JP3353197B2 - Method and apparatus for removing, drying, and sterilizing clothes and accessories for clean rooms - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to improving the cleanliness of clothes and accessories for a clean room.
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for removing, drying, and sterilizing by cleaning them.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, workers are said to be the biggest source of dust in clean rooms used in working environments of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and the like. That is, even if the worker wears clean room clothes and other accessories such as hats, gloves, and masks, dust from the human body occupies a large weight as a dust source. For this reason, efforts have been made to reduce the number of workers entering the clean room in terms of suppressing dust generation. However, the interior of the clean room cannot be completely unmanned, and suppression of human body dusting is a major problem.

[0003] While measures are being taken to suppress the generation of human body dust from the material of clean room clothing and from the inside of the clothing, contamination by dirt on clothing such as clean room clothing is a serious problem. ing. In particular, as the manufacturing environment becomes more severe due to the miniaturization and higher density of semiconductor devices, higher cleanliness of clean room clothes is required, and it is important to prevent contamination in the clean room due to dirt on clothes. Has been a challenge.

Most of the operations of cleaning, dust removing and drying of the clothes and accessories for the clean room are carried out after collecting the clothes for the clean room from the clean room of each business site at the base, and then cleaning, dust removing and drying. In a specially prepared clean room with a clean level of about 100, it is washed with tap water or ultrapure water using a washing machine having a jet or drum rotating structure. After cleaning, the clothes and accessories for the clean room are dusted and dried by stirring while blowing hot air and clean air with a dryer installed in the same clean room.

However, the cleanliness of individual clean room clothes and their accessories has not been measured or sterilized. However, instead of measuring individual cleanliness, the relationship between cleanliness and drying time is previously grasped for representative examples of clean room clothes and their accessories, and predetermined dust removal and cleaning are performed so as to obtain the predetermined cleanliness. The drying time is set, and the work of dust removal and drying is performed based on this time. In this way, after dust removal and drying,
Similarly, dry clothes are individually packaged one by one under an environment of a clean level of about 100, and then packaged in a large bag. Some packages are single-packed, but most packages are packaged in plastic containers and delivered to each business site by car, etc., and then unpacked on the outside, and then to a clean room such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment. It is stored.

[0006]

The cleaning, dust-removing, and drying steps have improved the cleanliness of the clothes and accessories for the clean room, and have been able to withstand use. Did not. That is, in a drying process or the like, there is a problem that static electricity is charged to clothes for a clean room and its accessories to adsorb fine particles, and dust cannot be sufficiently removed. In addition, since sterilization treatment of microorganisms such as molds and bacteria has not been performed, odors remain in clothes and accessories that directly touch the mouth and skin of the worker, and there is a hygiene problem.

[0007] As described above, it is difficult to use individual clean room clothes in a clean room such as a semiconductor manufacturing, which has been increasingly densified and miniaturized in recent years, without being managed by a dust monitor. It is said that the largest source of dust from human bodies, including clothing, is one of the major factors that hinder the improvement of process yield.

[0008] In addition, after re-delivery of dust-cleaned, washed and dried clothes for a clean room to a clean room of each business site, it is necessary to unpack the clothes, so that there is a problem that the clothes for the clean room are re-contaminated. at the same time,
The processes other than dust removal and drying, such as collection, packaging, redistribution and unpacking, required a lot of labor and man-hours.

[0009] In addition, dust caused by thread breakage or fluff caused by friction of clothes has not been measured, and the life judgment of clean room clothes is left only to the number of times of cleaning and inspection of appearance. However, there was a problem that dust generation from the clean room clothing itself was not performed.

The inventor of the present invention has conducted intensive studies in order to solve such a problem, and as a result, has arrived at the present invention.

[0011]

The gist of the method for removing dust, drying and sterilizing the clean room clothes and its accessories according to the present invention is that the clean room clothes and their accessories are washed with a cleaning liquid in a clean room. Thereafter, the washed clean room clothing and its accessories are stirred and dried while supplying hot air or dry air and ozone while preventing electrification, and are also dust-free and sterilized.

The gist of the apparatus for removing dust, drying and sterilizing the clean room clothes and its accessories according to the present invention for carrying out such a method is to stir the cleaned clean room clothes and their accessories to remove dust and dry. A rotating drum for facilitating sterilization, a driving device for rotating the rotating drum, a blower for supplying air from outside to dry the clothes for the clean room and its accessories, and a cleaner for cleaning the introduced air. An air purifier, an ozone generator for generating ozone, and an air outlet or
Measuring the amount of dust contained in the exhaust air
And a dust measuring means for determining
By measuring the amount of dust contained in the outgoing air,
Relationship between time or frequency of dust, drying and sterilization and dust measurement
Determines the life of cleanroom clothing and its accessories
There to be Rukoto.

As a method for preventing static electricity, an antistatic agent can be used. However, in such a clean room garment and its accessories for dust removal, drying and sterilization, either positive ions or negative ions are used. It is also possible to provide an ion generator for generating one or both, or to use a so-called ionizer for simultaneously generating ions and ozone instead of the ozone generator and the ion generator.

Further, in the apparatus for removing, drying, and sterilizing such clean room clothing and its accessories, a heater capable of controlling the temperature is provided.

According to the method and the apparatus according to the present invention, first, the washing of the clothes for the clean room and its accessories is performed as a pre-process, and ordinary washing may be performed. In order to improve the water content, washing with deionized water or ultrapure water is preferred. When the stain is remarkable, the activator is added in an amount of 0.02 to 0.1%.
(Weight ratio) is effective when added. The cleaning of the clothes for the clean room is performed by a cleaning machine installed in the clean room (at a clean level of about 100 to 1000).

Next, the cleaned clothes for the clean room and its accessories are put into a rotating drum of a dust removing, drying and sterilizing apparatus of a dust-free structure mechanism installed in the same clean room. On the other hand, predetermined clean air containing predetermined ozone and ion electrons adjusted to a predetermined temperature is supplied to a rotating drum of a dust removing, drying and sterilizing apparatus through a blower, an ionizer, an air purifier and a heater. Then, the clothes and accessories for the clean room put in the rotating drum are stirred and dried by the rotating drum rotated together with the supplied predetermined clean air. At the same time, static electricity is charged by friction, etc., and fine particles such as dust adhering to clothes are electrically neutralized by ion electrons to remove dust, and furthermore, adhere to clothes by ozone and sometimes heat. Microorganisms such as bacteria and molds are sterilized. The air after dust removal, drying and sterilization is forcibly guided to an exhaust port by an exhaust fan and discharged. Until a predetermined time, this process is continuously performed to clean the clean room clothes and the like. As described above, the ionizer is provided to generate and supply ion electrons, to remove static electricity generated in the clean room clothes and its accessories to remove fine particles related to charging, and to simultaneously generate ozone by the ionizer. The effect of sterilizing microorganisms can be enhanced.

Next, in the method for removing dust, drying and sterilizing the clean room garment and its accessories,
By measuring the amount of dust contained in the air discharged from the dust removal and sterilization process, the drying,
It is an object of the present invention to control the time of dust removal and sterilization, and to keep the cleanliness of the clean room clothes and its accessories below a predetermined value.
As an apparatus for performing this method, in the above-described clean room clothes and its accessories for dust removal, drying and sterilization,
A dust measuring means for measuring the amount of dust contained in the discharged air is provided at or near the air outlet.

That is, a measuring unit of a particle counter, for example, is provided at the exhaust port of the above-described apparatus as a dust measuring means, and the fine particles from which dust is removed are measured. After the dust removal, drying, and sterilization operations for a predetermined time, when the measured number of fine particles is within a predetermined range, it is determined to be normal, the drying and other processes are stopped, and the clean room clothes and the like are rotated. Taken out of On the other hand, when the measured number of fine particles is out of the predetermined value, it is determined that the dirt has not been removed or the fine particles are still attached to the surface of the clothes, etc. A determination is made whether to continue the process or to start over again.

The method for removing, drying, and sterilizing clothes and accessories for a clean room according to the present invention,
By measuring the amount of dust contained in the air discharged from the dust removal and sterilization process, the life of the clean room clothing or its accessories is determined based on the relationship between the dust removal, drying and sterilization time or frequency and the dust measurement value. That is, it is determined.

Further, as an apparatus for performing this method, in a dust removing, drying and sterilizing apparatus for clean room clothes and its accessories, the amount of dust contained in the discharged air is measured by a dust measuring means to remove dust and dust. Means are provided for determining the life of the clean room clothing or its accessories based on the relationship between the time or number of times of drying and sterilization and the dust measurement value.

That is, when cleaning, drying, and sterilizing the clothes for the clean room and its accessories, not only the dust removal, drying, and sterilization equipment of the dust-free structure mechanism but also the dust measurement means for measuring and managing the dust removal means. At the same time, by grasping quantitatively the correlation between the value of the dust measuring means and the wear state of the clothes and their accessories in advance, the life of the clothes and their accessories can be determined. Specifically, after the dust removal, drying, and sterilization operations for a predetermined time, if the measured fine particles related to the dust removal are within a predetermined range, it is determined that the dust is normal. On the other hand, when the measured number of fine particles is out of the predetermined range, it is determined that dust is generated due to wear resulting from the life of the previous process. In the case of dusting due to abrasion, the value once shows a minimum value, then rises again, and is measured at a value outside a predetermined range. The change in the transition of this value determines whether cleaning is insufficient or dust is generated due to the life.

Further, in a dust removing, drying and sterilizing apparatus for clean room clothes and accessories, the air discharged after removing the cleaned clean room clothes and accessories for dust is circulated to the air purifier. And a dehumidifying means for dehumidifying air from the circulated air.

If it is not suitable to exhaust air to the outside of the device in the clean room, the air is guided again to the rotary drum through the damper by a closed loop air circulation system having no exhaust port, Dust removal, drying,
Sterilization is performed. In this case, the dust measurement means is provided in the exhaust unit.

[0024]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a method and an apparatus for removing, drying and sterilizing clothes and accessories for a clean room according to the present invention.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show one embodiment of a dust removing / drying / sterilizing apparatus 10 having a dust-free mechanism.
No. 0 is installed in a clean room where the clean level is maintained at about 100 to 1000. This device 10
Is a shaft 21 connecting the pre-filter 12, the drain port 14, the exhaust port 16 and the rotating drum 18 to the driving device 20.
All except the shaft hole 22 through which the frame 24 and the door 2
6 sealed. Further, inside the frame 24, a blower 28 for taking in air through the pre-filter 12, ozone in the air taken in by the blower 28, an ionizer 30 for generating positive and negative ion electrons, and ozone An air purifier 32 for cleaning air containing ion electrons and a heater 34 for heating the purified air are provided.

Here, the clean room in which the present apparatus 10 is installed is changed to a part of the clean room in which manufacturing facilities for semiconductor devices and the like are provided, or to clean room clothes provided adjacent to the manufacturing facilities. A clean room in which the clean level is kept below a certain level, such as a dressing room, is preferable, and it is particularly preferable that the clean room is provided in a place that does not go outside the clean room attached to the manufacturing equipment. By providing such a portion, it is not necessary to particularly provide a clean room for cleaning clothes and the like for the clean room, and the clothes and the like for the clean room after cleaning are not contaminated with the transportation.

The pre-filter 12 is provided at an air intake formed in the frame 24 of the apparatus 10, and is a filter for previously removing dust floating in the air in the clean room, and is made of, for example, glass fiber. Filter is used. This pre-filter 1
As 2, dust collection efficiency of 10 μm or less, preferably 5 μm or less, more preferably 2 μm or less
A filter capable of removing 0% or more, preferably 95% or more is used.

The air in the clean room is taken in by the blower 28 through the pre-filter 12. The blower 28 is configured such that the fan is rotated by a motor incorporated therein, and the structure and shape of the motor and the fan are not particularly limited. However, a material that can provide a sufficient amount of air for drying clothes for a clean room or the like is selected, and a structure that hardly generates dust or the like in a rotating portion or the like is preferable.

The air in the clean room is sucked through the pre-filter 12 by the blower 28, and the purified air is sent to the ionizer 30. The ionizer 30 is a device that can simultaneously generate positive and negative ion electrons and ozone, and a known device such as a device that generates ions and ozone by discharging between opposed electrodes in air. Used. Also, not only a device that simultaneously generates ion electrons and ozone, but also an ion generator that generates only ion electrons,
It is also possible to use both of the ozone generators that generate only ozone in combination. Furthermore, when the polarity of static electricity generated when drying clothes for a clean room or the like is constant to either positive or negative, an ion generator that generates only either positive ions or negative ions may be used. Not limited. Note that the amount of ion electrons and ozone generated is determined by the amount of air blown or the amount of clean room clothes to be dried.

The air in which ion electrons and ozone are generated by the ionizer 30 is converted by the air purifier 32 into air.
Fine dust contained in the air is removed. The air purifier 32 is constituted by a filter made of glass fiber or the like, and has a particle size of 0.5 μm or less, preferably 0.3 μm.
m, more preferably 0.1 μm or less, can be removed with a collection efficiency of 99.0% or more, preferably 99.95% or more, more preferably 99.999% or more. As the air purifier 32, for example, ULPA
(ULTRA LOW PENETRATION AIR FILTER) A filter composed of glass fibers capable of collecting fine particles having a particle size of 0.1 μm with a collection efficiency of 99.999% or more.
EPA (HIGH EFFICIENCY PARTICULATE AIR FILTER) A filter composed of glass fibers capable of collecting fine particles having a particle size of 0.3 μm with a collection efficiency of 99.97% or more can be used. The air cleaner 32 also removes dust generated by the blower 28 and the like, and obtains drying air having a very high clean level. The air cleaner 32 does not remove ion electrons or ozone.

The purified air containing ion electrons and ozone is heated by the heater 34 and is sent. The temperature of the air heated by the heater 34 is set to a temperature at which the washed clean room clothes and the like can be efficiently dried, and a temperature at which the dried clean room clothes and the like cannot be thermally deformed. You. Heater 34
The heating temperature is preferably 90 ° C. or lower, particularly 70 ° C. or lower, normal temperature or higher, particularly 30 ° C. or higher. Heater 3
If the temperature of the air to be heated in step 4 can be set higher,
A sterilization effect by heat can be expected, and drying is further promoted. The heater 34 has a structure that does not generate dust, and is preferably an electric heater, particularly a dustproof ceramic heater. The air containing ion electrons and ozone heated to an appropriate temperature by the heater 34 is sent to the rotating drum 18 through the ventilation passage 36.

The rotating drum 18 has a cylindrical body 19
Alternatively, a plurality of pads 38 are provided to prevent the clean room clothes and the like put in the tubular body 19 from sticking together, and to agitate the clean room clothes and the like to promote drying. ing. Rotating drum 1
The cylindrical body 19 of FIG. 8 is disposed so that its axial direction is substantially horizontal, and a wall 40 is provided on one side surface of the cylindrical body 19. The shaft 21 is provided at the center of rotation of the wall 40, and an air inlet 42 is provided at an appropriate position so that warm air from the ventilation passage 36 is introduced into the cylindrical body 19. . The other end of the cylindrical body 19 has an opening (4
3) The door 26 is opened, and clothes for a clean room or the like are put in the tubular body 19.

The other end of the shaft 21 provided on the wall 40 of the tubular body 19 is connected to the driving device 20 so that the rotating drum 18 is rotated. The driving device 20 includes a motor 44
, And a speed reducer 46, and about 20 rpm to 60 r.
At a rotation speed of about pm, it is rotated at a speed that does not damage fabrics such as clean room clothes and at a speed that can promote drying. The driving device 20 is disposed outside the frame 24, and the inner diameter of the shaft hole 22 of the shaft 21 that penetrates the frame 24 is formed slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft 21, for example, about 0.3 mm larger. ing. Providing the gap in this way prevents the rotating shaft 21 from contacting the frame 24 to generate dust, and even if dust is generated on the scale, the dust is generated from the ventilation path 36 side to the outside through the gap. By creating a flowing air flow, dust is prevented from entering the inside, and the inside of the device 10 is prevented from being contaminated with dust.

It is preferable that the side wall of the frame 24 on which the drive unit 20 is disposed penetrates the side wall of the clean room and is disposed outside in order to prevent dust from diffusing into the clean room. Further, the driving device 20 includes a frame 24.
The shaft 21 and the rotating drum 18 are arranged in a state of being suspended in the air inside the frame 24 so as not to contact the internal members.
It is preferable from the viewpoint of preventing generation of dust. Rotating drum 1
When the frame 8 needs to be supported inside the frame 24, a structure such as a bearing is used to prevent dust from being generated.

The clean air sent to the rotating drum 18 is stirred by the rotation of the rotating drum 18 together with the clean room clothes and its accessories previously contained therein, so that the clean room clothes and the like are removed, dried, and sterilized. .
That is, as the clothes for the clean room are dried by the warm air while being stirred, the positive or negative static electricity is charged by the friction of the clothes for the clean room, and the static electricity causes dust or the like to be adsorbed on the surface of the clothes for the clean room. I do. Therefore, the ionizer 30
By stirring the positive and negative ion electrons generated by the above with hot air, the static electricity is electrically neutralized, and the surface of clothes for a clean room or the like is no longer charged, and dust is removed. In addition, microorganisms such as bacteria and molds, such as Escherichia coli and various germs, adhering to the surface of clothes for a clean room and the like, are similarly sterilized by the sterilizing power of ozone generated by the ionizer 30, thereby achieving sterilization. Further, when the dead bodies of microorganisms are discharged as dust by sterilization, they are not attached to the surface of clothes for a clean room or the like due to static electricity and are removed.

The time for dust removal, drying and sterilization of the clean room clothes and the like is classified according to the type of the clean room clothes and its accessories, and is about 20 minutes or more and about 6 minutes.
It is preferable to set the time in a range of 0 minute or less. If the time is short, dust removal, drying and sterilization become insufficient, and if the time is too long, fabrics such as clean room clothes are only damaged, which is not preferable. This time varies depending on the number of clean room clothes to be put into the rotating drum 18, the temperature of the hot air, the amount of air blow, and the like, and is not necessarily limited.

The air used for dust removal, drying and sterilization of clothes for a clean room is discharged from the opening 43 of the cylindrical body 19, is sucked by the exhaust fan 48, passes through the exhaust path 50, and furthermore, is provided with a dustproof dehumidifier 52. The air is exhausted from the exhaust port 16 to the outside. The air discharged from the rotating drum 18 contains dust and moisture, and the water vapor is condensed and liquefied by the dustproof dehumidifier 52, and is discharged from the drain port 14 to the outside. The dried air from which water has been removed contains dust removed from clothes for a clean room or the like, and the dried air is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust port 16. Therefore, a measurement unit of the particle counter 54 is provided at the exhaust port 16 and the amount of dust contained in the air discharged from the exhaust port 16 is measured. The drain port 14 is connected to a drain pipe provided in the clean room, and the exhaust port 16 may be discharged into the clean room. However, it is preferable that the drain port 14 is discharged outside the clean room by a duct or the like. .

As a measuring unit of the particle counter 54, a device such as a laser type device capable of almost accurately measuring the number of fine particles contained in the air is used. The diameter of fine particles that can be measured may be measured up to 0.1 μm or less.
The cleanliness may be determined by representatively measuring particles having a particle size of m or more or 0.3 μm or more. That is, when the value measured by the particle counter 54, in other words, the number of dusts contained in a unit volume of air exhausted from the exhaust port 16 is less than a predetermined range, it is determined to be normal, and conversely, the measurement is performed. If the value is out of the predetermined range, it is determined that the cleaning in the previous step is insufficient or the cleanliness is insufficient due to the life of the clothes for the clean room or the like.

More specifically, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, after cleaning the new clean room garment having zero washing times, the apparatus 10 removes, drys and sterilizes the garment while exhausting it through the exhaust port 16. When the number of the fine particles contained in the air to be measured is measured by the particle counter 54, the number of the fine particles which was about 7000 at the start of the drying becomes about 2,000 after 10 minutes, and further 30 minutes after the start. Was less than 100, and thereafter the number further decreased. From this result, it can be seen that the fine particles adhering to the surface of the clean room clothing during the cleaning are gradually removed, and there is no self-dust generation due to the fibers of the clean room clothing itself.

Also, as shown in FIG. 3 by a dotted line when the number of washings is 75, and by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3 when the number of washings is 100. Sometimes the fine particles adhering to the surface of the clean room clothes are gradually removed, but even after a certain period of time, the number of the fine particles measured by the particle counter 54 does not decrease, and the time is long. It can be seen that the number of fine particles increases on the contrary by the drying of. From this result, when the measured value of the particle counter 54 when the clean room clothes are dried for a certain period of time is equal to or less than a certain value, the clean room clothes have not reached the end of their life, and the cleanliness is not sufficient. You can see that there is. On the other hand, if the measured value of the particle counter 54 when the clean room clothes are dried for a certain period of time exceeds a certain value, the cleanliness is insufficient and the clean room clothes have a long life. It can be seen that the cleaning was insufficient. Therefore, at this time,
A decision will be made whether to clean the cleanroom clothing again or to replace the cleanroom clothing with new ones. In particular, as is clear from the figure, when dried for a certain period of time, once the number of fine particles reduced to the minimum value increases again, self-dusting due to fibers of the clean room clothes itself. This indicates that the life of the clean room clothing has expired.

It should be noted that the frame 2 covering each of the above-described components is
The door 4 and the door 26 are preferably air-tightly formed by covering the heat insulating material from both sides with plates made of stainless steel or the like. Also,
As shown in FIG. 1, the exhaust port 1 passes through the dustproof dehumidifier 52.
It is also possible to configure so that a part of the air exhausted from the outside 6 is guided into the rotary drum 18 through the damper 56. By doing so, the thermal efficiency is further improved.

The embodiment of the dust removing, drying and sterilizing apparatus 10 for the clothes and accessories for the clean room has been described with reference to the drawings. The apparatus 10 is operated as follows.

That is, the clothes and accessories for the clean room are first appropriately washed by a washing device arranged in the clean room adjacent to the present apparatus 10. The water used for the cleaning device may be ordinary tap water, but it is most preferable to use deionized water or ultrapure water. It is preferable not to use a detergent or the like for washing with water. However, when clothes and the like are extremely dirty, the activator is contained in an amount of 0.5% by weight or less, preferably 0.01 to 0.2% by weight, more preferably 0% by weight. It can be added in the range of 0.02 to 0.1% by weight. And after the rinsing water has sufficient transparency,
After washing and dehydration, it is taken out. In addition, as this washing device, a normal washing machine can be used,
There is no particular limitation.

As shown in FIG. 4, the clean room garment and its accessories are usually a clean room garment 58 consisting of a series of clothes, and hoods 60, a mask 61, an arm cover 62, a glove 63, and a finger sack 64 as accessories. , Clean shoes 65 and the like. These may be washed as one set, but may be washed by type.
There is no particular limitation. The washed clean room clothing and its accessories may then be used as a set for dust removal, drying and sterilization.
You may make it perform according to a kind.

After the washing, the clothes 58 for the clean room are sufficiently dehydrated so as not to damage the fabric, and then put into the rotating drum 18 of the dust removing / drying / sterilizing device 10 disposed adjacently, and the door 26 is opened. Close. Next, the driving device 20 is driven to rotate the rotary drum 18, and at the same time, the blower 28 is driven to take in air.
0, the air cleaner 32 and the heater 34 are operated to supply the rotary drum 18 with clean heated air containing positive and negative ion electrons and ozone. The clean room clothes 58 in the rotating drum 18 are gradually dried by the air heated to a predetermined temperature.
With the drying, dust such as fine particles adhering to the surface of the clean room clothes 58 and the like is peeled off and discharged together with air. At this time, the clothes 58 for a clean room made of chemical fibers are agitated in the rotating drum 18 so that the clothes rub against each other to charge static electricity and adsorb fine particles that are likely to peel off from the surface. . Then, by supplying the ionized air by the ionizer 30, the static electricity is electrically neutralized and the electricity is eliminated. As a result, static electricity is not charged on the clothes 58 for the clean room, and the dust removal proceeds smoothly. Moreover, the microorganisms such as bacteria are removed to some extent by washing the clean room clothes 58 and the like, but they are often insufficient. For this reason, by supplying ozone produced together with ion electrons by the ionizer 30 and bringing the ozone into contact with the agitated clean room clothes 58 and the like, microorganisms can be sterilized by the sterilizing power of ozone. Therefore, the clean room clothes 58 sterilized by ozone are sanitary, and
Microorganisms such as bacteria and molds are not discharged from the apparatus 10 together with the air while they are alive, which makes the apparatus more sanitary.

While being rotated by the rotation of the rotary drum 18, the clothes 58 for the clean room and the like are quickly dried, dust-removed and further sterilized, while the air used for drying is sucked into the exhaust fan 48. After the moisture is removed by the dustproof dehumidifier 52, the moisture is discharged from the drain port 14 and the dry air is discharged from the exhaust port 16. The dry air contains fine particles removed from the clean room clothes 58 and the like, and a particle counter 54 attached to the exhaust port 16.
The measurement unit measures the number of fine particles.

The number of fine particles measured by the measuring section of the particle counter 54 shows the highest value at the start of dust removal, drying and sterilization, and after the start of dust removal, the number of fine particles measured with the lapse of time sharply decreases. I will do it.
Then, after a certain period of time, the decrease in the number of particles to be measured slows down and finally hardly decreases. Therefore, when the number of fine particles measured by the measuring unit of the particle counter 54 is reduced below a certain value, it is estimated that the amount of dust generated from the clean room clothing 58 or the like is within the standard value range. When the drying is sufficient, the operation of the apparatus 10 is stopped, and the clothes 58 and the like for the clean room are taken out.

As described above, the particle counter 54
The operation of the device 10 may be stopped when the number of fine particles measured by the measuring unit becomes smaller than a certain value, but the life of the clean room clothes 58 and the like is also determined at the same time. You may do it. That is, as described above with reference to FIG. 3, the number of fine particles measured by the measurement unit of the particle counter 54 depends on the number of uses of the clean room clothes 58 and the like, in other words, the larger the number of times of washing, the more the fluffing and the like. Since the amount of self-particle generation increases, the minimum value increases, and once it reaches the minimum value, it tends to increase. Therefore,
When this minimum value exceeds the range of the standard value of the amount of dust generated from the clothes 58 for the clean room or the like, it is determined that the life has expired and discarded. Further, even if the lowest value is within the range of the standard value, the correlation between the value measured by measuring the fine particles removed by the particle counter 54 and the life of the clean room clothing and its accessories is quantitatively determined. If the correlations are the same, the clean room clothes 58 and the like are discarded as having expired. By this determination, it is possible to minimize the amount of dust generated by the worker who wears the clean room clothes 58 and the like.

The embodiments of the method of removing dust, drying and sterilizing the clothes for a clean room and its accessories according to the present invention and the apparatus therefor have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments.

For example, the device 10 in the above-described form
It is installed in a part of the clean room, especially in the front room or the changing room where the production equipment with a high clean level enters, and the exhaust port 16 is provided.
The air containing fine particles discharged from the room is directly discharged into a room such as a front room or a changing room which is a part of a clean room, and is cleaned by an air purifier for a clean room. Where possible, holes are provided in a part of the wall or floor of the clean room, and a drive device such as an exhaust port and a motor is arranged outside the clean room. However, depending on the type of clean room, it may not be possible to provide an exhaust port in the room to exhaust air containing fine particles or to make a hole in a wall or floor.

In such a case, as shown in FIG.
Preferably, an exhaust duct 58 is connected to the exhaust port 16, and the other end of the exhaust duct 58 is connected to a part of the pre-filter 12 to form a circulation path 60. And the exhaust duct 5
8, the dustproof dehumidifier 52 and the dustproof dehumidifier 5
2, a drain port 14 for discharging the drain dehumidified and liquefied by the exhaust port 2, an exhaust fan 48 for sucking the exhaust gas in the exhaust path 50, and an exhaust duct 5
8 is provided with a measuring unit of the particle counter 54,
This constitutes a closed loop air circulation path 60.

With the configuration of the circulation system, in addition to the above-described operations and effects, the inside of the clean room outside the apparatus 10 is contaminated with dust such as fine particles contained in the exhausted air, and the temperature of the exhaust gas is reduced. This is preferable because the temperature and humidity in the clean room are not changed by the water contained in the clean room. Moreover, by circulating the exhaust gas, the hot air can be reused, the power consumption by the heater 34 can be reduced, and it becomes economical.

While the typical configuration of the method and apparatus for dust removal, drying, and sterilization of the clean room garment and its accessories according to the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. Needless to say, there is no.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, positive and negative ion electrons and ozone are simultaneously generated using an ionizer. However, using an ion generator and an ozone generator, each generates ions and ozone individually. It is also possible to configure so that In this case, there is an advantage that the ion concentration and the ozone concentration can be appropriately adjusted.

If the polarity of the static electricity charged on the clothes for the clean room is constant, after confirming the polarity, the polarity of the ions generated from the ion generator is changed to the polarity opposite to the polarity of the static electricity. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the generation is selectively performed. In this case, static electricity can be efficiently removed.

Furthermore, without using an ion generator, a sponge or the like impregnated with a static eliminator (antistatic agent) is put in a rotating drum and rotated together with clothes for a clean room. It is also possible to configure so as to prevent electrification on clothes for a clean room or the like. As described above, by using the ion generator and the static eliminator (antistatic agent), etc., the static electricity charged on the clothes for the clean room and the like can be removed, and at the same time, the adsorption of the fine particles by the static electricity is prevented. It is possible to remove dust.

By sending ozone, it is possible to efficiently kill bacteria such as Escherichia coli and various bacteria and microorganisms such as molds, which have adhered to clothes for a clean room, etc. It is possible to obtain clean room clothing and its accessories. However, by increasing the temperature of the air supplied for drying and increasing the drying time, bacteria can be almost completely killed. Therefore, sterilization is performed using high-temperature dry air instead of ozone. be able to. In addition, about mold,
Since it is resistant to temperature, it is hardly killed by hot air, so it is possible to sterilize with hot dry air except for accessories such as masks that are easily humid and fungi can easily propagate. is there.

The arrangement positions and structures of the motors and reduction gears, which are driving devices for rotating the rotary drum, can be appropriately changed in design, and it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the illustrated example. Further, it is possible to make a hole for dehydration in the cylindrical body of the rotating drum, and it is not always necessary to provide a pad. Further, the cylindrical body of the rotating drum is not limited to a cylindrical shape, but may be a square, a hexagon,..., A dodecagon,.

In addition, the arrangement and the order of the blower, the ionizer, the air purifier and the heater for sucking and blowing the air in the clean room can be changed as appropriate. Thus, based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, various improvements, changes, and modifications can be made.

[0060]

Embodiment 1 Dust removal, drying,
The sterilizer 10 was configured. As the pre-filter 12, a filter composed of glass fibers capable of collecting fine particles having a particle size of 5 μm with a collection efficiency of 95% or more was used. The blower 28 has an air volume of 5 CMM (CUBIC METER
PER MINUTES) The one having a performance of 30 CMM or more was used. Further, the ionizer 30 includes ozone of 0.01 PPM or more and 3 PPM or less, and 400 × 10 ³ to 600
Those capable of releasing positive and negative ions of × 10 ³ ions / cc were used. The air purifier 32 has a HEPA (High EFFICIENCY PARTICULATE AIR FILTER).
A filter composed of glass fibers capable of collecting fine particles having a particle size of 0.3 μm with a collection efficiency of 99.97% or more was used. Further, the air was heated to a temperature of 70 ° C. or less by using a dustproof ceramic heater as the heater 34. Then, a new cleanroom garment whose washing frequency was zero or nearly zero was put into the rotating drum 18 and rotated 40 times per minute, followed by dust removal, drying and sterilization for 30 minutes.

After the treatment, the clean room clothes are subjected to JIS
According to B 9923 "Tumbling method", the number of the residual fine particles adhering to the clothes was measured by putting them in a tumbler of a test apparatus. The material used for the clean room clothing was polyester, which was a white continuous clothing. The measured fine particle concentration (measured fine particles having a particle diameter of 0.5 μm or more) was 10 particles / CF as shown in FIG.

[0062]

[Comparative Example 1] For three companies engaged in laundry of clean room clothes, the number of times of washing was reduced to zero or zero every month for 12 months in 1995 for the clean room clothes delivered by the company. Nearly new ones were selected, and 100 pieces were taken out and inspected in the same manner as in Example 1. Then, the average value of a total of 1200 clothes is calculated, and A
FIG. 6 shows the company, company B, and company C.

[0063]

Comparative Example 2 After cleaning the clean room clothes with ultrapure water, the apparatus used in Example 1 was used to remove dust, dry,
Before performing the sterilization treatment, microorganisms adhering to the clean room clothes were examined. The survey was performed by the food stamp method. The food stamp method is a live bacteria test method using a "standard agar for the viable cell count" medium described in "Development research on simplification of food hygiene inspection methods" in the Ministry of Health and Welfare Food Sanitation Research Report (1973). And cultured at 37 ° C. for 2 days. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7 (a), it was confirmed that a large number of viable bacteria such as Escherichia coli and molds survived.

[0064]

Comparative Example 3 After cleaning the clothes for a clean room using ultrapure water, dust was removed, dried and cleaned using the apparatus used in Example 1.
In performing the sterilization treatment, dust removal and drying treatment were performed without operating the ionizer. Microorganisms adhering to the clean room clothes were examined by the food stamp method in the same manner as in Comparative Example 2. As a result, FIG.
As shown in the figure, the number of viable bacteria decreased considerably, but it was confirmed that viable bacteria such as molds were mainly alive.

[0065]

Example 2 After cleaning the clothes for a clean room using ultrapure water, the ionizer was operated by the apparatus used in Example 1 to remove dust, dry and sterilize. And
Microorganisms adhering to the clean room clothes were examined by the food stamp method in the same manner as in Comparative Example 2. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7 (c), no viable bacteria were found.

[0066]

According to the method and apparatus for removing, drying, and sterilizing the clean room clothes and its accessories according to the present invention, dust is removed from the clean room clothes and the like, and the residual fine particles adhering to the clothes and the like are removed. As a result of the investigation, it was possible to significantly improve the cleanliness as compared with the conventional method. In addition, the disposition of an ionizer or the like can provide a sterilizing effect of microorganisms, so that extremely hygienic clean room clothing and its accessories can be repeatedly provided. Further, since the apparatus can be installed in a clean room, costs associated with distribution such as collection, delivery, and packing are not required, and many man-hours can be reduced, and the problem of re-contamination due to re-delivery is eliminated.

Further, by providing the particle counter, a correlation between the degree of wear (the number of times of cleaning) and the value of the particle counter can be quantitatively obtained. It is now possible to determine the cause of insufficient cleaning or an increase in fine particles due to lifetime.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory side sectional view showing an apparatus for removing, drying, and sterilizing clothes for a clean room and its accessories according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory front view of a main part of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a correlation between a dust removal time and a degree of deterioration of clothes for a clean room.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of clean room clothing and its accessories.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory side sectional view showing another embodiment of a device for removing, drying, and sterilizing clothes for a clean room and its accessories according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the concentration of fine particles remaining in clean room clothes after washing.

FIG. 7 (a) is a culture photograph showing the state of viable bacteria after washing, before dust removal, drying and sterilization, and FIG. 7 (b) shows dust removal and drying treatments without using an ionizer. FIG. 3 (c) is a culture photograph showing the state of the viable cells after dust removal, drying, and sterilization by the apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10; dust removing / drying / sterilizing device 12; pre-filter 14; drain port 16; exhaust port 18; rotary drum 20; drive unit 22; shaft hole 24; frame 26; door 28; blower 30; ionizer 32; Heater 44; Motor 46; Reduction gear 48; Exhaust fan 50; Exhaust path 52; Dustproof dehumidifier 54; Particle counter 56; Damper 58; Clothes for clean room 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65;

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B08B 6/00 A61L 2/14 A61L 2/20 D06F 58/02 A41D 13/00

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] In a clean room, after cleaning the clean room clothing and its accessories with a cleaning liquid, the cleaned clean room clothing and its accessories are stirred while supplying hot air or dry air while preventing static electricity. in to dust and and sterilized to torque clean room clothing and dust of the accessories along with drying, drying and sterilization methods, including the drying, the air discharged from the dust and sterilization process
By measuring the amount of dust contained,
Control drying, dust removal and sterilization times
The clothing and its accessories to a specified level or less.
Relationship between time or frequency of dust, drying and sterilization and dust measurement
The life of cleanroom clothing and its accessories based on the
A method for removing, drying, and sterilizing clothes for a clean room and its accessories. 2. A rotating drum for agitating the washed clean room clothing and its accessories to promote dust removal, drying and sterilization, a driving device for rotating the rotating drum, the clean room clothing and its accessories. A blower that takes in and supplies air from the outside to dry the product, an air purifier that cleans the taken-in air, an ozone generator that generates ozone, and an air outlet or its vicinity
To measure the amount of dust contained in the exhaust air
And a dust measuring device, wherein by measuring the amount of dust contained in the dust discharge air at the measurement unit, dust removal, drying and sterilization of the time or times and dust measurements and clothing Cleanroom by relationships with its accompanying dust clothing cleanroom and their accessories, characterized in that to determine the goods of life, drying and sterilization apparatus. 3. The apparatus for removing dust, drying and sterilizing a clean room garment and its accessories according to claim 2, further comprising an ion generator for generating one or both of positive ions and negative ions. 4. A clean room, wherein a heater capable of controlling temperature is provided in the apparatus for removing, drying and sterilizing clothes and accessories for a clean room according to any one of claims 2 to 3. Equipment for removing, drying and sterilizing clothing and accessories. 5. The dust removing, drying and sterilizing apparatus for a clean room garment and its accessories according to any one of claims 2 to 4 , wherein the cleaned clean room garment and its accessories are cleaned, dried and dried. A circulating means for circulating the air which has been sterilized and discharged to the air purifier; and a dehumidifying means for dehumidifying the circulated air. Drying and sterilization equipment.