# US 10,870,132 B2 · Cleaning sponge and cleaning method

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- Number: US 10,870,132 B2
- Document ID: US10870132B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/689,751
- Filed: 2017-08-29
- Published: 2017-12-14
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2009-08-20
- Assignees: Aion Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Aion Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yuuichi Shimazaki; Tadashi Kawaguchi; Hidehiko Tsukada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870132B2

## CPC

- H10P 70/60: {Cleaning only by mechanical processes}
- B08B 1/34: rotating about an axis parallel to the surface
- B08B 3/08: the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect
- B08B 3/10: with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration
- B08B 11/00: Cleaning flexible or delicate articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto
- C08F 20/10: Esters
- H10P 70/20: {Cleaning during device manufacture}
- H10P 72/0412: {using mainly scrubbing means, e.g. brushes}
- B08B 1/14: Wipes; Absorbent members, e.g. swabs or sponges (with integrated means for dispensing fluids B08B1/40)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- C08F: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS

## Abstract

A sponge roller is made of a polyvinyl acetal porous resin material having elasticity in a wet state, includes a roller in an approximate cylinder form and a plurality of protrusions formed integrally on an outer peripheral surface of the roller, and rotates the multiple protrusions to make contact with a surface to be cleaned so as to clean the surface. The polyvinyl acetal porous resin material constituting the sponge roller contains a cationic functional group.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for removing particles from a surface, the method comprising:
providing a cleaning sponge made of an anionic polyvinyl acetal porous resin material that comprises an anionic functional group and has a zeta potential, wherein:
in a cleaning environment where the pH is acidic, an absolute value of the zeta potential of the anionic polyvinyl acetal porous resin material increases as the pH increases; and
in a cleaning environment where the pH is basic, an absolute value of the zeta potential of the anionic polyvinyl acetal porous resin material decreases as the pH increases;
providing the cleaning environment where the pH is acidic by supplying cleaning fluid of an acidic pH to at least one of the surface and the cleaning sponge; and
placing the cleaning sponge against the surface to provide for removing the particles via adsorption or repulsion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein removing the particles comprises removing an abrasive used in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein removing the particles comprises removing particles comprising at least one of SiO2, Al2O3, CeO2 and Mn2O3.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the pH is predetermined according to at least one of the absorption and the repulsion between the cleaning sponge and the particles.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the cleaning solution comprises at least one of purified water and an acidic solution.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the anionic functional group includes at least one of a carboxyl group, a sulfo group, a sulfate group, and a phosphate group.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the anionic polyvinyl acetal porous resin material has a zeta potential of −30 mV or less (as an absolute value of 30 mV or greater) under a condition of pH 7.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein a thirty percent compressive stress load ranges between 2 kPa and 20 kPa for the cleaning sponge when moistened.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein:
the anionic polyvinyl acetal porous resin material has a zeta potential of less than 0 mV under a condition of pH 2, a zeta potential of less than −30 mV under a condition of pH of 5, and a zeta potential of less than −33 mV under a condition of pH 7; and
the cleaning environment comprises a pH of at least 2 and less than 7.