JP7316346B2 - cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to cleaning devices.

In recent years, glass substrates for flat panel displays (FPD), resin substrates, printed circuit boards on which electronic components are mounted, ceramic green sheets for forming laminated ceramic capacitors, resin thin plates, long films, etc. 2. Description of the Related Art A cleaning device has been developed for removing foreign matter such as dust adhering to the surface of an object.

As such a cleaning device, a cleaning device has been proposed in which foreign matter on the surface of an object is removed with a charging brush, and the removed foreign matter is conveyed and collected by a cleaning roller with the force of an electric field (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-92846). reference).

However, in the cleaning device described above, relatively large particles of millimeter size can be removed by the charging brush. In particular, there is a risk that fine foreign matter) cannot be sufficiently removed. In addition, in the above-described cleaning device, it is difficult to say that the efficiency of removing foreign matter from the surface of the object by the charging brush is sufficient as described above, and the efficiency of conveying and collecting foreign matter by the cleaning roller is also not sufficient. . Therefore, there is room for improvement in the foreign matter removal efficiency and the like in the above cleaning device.

JP 2011-92846 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method capable of efficiently removing both relatively large foreign matter and fine foreign matter from the surface of an object. With the goal.

An invention made to solve the above-mentioned problems is a cleaning device for removing foreign matter on the surface of a plate-like or film-like object while conveying the object, the cleaning device comprising a rotating shaft substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction and substantially parallel to the conveying surface. a first brush roller that is rotationally driven by a , a cleaning roller that is rotationally driven by a rotating shaft substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction and substantially parallel to the conveying surface, and the first brush roller and the cleaning roller through the object; and a pair of opposing rollers that are both rotationally driven in the forward direction with respect to the conveying direction of the object, and one or more voltage applying mechanisms that apply voltage to the first brush roller and the cleaning roller. wherein the one or more voltage applying mechanisms apply to the first brush roller a voltage having the same polarity as that of the cleaning roller and having a higher absolute value.

The cleaning device can remove relatively large foreign matter from the object with the first brush roller, and can remove fine foreign matter from the object with the cleaning roller. Further, by providing a pair of opposed rollers facing the first brush roller and the cleaning roller, the first brush roller and the cleaning roller can be effectively pressed against the object. It is possible to increase the efficiency of removing foreign matter from the object by the cleaning roller. Furthermore, by applying a voltage to the first brush roller and the cleaning roller by the voltage applying mechanism, it is possible to further increase the efficiency of removing foreign matter from the object by the first brush roller and the cleaning roller. In particular, by applying a voltage having the same polarity as that of the cleaning roller and having a high absolute value to the first brush roller, removal of relatively large foreign matter by the first brush roller and removal of fine foreign matter by the cleaning roller are achieved. can be made more efficient together. Thus, the cleaning device can efficiently remove both relatively large foreign matter and fine foreign matter from the surface of the object.

It is preferable that the first brush roller is rotationally driven in a direction opposite to the conveying direction of the object, and the cleaning roller is rotationally driven in a forward direction relative to the conveying direction of the object. In this manner, the first brush roller is driven to rotate in a direction opposite to the conveying direction of the object, so that relatively large foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object can be effectively scraped up and removed. can. Further, since the cleaning roller is rotationally driven in the forward rotation direction with respect to the conveying direction of the object, it is possible to effectively remove minute foreign matters adhering to the surface of the object while conveying the object.

Preferably, the one or more voltage applying 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. In this manner, the voltage application mechanism applies the voltage within the above range to the first brush roller and the cleaning roller, so that the electric potentials of the first brush roller and the cleaning roller are suitable for removing foreign substances. Large foreign matter and fine foreign matter can be removed more effectively.

Preferably, the one or more voltage applying mechanisms apply a potential difference of 100 V to 500 V in absolute value to the first brush roller and the cleaning roller. In this manner, the voltage applying mechanism applies a voltage so that the potential difference between the first brush roller and the cleaning roller is within the above range, thereby making the potentials of the cleaning roller and the brush roller suitable for removing foreign substances. As a result, relatively large foreign matter and fine foreign matter can be removed more effectively.

It is preferable that the potential of the pair of opposing rollers is a predetermined fixed potential. By setting the electric potential of the pair of opposed rollers to a predetermined fixed potential in this manner, an electric field is effectively generated between the first brush roller and one of the opposed rollers and between the cleaning roller and the other opposed roller. can be formed, 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 collection roller that collects foreign matter removed from the object by the first brush roller, and the one or more voltage applying mechanisms apply the voltage to the first collection roller. It is preferable to apply a voltage having the same polarity as the first brush roller and having a higher absolute value. In this manner, the cleaning device includes the first collecting roller, and by applying a voltage to the first collecting roller having the same polarity as that of the first brush roller and having a higher absolute value, the first brush roller The foreign matter removed from the object can be recovered by the first recovery roller. As a result, the cleanness and electric charge of the first brush roller can be maintained, and a decrease in foreign matter removal efficiency can be suppressed.

Preferably, the one or more voltage applying mechanisms apply a potential difference of 200 V or more and 600 V or less in absolute value to the first collection roller and the first brush roller. Thus, by applying a potential difference within the above range to the first collection roller and the first brush roller, the foreign matter removed from the object by the first brush roller can be effectively collected by the first collection roller. , the cleanness and electric charge of the first brush roller can be effectively maintained, and the decrease in foreign matter removal efficiency can be effectively suppressed.

The rotation direction of the first recovery roller is a direction opposite 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 preferable that it is 1.0 times or more and 1.5 times or less. In this way, by setting the rotation condition of the first collection roller as described above, it is possible to improve the efficiency of collection of foreign matter from the first brush roller by the first collection roller. It is possible to more effectively maintain the cleanness and electric charge of the battery, and to more effectively suppress the decrease in foreign matter removal efficiency.

The cleaning device further includes a second brush roller for collecting foreign matter removed from the object by the cleaning roller, and when the second brush roller is rotationally driven in a direction opposite 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, the cleaning device includes the second brush roller, so that the second brush roller can remove foreign matter removed from the object by the cleaning roller. By removing the foreign matter from the cleaning roller in this way, it is possible to maintain the cleanness and charge of the surface of the cleaning roller and suppress the deterioration of the efficiency of removing the foreign matter. Further, by setting the rotation condition of the second brush roller as described above, it is possible to further improve the efficiency with which foreign matter is collected from the cleaning roller by the second brush roller.

The cleaning device further includes a second collection roller that collects foreign matter removed from the cleaning roller by the second brush roller, and the second collection roller rotates in a direction opposite to the second brush roller. The rotational speed thereof is preferably 1.0 to 1.5 times the rotational speed of the second brush roller. As described above, the cleaning device includes the second collection roller, so that the second collection roller can collect the foreign matter removed from the cleaning roller by the second brush roller. As a result, the cleanness and charge of the surface of the second brush roller and, by extension, the cleaning roller are maintained, and the reduction in efficiency of removing foreign substances by the cleaning roller can be suppressed. Further, by setting the rotation condition of the second collection roller as described above, the efficiency of collection of foreign matter from the second brush roller by the second collection roller is increased, and the foreign matter is removed from the cleaning roller by the second brush roller. The foreign matter collection efficiency can be enhanced.

Another invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, is a cleaning method for removing foreign matter on the surface of a plate-like or film-like object while conveying the object, wherein a step of contacting a brush roller driven to rotate in a direction opposite to the conveying direction on a rotating shaft substantially perpendicular to and substantially parallel to the conveying surface; applying a voltage to the cleaning roller and applying a voltage to the brush roller having the same polarity as the voltage applied to the cleaning roller and having a higher absolute value than the voltage applied to the cleaning 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 improve the efficiency of removing foreign matter from the object. In particular, by applying a voltage having the same polarity as that of the cleaning roller to the brush roller and having a high absolute value, it is possible to further improve the efficiency of removing the above-described foreign matter from the object. Thus, the cleaning method can efficiently remove not only relatively large foreign matter but also fine foreign matter from the surface of the object.

In the step of bringing the brush roller into contact with the object, the amount of bite 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 is It is preferable to set the object to be pressed with a predetermined pressure. Thus, by setting the biting amount of the brush roller and the pressure of the cleaning roller within the above ranges, the removal of relatively large foreign matter by the brush roller and the removal of fine foreign matter by the cleaning roller can be performed more efficiently. .

In the description of the rotation direction of each roller in this specification, rotation in the direction of rotation with respect to the direction of motion of the object or other rollers is referred to as "rotation in the forward rotation direction", and vice versa. It is called "rotating in the opposite direction". Also, "substantially perpendicular" means that the crossing angle with respect to the perpendicular is within ±10°, and may be perpendicular. Furthermore, "substantially parallel" means that the acute angle between the two straight lines is more than 0° and within 10°, or that the two straight lines are parallel. As used herein, the "front" and "back" of an object are merely convenient distinctions and do not necessarily correspond to the front and back of the object in use.

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

1 is a perspective view showing a cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a brush roller of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a collection roller of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 1; 2 is a schematic front view of a conveying roller of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 5; FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one example of a height adjusting mechanism applicable to the cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one step of height adjustment using the height adjustment mechanism of FIG. 7; FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing the height adjustment mechanism of FIG. 8; FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a cleaning roller of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing unit-side terminals applicable to the cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing holder-side terminals applicable to the cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a voltage application mechanism applicable to a cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing electrification series of an object, a brush, and a foreign object; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining an experimental method for optimizing the voltage applied to the brush roller in the brush roller unit. 7 is a graph showing measurement results of foreign matter adsorption width versus voltage applied to a brush roller. It is the imaging result of the surface of the object which shows the confirmation result of cleaning performance. It is the imaging result of the surface of the object which shows the confirmation result of cleaning performance. It is the imaging result of the surface of the object which shows the confirmation result of cleaning performance.

An example of a cleaning device and a cleaning method according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings as appropriate. It goes without saying that 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 device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 removes foreign matter from the surface (the front side surface S1 and the back side surface S2) of a flat plate-like object S while conveying it in the conveyance direction D. As shown in FIG. The cleaning device mainly includes a holder 1 , an external transport mechanism (an upstream external transport mechanism 2 A and a downstream external transport mechanism 2 B), and a cleaning mechanism 3 . The cleaning device also includes a voltage application mechanism (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) for applying voltage to a brush roller 41, a cleaning roller 51, etc., which will be described later. Further, the cleaning device includes a control mechanism for controlling the external transport mechanism, the cleaning mechanism 3 and the voltage applying mechanism. This control mechanism can adopt various conventionally known ones, and can be composed of, for example, a personal computer or the like.

〔Object〕
Although the object S is a plate-like member in FIG. 2, there is no particular limitation as long as it is a plate-like or film-like member. Specifically, the surface of the object may be flat as shown in FIG. 2, but may have depressions. Furthermore, the object may have holes or the like.

Examples of plate-like objects include FPD glass substrates, resin substrates, printed circuit boards for mounting electronic components, ceramic green sheets for forming laminated ceramic capacitors, resin thin plates, and the like. Examples of film-like objects include resin films.

The average thickness of the object is not particularly limited, but the lower limit is preferably 30 μm, more preferably 50 μm. If the average thickness of the object is less than the above lower limit, it may become difficult to transport 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 . This holder 1 connects a pair of opposed plate-like members 10 with a plurality of rods 11 and shafts 12 .

[External transport mechanism]
The external transport mechanism applies a driving force for transporting the object S, and is provided outside the cleaning mechanism 3 . This external transport mechanism has an upstream external transport mechanism 2A arranged upstream of the cleaning mechanism 3 in the transport direction, and a downstream external transport mechanism 2B arranged downstream of the cleaning mechanism 3 in the transport direction. The transport speed of the object S by the external transport mechanism is not particularly limited as long as the cleaning mechanism 3 can remove foreign substances from the object S. FIG. The lower limit of the transport speed of the object S is preferably 5 m/min, more preferably 10 m/min. On the other hand, the upper limit of the transport speed of the object S is preferably 30 m/min, more preferably 20 m/min. If the conveying speed of the object S is less than the above lower limit, the time required to remove the foreign matter will be long, and the efficiency of removing the foreign matter may decrease. Conversely, if the transport speed of the object S exceeds the above upper limit, there is a possibility that the foreign matter on the surface of the object S cannot be sufficiently removed by the cleaning mechanism 3 .

<Upstream side external transport mechanism>
The upstream-side external transport mechanism 2A carries the object S into the cleaning mechanism 3, and has a plurality of belt transport sections 20A. The belt conveying section 20A has an endless belt 22A wound between a pair of rollers 21A spaced apart along the conveying direction D. As shown in FIG. One of the pair of rollers 21A 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 as the driving roller rotates. The plurality of belt conveying units 20A are arranged at regular intervals in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction D (hereinafter also referred to as "conveying width direction").

<Downstream side external transport mechanism>
The downstream external transport mechanism 2B carries out the object S from the cleaning mechanism 3, and has a plurality of belt transport sections 20B. The belt conveying section 20B has the same configuration as the plurality of belt conveying sections 20A of the upstream external conveying mechanism 2A. That is, the plurality of belt conveying portions 20B are formed by winding an endless belt 22B between a pair of rollers 21B composed of a driving roller and a driven roller spaced apart along the conveying direction D. As shown in FIG. A plurality of belt conveying portions 20B are also arranged at regular intervals in the conveying 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 has 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 matter from the front side surface S1 of the object S to be transported. The front side cleaning mechanism 3A has a front side brush roller unit 4, a front side cleaning roller unit 5 and a back side opposing roller unit 6. As shown in FIG. In the cleaning device, a front side brush roller unit 4 and a front side cleaning roller unit 5 are detachably attached to a holder 1 installed on a base on the floor of a factory or the like. The holder 1 may be fixed on the base by means of fasteners such as screws, but it is preferable that the holder 1 is placed in a movable state without using fasteners. The front side brush roller unit 4 and the front side cleaning roller unit 5 are arranged above the object S to be conveyed (above the conveying 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 a brush roller 41 housed in a housing 40, and is suitable for removing relatively large millimeter-sized foreign matter. In addition to the brush roller 41, the housing 40 of the front side brush roller unit 4 accommodates a collecting roller 42, a blade 43, a foreign matter collecting section 44, and a conveying roller 45, so that the whole is unitized. Since the front side brush roller unit 4 is detachably attached to the holder 1 as a unit, the front side brush roller unit 4 can be easily removed from the holder 1 . As a result, when the brush roller 41 needs to be replaced according to the object S or the type of foreign matter, the entire unit can be replaced, so that foreign matter can be removed effectively and easily. Further, by removing the front side brush roller unit 4 from the holder 1, a later-described facing metal roller 60 facing the brush roller 41 is exposed, and replacement and cleaning can be easily performed, so maintenance is excellent. In addition, maintenance of the brush rollers 41 and the like housed in the housing 40 is easier than when they are incorporated and fixed in the holder 1 .

(Case)
The housing 40 accommodates the brush roller 41 and the like into a unit, and is detachable from the holder 1 . The housing 40 includes an upstream plate and a downstream plate that face each other so as to be substantially perpendicular to the conveying surface, a pair of side plates that connect the side ends of the upstream plate and the downstream plate, the upstream plate, It has a top plate connected to upper ends of the downstream plate and the pair of side plates, and a bottom plate connected to lower ends of the upstream plate, the downstream plate and the pair of side plates. The top plate is provided with a pair of grips 40A spaced apart in the width direction. The pair of grips 40A are used when the front side brush roller unit 4 is attached and detached. The bottom plate is provided with an opening 40B, from which the tips of the brush bristles 41C of the brush roller 41, which will be described later, protrude from the opening 40B. The material forming the housing 40 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include stainless steel.

(brush roller)
The brush roller 41 is a front-side first brush roller that contacts the conveyed object S to remove foreign matter, particularly relatively large foreign matter (for example, millimeter-sized foreign matter) on the front-side surface S1. The brush roller 41 is rotated in a direction opposite to the conveying direction D on a rotating shaft approximately perpendicular to the conveying direction D and approximately parallel to the conveying surface by power from an external drive source in a state of being charged by the voltage applying mechanism (see FIG. 2). (clockwise direction). The brush roller 41 is preferably rotationally driven in a direction opposite to the conveying direction D in a charged state, but may be rotationally driven in a non-charged state.

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

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

The lower limit of the voltage applied to the core rod 41A is preferably -800V, more preferably -600V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the voltage is preferably -200V, more preferably -300V.

As the brush bristles 41C, those to which foreign substances physically easily adhere are preferable, and examples thereof include those made of synthetic resin fibers. The brush bristles 41C are preferably those that can be charged to attract foreign matter adhering to the front surface S1 of the object S. Examples of the brush bristles include conductive materials such as carbon black, carbon fiber, metal powder, and metal whiskers. A synthetic resin fiber containing is preferably used.

The cross-sectional shape of the brush bristles 41C is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, circular, elliptical, or star-shaped. Also, the outer shape of the brush bristles 41C is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a linear shape, a wavy curve shape, a shape formed by combining a curved line and a straight line, or the like. It should be noted that the larger the surface area of the brush bristles 41C, the easier it is to adsorb foreign matter. Therefore, as the brush bristles 41C, it is possible to use bristles having an irregular cross-sectional shape, such as a star-shaped bristles, which can secure a large surface area.

The brush roller 41 is rotationally driven in a direction opposite to the conveying direction D of the object S, thereby raking up the foreign matter adhering to the front side surface S1 of the object S and causing it to adhere to the brush bristles 41C. can be done. Also, by applying a voltage to the brush roller 41 to charge it, an attracting force due to the force of the electric field acts, and foreign matter on the front surface S1 of the object S can be effectively attracted to the brush bristles 41C. In particular, by electrifying the brush roller 41, even if the object S has holes or depressions on its surface, foreign substances in the holes or depressions can be efficiently removed. Furthermore, by applying a voltage within 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 brush bristles 41C, rotates in a direction opposite to the conveying direction D, and is applied with a voltage having the same polarity and a larger absolute value than the cleaning roller 51. By doing so, relatively large foreign matter on the order of millimeters can be removed from the front surface S1 of the object S. As shown in FIG.

The lower limit of the average pressure contact amount of the brush roller 41 to the object S is preferably 0.3 mm, more preferably 0.5 mm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the average pressure contact amount is preferably 1.5 mm, more preferably 1 mm. If the average pressure contact amount is less than the lower limit, foreign matter on the front surface S1 of the object S may not be sufficiently scraped. Conversely, if the average amount of pressure contact exceeds the upper limit, the resistance between the brush bristles 41C and the front surface S1 of the object S increases, so the conveying speed of the object S may decrease. The front surface S1 of S may be damaged. The "pressure contact amount" is the amount of bite of the brush bristles 41 into the object S, and the minimum distance between the surface of the core rod 41A and the front side surface S1 of the object S is calculated from the average length of the brush bristles 41C. Means the difference value.

The lower limit of the peripheral speed of the brush roller 41 is preferably 1 m/min, 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, more preferably 15 m/min. If the peripheral speed of the brush roller 41 is less than the above lower limit, there is a possibility that foreign matter on the front surface S1 of the object S may not be sufficiently scraped up. 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 the conveying speed of the object S may decrease. The front surface S1 of the object S may be damaged. Moreover, the upper limit of the ratio (B/W) of the circumferential speed B of the brush roller 41 to the conveying speed W of the object S is preferably 25%. If the peripheral speed B of the brush roller 41 is too high with respect to the transport speed W of the object S, it may be difficult for the brush roller 41 to rake up relatively large foreign matter.

(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 contacts the brush bristles 41C to collect foreign matter attached to the brush bristles 41C. The collecting roller 42 has a diameter smaller than that of the brush roller 41 and is arranged upstream of the brush roller 41 in the conveying direction above the brush roller 41 . By arranging in this way, it is possible to reduce adverse effects such as reattachment of foreign matter scraped off by the blade 43, which will be described later, to members such as the collecting roller 42 and the like.

As shown in FIG. 4, the recovery roller 42 includes a roller body 42A made of a conductive material and a corrosion-resistant layer 42B laminated on the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 42A. The material of the roller main 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 obtained by blending a conductive material such as a conductive filler into a synthetic resin. Among these, metal materials are preferred. The corrosion-resistant layer 42B can be a metal plating layer formed by plating such as nickel plating or gold plating. However, the collecting roller 42 may be made entirely of a conductive material such as stainless steel that is difficult to oxidize and does not have the corrosion-resistant layer 42B.

The recovery roller 42 is charged by the voltage application mechanism and is driven to rotate counterclockwise (clockwise in FIG. 2) with respect to the brush roller 41 by power from an external drive source. By setting the rotation direction of the recovery roller 42 in the opposite direction to the brush roller 41 in this way, the foreign matter recovery efficiency can be enhanced. The lower limit of the ratio of the rotation speed of the collecting roller 42 to the rotation speed of the brush roller 41 is preferably 1.0. On the other hand, the upper limit of the magnification of the rotational speed is preferably 1.5 times. As a result, foreign matter can be effectively moved from the brush roller 41 to the collection roller 42 . However, the rotation direction of the recovery roller 42 may be the forward rotation direction with respect to the brush roller 41 .

The voltage applied to the collection roller 42 should have the same polarity as the voltage applied to the brush roller 41 and have a higher absolute value. 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, more preferably 300V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the absolute value of the difference is preferably 600V, more preferably 500V. The lower limit of the voltage applied to the collection roller 42 is preferably -1,500V, more preferably -1,200V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the applied voltage is preferably -400V, more preferably -600V. By setting the voltage applied to the recovery roller 42 to have the same polarity and a higher absolute value than the voltage applied to the brush roller 41, the potential of the outer peripheral surface of the recovery roller 42 becomes the potential of the brush bristles 41C of the brush roller 41. Since the polarity is the same as that of the brush roller 41 and the absolute value is high, the foreign matter adhering to the brush roller 41 can be attracted to the outer peripheral surface of the recovery roller 42 . In particular, by setting the difference in the voltages applied to the collection roller 42 and the brush roller 41 within the above range and the voltage applied to the collection roller 42 within the above range, the foreign matter adhering to the brush roller 41 can be removed from the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 42 . can be effectively adsorbed to The upper limit of the electric resistance of the collecting 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 surface-treated or coated, it can be effectively charged by voltage application.

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

The blade 43 has a free end at the tip and a fixed base at the blade support portion 43a. A free end of the blade 43 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the recovery roller 42 over the axial direction of the recovery roller 42 . It is preferable that the blade 43 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the recovery roller 42 in an inclined state. At the point of contact between the blade 43 and the collection roller 42, the lower limit of the inclination angle between the blade 43 and the imaginary tangent to the outer periphery of the collection roller 42 is preferably 5°, more preferably 15°. On the other hand, the upper limit of the inclination angle is preferably 30°, more preferably 25°. If the angle is less than the lower limit, the blade 43 cannot sufficiently scrape off the foreign matter due to insufficient contact pressure, and a retransfer phenomenon may occur in which the foreign matter slips past the blade 43 and reattaches to the target object S. There is On the other hand, if the inclination angle exceeds the upper limit, there is a risk that the blade 43 may be caught in the rotation of the recovery roller 42 and turned over. Therefore, by bringing the blade 43 into contact with the recovery roller 42 so that the angle of inclination falls within the above range, foreign matter can be effectively scraped off from the recovery roller 42 . Further, the blade 43 is arranged upstream of the collecting roller 42 in the conveying direction, that is, above the conveying roller 45 . As a result, the space above the conveying roller 45 can be effectively utilized, and the size of the front side brush roller unit 4 can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to improve the convenience by adopting a configuration in which the later-described foreign matter collecting section 44 is pulled out to the upstream side in the conveying direction.

The material of the blade 43 is not particularly limited, but preferably has elasticity, more preferably synthetic resin. Specifically, it is preferably made of a synthetic resin such as thermosetting polyurethane in order to impart appropriate elasticity. In addition, at least the tip of the blade 43 may be fluorine-coated with a fluorine-containing compound such as fluororesin in order to reduce friction with the collection roller 42 in contact therewith. 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 effect of reducing friction may not be sufficiently exhibited, and the blade 43 may be easily caught in the rotation of the recovery roller 42 . On the other hand, if the average thickness exceeds the upper limit, the fluorine coating may crack. The shape of the blade 43 is not limited to the rectangular plate shape shown in FIG. 2, and may be bent or curved from the root to the tip.

(Foreign matter collecting section)
The foreign matter recovery unit 44 is a first foreign matter recovery unit that recovers and stores foreign matter scraped off the recovery roller 42 by the blade 43 . The foreign matter collector 44 is arranged below the tip of the blade 43 and upstream of the brush roller 41 in the conveying direction. The foreign object recovery unit 44 is fitted in an opening of the upstream plate of the housing 40 and can be pulled out from the opening toward the upstream side in the transport direction. A gripping portion 44A is provided on the upstream side of the foreign matter collecting portion 44, and the foreign matter collecting portion 44 can be easily taken in and out using the gripping portion 44A. In addition, since the foreign matter recovery section 44 can be pulled out to the upstream side in the transport direction, foreign matter can be recovered by pulling out the front side brush roller unit 4 while it is fixed to the holder 1, which is excellent in convenience.

(conveyance roller)
The transport roller 45 guides the movement of the object S carried into the cleaning mechanism 3 together with the auxiliary roller 62 of the rear facing roller unit 6 which will be described later. Further, the conveying roller 45 and the auxiliary roller 62 have a function of applying a driving force to the object S in order to cause the object S to enter under the brush roller 41 rotating in the opposite direction to the conveying direction D with an appropriate force. also have The conveying roller 45 is arranged to face an auxiliary roller 62 of the rear facing roller unit 6, which will be described later. The transport roller 45 rotates in the forward direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the transport direction D. As shown in FIG. Here, if the force with which the object S is sandwiched between the auxiliary roller 62 and the conveying roller 45 is too strong, foreign matter may be pressed against the object S and become difficult to remove, or the object S may be damaged. be. Considering these, the conveying roller 45 is arranged 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, thickness, etc. of the object S. Further, if the hardness of the object S is relatively high and the object S can be advanced under the brush roller 41 only with the auxiliary roller 62, the transport roller 45 can be omitted from the cleaning device.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the transport roller 45 is a core shaft 45A and a ring-shaped member laminated on the outer periphery of the core shaft 45A, and is spaced apart along the axial direction of the core shaft 45A. and a plurality of resin portions 45B. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the resin portion 45B has irregularities on its outer peripheral surface. In this way, the contact area between the transport roller 45 and the front surface S1 of the object S can be reduced by arranging the plurality of resin portions 45B having irregularities on the outer peripheral surface at intervals. As a result, when the object S is carried into the cleaning mechanism 3 , it is possible to prevent the object S from clogging between the conveying roller 45 and the auxiliary roller 62 .

The core shaft 45A is made of metal such as stainless steel, copper, or aluminum. The resin portion 45B is made of polyurethane or the like, for example. Examples of this polyurethane include acrylic-mixed urethane and fluorine-mixed urethane. Here, "acrylic-mixed urethane" is a resin containing polyester polyurethane or polyether polyurethane as a main component, and includes (1) a mixture of thermoplastic polyurethane and silicone-acrylic copolymer resin, (2) acrylic resin (e.g. A graft compound in which an aminoethyl group is grafted onto a main chain composed of a methacrylic acid-methyl methacrylate copolymer) and a mixture of a thermoplastic polyurethane, or (3) a mixture of an acrylic resin, a polyurethane and a fluorine-based surface coating agent. means "Fluorine-mixed urethane" means a resin containing polyurethane as a main component, in which urethane/fluorocopolymer is mixed with thermoplastic polyurethane. A "main component" is a component with the largest content, for example, a component containing 50% by mass or more.

(height adjustment mechanism)
The front side brush roller unit 4 is preferably configured so that its height can be adjusted by a height adjustment mechanism. In this manner, by enabling the height adjustment of the front side brush roller unit 4 by the height adjustment mechanism, the amount of pressure contact of the brush roller 41 against the object S can be adjusted, and relatively large foreign matter can be removed by the brush roller 41. can be done more efficiently.

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

A portion of the upper surface of the fixed member 101 is formed with a slope whose height gradually increases from near the center in the transport direction D toward the downstream side (the right side in FIGS. 7 and 8). On the other hand, the upper surface of the slide member 102 is substantially horizontal, but a portion of the lower surface is formed with a slope whose height gradually increases from near the approximate center in the conveying direction D toward the downstream side. The inclined surface of the upper surface of the fixed member 101 and the inclined surface of the lower surface of the slide member 102 have the same gradient and face each other. Therefore, by horizontally moving the slide member 102 along the transport direction D, the height of the slide member 102 can be raised and lowered while the upper surface of the slide member 102 is maintained in a substantially horizontal state. As a result, the height of the top plate 103 supported by the slide member 102 (the distances L1 and L2 between the upper surface of the top plate 103 and the upper end of the plate-like member 10) is changed, and by changing the height of the top plate 103, The front side brush roller unit 4 can be adjusted to a desired height.

7 to 9, the relatively large horizontal movement of the slide member 102 can be converted into relatively fine vertical movement of the tabletop 103 in a stepless manner. Accordingly, the height of the brush roller unit 4 can be finely adjusted steplessly. 7 to 9 can be arranged in the vicinity of the upper end of the holder 1, the space of the holder 1 can be effectively used, and workability during height adjustment is excellent.

However, the method, structure, etc. of the height adjusting mechanism of the brush roller unit 4 are not limited to those shown in FIGS. As other height adjustment methods, for example, a method of placing a spacer of a predetermined height on the fixing portion of the brush roller unit 4 in the holder 1, or a method of providing a protrusion on the front side brush roller unit 4 and adjusting the height with the protrusion. A method of arranging a rail-shaped member to be fitted on the holder 1 along the vertical direction so that the mounting height of the front side brush roller unit 4 can be adjusted steplessly can be used.

[Front side 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 target object S with a cleaning roller 51 accommodated 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 collection roller 53, a blade 54, and a foreign matter collection section 55, and the whole is unitized. The front side cleaning roller unit 5 is suitable for removing fine foreign matters smaller than a millimeter size, and is detachably disposed on the holder 1 at a position adjacent to the front side brush roller unit 4 on the downstream side in the conveying direction. . Here, the cleaning roller 51 is set so as to apply pressure from both sides of the object S together with an opposing resin roller 61, which will be described later, in order to effectively move fine foreign matters to the surface. Therefore, if the front side cleaning roller unit 5 is arranged on the upstream side of the front side brush roller unit 4, the cleaning roller 51 presses and presses a relatively large foreign matter onto the object S, and the brush roller 41 also removes the foreign matter. may not be cut. Therefore, the front side cleaning roller unit 5 is preferably arranged downstream of the front side brush roller unit 4 .

Since the front side cleaning roller unit 5 is detachably attached to the holder 1 as a unit in this way, the front side cleaning roller unit 5 can be easily removed from the holder 1 . As a result, when the cleaning roller 51 needs to be changed according to the type of the object S or the foreign matter, the whole unit can be replaced, so that the foreign matter can be removed effectively and easily. Further, by removing the front side cleaning roller unit 5 from the holder 1, the later-described facing resin roller 61 facing the cleaning roller 51 and the like can be exposed to facilitate replacement and cleaning, so maintenance is excellent. In addition, the cleaning roller 51 and the like housed in the housing 50 are also housed in the housing 50 to form a unit, thereby facilitating maintenance compared to the case where they are built into the apparatus and fixed.

(Case)
The housing 50 accommodates the cleaning roller 51 and the like into a unit, and is detachable from the holder 1 . This housing 50 has an upstream plate, a downstream plate, a pair of side plates, a top plate and a bottom plate, like the front brush roller unit 4 . The top plate is provided with a pair of gripping portions 50A spaced apart in the transport width direction. The pair of grips 50A are used when the front side cleaning roller unit 5 is attached and 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 curved from top to bottom. In addition, there is no particular limitation on the material forming the housing 50, and for example, metal such as stainless steel is preferably used.

(cleaning roller)
The cleaning roller 51 removes foreign matter, particularly relatively fine foreign matter (for example, foreign matter smaller than a millimeter size), on the front surface S1 of the object S, and conveys the object S with its outer peripheral surface charged by the voltage application mechanism. It is rotationally driven in the forward direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the conveying direction D on a rotating shaft substantially perpendicular to the direction D and substantially parallel to the conveying 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 covering the outer peripheral surface of the inner layer portion 51B. It is an elastic roller.

The core rod 51A is formed in a columnar shape from a conductive material. The conductive material used for the core rod 51A includes, for example, a metal material. Specifically, similar to the roller main body 42A of the collection roller 42 of the front brush roller unit 4, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, and the like can be used.

The inner layer portion 51B secures a constant pressing force and a nip width to the object S by the cleaning roller 51 and a facing resin roller 61, which will be described later. That is, the inner layer portion 51B secures a desired adhesion force and contact width with respect to the object S, and contributes to efficient removal of relatively fine foreign matter 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, or synthetic rubber and carbon is more preferable. . As this polyurethane, the same polyurethane as that of the resin portion 45B of the transport roller 45 described above is preferably used. As a material for forming the inner layer portion 51B, a conductive elastomer containing polyester-based polyurethane and carbon black is more preferable. These materials ensure sufficient elasticity of the cleaning roller 51 , prevent foreign matter from being excessively pressed against the object S by the cleaning roller 51 , and suppress deterioration in foreign matter removal efficiency.

The outer layer portion 51C has a role of avoiding the adverse effects of humidity and the like while ensuring the antifouling property and abrasion resistance of the cleaning roller 51 without hindering the adhesion with the object S and the application of an appropriate surface potential. It fulfills Any material can be used for the outer layer portion 51C as long as it can be electrified in order to attract foreign matter adhering to the front surface S1 of the object S by the force of an electric field. , silicone resin, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, etc. Among these, polyurethane is preferred. By forming the outer layer portion 51C from polyurethane in this way, the abrasion resistance is improved compared to the case where the outer layer portion 51C is formed from silicone resin, butyl rubber, or the like. can be reduced. Further, the hardness of the outer layer portion 51C is preferably higher than that of the inner layer portion 51B. Specifically, the JIS-A hardness of the outer layer portion 51C is preferably 50° or more. Since the JIS-A hardness of the outer layer portion 51C is 50° or more, the abrasion resistance of the cleaning roller 51 can be sufficiently secured.

By using acrylic-mixed polyurethane as the material of the outer layer portion 51C, it becomes easier to remove negatively charged foreign matter from the front surface S1 of the object S. As shown in FIG. 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 negatively charged, and positively charged foreign matter can be easily removed from the object S.

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

The spherical particles are preferably harder than the thermoplastic polyurethane. However, if the spherical particles are excessively hard such as glass beads or ceramic beads, they may damage the object S, so resinous particles are preferable. Examples of hard resins that form the spherical particles include melamine resins and acrylic resins, among which melamine resins are preferred.

The lower limit of the average thickness of the outer layer portion 51C is preferably 2 μm, 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, more preferably 300 μm. If the average thickness of the outer layer portion 51C is less than the above lower limit, the surface of the cleaning roller 51 cannot be sufficiently charged, and a sufficient effect of attracting foreign matter may not be obtained. Conversely, if the average thickness of the outer layer portion 51C exceeds the above upper limit, it may not be possible to obtain good charging characteristics for attracting foreign matter.

The cleaning roller 51 is charged by the voltage applying mechanism and given a surface potential (surface charge). That is, the cleaning roller 51 contacts the front surface S1 of the object S in a charged state, and attracts and removes relatively fine foreign matter adhering to the front surface S1 of the object S by the force of the electric field. . By electrifying the cleaning roller 51 in this way, even if the object S has holes or depressions on its surface, foreign substances in the holes or depressions can be efficiently removed.

The voltage applied to the cleaning roller 51 has the same polarity as the voltage applied to the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4 and has a lower absolute value. The lower limit of the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 51 is, for example, -400V, preferably -200V. On the other hand, the applied voltage is, for example, less than 0V, preferably -50V or less. In this manner, the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 51 is made to have the same polarity as the voltage applied to the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4 and has a lower absolute value. can be removed from the front surface S1 of the . 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. FIG. 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, it can be effectively charged when a voltage is applied.

In addition, the cleaning roller 51 is preferably set to a height such that an appropriate pressure can be applied to the object S between the cleaning roller 51 and the facing resin roller 61 in order to increase the collection efficiency of fine foreign matter. The pressure applied to the object S by the cleaning roller 51 and the opposing 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 this embodiment. Further, the cleaning roller 51 also has a function of applying an appropriate driving force to the object S together with the facing resin roller 61 . This makes it easier for the object S to enter below the brush roller 71 of the rear brush roller unit 7 rotating in the direction opposite to the conveying direction D, which will be described later.

(brush roller)
The brush roller 52 is a front-side second brush roller that collects foreign matter removed from the object S by the cleaning roller 51 . . The brush roller 52 in a charged state is rotationally driven in the counterclockwise direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the cleaning roller 51 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 planted on the outer peripheral surface of the core rod 52A via an adhesive layer 52B (see FIG. 3). Since the details are the same as those of the core rod 41A and the brush bristles 41C of the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4, redundant description will be omitted. The voltage applied to the brush roller 52 (the voltage applied to the core rod 52A) is made to have the same polarity as the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 51 and have a higher absolute value. Specifically, the lower limit of the voltage applied to the brush roller 52 is preferably −800 V, more preferably −600 V, similarly to the brush roller 41 of the front side 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 53 is a second collection roller on the front side for collecting the foreign matter collected from the cleaning roller 51 by the brush roller 52. are placed. The collection roller 53 is charged by the voltage application mechanism and is driven to rotate in the counterclockwise direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the brush roller 52 by power from an external drive source. Since the details of the collection roller 53 can be the same as those of the collection roller 42 of the front side brush roller unit 4 described above, redundant description will be omitted.

The voltage applied to the collecting roller 53 has the same polarity as the voltage applied to the brush roller 52 and has a higher absolute value. The lower limit of the absolute value of the difference between the voltage applied to the collecting roller 53 and the voltage applied to the brush roller 52 is preferably 200V, more preferably 300V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the absolute value of the difference is preferably 600V, more preferably 500V. The lower limit of the voltage applied to the collection roller 53 is preferably -1,500V, more preferably -1,200V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the applied voltage is preferably -400V, more preferably -600V. By setting the voltage applied to the collection roller 53 to have the same polarity and a higher absolute value than the voltage applied 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. Since the polarity is the same and the absolute value is higher than that of the brush roller 52 , foreign matter adhering to the brush roller 52 can be attracted to the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 53 . In particular, by setting the difference between the voltages applied to the collection roller 53 and the brush roller 52 within the above range and the voltage applied to the collection roller 53 within the above range, the foreign matter adhering to the brush roller 52 is removed from the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 53 . can be effectively adsorbed to

The collecting roller 53 is arranged downstream of the brush roller 52 in the conveying direction. As a result, even if the recovery roller 53 has a diameter smaller than that of the brush roller 52 , the blade 53 described later can scrape off foreign matter downstream in the conveying direction, thereby suppressing re-adsorption of the foreign matter to the brush roller 52 .

The collection roller 53 may be rotated in either the forward or reverse direction with respect to the brush roller 52, and should preferably be rotated in such a direction that the blade 54, which will be described later, can easily collect foreign matter from the outer peripheral surface. In this embodiment, the collecting roller 53 rotates in a direction opposite to the brush roller 52 (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) as shown in FIG. ing. The lower limit of the ratio of the rotation speed of the recovery roller 53 to the rotation speed of the brush roller 52 is preferably 1.0. On the other hand, the upper limit of the magnification of the rotational speed is preferably 1.5 times. As a result, 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 collecting roller 53 . Details of the blade 54 and the blade support portion 53a that supports the blade are the same as those of the blade 43 and the blade support portion 43a of the front side brush roller unit 4 described above.

(Foreign matter collecting section)
The foreign matter recovery unit 55 recovers and stores foreign matter scraped off the recovery roller 53 by the blade 54 . The foreign matter collector 55 is arranged below the tip of the blade 54 and downstream of the brush roller 52 in the conveying direction. The collected foreign matter 55 is fitted into the opening of the downstream plate of the housing 50, and can be pulled out downstream in the conveying direction through this opening. A gripping portion 55A is provided on the downstream side of the foreign matter recovery portion 55, and the foreign matter recovery portion 55 can be easily taken in and out using the gripping portion 55A. Further, since the foreign matter collecting portion 55 can be pulled out to the downstream side in the conveying direction, it is convenient in that the foreign matter can be collected by pulling out the cleaning roller unit 5 while it is fixed to the holder 1 .

(height adjustment mechanism)
The front side cleaning roller unit 5 is preferably configured so that its height can be adjusted by a height adjustment mechanism. By adjusting the height of the front side cleaning roller unit 5 with the height adjustment mechanism in this way, the pressing force (nip width) of the cleaning roller 51 against the object S can be adjusted, and as a result, fine foreign matter can be removed. can be done efficiently.

As a specific example of the height adjusting mechanism for the front side cleaning roller unit 5, for example, the same mechanism as the height adjusting mechanism for the front side brush roller unit 4 can be used.

As described above, the front side brush roller unit 4 and the front side cleaning roller unit 5 are both detachable, so it is possible to independently provide a height adjustment mechanism for each unit. Therefore, in the cleaning device, the optimum pressure contact condition for the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4 to the object S and the optimum pressure contact condition for the cleaning roller 51 of the front side cleaning roller unit 5 to the object S are different. Even in this case, each pressure contact state can be optimized.

[Back facing roller unit]
The back side facing roller unit 6 defines the conveying 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. ). The back side facing roller unit 6 mainly includes a pair of facing rollers consisting of a facing metal roller 60 which is a first facing roller on the back side and a facing resin roller 61 which is a second facing roller on the back side, and an auxiliary roller 62 . ing. From the standpoint of maintainability, the rear facing roller unit 6 is preferably detachably attached to the holder 1 .

Here, in order to accurately control the amount of pressure contact of the brush bristles 41C of the brush roller 41 against the object S, it is advantageous that the hardness of the first opposing roller holding the object S on its lower surface is high. Therefore, since the opposed metal roller 60 is a relatively hard metal roller, the brush bristles 41C of the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4 are appropriately brought into contact with the object S and relatively large from the front side 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 between itself and the second opposing roller in order to efficiently adsorb fine foreign matter to its surface. to the target object S may make collection difficult. Therefore, a roller having a high hardness such as a metal roller is not suitable as the second opposing roller, and a resin roller having a hardness approximately equal to that of the cleaning roller 51 is preferable. Therefore, since the opposing resin roller 61 is an elastic resin roller (elastic roller), an appropriate pressure is applied to the object S between itself and the cleaning roller 51 of the front side cleaning roller unit 5 to improve adhesion. Since a suitable nip width can be secured, fine foreign matter can be efficiently removed from the front surface S1 of the object S by the cleaning roller 51 .

(opposed metal roller)
The opposing metal roller 60 faces the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4 with the object S interposed therebetween, and is disposed immediately below the brush roller 41 so as to contact the object S. is a roller. The opposing metal roller 60 is rotationally driven in the forward direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the conveying direction D of the object S. As shown in FIG. That is, the opposed metal roller 60 is rotationally driven in the direction opposite to the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4 . Details of the facing metal roller 60 are the same as those of the collecting roller 42 of the front side brush roller unit 4 . However, the opposing metal roller 60 is electrically grounded by the voltage application mechanism, thereby generating an electric field suitable for removing foreign matter when the brush roller 41 is charged.

The surface of the opposing metal roller 60 may be coated with urethane resin or the like in order to prevent the rear surface S2 of the object S from being damaged. When the opposing metal roller 60 is surface-treated or coated, the electrical resistance of the opposing metal roller 60 is preferably 10 ⁸ Ω or less. Since the electrical resistance of the opposing metal roller 42 is 10 ⁸ Ω or less, the opposing metal roller 42 can easily be electrically grounded.

As described above, the brush roller 41 needs to have the amount of bite into the object S accurately controlled. For this purpose, the first back facing roller facing the brush roller 41 needs to support the object S stably. Therefore, it is preferable that the first rear facing roller has a high hardness, and specifically, the facing metal roller 60 is preferable as in the present embodiment. However, the first backside facing roller does not necessarily have to be a metal roller, and a conductive resin roller or the like with high hardness may be used as long as the amount of bite of the brush into the object S can be controlled.

(opposing resin roller)
The opposing resin roller 61 faces the cleaning roller 51 of the front side cleaning roller unit 5 with the object S interposed therebetween, and is disposed directly below the cleaning roller 51 so as to contact the object S. As shown in FIG. The opposed resin roller 61 is rotationally driven in the forward direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the conveying direction D of the object S. As shown in FIG. That is, the facing resin roller 61 is rotationally driven in the forward direction with respect to the cleaning roller 51 . Details of the opposing resin roller 61 are substantially the same as those of the cleaning roller 51 of the front side cleaning roller unit 5 . However, in the formation of the outer layer portion of the facing resin roller 61, it is preferable to blend titanium oxide, barium titanate, or the like as particles that form the base of the microprojections used for forming the microprojections. By using titanium oxide, barium titanate, or the like as the particles, the density of the fine projections becomes coarse, and the object S can be transported appropriately. Further, the facing resin roller 61 is electrically grounded by the voltage application mechanism, and an electric field suitable for removing foreign matter can be generated between the opposing resin roller 61 and the charged cleaning roller 51 .

As described above, the cleaning roller 51 and the opposing resin roller 61 are set so as to apply appropriate pressure to the object S in order to improve the collection efficiency of fine foreign matter. If the pressure is too low, the cleaning roller 51 and the opposed resin roller 61 may not be able to provide a sufficient driving force to push the object S into the brush roller 71 of the back brush unit 7. If it is too large, the foreign matter may be pressed against the object S and adhered to it, making it impossible to recover. Therefore, in order to adjust this pressure, an elastic body or the like may be used to press the opposed resin roller 61 toward the cleaning roller 51 .

(auxiliary roller)
The auxiliary roller 62 guides the movement of the object S transported 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 this auxiliary roller 62 can be the same as that of the opposing resin roller 61 .

<Back side cleaning mechanism>
The backside cleaning mechanism 3B removes foreign matter from the backside surface S2 of the object S. As shown in FIG. The back side cleaning mechanism 3B has a configuration in which the front side cleaning mechanism 3A is generally inverted upside down, and has a back side brush roller unit 7, a back side cleaning roller unit 8, and a front side opposing 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 a brush roller 71, and removes foreign matter from the back side of the object S (below the conveying path) from the back side opposed roller unit 6 of the front side cleaning mechanism 3A. are arranged adjacently on the downstream side in the conveying direction. The back side brush roller unit 7 mainly includes a brush roller 71, a collecting roller 72 and a blade 73, and its basic configuration is the same as that of the front side brush roller unit 4 of the front side 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 conveying roller 45 and the foreign matter collector 44 are not provided. The reason why the back side brush roller unit 7 is not provided with a member corresponding to the conveying roller 45 is that although the brush roller 71 is rotationally driven in the opposite direction to the conveying direction D, the conveying direction is faster than the brush roller 71 . This is because the cleaning roller 51 and the opposing resin roller 61, which are arranged upstream in the direction, give the object S an appropriate driving force for the brush roller 71 to enter downward. Further, the back side brush roller unit 7 is not provided with a member corresponding to the foreign matter collecting portion 44, but the foreign matter can be discharged to the outside of the unit because the bottom portion thereof is open. Foreign matter discharged from the back brush roller unit 7 is collected by a foreign matter collecting section 13 provided at the bottom of the holder 1 together with foreign matter discharged from the rear cleaning roller unit 8 which will be described later. From the standpoint of maintainability, the back brush roller unit 7 is preferably detachably attached to the holder 1 .

(brush roller)
The brush roller 71 contacts the back surface S2 of the object S in a state of being charged by the voltage application mechanism, and is driven to rotate in a direction opposite to the conveying direction D of the object S (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2). It is the first brush roller on the back side that removes relatively large millimeter-sized foreign matter on the back side surface S2 of the object S by being pressed. Such a brush roller 71 has a cylindrical core rod 71A and a plurality of brush bristles 71C planted on the outer peripheral surface of the core rod 71A via an adhesive layer 71B (see FIG. 3). Since the details are the same as those of the core rod 41A and the brush bristles 41C of the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4, redundant description will be omitted. The voltage applied to the brush roller 71 (the voltage applied to the core rod 71A) is set to have the same polarity and higher absolute value than the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 80 of the back side cleaning roller unit 8, which will be described later. . Specifically, the lower limit of the voltage applied to the brush roller 71 is preferably −800 V, more preferably −600 V, similarly to the brush roller 41 of the front side 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 from the back surface S2 of the object S by the brush roller 71. The collection roller 72 is substantially parallel to the brush roller 71 below the brush roller 71 and has brush bristles 71C. is arranged in contact with the The recovery roller 72 is charged by the voltage application mechanism and is driven to rotate in the counterclockwise direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the brush roller 71 by power from an external drive source. 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, redundant description will be omitted.

The voltage applied to the collecting roller 72 should have the same polarity as the voltage applied to the brush roller 71 and have a higher absolute value. The lower limit of the absolute value of the difference between the voltage applied to the collecting roller 72 and the voltage applied to the brush roller 71 is preferably 200V, more preferably 300V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the absolute value of the difference is preferably 600V, more preferably 500V. The lower limit of the voltage applied to the collection roller 72 is preferably -1,500V, more preferably -1,200V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the applied voltage is preferably -400V, more preferably -600V. By setting the voltage applied to the collection roller 72 to have the same polarity and a higher absolute value than the voltage applied to the brush roller 71, the potential of the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 72 becomes the potential of the brush bristles 71C of the brush roller 71. Since the polarity is the same as that of the brush roller 71 and the absolute value is high, the foreign matter adhering to the brush roller 71 can be attracted to the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 72 . In particular, by setting the difference in the voltage applied to the collection roller 72 and the brush roller 71 to the above range and the voltage applied to the collection roller 72 to the above range, the foreign matter adhering to the brush roller 71 is removed from the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 72 . can be effectively adsorbed to

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

(blade)
The blade 73 is a third blade that scrapes foreign matter from the recovery roller 72 . The details of the blade 73 and the blade support portion 73a that supports it 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.

[Back side cleaning roller unit]
The back side cleaning roller unit 8 removes fine foreign matter on the back side surface S2 of the object S with a cleaning roller 80, and the back side of the object S (below the conveying path) is closer to the conveying direction than the back side brush roller unit 7. It is arranged adjacently on 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 its basic configuration is the front side cleaning roller unit 5 of the front side cleaning mechanism 3A described above. is similar to However, the back side brush roller unit 7 differs from the front side brush roller unit 4 in that it has a conveying roller 85 and does not have a member corresponding to the foreign matter collecting section 55 . The back side brush roller unit 7 is not provided with a member corresponding to the foreign matter recovery section 55, but has an opening at the bottom so that foreign matter can be discharged outside the unit. The foreign matter discharged from the back cleaning roller unit 8 is collected together with the foreign matter discharged from the back brush roller unit 7 by a foreign matter collecting section 13 provided at the bottom of the holder 1 . From the standpoint of maintainability, the rear cleaning roller unit 8 is preferably detachably attached to the holder 1 .

(cleaning roller)
The cleaning roller 80 is a back side cleaning roller that removes fine foreign matter from the back side surface S2 of the object S, and is arranged on the back side of the object S (below the transport path). The cleaning roller 80 rotates in a forward direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the conveying direction D on a rotating shaft substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction D and substantially parallel to the conveying surface in a state where the outer peripheral surface is charged by the voltage applying mechanism. ). 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, so duplicate description will be omitted.

The voltage applied to the cleaning roller 80 has the same polarity as the voltage applied to the brush roller 71 of the back brush roller unit 7 and has a lower absolute value. The lower limit of the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 80 is, for example, -400V, preferably -200V. On the other hand, the applied voltage is, for example, less than 0 V, preferably -50 V or less. In this manner, the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 80 is made to have the same polarity as the voltage applied to the brush roller 71 of the back brush roller unit 7 and has a lower absolute value. S can be removed from the back surface S2. 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 from the back surface S2 of the object S by the cleaning roller 80, and is arranged below the cleaning roller 80 in contact with the cleaning roller 80. It is The brush roller 81 rotates in the opposite direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the cleaning roller 80 on a rotating shaft substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction D and substantially parallel to the conveying surface while being charged by the voltage applying mechanism. driven. Similar to the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4, the brush roller 81 has a plurality of brush bristles 81C planted on a core rod 81A via an adhesive layer 81B. It is similar to the brush roller 41 of the unit 4.

The voltage applied to the brush roller 81 (the voltage applied to the core rod 81A) has the same polarity as the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 80 and has a higher absolute value. Specifically, the lower limit of the voltage applied to the brush roller 81 is preferably −800 V, more preferably −600 V, similarly to the brush roller 41 of the front side 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 82 is a second collection roller on the back side for collecting fine foreign matters collected from the cleaning roller 80 by the brush roller 81, and is substantially parallel to the brush roller 81 below the brush roller 81 and in contact with the brush bristles 81C. are arranged. The recovery roller 82 is charged by the voltage applying mechanism and is driven to rotate counterclockwise (clockwise in FIG. 2) with respect to the brush roller 81 by power from an external drive source. Since the details of the collection roller 82 can be the same as those of the collection roller 42 of the front side brush roller unit 4 described above, redundant description will be omitted.

The voltage applied to the collecting roller 82 is made to have the same polarity as the voltage applied to the brush roller 81 and have a higher absolute value. 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, more preferably 300V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the absolute value of the difference is preferably 600V, more preferably 500V. The lower limit of the voltage applied to the collection roller 82 is preferably -1,500V, more preferably -1,200V. On the other hand, the upper limit of the applied voltage is preferably -400V, more preferably -600V. By setting the voltage applied to the collection roller 82 to have the same polarity and a higher absolute value than the voltage applied to the brush roller 81, the potential of the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 82 becomes the potential of the brush bristles 81C of the brush roller 81. Since the polarity is the same and the absolute value is higher than that of the brush roller 81 , the foreign matter adhering to the brush roller 81 can be attracted to the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 82 . In particular, by setting the difference between the voltages applied to the collection roller 82 and the brush roller 81 within the above range and the voltage applied to the collection roller 82 within the above range, the foreign matter adhering to the brush roller 81 can be removed from the outer peripheral surface of the collection roller 82 . can be effectively adsorbed to

The collecting roller 82 may be rotated in either forward or reverse direction with respect to the brush roller 81, and may be driven in a rotational direction that facilitates collection of foreign matters from the outer peripheral surface by the blade 83, which will be described later. . In this embodiment, the collecting roller 82 rotates in a direction opposite to the brush roller 81 (clockwise direction in FIG. 2) as shown in FIG. there is The lower limit of the ratio of the rotation speed of the recovery roller 82 to the rotation speed of the brush roller 81 is preferably 1.0. On the other hand, the upper limit of the magnification of the rotational speed is preferably 1.5 times. As a result, foreign matter can be effectively moved from the brush roller 81 to the collection roller 82 .

(blade)
A blade 83 is a fourth blade that scrapes foreign matter from the recovery roller 81 . The details of the blade 83 and the blade support portion 83a that supports it 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 arranged downstream of the cleaning roller 800 in the transport direction. As the conveying roller 85, the same one as the facing resin roller 61 is preferably used.

[Front facing roller unit]
The front side facing roller unit 9 defines the conveying path of the object S together with the brush roller 71 of the back brush roller unit 7 and the cleaning roller 80 of the back cleaning roller unit 8. ). The front facing roller unit 9 mainly includes a housing 90, a facing metal roller 91 as a first front facing roller, and a facing resin roller 92 as a second front facing roller. It is detachably arranged. The cleaning device has a device main body that is fixedly installed on a base on the ground of a factory or the like, and a front-side opposed roller unit 9 is detachably arranged thereon. Since the front facing roller unit 9 is detachably attached to the holder 1 in this way, the front facing roller unit 9 can be easily removed from the holder 1 and the brush roller 71 of the back brush roller unit 7 and the back cleaning roller unit 8 can be removed. cleaning roller 80 can be exposed. Therefore, since the brush roller 71 and the cleaning roller 80 can be easily replaced and cleaned, maintenance is excellent. In addition, maintenance of the opposing metal roller 91 and the opposing resin roller 92 housed in the housing 90 is easier than when they are incorporated and fixed in the holder 1 .

(Case)
The housing 90 accommodates the facing metal roller 91 and the facing resin roller 92 into a unit, and is detachable from the holder 1 . A top plate of the housing 90 is provided with a pair of gripping portions 90A spaced apart in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the transport direction D. As shown in FIG. The pair of grips 90A are used when the front facing roller unit 9 is attached and detached. The housing 90 has an opening 90B in the bottom plate, and a part of the facing metal roller 91 and the facing resin roller 92 protrude from the opening 90B. The material forming the housing 90 is not particularly limited, and metal such as stainless steel is preferably used, for example.

(opposed metal roller)
The opposing metal roller 91 faces the brush roller 71 of the back brush roller unit 7 with the object S interposed therebetween, and is arranged directly above the brush roller 71 so as to contact the object S. As shown in FIG. The opposed metal roller 91 is driven to rotate, and rotates in a direction opposite to the brush roller 71 of the back brush roller unit 7 (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2). Details of the facing metal roller 91 are the same as those of the recovery roller 42 of the front side brush roller unit 4 . However, the opposed metal roller 91 is electrically grounded by the voltage applying mechanism, and an electric field suitable for removing foreign substances 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 brush roller unit 7 can be brought into contact with the object S appropriately. Relatively large contaminants can be effectively removed from the back surface S2 of S. However, the front facing roller does not necessarily have to be a metal roller, and a conductive resin roller or the like may be used.

(opposing resin roller)
The facing resin roller 92 faces the cleaning roller 80 of the back side cleaning roller unit 8 with the object S interposed therebetween, and is arranged directly above the cleaning roller 80 so as to contact the object S. As shown in FIG. The opposing 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 . Details of the opposing resin roller 92 are the same as those of the opposing resin roller 61 of the front-side opposing roller unit 6 . However, the opposing resin roller 92 is electrically grounded by the voltage applying mechanism, and an electric field suitable for removing foreign substances can be generated between the opposing resin roller 92 and the cleaning roller 80 .

Since the facing resin roller 92 is an elastic resin roller, a suitable nip width can be secured between the opposing resin 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 enhanced. The cleaning roller 80 can effectively remove minute foreign matter from the back surface S2 of the object S. As shown in FIG. The rear brush roller unit 7 and the rear cleaning roller unit 8 of the rear cleaning mechanism 3B are also provided with height adjusting mechanisms for adjusting their heights, similarly to the front cleaning mechanism 3A.

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

[Unit and holder terminals]
An example of terminals of the unit and the holder 1 used for electrically connecting each unit to an external power source, ground, etc. will be described below. FIG. 11 shows unit-side terminals 110 arranged at one or both ends of each unit in the transport width direction. FIG. 12 shows holder-side terminals 120 arranged on the inner surface of the holder 1 . In the cleaning device, it is preferable that all units are electrically connected to an external power source or the like by this connection structure, but some or all of the units are electrically connected to an external power source or the like by a conventionally known connection structure. may have been

The unit-side terminal 110 of FIG. 11 includes two unit-side metal plates 111 arranged in parallel along the axis Z parallel to the transport direction D, and the unit-side terminals 110 so as to surround each unit-side metal plate 111 in a plan view. It mainly includes two covers 112 that are arranged. The unit-side metal plate 111 is electrically connected to the rollers of each unit via wiring (not shown). Although the number of unit-side metal plates 111 included in the unit-side terminal 110 in FIG. 11 is two, the number of unit-side metal plates 111 can be appropriately changed according to the number of rollers of each unit. Also, the shape of the cover 112 can be appropriately changed according to the number of the unit-side metal plates 111 and the like.

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

By attaching each unit to the holder 1, the unit-side terminals 110 in FIG. 11 are electrically connected to the holder-side terminals 120 in FIG. Specifically, by inserting the unit-side metal plates 111 of the unit-side terminals 110 into the holder-side metal plates 122 of the holder-side terminals 120, both metal plates are electrically connected, and the unit-side terminals 110 The cover 112 and the surrounding part 123 are fitted together so that the cover 112 covers the surrounding part 123 . As described above, the cover 112 and the surrounding portion 123 serve as guides when connecting the unit-side terminals 110 and the holder-side terminals 120, so that the terminals can be easily connected, and the connected terminals can be firmly secured. can be fixed to Therefore, by using the above-described unit-side terminals 110 and holder-side terminals 120 in the cleaning device, it is possible to easily connect the units electrically at the same time as the units are mounted, thereby improving convenience and ensuring a strong connection. 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.

[Mechanism for applying voltage to roller]
Each unit is usually provided with a voltage applying mechanism (including a mechanism for electrically grounding) near one end of each roller, and a wiring between the unit-side terminal 110 and the voltage applying mechanism is electrically connected. 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 applying mechanism. In this case, a drive mechanism such as a gear for driving each roller should preferably be provided near the other end of each roller after using a member made of an insulating material. FIG. 13 shows, as an example of the voltage application mechanism, a conical recess 130a provided on one end surface of the roller 130 and a hemispherical tip portion, the tip portion of which corresponds to the conical recess of the roller 130. 130a shows a voltage application mechanism comprising a housing-side electrode 131 in contact with the inner peripheral surface of 130a and a metal leaf spring 132 connected to the housing-side electrode 131 and pressurizing the housing-side electrode 131 toward the roller 130 side. . The center 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 transport width direction. The space 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 wiring (not shown), and voltage is applied to the roller 130 via the wiring, the leaf spring 132, the housing-side electrode 131, and the recess 130a. be done. This voltage application mechanism can suppress abrasion of the roller 130 and the housing-side electrode 131 by bringing the housing-side electrode 131 into contact with the vicinity of the central axis of the roller 130, that is, a portion of the roller 130 where the peripheral speed is relatively low. Further, the roller 130 was vibrated by bringing the hemispherical tip of the housing-side electrode 131 into contact with the conical recess provided in the roller 130 and pressurizing the housing-side electrode 131 toward the roller 130 by the leaf spring 132. It becomes easy to maintain electrical contact even in the case. Furthermore, by bringing the housing-side electrode 131 into contact with the end surface of the roller 130 and pressurizing the housing-side electrode 131 in the conveying width direction by the leaf spring 132, the deflection of the leaf spring 132 is suppressed even if the roller 130 vibrates vertically. Therefore, it becomes easier to stably pressurize. Furthermore, by bringing the inner peripheral surface of the conical depression 130a and the hemispherical tip of the housing-side electrode 131 into contact with each other, a space surrounded by the depression 130a and the tip of the housing-side electrode 101 is formed. Grease can be enclosed in the space to suppress its scattering. However, if necessary, a cover or the like may be provided around the voltage application mechanism in order to further suppress the grease from scattering.

However, the voltage application mechanism in each unit is not limited to that shown in FIG. A method of applying a voltage by contacting each roller, and the like can be mentioned.

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

[Other embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various modified and improved modes in addition to the above-described modes. In particular, FIGS. 1 and 2 merely show an example of the cleaning device, and for example, the layer structure of each roller may differ from that of FIG.

Of the rollers of the cleaning device, rollers other than the first brush roller, the cleaning roller and the pair of opposing rollers may be driven rollers. In this way, even if some of the rollers of the cleaning device are driven rollers, the driven rollers are in contact with other rollers that are rotationally driven and conveyed objects, so that they can be driven to perform their functions. . Further, the rotating direction of the first brush roller is preferably counter rotating with respect to the conveying direction of the object, but may be rotating forward. Furthermore, the rotation direction of the cleaning roller is preferably forward rotation with respect to the conveying direction of the object.

The cleaning device may include at least one first brush roller, one cleaning roller, one pair of opposing rollers, and one voltage applying mechanism, and other configurations are optional. Also, the first brush roller, the cleaning roller and the pair of opposing rollers may not be unitized and may be directly fixed to the holder of the cleaning device.

Further, in the above embodiment, instead of providing openings in the bottoms of the back side cleaning roller unit and the back side brush roller unit, the back side cleaning roller unit and the back side brush roller unit may each be provided with a foreign matter collection section.

Furthermore, in the example of this embodiment, both the pair of facing rollers are electrically grounded, but other configurations may be adopted. For example, both of the pair of opposed rollers may be fixed at 0 V, or may be fixed at a predetermined positive potential depending on the charging state of the foreign matter. The condition to be satisfied is that a fixed potential, which serves as a reference for the charged brush roller 41 and the charged cleaning roller 51, is applied to the pair of opposing rollers. Therefore, different fixed potentials can be applied to each of the pair of facing rollers, if 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 matter cannot be generated, so the lower limit of this potential difference is preferably 50V.

It goes without saying that if the foreign matter is extremely negatively charged, the brush rollers 41 and 71 and the cleaning rollers 51 and 80 can be set to a positive potential within the scope of the concept of the present invention. Also in this case, the pair of opposed rollers may be electrically grounded, or may be applied with a fixed potential as a reference. This fixed potential may be 0 V, or may be a predetermined negative potential or positive potential depending on the charging state of the foreign matter.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

<Optimization of brush roller (bristles)>
With the aim of selecting a brush bristle material suitable for removing foreign matter from the viewpoint of triboelectrification, the electrification series was determined by evaluating the electrification of a work (object) and brush bristles.

As the bristles, materials having properties shown in Table 1 below were used. In Table 1 below, "-" indicates that the corresponding property was not measured.

As the target objects and the foreign matter, the target market target and the foreign matter which is a problem in the market were used. Specifically, an acrylic plate, a glass plate, a green sheet, and a PET film were used as objects, and acrylic shavings, copper powder, ceramic scum (cera-cass), glass shavings, polyester particles, and fibers were used as foreign substances. .

The triboelectrification properties of the object and the brush bristles were evaluated by measuring the polarity when the objects were triboelectrically charged, the object and the brush bristles, or the brush bristles against each other, using a surface potential meter. The charge relationship between the foreign matter and the object was evaluated by sandwiching the foreign matter between the objects and triboelectrically electrifying the foreign matter, then sucking the foreign matter and measuring the amount of charge with a digital electrometer. These evaluation results are shown as an electrification series in FIG.

In general, in the electrification series, the bristles of a brush made of a material having opposite polarity to the object and the foreign matter and positioned as far away as possible have a higher ability to attract foreign matter. Therefore, from the results of FIG. 14, it is inferred that materials 1 and 4, which are conductive polyester, are suitable for removing foreign matter.

Next, with respect to the conductive polyester, which is presumed to be most suitable for foreign matter removal, the performance of removing foreign matter was evaluated using Material 1 and Material 4. In this evaluation, the cleaning device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 was used to remove foreign matter from the object S, and the material of the brush bristles 41C of the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4 was set to material 1 or material 4. The foreign matter recovery rate to the foreign matter recovery unit 44 in the case was calculated. As the object S, a green sheet to which ceramic scum was adhered was used. As a result, the foreign matter recovery rate was 86.6% when the material 1 was used, whereas it was 26.7% when the material 4 was used. Therefore, it is judged that material 1, which is a relatively thick fiber, is preferable as the brush bristle. The reason why the recovery rate in the case of using material 4 was lower than the recovery rate in the case of using material 1, which has the same triboelectrification property, is presumed 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 the relatively large ceramic scum attached to the object S cannot be moved. It is believed that there is.

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

As the bristles of the brush roller, conductive polyester of material 1, which gave favorable results in the previous evaluation, was used. A PET film having a thickness of 50 μm was used as the object. Polyester particles with a particle size of 50 μm to 150 μm were used as foreign matter. The predetermined voltage applied to the brush roller was 0V, -100V, -400V, -800V or -1,600V. FIG. 16 shows the evaluation results of the dust adsorption width.

As can be seen from FIG. 16, it was confirmed that when the voltage applied to the brush roller was -400 V, the dust adsorption width was the largest, that is, the adsorption performance was high. Moreover, 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, and 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, foreign matter was removed from an object while varying the peripheral speed of the brush roller 41 of the front side brush roller unit 4 and the amount of pressure contact with the object. In this way, the effect of the peripheral speed of the brush roller and the amount of pressure contact of the brush roller against the object on foreign matter removal was studied.

The effect of the peripheral speed of the brush roller was evaluated as a relationship with the removability of the ceramic scum by varying the ratio (B/W) of the peripheral speed B of the brush roller to the conveying speed W of the object. As a result, when the B/W was 50% (for example, the circumferential speed of the brush roller was 6 m/min with respect to the conveying speed of the object of 12 m/min), the ceramic scum was flicked 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 25%, the above-mentioned repelling was suppressed. In general, it is judged that B/W is preferably 25% or less because smaller foreign matters are more likely to be repelled than large foreign matters.

The effect of the pressure contact amount of the brush roller on the object was evaluated by removing the ceramic scum while changing the pressure contact amount to 0.3 mm or 0.6 mm. As a result, when the pressure contact amount was 0.3 mm, part of the ceramic scum slipped through the brush roller and remained on the object. On the other hand, when the pressure contact amount was 0.6 mm, the ceramic scum could be removed. Here, as the amount of pressure contact is increased, the ability to remove foreign matter is improved. However, the upper limit of the amount of pressure contact differs for each object. Therefore, by adjusting the height of the brush roller unit using the height adjustment mechanism, it is possible to optimize the pressure contact amount of the brush roller even when the thickness, type, condition, etc. of the object are different.

<Confirmation of cleaning performance>
The cleaning performance of the cleaning device was evaluated. Specifically, for various combinations of foreign substances and objects, the cleaning apparatus shown in FIGS. It was evaluated by imaging.

Specific combinations of foreign objects and objects were ceramic punch scum and green sheet, sebum and polarizing plate, cotton fiber and acrylic plate, polyester fiber and green sheet, or polyester particles and PET film. Moreover, the conveying speed of the object was set to 10 m/min. The imaging results of each combination are shown in (A) to (F) of FIGS. 17 to 19. FIG. 17 to 19 (A) to (F), the left figure shows the imaging result before cleaning, and the right figure shows the imaging result after cleaning. 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 ceramic waste of various sizes and shapes (length 0.1 to 3 mm, thickness 170 μm). In the combination of FIG. 18C, the object Sc is the deflection plate and the foreign matter Xc is sebum. In the combination of FIG. 18D, the object Sd is an acrylic plate and the foreign matter Xd is cotton fiber. In the combination of (E) in FIG. 19, the object Se is a green sheet and the foreign matter Xe is a polyester fiber (2 to 15 mm in length). In the combination of (F) in FIG. 19, the object Sf is a PET film and the foreign matter Xf is polyester particles (particle size 50 to 150 μm).

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

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

1 holder 2A upstream external transport mechanism 2B downstream external transport mechanism 3 cleaning mechanism 4 front side brush roller unit 41 brush roller 42 recovery roller 43 blade 45 transport roller 5 front side cleaning roller unit 51 cleaning roller 51A core rod 51B inner layer portion 51C outer layer portion 52 brush roller 53 recovery roller 54 blade 6 back facing roller unit 60 opposing metal roller 61 opposing resin roller 62 auxiliary roller 7 back brush roller unit 71 brush roller 72 recovery roller 73 blade 8 back cleaning roller unit 80 cleaning roller 81 brush roller 81A core Rod 81B Adhesive layer 81C Brush bristles 82 Collection roller 83 Blade 9 Front-side opposed roller unit 91 Opposed metal roller 92 Opposed resin roller 101 Fixed member 102 Slide member 103 Top plate 104 Cover 110 Unit-side terminal 111 Unit-side electrode plate 112 Cover 120 Holder side Terminal 121 Base 122 Holder-side electrode plate 123 Surrounding part 130 Roller 130a Recess 131 Case-side electrode 132 Plate spring S Object S1 Front surface S2 Back surface D Conveying direction

Claims (1)

A cleaning device for removing foreign matter on the surface of a plate-like or film-like object while conveying the object,
A front side brush roller is detachably arranged above the object to be conveyed and removes foreign matter from the front surface of the object, and a front side brush roller is arranged upstream of the front side brush roller to convey the object. a front side brush roller unit having a transport roller for
a front-side cleaning roller unit detachably disposed above the object and downstream of the front-side brush roller unit in the conveying direction, the front-side cleaning roller unit removing foreign matter from the front surface of the object with the front-side cleaning roller;
A ratio B/W of the peripheral speed B of the front side brush roller to the conveying speed W of the object is 25% or less,
A cleaning device in which the brush roller rotates in the opposite direction to the transport direction of the object being transported, and the transport roller and the cleaning roller rotate in the forward direction.

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