or not the cleaning medium is brittle is defined by folding resistance.
When a cleaning medium that is a brittle material having a folding resistance of less than 65 is used, burrs generated by repeated collision of the cleaning medium are not separated from the cleaning medium, but are separated and discharged (FIG. 8B).
)reference). Since no burrs remain, the edge of the cleaning medium is maintained.
Further, when the cleaning medium is a brittle material having a folding resistance of less than 10, the cleaning medium is bent from the center before the burrs are generated (see FIG. 8A).
This has an effect of maintaining the edge of the cleaning medium. By maintaining the edge of the cleaning medium, the amount of biting at the time of collision of the cleaning medium does not decrease, so that there is an effect that the fixed film removing ability of the cleaning medium does not deteriorate over time.

Here, the lamellar shape of the cleaning medium has a thickness of 20 μm or more and 200 μm or less, and an area of 100 mm.
It is defined as ² or less.
The pencil hardness is measured by a method according to JIS K-5600-5-4,
It means the hardest pencil core number that does not cause scratches or dents on the evaluated lamellar cleaning medium.
Further, the folding resistance is measured in accordance with JIS P8115, and means the number of reciprocations until a flaky cleaning medium is bent to 135 degrees at R = 0.38 mm until it is damaged. .

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the shape of the cleaning medium according to the embodiment of the present invention . 10 to 20 are diagrams showing modified examples of the cleaning medium.
As shown in FIG. 9, the cross section leading to the end of the cleaning medium has a rectangular groove on at least one surface of the cleaning medium.
As shown in FIG. 10, the cleaning medium can be manufactured by cutting a tape in which grooves are formed with an electronic tape cutter or the like to manufacture a plurality of cleaning media M.
The groove of the tape serves as a tear line, and the stress at the time of collision tends to concentrate. Therefore, when the collision with the object to be cleaned is repeated, it becomes a place where brittle fracture is likely to occur. As shown in FIG. 11, even if the deposit accumulates on the edge of the cleaning medium due to electrostatic adhesion or the like, a new edge is generated in the cleaning medium due to brittle fracture in the groove. In addition, since the plastic deformation of the broken surface end portion of the cleaning medium is small, the contact force is hardly dispersed at the end portion.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a cleaning medium having grooves on both sides, and FIG. 13 is a side view thereof.
Although the grooves of the cleaning medium in FIGS. 14 to 19 are not rectangular in cross section, these recesses are also handled as grooves in the present invention.

As another embodiment, the cleaning medium may be composed of a plurality of cleaning media having different thicknesses. If there is a gap at the interface between the film-like deposit and the object to be cleaned, if the edge of the thin cleaning medium enters the gap, the cleaning medium will act as a wedge due to sliding contact to remove the film-like deposit. It can be easily peeled off and removed. This combined with the scraping action of the thick and rigid cleaning medium,
The cleaning efficiency can be further increased.

Furthermore, as another embodiment, the cleaning medium may be composed of a plurality of cleaning media having different shapes. Thereby, the followable | trackability with respect to the shape of a washing | cleaning target object can be improved.
For example, the surface shape of the cleaning medium has various shapes, and may be any of a disk shape, a triangular shape, a square shape, a star shape, or a cleaning medium in which they are mixed. .
Since the cleaning ability with respect to the object to be cleaned is different depending on the cleaning media having various shapes, the total cleaning capability is enhanced when a plurality of cleaning media having different shapes are mixed.
Specifically, when the surface shape of the cleaning medium is a square, the straight edge is long and the manufacturing is easy. In the triangle or star shape, the sharp tip easily enters a corner portion such as a concave portion of the object to be cleaned, and less cleaning is left.
When the cleaning medium is disk-shaped, the cleaning medium always collides with the same posture, so that there is a merit that variation in cleaning ability is small.
In still another embodiment, the cleaning media having different sizes may be mixed and used. In this case as well, the followability to the shape of the object to be cleaned can be improved as described above.
Of course, if the size and the shape are both different, the cleaning effect is further increased.

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a mechanism configuration of a cleaning apparatus 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 21, the cleaning apparatus 100 has a film-like deposit d attached to the cleaning target 4.
Is removed by a cleaning medium M that flows by an air flow. The cleaning apparatus 100 includes a cleaning tank 26, a circulating air flow generation unit 46, a cleaning medium acceleration unit 27, and a cleaning medium regeneration unit 28.
In the present embodiment, the efficiency of suction of the film-like deposit d by the cleaning medium regeneration means 28 is enhanced by accommodating the cleaning object 4 in the cleaning tank 26 and cleaning it.
Further, the film-like deposit d removed from the cleaning object 4 due to the collision of the cleaning medium M, and / or
Alternatively, fragments of the cleaning medium M generated by repeated cleaning can be prevented from being scattered around by the airflow from the circulating airflow generation unit 46 and the cleaning medium acceleration unit 27.

FIG. 22 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the present embodiment.
The cleaning tank 26 shown in FIG. 22A is formed of a rectangular parallelepiped hollow body, and has a cleaning object insertion port 29 for introducing the cleaning object 4 on the upper surface. The bottom of the cleaning tank 26 is open, and a lid 30 that can be freely opened and closed is provided at the cleaning object insertion port 29. In the opening at the bottom of the cleaning tank 26,
A cleaning medium regeneration means 28 is provided. A circulating air flow generating means 46 is provided on the inner wall surface of one side surface of the cleaning tank 26. The circulating airflow generation means 46 forms a circulation path of the circulating airflow along the inner wall surface of the cleaning tank 26.
As shown in FIG. 22 (b), the corner of the inner wall surface forming this circulation path has a constant angle θ.
1 and θ2 are connected. The reason why the circulation path is formed in this way is to circulate the circulating airflow efficiently.
However, θ1 + θ2 is 270 ° for geometric reasons. If both angles are equal, θ1 = θ2 = 135 °, but they do not necessarily have to be equal. According to the experiment of the present inventor, by setting one θ to 120 ° to 150 °, the resistance given to the circulating airflow can be reduced and the circulating airflow can be circulated in the cleaning tank 26.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing details of the circulating airflow generation means.
The circulating airflow generation means 46 has a suction part 62 and a discharge part 64. The suction part 62 has a large-diameter suction port 61 through which the cleaning medium M passes. The discharge part 64 has a compressed air supply port 63 provided on the outer peripheral part on the outlet side of the suction part 62.
The air flow is sucked in from the suction unit 62 by the air flow supplied from the compressed air supply port 63 and generated toward the discharge port 65 of the discharge unit 64. The discharge unit 64 causes the discharge port 65 to discharge an air amount several times to 10 times the amount of compressed air supplied from the compressed air supply port 63.
By using such a circulating air flow generation means 46, the consumption of compressed air can be reduced as compared with the case of using a general air blow nozzle, and the cleaning medium M can be circulated with less energy. Various gases such as an inert gas such as nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, and argon gas may be used in place of the compressed air supplied from the compressed air supply port 63, but in this embodiment, compressed air is used. Will be described.
In the circulating air flow generation means 46, the suction port 61 is disposed upward in the vertical direction in the vicinity of the bottom of one side wall that forms the circulation path of the circulating air flow in the cleaning tank 26. On the other hand, the discharge port 65 is disposed downward with respect to the vertical direction.

The cleaning medium acceleration means 27 has a plurality of acceleration nozzles 71a in an array on the surface orthogonal to the inner wall surface forming the circulation path of the circulating airflow. Moreover, it has a plurality of arrayed acceleration nozzles 71b on the back surface facing the wall surface on which the acceleration nozzles 71a are provided. Each accelerating nozzle 71 (accelerating nozzle 71a and accelerating nozzle 71b) ejects compressed air supplied from a compressed air source such as a compressor or a pressure tank into the cleaning tank 26, and the cleaning medium M flying by the compressed air is to be cleaned. Collide with object 4. As the acceleration nozzles 71a and 71b, it is possible to use an ejection nozzle similar to the circulating airflow generation means 46.
The cleaning medium accelerating unit 27 assists the random collision of the cleaning medium M with the cleaning target object 4 by the circulating airflow generation unit 46.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing details of the cleaning medium reproducing means. FIG. 23A is an external perspective view, and FIG. 24B is a side sectional view.
As shown in FIG. 24A, the cleaning medium regeneration unit 26 disposed on the inner wall at the bottom of the cleaning tank 26 forms a closed space with the separation member 81 and the hood 82. Separation member 81 and hood 8
And a suction tube 41 such as a hose is connected to the closed space formed by the two.
A dust collector having a negative pressure generation source (not shown) is connected in a direction opposite to the direction in which the suction pipe 41 is connected to the hood 82, and the inside of the hood 82 is made into a negative pressure state by the dust collector. The separation member 81 has a large number of small holes or slits 83 through which gas or powder can be passed but the cleaning medium M cannot pass through. For example, the separating member 81 is formed of a porous member such as a wire net, a plastic net, a mesh, a punch metal plate, or a slit plate. The cleaning medium regeneration means 26 is a film-like deposit separated from the object 4 to be cleaned, a cleaning medium that has been worn or chipped by colliding with the object 4 to be cleaned, or a cleaning medium whose elasticity has deteriorated due to long-term use. It is discharged outside through the separating member 81.

FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a control system in the cleaning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment. FIG. 26 is a piping system diagram of the cleaning device 100. FIG. 26A is a diagram showing an air flow generation relationship, and FIG. 26B is a diagram showing a cleaning medium regeneration means relationship.
As shown in FIGS. 25, 26 (a) and 26 (b), the control device 32 of the cleaning device 100 includes an airflow circulation solenoid valve 34, an acceleration solenoid valve 35, an acceleration airflow switching control valve 36, and A regeneration solenoid valve 37 is provided. The airflow circulation electromagnetic valve 34 conducts and disconnects the air supply pipe that supplies compressed air from the pressurized gas supply device 38 to the circulation airflow generation means 46. The acceleration solenoid valve 35 is
Conduction and non-conduction of the air supply pipe supplied with the compressed air to the cleaning medium accelerating means 27 is performed. The acceleration airflow switching control valve 36 switches the direction of the compressed air supplied to the acceleration nozzle 71 provided on both wall surfaces of the cleaning medium acceleration means 27. The regeneration electromagnetic valve 37 performs conduction and non-conduction of the suction pipe 41 connecting the cleaning medium regeneration means 28 and the dust collector 39. These are connected to each other, and the operation of each solenoid valve is controlled by a drive signal from the activation means 33.

FIG. 27 shows a time chart of the cleaning operation of the present invention. FIG. 28 is a diagram illustrating a state from the initial state of the cleaning medium to the start of flight. In the cleaning apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 21, the cleaning operation of the present invention will be described based on the time chart of FIG.
The lamellar cleaning medium M is put into the cleaning tank 26. In a state where the cleaning medium M is stacked on the cleaning medium regeneration means 28, the cleaning object 4 held by the holding means 3 is input from the cleaning object insertion port 29 of the cleaning tank 26 by the moving means 40, and the initial position. Position to. Then, the cleaning object insertion port 29 is closed with a lid 30 and the cleaning tank 26 is sealed. In this state, the starter 33 is operated to input a cleaning start signal to the control device 32. The control device 32 opens the airflow circulation electromagnetic valve 34 and supplies compressed air from the pressurized gas supply device 38 such as a compressor to the circulating airflow generation means 46. The circulating airflow generation means 46 generates a circulating airflow that flows along the circulation path of the inner wall surface of the cleaning tank 26.

As shown in FIG. 28A, the circulating airflow flows over the cleaning medium regeneration unit 28, and the airflow acts on the laminar cleaning medium M stacked on the cleaning medium regeneration unit 28 from the lateral direction.
As shown in FIGS. 28B and 28C, the cleaning is performed along the longitudinal direction of the cleaning tank 6 while gradually damaging the deposition from the upper layer of the cleaning medium M deposited on the cleaning medium regenerating means 28. Medium M
Transport and fly. Since the circulating airflow that causes the cleaning medium M to fly is directly jetted into the cleaning tank 26 by the circulating airflow generation means 46, a large impact force can be applied to the cleaning medium M deposited on the cleaning medium regeneration means 28. As a result, the cleaning medium M deposited on the cleaning medium regenerating means 28 can be surely fly by the circulating airflow.

FIG. 29 is a diagram for explaining the state from the initial state of the cleaning medium to the start of flight. FIG.
9 (a) shows the initial state of the cleaning medium, and FIGS. 29 (b) and 29 (c) show the starting state of the cleaning medium, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 29A, for the lamellar cleaning medium M deposited on the separation member 81,
When an air flow perpendicular to the deposition direction of the cleaning medium M is applied from the nozzle 42, compressed air energy is required to lift all the cleaning medium M deposited on the separation member 81. Further, as shown in FIG. 29B, it goes without saying that the larger the amount of the cleaning medium M deposited on the separating member 81, the harder it is to move the cleaning medium. Further, even though the cleaning medium M directly above the nozzle 42 that ejects the airflow can be moved, the fluidity of the flaky cleaning medium M deposited on the separation member 81 is poor, and therefore, it is shown in FIG. Thus, even if there is a mortar-like inclination around the nozzle 42, the cleaning medium M around the nozzle 42 remains as it is without breaking down.
Therefore, it is difficult to fly all the cleaning media M deposited on the separation member 81.

On the other hand, a circulating airflow that flows along the circulation path of the inner wall surface of the cleaning tank 26 is generated by the circulating airflow generation means 46, and the airflow is applied from the lateral direction of the cleaning medium M deposited on the separation member 81.
By generating the air flow in this way, the cleaning medium M deposited with a small amount of energy can be reliably ejected, and the amount of compressed air supplied to the circulating air flow generation means 46 can be reduced. Further, when the cleaning medium M is conveyed by an air current, the cleaning medium M may be clogged in the duct or hose when a duct or hose is used. However, the washing tank 26
Since the circulation path is formed so that a circulating airflow is generated along the wall surface, the cleaning medium M can fly into the cleaning tank 26 without the cleaning medium M being clogged by the circulation path.

In addition, the circulating air flow generating means 46 for generating the circulating air flow is disposed in the vicinity of the bottom of one side wall forming the circulating path of the circulating air flow in the cleaning tank 26 with the suction port 61 up and the discharge port 65 down. Yes. By arranging in this way, a strong air current force along the bottom surface can act on the cleaning medium M deposited on the separation member 81 at the bottom of the cleaning tank 26 even at a position away from the discharge port 65. it can. Therefore, a large amount of the cleaning medium M can be carried along the wall surface of the cleaning tank 26. Further, since the cleaning medium M entering the suction port 61 has a low spatial density, the suction port 6
Blocking 1 can be avoided. As a result, a circulating airflow can be generated stably.
In the case where the suction port 61 is directed downward and the configuration shown in this embodiment opposite to the configuration shown in the present embodiment is reversed, the force of the suction airflow acts only on the cleaning medium M near the suction port 61. In such a case, it is difficult to transport a large amount of the cleaning medium M accumulated at the bottom of the cleaning tank 26. In addition, when a large amount of the cleaning medium M accumulated at the bottom of the cleaning tank 26 is sucked into the suction port 61, the spatial density of the cleaning medium M in the suction port 61 becomes excessive and the suction port 61 is easily blocked.
However, by adopting the configuration of the present invention, such a problem can be prevented.

FIG. 30 is a diagram for explaining the cleaning operation of the present invention. FIG. 30 (a) shows the cleaning object 4
FIG. 30B shows the lowest position of the cleaning object 4, and FIG. 29C shows the highest position of the cleaning object 4 (returned to the initial position).
The control device 32 closes the airflow circulation electromagnetic valve 34 after a predetermined time has elapsed and stops the circulating airflow generated by the circulating airflow generation means 46. As shown in FIG. 30 (a), the accelerating electromagnetic valve 3 is moved while the moving object 40 gradually lowers the cleaning object 4 from the initial position.
5 is opened and compressed air is supplied from the pressurized gas supply device 38 to the cleaning medium acceleration means 27 via the acceleration airflow switching control valve 36.
Then, compressed air is ejected from one of the acceleration nozzles 71a of the cleaning medium accelerating means 27, and the regeneration electromagnetic valve 37 is opened to bring the cleaning medium regenerating means 28 into conduction with the dust collector 39 so that the inside of the hood 82 has a negative pressure. To do. When the circulating airflow generated by the circulating airflow generation means 46 is stopped, the cleaning medium M that has flew by the circulating airflow falls. The cleaning medium M is an acceleration nozzle 71.
The object d collides with the object 4 to be cleaned by the compressed air ejected from a, and the adhering substance d adhering to the object 4 to be cleaned is removed.

The adhering substance d removed from the cleaning object 4 or the cleaning medium M to which the adhering substance d adheres by colliding with the cleaning object 4 falls due to gravity and regenerates the cleaning medium sucked by the negative pressure in the hood 82. It descends on the separating member 81 of the means 28. The deposits falling on the separation member 81 and / or the deposits d adhering to the cleaning medium M are sucked into the hood 82 by the negative pressure in the hood 82 and collected in the dust collector 39, and the cleaning medium M is collected. To play efficiently.
When the compressed air is ejected from the acceleration nozzle 71a for a predetermined time, the control device 32
The acceleration solenoid valve 35 and the regeneration solenoid valve 37 are closed, and the operations of the cleaning medium acceleration means 27 and the cleaning medium regeneration means 28 are stopped. When the regeneration solenoid valve 37 is closed, the negative pressure in the hood 82 is eliminated.
The suction force on the hood 82 side with respect to the cleaning medium M deposited on the separation member 81 is lost, and the cleaning medium M is separated from the separation member 81 by the next circulation airflow.
Therefore, the mesh or the like of the separation member 81 is not sealed by being covered with the cleaning medium M, and the cleaning medium M and the deposits can be continuously separated. For this reason, it is not necessary to replace the cleaning medium M, and the amount of the cleaning medium M that has been reduced due to breakage or the like may be added.
As a result, the cleaning medium M can be used effectively and the maintainability of the cleaning device can be improved.

After that, the airflow circulation electromagnetic valve 34 is opened again, the circulation airflow generating means 46 generates a circulation airflow, and the cleaning medium M deposited and regenerated on the separation member 81 of the cleaning medium regeneration means 28 is flew for a predetermined time T1. After that, the acceleration solenoid valve 35 and the regeneration solenoid valve 37 are opened, the acceleration airflow switching control valve 36 is switched to the acceleration nozzle 71b side, and the film-like deposit removal processing from the cleaning object 4 and the cleaning medium M are performed. Is reproduced for a predetermined time.
The time required for the process of removing the deposits from the cleaning object 4 and the regeneration process of the cleaning medium M is set longer than the time during which the circulating airflow is generated so that a wide range of the cleaning object 4 can be cleaned. is there. Further, by alternately ejecting compressed air from the acceleration nozzle 71a and the acceleration nozzle 71b, the airflows ejected from the acceleration nozzle 71a and the acceleration nozzle 71b are prevented from interfering with each other. Therefore, the cleaning medium M can be made to collide with the cleaning object 4 reliably, and the cleaning effect of the cleaning medium M can be enhanced.

The generation of the circulating air current, the removal of the deposits from the cleaning object 4 and the regeneration process of the cleaning medium M
The cleaning object 4 is repeatedly performed while being gradually lowered from the initial position. As shown in FIG. 30B, when the cleaning object 4 reaches the return position of the lowest position, the moving means 40 moves the cleaning object 4. Is stopped, and the cleaning object 4 is gradually raised. The control device 32 is to be cleaned 4
Is gradually increased, the generation of the circulating air flow, the removal of the deposits from the cleaning object 4 and the regeneration process of the cleaning medium M are alternately repeated, and the film-like attachment is performed from the entire surface of the cleaning object 4. The kimono d is removed.
Then, as shown in FIG. 30C, when the cleaning object 4 reaches the initial position that is the rising end, the control device 32 stops the cleaning operation. When the cleaning operation stops, the lid 30 of the cleaning tank 26
Is opened, the cleaning object 4 held by the holding means 3 is taken out of the cleaning tank 26 by the moving means 40, replaced with a new cleaning object 4, and the cleaning operation is started again.

FIG. 31 is a diagram for explaining a modification of the present invention. Here, an example is shown in which a plurality of objects to be cleaned 4 having different shapes are held and cleaned by the holding means 31 that is moved up and down by the moving means 40.
In the above description, the case where the entire surface of the cleaning object 4 is cleaned by alternately ejecting compressed air from the acceleration nozzles 71a and 71b of the cleaning medium accelerating means 27 has been described. However,
By adjusting the injection angle of the acceleration nozzles 71a and 71b with respect to the cleaning object 4,
Compressed air may be simultaneously injected from the acceleration nozzles 71a and 71b.
Moreover, when the deposit | attachment has adhered only to one surface of the washing | cleaning target object 4, the acceleration nozzle 71a
And 71b may be injected with compressed air.

In the following embodiments, a release layer (fluororesin film) of a fixing roller used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser printer is assumed as the deposit d to be cleaned.
The present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to a general film-like deposit cleaning apparatus. In this case, it goes without saying that the type of the cleaning medium, the flow velocity of the air flow, and the flow rate are appropriately selected according to the properties of the cleaning object 4 and the deposits.

[Example 1]
Here, the fixing roller of the monochrome copying machine imagio Neo 300 was used as a sample of the object to be cleaned.
The pencil hardness of the fluororesin that is the release layer of the fixing roller is about F.
Air blow uses multiple air nozzles SL-920A made by Silent,
Washing was performed for 2 minutes each so that the compressed air pressure was constant at 0.5 MPa.
As the flaky cleaning medium M (1: Example 1 in the table), a polyethylene film having a thickness of 100 μm and a 5 mm square (pencil hardness of 6B or less)
(2: Example 2 in the table) PET film having a thickness of 100 μm and a 5 mm square (pencil hardness H)
(3: Example 3 in the table) Thickness 100 μm, 5 mm square acrylic resin film (pencil hardness 2H)
(4: Example 4 in the table) SUS304 flakes with a thickness of 100 μm and 5 mm square (pencil hardness 9H or more)
It was used.
As a comparative example, dry cleaning using various granular cleaning media in place of the lamellar cleaning media M was performed.
As a granular cleaning medium (5: Comparative Example 1 in the table) 2 mm square cubic nylon (pencil hardness H)
(6: Comparative example 2 in the table) φ2 mm nylon sphere (pencil hardness H)
It was used.
Table 1 shows an example of the cleaning result.

The judgment symbols in the table are as follows.
X: Dirt is hardly removed.
Δ: Some cleaning residue remains.
○: Almost clean.
(Double-circle): It is very beautiful.

From Table 1, it can be seen that the result of the dry cleaning using the flaky cleaning medium M of the present invention gives better cleaning results than the dry cleaning using the conventional granular cleaning medium.

[Example 2]
As another example, the air blow was used by arranging a plurality of Silvent air nozzles SL-920A, and the compressed air pressure was fixed at 0.5 MPa for 2 minutes.
At this time, the same cleaning medium was continuously used without changing the cleaning medium for each sample, and the transition of the number of sample treatments and cleaning results was compared.
As the lamellar cleaning medium M, (1) 5 μm square polyethylene film (pencil hardness 6B or less)
(2) PET film with a thickness of 100 μm and 5 mm square (pencil hardness H)
(3) Thickness 100 μm, 5 mm square acrylic resin film (pencil hardness 2H)
(4) SUS304 flakes with a thickness of 100 μm and 5 mm square (pencil hardness 9H or more)
It was used.
Table 2 shows an example of a cleaning result obtained by repeatedly using the cleaning medium. The definition of symbols in the table is the same as the definition of symbols in Table 1. The same applies to the following tables.
The correspondence between the example number and the comparative example number is the same as described above.

From Table 2, it can be seen that good cleaning results can be obtained in repeated use, especially when the material of the cleaning medium is an acrylic resin which is a brittle material. Note that the underlined judgment symbol indicates that the cleaning medium has changed as shown in the lower part of the table.

[Example 3]
In the following embodiments, a photosensitive layer (polycarbonate binder resin, pencil hardness F) of an OPC (organic photosensitive member) drum used in an electrophotographic apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser printer is assumed as an object to be removed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to a general film-like deposit cleaning apparatus.
In this case, it goes without saying that the type of cleaning medium and the flow velocity and flow rate of the air flow are appropriately selected according to the pressure and flow rate of the compressed air source in accordance with the properties of the object to be cleaned and the deposits.

Air blow uses multiple air nozzles SL-920A made by Silent,
Washing was performed for 2 minutes each so that the compressed air pressure was constant at 0.5 MPa.
As the flaky cleaning medium M, (1) a polyethylene film having a thickness of 100 μm and a 5 mm square (pencil hardness of 6B or less)
(2) PET film with a thickness of 100 μm and 5 mm square (pencil hardness H)
(3) Thickness 100 μm, 5 mm square acrylic resin film (pencil hardness 2H)
(4) SUS304 flakes with a thickness of 100 μm and 5 mm square (pencil hardness 9H or more)
It was used.
For comparison, dry cleaning using various granular cleaning media instead of the lamellar cleaning media M was performed.
(5) 2mm square cubic nylon (pencil hardness H)
(6) φ2mm nylon sphere (pencil hardness H)
It was used.
Table 3 shows an example of the cleaning result.
When the flaky cleaning medium was used, it was observed that wrinkles first occurred in the photoreceptor layer due to the occurrence of deviation at the adhesion interface, and then the peeling of the photoreceptor layer proceeded.

[Example 4]
As still another embodiment, the air blower is Silvent Air Nozzle SL-920A.
A plurality of was used, and washing was performed for 2 minutes so that the compressed air pressure was constant at 0.5 MPa.
At this time, the same cleaning medium was continuously used without changing the cleaning medium for each sample, and the transition of the number of sample treatments and cleaning results was compared.
As the flaky cleaning medium M, (1) a polyethylene film having a thickness of 100 μm and a 5 mm square (pencil hardness of 6B or less)
(2) PET film with a thickness of 100 μm and 5 mm square (pencil hardness H)
(3) Thickness 100 μm, 5 mm square acrylic resin film (pencil hardness 2H)
(4) SUS304 flakes with a thickness of 100 μm and 5 mm square (pencil hardness 9H or more)
It was used.
Table 4 shows an example of the cleaning result.

It can be seen from Table 4 that good cleaning results can be obtained in repeated use, particularly when the cleaning medium is an acrylic resin which is a brittle material. The underline of the determination symbol is the same as that in Table 2.

[Example 5]
Here, a pallet made of epoxy resin containing glass fibers to which a flux adhered was used as a sample. The pallet is used to mask a non-soldered area of the PCB during a soldering process using a flow solder bath. Since such a mask jig is used repeatedly, the flux accumulates thickly in the form of a film. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically remove the flux. The pencil hardness of the fixed flux is 2B. The film thickness is 0.5-1
mm.
As the cleaning apparatus, the planar cleaning apparatus shown in FIG. 1 was used. Compressed air was supplied at an original pressure of 0.4 Mpa, and a pallet having a size of 330 × 330 mm was washed for 2 minutes.
The flaky cleaning media used and the cleaning results are shown in Table 5.
The judgment symbols in the table are as follows.
X: Dirt is hardly removed.
Δ: Some cleaning residue remains.
○: Almost clean.
(Double-circle): It is very beautiful.
−: The cleaning medium is exhausted, and all is discharged from the cleaning tank.

Table 5 shows the folding resistance and pencil hardness as physical properties of each cleaning medium.
From the determination result of the initial cleaning ability in Table 5, the pencil hardness of the cleaning medium is 2B of pencil hardness of the flux.
Flux stains can hardly be removed if the following. This is because the cleaning medium cannot bite into the film-like flux dirt when colliding.
The cleaning medium flies by the air current and repeatedly collides with the object to be cleaned. Damage is accumulated in the cleaning medium due to the collision, which causes deterioration such as breakage or deformation.
FIG. 32 shows the distribution of mechanical properties of each cleaning medium.

Based on Table 5 and FIG. 8, the deterioration pattern of the cleaning medium will be specifically described again. In the case of glass, acrylic 1 (indicated by circled numbers in the table: the same applies hereinafter), acrylic 2, and COC in which the cleaning medium has a folding resistance of less than 10, due to the impact of collision as shown in FIG. Break near the center of the cleaning medium. At this time, the fracture surface becomes a new edge and bites into the flux.
The sticking and removing ability is not lowered.
For TAC1, TAC2, and PI2 with a fold resistance of the cleaning medium material of 10 or more and less than 65, as shown in FIG. 8 (b), it does not break near the center and burr occurs at the edge due to the impact of the collision. Only the burr breaks. Since the thickness of the cleaning medium is maintained, the effect of the cleaning medium biting into and removing the flux is maintained.
When the folding resistance of the material of the cleaning medium is 65 or more, the cleaning medium is not broken by an impact, and the edge portion is plastically deformed.
FIG. 8C illustrates a state in which the edge is crushed and the end portion is bent due to plastic deformation. PI1
Shows such behavior.
FIG. 8D shows how the edge curls due to plastic deformation. SUS, PS
1, PS2, PE, PET, TPX show such behavior.
The cleaning medium shown in the examples of FIG. 8C and FIG. 8D has the edge plastically deformed,
Since the edge is drooped and the impact force at the time of collision is relaxed, as shown in Table 5, the cleaning ability is greatly reduced after the processing of a plurality of samples.
According to these results, for the removal of the flux adhered to the film, first, a good result can be obtained by using a brittle material cleaning medium having a pencil hardness higher than the flux and having a folding resistance of 0 to less than 65. It can be seen that it can be obtained stably for a long time.

As a basis for the numerical values given in this example, Table 6 shows the ranges of the folding resistance numerical values of the respective cleaning media.
As shown in Table 6, a flaky cleaning medium having a minimum folding resistance of 0 (here, glass, C
OC, acrylic 2) is a material that is extremely fragile to bending, and is consumed in a very short time as shown in Table 5, so that the running cost becomes high.
Moreover, the maximum folding resistance of PI2 which showed the favorable washing | cleaning characteristic is 52.
Therefore, more desirably, when the folding resistance of the cleaning medium is 1 or more and 52 or less, good cleaning ability can be maintained for a long time.
The cleaning medium made of PS1 that undergoes ductile deformation has a minimum folding resistance of 65. Therefore, a cleaning medium that brittlely breaks is at least 65 fold resistant.
Further, in the PI2 cleaning medium that causes the desired brittle fracture, the maximum folding resistance was 52. Therefore, if the folding resistance is 52 or less, it can be said that the brittle fracture will surely occur.
Among the cleaning media showing brittle fracture as shown in FIG. 8A, the maximum folding resistance value was 9 in the acrylic 1 cleaning media. Accordingly, the cleaning medium showing the folding resistance value of 0 or more and 9 or less causes the brittle fracture shown in FIG. 8A, and the cleaning medium of 10 or more and less than 65 is shown in FIG.
It can be classified that the brittle fracture shown in (1) occurs.
Further, the acrylic 2 cleaning medium having a minimum folding resistance of 0 is extremely fragile and cannot withstand long-term use as shown in Table 5. On the other hand, the acrylic 1 cleaning medium having a minimum folding resistance of 1 was able to maintain the cleaning ability for a long time as shown in Table 5.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cleaning apparatus 2 Cleaning tank unit 3 Holding means 4 Object to be cleaned 6 Cleaning tank 7 Cleaning medium acceleration means as circulating airflow generating means 8 Cleaning medium regeneration means 26 Cleaning tank 27 Cleaning medium acceleration means 28 Cleaning medium regeneration means 46 Circulating airflow generation Means d Membrane deposit M Cleaning medium

JP 2007-144395 A JP 2007-029945 A JP 2007-330947 A JP 2007-245079 A

Claims (5)

Let the flake-shaped cleaning medium fly,
The cleaning medium repeatedly hits the object to be cleaned,
A cleaning medium used for cleaning the deposit attached to the object to be cleaned,
The cleaning medium is
When at least one surface has a groove portion and the collision is repeated, a part of the cleaning medium is folded at the groove portion, and a new edge is formed at the broken portion.
By repeating this ,
A cleaning medium characterized by improving cleaning quality and cleaning efficiency with respect to the adhered matter .   The cleaning medium according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning medium includes a plurality of cleaning media having different thicknesses.   The cleaning medium according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning medium includes a plurality of differently shaped cleaning media.   The cleaning medium according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning medium includes a plurality of cleaning media having different sizes.   A cleaning apparatus for cleaning the object to be cleaned using the cleaning medium according to claim 1.

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