Patent Grant
8042558
The present invention relates to a high-pressure water cleaning system (also referred to as a water jet cleaner) which is configured to eject high-pressure water to flat plate materials such as FPDs (flat panel displays) such as liquid crystal panels, plasma panels, or organic EL (electric luminance) panels, glasses, or semiconductor wafers to clean them. For more details, the present invention relates to a cleaning system configured to remove, with the high-pressure water, contamination matters such as fine particles, organic matters, metal impurities on surfaces of glass substrates, which are a cause of a reduced yield, in a step of manufacturing liquid crystal displays, semiconductor wafers, etc.
Turning to
The aforementioned cleaning gun 70 for use in the high-pressure water cleaning system has, for instance, a holder provided with a high-pressure water ejecting nozzle at a tip end of a casing. In the high-pressure water cleaning system in which a high-pressure water tube is coupled to the holder, a support shaft is rotatably supported in the interior of the casing, a bearing whose bearing surface is pivotable is mounted to the support shaft and rotatably supports the holder at a base end thereof, and a swash plate is provided between a rear end surface of the holder and the support shaft such that the swash plate is rotatable together with the support shaft and slidably contacts the rear end surface of the holder.
According to this cleaning gun, when the swash plate provided between the rear end surface of the holder and the support shaft is rotated together with the support shaft in the state where the holder provided with the high-pressure water ejecting nozzles is rotatably supported at the base end side thereof by the bearing of the support shaft rotatably mounted in the interior of the casing, the holder sliding along the swash plate moves around to draw a conical shape, under the state where the spin of the holder is restricted by the high-pressure water tube. In this case, the inclination of the holder is absorbed by the pivot operation of the bearing surface. Therefore, a high-pressure water cleaning operation is carried out in such a manner that the high-pressure water ejecting nozzle provided at the tip end of the holder ejects the high-pressure water in a conical shape. Such a system is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2705719, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
As another prior art of the high-pressure water cleaning system, a cleaning system is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2002-166235, in which a plurality of high-pressure water ejecting nozzle heads each having a plurality of nozzles are provided above a cleaning conveyor to eject high-pressure water to an object which is conveyed by the cleaning conveyor to be transported into a cleaning chamber, and eject the high-pressure water from the nozzles while rotating. In this system, motors are mounted at a location isolated from the cleaning chamber to independently rotate associated high-pressure water ejecting nozzle heads.
However, the above described conventional high-pressure water cleaning systems are unable to achieve desired cleanliness, high-speed, cleaning uniformity, etc., for the reasons stated below.
One drive motor is built into each cleaning gun. Therefore, rotation driving members such as a bearing and a timing belt, namely, dust generating members, are located within a cleaning area in the cleaning system. In the cleaning gun, dust is generated chiefly from a rotation sealing part. This makes it difficult to achieve a cleanliness of about class 10 (US Federal standard 209D) which is required in, for example, a manufacturing line of liquid crystal panels.
The rotational speed of each nozzle holder (high-pressure water ejecting nozzle) is 1500 rpm. As can be seen from shading in
Since it is necessary to build the servo motor or the rotation device into each cleaning gun, a cost cannot be reduced. In addition, building the devices into the cleaning area and piping or wiring operation are time consuming and troublesome.
The system disclosed in the publication No. 2002-166235 is intended to clean construction erection materials such as a scaffold or a scaffold frame and is different from the objects handled by the present invention. In addition, the system is less suited for cleaning which requires high cleanliness mentioned above.
The present invention addresses the above described conditions, and an object of the present invention is to provide a high-pressure water cleaning system which is capable of easily achieving a cleanliness desired in a manufacturing line, of achieving uniform cleaning, of having a simple structure to reduce a manufacturing cost, and of reducing vibration generated in the cleaning system during cleaning objects, and a high-pressure water cleaning method thereof.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a high-pressure water cleaning system, having a cleaning main body, the cleaning system being configured to eject high-pressure water from the cleaning main body to an object to clean the object, while moving the object at a constant speed with respect to the cleaning main body, comprising a common support frame member having a length which is larger than a width of the object, the support frame member being supported at extended end portions thereof at both sides by bearing units and eccentric rotational shafts extending in a direction perpendicular to a surface of an extended plane of the support frame member or perpendicular to a surface of the object such that the support frame member is eccentrically rotatable, the eccentric rotatable shafts being configured to rotate to cause the support frame member of the cleaning main body to perform rotational motion; a plurality of high-pressure water ejecting nozzles which are arranged on the surface of the support frame member to be equally spaced apart from each other and are directed to face the object; and a drive device configured to cause the eccentric rotational shafts to rotate; wherein the high-pressure water ejecting nozzles are supplied with the high-pressure water through a water passage extending along the support frame member and are configured to eject the high-pressure water to the object being moved at the constant speed while performing the rotational motion.
The above-configured high-pressure water cleaning system has a plurality of high-pressure water ejecting nozzles arranged on the surface of the common support frame member and is eccentrically rotationally supported at the extended end portions at both sides and is eccentrically rotated by the drive device. Since an eccentric rotation drive apparatus to be described later is disposed outside the cleaning area in which the plurality of ejecting nozzles are located, dust generating components or members do not exist in the cleaning area.
Therefore, cleaning operation with high cleanliness is achieved. For this reason, the high-pressure water cleaning system is easily adapted to the cleaning which requires high cleanliness (10 to 100), for example, cleaning of FPDs or semiconductor wafers. Since the plurality of high-pressure water ejecting nozzles are arranged on the surface of the common support frame member and eject the high-pressure water to the object while performing rotational motion (e.g., rotate to draw a perfect circle with an eccentric amount (radius) r around a center location), the object is cleaned with a uniform cleaning strength by ejecting, to the object, the high-pressure water in a straight-line shape from the nozzles arranged to be equally spaced apart from each other. This makes it possible to maintain a constant cleaning force to clean an object which requires uniform cleaning, such as a glass substrate, and to avoid damaging the object. Furthermore, in contrast to the configuration in which each nozzle is independently rotated by the drive device to clean the object, the high-pressure water cleaning system has a simple structure and is easily assembled, and a piping operation and a wiring operation are not time-consuming and troublesome. As a result, a cost of the high-pressure water cleaning system can be reduced.
It is preferable that the high-pressure water cleaning system may further comprise a second drive device configured to cause the eccentric rotational shafts to rotate, and an eccentric rotation drive apparatus disposed outside a cleaning area of the object, and including at least one of the drive devices provided at each of the extended end portions of the support frame member.
In such a configuration, since the eccentric rotation drive apparatus which tends to generate dust is disposed outside the cleaning area, the high-pressure water cleaning system can easily improve the cleanliness in the cleaning area.
Each of the high-pressure water ejecting nozzles may have a nozzle hole which is formed in a center position thereof to extend in a direction perpendicular to a tip end surface thereof. One end of a high-pressure water supply passage extending along the support frame member may be coupled to a base end side of the nozzle holes of the high-pressure water ejecting nozzles, and an opposite end of the high-pressure water supply passage may be coupled to a high-pressure water source via a flexible metal-made pipe.
In such a configuration, the high-pressure water can be supplied uniformly, from the high-pressure water source, to the nozzles performing the rotational motion through the metal-made pipe, while absorbing displacement of the cleaning main body performing the rotational motion, and can be ejected uniformly to the entire object. As a result, efficient cleaning operation is achieved.
The high-pressure water cleaning system may further comprise a balance weight mounted to one surface of the support frame member which is opposite to the other surface on which the high-pressure water ejecting nozzles are provided so that a weight of an upper part and a weight of a lower part including the high-pressure water ejecting nozzles are balanced, the upper part and the lower part being defined by a center axis in a width direction of the support frame member.
In such a configuration, since the center of gravity of the cleaning main body is positioned on the center axis in the width direction of the support frame member, which is located between the ejecting nozzles and the one surface of the support frame member on which the balance weight is provided, a weight balance of the cleaning main body can be maintained during the operation of the high-pressure water cleaning system, particularly during the rotational motion of the cleaning main body. This makes it possible to avoid an undesired moment being generated on the cleaning main body and to reduce a vibration transmitted to the outside, particularly the eccentric rotation drive apparatus. As a result, a vibration generated in the entire cleaning system can be reduced. The high-pressure water cleaning system may further comprise an eccentric rotation drive apparatus including the drive device provided at each of the extended end portions of the support frame member, a rotational shaft eccentric member which is configured to couple the eccentric rotational shafts in a position eccentric from the center axis of the rotational shaft eccentric member such that the rotational shafts are integrally rotatable with the rotational shaft eccentric member, and wherein each bearing unit includes a bearing housing unit configured to rotatably support a corresponding one of the rotational shaft eccentric members. The bearing housing unit may be integrally coupled to one end of the support frame member via a coupling plate.
The high-pressure water cleaning system may further comprise a second drive device configured to cause the eccentric rotational shafts to rotate, and an eccentric rotation drive apparatus including at least one of the drive devices provided at each of the extended end portions of the support frame member, a rotational shaft eccentric member for at least one of the bearing units, the rotational shaft eccentric member being configured to couple an upper shaft and a lower shaft of a corresponding one of the eccentric rotational shafts in a position eccentric from the center axis of the rotational shaft eccentric member such that the upper shaft and lower shaft of the corresponding one of the eccentric rotational shafts are integrally rotatable with the rotational shaft eccentric member, and a bearing housing unit of at least one of the bearing units, configured to rotatably support the rotational shaft eccentric member. The bearing housing unit may be integrally coupled to one end of the support frame member via a coupling plate.
In such a configuration, since the eccentric rotation drive apparatus generates an eccentric rotational force at the extended end portions of the cleaning main body at both sides, the cleaning main body including the plurality of nozzles smoothly performs the rotational motion.
The rotational shaft eccentric member may be formed in a cylindrical shape and the upper shaft and the lower shaft of the corresponding one of the eccentric rotational shafts may be coupled to each other within the bearing housing unit in the position eccentric from the center axis of the cylindrical rotational shaft eccentric member such that the corresponding one of the eccentric rotational shafts are integrally rotatable with the rotational shaft eccentric member.
In such an operation, a relatively large eccentric amount is provided with respect to the center position of the cylindrical rotational shaft eccentric member. Further, since the rotational force of the eccentric rotational shafts is transmitted to the rotational shaft eccentric member to cause the rotational shaft eccentric member to eccentrically rotate with the rotational shaft eccentric member rotatably supported by the bearing housing unit, the rotational shaft eccentric member smoothly rotates so that the cleaning main body can perform the rotational motion.
The high-pressure water cleaning system may further comprise balance weights which are mounted to the upper shaft and lower shaft of the corresponding one of the eccentric rotational shafts to be integrally rotatable with the corresponding one of the eccentric rotational shafts, and wherein the balance weights are mounted at upper and lower positions with the eccentric rotational shaft member and the bearing housing unit interposed between the balance weights such that the balance weights are located on an opposite side of the center axis of the rotational shaft eccentric member with respect to a center axis of the corresponding eccentric rotational shafts in an eccentric direction of the support frame member to maintain a balance with a centrifugal force of the support frame member.
In such an operation, generation of a reactive force in the entire cleaning system can be suppressed in the cleaning main body during the rotational motion of the cleaning main body.
The high-pressure water cleaning system may further comprise a cleaning chamber surrounding a cleaning area of the object; and first insertion openings provided on both end walls of the cleaning chamber, the coupling plates being respectively inserted into the first insertion openings. A surrounding region of each of the first insertion openings may be coupled to one of both opening peripheries of a bag-shaped bellows-like sealing member, and wherein a part of a periphery of the coupling plate protruding from each of the first insertion openings may be coupled to the other one of the both opening peripheries of the bag-shaped bellows-like sealing member.
In such a configuration, since the sealing members are deformed to absorb displacement of the coupling plate in the cleaning main body performing the rotational motion, the first insertion openings can be surely sealed.
The high-pressure water cleaning system may further comprise a cleaning chamber surrounding a cleaning area of the object; first insertion openings provided on both end walls of the cleaning chamber, the coupling plates being respectively inserted into the first insertion openings; sealing chambers which are respectively provided outside the first insertion openings, the sealing chambers being each configured to surround an associated first insertion opening and a part of an associated coupling plate protruding from the associated first insertion opening; second insertion openings respectively provided on side end walls of the sealing chambers, the coupling plates being each inserted into both of an associated one of the first insertion openings and an associated one of the second insertion openings; exhaust outlets respectively formed on upper walls of the sealing chambers; and a pair of sealing members which are in U-shape and in a leaf spring shape and are disposed in the vicinity of an associated one of the first insertion openings and an associated one of the second insertion openings within the sealing chamber, the sealing members being disposed such that one end of each of the sealing members is fixed to an inner wall of the sealing chamber and both side surfaces of the coupling plate are slidably in contact with open end portions of the sealing members.
In such a configuration, the sealing device is able to seal the first insertion opening although it has a more intricate structure than the above described sealing device.
The high-pressure water cleaning system may further comprise a cleaning chamber surrounding a cleaning area of the object; first insertion openings provided on both end walls of the cleaning chamber, the coupling plates being respectively inserted into the first insertion openings; and fixed-type sealing chambers having a double tube structure and having openings respectively connected to the first insertion openings in the longitudinal direction, the fixed-type sealing chambers each including an inner tube which opens at both ends thereof and an outer tube which opens at one end thereof and is configured to surround the inner tube to be spaced apart from the inner tube. The inner tube may be perforated to form a number of holes, and the outer tube may be perforated to form a plurality of holes. An open end portion of the outer tube may be connected to an end wall of the cleaning chamber such that the first insertion opening may be connected to an opening of the inner tube.
In such a configuration, the sealing members are movable, and hence tend to wear out and are unnecessary, and therefore a simpler structure is provided, as compared to the above described sealing device.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a high-pressure water cleaning system, having a cleaning main body, the cleaning system being configured to eject high-pressure water from the cleaning main body to both surfaces of an object to clean the object, while moving the object at a constant speed with respect to the cleaning main body, comprising a pair of support frame members each having a length which is larger than a width of the object, the support frame members being disposed in parallel with a center axis in a thickness direction of the cleaning main body interposed between the pair of support frame members; a plurality of high-pressure water ejecting nozzles which are arranged on opposite surfaces of the support frame members which are opposite to each other such that the ejecting nozzles are equally spaced apart from each other and the ejecting nozzles on the opposite surfaces are opposite to each other; and coupling plates integrally coupled to both end portions of each of the support frame members so as to extend laterally outward along the center axis in the width direction of the cleaning main body, the coupling plates being each eccentrically rotatably supported at an end portion thereof by a bearing unit and eccentric rotational shafts extending in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the coupling plate; a drive device configured to cause the eccentric rotational shafts to rotate to cause the support frame members to perform rotational motion; wherein the high-pressure water ejecting nozzles are supplied with the high-pressure water through a water passage extending along the support frame members and are configured to eject the high-pressure water to both surfaces of the object being moved at the constant speed while performing the rotational motion. In accordance with the high-pressure water cleaning system having such a configuration, the advantages achieved by the high-pressure water cleaning system of the first aspect can be achieved. In addition, since both surfaces of the object can be simultaneously cleaned, and the weight balance of upper and lower parts of the cleaning main body, which is defined by the center axis in the width direction thereof, is maintained, it is not necessary to attach the balance weights, and therefore the structure of the cleaning system can be simplified.
It is preferable that the high-pressure water cleaning system may further comprise a second drive device configured to cause the eccentric rotational shafts to rotate to cause the support frame members to perform rotational motion, and an eccentric rotation drive apparatus disposed outside a cleaning area of the object, and including at least one of the drive devices provided at an end portion of each of the coupling plates.
In such a configuration, since the eccentric rotation drive apparatus which tends to generate dust is disposed outside the cleaning area, the high-pressure water cleaning system can easily improve the cleanliness in the cleaning area.
Each of the high-pressure water ejecting nozzles may have a nozzle hole which is formed in a center position thereof to extend in a direction perpendicular to a tip end surface thereof. One end of a high-pressure water supply passage extending along the support frame members may be coupled to a base end side of the nozzle holes of the high-pressure water ejecting nozzles, and an opposite end of the high-pressure water supply passage may be coupled to a high-pressure water source via a flexible metal-made pipe.
The high-pressure water cleaning system may further comprise an eccentric rotation drive apparatus including the drive device provided at an end portion of each of the support frame members, a rotational shaft eccentric member which is configured to couple the eccentric rotational shafts in a position eccentric from a center axis of the rotational shaft eccentric member such that the rotational shafts are integrally rotatable with the rotational shaft eccentric member, and wherein the bearing units are bearing housing units respectively configured to rotatably support a rotational shaft eccentric member. The bearing housing unit may be integrally coupled to one end of the support frame member via the coupling plate.
The high-pressure water cleaning system may further comprise a second drive device configured to cause the eccentric rotational shafts to rotate to cause the support frame members to perform rotational motion, and an eccentric rotation drive apparatus including at least one of the drive devices provided at an end portion of each of the support frame members, a rotational shaft eccentric member which is configured to couple the upper shaft and the lower shaft of a corresponding one of the eccentric rotational shafts in a position eccentric from a center axis of the rotational shaft eccentric member such that the corresponding one of the rotational shafts is integrally rotatable with the rotational shaft eccentric member, and wherein each bearing unit includes a bearing housing unit configured to rotatably support a corresponding one of the rotational shaft eccentric members. Each bearing housing unit may be integrally coupled to one end of the support frame member via the coupling plate.
In such a configuration, since the eccentric rotation drive apparatus generates the eccentric rotational force at the extended end portions of the cleaning main body at both sides, the plurality of nozzles smoothly carry out the rotational motion simultaneously with the cleaning main body.
The rotational shaft eccentric member may be formed in a cylindrical shape. The upper shaft and the lower shaft of the corresponding one of the eccentric rotational shafts may be coupled to each other within a corresponding one of the bearing housing units in a position eccentric from the center axis of the cylindrical rotational shaft eccentric member such that the upper shaft and the lower shaft of the corresponding one of the eccentric rotational shafts are integrally rotatable with the rotational shaft eccentric member.
In such an operation, a relatively large eccentric amount is provided with respect to the center position of the cylindrical rotational shaft eccentric member. Further, since the rotational forces of the eccentric rotational shafts are transmitted to the rotational shaft eccentric member to cause the rotational shaft eccentric member to eccentrically rotate with the rotational shaft eccentric member rotatably supported by the bearing housing unit, the rotational shaft eccentric member smoothly rotates. As a result, the cleaning main body can perform the rotational motion.
The high-pressure water cleaning system may further comprise balance weights which are mounted to the upper shaft and the lower shaft of the corresponding one of the eccentric rotational shafts to be integrally rotatable with the corresponding one of the eccentric rotational shafts, and wherein the balance weights are mounted at upper and lower positions with the eccentric rotational shaft member, and wherein a corresponding one of the bearing housing units is interposed between the balance weights such that the balance weights are located on an opposite side of the center axis of the rotational shaft eccentric member with respect to a center axis of the corresponding one of the eccentric rotational shafts in an eccentric direction of the support frame member to maintain a balance with a centrifugal force of the support frame member.
In such an operation, generation of a reactive force in the entire cleaning system can be suppressed during the rotational motion of the cleaning main body.
The high-pressure water cleaning system may further comprise a cleaning chamber surrounding a cleaning area of the object; and first insertion openings respectively provided on both end walls of the cleaning chamber, the coupling plates being respectively inserted into the first insertion openings. A surrounding region of each of the first insertion openings may be coupled to one of both opening peripheries of a bag-shaped bellows-like sealing member, and a part of a periphery of the coupling plate protruding from each of the first insertion openings may be coupled to the other one of the both opening peripheries of the bag-shaped bellows-like sealing member.
In such a configuration, since the sealing members are deformed to absorb displacement of the coupling plate in the cleaning main body performing the rotational motion, the first insertion openings can be surely sealed.
The high-pressure water cleaning system may further comprise a cleaning chamber surrounding a cleaning area of the object; first insertion openings provided on both end walls of the cleaning chamber, the coupling plates being respectively inserted into the first insertion openings; sealing chambers which are respectively provided outside the first insertion openings, the sealing chambers being each configured to surround an associated one of the first insertion openings and a part of an associated one of the coupling plates protruding from the associated first insertion opening; second insertion openings respectively provided on side end walls of the sealing chambers, the coupling plates being each inserted into both of an associated one of the first insertion openings and an associated one of the second insertion openings; exhaust outlets respectively formed on upper walls of the sealing chambers; and a pair of sealing members which are in a U-shape and in a leaf spring shape and are disposed in the vicinity of an associated one of the first insertion openings and an associated one of the second insertion openings within the sealing chamber, the sealing members being disposed such that one end of each of the sealing members is fixed to an inner wall of the sealing chamber and both side surfaces of the coupling plate are slidably in contact with open end portions of the sealing members.
In such a configuration, the sealing member is deformed to absorb displacement of the coupling plate of the cleaning main body performing the eccentric rotational motion although the sealing device has a more intricate structure than the above described sealing device in the high-pressure water cleaning system of the first aspect.
The high-pressure water cleaning system may further comprise a cleaning chamber surrounding a cleaning area of the object; first insertion openings provided on both end walls of the cleaning chamber, the coupling plates being respectively inserted into the first insertion openings; and fixed-type sealing chambers having a double tube structure and having openings respectively connected to the first insertion openings in the longitudinal direction, the fixed-type sealing chambers each including an inner tube which opens at both ends thereof and an outer tube which opens at one end thereof and is configured to surround the inner tube to be spaced apart from the inner tube. The inner tube may be perforated to form a number of holes, and the outer tube may be perforated to form a plurality of holes. An open end portion of the outer tube may be connected to an end wall of the cleaning chamber such that the first insertion opening may be connected to the opening of the inner tube.
In such a configuration, the sealing members are movable, and hence tend to wear out are unnecessary, and a simpler structure is provided, as compared to the above described movable sealing device.
The above and further objects and features of the invention will more fully be apparent from the following detailed description with accompanying drawings.
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in
As shown in
In the present embodiment, an object X to be cleaned is a glass plate. The glass plate X is conveyed at a constant speed under the nozzle head units 7 by a conveyor device, for example, a roller conveyor 40. For this reason, the length of the nozzle head unit 7 is set slightly longer than the width of the glass plate X so that the glass plate X is entirely cleaned. The length of the hollow frame member 6 to which the nozzle head unit 7 is mounted is set slightly larger than the length of the nozzle head unit 7.
Mounting plates 11b are respectively fastened to the coupling plates 11, at one end of each coupling plate, and are integrally coupled to both ends of the hollow frame member 6 by bolts 11c. For the purpose of lightweight, each coupling plate 11 has a circular opening 11a penetrating therethrough in a thickness direction thereof. A ring-shaped bearing housing (e.g., bearing unit) 12 is integrally formed at an opposite end (outer end) of each coupling plate 11. A cylindrical rotational shaft eccentric member 14 is rotatably mounted by a bearing 13 within each bearing housing 12. Upper and lower rotational shafts (eccentric rotational shafts) 15 are respectively rotatably supported by upper and lower portions of the rotational shaft eccentric member 14 within the bearing housing 12. The upper and lower rotational shafts 15 are coupled to each other in a position which is, for example, a value in a range of several mm to about fifteen mm, eccentric in one direction (to the left in
Thereby, the right and left servo motors 17 are rotated substantially in synchronization with each other, and the eccentric rotational shafts 15 are rotated such that the center axis S is eccentric from the center axis S′ of the rotational shaft eccentric member 14 as shown in
Since the cleaning main body 5 (including the nozzle head unit 7 and the hollow frame member 6) performs the rotational motion (e.g., pivot movement) so as to draw the perfect circle in the high-pressure water cleaning system 1, it is essential that the entire high-pressure water cleaning system 1 be well-balanced, i.e., a balance of the cleaning main body 5 including the hollow frame member 6, and a balance between the cleaning main body 5 including the hollow frame member 6 and the support bases 3 during the rotational motion of the cleaning main body 5, be maintained. If the balance is not well maintained, a vibration may be generated in the entire high-pressure water cleaning system 1, causing the cleaning operation to be disordered. To avoid such a situation, in the present embodiment, a counterweight 21 of a flat bar shape is mounted by bolts 22a to a plurality of brackets 22 protruding from the upper surface of the hollow frame member 6 to be spaced apart from the upper surface of the support frame member 6 to maintain a balance of a weight and a moment between an upper part and a lower part including the nozzle units 7 (and the high-pressure water supply passages 9a and 9b), which are located at opposite sides with respect to a center axis M extending at a center in the thickness direction of the hollow frame member 6. As a result, an undesired moment is not generated in the cleaning main body 5 (including the hollow frame member 6) and each nozzle 7a is able to smoothly rotate so as to draw the perfect circle during the rotational motion of the cleaning main body 5 (including the hollow frame member 6).
Upper and lower counterweights 25 of a semicircular plate shape are integrally mounted to the upper and lower rotational shafts 15, respectively, such that the counter weights 25 are rotatable together with the rotational shafts 15 with the rotational shaft eccentric member 14 interposed therebetween, to cancel a moment generated during the rotational motion of the cleaning main body 5. The counter weights 25 are disposed in an opposite position in the rotation direction of the cleaning main body 5 with respect to the center axis S of the rotational shafts 15, i.e., in a position opposite the position of center axis S′ of the rotational shaft eccentric member 14 with respect to the center axis S of the rotational shaft 15. The counter weights 25 for the right and left rotational shafts 15 are directed to face in the same direction. As a result, during the rotation of the rotational shafts 15, the counterweights 25 are displaced to the position opposite to the rotation direction of the cleaning main body 5, i.e., in the position opposite to center axis S′ of the rotational shaft eccentric member 14 with respect to the center axis S, to cancel the moment which is about to be generated during the rotational motion of the cleaning main body 5. Therefore, an undesired moment and hence a vibration are not generated in the high-pressure water cleaning system 1, including the support bases 3 at both sides.
As shown in
As shown in
With the open end portions of the sealing members 37 and 38 in contact with both side surfaces of the coupling plate 11, the sealing members 37 and 38 seal both side surfaces of the coupling plate 11 while being elastically deformed according to the rotational motion of the cleaning main body 5. Since the retaining plates 35 and 36 are provided in close proximity to the upper and lower surfaces of the coupling plate 11, a gap is not substantially formed between them. Clean air is always introduced into the cleaning chamber 30, flows into the sealing chamber 33 from the first insertion opening 31 and through the gap between the first insertion opening 31 and the coupling plate 11, and is exhausted through the exhaust outlet 39. Because of the air flow, outside air is suctioned from the second insertion opening 34 into the sealing chamber 33 through the gap between the second insertion opening 34 and the coupling plate 11, and is exhausted through the exhaust outlet 39. Thereby, the first insertion opening 31 of the cleaning chamber 30 is disconnected from outside (i.e., from second insertion opening 34), so that air tightness within the cleaning chamber 30 is maintained.
As shown in
Subsequently, how the high-pressure water cleaning system, configured as described above of the first embodiment, carries out the cleaning operation will be described with reference to
Here it is assumed that the object X is a glass plate. The object X is carried into the cleaning chamber 30 and is put on the roller conveyor 40. The object X is conveyed at a constant speed to under the cleaning main body 5. Prior to start of conveying the object X, clean air is introduced into the cleaning chamber 30 so that a clean atmosphere is maintained. Then, the right and left servo motors 17 start driving to cause the rotational shaft 15 to rotate. Thereby, the cylindrical rotational shaft eccentric member 14 rotates eccentrically, causing the cleaning main body 5 to perform the rotational motion via the bearing housing unit 12. Then, the high-pressure cleaning liquid is supplied from the high-pressure water tank 10a (see
As can be seen from
Whereas the high-pressure water cleaning system 1 is configured to clean one surface (e.g., an upper surface) of the object X, the high-pressure water cleaning system 1′ of the present embodiment is configured to clean both surfaces of the object X. To this end, a pair of hollow support frame members 6 forming a cleaning main body 5′ are disposed to extend in parallel to be spaced apart at upper and lower positions such that the support frame members 6 are opposite to each other. Each hollow frame member 6 has a tubular shape with a rectangular cross-section. Plate-shaped coupling members 51 couple the right end portions of the upper and lower support frame members 6 and the left end portions of the upper and lower support frame members 6. The coupling plate 11 extends outward from an intermediate position in the vertical direction of each coupling member 51.
As shown in
The nozzle head units 7, each of which is provided with nozzles 7a arranged in a zigzag shape, equally spaced apart from each other and forming two lines, are attached opposite the inner surfaces of the upper and lower support frame members 6. As shown in
The same reference numerals as those in the high-pressure water cleaning system 1 are used to identify other components or members in the high-pressure water cleaning system 1′ of the second embodiment. The cleaning chamber 30 and the sealing devices at the insertion openings 31 in the high-pressure water cleaning system 1 of the first embodiment are the same as those of the high-pressure water cleaning system 1′ of the second embodiment and will not be redescribed for sake of brevity.
Whereas the two servo motors 17 are used in the above described high-pressure water cleaning systems 1 and 1′, one servo motor 17 may be provided, and the driving force may be transmitted from the servo motor 17 on one side to the rotational shaft 15 on the other side, via for example, a transmission belt.
In the above described embodiments, the object X is moved horizontally and is cleaned by the high-pressure water ejected from the nozzles 7a or 7a.′ The attitude of the object X may be varied from horizontal to vertical.
Whereas in the above described embodiments, the support frame members 6 are formed by hollow frame members of a tubular shape with a rectangular cross-section for the purpose of lightweight, they may be formed by plate-shaped frame members.
Furthermore, the high-pressure water cleaning systems 1 or 1′ may be combined with a cleaning gun disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2705719, which is herein incorporated by reference.
As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit of essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiments are therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the description preceding them, and all changes that fall within metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds thereof are therefore intended to be embraced by the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-281322 | Oct 2007 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2622428 | Abbott | Dec 1952 | A |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 719 561 | Nov 2006 | EP |
| 2705719 | Oct 1997 | JP |
| 2000223458 | Aug 2000 | JP |
| 2000223458 | Aug 2000 | JP |
| 2002-166235 | Jun 2002 | JP |
| 2006297207 | Nov 2006 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20090107531 A1 | Apr 2009 | US |
