JP5303893B2 - Storehouse - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a storage apparatus, for example with a plurality of storage apparatuses for accommodating various substrates for manufacturing a semiconductor element and temporarily storing loads combined, capable of being arranged in a small space along a track, being easily maintained, and efficiently stocking and delivering loads with a simple constitution. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of storage apparatuses 10 constituting a storage apparatus set 10x each has drive means capable of reciprocating a load in one horizontal and perpendicular direction, a shelf having one or more shelf portions capable of accommodating or locating the load moved by the drive means across a plurality of stages in the perpendicular direction for every stage, and positioning means for positioning the load in the track. A plurality of the storage apparatuses each has an outer shape not avoiding a mutual movement in one horizontal direction independently from each other under a condition that the apparatuses are positioned and arranged adjacent to each other so that horizontal directions are aligned. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a stocker that temporarily stores a load at a position adjacent to the track in a transfer system that transfers the load such as FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) that accommodates various substrates for manufacturing semiconductor elements on the track. The present invention relates to a technical field of a storage such as (or a stacker), a storage set including a combination of a plurality of such storages, and a transport system with a storage including such a storage set.

  This type of storage is, for example, laid adjacent to a track on which a transport vehicle such as a vehicle travels, and a large number of shelves are provided in the storage to store a large number of loads transported by the transport vehicle. It is done. Further, the transportation of the load between the “port” and the designated shelf portion (ie, the storage warehouse) for delivering and taking in and out (that is, loading and unloading) the load between the inside of the storage and the transport vehicle. In-storage transport devices called stocker robots, stocker cranes, and the like are provided for performing (internal transport). In particular, a stocker robot or the like can be transported in a storage cabinet including a large number of shelves that extend in length and breadth. For example, dozens or hundreds of loads can be loaded and unloaded and stored. In addition, large storages weighing several tons and dozens of tons have been put into practical use (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  On the other hand, in this type of storage, a load is transferred from a ceiling-suspended transport vehicle directly onto a lifting platform that can be lifted and lowered along the side of a plurality of vertically arranged shelves. There is also a small storage. In this storage, when leaving, the load is directly transferred to the transport vehicle from above the lifting platform (see Patent Document 3).

JP 2006-049454 A JP 2003-182815 A JP 2004-238191 A

  However, according to the storage described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above, it is necessary to secure a space of about 1 m around the storage in order to maintain the storage. For this reason, a useless space is vacated between the storage units or between the storage unit and the manufacturing apparatus arranged along the trajectory except when maintenance is performed. Moreover, as a large-scale facility in the factory, it is necessary to bring various parts into the factory, assemble and install the storage. Furthermore, the in-storage transport device such as a stocker robot has a technical problem that the control and structure are basically complicated and sophisticated, and the cost is high, and maintenance is troublesome and costly.

  On the other hand, according to the storage described in Patent Document 3 described above, the lifting platform itself becomes a port for loading and unloading, and when loading or unloading the cargo while hanging from the transport vehicle and positioning it on the lifting platform. However, it takes time to lift it from the platform by the transport vehicle. In particular, if the lifting platform is not at the upper delivery position, it takes time to move the lifting platform to that position, and it is difficult to deliver by the lower lifting platform. In particular, it is difficult to accurately or stably position such a small storage with respect to the track, and there is a technical problem that the positioning work may be troublesome.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, for example, can be arranged in a small space along the track, is easy to maintain, and efficiently loads and unloads cargo with a simple configuration. To provide a storage that can be transported in a storage well, particularly a storage set including a combination of a plurality of such storages, and a transport system with a storage comprising such a storage set. Is an issue.

  In order to solve the above problems, the storage of the present invention is a storage in which the loading and unloading of the load is performed with a transport vehicle that transports the load on a track, and the load is reciprocated in one horizontal direction. A drive means that can move and reciprocate in the vertical direction, and a shelf portion that can accommodate or place a load moved by the drive means are arranged in the horizontal direction for each level over a plurality of levels. One or more shelves in the direction, and positioning means for positioning with respect to the track.

  In one aspect of the storage according to the present invention, the storage includes a traveling unit that enables movement in the one horizontal direction from the state positioned by the positioning unit.

  In another aspect of the storage of the present invention, unevenness is formed on the floor where the track is laid, and the positioning means has unevenness that can be engaged with the unevenness.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the storage set of the present invention is a storage set in which a plurality of storages each carrying out loading and unloading of the load are combined with a transport vehicle that transports the load on a track. Each of the plurality of storages is capable of reciprocating the load in one horizontal direction and capable of reciprocating in the vertical direction, and a shelf capable of accommodating or placing the load moved by the drive means. A shelf having one or a plurality of portions in the vertical direction across a plurality of stages in the horizontal direction, and positioning means for positioning with respect to the track, and each of the plurality of storages is the positioning means. It is positioned adjacent to each other so that the one horizontal direction is aligned, and has an outer shape that does not hinder movement in the one horizontal direction independent from each other in this state. .

  According to the storage set of the present invention, at the time of warehousing, when the load is transferred from, for example, a transport vehicle to a loading / unloading port of each storage ware constituting the storage set, It is moved to a desired shelf portion by driving means having a vertical driving unit and a horizontal driving unit. That is, it is conveyed in the storage. At the time of delivery, the load is transported in the storage from the desired shelf portion by the driving means. Thereafter, when the load is moved to the port of the storage set, the transfer to the transport vehicle is performed.

  Particularly in the present invention, the shelf has one or a plurality of shelf parts in a vertical direction across a plurality of stages in each horizontal direction, and the driving means corresponds to such a shelf and loads the loads horizontally. Reciprocating in the direction and reciprocating in the vertical direction. Therefore, the load can be transported in the storage from the port for entry / exit (or other shelf part) to the desired shelf part among the plurality of shelf parts by the biaxial movement of vertical direction and horizontal one direction. Become. Alternatively, the load can be transported in the storage from a desired shelf portion to a port for loading / unloading (or other shelf portion) among a plurality of shelf portions by a biaxial movement in the vertical direction and one horizontal direction. .

  Speaking of individual storages, for example, shelves are arranged in m (where m is a natural number of 2 or more) in the vertical direction, n (where n is a natural number of 1 or more) in the horizontal direction, and vertical. In the remaining horizontal direction (hereinafter simply referred to as “thickness direction”), the entire skeleton is configured to have a thin flat plate shape, such as only one row.

  In general, in a factory such as a semiconductor manufacturing factory where a track is laid, various processes are performed within a limited space, and the basic requirements such as shortening the track and speeding up the movement between processes are met. Therefore, there are cases where devices that handle various processes along the track, stockers different from the storage, and the like are laid down. In other words, the design of a device or the like to be laid along the track may be performed so that there is as little gap as possible. On the other hand, storages called stockers or stackers are basically large and assembled in the factory as part of the equipment, and changes after building are not easy, The original design not to leave a gap is not difficult. Or if it is a traditional large-sized storehouse, the space for maintenance will be left in the circumference | surroundings, for example about 1 m along a track | orbit. In other words, the devices and the like are arranged along the track including the maintenance space without any gaps. This space can be called a useless space except during maintenance.

  However, according to the present invention, each of the plurality of storages is positioned by the positioning means, and is in a state of being arranged adjacent to each other so that one horizontal direction is aligned. That is, a plurality of storages are combined into a storage set so that one horizontal direction is aligned. In this state, the storages are positioned extremely stably with respect to the track as a whole, and the storages are also positioned stably between storages. The Therefore, it is possible to arrange the storage units according to the present invention by combining the storage units corresponding to the gaps between various devices in the direction along the track laid in the factory, and it is practically very convenient. It is. In other words, even if the design is such that the gap between devices laid along the track is large or small, the use of the storage set of the present invention can be more than acceptable. In addition, as described above, the transport in the storage in the individual storage spreads thin in the thickness direction, that is, by the movement in the biaxial direction with respect to the shelf having a plurality of shelf parts over a plurality of stages, It is extremely efficient. In particular, even if it is thin in the thickness direction, the movement between the plurality of shelf portions in each step can be performed by moving in one horizontal direction while the movement in the vertical direction is stopped.

  At the same time, even if it is thin in the thickness direction, with regard to movement between shelves in multiple stages, after moving the load to a horizontal one position where movement in the vertical direction is possible, the movement in the horizontal direction is stopped. In this state, it is possible to move in the vertical direction and then move in one horizontal direction thereafter.

  In addition, each of the plurality of storages has an outer shape that is arranged adjacent to each other by the positioning means and that does not hinder movement in one horizontal direction independent of each other. Therefore, at the time of maintenance of the storage, it is possible to draw out a thin storage as individual storage from one set of storages that can be combined in a desired number independently along the horizontal direction. Is possible. Therefore, the space for maintenance can be easily constructed. There is no need to provide a maintenance space of about 1 m around the storage unlike a traditional storage. At this time, in particular, it is also possible in a practical sense in terms of weight to make it possible to move the entire individual thin storage box so as to be movable.

  As described above, the storage set can be arranged in a relatively small gap or a relatively large gap along the track of the transport vehicle while being reliably positioned with respect to the track or between the storages. In particular, it is possible to pull out a desired storage from the storage set in an independent manner from the others, and maintenance in units of storage is facilitated.

  In one aspect of the storage set of the present invention, each of the plurality of storages includes traveling means that enables movement in the one horizontal direction independently of each other.

  According to this aspect, in a state where the storage set is installed on the track, it is extremely easy to pull out a desired storage by the traveling unit. Here, the “traveling means” is, for example, a travel roller, a travel caterpillar, or the like arranged on the bottom side of each storage, which enables travel along one horizontal direction that is a pull-out direction.

  In addition, such a traveling means may not be permanently installed in each storage, but may have a structure that is temporarily attached when being pulled out. For example, it may be a traveling means that can place or lift the storage one by one.

  In another aspect of the storage set of the present invention, unevenness is formed on the floor where the track is laid, and the positioning means has unevenness that can be engaged with the unevenness.

  According to this aspect, the concave and convex portions of the positioning means are engaged with the concave and convex portions formed on the floor of a factory or the like, so that the position of each storage is determined with respect to the track or between the storages. It is done. Combining a plurality of storages into a storage set can be done very easily by such positioning. Moreover, once the unevenness is engaged, it is possible to obtain a stable state that is extremely difficult to move. In particular, in the case of maintenance, etc., when each storage is pulled out independently from the others, it is easy to remove the engagement due to the unevenness, so that it is easy to pull out and is extremely convenient in practice.

  In another aspect of the storage set of the present invention, the storage set is arranged with respect to the track so that the shelf is positioned below the track and the row is aligned along the track. The

  According to this aspect, since the ports for loading and unloading are arranged in a line for the track, the loading operation (that is, the transfer vehicle) can be performed for any storage port by the transfer vehicle traveling on one track. Transfer from the port to the port), it is possible to perform the unloading work (that is, transfer from the port to the transport vehicle), and transfer efficiency can be significantly improved. In addition, at this time, the above-mentioned benefits obtained by arranging the storages that are thin in the thickness direction and can be transported in the storage by the movement in the biaxial direction along the trajectory are not harmed.

  In another aspect of the storage set of the present invention, the storage set is arranged with respect to the track so that the direction of the one horizontal direction is orthogonal to the direction of the track.

  If comprised in this way, the space which exists along a track | orbit can be utilized most efficiently. Note that the term “orthogonal” here means literally orthogonal, but as long as the space can be used effectively, it also includes the extent that it can be regarded as orthogonal, that is, substantially orthogonal. is there. Furthermore, even when the trajectory is not a straight line, this also includes the case where the trajectory is orthogonal to the tangential direction at a point on each trajectory.

  In another aspect of the storage set of the present invention, the driving means reciprocally moves the placement portion having a first placement surface capable of supporting the load from the bottom side thereof in one horizontal direction. A horizontal drive unit, and a vertical drive unit capable of reciprocating the placement unit in the vertical direction, and the shelf is a horizontal position reachable by the horizontal drive unit for each stage as the shelf part. Or a plurality of second placement surfaces each configured to be capable of transferring the load to and from the first placement surface.

  According to this aspect, at the time of warehousing, for example, the load is transferred from the transport vehicle onto the second placement surface that functions as a warehousing port. Subsequently, the load transferred onto the second placement surface that functions as a port is placed on the first placement surface of the placement portion that is movable in the biaxial direction. For example, the first and second mounting surfaces are configured to support different portions (typically, a portion near the center and a portion near the periphery) on the bottom surface of the load, and support the load on either side. Is possible. When the placement unit is moved to the vertical position and the horizontal position where the second placement surface that functions as a port exists, the first placement surface supports the second placement surface that functions as a port. Thus, transfer from the second placement surface to the first placement surface is performed. Typically, the load is supported by the first placement surface by the vertical drive unit being moved until the first placement surface becomes higher than the second placement surface. Thereby, the conveyance in the storage at the time of warehousing is started. Here, the conveyance in the storage can be quickly performed on any of the second placement surfaces in the shelf by a simple two-axis operation by the vertical driving unit and the horizontal driving unit.

  Subsequently, when the placement unit is moved to the vertical position and the horizontal position where the second placement surface to be used for storage exists, the second placement surface is replaced with the first placement surface. By supporting, transfer from the first placement surface to the second placement surface is performed. Typically, the load is supported by the second placement surface by being moved by the vertical drive unit until the first placement surface becomes lower than the second placement surface. Thereby, the conveyance in the storage at the time of warehousing is complete | finished, and the storage on a shelf is started.

  On the other hand, at the time of delivery, the placement unit is moved to the vertical position and the horizontal position where the second placement surface on which the load to be delivered is placed. Subsequently, instead of the second placement surface, the first placement surface is used to support the transfer from the second placement surface to the first placement surface. Typically, the load is supported by the first placement surface by the vertical drive unit being moved until the first placement surface becomes higher than the second placement surface. Thereby, the conveyance in the storage at the time of delivery is started. Subsequently, the placement unit is moved to a vertical position and a horizontal position where the second placement surface functioning as a port exists. Here, the conveyance in the storage can be quickly performed from any second mounting surface by a simple two-axis operation by the vertical driving unit and the horizontal driving unit.

  Subsequently, instead of the first placement surface, the second placement surface that functions as a port supports the second placement surface, so that the transfer from the first placement surface to the second placement surface that functions as a port is performed. Typically, the load is supported by the second placement surface by being moved by the vertical drive unit until the first placement surface becomes lower than the second placement surface. As a result, the transport in the storage at the time of delivery is completed, and the transfer from the port to the transport vehicle is possible.

  Thereafter, the transfer from the port to the transport vehicle is performed by the transport vehicle that has been waiting at the position on the track facing the port for loading / unloading or next arrives at this position.

  As a result of the above, the in-storage conveyance can be executed with a relatively simple configuration and simple control of the mounting portion that moves in the biaxial direction by the driving means. In addition, since the transfer within the storage can be performed by the driving means during the transfer between the transport vehicle and the port, the transfer efficiency in the storage can be dramatically improved.

  In another aspect of the storage set of the present invention, at least one of the shelves in the shelf functions as the port for loading and unloading.

  In another aspect of the storage set of the present invention, at least one of the shelves in the uppermost stage of the shelf functions as the loading / unloading port.

  According to this aspect, when the transport vehicle travels on the track laid on the upper side of the storage, the work of transferring the load from the transport vehicle to the port is simplified. Similarly, the work of transferring the load from the port to the transport vehicle is also simplified. If there are two shelves at the top, both can function as ports, and only one of them can function as a port.

  In order to solve the above problems, a transport system with a storage of the present invention includes the above-described storage set (including various aspects thereof) according to the present invention, the track, and the transport vehicle.

  According to the transport system with storage according to the present invention, since the storage set according to the present invention described above is provided, it is possible to arrange the storage without waste or efficiently along the trajectory, and at the same time, in each storage The accommodation efficiency is extremely high and the conveyance efficiency is also extremely high. In particular, maintenance can be facilitated because individual storages can be moved separately from other storages in the storage set.

  The operation and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the best mode for carrying out the invention described below.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  <First Embodiment>

  First, the configuration of the storage according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a transport system including a storage according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the storage shown in FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an engagement state of the first and second placement surfaces according to the first embodiment with respect to a load.

  In FIG. 1, the transport system 100 includes a rail 1, a transport vehicle 2, a stocker 10, and a controller 20. The transport system 100 drives the transport vehicle 2 to transport the FOUP 3 on the rail 1. The rail 1 serves as a track for the transport vehicle 2 to travel as an example of the “track” according to the present invention.

  The transport vehicle 2 is, for example, an OHT (Overhead Hoist Transport) (overhead traveling vehicle) driven by a linear motor, and transports the FOUP 3 to the stocker 10, a manufacturing apparatus (not shown), an OHT buffer, a large stocker, or the like. The transport vehicle 2 has a hoist 2a that moves in the vertical direction.

  The hoist 2a holds the flange 4 of the FOUP 3 to be transported by, for example, a clamping mechanism during transport. The hoist 2 a is configured to be vertically movable below the rail 1 by an elevating mechanism such as a take-up belt and an unwind belt provided in the main body of the transport vehicle 2. The hoist 2a moves to the position above the loading / unloading port of the stocker 10 when holding or releasing the FOUP 3 with the stocker 10, and holds or releases the flange 4 at a position further lowered to the port. To do. In this lowered position, the bottom surface of the FOUP 3 comes into contact with a second placement surface (that is, the floor surface of the port) described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the FOUP 3 is used as an example of “load” according to the present invention for transporting in and out of the stocker 10 and for adjusting the storage position, etc. Transported).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the FOUP 3 has a recess 5 and a recess 6 on the bottom surface. The recessed part 5 is formed in the size corresponding to the convex part 16 provided in the shelf 15 mentioned later. On the other hand, the recessed part 6 is formed in the size corresponding to the convex part 12 provided in the mounting part 11 mentioned later.

  In FIG. 1 again, the controller 20 instructs the transport vehicle 2 and the stocker 10 to transport and load / unload the FOUP 3 (including transport in the storage) based on, for example, a semiconductor device manufacturing process schedule. In response to this instruction, the transport vehicle 2 and the stocker 10 are driven, and various processes are performed on the FOUP 3 transported to the transport vehicle 2 to manufacture a semiconductor element.

    (Storage only)

  The stocker 10 is laid adjacent to the rail 1 as an example of a “storage” according to the present invention, and stores a plurality of FOUPs 3.

  In FIG. 2, the stocker 10 includes an in-storage transport device including a placement unit 11, a horizontal drive unit 13, and a vertical drive unit 14, and a plurality of shelves 15. The in-storage transport device transfers the FOUP 3 between the plurality of shelves 15. By this transfer, the FOUP 3 is stored in the stocker 10 by being placed on a specific shelf (that is, a storage shelf) among the plurality of shelves 15. Alternatively, as will be described in detail later, it is transferred to a shelf 15 that functions as a port for loading and unloading.

  The placement unit 11 is moved in one horizontal direction by the horizontal drive unit 13 and in the vertical direction by the vertical drive unit 14 in order to transfer the FOUP 3 between the plurality of shelves 15. The placement unit 11 has a first placement surface 11a on the upper surface. The first placement surface 11a contacts the bottom surface of the FOUP 3 during transfer, and supports the FOUP 3 from its bottom side. On the first placement surface 11a, a convex portion 12 is formed as a support member. As shown in FIG. 3B, the convex portion 12 is formed in a size corresponding to the concave portion 6 of the FOUP 3, and is engaged with the concave portion 6 at the time of transfer.

  In FIG. 2 again, the horizontal drive unit 13 is driven on a horizontal guide 17 extending in one horizontal direction by, for example, a motor (not shown) as an example of the “drive unit” according to the present invention. The horizontal drive unit 13 is connected to the mounting unit 11 and reciprocates the mounting unit 11 along the horizontal guide 17 in one horizontal direction D1.

  As an example of the “driving means” according to the present invention, the vertical driving unit 14 is driven on a vertical guide 18 that extends in the vertical direction by a motor (not shown), for example. A center portion of the horizontal guide 17 is fixed to the vertical drive unit 14. The vertical drive unit 14 reciprocates the horizontal guide 17 along the vertical guide 18 in the vertical direction D2. During this reciprocating movement, the placement portion 11 is located at the center of the horizontal guide 17. In this way, the placement unit 11 is moved by the horizontal drive unit 13 and the vertical drive unit 14 in the biaxial directions of the vertical direction and the horizontal one direction.

  The plurality of shelves 15 are composed of a total of 14 shelves, with 7 rows in the vertical direction, 2 rows in one horizontal direction, and 1 row in the thickness direction. As 11 moves, the FOUP 3 is transferred. Each shelf 15 has a second placement surface 15a on the upper surface, and the FOUP 3 is placed on the second placement surface 15a. A convex portion 16 is formed as a support member on the second placement surface 15a. As shown in FIG. 3A, the convex portion 16 is formed in a size corresponding to the concave portion 5 of the FOUP 3, and is engaged with the concave portion 5 during mounting (storage).

  In FIG. 2 again, one of the fourteen shelves 15 (in other words, the second mounting surface 15a included therein) is used as a loading / unloading port for delivering the FOUP 3 to / from the transport vehicle 2. Function. The shelf 15 set as the port is one of the two shelves existing in the uppermost stage (the shelf located in the area P1 indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2), and is located above and to the side. The stocker body 10a is opened so that the FOUP 3 can be put in and out.

  In addition to the shelf 15 set as a port, in addition to this shelf 15, the placement unit 11 moved to the area P1 may function as a port, or only this placement unit 11 may be used as a port. It may be made to function as. In this case, if the placement unit 11 on which the FOUP 3 is not placed is placed in the area P1 without installing the shelf 15 in the area P1, the FOUP 3 is directly received from the transport vehicle 2. Alternatively, when the placement unit 11 on which the FOUP 3 is placed is arranged in the area P1, the FOUP 3 is directly delivered to the transport vehicle 2.

  With respect to the arrangement of the stocker 10, a shelf 15 set as a port is arranged below the rail 1. Specifically, the azimuth in one horizontal direction in which the placement unit 11 is moved intersects the azimuth of the rail 1 at a right angle.

  Next, the features of the first and second placement surfaces according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4A is a plan view showing an operation state in one horizontal direction of the mounting portion according to the present embodiment. 4A specifically corresponds to the A1-A1 cross section in FIG. 2, and shows two rows of shelves 15 (second placement surface 15a) installed at the uppermost stage of the stocker 10. FIG. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, when viewed from the upper surface side of the stocker 10, the second placement surface 15a is formed in a U shape like a horseshoe, and the first placement surface 11a is the center of the U shape. It is formed in a quadrangular shape like an island that fills up. Therefore, the first and second placement surfaces 11a and 15a have mutually complementary planar shapes. The FOUP 3 is transferred between the first and second placement surfaces 11a and 15a.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4A, the first placement surface 11a is located on the inner side of the second placement surface 15a in a plan view, and the outer diameter is smaller. . However, conversely, the first placement surface 11a is positioned on the outer side of the second placement surface 15a, and both may be configured such that the outer diameter becomes larger. In this case, as a modification of the shape of the first and second mounting surfaces shown in FIG. 4A, as shown in FIG. 4B, the first mounting is viewed from the upper surface side of the stocker 30, for example. The surface 31a is formed in a U shape like a horseshoe, and the second placement surface 35a is formed in a quadrilateral shape like an island filling the center of the U shape. As described above, when the first mounting surface 31a moved up, down, left, and right is increased, the stability of the FOUP 3 placed on the mounting unit 31 during transport in the storage is increased, and the FOUP 3 is prevented from falling or rattling. Help prevent.

    (Transport operation in storage)

  Next, the operation of transferring the load in the storage, that is, the transfer in the storage according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  2 and 4, the FOUP 3 received by the transport vehicle 2 and placed on the second placement surface 15a in the area P1 is replaced with another second placement surface 15a (see FIGS. 2 and 4) on the same stage. Then, it is transferred to the area P2). In this case, first, the placement unit 11 (shown by a broken line in FIG. 2) that has finished transferring the FOUP 3 to the second placement surface 15a in the area P3 is provided on the second placement surface 15a in the area P1. Moved directly below. At this time, the placement unit 11 is moved to the approximate center of the horizontal guide 17 by the horizontal drive unit 13, and then moved to a predetermined vertical position along the vertical guide 18 by the vertical drive unit 14. This predetermined vertical position is below the second placement surface 15a in the area P1. Thereafter, the placement unit 11 at a predetermined vertical position is moved by the horizontal drive unit 13 along the horizontal guide 17 to a predetermined horizontal position (indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 3A, this predetermined horizontal position is a position where the convex portion 12 of the mounting portion 11 exists in the vertically downward direction of the concave portion 6 of the FOUP 3.

  The placement unit 11 moved to the predetermined vertical position and the horizontal position is raised by the vertical drive unit 14. Due to this rise, the first placement surface 11a passes through the center of the second placement portion 15a and becomes higher than the second placement surface 15a as shown in FIG. At this time, the concave portion 5 and the convex portion 16 in the area P1 are disengaged, the FOUP 3 is supported by the first placement surface 11a instead of the second placement surface 15a, and the convex portion 12 of the placement portion 11 is supported. And the recessed part 6 of FOUP3 is mutually engaged, FOUP3 is transferred from the 2nd mounting surface 15a to the 1st mounting surface 11a.

  The placement unit 11 to which the FOUP 3 has been transferred is moved directly above the second placement surface 15a in the area P2. At this time, the placement unit 11 is moved to a predetermined horizontal position in one horizontal direction by the horizontal drive unit 13. This predetermined horizontal position is a position where the concave portion 5 of the FOUP 3 exists in the vertically upward direction of the convex portion 16 of the second placement surface 15a of the area P2. The placement unit 11 moved to a predetermined horizontal position is lowered by the vertical drive unit 14. By this lowering, the first placement surface 11a passes through the center of the second placement portion 15a in the area P2, and becomes lower than the second placement surface 15a as shown in FIG. At this time, the projection 12 and the recess 6 in the area P2 are disengaged, the FOUP 3 is supported by the second placement surface 15a instead of the first placement surface 11a, and the recess 5 and the second placement of the FOUP 3 are supported. When the convex portions 16 of the placement surface 15a are engaged with each other, the FOUP 3 is transferred from the first placement surface 11a to the second placement surface 15a in the area P2. Thereby, the transfer operation of the FOUP 3 from the area P1 set to the port to the area P2 is completed. If the transfer process is performed in the reverse order, the transfer operation from the area P2 to the area P1 is performed. Accordingly, the transfer operation through the above-described port is also a FOUP 3 loading / unloading operation between the transport vehicle 2 and the stocker 10.

  As described above, according to the stocker 10 of the present embodiment, it has a spread in the vertical direction and one horizontal direction, and in the thickness direction, the space required for the horizontal drive unit 13 and the vertical drive unit 14 is equal to the thickness of one FOUP 3. It is configured to be extremely thin. For this reason, it can be arranged in a relatively small gap along the rail 1. Further, the loading unit 11 that moves in the two-axis direction is not necessary when loading and unloading between the port and the transport vehicle 2 and does not hinder the loading and unloading work. Therefore, the FOUP 3 can be loaded and unloaded efficiently with a simple configuration. Or it can be efficiently transported in the storage.

  Next, the arrangement of the storage will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a practical arrangement state of the storage according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the storage is disposed in a gap between apparatuses such as manufacturing apparatuses installed along a track in a factory such as a semiconductor manufacturing factory. The dimension of the stocker 10 in the thickness direction is designed to correspond to the gap between the manufacturing apparatuses 9. A maintenance space S <b> 1 is provided between the manufacturing apparatuses 9. By inserting the stocker 10 into the space S1, the space S1, which can be called a useless space except during maintenance, is effectively used. The plurality of manufacturing apparatuses 9 and the stocker 10 disposed between the manufacturing apparatuses 9 are disposed such that one horizontal direction in which the placement unit is moved intersects the rail 1 at a right angle.

  Although the stocker 10 shown in FIG. 5 is arranged alone, it may be arranged in a stocker set in which a plurality of stockers are combined in accordance with the gap between the manufacturing apparatuses.

  Second Embodiment

  Next, as a second embodiment of the present invention, a storage set that is a combination of a plurality of storages according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view having the same concept as in FIG. 1 showing the appearance of the transport system including the storage set according to this embodiment. In the transport system shown in FIG. 6, elements that are equivalent to the transport system 100 shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 6, the transport system 500 includes a rail 1, a transport vehicle 2, and a plurality of stocker sets 10x. In the same manner as the transport system 100 shown in FIG. 1, the transport system 500 drives the transport vehicle 2 by a controller (not shown) to transport the FOUP 3 on the rail 1.

  The stocker set 10x includes six stockers 10. Each stocker 10 is provided with an in-storage transport device 19 including a placement unit (not shown) and a plurality of shelves 15 in the same manner as the stocker 10 shown in FIG. The in-storage transport device 19 transfers the FOUP 3 between the plurality of shelves 15 by moving the mounting portion in one horizontal direction and two vertical directions by the driving means. One shelf 15 (the shelf on which the FOUP 3 is placed in FIG. 10) located at the uppermost stage among the plurality of shelves 15 functions as a loading / unloading port.

  The six stockers 10 constituting the stocker set 10x are arranged so that the shelf 15 of the loading / unloading port is arranged below the rail 1 and along the rail 1 in a line. In addition, each stocker 10 is arranged so that the azimuth in one horizontal direction in which the placement unit is moved intersects at right angles to the azimuth of the rail 1.

    (Receipt operation of the storage set)

  The operation of loading and unloading between the stocker set 10x and the transport vehicle 2 according to the second embodiment will be briefly described.

  In FIG. 6, when the six stockers 10 of the stocker set 10x store different FOUPs 3, respectively, the transport vehicle 2 is moved between the transport destinations of each FOUP 3 within the narrow area of the rail 1 corresponding to the stocker set 10x. By moving, it is possible to put in and out six different types of FOUP3. Further, in this case, the FOUP 3 of the second stocker 10 arranged downstream of the first stocker 10 can be delivered by the transport vehicle 2 that has just finished entering the first stocker 10 arranged upstream of the rail 1. . Furthermore, when a plurality of transport vehicles 2 are driven with respect to the stocker set 10x, the six stockers 10 can simultaneously carry out loading and unloading operations of six types of FOUPs 2.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the stocker set 10x in which the number of stockers 10 is adjusted is appropriately disposed in a relatively small gap or a relatively large gap along the rail 1, and the ports are arranged. A plurality of stockers 10 constituting the stocker set 10x are arranged in a line along the rail 1. For this reason, the loading / unloading work can be performed on any port by the transport vehicle 2 traveling on the rail 1, and the transfer efficiency is remarkably improved.

    (Locating the storage)

  Each of the plurality of storages (storage according to the first embodiment) constituting the storage set according to the second embodiment is such that one horizontal direction in which the placement unit is moved intersects at right angles to the track. Are arranged adjacent to each other. In order to maintain this arrangement, each storage is provided with positioning means on the bottom surface.

  Next, the storage positioning means according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 8 in addition to FIG. FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the storage according to the first embodiment viewed from below, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the storage of FIG. 7 cut along the B1-B1 cross section.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the stocker 10 is formed in a rectangular shape, and movement in the horizontal one direction D4 is not hindered by the adjacent stocker 10. Therefore, a plurality of stockers 10 constituting the stocker set 10x can be pulled out individually.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the stocker 10 includes four leg portions 51 and a pair of positioning portions 52 on the bottom surface. The four leg portions 51 are attached to the four ends of the bottom surface and support the stocker body 10a. The four leg portions 51 are expanded and contracted by fixing means (not shown) so that the bottom surface of the stocker 10 can be raised and lowered. At the arrangement position where the stocker 10 is arranged as one component of the stocker set 10x, the entire surface of the leg 51 is brought into contact with the floor surface, and the stocker body 10a is stabilized.

  As shown in FIG. 8, each of the pair of positioning portions 52 is formed in a concave shape in a section cut along a B1-B1 section in FIG. 7. Each positioning portion 52 is attached to both ends of the center of the bottom surface of the stocker 10 via a support portion 53 and a fixing portion 54. The support part 53 is formed in a rod shape, and an external thread is cut on the outer periphery. One end of the support portion 53 is fixed to the positioning portion 52. On the other hand, the other end of the support portion 53 is screwed with a fixing portion 54 having an internal thread cut on the inner periphery. The fixed part 54 is moved between the center part of the support part 53 and the other end by a controller (not shown).

  A pair of engaging portions 55 are attached to the floor corresponding to the rail 1. Each of the pair of engaging portions 55 is formed in a convex shape corresponding to the concave shape of the positioning portion 52.

  The stocker 10 is positioned with respect to the rail 1 by being moved down to a position where the positioning portion 52 is engaged with the engaging portion 55 by the movement of the fixing portion 54 at the arrangement position. By this positioning, the horizontal one direction of the plurality of stockers 10 arranged adjacent to each other is aligned in parallel. On the other hand, when the stocker 10 is pulled out independently from the stocker set 10x, the positioning portion 52 is lifted to a position where it does not engage with the engaging portion 55, so that the positioned state of the stocker 10 is released.

  Note that the positioning portion 52 shown in FIG. 8 is not limited to a concave shape, and may be formed in a convex shape. As an example of this positioning portion, FIG. 9 shows a positioning portion 62 formed in a convex shape instead of the positioning portion 52. In this case, the pair of engaging portions 65 engaged with the pair of positioning portions 62 are each formed in a concave shape corresponding to the convex shape of the positioning portion 62. Moreover, it is preferable to attach the positioning parts 52 and 62 to the four corners of the bottom surface of the stocker 10. This attachment further improves the positioning accuracy.

    (Storage vault running)

  A plurality of storages constituting the storage set according to the second embodiment (storages according to the first embodiment) are each arranged after being positioned by the positioning means described above, and from this arrangement position, It can be pulled out by running means described later.

  Next, the traveling means of the storage according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the traveling unit of the storage according to the first embodiment viewed from above, and FIG. 11 is a side view of the traveling unit of FIG. 10 viewed from the side.

  10 and 11, the drawer carriage 70 is used as an example of the “running means” according to the present invention to pull out the stocker 10 at the arrangement position independently from the stocker set 10x. The drawer carriage 70 includes a main body part 70 a, a pair of forks 71, a pair of posture holding parts 72, and a handrail 73. For example, an operator (not shown) or a towing machine moves in the same direction as the horizontal direction in which the placement unit of the stocker 10 is moved while holding the handrail 73, whereby the stocker 10 is pulled out from the stocker set 10x.

  The main body 70a includes a hydraulic mechanism (not shown) inside, and a handrail 73 is connected to the hydraulic mechanism. Further, a travel roller 74 described later is connected to the hydraulic mechanism via a link mechanism (not shown). When the stocker 10 is pulled out, the handrail 73 is rotated in a direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. 11 by an operator or a towing machine. By this rotation, the hydraulic mechanism and the link mechanism are operated, and the traveling roller 74 is rotated.

  Each of the pair of forks 71 includes a traveling roller 74 on the bottom surface and supports the stocker 10. The pair of forks 71 are inserted between the bottom surface and the floor of the stocker 10 as shown in FIG. 11 and inside the pair of positioning portions 52 of the stocker 10 as shown in FIG. The In parallel with this insertion, the pair of forks 71 are fitted into a pair of fork paths 76 provided on the bottom surface of the stocker 10. When the handrail 73 is rotated in a state where the pair of forks 71 are completely fitted, the traveling roller 74 is rotated accordingly. By this rotation, the pair of forks 71 rises upward, and as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 11, the four leg portions 51 are separated from the floor, and the stocker 10 is in a suspended state. In this state, the drawer cart 70 is moved in one horizontal direction, whereby the stocker 10 is pulled out from the stocker set 10x.

  Each of the pair of posture holding units 72 includes a holding roller 75 on the bottom surface. The tread of the pair of holding rollers 75 is switched between two positions, an unheld position and a held position. Typically, the stocker 10 is pulled out only at the holding position.

  In the drawer carriage 70, as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 10, in the non-holding position, the longitudinal direction of the pair of posture holding parts 72 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the pair of forks 71, and the stocker 10 is pulled out ( Hereinafter, the width of the drawer carriage 70 with respect to the “drawing direction” becomes a first width W1 that is equal to or less than the width of the stocker 10.

  On the other hand, as shown by a solid line in FIG. 10, in the holding position, the longitudinal direction of the pair of posture holding portions 72 is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the fork 71, and the width of the drawer carriage 70 is wider than the width of the stocker 10. The second width W2. At this time, since the drawer carriage 70 has a T-shape as a whole, the stocker 10 placed on the pair of forks 71 is held horizontally, in other words, the stocker 10 is prevented from falling.

  When switching from the non-holding position to the holding position, the pair of posture holding parts 72 are rotated 90 degrees in directions away from the pair of forks 71 with one end as an axis.

  Note that the drawer cart 70 of the present embodiment can pull out the stocker 10 even in the non-holding position where the first width W1 is reached, but it is not held by making the first width W1 wider than the width of one stocker 10. At the position, the pair of forks 71 may not be inserted under the stocker 10 and the withdrawal of the stocker 10 may be prohibited.

  In the present embodiment, the drawer carriage 70 is used as the traveling means. However, instead of the drawer carriage 70, a plurality of traveling rollers may be provided directly on the bottom surface of the stocker 10. In this case, for example, in FIG. 7 again, instead of the four leg portions 51, four traveling rollers are attached, and the engaging portion is formed so that the positioning portion 52 is reliably positioned also in the pulling direction. . When the stocker 10 is pulled out, the positioning roller 52 is lifted to release the positioning state of the stocker 10 and then the traveling roller can be driven in the pulling direction.

  When the traveling roller is directly provided in the stocker 10, for example, in FIG. 12A, the stocker 110 includes four traveling rollers 77 that are paired with each of the four leg portions 51. Each traveling roller 77 is fixed to the bottom surface of the stocker 110 without changing its shape. On the other hand, each leg 51 is moved in the vertical direction by being switched to the arrangement position and the pull-out position by the switching portion 78 having a pedal-like shape. The four leg portions 51 are longest at the arrangement position, and the bottom surface of each leg portion 51 is in contact with the floor. On the other hand, these leg portions 51 are shortened so that the bottom surface of each leg portion 51 is located above the ground contact surface of the traveling roller 77 as shown in FIG. Instead of the leg portion 51, the traveling roller 77 is brought into contact with the floor. When the stocker 10 is pulled out, the travel roller 77 can be driven in the pulling direction after the leg 51 is switched to the pulling position.

  In addition, in the leg part 51 shown to Fig.12 (a), you may position by the means similar to the positioning means shown in FIG.8 and FIG.9. As an example of this positioning, FIG. 12 (b) shows a pair of legs 81 having a recess (indicated by a chain line) on the bottom surface instead of the legs 51. A pair of engaging portions 82 are attached to the floor corresponding to the pair of leg portions 81, and each engaging portion 82 has a convex portion corresponding to the concave portion of the leg portion 81. In this case, the stocker 210 is positioned relative to the rail by being lowered to a position where the leg portion 81 engages with the engaging portion 82 at the arrangement position by the switching portion 78. On the other hand, at the pulling position by the switching portion 78, the leg portion 81 is lifted to a position where it does not engage with the engaging portion 82, so that the positioned state of the stocker 210 is released. Thus, it is preferable to be able to position the leg, and when the leg is positioned, the positioning accuracy is further improved.

      (Multiple storage arrangement and drawer operation)

  Next, the arrangement of a plurality of storages constituting the storage set according to the second embodiment and the drawer operation will be described.

  In FIG. 6, an operator or a towing machine uses a drawer cart 70 to combine a desired stocker 10 into a stocker set 10x. The stocker 10 to be combined is already placed on the drawer cart 70. At this time, the drawer carriage 70 is switched to the holding position where the overturning is prevented. Further, the fork 71 of the drawer cart 70 is fitted into the fork path 76 of the stocker 10, and the drawer cart 70 is integrated with the stocker 10. In this case, the drawer carriage 70 is moved in the same direction D5 as the horizontal one direction shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, and the combined stocker 10 is inserted between the two stockers 10.

  When the insertion of the stocker 10 is completed, the positioning portion 52 is lowered by the fixing portion 54 and engaged with the engaging portion 55 as shown in FIG. By this engagement, the stocker 10 is positioned, so that the ports of the plurality of stockers 10 are aligned in a line. Thereafter, when the leg portion 51 is extended and brought into contact with the floor, the stocker 10 is stably arranged (arranged). In other words, the stocker 10 is combined with the stocker set 10x. Thereafter, the drawer cart 70 is moved in the drawer direction by an operator or a towing machine, so that the fork 71 of the drawer cart 70 and the fork path 76 of the stocker 10 are disengaged, and the drawer cart 70 is loaded into the stocker. 10 is separated. This completes a series of array operations.

  Contrary to combining the stocker 10 with the stocker set 10x, the operator or the towing machine pulls the stocker 10 out of the stocker set 10x for maintenance. In this case, first, as shown by dotted lines in FIGS. 10 and 11, the drawer carriage 70 switched to the holding position is inserted below the stocker 10 to be pulled out. With this insertion, the fork 71 of the drawer carriage 70 and the fork path 76 of the stocker 10 are gradually fitted. The drawer cart 70 is integrated with the stocker 10 by completely fitting the fork 71 and the fork path 76 together.

  In a state where the drawer carriage 70 and the stocker 10 are integrated, when the leg portion 51 is shortened and separated from the floor, the traveling roller 74 and the holding roller 75 are brought into contact with the floor. Further, when the positioning portion 52 is raised to a height at which the positioning portion 52 does not contact the engaging portion 55 and the engagement with the engaging portion 55 is released, the stocker 10 can be pulled out by the drawer carriage 70.

  Thereafter, the stocker 10 is pulled out from the stocker set 10x by moving the drawer cart 70 in the pulling direction by an operator or a towing machine. As a result, a series of drawing operations is completed.

  Thus, according to the positioning means and the traveling means of the present embodiment, the individual thin stockers 10 are pulled out from the stocker set 10x formed by combining the plurality of stockers 10 independently of each other by the traveling means. Alternatively, the extracted stocker 10 is accurately arranged again into the stocker set 10x by the positioning means. Therefore, the maintenance space is effectively utilized and maintenance for each stocker 10 is facilitated. Further, it is possible to prevent the stocker 10 from being displaced with respect to the rail 1 or between the rails 1 at the time of transporting in and out of the storage, or to accurately position each stocker 10 drawn out for maintenance or the like again. it can.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist or concept of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification. A storage set including a combination of a plurality of such storages and a transport system with a storage including such a storage set are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the FOUP is supported from the bottom side at the time of transfer has been described as an example, but the flange provided on the top of the FOUP is supported or held with respect to the storage. A configuration may be adopted.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of a conveyance system provided with the storage which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the storage which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the engagement state of the 1st and 2nd mounting surface which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the operation state to the horizontal one direction of the mounting part which concerns on embodiment. It is a top view which shows the practical arrangement | positioning state of the storage which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of a conveyance system provided with the storage set concerning 2nd Embodiment. It is the bottom view which looked at the storage which concerns on 1st Embodiment from the downward direction. It is sectional drawing which shows the positioning means of the storage which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the other example of the positioning means of the storage which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is the top view which looked at the traveling means of the warehouse concerning a 1st embodiment from the upper part. It is the side view which looked at the traveling means of the storage which concerns on 1st Embodiment from the side. It is the side view which looked at the other example of the traveling means of the storage which concerns on 1st Embodiment from the side.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Rail, 2 ... Transport vehicle (ceiling traveling vehicle), 3 ... FOUP (load), 10 ... Stocker (storage), 10x ... Stocker set (storage), 11 ... Placement part, 13 ... Horizontal drive part , 14 ... vertical drive part, 15 ... shelf, 52 ... positioning part, 55 ... engagement part, 70 ... drawer carriage

Claims (2)

A storage where the loading and unloading of the load is performed with a transport vehicle that transports the load on a track,
Driving means capable of reciprocating the load in one horizontal direction and reciprocating in the vertical direction;
A shelf having one or a plurality of shelves that can accommodate or place a load moved by the driving means in the horizontal direction over a plurality of stages in the vertical direction;
A positioning means for the horizontal direction to perform positioning of the vault body so as to intersect at right angles with pair the track,
Traveling means capable of moving the storage in the horizontal direction so that the storage is positioned by the positioning means or from the positioned state ;
The storage is arranged by the running means and positioned by the positioning means in a gap between a plurality of semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses provided along the track.
A vault characterized by that. Unevenness is formed on the floor where the track is laid,
The storage according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning unit has an unevenness that can be engaged with the unevenness.

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