Cleaning apparatus, cleaning method and product manufacturing method

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus is provided with a plurality of cleaning mechanisms such as a blast unit, a vibration brush unit and a pulse spraying unit. Cleaning of objects with the blast unit and vibration brush unit is conducted within cleaning liquid reserved in a cleaning vessel in order to prevent electrostatic discharge (ESD) breakdown. Cleaning the objects with the pulse spraying unit is conducted after taking out the objects from the cleaning liquid and thereby re-adhesion of contamination remaining in the cleaning liquid to the objects is prevented.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above features These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an external front view of a cleaning apparatus as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external front view of an external circulating unit based on an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the cleaning apparatus based on an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the essential part of the cleaning apparatus based on an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of works to be cleaned with the cleaning apparatus based on an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the cleaning apparatus based on an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a blast unit based on an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 8( a) and 8(b) are diagrams showing a rotating profile and cleaning operation of the blast unit based on an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 9( a), 9(b), 9(c) and 9(d) are diagrams showing a vibration brush unit and the cleaning operations with the vibration brush unit based on an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a pulse spraying unit based on an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a cleaning liquid circulating mechanism of the cleaning apparatus based on an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the procedures of the cleaning of works using the cleaning apparatus based on an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the procedures of the blast cleaning based on an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the cleaning procedures of the sound wave brush cleaning based on an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the pulse spray cleaning procedures based on an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cleaning apparatus for cleaning objects, comprising: a cleaning vessel storing liquid; anda spraying unit spraying cleaning liquid including polishing particles, wherein said cleaning apparatus locates said objects within the liquid stored in said cleaning vessel during the cleaning of said objects and sprays the cleaning liquid on said objects within said liquid from said spraying unit.

2. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a swinging unit swinging the objects relatively to the spraying unit, wherein the cleaning apparatus operates to swing the objects with the swinging unit to clean the objects with the spraying unit.

3. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spraying unit comprises an adjusting unit adjusting a spraying angle of the cleaning liquid relative to the objects.

4. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the spraying unit comprises an adjusting unit adjusting a spraying angle of the cleaning liquid relative to the objects.

5. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rotating unit rotating the spraying unit along a predetermined plane.

6. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a rotating unit rotating the spraying unit along a predetermined plane.

7. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a rotating unit rotating the spraying unit along a predetermined plane.

8. A cleaning apparatus, comprising: a cleaning vessel storing liquid; anda brushing unit brushing objects, wherein said cleaning apparatus locates said objects within the liquid stored in said cleaning vessel during the cleaning of said objects and brushes said objects within said liquid with said brushing unit.

9. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: a swinging unit swinging the cleaning objects relative to the brush unit, wherein the cleaning apparatus swings the objects with the swinging unit to clean the objects with the brushing unit.

10. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the brush unit comprises an adjusting unit adjusting a contact angle relative to the objects within a predetermined range.

11. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the brush unit comprises an adjusting unit adjusting a contact angle relative to the objects within a predetermined range.

12. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a rotating unit rotating the brush unit along a predetermined plane.

13. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a rotating unit rotating the brush unit along a predetermined plane.

14. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a rotating unit rotating the brush unit along a predetermined plane.

15. A cleaning apparatus, comprising: a cleaning vessel storing liquid;a holding mechanism moving objects into said cleaning vessel;a first cleaning mechanism conducting a first cleaning process requiring mechanical contact with said objects; anda second cleaning mechanism conducting a second cleaning process of spraying cleaning liquid on said objects, wherein said cleaning apparatus cleans said objects with said second cleaning mechanism outside of said cleaning vessel after cleaning said objects with said first cleaning mechanism within said cleaning vessel.

16. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first cleaning mechanism uses a brush unit.

17. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a swinging unit swinging the brush unit.

18. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a mechanism for sound-vibrating the brush unit.

19. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a mechanism for changing an angle of the brush unit relative to the objects.

20. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the brush unit is constituted by a brush formed of a conductive material.

21. A product manufacturing method, comprising: conducting pre-processing of objects;moving said objects into a cleaning vessel storing cleaning liquid;spraying said cleaning liquid including a polishing particle on said objects within said cleaning liquid;taking said objects out of said cleaning liquid; andconducting post-processing of said objects having completed the cleaning process.

22. A product manufacturing method, comprising: conducting pre-processing of a objects;moving said objects into a cleaning vessel storing cleaning liquid;brushing said objects within said cleaning liquid using a brush;taking said objects out of said cleaning liquid; andconducting post-processing of said objects having completed said cleaning process.

23. A product manufacturing method, comprising: conducting pre-processing of objects;cleaning said objects within a cleaning liquid;taking said objects out of said cleaning liquid;spraying said cleaning liquid on said objects; andconducting post-processing of said objects.

24. A cleaning method, comprising: locating objects within cleaning liquid;spraying a polishing particle on said objects within said cleaning liquid;brushing said objects within said cleaning liquid after said polishing particle spraying process;taking out said brushed objects from said cleaning liquid; andspraying said cleaning liquid on said objects taken out from said cleaning liquid.

25. The cleaning method according to claim 24, wherein in the spraying the polishing particle, the polishing particle is mixed with the cleaning liquid and is then sprayed to the objects.

26. The cleaning method according to claim 24, wherein the brushing is performed by a sound-vibrated brush.

27. The cleaning method according to claim 26, wherein the brush is vibrated in a predetermined direction.

28. The cleaning method according to claim 24, further comprising: applying ultrasonic waves to the cleaning liquid in the spraying said cleaning liquid.

29. A product manufacturing method including cleaning objects, comprising: soaking said objects in cleaning liquid; andcleaning said objects with mechanical contact to said objects within said cleaning liquid.

30. The product manufacturing method according to claim 29, wherein the cleaning liquid is mixed with a polishing particle.

31. The product manufacturing method according to claim 29, wherein the cleaning is performed using a brushing process.

32. A product manufacturing method including cleaning objects, comprising: soaking said objects in cleaning liquid;cleaning said objects with a first cleaning method within said cleaning liquid;taking said objects out of said cleaning liquid; andcleaning said objects with a second cleaning method different from said first cleaning method.

33. A cleaning apparatus for objects, comprising: a moving unit moving said objects;a first cleaning unit spraying cleaning liquid including a polishing particle on said objects within said cleaning liquid;a second cleaning unit brushing said objects within said cleaning liquid; anda third cleaning unit spraying said cleaning liquid on said objects outside of said cleaning liquid, wherein said cleaning apparatus cleans said objects in the sequence of cleaning by said first cleaning unit, said second cleaning unit and then said third cleaning unit.