JPH04173617A - Transporting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make a branch and junction of a transportation passage unnecessary in the transporting device for the transportation between plural delivery openings, by forming a loop-shaped sub transportation passage for the respective delivery openings between a loop-shaped main transportation passage and the respective delivery openings, providing transporting machines respectively, and delivering transported articles while making both the transporting machines traveling at the same time. CONSTITUTION:A main transportation passage A and sub transportation passages B1-B4 are formed into an independent loop-shape respectively, and the respective sub transportation passages B1-B4 are made to meet respective delivery openings D1-D4. Besides, transporting machines Va, Vb which use magnetism or the like as a power are disposed in the respective transportation passages A, B1-B4 and made to travel in an arrowed direction. Besides, a moving means is provided in transporting machines Vb of the sub transportation passages B1-B4. Moreover, the transporting machine Va of the main transportation passage A is moved without stopping to make the main transportation passage travel at the same time as the transportation machines Vb of the respective sub transportation passages B1-B4, and an article to be transported is delivered by the moving means placed on the transporting machines Vb.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] This invention relates to a conveyance device that conveys objects between a plurality of delivery ports using a conveyor that carries the objects and moves them along a conveyance path with a fixed trajectory. With the aim of transferring transported items to and from the delivery port without branching or merging, and ensuring that this does not result in a decrease in transport capacity, we have developed a closed-track main transport path and , a sub-conveyance path is provided for each of the delivery ports and has a closed orbit that passes in front of the delivery port and a portion of which runs along the main transfer path, and the first transfer machine runs on the main transfer path without stopping. A second conveyor machine, which is equipped with means for transferring the transported object, moves appropriately on the sub-transport path to transfer the transported object to and from the delivery port at the delivery port. The sub-transport path is configured to move along with the first transport machine and transfer objects to and from the first transport machine where the sub-transport path is along the main transport path.

[Industrial application field]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a conveyance device that conveys objects between a plurality of delivery ports using a conveyor that carries the objects and moves on a conveyance path of a fixed trajectory.

Conveyance devices that use conveyors to load objects and move them within factories include those that can move at low speeds or with flexible movement on a conveyor path or trackless, and those that can move at high speed or on a constant trajectory. It can be broadly divided into those that can only be moved on the conveyance path.

In recent years, the use of the former has become mainstream due to the complexity of factory operations;
In addition, the latter plays an important role in improving the basic capabilities of the entire factory.In particular, in the transportation of wafers in semiconductor factories, the latter, which can be operated unmanned using magnetism as a power source, is recommended for dust prevention and other reasons. desired.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional conveying devices move on a conveying path with a fixed trajectory, and the conveying path generally has a closed trajectory forming a loop to ensure smooth conveyance.

However, when a plurality of conveyance machines are arranged on a conveyance path, it is necessary to perform fairly complicated section control to prevent the conveyance machines from colliding with each other. Furthermore, if the conveyance machine is stopped to transfer the conveyed object at the delivery port where the conveyed object is delivered, the subsequent conveyance machines will also be stopped, causing a drop in conveyance efficiency.

Therefore, in order to prevent the transport capacity from decreasing due to the above-mentioned transfer, generally, only the sections where the transfer is to be carried out are divided and merged.
It is done by creating a lane and pulling the conveyor into it.
When transporting wafers in semiconductor factories, magnetism or air is used to power transport machines to prevent dust, making it extremely difficult to branch and merge lanes.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

That is, in the above-mentioned conveyance apparatus in which it is difficult to branch or merge the conveyance path by using magnetism or the like as a power source, the utilization efficiency of the conveyance path becomes low, which poses a problem in high-speed conveyance, which is an original feature.

Therefore, the present invention provides a transport device that transports objects between a plurality of delivery ports using a transport machine that carries objects to be transported and moves on a transport path with a fixed trajectory, without providing branching or merging in the transport path. The purpose of the present invention is to transfer objects to and from a delivery port, and to prevent this from deteriorating the transfer capacity.

[Means for Solving the Problems] - In order to achieve the above object, the conveyance device of the present invention has a conveyance device that carries objects to be conveyed and moves between a plurality of delivery ports on a conveyance path of a fixed trajectory. A conveyance device for conveying objects to be conveyed, which includes a main conveyance path with a closed track, and a closed track that is provided for each delivery date and passes in front of the delivery port and partially follows the main conveyance path. a sub-conveyance path, a first conveyance machine moves without stopping on the main conveyance path, and a second conveyance machine equipped with means for transferring the transported object moves appropriately on the sub-conveyance path. Then, the transferred object is transferred between the transfer port and the transfer port, and the transferred object is transferred to and from the transfer port at the transfer port, and the transfer target is transferred along the sub-transport path or the main transfer path without moving alongside the first transport machine. It is characterized in that the transported object is transferred to and from the first transport machine.

[For production]

In this conveyance device, the main conveyance path corresponds to the conventional conveyance path, and the sub-conveyance path corresponds to a lead-in line portion made into two lanes by conventional branching and merging. However, the sub-conveyance path does not branch off or merge with the main conveyance path, but is an independent closed track. This makes it easy to use the above-mentioned magnetism, which is difficult to branch and merge, as a power source.

Then, the first conveying machine moves without stopping on the main conveying path, and the second conveying machine moving on the sub-conveying path carries out the conveyance between the delivery port and the first conveying machine.

From this, it is possible to transfer the transported items to and from the delivery port without creating branches or merges in the transport path, without causing a decrease in transport capacity. .

[Example] FIG. 1 is a schematic layout diagram for explaining an example.

In the figure, A is the main conveyance path, 81 to B4 are sub conveyance paths,
D1 to D4 are delivery ports for objects to be transported, Va is a first transport machine, and v
b is the second conveyor.

The main conveyance path A is a closed orbit conveyance path passing in front of each delivery port D1 to D4, and a plurality of first conveyance machines Va carrying objects to be conveyed are spaced at appropriate intervals in the direction of the arrow. Stop and move at constant speed. Further, the sub-transport paths 81 to B4 are arranged in such a manner that the sub-transport path B1 is combined with the delivery port DI.
It is a closed track conveyance path that is provided between each D4 and the main conveyance path, passes in front of D4 for each delivery date, and partially follows the main conveyance path A, and a second The carrier vb moves appropriately in the direction of the arrow.

The main conveyance path A and the sub-conveyance paths B1 to B4 are independent closed orbits that have no branching or merging relationship with each other, so the power of the first conveyor Va or the second conveyor Vb is magnetically or It is easy to use air.

The second conveyor vb is equipped with means for transferring the conveyed object, for example, a robot that chucks the conveyed object and moves the loading point, and when it is on the sub-transfer path Bl, it stops at the delivery port D1. The conveyed object is transferred to and from the delivery port D1, and while moving alongside the first conveying machine Va at the point where the sub conveying path B1 is along the main conveying path A, the conveyor is transferred to and from the first conveying machine Va. The transported objects are transferred between the two. Similar transfer of objects is carried out on the sub-transport paths 82 to B4 as well.

In the figure, in the sub-transport paths Bl and B3, the second transport machine vb
is the delivery port D1. D3, the second carrier vb is transferring to and from the first carrier Va on the sub-transport path B2, and the second carrier vb is transferring on the sub-transfer path B4. It shows a state in which it is waiting to move alongside the first carrier Va.

Due to such an operation of the second conveyance machine vb, even if the first conveyance machine Va on the main conveyance path A moves without stopping, each delivery port D1
It is possible to arbitrarily carry out the conveyance of the objects to be conveyed between the points .about.D4. However, since the movement of the first conveyor Va is constant and non-stop, there is no problem even if the number of the first conveyors Va is increased, and thus the conveyance capacity can be improved. Furthermore, it is also possible to use the main transport path as a pseudo mobile warehouse.

Further, the number of second conveyance machines vb on the sub-conveyance paths 81 to B4 may be plural depending on the frequency of delivery of objects to be conveyed on each delivery date to D4. As a result, when one of the sub-conveyance paths 81 to B4 is being transferred to and from the delivery port, it is possible to transfer to and from the other one or the first conveyor Va. It becomes possible.

Regarding the timing of transfer between the first conveyor Va and the second conveyor vb, since the first conveyor Va is at a non-stop constant speed, a sensor indicating the passage of the first conveyor Va onto the main conveyance path is By providing a sensor and controlling the movement of the second conveyor vb using the signal from the sensor, alignment can be easily achieved.

Further, the length of each sub-transport path B1 to B4 along the main transport path A is determined by the length of the transfer means provided in the second transport machine vb chucking the transported object on the first transport machine Va or the first transport machine Va. It is sufficient to have only the amount necessary to place the object to be transported on top. At this time, if the object to be transported is heavy and there is a risk that the second transport machine vb will lose its balance, the second transport machine vb may be equipped with a counterweight.

Although the above explanation has been made using four delivery ports, DI-D4, it is clear that the number of delivery ports can be made arbitrary.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, regarding a conveyance device that transports objects between a plurality of delivery ports using a conveyor that carries objects to be transported and moves on a conveyance path of a constant trajectory, It is possible to transfer the transported items to and from the delivery port without establishing branching or merging, and to prevent this from reducing the transporting capacity. The present invention has the effect of making it possible to employ the transport device for transporting, for example, wafers in semiconductor devices, which require the use of magnetism or air, for which it is difficult to branch or merge transport paths, as motive power.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic layout diagram for explaining an embodiment. In the figure, A is the main conveyance path, old to B4 are sub conveyance paths, D1 to D4 are delivery ports for the objects to be conveyed, Va is the first conveyance machine, and vb is the second conveyance machine. Tora Ta ρ Iku 11 Poor face daily revision T-, Atsun I further layout N] Old 1

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A transport device that transports objects between a plurality of delivery ports using a transport machine that carries objects and moves them along a transport path with a fixed track, the main transport path having a closed track. and a sub-conveyance path which is provided for each of the delivery ports and has a closed track that passes in front of the delivery port and a portion of which runs along the main transfer path, and the first transfer machine moves along the main transfer path without moving. A second transport machine that moves while stopping and is equipped with means for transferring the transported object moves appropriately on the sub-transport path, and transfers the transported object to and from the delivery port at the delivery port. and transferring objects to and from the first transport machine while moving alongside the first transport machine where the sub transport path is along the main transport path. Conveyance device.