Importance

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Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus (100) for treating one or more substrates with a multiplicity of solid particles comprising: a rotatably mounted drum (12) arranged to contain said multiplicity of solid particles and said one or more substrates during treatment of the one or more substrates; a collecting volume (22) for collecting said multiplicity of solid particles exiting the drum (12); a circulation path (L) for conveying said multiplicity of solid particles from the collecting volume (22) to the drum (12), the circulation path (L) having a downward portion in which the multiplicity of solid particles move along a downward flow path; a separating device (200) arranged in said downward portion of the collecting path for intercepting and/or capturing one or more foreign objects while permitting flow of said multiplicity of solid particles along the circulation path (L), the separating device (200) comprising: a sloping surface (202a, 202b) and a transfer flow path (208a, 208b) for said solid particles said transfer flow path permitting flow of said multiplicity of solid particles between an upper side of said separating device (200) and a portion of the circulation path external to the separating device (200), wherein said transfer flow path (208a, 208b) comprises an envelope extending from an inlet opening (210A) to an outlet opening (210B), and bounded by a portion of the sloping surface and at least one envelope wall and wherein within the envelope between the inlet opening (210A) and the outlet opening (210B) no straight line longer than a predetermined length can extend without intersecting the at least one envelope wall or sloping surface, said predetermined length being less than a maximum dimension of the smallest foreign object which the separating device (200) is configured to intercept or capture.

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First Claim