Patent ID: 8656858

Claim:
A device for chemically or electrolytically treating work pieces ( 1 ), said device comprising: at least one processing tank ( 2 ) for treating the work pieces; means for applying suction communicating with said at least one processing tank; and at least one conveyor system for transporting the work pieces, said at least one conveyor system comprising: at least one transport carriage ( 18 ), wherein said at least one transport carriage ( 18 ) is provided with at least one clean room zone ( 3 ) such that said at least one clean room zone travels together with said at least one transport carriage ( 18 ), said clean room zone having a top and a bottom, wherein the clean room zone ( 3 ) is movable to or from said at least one processing tank ( 2 ) with said at least one transport carriage ( 18 ); at least one holding element for holding the work pieces ( 1 ), said at least one holding element being either disposed inside the clean room zone ( 3 ) or disposed inside the clean room zone with a portion thereof projecting out of the clean room zone; an apparatus for raising and lowering the work pieces ( 1 ) provided between said at least one transport carriage ( 18 ) and said at least one holding element; and means ( 36 , 37 ) for cleaning of air disposed on said at least one transport carriage ( 18 ), wherein a clearance is provided between said bottom of said clean room zone and said at least one processing tank when said clean room zone is positioned at said at least one processing tank during transfer of the work pieces ( 1 ) between said clean room zone and said at least one processing tank, wherein said at least one conveyor system is adapted to maintain the work pieces in a vertical alignment, wherein said means for cleaning generates laminar flow of clean air from said top of said clean room zone to said bottom of said clean room zone, the clean air at least in part exiting through said clearance between said bottom of said clean room zone and said at least one processing tank in order to provide clean room conditions in said clean room zone, and wherein the clean air at least in part exits through said means for applying suction when the work pieces ( 1 ) are being transferred between said clean room zone and said at least one processing tank.