Cleaning apparatus for disk-shaped workpieces

A cleaning apparatus for cleaning disk-shaped workpieces while positively rotating them by a large driving force is equipped with a simple, efficient driving means, a cleaning mechanism 18 for cleaning workpieces W individually formed of an endless driving belt 19 for forcibly rotating a workpiece around an axis, and a pair of cleaning rollers 20 and 20 for clamping both surfaces of a rotating workpiece W from both sides to clean it, the driving belt 19 being curved in the circumferential direction of the workpiece W so as to be brought into linear contact with the outer periphery of the workpiece W.

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaning apparatus for workpieces, comprising at least one cleaning mechanism for individually cleaning workpieces, wherein said cleaning mechanism includes an endless driving belt for forcibly rotating a workpiece around an axis, and a plurality of cleaning rollers for clamping both surfaces of a rotating workpiece from both sides to clean them; and said driving belt has a driving section curved in the circumferential direction of said workpiece, said driving section being configured such that it is brought into linear contact with the outer periphery of said workpiece to rotate said workpiece.

2. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said driving belt has a recess in an outer peripheral surface thereof, extending in the circumferential direction, and an outer peripheral surface of a workpiece is abutted against the belt with said work piece outer peripheral surface engaged in said recess.

3. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one pair of said cleaning rollers is provided in opposing positions so as to hold a workpiece therebetween, said cleaning roller serving as pressing means for pressing said workpiece against said driving belt by torque during cleaning of said workpiece.

4. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said driving belt and said cleaning rollers are provided so as to clean a workpiece in a cleaning solution in a cleaning tank.

5. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning apparatus has a cleaning solution supply nozzle for supplying cleaning solution to a workpiece, and said workpiece is cleaned in a jet flow of the cleaning solution injected from said cleaning solution supply nozzle.

6. A cleaning apparatus for workpieces, comprising:

a solution-flow-type cleaning tank in which a cleaning solution continuously flows from one side to the other side;

at least one cleaning assembly provided along said cleaning tank;

a loading assembly provided at the downstream side of said cleaning assembly to supply an uncleaned workpiece;

an unloading assembly provided at the upstream side of said cleaning assembly to remove a cleaned workpiece; and

a plurality of workpiece holders that reciprocate over a predetermined distance among said loading assembly, cleaning assembly, and unloading assembly so as to convey workpieces in sequence to respective components on the upstream side;

wherein each of said cleaning assembly has at least one cleaning mechanism for cleaning workpieces individually; and

said cleaning mechanism includes an endless driving belt to forcibly rotate said workpiece around an axis in a cleaning solution and a plurality of cleaning rollers that clamp both surfaces of a rotating workpiece from both sides to clean them in the cleaning solution, and said driving belt has a driving section curved in the circumferential direction of the workpiece, the driving section being brought in linear contact with the outer periphery of the workpiece to rotate said workpiece.

7. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said driving belt has a recess in an outer peripheral surface thereof that extends in the circumferential direction, and an outer peripheral surface of a workpiece is abutted against the belt with said work piece outer peripheral surface engaged in said recess.

8. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 6, wherein one pair of said cleaning rollers is provided such that the cleaning rollers oppose each other with a workpiece held therebetween at a position diametrically across said workpiece and acts as a pressing means to press said workpiece against said driving belt by torque during cleaning.

9. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each of said workpiece holders is configured so that it is able to carry one workpiece by supporting it vertically and in parallel to a solution flow, said driving belt provided so as to abut against an upper outer periphery of said workpiece, and said pair of cleaning rollers is provided between said driving belt and workpiece holder so that the workpiece is lifted from said workpiece holder and is pressed against the driving belt by the torque of said cleaning rollers during cleaning.