Plating electrode and plating method that uses the plating electrode

Abstract

A plating electrode includes a plating-solution-impregnated fabric, an annular part, a first rotary part, and a second rotary part. An anode of a DC conversion power supply is electrically connected to the first rotary part, and a cathode of the DC conversion power supply is electrically connected to an object to be plated. The annular part is caused to turn in synchronization with rotation of the first rotary part and the second rotary part to cause the plating-solution-impregnated fabric to turn in an annular direction, thereby causing the plating-solution-impregnated fabric to come into contact with and to slide against a portion to be plated of the object to be plated.

1 . A plating electrode used for forming a plating film on an object to be plated, the plating electrode comprising:
 a plating-solution-impregnated fabric formed into an annular shape;   an annular part disposed inside the annular shape of the plating-solution-impregnated fabric, and provided in a state in which an outer surface of the annular part is kept in close contact with an inner surface of the plating-solution-impregnated fabric, the annular part having conductivity;   a first rotary part provided inside the annular part, electrically connected to the annular part, and configured to be rotatable while ensuring conductivity; and   a second rotary part provided inside the annular part, and configured to rotate in synchronization with driving of a motor,   an anode of a DC conversion power supply being electrically connected to the first rotary part,   a cathode of the DC conversion power supply being electrically connected to the object to be plated,   the annular part being caused to turn in synchronization with rotation of the first rotary part and the second rotary part to cause the plating-solution-impregnated fabric to turn in an annular direction, thereby causing the plating-solution-impregnated fabric to come into contact with and to slide against a portion to be plated of the object to be plated.   
     
     
         2 . The plating electrode of  claim 1 , wherein
 the annular part has a mesh shape,   each of the first rotary part and the second rotary part includes a protruding portion having a smaller width than a width of an opening of the annular part, and   the protruding portion fits into the opening of the annular part when the first rotary part and the second rotary part rotate.   
     
     
         3 . The plating electrode of  claim 1 , wherein
 the plating-solution-impregnated fabric includes a folded-back portion obtained by folding back an edge of the annular shape of the plating-solution-impregnated fabric inward, and   the folded-back portion is hooked on an edge of an annular shape of the annular part, and is fixed by a fixing part.   
     
     
         4 . The plating electrode of  claim 1 , further comprising
 a plating solution supplier disposed in a turning path along which the plating-solution-impregnated fabric turns, the plating solution supplier being configured to supply a plating solution to the plating-solution-impregnated fabric.   
     
     
         5 . The plating electrode of  claim 4 , wherein the plating solution supplier is configured to supply the plating solution by dripping the plating solution onto the plating-solution-impregnated fabric. 
     
     
         6 . The plating electrode of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more first movable contacts disposed inside the annular part, and configured to push the plating-solution-impregnated fabric against the object to be plated such that the annular part is located between the one or more first movable contacts and the plating-solution-impregnated fabric; and   one or more tension adjusters disposed inside the annular part such that the one or more tension adjusters are movable, and configured to maintain tension of the plating-solution-impregnated fabric and tension of the annular part at constant values.   
     
     
         7 . The plating electrode of  claim 6 , further comprising
 a second movable contact disposed outside the plating-solution-impregnated fabric, and configured to push the plating-solution-impregnated fabric toward an inside of the annular shape.   
     
     
         8 . The plating electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the plating-solution-impregnated fabric is disposed such that a surface of the plating-solution-impregnated fabric faces upward, and the surface of the plating-solution-impregnated fabric is caused to come into contact with the portion to be plated of the object to be plated. 
     
     
         9 . The plating electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the plating-solution-impregnated fabric is disposed such that a surface of the plating-solution-impregnated fabric faces in a horizontal direction or is inclined from the horizontal direction, and the surface of the plating-solution-impregnated fabric is caused to come into contact with the portion to be plated of the object to be plated. 
     
     
         10 . A plating method that uses the plating electrode of  claim 1 , comprising performing plating treatment, the performing plating treatment including
 turning the plating-solution-impregnated fabric with the plating-solution-impregnated fabric impregnated with plating solution,   transmitting an electric current through the plating-solution-impregnated fabric by use of the DC conversion power supply, and   causing the plating-solution-impregnated fabric to come into contact with and to slide against the portion to be plated of the object to be plated by use of an operation mechanism.   
     
     
         11 . A plating method that uses the plating electrode of  claim 6 , comprising:
 performing plating treatment, the performing plating treatment including   turning the plating-solution-impregnated fabric with the plating-solution-impregnated fabric impregnated with plating solution,   transmitting an electric current through the plating-solution-impregnated fabric by use of the DC conversion power supply, and   causing the plating-solution-impregnated fabric to come into contact with and to slide against the portion to be plated of the object to be plated;   causing a portion of the plating-solution-impregnated fabric to come into contact with the portion to be plated by moving a first movable contact; and   causing, at the same time, the plating-solution-impregnated fabric to come into contact with and to slide against the portion to be plated of the object to be plated in a state in which tension is applied to the plating-solution-impregnated fabric by moving a tension adjuster.   
     
     
         12 . The plating method of  claim 10 , comprising
 causing the plating-solution-impregnated fabric to come into contact with the portion to be plated by moving the plating electrode by use of the operation mechanism.   
     
     
         13 . The plating method of  claim 10 , comprising
 causing the portion to be plated to come into contact with the plating-solution-impregnated fabric by moving the object to be plated by use of the operation mechanism.   
     
     
         14 . The plating method of  claim 10 , wherein, comprising
 controlling, on the basis of a measured value from a load measurer configured to measure a load of the plating electrode or the object to be plated, the operation mechanism such that a contact pressure at which the portion to be plated and the plating-solution-impregnated fabric come into contact with each other is at a target contact pressure set in advance.   
     
     
         15 . The plating method of  claim 14 , comprising
 causing, on the basis of the measured value measured by the load measurer, a notifier to issue a notification for whether the contact pressure at which the portion to be plated and the plating-solution-impregnated fabric come into contact with each other is at the target contact pressure set in advance.   
     
     
         16 . The plating method of  claim 10 , comprising the performing plating treatment, the performing plating treatment including
 causing,   in a case in which an area of the portion to be plated is larger than an area of the object to be plated with which the plating-solution-impregnated fabric comes into contact,   the plating-solution-impregnated fabric to come into contact with and to slide against the portion to be plated of the object to be plated while moving the plating-solution-impregnated fabric and the portion to be plated relative to each other such that the plating-solution-impregnated fabric extends along the portion to be plated.   
     
     
         17 . The plating method of  claim 16 , comprising
 the performing plating treatment while changing a sliding direction in which the plating-solution-impregnated fabric is slid against the object to be plated at fixed time intervals.   
     
     
         18 . The plating method of  claim 10 , comprising
 adjusting a turning speed at which the plating-solution-impregnated fabric turns by controlling a rotation frequency of the second rotary part such that a sliding speed at which the plating-solution-impregnated fabric is slid against the object to be plated is maintained at a constant value.   
     
     
         19 . The plating method of  claim 18 , comprising
 measuring a rotation frequency of the motor by use of a rotation frequency measurer; and   controlling the rotation frequency of the second rotary part by controlling the motor on the basis of a measured value from the rotation frequency measurer such that the rotation frequency of the motor is at a target rotation frequency set in advance.   
     
     
         20 . The plating electrode of  claim 4 , wherein the plating-solution-impregnated fabric is disposed such that a surface of the plating-solution-impregnated fabric faces upward, and the surface of the plating-solution-impregnated fabric is caused to come into contact with the portion to be plated of the object to be plated.