The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 08, 1994
Filed:
Feb. 23, 1993
Takanori Miyazaki, Kumamoto, JP;
Hiroshi Sakurai, Kumamoto, JP;
Tokyo Electron Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Tokyo Electron Saga Kabushiki Kaisha, Saga, JP;
Abstract
The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus comprising a plurality of processing tanks containing cleaning liquids, a conveyor mechanism for conveying an object to be cleaned and immersing the object to be cleaned into the processing tanks, a dilutent liquid supply device for supplying a dilutent liquid through a piping-system in order to dilute waste liquid from the processing tanks, and a waste liquid sump for collecting diluted waste liquid. The waste liquid sump is provided with a temperature measurement device for detecting the temperature of waste liquid in the waste liquid sump, and the amount of dilutent liquid supplied from the dilutent liquid supply device is controlled by a temperature control device in accordance with a temperature measurement result from the temperature measurement device. The cleaning apparatus is also provided with a fixing device for joints of the piping system. In the cleaning apparatus configured in this way, if damage should occur in a processing tank, the temperature of the waste liquid within the trap tank can be prevented from rising too far before anything damaging occurs. Waste liquid at a high temperature can also be prevented from flowing out from the waste liquid sump into the waste liquid system of the factory, which is intended to improve operating safety in comparison with a conventional cleaning apparatus. The fixing device can also prevent loosening of the joints in the piping caused by pulsations in the piping system.