FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved device holder for an adhesive roller in a contact cleaning apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved device holder for an adhesive roller in a contact cleaning apparatus wherein the improved device holder attaches to the adhesive roller via a snap-fit mechanism. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Contact cleaning is used to clean substrate surfaces. Once cleaned the substrate surfaces may be used in a variety of sophisticated processes such as in the manufacturing of electronics, photovoltaics and flat panel displays. Usually, a rubber or elastomeric cleaning roller is used to remove contaminating particles from a substrate surface and an adhesive roller can then be used to remove the contaminating particles from the cleaning roller. This allows the cleaning roller to maximise its efficiency in removing contaminating particles.

However, the maintenance of existing contact cleaning machines can be difficult with the removal and replacement of the adhesive rollers being time consuming and/or requiring partial disassembly of the area holding the adhesive roller. Moreover, existing systems for holding the adhesive rollers usually only allow access via one side of the apparatus and this can make the replacement and removal of the adhesive roller sometimes difficult. Additionally, existing holders vary in configuration and shape depending if the adhesive holder is to be held in a top unit, an upside-down unit or mounted at an angle up to and including 90 degrees. This means that several different types of adhesive holders have to be kept in stock. Previous adhesive holders are also multi-part units.

It is an object of at least one aspect of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least one or more of the aforementioned problems.

It is a further object of at least one aspect of the present invention to provide an improved device holder for an adhesive roller in a contact cleaning apparatus.

It is a further object of at least one aspect of the present invention to provide an improved method of removing and replacing an adhesive roller in a contact cleaning apparatus. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a device holder for an adhesive roller in a contact cleaning apparatus, the device holder comprising:

a recess extending from one side of the device holder to another and capable of receiving an end of a shaft assembly containing an adhesive roller; at least one notch located on the recess;

wherein the end of the shaft assembly is capable of snap-fitting into the at least one notch. The present invention therefore relates to a device holder for an adhesive roller in a contact cleaning apparatus wherein the improved device holder attaches to an adhesive roller via a snap-fit mechanism.

The recess may be located on a front face of the device holder. The recess may form an open-channel extending from one side of the front face to the other. The recess narrows (i.e. tapers) from the sides to a substantially central point where the at least one notch may be located. The recess may therefore be narrower in the central region than the edges and may therefore be divergent from the central region. The upper surface of the recess may be formed by two angled surfaces. Similarly, the lower surface may be formed by two other angled surfaces. The at least one notch be located on either the upper or lower surfaces and may be located at the point between the angled surfaces. In preferred embodiments, there are notches on both the upper and lower surfaces which may be located between the two angled surfaces. The two notches may therefore be substantially centrally located along the length of the recess.

The at least one or two notches may be adapted to and capable of receiving the ends of the shaft assembly to form a snap-fitting mechanism.

Located below the recess there may be an opening which forms an area of free space below the recess. The opening may allow the lower surfaces of the recess to flex downwards as end of the shaft assembly is pressed into the recess to snap-fit into the at least one notch. The lower surfaces may also flex as the end of the shaft assembly is pressed out of the recess. The contact cleaning apparatus may comprise an adhesive roller and a rubber roller. The adhesive roller may be substantially cylindrical in shape and may comprise at least one or more wound adhesive sheets or rolls. The rubber roller may also be substantially cylindrical in shape and may be made from any suitable rubber or elastomeric type of material which is capable of removing debris and/or contaminants from a substrate surface to be cleaned.

During use the rubber roller may be rolled against a substrate surface to be cleaned. The rubber roller may pick up and remove any contaminants and/or debris from the substrate surface. The cleaned substrate surface may then be used in, for example, the manufacturing of electronics, photovoltaics and flat panel displays where the surfaces have to be extremely clean otherwise there can be high wastage in the processed and cleaned substrates. The adhesive roller may then remove the contaminants from the rubber roller as the adhesive roller rotates against the rubber roller. The adhesive rolls (or sheets) of the adhesive roller can be replaced once the rolls (or sheets) become fully loaded with contaminants. The adhesive roller and the rubber roller may therefore be in contact with one another to allow constant cleaning of the rubber roller. For the contact cleaning apparatus to operate efficiently the adhesive roller has a higher surface energy towards the contaminating particles than the cleaning roller. This means that the contaminating particles form a temporary bond with the surface of the rubber roller and are then transferred to the adhesive roller. This keeps the rubber roller substantially free from contaminating particles which therefore improves the efficiency of the cleaning process. The shaft assembly may be used to mount the adhesive roller. In use the shaft ends of the shaft may be held securely between the at least one notch in the recess or preferably between two notches. The upper and lower notches may therefore tightly secure the shaft in place. The device holder may therefore be made from, for example, a plastics type of material which allows the notches to deform slightly to when receiving and releasing the shaft ends via the snap-fit mechanism. This may also allow the lower surface of the notch to flex downwards as the shaft ends are pressed into and out of the recess. To remove the shaft and hence replace the adhesive roller, the shaft ends can simply be pulled (or pushed) out of the grip of the notches and slid along the upper and lower surfaces of the recess in the device holder 124. Once removed from the contact cleaning apparatus, the used adhesive roller can be replaced with a new adhesive roller. The shaft containing the new adhesive roller can then be slid along the upper and lower surfaces and pressed into the notches which will once again engage onto the shaft ends via a snap-fit mechanism. This process may be repeated as many times as necessary and means that the adhesive roller can be replaced easily from either side of the contact cleaning apparatus and there is no need for left- and right-handed parts. The device holder can also be used to hold the adhesive roller from above, below or at any other angle. The device holder is also made from a single unitary part and requires no specialist tools for fitting and removal. According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of fitting or removing an adhesive roller in a contact cleaning apparatus using a device holder comprising:

a recess extending from one side of the device holder to another and capable of receiving an end of a shaft assembly containing an adhesive roller; at least one notch located on the recess;

wherein the end of the shaft assembly is capable of snap-fitting into the at least one notch.

The device holder may be as defined in the first aspect.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a contact cleaning apparatus comprising:

a contact cleaning roller capable of removing contaminating debris from a substrate surface;

an adhesive roller mounted on ends of a shaft assembly capable of removing debris from the contact cleaning roller;

wherein the ends of the shaft assembly are capable of being snap-fitted into at least one notch in a recess of a device holder.

The device holder may be as defined in the first aspect.

Typically, there may be notches located on both the upper and lower surfaces of the recess in the device holder.

Both ends of the shaft assembly may therefore be snap-fitted into two device holders. The device holders on either side of the contact cleaning apparatus may be exactly the same. The device holders may be located in end wall assemblies of the cleaning apparatus.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of fitting or removing an adhesive roller in a contact cleaning apparatus, said method comprising:

pressing ends of a shaft assembly into or out of at least one notch in a recess of a device holder via a snap-fit mechanism;

wherein the adhesive roller is mounted on the shaft assembly and the contact cleaning apparatus comprises a contact cleaning roller capable of removing contaminating debris from a substrate surface and the adhesive roller is capable of removing debris from the contact cleaning roller.

The device holder and contact cleaning apparatus may be as defined in the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a contact cleaning apparatus using adhesive device holders according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front view of the contact cleaning apparatus shown in Figure

1 ;

Figure 3 is an end view of the contact cleaning apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is an exploded view of the contact cleaning apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a device holder for an adhesive roller according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a front view of the device holder shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional side view of the device holder shown in Figures 5 and 6;

Figure 8 is a side view of the device holder shown in Figures 5 to 7;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a shaft assembly for the adhesive roller according an embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 10 is an exploded view of the shaft assembly shown in Figure 9.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Generally speaking, the present invention resides in the provision of an improved device holder for an adhesive roller in a contact cleaning apparatus wherein the improved device holder attaches to the adhesive roller via a snap-fit mechanism.

Figures 1 to 4 are representations of a contact cleaning apparatus generally designated 100. The contact cleaning apparatus 100 comprises an adhesive roller 1 10 and a rubber roller 1 12. The adhesive roller 1 10 is substantially cylindrical in shape and comprises at least one or more wound adhesive sheets or rolls. The rubber roller 1 12 is also substantially cylindrical in shape and is made from any suitable rubber or elastomeric type of material which is capable of removing debris and/or contaminants from a substrate surface to be cleaned. During use the rubber roller 1 12 is rolled against the substrate surface to be cleaned. The rubber roller 1 12 picks up and removes any contaminants and/or debris from the substrate surface. The cleaned substrate surface may then be used in, for example, the manufacturing of electronics, photovoltaics and flat panel displays where the surfaces have to be extremely clean otherwise there can be high wastage in the processed and cleaned substrates. The adhesive roller 1 10 then removes the contaminants from the rubber roller 1 12 as the adhesive roller 1 10 rotates against the rubber roller 1 12. The adhesive rolls (or sheets) of the adhesive roller 1 10 can be replaced once the rolls (or sheets) become fully loaded with contaminants. The adhesive roller 1 10 and the rubber roller 1 12 are therefore in contact with one another to allow constant cleaning of the rubber roller 1 12. For the contact cleaning apparatus 100 to operate efficiently the adhesive roller 1 10 has a higher surface energy towards the contaminating particles than the rubber roller 1 12. This means that the contaminating particles form a temporary bond with the surface of the rubber roller 1 12 and are then transferred to the adhesive roller 1 10. This keeps the rubber roller 1 12 substantially free from contaminating particles which therefore improves the efficiency of the cleaning process.

Figures 1 to 4 also show that the contact cleaning apparatus 100 comprises tie bars 1 14, 1 16 located in front of and behind the rubber roller 1 12. The adhesive roller 1 10 is also shown to be mounted on a shaft assembly 180 which will be described below in more detail. On both ends of the contact cleaning apparatus 100 there is shown end wall assemblies 120, 122. The end wall assemblies 120, 122 are exactly the same which is one of the advantages of the present invention in that there is no need for left- and right-handed parts. Attached to the end wall assemblies 120, 122 there are device holders 124, 126, respectively. The device holders 124, 126 are used to engage with and mount the adhesive roller 1 10 in a snap-fit mechanism. This will also be described below in more detail.

Figure 4 further shows that the end wall assembly 120 has an aperture 121 located in the lower region within which the rubber roller 1 12 is capable of rotating. There is also shown washer springs 130 and screws 132.

Figures 5 to 8 are views of the device holder 124 for the adhesive roller 1 10. The device holder 124 is exactly the same as the device holder 126 which is located at the opposite end of the adhesive roller 1 10. This is one of the advantages of the present invention. The device holder 124 comprises a front face 150 towards the bottom of which is a recess 156. The recess 156 forms an open-channel extending from one side of the front face 150 to the other. The upper surface of the recess 156 is formed by surfaces 160 and 162 which are angled to one another. The lower surface of the recess 156 is formed by surfaces 164 and 166 which are also angled to one another. Situated between the upper surfaces 160, 162 and the lower surfaces 164, 166 there is an upper notch 168 and a lower notch 169 which are substantially centrally located along the length of the recess 156. The recess 156 is narrower in the central region and is therefore divergent from the central region. Located below the recess 156 there is an opening 158 which forms an area of free space below the recess 156. This allows the lower surfaces 164, 166 to flex downwards as the shaft assembly 180 is pressed into the recess 156 and eventually to snap-fit into the notches 168,169. The lower surfaces 164, 166 will also flex as the shaft assembly 180 is pressed out of the recessl 56.

On the rear face 152 of the device holder 124 there is a step 154 which allows the device holder 124 to fit into the end wall assembly 120.

Figures 7 is a cross-section along the direction shown by X-X in Figure 6 and shows that at the rear of the recess 156 there is deeper slot 170. This deeper slot 170 is also shown in Figure 8.

Figures 9 and 10 show the shaft assembly 180 onto which the adhesive roller 1 10 is rotatably mounted. The shaft assembly 180 comprises a shaft 182 with shaft ends 196, 198. There is also shown end caps 184, 186 at each end 196, 198 of the shaft 182. Figure 10 also shows that on either side of the end cap 184 there are flanges 188, 190 and clips 192, 294 to secure all components in place.

In use the shaft ends 196, 198 are held securely between the upper and lower notches 168, 169 of the recess 156. The upper and lower notches 168, 169 therefore tightly secure the shaft 182 in place. The device holder 124 is made from, for example, a plastics type of material which allows the notches 168, 169 to deform slightly to when receiving and releasing the shaft ends 196, 198. This flexible plastics material also allows the lower surfaces 164, 166 to flex as the shaft ends are pressed into and out of the recess 156. To remove the shaft 180 and hence replace the adhesive roller 1 10, the shaft ends 196, 198 can simply be pulled (or pushed) out of the snap-fit mechanism of the notches 168, 169 and slid along surfaces 160, 164 (or 162, 166) out of the device holder 124 and away from the end wall assembly 120. Once removed from the contact cleaning apparatus 100, the used adhesive roller 1 10 can be replaced with a new adhesive roller. The shaft 180 containing the new adhesive roller can then be slid along the surfaces 160, 164 (or 162, 166) and pressed into the notches 168,168 which will once again engage onto the shaft ends 168,169 via a snap-fit mechanism. This process may be repeated as many times as necessary and means that the adhesive roller 1 10 can be replaced easily from either side of the contact cleaning apparatus 100 and there is no need for left- and right-handed parts. The devices holders 124, 126 can also be used to hold the adhesive roller 1 10 from above, below or at any other angle. The device holders 124, 126 are also made from a single unitary part and require no specialist tools for fitting and removal.

Whilst specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it will be appreciated that departures from the described embodiments may still fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, any suitable type of snap-fit mechanism may be used to snap the ends of the shaft containing the adhesive roller into place.