JP6383872B2 - Cleaning device and cleaning method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cleaning device and a cleaning method.

  In recent years, glass panels for flat panel displays (FPD), resin boards, printed boards on which electronic components are mounted, ceramic green sheets for forming laminated ceramic capacitors, thin resin sheets, long films, etc. A cleaning device has been developed for removing foreign substances such as dust adhering to the surface of an object.

  As such a cleaning device, there has been proposed a cleaning device that removes foreign matter on the surface of an object with a charging brush, and transports and collects the removed foreign matter with a cleaning roller by the force of an electric field (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-92848). reference).

  However, in the above cleaning device, a comparatively large foreign substance having a millimeter size can be removed by the charging brush. However, since the part where the charging brush does not contact the surface of the object may occur, the foreign substance (non-contact part) In particular, there is a possibility that fine foreign matter) cannot be removed sufficiently. Further, in the cleaning device, it is difficult to say that the removal efficiency of the foreign matter from the surface of the object by the charging brush is sufficient as described above, and it is difficult to say that the foreign matter transport efficiency and the recovery efficiency by the cleaning roller are also sufficient. . Therefore, the cleaning device has room for improvement in the removal efficiency of foreign matters.

JP 2011-92848 A

  The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and provides a cleaning device and a cleaning method capable of efficiently removing both relatively large foreign matters and fine foreign matters from the surface of an object. With the goal.

  The invention made to solve the above-mentioned problems is a cleaning device that removes a foreign material on the surface while conveying a plate-like or film-like object, and a rotation shaft that is substantially perpendicular to the conveyance direction and substantially parallel to the conveyance surface. A first brush roller that is rotationally driven, a cleaning roller that is rotationally driven by a rotation shaft that is substantially perpendicular to the transport direction and substantially parallel to the transport surface, and the first brush roller and the cleaning roller that are interposed via the object. A pair of opposed rollers that are driven to rotate in a forward direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object, and one or more voltage application mechanisms that apply a voltage to the first brush roller and the cleaning roller And the one or more voltage application mechanisms apply a high voltage to the first brush roller in the same polarity and absolute value as the cleaning roller. To.

  The cleaning device can remove relatively large foreign matter from the object by the first brush roller, and can remove fine foreign matter from the object by the cleaning roller. Moreover, since the first brush roller and the cleaning roller can be effectively pressed against the object by providing the pair of opposed rollers facing the first brush roller and the cleaning roller, the first brush roller and The removal efficiency of the foreign matter from the object by the cleaning roller can be increased. Furthermore, by applying a voltage to the first brush roller and the cleaning roller by the voltage application mechanism, it is possible to further increase the efficiency of removing foreign substances from the object by the first brush roller and the cleaning roller. In particular, by applying a voltage having the same polarity and high absolute value as the cleaning roller to the first brush roller, it is possible to remove relatively large foreign matters by the first brush roller and fine foreign matters by the cleaning roller. Can be made more efficient. Thus, the cleaning device can efficiently remove not only relatively large foreign substances but also fine foreign substances from the surface of the object.

  The first brush roller may be driven to rotate in the reverse direction with respect to the conveying direction of the object, and the cleaning roller may be driven to rotate in the forward direction with respect to the conveying direction of the object. As described above, the first brush roller is driven to rotate in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction of the object, so that the relatively large foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object can be effectively scraped and removed. it can. In addition, the cleaning roller is driven to rotate in the forward direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object, so that fine foreign substances adhering to the surface of the object can be effectively removed while the object is conveyed.

  The one or more voltage application mechanisms may apply a voltage of −800 V or more and less than −200 V to the first brush roller, and apply a voltage of −200 V or more and less than 0 V to the cleaning roller. In this way, the voltage application mechanism applies the voltage in the above range to the first brush roller and the cleaning roller, so that the potentials of the first brush roller and the cleaning roller are suitable for removing foreign substances. Large foreign matters and fine foreign matters can be more effectively removed.

  The one or more voltage application mechanisms may give a potential difference of 100 V or more and 500 V or less in absolute value to the first brush roller and the cleaning roller. Thus, the voltage application mechanism applies the voltage so that the potential difference between the first brush roller and the cleaning roller is in the above range, thereby making the potentials of the cleaning roller and the brush roller suitable for removing foreign substances, respectively. As a result, relatively large foreign matters and fine foreign matters can be more effectively removed.

  The potential of the pair of opposed rollers may be a predetermined fixed potential. Thus, by setting the potential of the pair of opposed rollers to a predetermined fixed potential, an electric field is effectively generated between the first brush roller and one opposed roller and between the cleaning roller and the other opposed roller. Therefore, the foreign matter removal efficiency from the object by the first brush roller and the cleaning roller can be further improved.

  The cleaning device includes a first recovery roller that recovers the foreign matter removed from the object by the first brush roller, and the one or more voltage application mechanisms are configured to perform the above operation on the first recovery roller. A voltage having the same polarity as the first brush roller and a high absolute value may be applied. As described above, the cleaning device includes the first recovery roller, and the first brush roller applies a high voltage in the same polarity and absolute value as the first brush roller to the first recovery roller. The foreign matter removed from the object can be collected by the first collection roller. As a result, it is possible to maintain the cleanliness and electric charge of the first brush roller, and to suppress the reduction of the foreign matter removal efficiency.

  The one or more voltage application mechanisms may give a potential difference of 200 V or more and 600 V or less in absolute value to the first recovery roller and the first brush roller. As described above, the first collection roller can effectively collect the foreign matter removed from the object by the first brush roller by giving the first collection roller and the first brush roller a potential difference in the above range. It is possible to effectively maintain the cleanliness and charge of the first brush roller, and to effectively suppress the reduction of the foreign matter removal efficiency.

  The rotation direction of the first recovery roller is the reverse direction to the rotation direction of the first brush roller, and the rotation speed of the first recovery roller is relative to the rotation speed of the first brush roller. It is good that they are 1.0 times or more and 1.5 times or less. Thus, since the collection | recovery efficiency of the foreign material from the 1st brush roller by a 1st collection | recovery roller can be improved by setting the rotation conditions of a 1st collection | recovery roller as mentioned above, the 1st brush roller It is possible to more effectively maintain the cleanliness and the electric charge and to more effectively suppress a decrease in the removal efficiency of the foreign matter.

  The cleaning device further includes a second brush roller that collects the foreign matter removed from the object by the cleaning roller, and the second brush roller is driven to rotate in the reverse direction with respect to the cleaning roller. The rotation speed is preferably 1.0 to 1.5 times the rotation speed of the cleaning roller. As described above, when the cleaning device includes the second brush roller, the foreign matter removed from the object by the cleaning roller can be removed by the second brush roller. Thus, by removing the foreign matter from the cleaning roller, it is possible to maintain the cleanliness and charge on the surface of the cleaning roller, and to suppress a reduction in the foreign matter removal efficiency. In addition, by setting the rotation condition of the second brush roller as described above, it is possible to further increase the collection efficiency of foreign matters from the cleaning roller by the second brush roller.

  The cleaning device further includes a second recovery roller that recovers the foreign matter removed from the cleaning roller by the second brush roller, and the second recovery roller rotates in a reverse direction with respect to the second brush roller. The rotation speed is preferably 1.0 to 1.5 times the rotation speed of the second brush roller. As described above, when the cleaning device includes the second recovery roller, the foreign matter removed from the cleaning roller by the second brush roller can be recovered by the second recovery roller. As a result, the cleanliness and electric charge on the surface of the second brush roller, and hence the cleaning roller, are maintained, and it is possible to suppress a reduction in foreign matter removal efficiency by the cleaning roller. In addition, by setting the rotation condition of the second collection roller as described above, the collection efficiency of the foreign matter from the second brush roller by the second collection roller is enhanced, and consequently the cleaning roller by the second brush roller The collection efficiency of foreign matter can be increased.

  Another invention made to solve the above-mentioned problems is a cleaning method for removing foreign substances on the surface while conveying a plate-like or film-like object, and the object to be conveyed is conveyed in the conveying direction. And a step of contacting a brush roller that is driven to rotate in a reverse direction with respect to the conveyance direction with a rotation axis that is substantially perpendicular to the conveyance surface and substantially parallel to the conveyance direction and substantially perpendicular to the conveyance direction. A step of abutting a cleaning roller driven to rotate by a rotating shaft, and applying a voltage to the cleaning roller and having the same polarity as the voltage applied to the cleaning roller and a high absolute value to the brush roller Apply voltage.

  According to the cleaning method, relatively large foreign matter can be removed from the object by the brush roller, and fine foreign matter can be removed from the object by the cleaning roller. Further, by applying a voltage to the brush roller and the cleaning roller, it is possible to further increase the efficiency of removing the foreign matter from the object. In particular, by applying a voltage having the same polarity as the cleaning roller and a high absolute value to the brush roller, it is possible to further increase the efficiency of removing foreign matter from the object. Thus, in the cleaning method, not only relatively large foreign substances but also fine foreign substances can be efficiently removed from the surface of the object.

  In the step of bringing the brush roller into contact with the object, the amount of biting of the brush roller into the object is set to a predetermined value, and in the step of bringing the cleaning roller into contact with the object, the cleaning roller It may be set so that the object is pressed with a predetermined pressure. As described above, by setting the amount of biting of the brush roller and the pressure of the cleaning roller within the above ranges, it is possible to more efficiently remove relatively large foreign matters by the brush roller and fine foreign matters by the cleaning roller. .

  In the description of the rotation direction of each roller in this specification, the rotation in the follower direction with respect to the movement direction of the object or the other roller is referred to as “rotation in the forward direction” and vice versa. This is called “reverse rotation”. Further, “substantially vertical” means that the angle of intersection with the vertical line is within ± 10 °, and may be vertical. Furthermore, “substantially parallel” means that the acute angle between two straight lines is greater than 0 ° and within 10 °, or parallel. In the present specification, “front side” and “back side” of an object are merely distinguished for convenience and do not necessarily correspond to the front side and the back side when the object is used.

  The cleaning device and the cleaning method of the present invention can efficiently remove both relatively large foreign matters and fine foreign matters from the surface of an object.

It is a perspective view which shows the cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Example of this invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 1. It is typical sectional drawing of the brush roller of the cleaning apparatus shown in FIG. It is typical sectional drawing of the collection | recovery roller of the cleaning apparatus shown in FIG. It is a typical front view of the conveyance roller of the cleaning apparatus shown in FIG. It is typical sectional drawing in the XX line of FIG. It is typical sectional drawing which shows an example of the height adjustment mechanism applicable to the cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing which shows 1 process of height adjustment using the height adjustment mechanism of FIG. It is a typical perspective view which shows the height adjustment mechanism of FIG. It is typical sectional drawing of the cleaning roller of the cleaning apparatus shown in FIG. It is a typical perspective view which shows the unit side terminal applicable to the cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is a typical perspective view which shows the holder side terminal applicable to the cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is a typical sectional view showing a voltage application mechanism applicable to a cleaning device concerning one example of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the electrification row | line | column of a target object, a brush, and a foreign material. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the experiment method of optimization of the applied voltage of the brush roller in a brush roller unit. It is a graph which shows the measurement result of the adsorption width of a foreign substance with respect to the applied voltage of a brush roller. It is the imaging result of the target object surface which shows the confirmation result of cleaning performance. It is the imaging result of the target object surface which shows the confirmation result of cleaning performance. It is the imaging result of the target object surface which shows the confirmation result of cleaning performance.

  Hereinafter, an example of a cleaning device and a cleaning method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. Needless to say, the specific configuration and details of the present invention can be changed as appropriate within the scope of utilizing the essence of the present invention.

  The cleaning apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 removes foreign matters on the surface (front side surface S1 and back side surface S2) while transporting the flat object S in the transport direction D. The cleaning device mainly includes a holder 1, an external transport mechanism (upstream-side external transport mechanism 2 </ b> A and downstream-side external transport mechanism 2 </ b> B), and a cleaning mechanism 3. In addition, the cleaning device includes a voltage application mechanism (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) that applies a voltage to a brush roller 41, a cleaning roller 51, and the like, which will be described later. Further, the cleaning device includes a control mechanism that controls the external transport mechanism, the cleaning mechanism 3, and the voltage application mechanism. As this control mechanism, various conventionally known ones can be adopted, and for example, it can be constituted by a personal computer or the like.

〔Object〕
The object S is a flat plate member in FIG. 2, but is not particularly limited as long as it is a plate member or a film member. Specifically, the surface of the object may be flat as shown in FIG. 2, but a depression may be present. Furthermore, the object may have a hole or the like.

  Examples of the plate-like object include an FPD glass substrate, a resin substrate, a printed circuit board for mounting an electronic component, a ceramic green sheet for forming a laminated ceramic capacitor, a resin thin plate, and the like. An example of the film-like object is a resin film.

  The average thickness of the object is not particularly limited, but the lower limit is preferably 30 μm and more preferably 50 μm. If the average thickness of the object is less than the lower limit, it may be difficult to convey the object. On the other hand, the upper limit of the average thickness of the object is, for example, 5 mm.

[holder]
The holder 1 holds the cleaning mechanism 3. In this holder 1, a pair of opposing plate-like members 10 are connected by a plurality of rods 11 and shafts 12.

[External transport mechanism]
The external transport mechanism applies a propulsive force for transport to the object S, and is provided outside the cleaning mechanism 3. The external transport mechanism includes an upstream external transport mechanism 2A disposed upstream of the cleaning mechanism 3 in the transport direction, and a downstream external transport mechanism 2B disposed downstream of the cleaning mechanism 3 in the transport direction. The conveyance speed of the object S by the external conveyance mechanism is not particularly limited as long as it is a range in which foreign matter can be removed from the object S by the cleaning mechanism 3. The lower limit of the conveyance speed of the object S is preferably 5 m / min, and more preferably 10 m / min. On the other hand, the upper limit of the conveyance speed of the object S is preferably 30 m / min, and more preferably 20 m / min. If the conveyance speed of the object S is less than the above lower limit, the time required for removing the foreign matter becomes long, and the foreign matter removal efficiency may be reduced. On the contrary, when the conveyance speed of the target S exceeds the upper limit, there is a possibility that the foreign matter on the surface of the target S cannot be sufficiently removed by the cleaning mechanism 3.

<Upstream side external transport mechanism>
The upstream external transport mechanism 2A is for transporting the object S into the cleaning mechanism 3, and has a plurality of belt transport sections 20A. The belt conveyance unit 20A is obtained by winding an endless belt 22A between a pair of rollers 21A that are spaced apart along the conveyance direction D. Of the pair of rollers 21A, one is a driving roller to which a rotational force is applied, and the other is a driven roller that rotates together with the endless belt 22A by the rotation of the driving roller. The plurality of belt conveyance units 20A are arranged at regular intervals in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction D (hereinafter also referred to as “conveyance width direction”).

<Downstream external transport mechanism>
The downstream side external conveyance mechanism 2B carries out the object S from the cleaning mechanism 3, and has a plurality of belt conveyance units 20B. The belt conveyance unit 20B has the same configuration as the plurality of belt conveyance units 20A of the upstream side external conveyance mechanism 2A. That is, the plurality of belt conveyance units 20B are configured such that the endless belt 22B is wound between a pair of rollers 21B configured by a driving roller and a driven roller that are arranged apart from each other in the conveyance direction D. The plurality of belt conveyance units 20B are also arranged at regular intervals in the conveyance width direction.

[Cleaning mechanism]
The cleaning mechanism 3 is a mechanism capable of cleaning both the front side surface S1 and the back side surface S2 of the object S, and includes a front side cleaning mechanism 3A and a back side cleaning mechanism 3B.

<Front side cleaning mechanism>
The front side cleaning mechanism 3A is a unit that removes foreign matters on the front side surface S1 of the object S to be conveyed. The front side cleaning mechanism 3 </ b> A includes a front side brush roller unit 4, a front side cleaning roller unit 5, and a back side opposing roller unit 6. In the cleaning device, a front brush roller unit 4 and a front cleaning roller unit 5 are detachably mounted on a holder 1 installed on a floor base in a factory or the like. The holder 1 may be fixed on the base by a fixing tool such as a screw, but is preferably placed in a movable state without using the fixing tool. The front brush roller unit 4 and the front cleaning roller unit 5 are disposed above the object S to be transported (above the transport path) and are detachably held by the holder 1.

[Front side brush roller unit]
The front-side brush roller unit 4 is a unit that removes foreign matter on the front-side surface S1 of the object S with the brush roller 41 housed in the housing 40, and is suitable for removing relatively large foreign matters of millimeter size. In addition to the brush roller 41, the housing 40 of the front side brush roller unit 4 accommodates a collection roller 42, a blade 43, a foreign matter collection unit 44, and a conveyance roller 45, and the whole is unitized. In this way, the front brush roller unit 4 is detachably united with the holder 1, so that the front brush roller unit 4 can be easily detached from the holder 1. As a result, when it is necessary to replace the brush roller 41 in accordance with the type of the object S or foreign matter, the unit can be replaced, so that effective foreign matter removal can be easily performed. Further, by removing the front side brush roller unit 4 from the holder 1, an opposing metal roller 60, which will be described later, facing the brush roller 41 is exposed and can be easily replaced and cleaned, so that it is excellent in maintainability. In addition, the maintenance of the brush roller 41 and the like housed in the housing 40 is also easier than in the case where the brush roller 41 is assembled and fixed in the holder 1.

(Casing)
The housing 40 accommodates the brush roller 41 and the like as a unit and is detachable from the holder 1. The housing 40 includes an upstream plate and a downstream plate disposed so as to be substantially perpendicular to the conveyance surface, a pair of side plates that connect side ends of the upstream plate and the downstream plate, an upstream plate, A top plate connected to the upper end of the downstream plate and the pair of side plates; and a bottom plate connected to the lower end of the upstream plate, the downstream plate and the pair of side plates. The top plate is provided with a pair of gripping portions 40A that are separated in the width direction. The pair of gripping portions 40A is used when the front brush roller unit 4 is attached or detached. An opening 40B is provided in the bottom plate, and a tip end portion of brush bristles 41C of a brush roller 41 described later protrudes from the opening 40B. In addition, there is no restriction | limiting in particular as a material which comprises the housing | casing 40, For example, stainless steel etc. are mentioned.

(Brush roller)
The brush roller 41 is a first brush roller on the front side that comes into contact with the object S to be conveyed and removes foreign matters on the front surface S1, particularly relatively large foreign matters (for example, millimeter-size foreign matters). The brush roller 41 is reversely rotated with respect to the conveyance direction D with a rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the conveyance direction D and substantially parallel to the conveyance surface by the power from the external drive source in a state of being charged by the voltage application mechanism (FIG. 2). (Clockwise direction). The brush roller 41 is preferably driven to rotate in a reverse direction with respect to the conveyance direction D in a charged state, but may be driven to rotate in an uncharged state.

  As shown in FIG. 3, such a brush roller 41 has a cylindrical core bar 41A and a plurality of brush bristles 41C implanted on the outer peripheral surface of the core bar 41A via an adhesive layer 41B.

The core rod 41A is formed of a conductive material such as a metal, a carbon material, or a synthetic resin composite material. The upper limit of the volume resistivity of the conductive material is, for example, 10 ⁵ Ωcm. A voltage is applied to the core bar 41A by a voltage application mechanism described later. The voltage applied to the core bar 41A is set to have the same polarity and a larger absolute value than the cleaning roller 51 of the front side cleaning roller unit 5 described later.

  As a minimum of the voltage applied to core rod 41A, -800V is preferred and -600V is more preferred. On the other hand, the upper limit of the voltage is preferably -200V, more preferably -300V.

  The brush bristles 41C are preferably those to which foreign substances are physically easily attached, and examples thereof include synthetic resin fibers. Moreover, as the bristle 41C, a material that can be charged with electric charge for adsorbing foreign matter adhering to the front surface S1 of the object S is preferable. For example, a conductive material such as carbon black, carbon fiber, metal powder, or metal whisker. A synthetic resin fiber-containing material can be suitably used.

  The cross-sectional shape of the bristle 41C is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a circular shape, an elliptical shape, and a star shape. Further, the outer shape of the brush bristle 41C is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a straight line shape, a wave curve shape, and a shape formed by combining a curve and a straight line. The brush bristles 41C are more likely to adsorb foreign matter as the surface area increases. Therefore, as the bristle 41C, it is possible to use one having a different cross-sectional shape capable of ensuring a large surface area, for example, a star shape.

  The brush roller 41 is driven to rotate in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction D of the object S, thereby causing the adhering foreign matter on the front surface S1 of the object S to adhere to the brush hair 41C. Can do. Further, by applying a voltage to the brush roller 41 and charging it, an attracting force due to the electric field can be applied, and the foreign matter on the front surface S1 of the object S can be effectively attracted to the brush hair 41C. In particular, by charging the brush roller 41, even when the object S has a hole or a depression on the surface, the foreign matter in the hole or the depression can be efficiently removed. Furthermore, by applying a voltage in the above range to the core rod 41A, relatively large foreign matter can be more effectively attracted to the brush roller 41 from the front surface S1 of the object S.

  Further, the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4 has the bristle 41C, rotates in the reverse direction with respect to the conveying direction D, and a voltage having the same polarity and larger absolute value than the cleaning roller 51 is applied. By doing so, a relatively large foreign substance of millimeter order can be removed from the front surface S1 of the object S.

  As a minimum of the amount of average press contact to subject S of brush roller 41, 0.3 mm is preferred and 0.5 mm is more preferred. On the other hand, the upper limit of the average pressure contact amount is preferably 1.5 mm, and more preferably 1 mm. If the average pressure contact amount is less than the lower limit, the foreign matter on the front surface S1 of the object S may not be sufficiently scraped. On the other hand, if the average pressure contact amount exceeds the upper limit, the resistance between the brush bristles 41C and the front surface S1 of the object S increases, so that the conveyance speed of the object S may decrease and the object. There is a risk of scratching the front surface S1 of S. The “pressure contact amount” is the amount of brush hair 41 biting into the object S, and the minimum distance between the surface of the core bar 41A and the front surface S1 of the object S is calculated from the average length of the brush hair 41C. It means the difference value.

  The lower limit of the peripheral speed of the brush roller 41 is preferably 1 m / min, and more preferably 2 m / min. On the other hand, the upper limit of the peripheral speed of the brush roller 41 is preferably 30 m / min, and more preferably 15 m / min. If the peripheral speed of the brush roller 41 is less than the lower limit, the foreign matter on the front surface S1 of the object S may not be sufficiently scraped. Conversely, if the peripheral speed of the brush roller 41 exceeds the above upper limit, the resistance between the brush bristles 41C and the front surface S1 of the object S increases, and therefore the conveyance speed of the object S may decrease. The front surface S1 of the object S may be damaged. The upper limit of the ratio (B / W) of the peripheral speed B of the brush roller 41 to the transport speed W of the object S is preferably 25%. If the peripheral speed B of the brush roller 41 is too large with respect to the conveyance speed W of the object S, it may be difficult to cause a relatively large foreign object to be scraped by the brush roller 41.

(Recovery roller)
The collection roller 42 is a first collection roller on the front side that is substantially parallel to the brush roller 41 and is in contact with the brush bristles 41C and collects the foreign matter attached to the brush bristles 41C. The collection roller 42 has a smaller diameter than the brush roller 41, and is disposed above the brush roller 41 and upstream of the brush roller 41 in the transport direction. By arranging in this way, it is possible to reduce adverse effects such as foreign matter scraped off by a blade 43 described later reattaching to a member such as the collection roller 42.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the collection roller 42 includes a roller main body 42 </ b> A formed of a conductive material and a corrosion-resistant layer 42 </ b> B laminated on the outer peripheral surface thereof. The material of the roller body 42A is not particularly limited as long as it is a conductive material. For example, a metal material such as stainless steel, copper, or aluminum, or a conductive resin material in which a conductive material such as a conductive filler is blended into a synthetic resin, or the like. Among these, metal materials are preferable. The corrosion-resistant layer 42B can be a metal plating layer formed by a plating process such as nickel plating or gold plating. However, the recovery roller 42 may be formed entirely of a conductive material that is difficult to oxidize, such as stainless steel, and does not have the corrosion-resistant layer 42B.

  The collection roller 42 is driven to rotate in the reverse direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the brush roller 41 by the power from the external drive source while being charged by the voltage application mechanism. Thus, the collection efficiency of a foreign material can be improved by making the rotation direction of the collection | recovery roller 42 into a reverse rotation direction with respect to the brush roller 41. FIG. The lower limit of the magnification of the rotation speed of the collection roller 42 with respect to the rotation speed of the brush roller 41 is preferably 1.0. On the other hand, the upper limit of the rotation speed magnification is preferably 1.5 times. Thereby, the foreign matter can be effectively moved from the brush roller 41 to the collection roller 42. However, the rotation direction of the collection roller 42 may be a forward direction with respect to the brush roller 41.

The applied voltage to the recovery roller 42 is set to have the same polarity and higher absolute value than the applied voltage to the brush roller 41. The lower limit of the absolute value of the difference between the voltage applied to the collection roller 42 and the voltage applied to the brush roller 41 is preferably 200V, and more preferably 300V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the absolute value of the difference is preferably 600V, and more preferably 500V. Moreover, as a minimum of the voltage applied to the collection | recovery roller 42, -1,500V is preferable and -1,200V is more preferable. On the other hand, the upper limit of the applied voltage is preferably -400V, more preferably -600V. By making the applied voltage to the collection roller 42 have the same polarity and higher absolute value than the applied voltage to the brush roller 41, the potential of the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 42 becomes the potential of the brush hair 41C of the brush roller 41. Therefore, the foreign matter attached to the brush roller 41 can be adsorbed to the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 42. In particular, the difference between the applied voltages of the collection roller 42 and the brush roller 41 is set in the above range, and the applied voltage to the collection roller 42 is set in the above range, so that the foreign matter attached to the brush roller 41 can be removed from the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 42. Can be adsorbed effectively. The upper limit of the electrical resistance of the collection roller 42 is preferably 10 ⁸ Ω. By setting the electrical resistance of the recovery roller 42 to 10 ⁸ Ω or less, even when the recovery roller 42 is subjected to a surface treatment or a film is formed, it can be effectively charged by applying a voltage.

(blade)
The blade 43 is a first blade that scrapes and removes foreign matter from the collection roller 42. The blade 43 is, for example, a rectangular plate member having elasticity.

  The blade 43 has a free end at the tip and a root portion fixed to the blade support 43a. A tip portion which is a free end of the blade 43 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 42 in the axial direction of the collection roller 42. The blade 43 is preferably in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 42 in an inclined state. At the contact point between the blade 43 and the collection roller 42, the lower limit of the inclination angle between the blade 43 and the virtual tangent on the outer periphery of the collection roller 42 is preferably 5 °, and more preferably 15 °. On the other hand, the upper limit of the tilt angle is preferably 30 °, more preferably 25 °. When the angle is less than the lower limit, the foreign matter cannot be sufficiently scraped off by the blade 43 due to insufficient pressure contact force, and a retransfer phenomenon in which the foreign matter that has passed through the blade 43 reattaches to the object S may occur. There is. On the other hand, when the inclination angle exceeds the upper limit, the blade 43 may be turned up due to the rotation of the collection roller 42. Accordingly, foreign matters can be effectively scraped off from the collection roller 42 by bringing the blade 43 into contact with the collection roller 42 so that the inclination angle falls within the above range. Further, the blade 43 is disposed upstream of the collection roller 42 in the transport direction, that is, above the transport roller 45. Thereby, the space above the conveyance roller 45 can be used effectively, and the front brush roller unit 4 can be reduced in size. Further, it is possible to improve the convenience by adopting a configuration in which a foreign substance collection unit 44 described later is pulled out to the upstream side in the conveyance direction.

  The material of the blade 43 is not particularly limited, but a material having elasticity is preferable, and a synthetic resin is more preferable. Specifically, in order to impart appropriate elasticity, it may be formed of a synthetic resin such as a thermosetting polyurethane. Further, at least the tip of the blade 43 may be fluorine-coated with a fluorine-containing compound such as a fluorine resin in order to reduce friction with the collecting roller 42 that abuts. The lower limit of the average thickness of the fluorine coating is preferably 5 μm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the average thickness is preferably 15 μm. If the average thickness is less than the lower limit, the friction reducing effect is not sufficiently exhibited, and the blade 43 may be easily caught in the rotation of the collecting roller 42. On the other hand, when the average thickness exceeds the upper limit, the fluorine coating may be cracked. The shape of the blade 43 is not limited to the rectangular plate shape of FIG. 2, and may be a shape bent or curved from the root portion to the tip portion.

(Foreign matter recovery unit)
The foreign matter collection unit 44 is a first foreign matter collection unit that collects and stores foreign matter scraped off from the collection roller 42 by the blade 43. The foreign matter collection unit 44 is disposed below the tip of the blade 43 and upstream of the brush roller 41 in the transport direction. And the foreign material collection | recovery part 44 is engage | inserted by the opening part of the upstream board of the housing | casing 40, and can be pulled out to the conveyance direction upstream from this opening part. A grip 44A is provided on the upstream side of the foreign matter collection unit 44, and the foreign matter collection unit 44 can be easily taken in and out using the grip 44A. Moreover, since the foreign material collection | recovery part 44 can be pulled out to the conveyance direction upstream, it can draw out with the front side brush roller unit 4 fixed to the holder 1, and can collect a foreign material, and is excellent in convenience.

(Conveyance roller)
The conveyance roller 45 guides the movement of the object S carried into the cleaning mechanism 3 together with an auxiliary roller 62 of the back side opposing roller unit 6 described later. Further, the transport roller 45 and the auxiliary roller 62 have a function for applying a propulsive force to the object S in order to allow the object S to enter under the brush roller 41 rotating in the reverse direction with respect to the transport direction D with an appropriate force. Also have. The transport roller 45 is disposed so as to face an auxiliary roller 62 of the back side roller unit 6 described later. The transport roller 45 rotates in the forward direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the transport direction D. Here, when the force that sandwiches the object S between the auxiliary roller 62 and the transport roller 45 is too strong, there is a possibility that the foreign object is pressed against the object S and is difficult to remove, or the object S may be damaged. is there. Considering these, the transport roller 45 is disposed so as to press the auxiliary roller 62 with a force of about 0.49N. However, the pressing force can be appropriately adjusted in consideration of the material and thickness of the object S. In addition, when the hardness of the object S is relatively high and the auxiliary roller 62 can be entered below the brush roller 41 alone, the conveying roller 45 can be omitted from the cleaning device.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the transport roller 45 is a ring-shaped member that is stacked on the core shaft 45 </ b> A and the outer periphery of the core shaft 45 </ b> A, and is spaced apart along the axial direction of the core shaft 45 </ b> A. And a plurality of resin portions 45B. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the resin portion 45 </ b> B has irregularities on the outer peripheral surface. Thus, the contact area of the conveyance roller 45 and the front side surface S1 of the target object S can be reduced by arranging the plurality of resin portions 45B having irregularities on the outer peripheral surface apart from each other. As a result, it is possible to suppress clogging of the object S between the transport roller 45 and the auxiliary roller 62 when the object S is carried into the cleaning mechanism 3.

  The core shaft 45A is made of a metal such as stainless steel, copper, or aluminum. The resin portion 45B is made of polyurethane or the like, for example. Examples of the polyurethane include acrylic mixed urethane and fluorine mixed urethane. Here, “acrylic mixed urethane” is a resin mainly composed of polyester polyurethane or polyether polyurethane, and is (1) a mixture of thermoplastic polyurethane and silicone-acrylic copolymer resin, (2) acrylic resin (for example, A mixture comprising a methacrylic acid-methyl methacrylate copolymer grafted with an aminoethyl group on a main chain) and a thermoplastic polyurethane, or (3) a mixture comprising an acrylic resin, a polyurethane and a fluorine surface coating agent. Means. “Fluorine-mixed urethane” is a resin mainly composed of polyurethane, which means a mixture of thermoplastic polyurethane and urethane / fluorine copolymer. The “main component” is a component having the largest content, for example, a component contained in an amount of 50% by mass or more.

(Height adjustment mechanism)
The front brush roller unit 4 may be configured to be height adjustable by a height adjustment mechanism. Thus, by adjusting the height of the front brush roller unit 4 by the height adjusting mechanism, the pressure contact amount of the brush roller 41 against the object S is adjusted, and the brush roller 41 removes relatively large foreign matters. It can be done more efficiently.

  FIGS. 7 to 9 show an example of a state in which the front brush roller unit 4 is disposed on the plate-like member 10 of the holder 1 via the height adjusting mechanism of the front brush roller unit 4 (holder 1, height adjusting mechanism). And members other than the top plate 103 of the housing 40 of the front brush roller unit 4 are not shown). The height adjusting mechanism shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 is a substantially plate-like fixing member 101 fixed to the plate-like member 10 of the holder 1, and is placed on the upper surface of the fixing member 101 and horizontally along the conveyance direction D. It mainly includes a slide member 102 that can move and move up and down, and a cover 104 that covers the fixing member 101. The top plate 103 of the front brush roller unit 4 is supported at its longitudinal end by the slide member 102 and moves up and down with the slide member 102. The height adjusting mechanism of FIGS. 7 to 9 is further provided with a gauge that is fixed to the plate-like member 10 and that can measure the vertical position of the slide member 102 and the like, and an adjustment tool for fixing the horizontal position of the slide member 102. May be. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the height of the front brush roller unit 4 is adjusted to a minimum. 8 and 9 show a state in which the height of the front brush roller unit 4 is adjusted to be maximum.

  On a part of the upper surface of the fixing member 101, a slope whose height gradually increases from the vicinity of the approximate center in the transport direction D to the downstream side (right side in FIGS. 7 and 8) is formed. On the other hand, the upper surface of the slide member 102 is a substantially horizontal surface, but a slope whose height gradually increases from the vicinity of the approximate center in the transport direction D to the downstream side is formed on a part of the lower surface. The slope of the upper surface of the fixing member 101 and the slope of the lower surface of the slide member 102 have the same slope and are abutted. Therefore, by moving the slide member 102 horizontally along the conveyance direction D, the height can be raised and lowered while maintaining the upper surface of the slide member 102 in a substantially horizontal plane state. As a result, the height of the top plate 103 supported by the slide member 102 (the distances L1 and L2 between the top surface of the top plate 103 and the upper end of the plate-like member 10) is changed, and the height of the top plate 103 is changed. The front brush roller unit 4 can be adjusted to a desired height.

  7 to 9 can convert a relatively large horizontal movement of the slide member 102 into a relatively fine vertical movement of the top plate 103 in a stepless manner, so that the type and thickness of the object S can be changed. Accordingly, the height of the brush roller unit 4 can be finely adjusted steplessly. Moreover, since the height adjustment mechanism of FIGS. 7-9 can be arrange | positioned in the upper end vicinity of the holder 1, while being able to utilize the space of the holder 1 effectively, it is excellent in the workability | operativity at the time of height adjustment.

  However, the method and structure of the height adjustment mechanism of the brush roller unit 4 are not limited to those shown in FIGS. Other height adjustment methods include, for example, a method in which a spacer having a predetermined height is arranged at a fixed portion of the brush roller unit 4 in the holder 1, and a protrusion is provided on the front brush roller unit 4. Examples include a method in which a rail-like member to be fitted is arranged on the holder 1 along the vertical direction so that the mounting height of the front brush roller unit 4 can be adjusted steplessly.

[Front cleaning roller unit]
The front-side cleaning roller unit 5 is a unit that removes foreign matter on the front-side surface S1 of the object S with the cleaning roller 51 housed in the housing 50. In addition to the cleaning roller 51, the housing 50 of the front side cleaning roller unit 5 mainly accommodates a brush roller 52, a recovery roller 53, a blade 54, and a foreign matter recovery unit 55, and is entirely unitized. The front side cleaning roller unit 5 is suitable for removing fine foreign matters smaller than the millimeter size, and is detachably attached to the holder 1 at a position adjacent to the downstream side in the transport direction from the front side brush roller unit 4. . Here, the cleaning roller 51 is set so as to apply pressure from both sides of the object S together with the counter resin roller 61 to be described later in order to effectively move fine foreign matters to the surface thereof. Therefore, if the front side cleaning roller unit 5 is arranged upstream of the front side brush roller unit 4, the cleaning roller 51 presses and compresses a relatively large foreign object against the object S, and the brush roller 41 also removes the foreign object. There is a risk of not being able to complete. Therefore, the front side cleaning roller unit 5 is preferably disposed on the downstream side of the front side brush roller unit 4.

  In this way, the front side cleaning roller unit 5 is detachably united with the holder 1 so that the front side cleaning roller unit 5 can be easily detached from the holder 1. As a result, when it is necessary to change the cleaning roller 51 in accordance with the object S and the type of foreign matter, the unit can be replaced, and effective foreign matter removal can be easily performed. Further, by removing the front-side cleaning roller unit 5 from the holder 1, a counter resin roller 61, which will be described later, facing the cleaning roller 51 is exposed and can be easily replaced or cleaned, so that maintenance is excellent. In addition, with respect to the cleaning roller 51 and the like housed in the housing 50, maintenance is facilitated by housing and housing the housing 50 as compared with a case where the cleaning roller 51 is assembled and fixed in the apparatus.

(Casing)
The case 50 accommodates the cleaning roller 51 and the like as a unit and can be attached to and detached from the holder 1. Similar to the front brush roller unit 4, the housing 50 includes an upstream plate, a downstream plate, a pair of side plates, a top plate, and a bottom plate. The top plate is provided with a pair of gripping portions 50A that are separated in the transport width direction. The pair of gripping portions 50 </ b> A is used when the front side cleaning roller unit 5 is attached or detached. An opening 50B is provided in the bottom plate, and a part of the cleaning roller 51 protrudes from the opening 50B. The downstream plate is bent from above to below. In addition, there is no restriction | limiting in particular in the material which comprises the housing | casing 50, For example, metals, such as stainless steel, are used suitably.

(Cleaning roller)
The cleaning roller 51 removes foreign matter on the front surface S1 of the object S, in particular, relatively fine foreign matter (for example, foreign matter smaller than millimeter size), and is transported in a state where the outer peripheral surface is charged by the voltage application mechanism. It is rotationally driven in the forward direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the conveyance direction D by a rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the direction D and substantially parallel to the conveyance surface. As shown in FIG. 10, the cleaning roller 51 has a core rod 51A, an inner layer portion 51B formed on the outer peripheral surface of the core rod 51A, and an outer layer portion 51C that covers the outer peripheral surface of the inner layer portion 51B. It is an elastic roller.

  The core rod 51A is formed in a cylindrical shape from a conductive material. Examples of the conductive material used for the core rod 51 </ b> A include a metal material, and specifically, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, and the like, similar to the roller main body 42 </ b> A of the recovery roller 42 of the front brush roller unit 4.

  The inner layer portion 51B ensures a certain pressing force and nip width against the object S by the cleaning roller 51 and the counter resin roller 61 described later. That is, the inner layer portion 51B ensures a desired adhesion force and contact width with respect to the object S, and contributes to efficient removal of relatively fine foreign matters from the front surface S1. As a material for forming the inner layer portion 51B, a resin material having elasticity and conductivity is preferable, and a resin material containing a resin component such as polyurethane, silicone resin, natural rubber, and synthetic rubber and carbon is more preferable. . As this polyurethane, the same polyurethane as the polyurethane of the resin portion 45B of the above-described transport roller 45 is preferably used. As a material for forming the inner layer portion 51B, a conductive elastomer containing polyester polyurethane and carbon black is more preferable. With these materials, the elasticity of the cleaning roller 51 is sufficiently ensured, and it is possible to prevent the foreign matter from being excessively pressed against the object S by the cleaning roller 51 and to suppress the reduction of the foreign matter removal efficiency.

  The outer layer portion 51C has a role of avoiding adverse effects due to moisture and the like while ensuring the antifouling property and wear resistance of the cleaning roller 51 without hindering the adhesion with the object S and the application of an appropriate surface potential. To fulfill. As a material of the outer layer portion 51C, any material may be used as long as it can be charged to adsorb foreign matter attached to the front surface S1 of the object S by the force of an electric field. For example, polyurethane such as acrylic mixed polyurethane or fluorine mixed polyurethane, , Silicone resin, natural rubber, synthetic rubber and the like. Among these, polyurethane is preferable. Thus, by forming the outer layer portion 51C with polyurethane, the wear resistance is improved as compared with the case where it is formed with silicone resin, butyl rubber or the like, and contamination of the cleaning roller 51 due to the addition of a plasticizer or a low molecular weight compound is prevented. Can be reduced. The outer layer portion 51C preferably has a higher hardness than the inner layer portion 51B. Specifically, the JIS-A hardness is preferably 50 ° or more. When the outer layer 51C has a JIS-A hardness of 50 ° or more, the wear resistance of the cleaning roller 51 can be sufficiently ensured.

  By using acrylic mixed polyurethane as the material of the outer layer portion 51C, the negatively charged foreign matter can be easily removed from the front surface S1 of the object S. On the other hand, by using fluorine mixed polyurethane as the material of the outer layer portion 51C, the cleaning roller 51 can be easily charged negatively, and the positively charged foreign matter can be easily removed from the object S.

  If the adhesive force of the outer layer portion 51C is too strong, the cleaning roller 51 may entrain the object S when the thickness of the object S is thin. Therefore, in order to prevent the object S from being caught, it is preferable that minute protrusions are formed on the surface of the cleaning roller 51 (outer layer portion 51C). As a specific method for forming the microprotrusions, a method of blending the particles serving as the bases of the microprotrusions into a resin material such as thermoplastic polyurethane used for forming the outer layer portion 51C is preferable. The particles may be regular particles or irregular particles, but regular spherical particles are preferable from the viewpoint of uniforming the protruding shape of the microprojections. The lower limit of the average particle diameter of the spherical particles is preferably 2 μm, and more preferably 2.5 μm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the average particle diameter is preferably 5 μm, and more preferably 4.5 μm. In this spherical particle, the lower limit of the coefficient of variation (CV value) obtained by dividing the standard deviation (σ) related to the average particle size by the average particle size is preferably 3.0%, and 3.5% Is more preferable. On the other hand, the upper limit of the coefficient of variation is preferably 5.0% and more preferably 4.5%. Here, the “average particle diameter” means a volume average particle diameter (Mv) obtained by a laser diffraction / scattering method.

  The spherical particles are preferably harder than thermoplastic polyurethane. However, the spherical particles are preferably made of resin since they may damage the object S if they are excessively hard like glass beads or ceramic beads. As hard resin which forms this spherical particle, a melamine resin, an acrylic resin, etc. are mentioned, for example, Among these, a melamine resin is preferable.

  The lower limit of the average thickness of the outer layer portion 51C is preferably 2 μm, and more preferably 5 μm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the average thickness of the outer layer portion 51C is preferably 500 μm, and more preferably 300 μm. If the average thickness of the outer layer portion 51C is less than the lower limit, the surface of the cleaning roller 51 cannot be sufficiently charged, and there is a possibility that a foreign matter adsorption effect cannot be sufficiently obtained. On the contrary, if the average thickness of the outer layer portion 51C exceeds the upper limit, good charging characteristics for adsorbing foreign matter may not be obtained.

  The cleaning roller 51 is charged by the voltage application mechanism and given a surface potential (surface charge). That is, the cleaning roller 51 is in contact with the front surface S1 of the object S with the surface charged, and adsorbs and removes relatively fine foreign matter adhering to the front surface S1 of the object S by the force of the electric field. . In this way, by charging the cleaning roller 51, even when the object S has a hole or a depression on the surface, the foreign matter in the hole or the depression can be efficiently removed.

The applied voltage to the cleaning roller 51 has the same polarity and lower absolute value than the applied voltage to the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4. The lower limit of the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 51 is, for example, −400V, and preferably −200V. On the other hand, the said applied voltage is less than 0V, for example, and -50V or less is preferable. In this way, by applying the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 51 to the same polarity and lower in absolute value than the voltage applied to the brush roller 41 of the front brush roller unit 4, relatively fine foreign matter can be removed from the object S. Can be removed from the front surface S1. In particular, by setting the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 51 within the above range, relatively fine foreign matter can be efficiently removed from the front surface S1 of the object S. The upper limit of the electrical resistance of the cleaning roller 51 is preferably 10 ⁸ Ω. Since the electrical resistance of the cleaning roller 51 is 10 ⁸ Ω or less, the cleaning roller 51 can be effectively charged when a voltage is applied.

  The cleaning roller 51 is preferably set to a height at which an appropriate pressure can be applied to the object S between the cleaning roller 51 and the counter resin roller 61 in order to increase the collection efficiency of fine foreign matters. The pressure applied to the object S by the cleaning roller 51 and the counter resin roller 61 can be, for example, a linear pressure of 2.4 kg / 250 mm. Here, 250 mm is the axial length of the outer layer portion 51C of the cleaning roller 51 in the present embodiment. The cleaning roller 51 also has a function of giving an appropriate driving force to the object S together with the counter resin roller 61. Thereby, it becomes easy to make the target object S enter below the brush roller 71 of the back side brush roller unit 7 which will be described later rotating in the reverse direction with respect to the transport direction D.

(Brush roller)
The brush roller 52 is a second brush roller on the front side that collects the foreign matter removed from the object S by the cleaning roller 51, and is disposed so as to be substantially parallel and in contact with the cleaning roller 51 immediately above the cleaning roller 51. . The brush roller 52 is rotationally driven in the counterclockwise direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the cleaning roller 51 in a charged state by power from an external drive source. Such a brush roller 52 has a cylindrical core rod 52A and a plurality of brush bristles 52C implanted on the outer peripheral surface of the core rod 52A via an adhesive layer 52B (see FIG. 3). The details are the same as the core rod 41A and the bristle 41C of the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4, and therefore, the duplicated explanation is omitted. The voltage applied to the brush roller 52 (voltage applied to the core rod 52A) is set to have the same polarity and higher absolute value than the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 51. As a specific lower limit of the voltage applied to the brush roller 52, like the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4, -800V is preferable, and -600V is more preferable. On the other hand, the upper limit of the applied voltage is preferably -200V, more preferably -300V.

(Recovery roller)
The collection roller 53 is a second collection roller on the front side that collects the foreign matter collected by the brush roller 52 from the cleaning roller 51, and is substantially parallel to the brush roller 52 and in contact with the brush bristles 52C above the brush roller 52. Arranged. The collection roller 53 is rotationally driven in the counterclockwise direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the brush roller 52 by the power from the external drive source while being charged by the voltage application mechanism. Since the details of the collection roller 53 can be the same as those of the collection roller 42 of the front brush roller unit 4 described above, a duplicate description is omitted.

  The applied voltage to the collection roller 53 is set to have the same polarity and higher absolute value than the applied voltage to the brush roller 52. The lower limit of the absolute value of the difference between the voltage applied to the collection roller 53 and the voltage applied to the brush roller 52 is preferably 200V, and more preferably 300V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the absolute value of the difference is preferably 600V, and more preferably 500V. Moreover, as a minimum of the voltage applied to the collection | recovery roller 53, -1,500V is preferable and -1,200V is more preferable. On the other hand, the upper limit of the applied voltage is preferably -400V, more preferably -600V. By making the applied voltage to the collection roller 53 have the same polarity and higher absolute value than the applied voltage to the brush roller 52, the potential of the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 53 becomes the potential of the brush bristles 52C of the brush roller 52. Therefore, the foreign matter attached to the brush roller 52 can be attracted to the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 53. In particular, the difference in applied voltage between the collection roller 53 and the brush roller 52 is set in the above range, and the applied voltage to the collection roller 53 is set in the above range, so that the foreign matter attached to the brush roller 52 can be removed from the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 53. Can be adsorbed effectively.

  The collection roller 53 is disposed downstream of the brush roller 52 in the transport direction. Thereby, even if the collection roller 53 has a smaller diameter than the brush roller 52, the foreign material can be scraped to the downstream side in the transport direction by the blade 53 described later, and re-adsorption of the foreign material to the brush roller 52 can be suppressed.

  The rotation direction of the collection roller 53 may be either a forward direction or a reverse direction with respect to the brush roller 52, and may be a rotation direction in which foreign matter is easily collected from the outer peripheral surface by a blade 54 described later. In this embodiment, the rotation direction of the collection roller 53 is the reverse direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the brush roller 52 as shown in FIG. ing. The lower limit of the magnification of the rotation speed of the collection roller 53 with respect to the rotation speed of the brush roller 52 is preferably 1.0. On the other hand, the upper limit of the rotation speed magnification is preferably 1.5 times. Thereby, the foreign matter can be effectively moved from the brush roller 52 to the collection roller 53.

(blade)
The blade 54 is a second blade that scrapes foreign matter from the collection roller 53. The details of the blade 54 and the blade support portion 53a that supports the blade 54 are the same as those of the blade 43 and the blade support portion 43a of the front brush roller unit 4 described above.

(Foreign matter recovery unit)
The foreign matter collection unit 55 collects and stores foreign matter scraped off from the collection roller 53 by the blade 54. The foreign matter collection unit 55 is disposed below the tip of the blade 54 and downstream of the brush roller 52 in the transport direction. And the foreign material collection | recovery 55 is engage | inserted by the opening part of the downstream board of the housing | casing 50, and can be pulled out to a conveyance direction downstream side through this opening part. A gripping portion 55A is provided on the downstream side of the foreign matter collection unit 55, and the foreign matter collection unit 55 can be easily put in and out using the gripping portion 55A. In addition, since the foreign matter collection unit 55 can be pulled out downstream in the transport direction, the foreign matter can be collected by pulling out the cleaning roller unit 5 while being fixed to the holder 1.

(Height adjustment mechanism)
The front cleaning roller unit 5 may be configured to be height adjustable by a height adjustment mechanism. In this way, by adjusting the height of the front cleaning roller unit 5 with the height adjusting mechanism, the pressing force (nip width) of the cleaning roller 51 against the object S is adjusted, and as a result, fine foreign matter is removed. It can be done efficiently.

  As a specific example of the height adjustment mechanism of the front side cleaning roller unit 5, for example, a mechanism similar to that exemplified as the height adjustment mechanism of the front side brush roller unit 4 can be used.

  As described above, since the front brush roller unit 4 and the front cleaning roller unit 5 are both detachable, a height adjusting mechanism can be provided independently for each unit. Therefore, in the cleaning device, the optimum pressure contact condition to the object S by the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4 and the optimum pressure contact condition to the object S by the cleaning roller 51 of the front side cleaning roller unit 5 are different. Even in the case, the respective pressure contact states can be optimized.

[Back side roller unit]
The back side opposing roller unit 6 defines the transport path of the object S together with the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4 and the cleaning roller 51 of the front side cleaning roller unit 5, and the back side of the object S (below the transport path) ). The back-side counter roller unit 6 mainly includes a pair of counter rollers and an auxiliary roller 62 including a counter metal roller 60 which is a first counter roller on the back side and a counter resin roller 61 which is a second counter roller on the back side. ing. It is preferable that the back side opposing roller unit 6 is detachably attached to the holder 1 from the viewpoint of maintainability.

  Here, in order to accurately control the pressure contact amount of the bristle 41C of the brush roller 41 against the object S, it is advantageous that the hardness of the first opposing roller that holds the object S on its lower surface is higher. For this reason, since the opposed metal roller 60 is a relatively hard metal roller, the brush hair 41C of the brush roller 41 of the front brush roller unit 4 is appropriately brought into contact with the object S to be relatively large from the front surface S1. Foreign matter can be effectively removed. On the other hand, the cleaning roller 51 needs to apply an appropriate pressure to the object S with the second counter roller in order to efficiently adsorb fine foreign matters on the surface. May be difficult to recover by crimping to the object S. Therefore, a roller having a high hardness such as a metal is not suitable as the second counter roller, and a resin roller having substantially the same hardness as the cleaning roller 51 is preferable. Therefore, the opposing resin roller 61 is an elastic resin roller (elastic roller), so that an appropriate pressure is applied to the object S with the cleaning roller 51 of the front-side cleaning roller unit 5 to improve adhesion, Since a suitable nip width can be ensured, fine foreign matters can be efficiently removed from the front surface S1 of the object S by the cleaning roller 51.

(Opposing metal roller)
The opposed metal roller 60 is opposed to the brush roller 41 of the front brush roller unit 4 through the object S, and is disposed directly below the brush roller 41 so as to contact the object S. Laura. The counter metal roller 60 is rotationally driven in a forward direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the conveyance direction D of the object S. That is, the opposed metal roller 60 is driven to rotate in the reverse direction with respect to the brush roller 41 of the front brush roller unit 4. The details of the counter metal roller 60 are the same as those of the recovery roller 42 of the front brush roller unit 4. However, the opposed metal roller 60 is electrically grounded by the voltage application mechanism, and thus an electric field suitable for removing foreign substances can be generated when the brush roller 41 is charged.

The surface of the opposed metal roller 60 may be coated with urethane resin or the like in order to prevent the back side surface S2 of the object S from being damaged. When the surface treatment is performed on the counter metal roller 60 or when a film is formed, the electric resistance of the counter metal roller 60 is preferably 10 ⁸ Ω or less. When the electric resistance of the opposed metal roller 42 is 10 ⁸ Ω or less, the opposed metal roller 42 is easily grounded electrically.

  As described above, the brush roller 41 needs to have the amount of brush biting into the object S accurately controlled. For this purpose, it is necessary for the first back-side facing roller facing the brush roller 41 to stably support the object S. Therefore, as the first back side facing roller, one having high hardness is preferable, and specifically, the facing metal roller 60 is preferable as in the present embodiment. However, the first back-side facing roller is not necessarily a metal roller, and a conductive resin roller having high hardness may be used as long as the amount of brush biting into the object S can be controlled.

(Opposite resin roller)
The counter resin roller 61 is disposed directly below the cleaning roller 51 so as to face the cleaning roller 51 of the front-side cleaning roller unit 5 through the object S and to contact the object S. The counter resin roller 61 is rotationally driven in a forward direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the conveyance direction D of the object S. That is, the counter resin roller 61 is rotationally driven in the forward direction with respect to the cleaning roller 51. The details of the counter resin roller 61 are substantially the same as the cleaning roller 51 of the front side cleaning roller unit 5. However, in the formation of the outer layer portion of the counter resin roller 61, it is preferable to blend titanium oxide, barium titanate, or the like as particles serving as the elements of the fine protrusions used for forming the fine protrusions. By using titanium oxide, barium titanate, or the like as the particles, the density of the fine protrusions is increased, and the object S can be appropriately conveyed. Further, the counter resin roller 61 is electrically grounded by the voltage application mechanism, and an electric field suitable for removing foreign substances can be generated between the counter resin roller 61 and the charged cleaning roller 51.

  As described above, the cleaning roller 51 is set so as to apply an appropriate pressure to the object S between the cleaning roller 51 and the counter resin roller 61 in order to increase the collection efficiency of fine foreign matters. If this pressure is too low, the cleaning roller 51 and the counter resin roller 61 may not be able to provide a sufficient driving force for causing the object S to enter the brush roller 71 of the back side brush unit 7. If the amount is too large, the foreign matter may be pressed against the object S to be fixed and cannot be collected. Therefore, in order to adjust this pressure, an elastic body or the like may be used so that the counter resin roller 61 can be pressed in the direction of the cleaning roller 51.

(Auxiliary roller)
The auxiliary roller 62 guides the movement of the object S carried into the cleaning mechanism 3 by the upstream external transport mechanism 2 </ b> A together with the transport roller 45 of the front brush roller unit 4. The layer structure and the like of the auxiliary roller 62 can be the same as that of the counter resin roller 61.

<Backside cleaning mechanism>
The back side cleaning mechanism 3B removes foreign matter on the back side surface S2 of the object S. The back side cleaning mechanism 3B is generally configured to be upside down with respect to the front side cleaning mechanism 3A, and has a back side brush roller unit 7, a back side cleaning roller unit 8, and a front side counter roller unit 9.

[Back side brush roller unit]
The back-side brush roller unit 7 removes foreign matter on the back-side surface S2 of the object S with the brush roller 71. From the back-side counter roller unit 6 of the front-side cleaning mechanism 3A on the back side of the object S (below the conveyance path) Is also arranged adjacent to the downstream side in the transport direction. The back brush roller unit 7 mainly includes a brush roller 71, a collection roller 72, and a blade 73, and the basic configuration thereof is the same as that of the front brush roller unit 4 of the front cleaning mechanism 3A. However, the back-side brush roller unit 7 differs from the front-side brush roller unit 4 in that members corresponding to the transport roller 45 and the foreign material collecting unit 44 are not provided. The reason why the member corresponding to the transport roller 45 is not provided in the back brush roller unit 7 is that the brush roller 71 is driven to rotate in the reverse direction with respect to the transport direction D but transports more than the brush roller 71. This is because the cleaning roller 51 and the counter resin roller 61 arranged upstream in the direction give the object S an appropriate propulsive force for the brush roller 71 to enter downward. Further, the back brush roller unit 7 is not provided with a member corresponding to the foreign matter collecting part 44, but the bottom part is open so that foreign matter can be discharged out of the unit. The foreign matter discharged from the back side brush roller unit 7 is collected by the foreign matter collecting unit 13 provided at the bottom of the holder 1 together with the foreign matter discharged from the back side cleaning roller unit 8 described later. The back brush roller unit 7 is preferably detachably attached to the holder 1 from the viewpoint of maintainability.

(Brush roller)
The brush roller 71 is in contact with the back side surface S2 of the object S while being charged by the voltage application mechanism, and is driven to rotate in the reverse direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the conveyance direction D of the object S. By doing so, it is the first brush roller on the back side that removes relatively large foreign objects of millimeter size on the back side surface S2 of the object S. Such a brush roller 71 has a cylindrical core rod 71A and a plurality of brush bristles 71C implanted on the outer peripheral surface of the core rod 71A via an adhesive layer 71B (see FIG. 3). The details are the same as the core rod 41A and the bristle 41C of the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4, and thus the duplicated explanation is omitted. Further, the voltage applied to the brush roller 71 (voltage applied to the core rod 71A) has the same polarity and higher absolute value than the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 80 of the back side cleaning roller unit 8 described later. . The lower limit of the voltage applied to the specific brush roller 71 is preferably −800 V, more preferably −600 V, as with the brush roller 41 of the front brush roller unit 4. On the other hand, the upper limit of the applied voltage is preferably -200V, more preferably -300V.

(Recovery roller)
The collection roller 72 is a first collection roller on the back side that collects the foreign matter removed by the brush roller 71 from the back surface S2 of the object S. The collection roller 72 is substantially parallel to the brush roller 71 below the brush roller 71 and the brush bristles 71C. It is arranged in contact with. The collection roller 72 is rotationally driven in the counterclockwise direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the brush roller 71 by the power from the external drive source while being charged by the voltage application mechanism. Since the details of the collection roller 72 can be the same as those of the collection roller 42 of the front brush roller unit 4 described above, a duplicate description is omitted.

  The applied voltage to the collection roller 72 is set to have the same polarity and higher absolute value than the applied voltage to the brush roller 71. The lower limit of the absolute value of the difference between the voltage applied to the collection roller 72 and the voltage applied to the brush roller 71 is preferably 200V, and more preferably 300V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the absolute value of the difference is preferably 600V, and more preferably 500V. Moreover, as a minimum of the voltage applied to the collection | recovery roller 72, -1,500V is preferable and -1,200V is more preferable. On the other hand, the upper limit of the applied voltage is preferably -400V, more preferably -600V. By making the applied voltage to the collection roller 72 have the same polarity and higher absolute value than the applied voltage to the brush roller 71, the potential of the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 72 becomes the potential of the brush bristle 71C of the brush roller 71. Therefore, the foreign matter adhering to the brush roller 71 can be adsorbed to the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 72. In particular, by setting the difference in applied voltage between the collection roller 72 and the brush roller 71 within the above range, and further setting the voltage applied to the collection roller 72 within the above range, foreign matter adhering to the brush roller 71 can be removed from the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 72. Can be adsorbed effectively.

  The rotation direction of the collection roller 72 may be either the forward direction or the reverse direction with respect to the brush roller 71, and may be driven in a rotation direction in which foreign matter on the outer peripheral surface is easily collected by a blade 73 described later. . In this embodiment, the rotation direction of the collection roller 72 is the reverse direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the brush roller 71 as shown in FIG. ing. The lower limit of the magnification of the rotation speed of the collection roller 72 relative to the rotation speed of the brush roller 71 is preferably 1.0. On the other hand, the upper limit of the rotation speed magnification is preferably 1.5 times. Thereby, the foreign matter can be effectively moved from the brush roller 71 to the collection roller 72.

(blade)
The blade 73 is a third blade that scrapes foreign matter from the collection roller 72. The details of the blade 73 and the blade support portion 73a that supports the blade 73 are the same as those of the blade 43 and the blade support portion 43a of the front-side brush roller unit 4 of the front-side cleaning mechanism 3A.

[Backside cleaning roller unit]
The back side cleaning roller unit 8 is for removing fine foreign matter on the back side surface S2 of the object S by the cleaning roller 80, and in the back side of the object S (below the transport path) in the transport direction than the back side brush roller unit 7. Adjacent to the downstream side. The back side cleaning roller unit 8 mainly includes a cleaning roller 80, a brush roller 81, a collection roller 82, a blade 83, and a transport roller 85, and the basic configuration thereof is the front side cleaning roller unit 5 of the front side cleaning mechanism 3A. It is the same. However, the back-side brush roller unit 7 differs from the front-side brush roller unit 4 in that the back-side brush roller unit 7 has a conveying roller 85 and a member corresponding to the foreign matter collecting unit 55 is not provided. The back-side brush roller unit 7 is not provided with a member corresponding to the foreign matter collecting unit 55, but has a bottom portion that is open so that foreign matter can be discharged out of the unit. The foreign matter discharged from the back side cleaning roller unit 8 is collected together with the foreign matter discharged from the back side brush roller unit 7 by the foreign matter collecting unit 13 provided at the lowermost part of the holder 1. The back side cleaning roller unit 8 is preferably detachably attached to the holder 1 from the viewpoint of maintainability.

(Cleaning roller)
The cleaning roller 80 is a back side cleaning roller that removes fine foreign matters on the back side surface S2 of the object S, and is disposed on the back side of the object S (below the conveyance path). The cleaning roller 80 has a forward rotation direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the conveyance direction D with a rotation axis that is substantially perpendicular to the conveyance direction D and substantially parallel to the conveyance surface in a state where the outer peripheral surface is charged by the voltage application mechanism. ). Since the details of the cleaning roller 80 can be the same as those of the cleaning roller 51 of the front-side cleaning roller unit 5 described above, a duplicate description is omitted.

  The applied voltage to the cleaning roller 80 is set to have the same polarity and lower absolute value than the applied voltage to the brush roller 71 of the back side brush roller unit 7. The lower limit of the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 80 is, for example, −400V, and preferably −200V. On the other hand, the applied voltage is, for example, less than 0V and is preferably −50V or less. In this way, the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 80 has the same polarity and lower absolute value than the voltage applied to the brush roller 71 of the back brush roller unit 7, so that relatively fine foreign matter can be removed from the object. It can be removed from the backside surface S2 of S. In particular, by setting the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 80 within the above range, relatively fine foreign matter can be efficiently removed from the back surface S2 of the object S.

(Brush roller)
The brush roller 81 is a second brush roller on the back side that collects fine foreign matter removed by the cleaning roller 80 from the back surface S2 of the object S. The brush roller 81 contacts the cleaning roller 80 and is disposed below the cleaning roller 80. Has been. The brush roller 81 rotates in the counterclockwise direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the cleaning roller 80 with a rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the transport direction D and substantially parallel to the transport surface in a state of being charged by the voltage application mechanism. Driven. This brush roller 81 has a plurality of brush bristles 81C planted on a core rod 81A via an adhesive layer 81B in the same manner as the brush roller 41 of the front brush roller unit 4 described above. The same as the brush roller 41 of the unit 4.

  The voltage applied to the brush roller 81 (voltage applied to the core rod 81A) is set to have the same polarity and higher absolute value than the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 80. As a specific lower limit of the voltage applied to the brush roller 81, like the brush roller 41 of the front brush roller unit 4, −800 V is preferable, and −600 V is more preferable. On the other hand, the upper limit of the applied voltage is preferably -200V, more preferably -300V.

(Recovery roller)
The collection roller 82 is a second collection roller on the back side that collects fine foreign matter collected by the brush roller 81 from the cleaning roller 80. The collection roller 82 is substantially parallel to the brush roller 81 below the brush roller 81 and abuts against the brush bristles 81C. Arranged. The recovery roller 82 is rotationally driven in the counterclockwise direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the brush roller 81 by power from an external drive source while being charged by the voltage application mechanism. Since the details of the collection roller 82 can be the same as those of the collection roller 42 of the front brush roller unit 4 described above, a duplicate description is omitted.

  The applied voltage to the recovery roller 82 is set to have the same polarity and higher absolute value than the applied voltage to the brush roller 81. The lower limit of the absolute value of the difference between the voltage applied to the collection roller 82 and the voltage applied to the brush roller 81 is preferably 200V, and more preferably 300V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the absolute value of the difference is preferably 600V, and more preferably 500V. Moreover, as a minimum of the voltage applied to the collection | recovery roller 82, -1,500V is preferable and -1,200V is more preferable. On the other hand, the upper limit of the applied voltage is preferably -400V, more preferably -600V. By making the applied voltage to the collection roller 82 have the same polarity and higher absolute value than the applied voltage to the brush roller 81, the potential of the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 82 becomes the potential of the brush hair 81C of the brush roller 81. Therefore, the foreign matter attached to the brush roller 81 can be attracted to the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 82. In particular, by setting the difference in applied voltage between the collection roller 82 and the brush roller 81 within the above range, and further setting the voltage applied to the collection roller 82 within the above range, the foreign matter attached to the brush roller 81 can be removed from the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 82. Can be adsorbed effectively.

  The rotation direction of the collection roller 82 may be either a forward direction or a reverse direction with respect to the brush roller 81, and may be driven in a rotation direction in which foreign matter is easily collected from the outer peripheral surface by a blade 83 described later. . In the present embodiment, the collection roller 82 is rotated in the reverse direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the brush roller 81 as shown in FIG. Yes. The lower limit of the magnification of the rotation speed of the collection roller 82 relative to the rotation speed of the brush roller 81 is preferably 1.0. On the other hand, the upper limit of the rotation speed magnification is preferably 1.5 times. Thereby, the foreign matter can be effectively moved from the brush roller 81 to the collection roller 82.

(blade)
The blade 83 is a fourth blade that scrapes foreign matter from the collection roller 81. The details of the blade 83 and the blade support portion 83a that supports the blade 83 are the same as those of the blade 43 and the blade support portion 43a of the front-side brush roller unit 4 of the front-side cleaning mechanism 3A.

(Conveyance roller)
The transport roller 85 guides the transport of the object S, and is disposed downstream of the cleaning roller 800 in the transport direction. As this conveyance roller 85, the thing similar to the opposing resin roller 61 is used suitably.

[Front side facing roller unit]
The front-side counter roller unit 9 defines the transport path of the object S together with the brush roller 71 of the back-side brush roller unit 7 and the cleaning roller 80 of the back-side cleaning roller unit 8, and the front side of the object S (above the transport path) ). The front-side counter roller unit 9 mainly includes a casing 90, a counter-metal roller 91 that is a first front-side counter roller, and a counter-resin roller 92 that is a second front-side counter roller. It is detachably arranged. In the cleaning apparatus, a front-side facing roller unit 9 is detachably disposed on an apparatus body fixedly installed on a ground base such as a factory. Thus, the front side opposing roller unit 9 is detachably attached to the holder 1, so that the front side opposing roller unit 9 can be easily detached from the holder 1, and the brush roller 71 and the back side cleaning roller unit 8 of the back side brush roller unit 7. The cleaning roller 80 can be exposed. Therefore, since the brush roller 71 and the cleaning roller 80 can be easily replaced and cleaned, the maintenance is excellent. In addition, maintenance of the counter metal roller 91 and the counter resin roller 92 housed in the housing 90 is facilitated as compared with the case of being assembled and fixed in the holder 1.

(Casing)
The housing 90 accommodates the opposing metal roller 91 and the opposing resin roller 92 as a unit and can be attached to and detached from the holder 1. A pair of gripping portions 90 </ b> A are provided on the top plate of the housing 90 so as to be separated in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the transport direction D. The pair of gripping portions 90A are used when the front side opposing roller unit 9 is attached or detached. The casing 90 is provided with an opening 90B in the bottom plate, and a part of the counter metal roller 91 and the counter resin roller 92 protrude from the opening 90B. In addition, there is no restriction | limiting in particular in the material which comprises the housing | casing 90, For example, metals, such as stainless steel, are used suitably.

(Opposing metal roller)
The opposing metal roller 91 is disposed directly above the brush roller 71 so as to face the brush roller 71 of the back-side brush roller unit 7 via the object S and to contact the object S. The counter metal roller 91 is driven to rotate, and rotates counterclockwise (counterclockwise in FIG. 2) with respect to the brush roller 71 of the back brush roller unit 7. The details of the counter metal roller 91 are the same as those of the recovery roller 42 of the front brush roller unit 4. However, the opposing metal roller 91 is electrically grounded by the voltage application mechanism, and an electric field suitable for removing foreign matter can be generated between the opposing metal roller 91 and the brush roller 71.

  Since the opposed metal roller 91 is a relatively hard metal roller, the brush bristles 71C of the brush roller 71 of the back side brush roller unit 7 can be appropriately brought into contact with the object S. A relatively large foreign matter can be effectively removed from the back side surface S2 of S. However, the front facing roller is not necessarily a metal roller, and a conductive resin roller or the like may be used.

(Opposite resin roller)
The counter resin roller 92 is disposed directly above the cleaning roller 80 so as to face the cleaning roller 80 of the back side cleaning roller unit 8 through the object S and to contact the object S. The counter resin roller 92 is driven to rotate and rotates in the forward direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the cleaning roller 80. The details of the counter resin roller 92 are the same as those of the counter resin roller 61 of the front counter roller unit 6. However, the counter resin roller 92 is electrically grounded by the voltage application mechanism, and can generate an electric field suitable for removing foreign matter between the counter resin roller 92 and the cleaning roller 80.

  Since the opposing resin roller 92 is a resin roller having elasticity, a suitable nip width can be secured between the counter roller 92 and the cleaning roller 80 of the back side cleaning roller unit 8, so that the adhesion between the cleaning roller 80 and the object S is improved. The cleaning roller 80 can effectively remove fine foreign matters from the back surface S2 of the object S. It is to be noted that, similarly to the front-side cleaning mechanism 3A, the back-side brush roller unit 7 and the back-side cleaning roller unit 8 of the back-side cleaning mechanism 3B are provided with height adjustment mechanisms for adjusting the respective heights.

<Charging circuit>
As described above, the collection rollers 42, 53, 72, and 82, the cleaning rollers 51 and 80, and the outer peripheral surfaces of the brush rollers 52 and 81 are preferably charged, and the brush rollers 41 and 71 are also preferably charged. The auxiliary roller 62, the opposing metal rollers 60 and 91, and the opposing resin rollers 61 and 92 are preferably electrically grounded. As a charging circuit for charging or electrically grounding (including fixing to 0 V) these rollers, a known circuit can be used. As a safety measure when two rollers with different potential differences are short-circuited through a long conductive foreign object or the like, this charging circuit is a circuit when, for example, a current of 500 μA is used as a threshold and a current exceeding the threshold flows. A mechanism (for example, a fuse) is provided.

[Unit and holder terminals]
Hereinafter, an example of a unit used for electrically connecting each unit to an external power source, a ground, or the like and a terminal of the holder 1 will be described. In FIG. 11, the unit side terminal 110 arrange | positioned at the one or both edge part of the conveyance width direction of each unit is shown. FIG. 12 shows the holder-side terminal 120 disposed on the inner surface of the holder 1. In the cleaning device, it is preferable that all the units are electrically connected to an external power source or the like through this connection structure, but some or all of the units are electrically connected to an external power source or the like through a conventionally known connection structure. May be.

  The unit-side terminal 110 in FIG. 11 surrounds two unit-side metal plates 111 arranged in parallel along an axis Z parallel to the transport direction D, and each unit-side metal plate 111 in a plan view. Two covers 112 are mainly provided. The unit side metal plate 111 is electrically connected to a roller included in each unit via a wiring (not shown). Note that the number of the unit-side metal plates 111 included in the unit-side terminal 110 of FIG. 11 is two, but the number of the unit-side metal plates 111 can be appropriately changed according to the number of rollers of each unit. Further, the shape of the cover 112 can be changed as appropriate according to the number of unit-side metal plates 111 and the like.

  The holder-side terminal 120 of FIG. 12 is disposed on the base 121 formed of an insulating member and the upper surface of the base 121, and the above-mentioned unit-side metal plate 111 can be inserted from above, and the inserted unit side There are two holder-side metal plates 122 bent so that the metal plate 111 can be gripped from both sides, and surrounding portions 123 that are formed of an insulating member and are arranged so as to surround each holder-side metal plate 122. The holder side metal plate 122 is electrically connected to an external power source or the like via a wiring or the like (not shown). The two surrounding portions 123 are configured such that their outer surfaces can come into contact with the inner surface of the cover 112 of the unit-side terminal 110. Note that the number of holder-side metal plates 122 and the shape of the surrounding portion 123 of the holder-side terminal 120 of FIG. 12 can be appropriately changed according to the number of unit-side metal plates 111 in the unit-side terminal 110, the shape of the cover 112, and the like. It is.

  By attaching each unit to the holder 1, the unit side terminal 110 of FIG. 11 is electrically connected to the holder side terminal 120 of FIG. Specifically, each unit-side metal plate 111 of the unit-side terminal 110 is inserted into the holder-side metal plate 122 of each holder-side terminal 120 so that both the metal plates are electrically connected, and the unit-side terminal 110 The cover 112 and the surrounding portion 123 are fitted so that the cover 112 covers the surrounding portion 123. Thus, since the cover 112 and the surrounding part 123 serve as a guide when connecting the unit side terminal 110 and the holder side terminal 120, both terminals can be easily connected and the connected both terminals can be firmly connected. Can be fixed. Therefore, by using the unit-side terminal 110 and the holder-side terminal 120 in the cleaning device, it is possible to easily and electrically connect at the same time as each unit is mounted, so that convenience can be improved and a strong connection is achieved. Since the structure can be formed, it is easy to keep the voltage applied to each roller constant even if vibration or the like occurs during operation.

[Voltage application mechanism to roller]
Each unit is usually provided with a voltage applying mechanism (including an electrically grounding mechanism) near one end of each roller, and the unit-side terminal 110 and the voltage applying mechanism are electrically connected by wiring. Connected. A voltage supplied to each unit from an external power source or the like is supplied to each roller via the unit-side terminal 110, the wiring, and the voltage application mechanism. In this case, a driving mechanism such as a gear for driving each roller may be provided near the other end of each roller after using a member formed of an insulating material. In FIG. 13, as an example of the voltage application mechanism, a conical recess 130 a provided on one end face of the roller 130 and a hemispherical tip portion, and this tip portion is a conical recess of the roller 130. The voltage application mechanism includes a housing side electrode 131 that is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of 130a and a metal leaf spring 132 that is connected to the housing side electrode 131 and pressurizes the housing side electrode 131 toward the roller 130. . The central axis of the roller 130 and the apex of the conical depression substantially coincide with the center of the hemisphere at the tip of the housing side electrode 131 when viewed in the conveyance width direction. The gap between the roller 130 and the housing-side electrode 131 may be lubricated with conductive grease.

  In this voltage application mechanism, the unit side terminal 110 and the leaf spring 132 are electrically connected by a wiring (not shown), and a voltage is applied to the roller 130 via the wiring, the leaf spring 132, the housing side electrode 131, and the recess 130a. Is done. This voltage application mechanism can suppress wear of the roller 130 and the casing-side electrode 131 by bringing the casing-side electrode 131 into contact with the vicinity of the central axis of the roller 130, that is, a portion of the roller 130 having a relatively low peripheral speed. Further, the roller 130 vibrates by bringing the hemispherical tip of the housing side electrode 131 into contact with the conical depression provided in the roller 130 and pressurizing the housing side electrode 131 to the roller 130 side by the leaf spring 132. Even in this case, it is easy to maintain electrical contact. Furthermore, the housing side electrode 131 is brought into contact with the end face of the roller 130, and the housing side electrode 131 is pressurized in the transport width direction by the plate spring 132, so that the deflection of the plate spring 132 is suppressed even when the roller 130 vibrates up and down. Therefore, it becomes easy to pressurize stably. Furthermore, by contacting the inner peripheral surface of the conical recess 130a and the hemispherical tip of the housing-side electrode 131, a space surrounded by the recess 130a and the tip of the housing-side electrode 101 is formed. Grease can be sealed in the space to suppress the scattering. However, a cover or the like may be provided around the voltage application mechanism as necessary in order to further suppress the scattering of grease.

  However, the voltage application mechanism in each unit is not limited to the one shown in FIG. 13 described above. For example, a conductive sliding member such as a conductive brush or a conductive bearing is provided in the housing, and the conductive sliding member is provided. Examples include a method of applying a voltage by contacting each roller.

[Cleaning method]
A cleaning method for removing foreign matter from the object S using the cleaning device of FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described. The cleaning method includes a step of bringing a brush roller 41 that is driven to rotate in a direction reverse to the conveyance direction D with a rotation axis that is substantially perpendicular to the conveyance direction D and substantially parallel to the conveyance surface, into contact with the object S to be conveyed; And a step of abutting the cleaning roller 51 rotating about the rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the conveyance direction D and substantially parallel to the conveyance surface with the object S after abutting against the brush roller 41. Further, in the cleaning method, the object S after being brought into contact with the cleaning roller 51 is rotationally driven in a direction reverse to the conveyance direction D by a rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the conveyance direction D and substantially parallel to the conveyance surface. A step of bringing the brush roller 71 into contact, and a step of bringing the cleaning roller 80 rotating on a rotating shaft substantially perpendicular to the carrying direction and substantially parallel to the carrying surface into contact with the object S after coming into contact with the brush roller 71. . In this cleaning method, a voltage having the same polarity as the cleaning roller 51 of the front side cleaning roller unit 5 and a high absolute value is applied to the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4. Similarly, a voltage having the same polarity and a high absolute value as that of the cleaning roller 80 of the back side cleaning roller unit 8 is applied to the brush roller 71 of the back side brush roller unit 7. In this way, by applying a voltage having the same polarity and higher absolute value than the cleaning rollers 51 and 80 to the brush rollers 41 and 71, the brush rollers 41 and 71 can remove relatively large foreign substances on the millimeter level and perform cleaning. Fine foreign matters can be removed by the rollers 51 and 80. Various conditions such as applied voltage and rotation to each roller in this cleaning method can be the same as those of the above-described cleaning device, and thus redundant description is omitted.

[Other Embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in a mode in which various changes and improvements are made in addition to the above-described mode. In particular, FIGS. 1 and 2 show only an example of the cleaning device. For example, the layer structure of each roller may be different from that in FIG.

  Of the rollers of the cleaning device, the rollers other than the first brush roller, the cleaning roller, and the pair of opposed rollers may be driven rollers. As described above, even if a part of the rollers of the cleaning device is a driven roller, the driven roller is in contact with another roller to be rotationally driven or a conveyed product, so that it can be driven to exert its function. . Further, the rotation direction of the first brush roller is preferably the reverse direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object, but may be the forward direction. Furthermore, the rotation direction of the cleaning roller is preferably a forward direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object.

  The cleaning device may include at least one first brush roller, a cleaning roller, a pair of opposed rollers, and a voltage application mechanism, and other configurations are arbitrary. Further, the first brush roller, the cleaning roller, and the pair of opposing rollers are not unitized, and may be directly fixed to the holder of the cleaning device.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, instead of providing an opening at the bottom of the back side cleaning roller unit and the back side brush roller unit, a foreign matter collecting unit may be provided in each of the back side cleaning roller unit and the back side brush roller unit.

  Furthermore, in the example of this embodiment, the pair of opposed rollers are both electrically grounded, but other configurations may be employed. For example, both of the pair of opposed rollers may be fixed to 0 V, and may be fixed to a predetermined positive potential depending on the charging state of the foreign matter. A condition to be satisfied is that a reference fixed potential is applied to the pair of opposed rollers with respect to the charged brush roller 41 and the charged cleaning roller 51. Therefore, a different fixed potential can be applied to each of the pair of opposed rollers as necessary. If the voltage difference between the fixed potential and the charged cleaning roller 51 is too small, a sufficient electric field for removing foreign substances cannot be generated. Therefore, the lower limit of this potential difference is preferably 50V.

  Needless to say, when the foreign matter is extremely negatively charged, the brush rollers 41 and 71 and the cleaning rollers 51 and 80 may have a positive potential within the scope of the idea of the present invention. Also in this case, the pair of opposed rollers may be electrically grounded, or a fixed potential serving as a reference may be applied. This fixed potential may be 0 V, or may be a predetermined negative potential or a positive potential depending on the charged state of the foreign matter.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example demonstrates this invention, this invention is not limited by a following example.

<Optimization of brush roller>
From the viewpoint of triboelectric chargeability, the charge train was determined by evaluating the chargeability of the workpiece (object) and the brush hair, with the objective of selecting a material for the brush hair suitable for removing foreign matter.

  As the bristle, a material having the characteristics shown in Table 1 below was used. In Table 1 below, “-” indicates that the corresponding characteristic is not measured.

  As the target object and the foreign object, an object in the target market and a foreign object which is a problem in the market were used. Specifically, acrylic plates, glass plates, green sheets and PET films were used as the objects, and acrylic scraps, copper powder, ceramic scraps (ceracas), glass scraps, polyester particles and fibers were used as foreign substances. .

  The triboelectric charging property was evaluated by measuring the polarities of the object and the brush hair when the objects, the object and the brush hair, or the brush hairs were frictionally charged with a surface electrometer. Further, the charging relationship between the foreign object and the object was evaluated by sandwiching the foreign object between the objects and frictionally charging it, and then sucking the foreign object and measuring the charge amount with a digital electrometer. These evaluation results are shown as a charge train in FIG.

  In general, in the charging train, the brush hair using a material positioned as far away as possible with a polarity opposite to the object and the foreign matter has a higher foreign matter adsorption force. Therefore, from the result of FIG. 14, it is inferred that the material 1 and the material 4 which are conductive polyesters are suitable for removing foreign substances.

  Next, with respect to the conductive polyester presumed to be most suitable for removing foreign matter, evaluation of foreign matter removal performance using material 1 and material 4 was performed. In this evaluation, the foreign matter on the object S is removed using the cleaning device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the material of the brush hair 41 </ b> C included in the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4 is defined as material 1 or material 4. In this case, the foreign matter collection rate to the foreign matter collection unit 44 was calculated. As the object S, a green sheet to which a ceramic residue was attached was used. As a result, the recovery rate of foreign matter was 86.6% when Material 1 was used, whereas it was 26.7% when Material 4 was used. Therefore, it is judged that the material 1 which is a fiber having a relatively large fineness, that is, a relatively thick fiber, is preferable as the bristle. The reason why the recovery rate when the material 4 is used is lower than the recovery rate when the material 1 having the same triboelectric charging property is used is assumed as follows. That is, since the material 4 is a fiber having a relatively small fineness, that is, a relatively thin fiber, the rigidity of the brush bristles 41C is insufficient, and a relatively large ceramic residue attached to the object S cannot be moved. It is believed that there is.

<Optimization of the voltage applied to the brush roller>
The optimization of the voltage applied to the brush roller is performed by bringing a brush roller to which a predetermined voltage is applied into contact with an object to which dust is attached as shown in FIG. 15A and applying the predetermined voltage. The state was held for 10 seconds. Next, as shown in FIG. 15B, the brush roller was pulled away from the object, and the width of the band-like region formed by removing the dust was evaluated as the dust adsorption width (field action width).

  As the bristle of the brush roller, the conductive polyester of the material 1 for which a suitable result was obtained in the previous evaluation was used. As an object, a PET film having a thickness of 50 μm was used. As the foreign matter, polyester particles having a particle size of 50 μm to 150 μm were used. The predetermined voltage applied to the brush roller was 0V, -100V, -400V, -800V or -1,600V. The evaluation result of the dust adsorption width is shown in FIG.

  As can be seen from FIG. 16, it was confirmed that the dust adsorption width was the largest when the voltage applied to the brush roller was −400 V, that is, the adsorption ability was high. Further, from the results shown in FIG. 16, it can be said that the lower limit of the voltage applied to the brush roller is preferably -800V, more preferably -600V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the applied voltage is preferably -200V, more preferably -300V.

<Examination of peripheral speed and pressure contact amount of brush>
Using the cleaning device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the foreign matter was removed from the object while varying the peripheral speed of the brush roller 41 of the front brush roller unit 4 and the amount of pressure contact with the object. Thus, the influence of the peripheral speed of the brush roller and the amount of pressure contact with the object of the brush roller on the removal of foreign matter was examined.

  The influence of the peripheral speed of the brush roller was evaluated by changing the ratio (B / W) of the peripheral speed B of the brush roller to the conveyance speed W of the object, and evaluating it as a relationship with the removability of the ceramic residue. As a result, when the B / W was 50% (for example, the peripheral speed of the brush roller was 6 m / min with respect to the object conveying speed of 12 m / min), the ceramic residue was blown off to the entrance side of the workpiece. On the other hand, when the peripheral speed of the brush roller was changed to 3 m / min and the B / W was set to 25%, the above-mentioned repelling was suppressed. Generally, it is determined that B / W is preferably 25% or less because a foreign material smaller than a large foreign material is likely to be repelled.

  The influence of the pressure amount of the brush roller on the object was evaluated by removing the ceramic residue while changing the pressure amount to 0.3 mm or 0.6 mm. As a result, when the pressure contact amount was 0.3 mm, a part of the ceramic residue passed through the brush roller and remained on the object. On the other hand, when the pressure contact amount was 0.6 mm, the ceramic residue could be removed. Here, the larger the pressure contact amount, the better the removal of foreign matters. However, if it is too large, scratches may occur depending on the type and state of the object. However, the upper limit of the pressure contact amount differs for each object. Therefore, by adjusting the height of the brush roller unit using the height adjusting mechanism, the pressure contact amount of the brush roller can be optimized even when the thickness, type, state, etc. of the object are different.

<Confirmation of cleaning performance>
The cleaning performance of the cleaning device was evaluated. Specifically, for the combinations of various foreign objects and objects, the cleaning device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is used, the peripheral speed and applied voltage of each roller are set as shown in Table 2, and the surface of the object before and after cleaning is determined. Evaluation was made by imaging.

  Specific combinations of the foreign matter and the object were ceramic punch and green sheet, sebum and polarizing plate, cotton fiber and acrylic plate, polyester fiber and green sheet, or polyester particle and PET film. Moreover, the conveyance speed of the target object was set to 10 m / min. The imaging results of each combination are shown in FIGS. 17A to 19F. In FIGS. 17 to 19, (A) to (F) are the imaging results after the cleaning on the left and the images after the cleaning on the right. In the combination of FIG. 17A, the object Sa is a green sheet, and the foreign matter Xa is a ceramic punch residue (φ4 mm, thickness 120 μm). In the combination of FIG. 17B, the object Sb is a green sheet, and the foreign matter Xb is a ceramic residue (length: 0.1 to 3 mm, thickness: 170 μm) of various sizes and shapes. In the combination of FIG. 18C, the object Sc is a deflection plate and the foreign material Xc is sebum. In the combination of FIG. 18D, the object Sd is an acrylic plate, and the foreign matter Xd is a cotton fiber. In the combination of (E) of FIG. 19, the object Se is a green sheet, and the foreign matter Xe is a polyester fiber (length: 2 to 15 mm). In the combination of (F) of FIG. 19, the object Sf is a PET film, and the foreign matter Xf is a polyester particle (particle size 50 to 150 μm).

  As shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, it was confirmed that the foreign matter was suitably removed from the object for any combination.

  The cleaning device and the cleaning method of the present invention can efficiently remove both relatively large foreign matters and fine foreign matters from the surface of an object.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Holder 2A Upstream side external conveyance mechanism 2B Downstream side external conveyance mechanism 3 Cleaning mechanism 4 Front side brush roller unit 41 Brush roller 42 Recovery roller 43 Blade 45 Conveyance roller 5 Front side cleaning roller unit 51 Cleaning roller 51A Core rod 51B Inner layer part 51C Outer layer part 52 Brush roller 53 Recovery roller 54 Blade 6 Back side opposing roller unit 60 Counter metal roller 61 Counter resin roller 62 Auxiliary roller 7 Back side brush roller unit 71 Brush roller 72 Recovery roller 73 Blade 8 Back side cleaning roller unit 80 Cleaning roller 81 Brush roller 81A core Bar 81B Adhesive layer 81C Brush bristles 82 Recovery roller 83 Blade 9 Front side opposed roller unit 91 Opposed metal roller 92 Opposed resin roller 101 Fixing member 102 Slurry Cover member 103 Top plate 104 Cover 110 Unit side terminal 111 Unit side electrode plate 112 Cover 120 Holder side terminal 121 Base portion 122 Holder side electrode plate 123 Enclosure portion 130 Roller 130a Depression 131 Housing side electrode 132 Plate spring S Object S1 Front side surface S2 Backside surface D Transport direction

Claims (9)

A cleaning device that removes foreign matter on the surface while conveying a plate-like or film-like object,
A first brush roller that is rotationally driven by a rotation axis that is substantially perpendicular to the conveyance direction and substantially parallel to the conveyance surface;
A cleaning roller that is rotationally driven by a rotation axis that is substantially perpendicular to the conveyance direction and substantially parallel to the conveyance surface;
A pair of opposed rollers that face the first brush roller and the cleaning roller through the object and are both driven to rotate in a forward direction with respect to the conveying direction of the object;
One or a plurality of voltage application mechanisms for applying a voltage to the first brush roller and the cleaning roller,
The one or more voltage application mechanisms apply a high voltage in the same polarity and absolute value as the cleaning roller to the first brush roller,
The potential of the pair of opposed rollers is a predetermined fixed potential,
The cleaning device, wherein the cleaning roller is located downstream of the brush roller in the transport direction.   2. The cleaning according to claim 1, wherein the first brush roller is rotationally driven in a reverse direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object, and the cleaning roller is rotationally driven in a forward direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object. apparatus.   The one or more voltage application mechanisms apply a voltage of -800 V or more and less than -200 V to the first brush roller, and apply a voltage of -200 V or more and less than 0 V to the cleaning roller. A cleaning device according to claim 1.   4. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more voltage application mechanisms give a potential difference of 100 V or more and 500 V or less in absolute value to the first brush roller and the cleaning roller. A first recovery roller for recovering foreign matter removed from the object by the first brush roller;
5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more voltage application mechanisms apply a high voltage in the same polarity and absolute value as the first brush roller to the first recovery roller. The cleaning device described.   The cleaning device according to claim 5, wherein the one or more voltage application mechanisms give a potential difference of 200 V to 600 V in absolute value to the first recovery roller and the first brush roller. The rotation direction of the first recovery roller is a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first brush roller;
The cleaning device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a rotation speed of the first recovery roller is 1.0 to 1.5 times a rotation speed of the first brush roller. A second brush roller for collecting the foreign matter removed from the object by the cleaning roller;
The second brush roller is driven to rotate in the reverse direction with respect to the cleaning roller, and the rotation speed thereof is 1.0 to 1.5 times the rotation speed of the cleaning roller. The cleaning device according to claim 7. A second recovery roller for recovering foreign matter removed from the cleaning roller by the second brush roller;
The second collection roller is rotationally driven in the reverse direction with respect to the second brush roller, and the rotational speed thereof is 1.0 to 1.5 times the rotational speed of the second brush roller. The cleaning device according to claim 8.

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