U.S. patent application number 11/630561 was filed with the patent office on 2009-06-25 for static electricity and dust removing apparatus.
Invention is credited to Jun Inomata, Takahiro Ishijima, Shigeru Ohkawa.
Application Number | 20090158537 11/630561 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35509500 |
Filed Date | 2009-06-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090158537 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ishijima; Takahiro ; et
al. |
June 25, 2009 |
Static electricity and dust removing apparatus
Abstract
This static electricity and dust removing apparatus has a base
box (11) provided with an airflow inlet port (16), and a processing
head (23) attached to the base box (11) through a support column
(21), wherein a processing space (24) is formed between the airflow
inlet port (16) and the processing head (23). Air curtains for
isolating the processing space (24) from the outside due to air
from a spout of an air spout pipe (33) are formed at a front
opening portion (29) and right and left side opening portions (28)
of the apparatus. Ionized air generated by an ion generator (42) is
spouted into the processing space (24), so that the ionized air is
sprayed on matters to be processed which are disposed in the
processing space (24) and dust is removed from the matters to be
processed. Thereby, a static electricity and dust removing
operation to the dust adhering to the matters to be processed can
be efficiently performed within a short time, and work environment
can be prevented from being contaminated due to a leakage of the
removed dust.
Inventors: |
Ishijima; Takahiro; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Inomata; Jun; (Tokyo, JP) ; Ohkawa;
Shigeru; (Tokyo, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MCCORMICK, PAULDING & HUBER LLP
CITY PLACE II, 185 ASYLUM STREET
HARTFORD
CT
06103
US
|
Family ID: |
35509500 |
Appl. No.: |
11/630561 |
Filed: |
June 15, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
June 15, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP05/10924 |
371 Date: |
December 21, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/1.51 ; 15/319;
15/415.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05F 3/04 20130101; B08B
6/00 20130101; B08B 9/00 20130101; B08B 2215/003 20130101; B08B
5/02 20130101; B08B 15/023 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/1.51 ; 15/319;
15/415.1 |
International
Class: |
A47L 13/40 20060101
A47L013/40; A47L 5/00 20060101 A47L005/00; A47L 9/02 20060101
A47L009/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 22, 2004 |
JP |
2004-184158 |
Claims
1. A static electricity and dust removing apparatus for spraying
ionized air on a matter to be processed to remove dust adhering to
the matter to be processed, the apparatus comprising: a base box
having an airflow inlet port into which air flows and an airflow
path for guiding a flow of air flowing from the airflow inlet port;
a processing head attached to a support column provided to the base
box so as to face the airflow inlet port, a processing space being
formed between the airflow inlet port and the processing head; an
air spout member provided to the processing head and provided with
a spout for spouting air toward the airflow inlet port to form an
air curtain for isolating the processing space from an outside; and
an ion spout nozzle provided to the processing head to spray the
ionized air on the matter to be processed in the processing
space.
2. The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to
claim 1, wherein a front opening portion is formed between a tip
portion of the processing head and a tip portion of the base box,
the air curtain is formed along the front opening portion, and the
matter to be processed is carried in and out the process space via
the front opening portion.
3. The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to
claim 1, wherein a front opening portion is formed between a tip
portion of the processing head and a tip portion of the base box,
side opening portions are formed between both side portions of the
processing head and both side portions of the base box, the air
curtain is formed along the front opening portion and each of the
side opening portions, and the matter to be processed is carried in
and out the process space via any of the front opening portion and
each of the side opening portions.
4. The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to
claim 3, wherein a removable cover is mounted on each of the side
opening portions, and the matter to be processed is carried in and
out the process space via the side opening portions by detaching
the cover.
5. The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to
claim 1, further comprising: a sensor for detecting the matter to
be processed which is carried into the processing space; and
control means for performing, when the sensor detects that the
matter to be processed has been carried in, processing start
control of forming an airflow in the base box, spouting air from
the air spout member, and spouting the ionized air from the ion
spout nozzle in this order per lapse of a predetermined time.
6. The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to
claim 5, wherein the control means performs, when the matter to be
processed is carried out the process space, processing completion
control of stopping spouting the ionized air, stopping spouting the
air from the air spout member, and stopping forming the airflow in
the base box in this order per lapse of the predetermined time.
7. The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to
claim 5, wherein the control means performs, when a predetermined
time lapses, processing completion control of stopping spouting the
ionized air, stopping spouting the air from the air spout member,
and stopping forming the airflow in the base box in this order per
lapse of the predetermined time.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a static electricity and
dust removing apparatus, which sprays ionized air on parts or the
like of industrial products as matters to be processed to remove
dust adhering to the matters to be processed and not to contaminate
work environment.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] In manufacturing parts of industrial products such as
electrical components and in assembling the parts to manufacture
the industrial products, dust including solid particles, foreign
substances, and motes adhering to the parts has to be removed.
Since the dust adhering to the parts includes dust adhering to them
by static electricity, if ionized air is sprayed on the parts to
remove the dust while neutralizing and removing the static
electricity on surfaces of the parts, the dust can be reliably
removed. As above, techniques, which remove the dust adhering to
the parts or the like of the industrial products as workpieces,
i.e., the matters to be processed while neutralizing the static
electricity on the surfaces of the matters to be processed, have be
proposed as disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 and
2.
[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
5-15862
[0004] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
8-131982
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0005] To generate the ionized air, electrodes are disposed in a
flow path in which air flows, and air is ionized by a corona
discharge caused between the electrodes. To remove the dust
adhering to the parts or the like as the matters to be processed,
the ionized air is sprayed through a nozzle on the matters to be
processed. However, when the ionized air is sprayed from the nozzle
to remove the dust, the removed dust may again adhere to the
matters to be processed. In this case, the matters to be processed
cannot be kept clean after dust removal. Moreover, the removed dust
may fly and float around the work environment, which results in
contamination of the work environment.
[0006] Therefore, there has been developed a static electricity and
dust removing apparatus which generates, in a box having an
open/close door, a main airflow to be spayed on the matters to be
processed, causes the main airflow to be mixed with the ionized air
from the nozzle, and removes the dust adhering to the matters to be
processed. However, when the ionized air is mixed into the main
airflow flowing from the nozzle, an ion concentration therein is
decreased and static electricity removing efficiency is decreased,
whereby a long time is required to complete a static electricity
and dust removing operation. Meanwhile, if the open/close door is
operated at a time of inserting the matters to be processed into
the box, an operator has to frequently operate the open/close door
for carrying in and carrying out the matters to be processed,
whereby there is a problem of low operability in a processing
operation.
[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a static
electricity and dust removing apparatus capable of efficiently
performing, within a short time, a static electricity and dust
removing operation of the dust adhering to the matters to be
processed.
[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
static electricity and dust removing apparatus in which the dust
removed from the matters to be processed does not fly to the
outside to contaminate the work environment.
[0009] A static electricity and dust removing apparatus according
to the present invention, which sprays ionized air on a matter to
be processed to remove dust adhering to the matter to be processed,
comprises: a base box having an airflow inlet port in which air
flows; a processing head attached to a support column provided to
the base box so as to face the airflow inlet port, a processing
space being formed between the airflow inlet port and the
processing head; an air spout member provided to the processing
head and provided with a spout for spouting air toward the airflow
inlet port to form an air curtain for isolating the processing
space from an outside; and an ion spout nozzle provided to the
processing head to spray the ionized air on the matter to be
processed in the processing space.
[0010] The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according
to the present invention is such that a front opening portion is
formed between a tip portion of the processing head and a tip
portion of the base box, the air curtain is formed along the front
opening portion, and the matter to be processed is carried in and
out the process space via the front opening portion.
[0011] The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according
to the present invention is such that a front opening portion is
formed between a tip portion of the processing head and a tip
portion of the base box, side opening portions are formed between
both side portions of the processing head and both side portions of
the base box, the air curtain is formed along the front opening
portion and each of the side opening portions, and the matter to be
processed is carried in and out the process space via any of the
front opening portion and each of the side opening portions.
[0012] The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according
to the present invention is such that a removable cover is mounted
on each of the side opening portions, and the matter to be
processed is carried in and out the process space via the side
opening portions by detaching the cover.
[0013] The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according
to the present invention further comprises: a sensor for detecting
the matter to be processed which is carried in the processing
space; and control means for performing, when the sensor detects
that the matter to be processed has been carried in, processing
start control of forming an airflow in the base box, spouting air
from the air spout member, and spouting the ionized air from the
ion spout nozzle in this order per lapse of a predetermined
time.
[0014] The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according
to the present invention is such that the control means performs,
when the matter to be processed is carried out the process space,
processing completion control of stopping spouting the ionized air,
stopping spouting the air from the air spout member, and stopping
forming the airflow in the base box in this order per lapse of the
predetermined time.
[0015] The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according
to the present invention is such that the control means performs,
when a predetermined time lapses, processing completion control of
stopping spouting the ionized air, stopping spouting the air from
the air spout member, and stopping forming the airflow in the base
box in this order per lapse of the predetermined time.
[0016] According to the present invention, with the processing
space being isolated from the outside by the air curtains, the
ionized air is spouted from the ion spout nozzle to remove the dust
while neutralizing the static electricity charged on the matters to
be processed. Therefore, the processing space does not require
being covered with a cover or the like, and carrying the matters to
be processed in the processing space and carrying the matters to be
processed out of the processing space can be quickly performed,
whereby a static electricity and dust removing processing to the
matters to be processed can be quickly performed.
[0017] The compressed air spouted from the air spout member to form
the air curtains is sucked through the airflow inlet port into the
base box to form a flow of air in the base box. Also, the ionized
air spouted from the ion spout nozzle is sucked by the airflow in
the box and flows into the base box. Therefore, without the ionized
air being mixed with air for the air curtains, the ionized air can
be prevented from being diluted, and the ionized air can be
reliably sprayed on the matters to be processed to remove, within a
short time, the dust adhering to the matters to be processed.
[0018] Since the cover attached to the side opening portion is
removable, paths for carrying the matters to be processed in and
out the processing space can be variously selected depending on an
installation place of the apparatus.
[0019] Schemes of forming the airflow and actuating the air
curtains and the ion spout nozzle in the box at a processing start
time and at a processing completion time are set at a constant, so
that, at a time of spraying the ionized air on the matters to be
processed and after the processing completion of the matters to
proceeded, an interior of the processing space becomes in a state
where no dust is present. Therefore, quality of the processing
performed to the matters to be processed is enhanced.
[0020] The removed dust in the processing space is prevented from
being leaked to the outside, so that the work environment can be
prevented from being contaminated due to the dust.
[0021] Patterns of the processing completion control can be set by
a sensor stop type of detecting carrying-out of the matters to be
processed by the sensor and a timer stop type of turning off the
apparatus by the timer. Therefore, either one of the control
patterns can be selected depending on kinds of the matters to be
processed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a static electricity and dust
removing apparatus according to the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a partially-broken plan view of FIG. 1;
[0025] FIG. 4 is a partially-broken side view showing an internal
structure of the static electricity and dust removing apparatus
according to the present invention;
[0026] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a principal portion of
FIG. 1;
[0027] FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-section view taken along A-A
line in FIG. 5;
[0028] FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a control circuit for
controlling actuation of the static electricity and dust removing
apparatus;
[0029] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a type
in which the apparatus is turned on/off by a sensor; and
[0030] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a type
in which the apparatus is turned off by the timer.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0031] An embodiment of the present invention will be detailed
below based on the drawings. This static electricity and dust
removing apparatus has a base box 11 formed by combining plate
materials. As shown in FIG. 4, in this base box 11, there is
incorporated a blower, that is, an air blower 15 which has a motor
12, a fan 13 driven for rotation by the motor, and a case 14
accommodating these components. Inside the base box, a space for
forming a flow of air, that is, an airflow path is formed. On a
front end side of the base box 11, an airflow inlet port 16 is
formed so that air vertically flows into the base box. An expanded
metal 17 having many vents is attached to the airflow inlet port
16, whereby matters to be processed are prevented from entering
from the airflow inlet port 16 into the base box 11. When the air
blower 15 is driven, as shown by arrows in FIG. 4, air flows into
the base box 11 from many vents of the expanded metal 17 provided
to the airflow inlet port 16 and the flow of air (airflow) is
generated inside the base box 11. Air in the generated airflow is
exhausted to the outside from an exhaust duct 18 attached to a back
surface of the base box 11.
[0032] A support column 21 formed by combining plate members is
provided to a back end portion of the base box 11, and an
accommodation chamber 22 is formed in the support column. As shown
in FIG. 4, a transparent cover protruding forward and formed of a
transparent plate member is attached as a processing head 23 to the
support column 21, and a processing space 24 is formed between the
processing head 23 and the airflow inlet port 16.
[0033] Side plates 25 and 26 forming the support column 21 have
protruding portions 25a and 26a protruding forward along the
processing head 23, and the transparent cover forming the
processing head 23 is fixed to both of the protruding portions 25a
and 26a. Notch portions are provided in the protruding portions 25a
and 26a. Side opening portions 27 and 28 are formed between both
side portions of the processing head 23 and both side portions of
the base box 11, respectively. A front opening portion 29 is formed
between a tip portion of the processing head 23 and a tip portion
of the base box 11. Therefore, it is possible to carry in the
matters to be processed from the front opening portion 29 to an
interior of the processing space 24 and to carry out the matters to
be processed after completion of the processing.
[0034] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, transparent covers 31 and 32 each
formed of a transparent plate member are attached to the side
opening portions 27 and 28 by screw members 30, respectively.
Therefore, an interior of the processing space 24 can be viewed
from the outside through the transparent covers 31 and 32 to
observe processing conditions. By detaching at least one of the
transparent covers 31 and 32, the matters to be processed can be
carried in and out the processing space 24 through the relevant one
of the side opening portions 27 and 28. Therefore, the matters to
be processed may be carried in and out the processing space 24
through either one of the front opening portion 29 and one of the
side opening portions, or may be carried in through either one of
the front opening portion 29 and one of the side opening portions
and be carried out the space through the other of the side opening
portions. If the front opening portion 29 is not used for carrying
in and carrying out the matters to be processed, the front opening
portion 29 may be covered by the transparent cover.
[0035] Side-surface side pipes 33a and 33b, which are respectively
near and along the protruding portions 25a and 26a, are fixed to a
front surface wall of the support column 21, and respective tips of
the pipes 33a and 33b are connected via joints 34 by a front side
pipe 33c, so that an air spout pipe 33 configured into a plane U
shape by the pipes 33a to 33c is formed as an air spout member. As
shown in FIG. 6, spouts 35 for spouting air toward an outer
circumferential portion of the airflow inlet port 16 of the base
box 11 are formed on the air spout pipe 33. Air curtains
represented by broken-line arrows are formed at the side opening
portions 27 and 28 and the front opening portion 29 due to air
spouted from the respective spouts 35, whereby the processing space
24 is isolated from the outside by the air curtains. When
illustrated in the drawings, the air spout pipe 33 as an air spout
member is formed from a pipe with a circular section, but it may be
formed from a square pipe. Also, when illustrated in the drawings,
the spouts 35 are formed by a plurality of holes, but they may be
formed from slit-shaped spouts.
[0036] An ion spout nozzle 36 is attached to a center portion of
the processing head 23. Ionized air as represented by solid-line
arrows from spouts 36a of the ion spout nozzle 36 toward the
interior of the processing space 24 is sprayed in the processing
space 24, whereby the ionized air is sprayed on the matters to be
processed, which are disposed in the processing space 24, with the
space being isolated from the outside by the air curtains. The
ionized air sprayed on the matters to be processed is sucked into
the air blower 15, together with air for air curtains flowing into
the airflow inlet port 16 by the air blower 15, and flows in the
airflow inlet port 16 to be exhausted from the exhaust duct 18 to
the outside.
[0037] To supply compressed air to the air spout pipe 33, an air
supply port 37 is attached, as shown in FIG. 3, to a back wall of
the support column 21. This air supply port 37 is connected to an
air supply pipe 41 via an open/close valve 38 and a throttle valve
39, and the air supply pipe 41 is branched into two to be connected
to the pipes 33a and 33b. Therefore, when the open/close valve 38
is opened, the compressed air from an air pressure supply source
connected to the air supply port 37 is supplied through the
throttle valve 39 to the air spout pipe 33, and is then spouted
from the spouts 35 to form the air curtains.
[0038] The ion spout nozzle 36 is connected to an ion generator 42
attached to the support column 21. To supply air to the ion
generator 42, an air supply port (omitted in the drawings) is
attached on the back wall of the support column 21 and on a lower
side of the air supply port 37. This air supply port is connected,
as shown in FIG. 3, through an air supply pipe 45 to a pressure
adjustment valve, that is, a regulator 44 and an open/close valve
43. The open/close valve 43 is connected, as shown in FIG. 4, via
the air supply pipe 45 to the ion generator 42. An ion carrying
tube 46 is connected between the ion generator 42 and the ion spout
nozzle 36, so that the ionized air is delivered to the ion spout
nozzle 36 through the ion carrying tube 46. Therefore, when the
open/close valve 43 is opened, the compressed air from the air
pressure supply source is pressure-adjusted by the regulator 44 and
is then supplied via the open/close valve 43 to the ion generator
42. The ion generator 42 has a pair of electrodes (omitted in the
drawings) disposed in a flow path of the compressed air, so that,
due to a corona discharge caused between the electrodes by
supplying electric power to the electrodes, the air is ionized and
then the ionized air is supplied from the ion spout nozzle 36 to
the interior of the processing space 24. Incidentally, the
compressed air supplied from one air supply port 37 may be branched
into and supplied as air for the air curtains and air for the ion
generator 42.
[0039] As such, with the air curtains being formed by the
compressed air so as to surround the processing space 24 and
isolate it from the outside, the ionized air from the ion spout
nozzle 36 is sprayed on the matters to be processed, so that the
ionized air is not mixed with the air for the air curtains in the
processing space 24, whereby the ionized air is prevented from
being diluted. Thus, the ionized air is reliably sprayed on the
matters to be processed, and static electricity charged on the
matters to be processed is neutralized by the ionized air, thereby
making it possible to remove, within a short time, the dust
adhering to the matters to be processed due to the static
electricity. The adhering dust is removed by the flow of the
ionized air, and is then sucked into the base box 11 through the
airflow inlet port 16.
[0040] To detect the matters to be processed which have been
carried in the processing space 24, as shown in FIG. 4, an upper
sensor 47 is attached to the processing head 23 and a lower sensor
48 is provided in the base box 11. The one sensor 47 has a
light-emitting element while the other sensor 48 has a
light-receiving element. Therefore, for example, when an operator
carries by hand the matters to be processed into the processing
space 24, the carrying-in is automatically detected by the sensors
47 and 48.
[0041] FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a control circuit for
controlling actuation of the static electricity and dust removing
apparatus, wherein control signals from a control unit 50 disposed
in the accommodation chamber 22 of the support column 21 are sent
to the motor 12 of the air blower 15, each of the open/close valves
38 and 43, and the ion generator 42 and wherein a signal from the
sensor 48 is supplied to the control unit 50. Furthermore, a
monitor signal indicative of a state of actuation of the static
electricity and dust removing apparatus is outputted from the
control unit 50.
[0042] When such a static electricity and dust removing apparatus
is used to spray the ionized air on the matters to be processed and
remove the dust adhering to the matters to be processed, the
matters to be processed are carried by an operator into the
processing space 24. When the matters to be processed are carried
in, light irradiated from the upper sensor 47 toward the lower
sensor 48 is isolated and the sensor 48 outputs a carrying-in
detection signal to the control unit 50. Thus, with the air curtain
being formed on the front opening portion 29 and with the air
curtains being formed on the side opening portions 27 and 28 along
the transparent covers 31 and 32, the ionized air is spouted from
the ion spout nozzle 36 into the processing space 24 and the air in
the processing space 24 is sucked by the air blower 15 into the
base box 11. By connecting an unshown communication duct to the
exhaust duct 18 to guide the dust collection air to a
dust-collecting filter or the like, the dust can be collected in
the filter. Incidentally, as long as a flow of air flowing through
the airflow inlet port 16 is formed in the airflow path of the base
box 11, the air blower 15 may not be provided in the base box 11
and the air in the base box 11 may be sucked and exhausted from the
exhaust dust 18 to the outside.
[0043] Schemes of processing completion control of the apparatus
include: a scheme to stop a processing when the sensor 48 detects
that the matters to be processed have been carried out the
processing space 24 by the operator; and a scheme to stop a
processing when a predetermined time of spouting the ionized air
lapses. Which control scheme is used is set by operating a switch
provided to an input operating unit 51 connected to the control
unit 50 in accordance with types and the like of the matters to be
processed. This input operating unit 51 is provided to, for
example, on a back surface side or the like of the support column
21.
[0044] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a type
in which the apparatus is turned on/off by a sensor, and FIG. 9 is
a flowchart showing a control procedure of a type in which the
apparatus is turned off by a timer.
[0045] In a control scheme shown in FIG. 8, when workpieces, that
is, matters to be processed are carried in the processing space 24
and detected by the sensor 48 (S1), the motor 12 of the air blower
15 is first actuated to form an airflow in the base box. After a
lapse of a predetermined time, the open/close valve 38 opens the
flow path and the compressed air is supplied to the air spout pipe
33, whereby the air curtains are formed. With the processing space
24 being isolated from the outside in this manner, the open/close
valve 43 opens the flow path to supply air to the ion generator 42
and also electric power is supplied to the electrodes in the ion
generator 42 to actuate the ion generator 42 (S2 to S4). Respective
processes in steps S2 to S4 are consecutively and sequentially
performed after the lapse of the predetermined time equal to or
less than one second, so that the ionized air is sprayed on the
matters to be processed with the processing space 24 being reliably
isolated from the outside by the air curtains. After being sprayed
for a predetermined time, since static electricity is neutralized
by the ionized air, the dust adhering by static electricity to the
matters to be processed is removed by the flow of air in the
processing space 24 and is then sucked into the base box 11. When
the sensor 48 detects that the matters to be processed have been
carried out (step S5), stopping the operation of the ion generator
42, stopping the air curtains, and stopping the operation of the
air blower 15 to stop formation of the airflow are consecutively
performed per predetermined interval.
[0046] As such, in the case where the static electricity and dust
removing apparatus detects that the matters to be processed have
been carried into the processing space, at a time of starting the
processing of the apparatus, the air curtains are actuated when a
predetermined time lapses after actuation of the air blower 15;
and, after the lapse of the predetermined time, the ionized air is
spouted. Therefore, the processing space 24 is reliably isolated
from the outside by the air curtains, and the ionized air is
sprayed on the matters to be processed with the dust not being
present in the processing space 24, thereby making it possible to
prevent the dust from leaking to the outside of the apparatus and
to reliably remove the dust from the matters to be processed. In
contrast, at a processing completion time, the air curtains are
stopped contrary to the processing start time, i.e., when a
predetermined time lapses after the ion generator 42 is stopped;
and further after a predetermined time lapses, the operation of the
air blower 15 is stopped to stop formation of the airflow.
Therefore, the removed dust can be reliably prevented from leaking
to the outside.
[0047] On the other hand, in a control scheme shown in FIG. 9,
processing start control of the static electricity and dust
removing apparatus is similar to that of the case shown in FIG. 8,
but processing completion control at the time of stopping the
operation of the apparatus is different from that shown in FIG. 8
in that the operation of the apparatus is stopped by a timer after
a time of spraying the ionized air lapses beyond the predetermined
time. When the ionized air is sprayed on the matters to be
processed for the predetermined time, a static electricity and dust
removing processing is automatically completed, so that the
operator carries out the matters to be processed to the outside
after stopping the apparatus. As such, even in the processing
completion control of a timer stop type, similarly to a processing
completion control scheme of a sensor stop type, the dust can be
removed from the matters to be processed without leaking the dust
to the outside.
[0048] This static electricity and dust removing apparatus can
perform a static electricity and dust removing processing to parts
as matters to be processed, which include: various electric
components and electronic components for industrial products;
camera components such as optical lenses; and parts such as
resin-molded components in which elements will be damaged due to
static electricity or which adherence of dust such as solid
particles will be problematic.
[0049] The present invention is not limited to the above
embodiment, and may be variously modified within a scope of not
departing from the gist thereof. For example, although the
processing head 23 is provided with one ion spout nozzle 36 in the
static electricity and dust removing apparatus shown in the
drawings, a plurality of ion spout nozzles 36 may be provided.
Further, although the processing head 23 is formed of a transparent
plate material, it may be formed of an opaque plate material.
Similarly, in place of the transparent covers 31 and 32, an opaque
plate material may be used to form covers.
* * * * *