TW201907752A - Electricity removal room, static elimination system and static elimination method - Google Patents

Abstract

A static charge eliminating booth (20) is provided at a boundary between a first section (11) and a second section (12). The static charge eliminating booth has a first partition (26) for partitioning the first section from the space in the booth, a second partition (27) for partitioning the second section from the space inside the booth, and a humidifying nozzle (21) arranged in the space inside the booth between the first partition and the second partition. The humidifying nozzle increases the humidity of the space inside the booth by spraying water mist or water vapor.

Description

Static elimination room, static elimination system and static elimination method

The present invention relates to a static elimination room that removes electricity from a person or an object in order to maintain and improve the cleanliness of a clean room, and a static elimination system using the static elimination room. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for removing electricity.

In clean rooms such as manufacturing plants for optical materials, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, food, etc., a certain degree of cleanliness is required. When the dust attached to the clothes and materials of the operators is brought into the clean room, the cleanliness of the clean room will be reduced. Therefore, for the purpose of removing the dust attached to the clothes, materials, etc. of the workers who want to enter the clean room, an air shower room is provided at the entrance of the clean room. In the air shower room, high-pressure air with a wind speed of about 20 m / s to 30 m / s is blown out from the air ejection holes to blow off and remove the attached dust.

When the clothes of workers are static, there may be cases where the attached dust cannot be sufficiently removed even if high-pressure air is sprayed from the air spray holes. In addition, there are cases where a plurality of areas with different cleanliness are installed in the clean room to manage the cleanliness. When the clothes of the workers are static, dust mixed into the clean room will adhere to the workers, causing the dust to be brought in. Areas of higher cleanliness. Patent Document 1 describes a method of ejecting high-pressure high-pressure air into a person or object entering a wind shower room to form a state in which it is difficult to generate static electricity and remove dust. Prior Art Literature Patent Literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-74437

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In the method of spraying high-humidity high-pressure air to remove electricity, it is necessary to spray high-humidity air until the indoor air is replaced with high-humidity air to increase the indoor humidity. Therefore, the residence time of a person or an object in the room becomes longer, resulting in a decrease in work efficiency. Also, in the wind shower, the high-pressure air from the air ejection holes is directly sprayed on people or objects. Therefore, when the spray time of the high-humidity air is prolonged, there is a problem that the clothes and the like get wet.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a static elimination room and a static elimination system for a clean room that can efficiently remove static electricity of a person or an object even if they stay in the room for a short time. Solution to Problem

The static elimination system of the present invention removes electricity from a person or an object in a static elimination room provided at the junction of the first area and the second area. The static elimination room includes a first partition that spatially separates the first area from the indoor space, a second partition that separates the second area from the indoor space, and is provided on the first partition and the second partition. Humidifying nozzle for the indoor space between. Each of the first separator and the second separator can be opened and closed. People or objects stranded in the first area can open the first partition and enter the indoor space. After the elimination of electricity, the person or object stranded in the indoor space is opened to the second partition and enters the second area.

The humidification nozzle can spray water or water vapor into the indoor space in a mist form. By spraying water or water vapor from the humidifying nozzle into the indoor space in a mist form, the humidity of the indoor space can be increased, and the person or object staying in the indoor space can be de-energized. Preferably, water droplets having an average particle diameter of 20 μm or less are sprayed from the humidifying nozzle in a mist form.

Preferably, the power-removal system is provided with a sensor in addition to the power-supply room described above. The sensor detects the approach of a person or an object staying in the first area within a certain distance from the static elimination room. According to the signal from the sensor, water or water vapor is sprayed into the indoor space in a mist form. Therefore, it is possible to increase the humidity of the indoor space before a person or an object opens the first partition and enters the indoor space from the first area. Effect of the invention

The static elimination room of the present invention raises the humidity of the indoor space by spraying water or water vapor in a mist form from the humidification nozzle, so it can efficiently remove the static electricity of people or objects staying in the indoor space. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time that a person or an object stays indoors. In addition, by starting humidification before a person or an object enters an indoor space based on a signal from a sensor, the time during which a person or an object stays indoors can be further shortened. By shortening the residence time in the room, the working efficiency can be improved, and the time for receiving water vapor from the humidifying nozzle and the humidified air can be shortened, so that the clothing and the like can be prevented from getting wet.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a clean room 100 provided with the static elimination system of the present invention. The clean room 100 has a first area 11 and a second area 12 that requires higher cleanliness than the first area. A static elimination room 20 is provided between the first area 11 and the second area 12.

The static elimination chamber 20 is a humidification chamber for the purpose of removing static electricity from people or objects. The humidification chamber 20 is separated from the first region 11 by a static elimination curtain 26 as a first separator, and is separated from the second region 12 by a static elimination curtain 27 as a second separator. The static elimination curtains 26 and 27 can be opened and closed, and an operator can open the static elimination curtain 26 and enter the humidification chamber 20 from the first area 11.

A humidification nozzle 21 is provided on the ceiling and the wall surface of the humidification chamber 20 separated by the static elimination curtains 26 and 27. The humidification nozzle 21 can spray water droplets and water vapor into the indoor space in a mist form. A drainage channel 29 is provided on the floor surface of the humidification chamber 20, and water accumulated on the floor surface of the room is discharged from the drainage channel 29 to the outside.

The water or water vapor sprayed from the humidifying nozzle 21 in a mist form may be any one that can increase the humidity of the indoor space. In order to prevent workers' clothes from getting wet and exhibiting a high static elimination effect in a high humidity environment, it is preferable to spray fine water droplets called dry mist in a mist form. The dry mist is, for example, a water droplet having an average particle diameter of 20 μm or less. The dry mist can be formed by a fluid nozzle or a two-fluid nozzle, which compresses water to miniaturize the water, and the two-fluid nozzle uses compressed gas to miniaturize the water.

A two-fluid nozzle is preferred because it does not contain coarse water droplets and can reduce the average particle size. By using a two-fluid nozzle, for example, ultrafine water droplets having a maximum particle diameter of 50 μm or less and an average particle diameter of 10 μm or less can be formed. Examples of humidifiers equipped with two-fluid nozzles as humidifying nozzles include "AKIMist D" and "AKIMist E" manufactured by the company's pool.

The relative humidity of the indoor space while the person or object stays in the indoor space is preferably 80% or more, more preferably 85% or more, and still more preferably 90% or more. The relative humidity of the indoor space need not always be within the above range, as long as the maximum value of the relative humidity during the period when a person or an object stays in the indoor space is within the above range. In order to maintain high humidity in the room and efficiently remove static electricity, it is preferable that water or water vapor is continuously sprayed from the humidification nozzle 21 while the worker stays in the room.

After the static elimination is completed, spraying from the humidifying nozzle 21 is stopped, and the worker opens the static elimination curtain 27 and moves to the second area 12. It is also possible to stop the humidification when the worker opens the static elimination curtain 27 or after the worker moves to the second area. The end of the elimination of electricity can be based on the passage of a certain time after the operator enters the indoor space, and the indoor space reaches the set humidity. In addition, the static elimination may be terminated after a specific time elapses after the indoor space has reached a set humidity or more. It can also use beeps, lights from rotating lights, etc. to inform the workers in the room that the power is removed.

In order to remove static electricity by spraying high-pressure air set to high humidity from the air ejection holes of the air shower room, it is necessary to spray high-humidity air until the air in the indoor space is replaced with high-humidity air to increase the humidity in the room. Therefore, the residence time of workers or objects in the room becomes longer, which results in a decrease in work efficiency. In addition, when the time during which high-humidity air is sprayed becomes longer, problems such as wetness of clothes and the like occur.

In contrast, in the static elimination chamber of the present invention, water or water vapor is sprayed from the humidification nozzle 21 in a mist form. In a two-fluid nozzle or the like, air containing fine water droplets is ejected in a mist form, but the relative humidity of the air is substantially 100%. Therefore, it is possible to increase the humidity of the indoor space by using a short-time spray, and to effectively remove static electricity even when the residence time of a person or an object in the indoor space is short.

From the viewpoint of further shortening the residence time in the room, it may be humidified by spraying water or water vapor from the humidification nozzle into the indoor space in advance before the person or object enters the room. For example, if the humidification device is always operated and the indoor space is always humidified, since the humidity has risen when a person or object enters the room, the person or object does not have to wait indoors until the humidity rises, which can be further shortened to Indoor residence time.

On the other hand, it is not economical to make the humidifier always operate. In addition, when water or water vapor is continuously sprayed from the humidification nozzle into the indoor space in a mist state, the floor surface in the room becomes wet, which may cause problems such as indoor pollution or easy slipping of workers. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a sensor 15 for detecting the approach of the worker or the like moving from the first area 11 to the second area 12 toward the humidification chamber 20, and the worker in the first area 11 When approaching the humidification chamber 20, humidification is started by spraying water or water vapor in a mist form from the humidification nozzle into the indoor space.

The sensor 15 is, for example, an infrared sensor, and when the sensor 15 detects that an operator or the like has entered a range of a specific distance d from the humidification chamber 20, the detection signal is transmitted by wire or wirelessly. When the detection signal is received, water or water vapor supplied from the piping 23 is sprayed into the humidification chamber 20 from the humidification nozzle 21 to humidify the room.

Alternatively, the sensor 15 monitors the position (distance from the humidification chamber) of the operator and sends its position information (distance information) in the form of a signal. The control unit (not shown) that receives the position information signal determines whether the operator has approached the room based on the change in the distance between the room and the operator over time. When the operator approaches the room and approaches a certain distance d or less, humidification is started.

The distance d between the humidification chamber and the operator when the indoor humidification is started may be set within a range of about 1 m to 10 m, for example, according to the indoor set humidity, humidification speed, and the like. It is also possible to calculate the moving speed based on the time-dependent change of the distance from the operator to the room, so as to adjust the time when humidification is started.

Generally, the air shower room is configured to detect the entry of a person or an object into the room by opening and closing a door provided at the entrance of the room or a sensor provided in the room to eject high-pressure air. Air showers of the type that spray humidified air are also usually configured to spray humidified air in synchronization with the entry of a person or object into the room.

In contrast, in the static elimination system of the present invention, the operator is detected approaching the humidification chamber 20, and humidification is started before the operator enters the chamber. The room is already humidified when the worker opens the static elimination curtain 26 and enters the humidifying room. Therefore, after the worker enters the room, the static electricity of clothes and the like can be removed efficiently. Preferably, when an operator or the like enters the room, the relative humidity in the room has risen to more than 80%. When the operator enters the room, the relative humidity is more preferably 85% or more, and still more preferably 90% or more.

As shown in FIG. 1, the humidification chamber 20 partitioned by the static elimination curtains 26 and 27 is disposed, for example, at a boundary between the first region 11 and the second region 12 in the clean room. For the first partition that spatially separates the humidification chamber 20 from the first region 11 and the second partition that spatially separates the humidification chamber 20 and the second region 12 as long as it can be opened and closed, Its structure is not particularly limited. For example, the first partition and the second partition may be fixed structures such as a door and a shutter. One of the first partition and the second partition may be a fixed structure such as a door or a shutter, and the other may be a movable structure such as a curtain.

For example, the humidifying chamber may be provided with a static elimination curtain so as to surround the door and the shutter for the operator to enter and exit between the first area and the second area in the clean room. The humidification chamber that does not require high-pressure air injection is easy to install because it does not require a complicated structure or device such as an air shower. The static elimination room of the present invention has the advantage that the static electricity of a person or an operator entering the second area can be removed by a simple structure, and the air cleanliness of the second area can be maintained high.

The static elimination room of the present invention is, for example, located at the boundary between the first area 11 in the clean room and the second area 12 requiring higher cleanliness than the first area. As an example, during the inspection or packaging of an optical film such as a polarizing plate for a display, the operation may be performed near the product, that is, the optical film, or the operator may touch the optical film. In these steps, secondary pollution such as dust adhering to static-charged clothes and the like, and then attaching to products and the like easily becomes a problem. By removing static electricity in the static elimination room before the operator enters the area where these operations are performed, thereby preventing contamination of the product due to re-attachment of dust, etc., the yield can be improved.

The static elimination room can also be located at the entrance of the clean room or in the front room of the clean room. For example, a static elimination room may be provided before the air shower room at the entrance of the clean room to remove static electricity from people or objects entering the air shower room in advance. If static electricity is removed in a high-humidity static elimination room before entering the air shower room, the removal efficiency of dust can be improved by using high-pressure air spray from the air shower room.

The static elimination room of the present invention can also be a person who can set a humidification nozzle in the air shower room and can humidify the room. For example, a humidifying nozzle may be provided in an existing air shower room. For example, in the case where the first area is the front room of the clean room and the second area is located in the clean room, a humidification nozzle may be provided at the wind shower provided as the entrance of the clean room at the boundary between the first area and the second area. It is set as a static elimination room. By providing a humidification nozzle independently of the air ejection hole, the room can be humidified in a short time, and static electricity can be efficiently removed.

When a humidification nozzle is installed at the air shower room, the spray of high-pressure air from the air spray hole and the spray of water or water vapor from the humidification nozzle can be synchronized or implemented at different times. When starting the spraying of high-pressure air and the spraying of water or water vapor at different times, it is preferable to first perform the operation of humidifying the indoor space by spraying water or water vapor from the humidifying nozzle. For example, as long as the signal from a sensor that detects the approach of the operator to the room is started, before the operator or the like enters the room, humidification with water or a spray of water vapor from a humidifying nozzle is started. Or when the object enters the room, start to spray high pressure air from the air ejection hole.

It is possible to improve the static elimination efficiency by preliminarily humidifying the room before workers and the like enter. In addition, since the indoor space is placed in a state where static electricity is hard to be generated with high humidity, the high-pressure air jet is started, so that the dust removal efficiency can be improved.

11‧‧‧ first zone

12‧‧‧ second zone

15‧‧‧Sensor

20‧‧‧Humidification room (elimination room)

21‧‧‧ humidifying nozzle

23‧‧‧Piping

26, 27‧‧‧ Elimination curtain (separator)

29‧‧‧ drainage channel

100‧‧‧clean room

d‧‧‧ specific distance

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a clean room with a static elimination system.

Claims (5)

A static elimination room is provided at the boundary between a first area and a second area that requires higher cleanliness than the first area, and includes: a first partition that separates the first area from the indoor space And can be opened and closed; a second partition body that separates the second area from the indoor space and can be opened and closed; and a humidification nozzle that is provided between the first partition body and the second partition body Indoor space; and by spraying water or water vapor from the humidification nozzle in a mist form to increase the humidity of the indoor space, thereby removing electricity from persons or objects stranded in the indoor space. For example, in the static elimination chamber of claim 1, the humidifying nozzle can spray water droplets having an average particle diameter of 20 μm or less into the indoor space in a mist form. A static elimination system is characterized in that it has a static elimination room as claimed in claim 1 or 2 at the boundary between the first area and the second area that requires higher cleanliness than the first area, and further has a sensor. The detector detects the approach of the person or object staying in the first area within a specific distance from the static elimination room, and starts from the humidification nozzle to the indoor space based on the signal from the sensor. Mist sprays water or water vapor. A method for removing electricity, characterized in that it is a person or object moving from the first area to a second area that requires a higher degree of cleanliness than the first area, and stays in the static elimination as in item 1 or 2 before moving to the second area. The method of removing electricity in a room, and starting from the humidifying nozzle to the room based on a signal from a sensor that detects the approach of a person or an object stranded in the first area to a specific distance from the above-mentioned room. The space sprays water or water vapor in a mist state, and before a person or an object opens the first partition and enters the indoor space, the humidity of the indoor space has increased. The method for removing electricity according to claim 4, wherein the relative humidity of the indoor space when a person or an object enters the indoor space is 80% or more.