Patent Publication Number: US-2015067976-A1

Title: Panel cleaning roller assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to the technical field of cleaning a glass panel, and more particularly to a panel cleaning roller assembly with a good contact property for enhancing the cleaning effect of the panel cleaning roller assembly. 
     (2) Description of the Prior Art 
     Recently, due to the influences of the rapid development in the video and touch technological fields, televisions, computer screens, tablet computers, smart mobile phones and various portable electronic apparatuses utilize liquid crystal displays or plasma displays as image processing apparatuses. In order to enhance the human-oriented property and convenience in operation, a corresponding touch panel is installed onto the display. The liquid crystal display, plasma display or touch panel utilizes a glass substrate as the main substrate. In order to make the transmittance, electroconductivity and hardness of the glass substrate reach the required conditions and dimensions, the glass substrate is subjected to various processes, such as cutting, grinding, coating and the like. Before and after these processes, the surface of the glass panel needs to be cleaned to prevent the debris or foreign object from scratching the surface of the glass panel and thus prevent the yield from decreasing. 
     The conventional cleaning apparatus has the scour cleaning tank and the ultrasonic cleaning tank for performing the scour cleaning and the ultrasonic cleaning, respectively. Thus, the cleaning device becomes enlarged and becomes the enlarging factor of the device occupying the area. The above-mentioned cleaning device utilizes the independent tanks to perform the scour cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning, respectively. However, the cleaning device with the individual tanks for performing the scour cleaning and the ultrasonic cleaning cannot completely remove the contamination. In addition, the device occupies the enlarged area, needs to be dried after cleaning, and cannot effectively overcome the fiber debris absorbing problem. 
     Thus, a dry cleaning roller is developed, in which a cleaning roller mainly serves as a main body. The rolling cleaning roller utilizes the generated electrostatic charges to absorb the debris and foreign object. However, the absorbed debris and foreign object cannot be discharged and are thus remained on the roller surface and tend to damage the panel surface. Although grooves can be formed on the roller surface to discharge the debris and foreign object, the longitudinal grooves form gaps, which raise the problem of incomplete cleaning. 
     In other words, the conventional panel cleaning technologies have various problems and thus cannot possess the rapid and effective cleaning effect, thereby affecting the panel cleaning efficiency and quality. Thus, the prior art needs to be improved to satisfy the actual requirement in use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore a main object of the invention to provide a panel cleaning roller assembly capable of performing the comprehensive panel wiping and thus discharging the debris and foreign object rapidly and effectively, thereby significantly increasing the cleaning efficiency and quality thereof. 
     The invention mainly achieves the above-identified object by providing a panel cleaning roller assembly having an axle serving as a rotating body and a roller serving as a wiping body. The roller is wound around and rotated synchronously with the axle. The characteristic lies in that the roller has a wiping surface. The wiping surface has a plurality of longitudinally curved grooves, a plurality of transversally curved grooves, and wiping grains formed between the longitudinally and transversally curved grooves, which are cross-interleaving, so that the wiping grains on the wiping surface of the roller are arranged in a curved matrix. 
     According to the embodied implementation of the technological means, the cleaning roller of the invention utilizes the axle to rotate the roller relatively to the panel to perform the rotating wiping and generate the electrostatic charges to absorb the foreign object or debris to the longitudinally and transversally curved grooves of the roller, thereby preventing the surface of the panel from being scratched. The wiping surface of the roller is formed with the wiping grains arranged in the curved matrix, so the comprehensive wiping can be performed without forming any gap, thereby significantly enhancing the cleaning efficiency and quality thereof and effectively enhancing the utility thereof. 
     Further aspects, objects, and desirable features of the invention will be better understood from the detailed description and drawings that follow in which various embodiments of the disclosed invention are illustrated by way of examples. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a decomposed schematic illustration showing a panel cleaning roller assembly of the invention and illustrating aspects of various assemblies and corresponding relationships therebetween. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial schematic illustration showing a roller of the panel cleaning roller assembly of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic illustration showing an actual usage state of the panel cleaning roller assembly of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The invention provides a panel cleaning roller assembly with the detailed structure shown in  FIG. 1 . The panel cleaning roller assembly has an axle ( 10 ) serving as a rotating body, and a roller ( 20 ) serving as a wiping body. Each of two ends of the axle ( 10 ) has a shaft ( 11 ) to be connected to and thus rotated by a driving apparatus of a machine. Also, an edge of one of the ends of the axle ( 10 ) has a flange ( 12 ) with the larger diameter to prevent the roller ( 20 ) from escaping. Furthermore, an edge of the other one of the ends of the axle ( 10 ) has a stopper ( 15 ), which has the larger diameter and can be passed by the shaft ( 11 ). The stopper ( 15 ) is adhered to an end surface of the axle ( 10 ) to restrict the roller ( 20 ) from escaping. The above-mentioned axle ( 10 ) is the same as that of the existing art, is not the characteristic of the invention, and will not be described in detail. 
     The characteristic of the invention lies in that the roller ( 20 ) is made of a plastic or rubber material and can generate electrostatic charges after rubbing, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The roller ( 20 ) can be wound around the axle ( 10 ) and rotated synchronously with the axle ( 10 ). Also, the roller ( 20 ) has a wiping surface ( 25 ) having a series of longitudinally curved grooves ( 26 ), a series of transversally curved grooves ( 27 ) and wiping grains ( 28 ) formed between the longitudinally and transversally curved grooves ( 26 ,  27 ), which are cross-interleaving, so that the rows and columns of wiping grains ( 28 ) on the wiping surface ( 25 ) of the roller ( 20 ) are arranged in a curved matrix without forming a fixed gap on the wiping surface ( 25 ) of the roller ( 20 ) so that the comprehensive wiping can be obtained. Each of the longitudinally and transversally curved grooves ( 26 ,  27 ) has a downward converging tapered surface ( 260 / 270 ) to enlarge the deformation space above the wiping grain ( 28 ) and to generate the better absorbing property to facilitate the discharge of the debris and foreign object. 
     Thus, the roller ( 20 ) can be formed with the wiping grains ( 28 ) arranged in a curved matrix using the longitudinally curved grooves ( 26 ) and the transversally curved grooves ( 27 ) to construct a comprehensive panel cleaning roller assembly capable of wiping the panel and housing a foreign object. 
     When the panel cleaning roller assembly of the invention is used practically, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the cleaning roller of the invention utilizes the axle ( 10 ) to rotate the roller ( 20 ) relatively to the panel ( 50 ) to wipe the panel ( 50 ). Because the roller ( 20 ) is made of a plastic material, electrostatic charges are generated when the roller ( 20 ) is rotating and wiping, so that the foreign object or debris is absorbed into the longitudinally and transversally curved grooves ( 26 ,  27 ) of the roller ( 20 ). It is possible to prevent the surface of the panel ( 50 ) from being scratched when the roller is rotating. In addition, the wiping surface ( 25 ) of the roller ( 20 ) is formed with the wiping grains ( 28 ) arranged in a curved matrix so that the comprehensive wiping can be performed and no gap is formed. Thus, the cleaning efficiency and quality of the invention are significantly increased, and the utility of the invention is effectively enhanced, thereby increasing the added value and the economic effectiveness of the invention. 
     New characteristics and advantages of the invention covered by this document have been set forth in the foregoing description. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. Changes in methods, shapes, structures or devices may be made in details without exceeding the scope of the invention by those who are skilled in the art. The scope of the invention is, of course, defined in the language in which the appended claims are expressed.