CN113666037A - Article carrying device - Google Patents

Article carrying device Download PDF

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Publication number
CN113666037A
CN113666037A CN202110423183.8A CN202110423183A CN113666037A CN 113666037 A CN113666037 A CN 113666037A CN 202110423183 A CN202110423183 A CN 202110423183A CN 113666037 A CN113666037 A CN 113666037A
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CN
China
Prior art keywords
support portion
article
supported
unit
transfer
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
CN202110423183.8A
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Chinese (zh)
Inventor
吉冈秀郎
濑边高弘
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Daifuku Co Ltd
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Daifuku Co Ltd
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Publication date
Application filed by Daifuku Co Ltd filed Critical Daifuku Co Ltd
Publication of CN113666037A publication Critical patent/CN113666037A/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H01L21/67703—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations between different workstations
    • H01L21/67736—Loading to or unloading from a conveyor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G1/00—Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines
    • B65G1/02—Storage devices
    • B65G1/04—Storage devices mechanical
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
    • B66B—ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS
    • B66B9/00—Kinds or types of lifts in, or associated with, buildings or other structures
    • B66B9/16—Mobile or transportable lifts specially adapted to be shifted from one part of a building or other structure to another part or to another building or structure
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H01L21/67703—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations between different workstations
    • H01L21/67706—Mechanical details, e.g. roller, belt
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H01L21/67703—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations between different workstations
    • H01L21/67715—Changing the direction of the conveying path
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H01L21/67703—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations between different workstations
    • H01L21/6773—Conveying cassettes, containers or carriers

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Container, Conveyance, Adherence, Positioning, Of Wafer (AREA)
  • Warehouses Or Storage Devices (AREA)

Abstract

The invention provides an article carrying device which can carry both a 1 st object article and a 2 nd object article, and can restrain reduction of carrying efficiency of the article carrying device and large-scale of a lifting unit when the carrying number of the 1 st object article is more than that of the 2 nd object article. The upper protrusion/retraction drive portion (31A) is disposed above the upper support portion (31S), and the lower protrusion/retraction drive portion (32A) is disposed below the lower support portion (32S). An intermediate support part (33S) for supporting the 2 nd object (42) is arranged between the upper support part (31S) and the lower support part (32S) in the vertical direction (V). The intermediate support section (33S) is connected so as to protrude and retract integrally with the upper support section (31S) or is connected so as to protrude and retract integrally with the lower support section (32S).

Description

Article carrying device
Technical Field
The present invention relates to an article transport apparatus for transporting an article.
Background
For example, japanese patent application laid-open No. 2018-052659 (patent document 1) discloses an article transport device that transports an article along a transport path in the vertical direction. In the description of the background art, the reference numerals in parentheses are those of patent document 1.
As shown in fig. 4 of the patent document, an article transport apparatus (2) disclosed in patent document 1 includes a lifting unit (21) that moves up and down along a guide rail (14) disposed in the vertical direction, and a pair of transfer units (31A, 31B) disposed separately in the vertical direction. The pair of transfer units (31A, 31B) are respectively configured to transfer the article (A) between a plurality of transfer target units (R) arranged horizontally apart from the guide rail (14). The pair of transfer units (31A, 31B) are each provided with a support portion (35) capable of supporting the article (A), and the article (A) is transferred to and from the transfer target unit (R) by retracting the support portion (35) to project toward the transfer target unit (R).
In the technique disclosed in patent document 1, the article transport device (2) is configured to be able to transport two articles (a) simultaneously, but the two articles (a) have the same shape. However, depending on the application of the article carrying device, there are cases where the 1 st object article and the 2 nd object article having different shapes are to be carried. In this case, for example, one of the pair of transfer units (31A, 31B) of the article transport device (2) can be used for transporting the 1 st object article, and the other can be used for transporting the 2 nd object article, thereby enabling the transport of both articles. However, it is also assumed that the frequency of conveyance with the 1 st object article and the 2 nd object article is not uniform. For example, when the number of conveyed 1 st object articles is larger than the number of conveyed 2 nd object articles, two 1 st object articles cannot be conveyed at the same time, and conveyance efficiency as an article conveyance device is often reduced, for example, when only the transfer unit for conveyance of the 1 st object article conveys the article and the transfer unit for conveyance of the 2 nd object article is empty. For example, when the number of carried objects 1 is larger than the number of carried objects 2, a configuration including two transfer units for carrying objects 1 and one transfer unit for carrying objects 2 is also conceivable. However, in this case, since the total of three transfer units are provided, the size of the lifting unit that moves up and down along the guide rail increases.
Disclosure of Invention
In view of the above circumstances, it is desirable to realize an article carrying device: both the 1 st object article and the 2 nd object article can be conveyed, and when the conveying number of the 1 st object article is larger than the conveying number of the 2 nd object article, the conveying efficiency of the article conveying device can be restrained from being reduced, and the lifting unit can be restrained from being enlarged.
An article transfer device for transferring an article, comprising a guide rail provided along a transfer path extending in a vertical direction, an elevation unit elevated along the guide rail, and a transfer device supported by the elevation unit and transferring the article between the transfer device and a transfer target unit disposed apart from the guide rail in a horizontal direction, wherein the article to be transferred comprises a 1 st object article and a 2 nd object article having a different shape from the 1 st object article, the transfer device comprises an upper transfer unit supported by the elevation unit and a lower transfer unit disposed below the upper transfer unit and supported by the elevation unit and the upper transfer unit, and the upper transfer unit comprises an upper support portion and an upper protruding and retracting drive portion, the upper support portion supports the 1 st object article, the upper protrusion/retraction drive portion retracts the upper support portion so as to protrude between a reference position and a protruding position protruding to the transfer object portion side from the reference position, the lower transfer portion includes a lower support portion supporting the 1 st object article, and a lower protrusion/retraction drive portion retracts the lower support portion so as to protrude between the reference position and a protruding position protruding to the transfer object portion side from the reference position, the upper protrusion/retraction drive portion is disposed above the upper support portion, the lower protrusion/retraction drive portion is disposed below the lower support portion, and an intermediate support portion supporting the 2 nd object article is disposed between the upper support portion and the lower support portion in the vertical direction, the intermediate support portion is connected to the upper support portion so as to integrally protrude and retract, or connected to the lower support portion so as to integrally protrude and retract.
According to this aspect, since the intermediate support portion for supporting the 2 nd object article is provided in addition to the upper support portion and the lower support portion for supporting the 1 st object article, two types of articles, i.e., the 1 st object article and the 2 nd object article, can be conveyed. Further, since both the upper transfer unit and the lower transfer unit are provided with the support portions for supporting the 1 st object article, and the intermediate support portions for supporting the 2 nd object article are provided, the number of the support portions for supporting the 1 st object article is not reduced, and thus two 1 st object articles can be conveyed at the same time. Therefore, even when the number of conveyed objects 1 is larger than the number of conveyed objects 2, the conveyance efficiency of the object conveying device can be suppressed from being lowered. Further, since the intermediate support portion is connected to the upper support portion or the lower support portion so as to be integrally protruded and retracted, a dedicated transfer unit or protrusion and retraction driving unit for the intermediate support portion is not required. Therefore, the size of the lifting unit can be suppressed.
Further, according to this aspect, the upper protrusion/retraction driving portion for protruding/retracting the upper support portion is disposed above the upper support portion, and the lower protrusion/retraction driving portion for protruding/retracting the lower support portion is disposed below the lower support portion. Therefore, the protrusion/retraction drive portion can be eliminated from being disposed between the upper support portion and the lower support portion in the vertical direction, and the intermediate support portion for supporting the 2 nd object article can be disposed between the upper support portion and the lower support portion in the vertical direction by utilizing the space generated thereby. Therefore, the size of the lifting unit due to the provision of the intermediate support portion can be minimized. As described above, according to this aspect, the following article carrying device can be realized: both the 1 st object article and the 2 nd object article can be conveyed, and when the conveying number of the 1 st object article is larger than the conveying number of the 2 nd object article, the conveying efficiency of the article conveying device can be restrained from being reduced, and the lifting unit can be restrained from being enlarged.
Further features and advantages of the present technology will become more apparent from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, which is described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an article transport facility in which an article transport device is installed.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the article carrying device.
Fig. 3 is a side view showing a state where the upper transfer unit supports the 1 st object.
Fig. 4 is a side view showing a state where the upper transfer unit supports the 2 nd object.
Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a case where the 1 st object article is transferred to the 1 st placing portion.
Fig. 6 is a side view showing a state in which the 1 st object article is supported by the upper support portion or the lower support portion.
Fig. 7 is a side view showing a state in which the 2 nd object article is supported by the intermediate support portion.
Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a state where the 2 nd object article is supported by the intermediate support portion.
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the intermediate support portion.
Detailed Description
The article transport apparatus is an apparatus for transporting an article, and is applied to, for example, an article transport facility for transporting and storing a raw material, an intermediate product, a finished product, or the like. Hereinafter, the article transport apparatus is applied to an article transport facility installed in a clean room where processing of raw materials and the like are performed in a clean environment, and an embodiment of the article transport apparatus will be described.
As shown in fig. 1, the article transport facility F includes an interlayer transport device 1 that transports an article 4 between a plurality of floors, a ceiling transport device 6 that travels near the ceiling at each floor to transport the article 4, a floor transport device 7 that travels on the floor of each floor to transport the article 4, and a carry-in/carry-out device 8 that is provided at each floor to carry the article 4 into/out of the interlayer transport device 1. In the present embodiment, the inter-floor conveying device 1 corresponds to an "article conveying device".
The article 4 to be conveyed includes a 1 st object article 41 and a 2 nd object article 42 having a shape different from that of the 1 st object article 41. The conveying frequency of the 1 st object 41 by the interlayer conveying device 1 (and other conveying devices 6 to 8) is higher than that of the 2 nd object 42. In the present embodiment, the 1 st object 41 is a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) that accommodates semiconductor substrates. The 2 nd object 42 is a reticle pad for accommodating a reticle (photomask). Hereinafter, the 1 st object item 41 and the 2 nd object item 42 will be collectively referred to as "item 4" without particularly distinguishing them.
The interlaminar conveyance device 1 is installed inside a tubular partition 9 installed in a plurality of layers with the floor surface of each layer penetrating in the vertical direction V. The ceiling transport device 6 and the floor transport device 7 are provided outside the compartment 9. In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, the loading/unloading device 8 includes a 1 st loading/unloading device 81 that transports a 1 st object 41 and a 2 nd loading/unloading device 82 that transports a 2 nd object 42. The 1 st loading/unloading device 81 and the 2 nd loading/unloading device 82 are provided inside and outside the partition 9 in a state where the partition 9 penetrates in the horizontal direction. The 1 st carrying in/out device 81 transfers the 1 st object 41 to/from the ceiling transport device 6, the floor transport device 7, the operator, or the like at a 1 st outer transfer portion 811 which is an end portion located on the outer side of the partition 9, and transfers the 1 st object 41 to/from the interlayer transport device 1 at a 1 st inner transfer portion 812 which is an end portion located on the inner side of the partition 9. The 2 nd carrying-in/out device 82 transfers the 2 nd object 42 to/from the ceiling transport device 6, the floor transport device 7, the operator, or the like at the 2 nd outer transfer part 821 which is the end part located on the outer side of the compartment 9, and transfers the 2 nd object 42 to/from the interlayer transport device 1 at the 2 nd inner transfer part 822 which is the end part located on the inner side of the compartment 9. The 1 st loading/unloading device 81 and the 2 nd loading/unloading device 82 are configured by conveyors such as a belt conveyor and a roller conveyor, for example. In this example, the 1 st carrying-in/out device 81 is configured as a belt conveyor including a pair of conveying belts 810a (see fig. 2). Although not shown, the 2 nd loading/unloading device 82 may have the same configuration. Hereinafter, the 1 st loading/unloading device 81 and the 2 nd loading/unloading device 82 will be collectively referred to as "loading/unloading device 8" without particularly distinguishing them.
As shown in fig. 2 to 4, a plurality of holding portions 90 for holding the articles 4 are provided inside the compartment 9. The plurality of holding portions 90 are arranged to be separated in the vertical direction V. In the present embodiment, the plurality of holding units 90 are disposed separately from the interlayer transport apparatus 1 in a plurality of directions around the axis along the vertical direction V (see fig. 2).
The holding unit 90 is configured to hold the 1 st object article 41 among the articles 4, and functions as a so-called buffer for temporarily placing the 1 st object article 41 during transportation. In the present embodiment, the holding unit 90 includes the supporting member 91 that supports the 1 st object 41 from below, and is configured to support the 1 st object 41 from below via the supporting member 91.
The support member 91 is formed in a U-shape in plan view and is disposed in the horizontal direction. The support member 91 is provided so that each end portion and the opening of the U-shaped support member 91 face the interlayer transport apparatus 1 side. The interlayer transport apparatus 1 is configured to be able to transfer the 1 st object 41 to and from the holding unit 90 having such a configuration.
As shown in fig. 1, when the 1 st object 41 (in this example, a front-end-opening foup) is placed on the 1 st outer delivery part 811 of the 1 st carry-in/out device 81 by the ceiling transport device 6, the floor transport device 7, an operator, or the like, the 1 st object 41 is transported to the 1 st inner delivery part 812 inside the compartment 9 by the 1 st carry-in/out device 81. Thereafter, the 1 st object 41 is conveyed by the inter-floor conveying device 1 from the 1 st inner delivery part 812 to the 1 st inner delivery part 812 of the 1 st carry-in/out device 81 located at another floor. The 1 st object 41 conveyed to the 1 st inner delivery part 812 is conveyed to the 1 st outer delivery part 811 by the 1 st carry-in and-out device 81, and conveyed to a place where the next process is performed by the ceiling conveying device 6, the floor conveying device 7, an operator, or the like. In the middle of such conveyance, when the 1 st object article 41 is temporarily placed on the holding unit 90, the interlayer conveying apparatus 1 conveys the 1 st object article 41 to the empty holding unit 90. Thereafter, the inter-floor transport device 1 transports the 1 st object 41 temporarily placed in the holding unit 90 to the 1 st inner delivery unit 812 of the 1 st carry-in/out device 81 located at a certain floor.
When the 2 nd object 42 (in this example, an intermediate mask cushion) is placed on the 2 nd outer delivery part 821 of the 2 nd carry-in/out device 82 by the ceiling transport device 6, the floor transport device 7, an operator, or the like, the 2 nd object 42 is transported by the 2 nd carry-in/out device 82 to the 2 nd inner delivery part 822 inside the compartment 9. Thereafter, the 2 nd object 42 is conveyed from the 2 nd inner delivery part 822 to the 2 nd inner delivery part 822 of the 2 nd carry-in/out device 82 located at the other floor by the floor conveying device 1. The 2 nd object 42 conveyed to the 2 nd inside delivering part 822 is conveyed to the 2 nd outside delivering part 821 by the 2 nd carry-in and-out device 82, and conveyed to a place where a subsequent process is performed by the ceiling conveying device 6, the floor conveying device 7, an operator, or the like.
Next, the structure of the inter-layer conveyance device 1 (article conveyance device) will be described in detail.
As shown in fig. 2 to 4, the interlayer transport apparatus 1 includes a guide rail 10 provided along a transport path R extending in the vertical direction V, an elevation unit 20 that is elevated along the guide rail 10, and a transfer device 30, and the transfer device 30 is supported by the elevation unit 20 and transfers the article 4 between the transfer target portion T disposed horizontally away from the guide rail 10.
In the present embodiment, the holding unit 90, the 1 st inner delivery part 812 of the 1 st loading/unloading device 81, and the 2 nd inner delivery part 822 of the 2 nd loading/unloading device 82 are transfer target parts T. The transfer target unit T includes a 1 st mounting unit T1 on which the 1 st target article 41 is mounted, and a 2 nd mounting unit T2 on which the 2 nd target article 42 is mounted. In the present embodiment, the holding unit 90 and the 1 st inner delivery unit 812 are provided with a 1 st placement unit T1 on which the 1 st object 41 is placed, and the 2 nd inner delivery unit 822 is provided with a 2 nd placement unit T2 on which the 2 nd object 42 is placed. As shown in fig. 3, in the present embodiment, the 1 st carrying-in/out device 81 includes a pair of upper and lower stages of conveying sections 810 for conveying the 1 st object 41. Therefore, a pair of upper and lower 1 st placing parts T1 on which the 1 st object 41 is placed are provided in the transfer target part T corresponding to the 1 st inner receiving part 812. The pair of first mounting portions T1 are arranged to overlap each other in plan view and to be separated from each other in the vertical direction V. The transfer device 30 can transfer the pair of first placement units T1 with their periods overlapping each other at the same time or at different timings via an upper transfer unit 31 and a lower transfer unit 32, which will be described later. Fig. 2 and 3 show a case where the transfer device 30 transfers the 1 st object article 41 to and from the 1 st inner transfer portion 812, which is the transfer target portion T.
The guide rails 10 are arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction V. The lifting unit 20 supporting the transfer device 30 can be lifted and lowered along the guide rail 10. This enables the inter-floor conveying apparatus 1 to convey the articles 4 in multiple stages.
In the present embodiment, the lifting unit 20 includes a main body 20a supported by the guide rail 10. The main body 20a is coupled to a belt 20b wound around a pair of pulleys (not shown) provided at upper and lower ends of the guide rail 10. The lifting unit 20 drives one pulley by a lifting motor (not shown) to thereby drivingly drive the belt 20b, whereby the main body portion 20a can be lifted and lowered along the guide rail 10.
In the present embodiment, the lifting unit 20 includes a connecting portion L that supports the transfer device 30. In this example, the coupling portion L couples the main body 20a and the transfer device 30. In the illustrated example, the coupling portion L includes an upper coupling portion 21L and a lower coupling portion 22L provided below the upper coupling portion 21L.
The transfer device 30 includes an upper transfer unit 31 supported by the lifting unit 20, and a lower transfer unit 32 disposed below the upper transfer unit 31 and supported by the same lifting unit 20 as the upper transfer unit 31. In the present embodiment, the upper transfer unit 31 is supported by the lifting unit 20 by being coupled to the main body 20a via the upper coupling portion 21L. The lower transfer unit 32 is coupled to the main body 20a via the lower coupling portion 22L, and is thereby supported by the lifting unit 20.
The upper transfer unit 31 includes an upper support portion 31S for supporting the 1 st object article 41, and an upper protrusion/retraction drive portion 31A for protruding and retracting the upper support portion 31S between a reference position P1 and a protrusion position P2 protruding toward the transfer target unit T from the reference position P1. In the present embodiment, the upper transfer unit 31 further includes an upper rotation driving unit 31B for rotating the upper support unit 31S about an axis along the vertical direction V. In this example, the upper transfer unit 31 further includes an upper transfer drive unit 31Sm for driving the upper support portion 31S in the vertical direction V when transferring the 1 st object 41.
In the present embodiment, the upper support portion 31S is supported by the upper protrusion/retraction drive portion 31A, and more specifically, is supported from above by the upper protrusion/retraction drive portion 31A. In this example, the upper support portion 31S is supported by the upper protrusion/retraction drive portion 31A via the upper transfer drive portion 31 Sm. The upper support portion 31S is formed of a plate-like member that protrudes horizontally from the upper transfer drive portion 31Sm and supports the 1 st object 41 from below. Then, the upper support portion 31S is driven by the upper transfer drive portion 31Sm to move in the vertical direction V, thereby receiving the 1 st object article 41 placed on the 1 st placement portion T1 (transfer target portion T), or delivering the 1 st object article 41 supported by itself to the 1 st placement portion T1 (transfer target portion T). Specifically, as shown in fig. 5, in 1 st placement unit T1, notch portion T1a is formed through which upper support portion 31S can pass in vertical direction V, and upper support portion 31S passes through notch portion T1a in vertical direction V, whereby 1 st object article 41 is transferred to and from 1 st placement unit T1. Further, in notch portion T1a of first mounting portion T1, lower support portion 32S described later can also pass through in vertical direction V, and lower support portion 32S passes through notch portion T1a in vertical direction V, and article 411 is transferred to and from first mounting portion T1. In fig. 5, the 1 st placement unit T1 of the 1 st inner delivery unit 812 is illustrated, but in the 1 st placement unit T1 (transfer target unit T) provided in the holding unit 90, the upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S also deliver the 1 st object 41 to the holding unit 90 through the opening of the U-shaped support member 91 in the vertical direction V.
In the present embodiment, the upper transfer driving unit 31Sm includes various mechanisms and motors as driving sources for driving the upper support unit 31S in the vertical direction V, and in the illustrated example, these are housed in the case member.
In the present embodiment, the upper transfer unit 31 includes the upper stopper 31R, and the upper stopper 31R regulates the 1 st object 41 from falling off from the upper support 31S in a state where the 1 st object 41 is supported by the upper support 31S. The upper stopper 31R is disposed above the 1 st object 41 with the 1 st object 41 supported by the upper supporting portion 31S. In this example, the upper stoppers 31R are formed to protrude from the upper portion of the upper transfer driving unit 31Sm in the horizontal direction, more specifically, in the same direction as the upper support unit 31S. When the upper support portion 31S is driven by the upper transfer drive portion 31Sm to move up and down, the upper stopper 31R also moves up and down. That is, the positional relationship in the vertical direction V between the upper support portion 31S and the upper stopper 31R is fixed, and the distance in the vertical direction V between the upper support portion 31S and the upper stopper 31R is always kept constant. The distance in the vertical direction V between the upper support portion 31S and the upper stopper 31R is set longer than the dimension in the vertical direction V of the 1 st object 41.
In the present embodiment, the upper protrusion/retraction driving portion 31A is supported by the upper rotation driving portion 31B, and more specifically, is supported from above by the upper rotation driving portion 31B.
In the present embodiment, the upper protrusion/retraction driving unit 31A is formed by a horizontal articulated Arm (so-called SCARA). Specifically, the upper protrusion/retraction driving unit 31A includes an upper link mechanism 31Aa having a plurality of links, and an upper protrusion/retraction motor (not shown) for driving the upper link mechanism 31 Aa. The upper link mechanism 31Aa is driven by an upper protrusion/retraction motor, and each link is configured to extend and retract in the horizontal direction by rotating about a vertical axis. The upper link mechanism 31Aa is coupled to the upper swing drive unit 31B at its base end and to the upper support unit 31S at its tip end. Thus, the upper link mechanism 31Aa is driven by the upper protrusion/retraction motor to extend and retract, thereby protruding and retracting the upper support portion 31S in the horizontal direction between the reference position P1 and the protruding position P2.
In the present embodiment, the upper slewing drive portion 31B is supported by the lifting unit 2 via the upper connection portion 21L. In the illustrated example, the upper swing drive unit 31B is housed inside an upper shell 31C provided in the upper connecting portion 21L.
In the present embodiment, the upper rotation driving unit 31B includes an upper rotation base 31Ba and an upper rotation motor (not shown) for driving the upper rotation base 31 Ba. The upper turn table 31Ba is configured to be driven by an upper turn motor to rotate. The upper turn table 31Ba is driven by an upper turn motor to rotate, and thereby rotates the upper protrusion/retraction driving portion 31A and the upper support portion 31S supported by the same about an axis along the vertical direction V. This makes it possible to change the projecting/retracting direction of the upper support portion 31S driven by the upper projecting/retracting drive portion 31A to project/retract, and further, to transfer the 1 st object 41 between the upper transfer unit 31 (transfer device 30) and the plurality of transfer target portions T arranged separately in a plurality of directions around the axis in the vertical direction V.
The lower transfer unit 32 includes a lower support portion 32S for supporting the 1 st object article 41, and a lower protrusion/retraction drive portion 32A for protruding and retracting the lower support portion 32S between a reference position P1 and a protrusion position P2 protruding toward the transfer target unit T from the reference position P1. In the present embodiment, the lower transfer unit 32 further includes a lower rotation driving unit 32B that rotates the lower support portion 32S about an axial center in the vertical direction V. In this example, the lower transfer unit 32 further includes a lower transfer driving unit 32Sm for driving the lower support portion 32S in the vertical direction V when the 1 st object 41 is transferred.
In the present embodiment, the lower support portion 32S is supported by the lower projection/retraction driving portion 32A, and more specifically, is supported from below by the lower projection/retraction driving portion 32A. In this example, the lower support portion 32S is supported by the lower projection/retraction drive portion 32A via the lower transfer drive portion 32 Sm. The lower support portion 32S is formed of a plate-like member that protrudes horizontally from the lower transfer drive portion 32Sm and supports the 1 st object 41 from below. The lower support portion 32S is driven by the lower transfer drive portion 32Sm to move in the vertical direction V, and receives the 1 st object article 41 placed on the 1 st placement portion T1 (transfer target portion T), or hands the 1 st object article 41 supported by itself to the 1 st placement portion T1 (transfer target portion T). As described above, the lower support portion 32S also transfers the 1 st object 41 to and from the holding portion 90.
In the present embodiment, the lower transfer driving unit 32Sm includes various mechanisms and motors as driving sources for driving the lower support unit 32S in the vertical direction V, and in the illustrated example, these are housed in the case member.
In the present embodiment, the lower transfer unit 32 includes a lower regulating body 32R, and the lower regulating body 32R regulates the 1 st object 41 from falling off from the lower support portion 32S in a state where the 1 st object 41 is supported by the lower support portion 32S. The lower regulating body 32R is disposed above the 1 st object 41 in a state where the 1 st object 41 is supported by the lower supporting portion 32S. In this example, the lower regulating body 32R is formed to protrude from the upper portion of the lower transfer driving unit 32Sm in the horizontal direction, more specifically, in the same direction as the lower supporting unit 32S. When the lower support portion 32S is driven by the lower transfer drive portion 32Sm to move up and down, the lower regulating body 32R also moves up and down. That is, the positional relationship in the vertical direction V between the lower support portion 32Sb and the lower limiter 32R is fixed, and the distance in the vertical direction V between the lower support portion 32S and the lower limiter 32R is always constant. The distance between the lower support portion 32S and the lower regulating body 32R in the vertical direction V is set longer than the dimension of the 1 st object 41 in the vertical direction V.
In the present embodiment, the lower protrusion/retraction driving portion 32A is supported by the lower rotation driving portion 32B, and more specifically, is supported from below by the lower rotation driving portion 32B.
In the present embodiment, the lower protrusion/retraction driving portion 32A is configured by a horizontal articulated arm. Specifically, the lower protrusion/retraction driving portion 32A includes a lower link mechanism 32Aa having a plurality of links, and a lower protrusion/retraction motor (not shown) that drives the lower link mechanism 32 Aa. The lower link mechanism 32Aa is driven by a lower protrusion/retraction motor, and is configured to extend and retract in the horizontal direction by rotating each link about the vertical axis. The lower link mechanism 32Aa is coupled to the lower swing drive portion 32B at its base end portion and to the lower support portion 32S at its tip end portion. Thus, the lower link mechanism 32Aa is driven by the lower protrusion/retraction motor to extend and retract, and thereby the lower support portion 32S is protruded and retracted in the horizontal direction between the reference position P1 and the protruding position P2.
In the present embodiment, the lower slewing drive portion 32B is supported by the lifting unit 20 via the lower connecting portion 22L. In the illustrated example, the lower swing drive portion 32B is housed inside a lower casing portion 32C provided in the lower connecting portion 22L.
In the present embodiment, the lower rotation driving unit 32B includes a lower rotation table 32Ba and a lower rotation motor (not shown) for driving the lower rotation table 32 Ba. The lower turn table 32Ba is configured to be driven by a lower turn motor to rotate. The lower turn table 32Ba is driven by a lower turn motor to rotate, thereby turning the lower protrusion/retraction driving portion 32A and the lower support portion 32S supporting the same around the axis in the vertical direction V. This makes it possible to change the projecting/retracting direction of the lower support portion 32S driven by the lower projecting/retracting drive portion 32A to project/retract, and further, to transfer the 1 st object 41 to/from the lower transfer unit 32 (transfer device 30) between the plurality of transfer target units T disposed separately in a plurality of directions around the axis in the vertical direction V.
In this way, the upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S are supported by the same lifting unit 20, and are driven by separate driving portions to protrude and retract in the horizontal direction. In the present embodiment, the distance in the vertical direction V between the upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S is equal to the distance in the vertical direction V between the pair of upper and lower first mounting portions T1 provided on the 1 st inner delivery portion 812 (transfer target portion T). That is, the distance in the vertical direction V between the upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S is equal to the distance in the vertical direction V between the pair of first placement portions T1. Thus, the transfer device 30 can simultaneously transfer the 1 st object 41 to the pair of 1 st placement units T1 by the upper support unit 31S and the lower support unit 32S being driven, respectively. Although not shown in detail, in this example, the distance in the vertical direction V between the upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S is equal to the distance in the vertical direction V between the pair of holding portions 90 arranged in line in the vertical direction V. Therefore, the transfer device 30 can transfer the 1 st object 41 to the pair of holders 90 arranged in the vertical direction V while overlapping the periods with each other at the same time or at different timings.
As described above, in the interlayer transport apparatus 1, the upper protrusion/retraction drive portion 31A is disposed above the upper support portion 31S, and the lower protrusion/retraction drive portion 32A is disposed below the lower support portion 32S. As shown in fig. 4, an intermediate support portion 33S for supporting the 2 nd object 42 is disposed between the upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S in the vertical direction V. That is, both the upper protrusion/retraction driving portion 31A and the lower protrusion/retraction driving portion 32A are not disposed between the upper supporting portion 31S and the lower supporting portion 32S in the vertical direction V, and the intermediate supporting portion 33S for supporting the 2 nd object 42 is disposed in a space created thereby. Therefore, the intermediate support portion 33S can be used to transport the 2 nd object 42 and transfer the 2 nd object 42 to the 2 nd placement portion T2 (see fig. 2) provided in the 2 nd inner receiving portion 822, while minimizing the increase in size of the lifting unit 20 due to the provision of the intermediate support portion 33S. In the present embodiment, the intermediate support portion 33S is coupled to the upper support portion 31S so as to protrude and retract integrally therewith. That is, the intermediate support portion 33S is configured to be horizontally protruded and retracted together with the upper support portion 31S by the upper protrusion/retraction driving portion 31A for driving the upper support portion 31S to be protruded and retracted. This eliminates the need for a dedicated transfer unit or projection/retraction drive unit provided with the intermediate support portion 33S, and thus can prevent the lifting unit 20 from becoming large.
As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the intermediate support portion 33S is disposed below the upper support portion 31S and above the entire portion that protrudes and retracts integrally with the lower support portion 32S of the lower transfer unit 32. In the illustrated example, the lower limiter 32R is an upper end portion of a portion that protrudes and retracts integrally with the lower support portion 32S of the lower transfer unit 32, and the intermediate support portion 33S is disposed above the lower limiter 32R. That is, in this example, the intermediate support portion 33S is disposed between the upper support portion 31S and the lower regulating body 32R in the vertical direction V.
As described above, notch portion T1a (see fig. 5) is formed in first mounting portion T1 (transfer target portion T) of first inner receiving portion 812, and upper support portion 31S passes through notch portion T1a in vertical direction V to receive and deliver 1 st object article 41 to and from first mounting portion T1. In any case where the upper support 31S receives the 1 st object article 41 from the 1 st placement unit T1 or hands the 1 st object article 41 to the 1 st placement unit T1, the upper support 31S is temporarily disposed below the 1 st placement unit T1 on the way through the notch portion T1a in the vertical direction V. As described above, since the intermediate support portion 33S is provided below the upper support portion 31S, the intermediate support portion 33S needs not to interfere with other members and devices below the 1 st placement portion T1. In the present embodiment, a space S into which both the upper support portion 31S and the intermediate support portion 33S can be inserted is provided below the 1 st placement portion T1. Therefore, even if the intermediate support portion 33S is provided below the upper support portion 31S, the intermediate support portion 33S can be prevented from interfering with other members and devices below the 1 st placement portion T1 on the way where the upper support portion 31S passes through the notch portion T1a in the vertical direction V.
In the present embodiment, each of the pair of conveying units 810 included in the 1 st loading/unloading device 81 is formed of a belt conveyor. A direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the conveying unit 810 in a plan view is defined as a width direction, and a pair of conveying belts 810a (see fig. 5) are disposed apart in the width direction. The pair of conveying belts 810a is a 1 st placing portion T1 on which the 1 st object article 41 is placed, and a portion between the pair of conveying belts 810a in the width direction is a notch portion T1 a. As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the pair of conveying belts 810a is supported by a conveying casing 810b formed in a casing shape. The conveyance housing section 810b houses a conveyance drive section 810m for driving the conveyance section 810 and a conveyance control device 810c for controlling the conveyance drive section 810 m. In the present embodiment, a space S into which both the upper support portion 31S and the intermediate support portion 33S can be inserted is formed between the conveyance belt 810a as the 1 st placement portion T1 of the conveyance case section 810b and the conveyance driving portion 810m in the vertical direction V. Therefore, the distance in the vertical direction V between the upper surface of the conveyor belt 810a as the 1 st placement unit T1 and the upper surface of the conveyor driving unit 810m is set to be greater than the distance in the vertical direction V between the upper surface of the conveyor belt 810a and the lower surface of the intermediate support unit 33S in the state where the upper support unit 31S is at the lowered position during the transfer operation. Thus, when upper support portion 31S is moved so that notch portion T1a passes in vertical direction V, and transfer of 1 st object article 41 is performed with respect to 1 st placement portion T1, intermediate support portion 33S moving together with upper support portion 31S can be prevented from interfering with conveyance drive portion 810m below 1 st placement portion T1. That is, the intermediate support portion 33S can perform the transfer operation without interfering with the transfer operation when the 1 st object 41 is transferred.
Next, a structure for supporting the article 4 by each support portion (31S, 32S, 33S) will be described. Hereinafter, the "protruding and retracting direction X" refers to a direction in which each support portion (31S, 32S, 33S) protrudes and retracts. The "width direction Y" refers to a direction orthogonal to the protrusion/retraction direction X in a plan view.
First, a structure for supporting the 1 st object 41 by the upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S will be described. In the present embodiment, the upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S have the same structure, and both the 1 st object 41 (in this example, a foup) are supported. As shown in fig. 6, the upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S are each formed of a plate-like member extending in the horizontal direction, and are configured to support the 1 st object 41 from below. As shown in fig. 5, the dimension in the width direction Y of each of the upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S is smaller than the dimension in the width direction Y of the 1 st object article 41. Therefore, the 1 st object article 41 protrudes to both sides in the width direction Y while being supported by the upper support portion 31S or the lower support portion 32S. On the other hand, the pair of conveyor belts 810a constituting the 1 st loading section T1 at the 1 st inner connecting section 812 are arranged so that the distance in the width direction Y from each other is larger than the width direction Y dimension of each of the upper support section 31S and the lower support section 32S and smaller than the width direction Y dimension of the 1 st object article 41. Thus, the pair of conveyor belts 810a as the 1 st placement unit T1 are configured to form a notch T1a through which the upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S can pass in the vertical direction V between each other in the width direction Y, and to support the 1 st object article 41 from below.
As shown in fig. 5 and 6, in the present embodiment, the upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S include engaging protrusions 31Sa and 32Sa that protrude upward from the upper surfaces thereof, respectively. In the example shown in fig. 5, three engaging protrusions 31Sa, 32Sa are formed on the upper surfaces of the upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S, respectively. The three engaging protrusions 31Sa, 32Sa are arranged such that lines connecting each other in plan view form a triangle, and are arranged at the vertices of the triangle. The upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S are configured to support the 1 st object 41 via the engaging protrusions 31Sa and 32Sa, respectively. In this example, the engaging protrusions 31Sa and 32Sa have a function of positioning the 1 st object 41 in the horizontal direction while supporting the 1 st object 41.
The 1 st object article 41 to be supported by the upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S is supported by the 1 st supported portion 411 provided at the bottom, and is supported in a state in which the entire article is positioned above the upper support portion 31S or the lower support portion 32S. More specifically, the 1 st object 41 is supported in a state of being positioned above the upper surface of the plate-like member that constitutes most of the upper support portion 31S or the upper surface of the plate-like member that constitutes most of the lower support portion 32S. In the present embodiment, the 1 st object 41 includes the 1 st body 410, and the engaged concave portion 411a which is recessed upward from the bottom surface of the 1 st body 410 and in which the engaging convex portions 31Sa and 32Sa can engage. As described above, in this example, the 1 st object 41 is configured as a tip-opening type foup, and accommodates the semiconductor substrate via the 1 st body 410. The 1 st object article 41 includes a flange-shaped gripped part 412 that is disposed above the 1 st body part 410 and is formed along the protrusion/retraction direction. For example, when the 1 st object 41 is conveyed by the ceiling conveying device 6 (see fig. 1) in the article conveying facility F, the 1 st object is conveyed by the ceiling conveying device 6 while gripping the gripped portion 412. In the present embodiment, three engaged recesses 411a are formed in the bottom surface of the 1 st main body 410. The three engaged recesses 411a are engaged with the three engaging protrusions 31Sa, 32Sa of the upper support portion 31S or the lower support portion 32S, whereby the 1 st object article 41 is supported by the upper support portion 31S or the lower support portion 32S. That is, in the present embodiment, the engaged recess 411a is the 1 st supported portion 411 supported by the upper supporting portion 31S or the lower supporting portion 32S.
Next, a structure for supporting the 2 nd object 42 in the intermediate support portion 33S will be described with reference to fig. 7 to 9. The intermediate support portion 33S supports the 2 nd object 42 (an intermediate mask pad in this example). The intermediate support portion 33S is configured to support the upper portion of the 2 nd object 42.
In the present embodiment, the intermediate support portion 33S includes a pair of extending portions 33a extending in the protrusion/retraction direction X in which the intermediate support portion 33S protrudes and retracts, and a coupling base portion 33b coupling the pair of extending portions 33a to the base end side in the protrusion/retraction direction X. As shown in fig. 9, the intermediate support portion 33S is formed with an opening portion 33c that opens toward the distal end side in the protrusion/retraction direction X and in the vertical direction V. A pair of extending portions 33a are disposed on both sides of the opening 33c in the width direction Y. In the present embodiment, a support surface 33d that supports the 2 nd supported portion 421 provided on the 2 nd object 42 from below, and an inclined surface 33e that connects the support surface 33d and the extending portion 33a and inclines upward as going outward in the width direction Y are provided on the inner sides (the opening portion 33c sides) in the width direction Y of the pair of extending portions 33 a. As shown in fig. 8, in this example, the inclined surface 33e is formed so as to surround the 2 nd supported portion 421 (flange portion 421a) of the 2 nd object 42 supported on the supporting surface 33 d. That is, the inclined surfaces 33e are provided on both outer sides in the projecting and retracting direction X of both side edge portions in the width direction Y of the 2 nd supported portion 421 of the 2 nd object item 42, in addition to both outer sides in the width direction Y with respect to the 2 nd supported portion 421. Thus, the inclined surface 33e functions as a guide portion for guiding the 2 nd supported portion 421 of the 2 nd object article 42 to the support surface 33 d. The inclined surface 33e functions as a positioning portion for positioning the 2 nd supported portion 421 in the horizontal direction in a state where the 2 nd supported portion 421 is supported by the supporting surface 33 d.
As shown in fig. 7 to 9, in the present embodiment, the intermediate support portion 33S is provided with a drop stopper 34 for restricting the drop of the 2 nd object 42. The drop stopper 34 is provided so as to overlap the intermediate support portion 33S from above. The drop stopper 34 includes a pair of stoppers 34a disposed at positions separated upward from the pair of support surfaces 33 d. The pair of regulating portions 34a are disposed so as to overlap with the support surface 33d of the corresponding extending portion 33a in a plan view. Thus, the pair of regulating portions 34a are arranged at positions overlapping with a part of the 2 nd supported portion 421, more specifically, with both side edge portions in the width direction Y of the 2 nd supported portion 421 in a plan view, in a state where the 2 nd supported portion 421 of the 2 nd object article 42 is supported on the supporting surface 33 d. Accordingly, even when the 2 nd supported portion 421 supported by the supporting surface 33d moves up and down due to, for example, vibration or the like, the regulating portion 34a contacts the 2 nd supported portion 421 from above, and thus the 2 nd supported portion 421 can be regulated from dropping off from the supporting surface 33 d. By providing the drop restricting body 34 in this way, the drop of the 2 nd object item 42 from the intermediate support portion 33S can be restricted.
As shown in fig. 7, the pair of regulating portions 34a are disposed at positions separated upward from the pair of extending portions 33a, respectively. When the 2 nd object article 42 is transferred, the 2 nd supported portion 421 (flange portion 421a) is moved in the horizontal direction between the pair of extending portions 33a and the pair of regulating portions 34a in the vertical direction V, whereby the 2 nd supported portion 421 and the regulating portions 34a can be prevented from coming into contact with each other during the transfer. That is, the drop stopper 34 can prevent the transfer operation from being hindered.
As shown in fig. 7, the 2 nd object article 42 to be supported by the intermediate support portion 33S is supported by the 2 nd supported portion 421 provided at the upper portion so as to have a portion located below the intermediate support portion 33S. In the present embodiment, the 2 nd object 42 includes the 2 nd main body part 420, a flange part 421a, and a columnar connecting column part 422, the flange part 421a is disposed above the 2 nd main body part 420 and is formed along the protrusion/retraction direction X to be locked by the pair of extending parts 33a of the intermediate support part 33S, and the columnar connecting column part 422 connects the 2 nd main body part 420 and the flange part 421 a. As described above, in this example, the 2 nd object 42 is configured as the intermediate mask pad, and the intermediate mask is accommodated in the 2 nd body part 420. Coupling column portion 422 is formed to have an area smaller than flange portion 421a in a plan view, and the entire coupling column portion 422 is disposed inward of the outer edge of flange portion 421a in a plan view. The dimension in the width direction Y of the coupling post portion 422 is smaller than the dimension in the width direction Y of the opening 33c of the intermediate support portion 33S. Thus, when the 2 nd object article 42 is transferred, the pair of support surfaces 33d disposed on both outer sides in the width direction Y of the opening 33c can be moved through the outer sides in the width direction Y of the coupling column portion 422, and the support surfaces 33d and both side edge portions in the width direction Y of the flange portion 421a can be opposed to each other in the vertical direction V.
In the present embodiment, the flange portion 421a is supported from below by the support surface 33d, whereby the 2 nd object 42 is supported by the intermediate support portion 33S. Flange 421a is connected to the upper end of connecting column 422, and is formed to protrude horizontally from connecting column 422. The dimension in the width direction Y of the flange 421a is larger than the distance in the width direction Y between the pair of support surfaces 33d and smaller than the distance in the width direction Y between the pair of inclined surfaces 33 e. Therefore, the flange 421a can be supported from below by the pair of support surfaces 33d of the intermediate support portion 33S. Even in the case where the position of the upper flange portion 421a of the support surface 33d is displaced in the horizontal direction with respect to the support surface 33d before the flange portion 421a is supported by the support surface 33d, the flange portion 421a comes into contact with the inclined surface 33e as the support surface 33d and the flange portion 421a approach each other, and is guided to the support surface 33d by the inclined surface 33 e. Thus, the flange 421a is supported from below by the supported surface 33d, and the 2 nd object 42 is supported by the intermediate support portion 33S. That is, in the present embodiment, the flange portion 421a is the 2 nd supported portion 421.
As described above, according to the interlaminar conveying device 1 (article conveying device) of the present application, since the intermediate support portion 33S that supports the 2 nd object article 42 is provided in addition to the upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S that support the 1 st object article 41, it is possible to convey both the 1 st object article 41 and the 2 nd object article 42. As described above, in the present embodiment, the intermediate support portion 33S is provided in the upper transfer unit 31 including the upper support portion 31S. Thus, the 1 st object 41 and the 2 nd object 42 can be transferred and supported by the upper transfer unit 31. However, in the present embodiment, the upper support portion 31S is configured not to support the 2 nd object 42 via the intermediate support portion 33S in a state where the 1 st object 41 is supported. In contrast, the 1 st object 41 is not supported by the upper support portion 31S in a state where the 2 nd object 42 is supported by the intermediate support portion 33S. This enables the 1 st object 41 and the 2 nd object 42 to be appropriately conveyed at different timings. The lower support portion 32S is not limited to the above. That is, the lower support portion 32S can support the 1 st object 41 or not support the 1 st object 41 regardless of whether the 1 st object 41 is supported by the upper support portion 31S or not and whether the 2 nd object 42 is supported by the intermediate support portion 33S or not.
[ other embodiments ]
Next, another embodiment of the article transport apparatus will be described.
(1) In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the intermediate support portion 33S is connected to the upper support portion 31S so as to protrude and retract integrally therewith. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the intermediate support portion 33S may be connected to the lower support portion 32S so as to protrude and retract integrally. In this case, the intermediate support portion 33S is also disposed between the upper support portion 31S and the lower support portion 32S in the vertical direction V. The intermediate support portion 33S is disposed below the entire portion of the upper transfer unit 31 that protrudes and retracts integrally with the upper support portion 31S. In this case, for example, the intermediate support portion 33S may be disposed at a position above and adjacent to the lower limiter 32R. The intermediate support portion 33S can be configured to be attached to the upper and lower stoppers 32R of the lower transfer driving unit 32Sm, for example.
(2) In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the 2 nd object item 42 is supported by the 2 nd supported portion 421 provided in the upper portion so as to be supported in a state having a portion located below the intermediate support portion 33S. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the entire 2 nd object article 42 may be supported by the intermediate support portion 33S in a state of being positioned above the intermediate support portion 33S. In this case, for example, as in the case of the relationship between the upper support portion 31S or the lower support portion 32S and the 1 st object article 41, the supported portion provided at the bottom of the 2 nd object article 42 is supported from below by the intermediate support portion 33S, and thereby the entire 2 nd object article 42 is supported in a state of being positioned above the intermediate support portion 33S.
(3) In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the engaged recess 411a of the 1 st object article 41 is the 1 st supported portion 411 supported by the upper supporting portion 31S or the lower supporting portion 32S, and the flange portion 421a of the 2 nd object article 42 is the 2 nd supported portion 421 supported by the intermediate supporting portion 33S. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and a portion of the 1 st object article 41 other than the engaged recess 411a may be the 1 st supported portion 411, and a portion of the 2 nd object article 42 other than the flange portion 421a may be the 2 nd supported portion 421.
(4) In the above embodiment, an example in which the pair of upper and lower first mounting portions T1 are provided on the transfer target portion T corresponding to the 1 st inner delivery portion 812 has been described. However, one, three or more first placement units T1 may be provided in the transfer target unit T.
(5) In the above embodiment, an example in which the 1 st object 41 is configured as a front-end-opening type foup and the 2 nd object 42 is configured as an intermediate mask pad has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the 1 st object article 41 and the 2 nd object article 42 may be a raw material, an intermediate product, a finished product, or the like to be processed in the article transport facility F. However, in this case, the 1 st object article 41 and the 2 nd object article 42 are different in shape from each other.
(6) In the above-described embodiment, an example in which drop stopper 34 is provided in intermediate support portion 33S has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the drop stopper 34 may not be provided in the intermediate support portion 33S.
(7) The structure disclosed in the above embodiment can be combined with the structure disclosed in another embodiment as long as no contradiction occurs. The embodiments disclosed in the present specification are merely examples in all aspects, regarding other configurations. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application.
[ brief summary of the embodiments ] described above
The article transport apparatus described above will be described below.
An article transport apparatus for transporting an article, comprising a guide rail provided along a transport path extending in a vertical direction, an elevation unit elevated along the guide rail, and a transfer device supported by the elevation unit and transferring the article between a transfer target part disposed apart from the guide rail in a horizontal direction, wherein the article to be transported includes a 1 st object article and a 2 nd object article having a different shape from the 1 st object article, the transfer device comprises an upper transfer part supported by the elevation unit and a lower transfer part disposed below the upper transfer part and supported by the same elevation unit as the upper transfer part, and the upper transfer part comprises upper and upper protruding retraction drive parts, the upper support portion supports the 1 st object article, the upper protrusion/retraction drive portion retracts the upper support portion so as to protrude between a reference position and a protruding position protruding to the transfer object portion side from the reference position, the lower transfer portion includes a lower support portion supporting the 1 st object article, and a lower protrusion/retraction drive portion retracts the lower support portion so as to protrude between the reference position and a protruding position protruding to the transfer object portion side from the reference position, the upper protrusion/retraction drive portion is disposed above the upper support portion, the lower protrusion/retraction drive portion is disposed below the lower support portion, and an intermediate support portion supporting the 2 nd object article is disposed between the upper support portion and the lower support portion in the vertical direction, the intermediate support portion is connected to the upper support portion so as to integrally protrude and retract, or connected to the lower support portion so as to integrally protrude and retract.
According to this aspect, since the intermediate support portion for supporting the 2 nd object article is provided in addition to the upper support portion and the lower support portion for supporting the 1 st object article, two types of articles, i.e., the 1 st object article and the 2 nd object article, can be conveyed. Further, since both the upper transfer unit and the lower transfer unit are provided with the support portions for supporting the 1 st object article, and the intermediate support portions for supporting the 2 nd object article are provided, the number of the support portions for supporting the 1 st object article is not reduced, and thus two 1 st object articles can be conveyed at the same time. Therefore, even when the number of conveyed objects 1 is larger than the number of conveyed objects 2, the conveyance efficiency of the object conveying device can be suppressed from being lowered. Further, since the intermediate support portion is connected to the upper support portion or the lower support portion so as to be integrally protruded and retracted, a dedicated transfer unit or protrusion and retraction driving unit for the intermediate support portion is not required. Therefore, the size of the lifting unit can be suppressed.
Further, according to this aspect, the upper protrusion/retraction driving portion for protruding/retracting the upper support portion is disposed above the upper support portion, and the lower protrusion/retraction driving portion for protruding/retracting the lower support portion is disposed below the lower support portion. Therefore, the protrusion/retraction drive portion can be eliminated from being disposed between the upper support portion and the lower support portion in the vertical direction, and the intermediate support portion for supporting the 2 nd object article can be disposed between the upper support portion and the lower support portion in the vertical direction by utilizing the space generated thereby. Therefore, the size of the lifting unit due to the provision of the intermediate support portion can be minimized. As described above, according to this aspect, the following article carrying device can be realized: both the 1 st object article and the 2 nd object article can be conveyed, and when the conveying number of the 1 st object article is larger than the conveying number of the 2 nd object article, the conveying efficiency of the article conveying device can be restrained from being reduced, and the lifting unit can be restrained from being enlarged.
Here, it is preferable that the intermediate support portion is connected to the upper support portion so as to protrude and retract integrally therewith, and is disposed below the upper support portion and above the entire portion of the lower transfer unit protruding and retract integrally with the lower support portion.
According to this aspect, the upper protrusion/retraction driving unit can protrude/retract the intermediate support unit. Thus, a dedicated transfer unit or a projection/retraction drive unit provided with the intermediate support portion is not required, and the size of the lifting unit can be suppressed from increasing. Further, since the intermediate support portion is disposed below the upper support portion and above the entire portion of the lower transfer unit that protrudes and retracts integrally with the lower support portion, the intermediate support portion can be disposed with a space between the upper support portion and the lower support portion in the vertical direction, and the intermediate support portion can prevent the protrusion and retraction of the lower support portion by the lower protrusion and retraction drive portion.
In the configuration in which the intermediate support portion is connected to the upper support portion so as to protrude and retract integrally, it is preferable that a 1 st placement portion on which the 1 st object article is placed be provided on the transfer target portion, a cutout portion through which the upper support portion can pass in the vertical direction be formed in the 1 st placement portion, and a space into which both the upper support portion and the intermediate support portion can be inserted be provided below the 1 st placement portion.
According to this aspect, the upper support portion is moved so as to be able to pass through the cutout portion in the vertical direction, and when the 1 st object article is transferred to and from the 1 st placing portion, the intermediate support portion that moves together with the upper support portion can be located below the 1 st placing portion without interfering with the transfer operation.
Preferably, the 1 st object article is supported by a 1 st supported portion provided on the bottom portion so as to be positioned above the upper support portion or the lower support portion as a whole, and the 2 nd object article is supported by a 2 nd supported portion provided on the upper portion so as to be supported by a portion positioned below the intermediate support portion.
According to this aspect, since the 2 nd object article supported by the intermediate support portion is supported in a state having a portion located below the intermediate support portion, the upper support portion and the intermediate support portion located below the upper support portion can be arranged close to each other in the vertical direction, as compared with a configuration in which the 2 nd object article supported by the intermediate support portion is supported in a state located above the intermediate support portion. Therefore, the size of the lifting unit can be further reduced due to the provision of the intermediate support portion.
In addition, in the structure in which the 1 st object article and the 2 nd object article are supported in the above-described state, preferably, the upper support portion and the lower support portion each have an engaging convex portion protruding upward from an upper surface thereof, the intermediate support portion includes a pair of extending portions extending in a protruding/retracting direction in which the intermediate support portion protrudes/retracts, the 1 st object article includes a 1 st main body portion and an engaged concave portion recessed upward from a bottom surface of the 1 st main body portion and engageable with the engaging convex portion, the 2 nd object article includes a 2 nd main body portion and a flange portion, the flange portion is formed to be disposed above the 2 nd main body portion and to be engaged with the pair of extending portions along the protruding/retracting direction, the engaged concave portion is the 1 st supported portion, and the flange portion is the 2 nd supported portion.
According to this aspect, the 1 st object article including the engaged recess portion recessed upward from the bottom surface of the 1 st body portion can be appropriately supported by the upper support portion and the lower support portion, respectively, and the 2 nd object article disposed above the 2 nd body portion and including the flange portion formed in the protruding and retracting direction can be appropriately supported by the intermediate support portion.
Preferably, the transfer target portion is provided with a pair of 1 st placement portions for placing the 1 st target article thereon, respectively, the pair of 1 st placement portions are arranged so as to overlap each other in a plan view and be separated in a vertical direction, and a vertical separation distance between the upper support portion and the lower support portion is equal to a vertical separation distance between the pair of 1 st placement portions.
According to this aspect, the 1 st object can be transferred to and from each of the pair of placement units simultaneously by both the upper support unit and the lower support unit. This can improve the conveyance efficiency.
Industrial applicability
The technology of the present application can be used for an article conveying device that conveys articles.
Description of the reference numerals
1: interlaminar conveying device (article conveying device)
4: article with a cover
10: guide rail
20: lifting unit
30: transfer device
31: upper transfer part
31A: upper side projection retraction driving part
31S: upper support part
31 Sa: engaging convex part
32: lower transfer part
32A: lower side projection retraction driving part
32S: lower support part
32 Sa: engaging convex part
32 Sb: lower support part
33S: intermediate support
33 a: extension part
41: item 1
42: item No. 2
410: 1 st main body part
411: 1 st supported part
411 a: engaged concave part
420: 2 nd main body part
421: 2 nd supported part
421 a: flange part
P1: reference position
P2: projecting position
R: conveying path
S: space(s)
T: transfer object part
T1: the 1 st placing part
T1 a: cut-out part
V: up and down direction
X: projecting in a retraction direction.

Claims (6)

1. An article carrying device for carrying an article, comprising a guide rail, a lifting means, and a transfer device,
the guide rail is provided along a conveyance path in the vertical direction,
the lifting unit is lifted along the guide rail,
the transfer device is supported by the lifting means and transfers the article between a transfer target portion disposed apart from the guide rail in a horizontal direction,
the article to be conveyed includes a 1 st object article and a 2 nd object article having a shape different from that of the 1 st object article,
the transfer device includes an upper transfer unit supported by the lifting unit, and a lower transfer unit disposed below the upper transfer unit and supported by the same lifting unit as the upper transfer unit,
the upper transfer unit includes an upper support unit for supporting the 1 st object article and an upper protrusion/retraction drive unit for protruding/retracting the upper support unit between a reference position and a protruding position protruding toward the transfer target unit side from the reference position,
the lower transfer unit includes a lower support unit for supporting the 1 st object article and a lower protrusion/retraction drive unit for protruding/retracting the lower support unit between a reference position and a protrusion position protruding toward the transfer target unit from the reference position,
the upper protrusion/retraction driving portion is disposed above the upper support portion, and the lower protrusion/retraction driving portion is disposed below the lower support portion,
an intermediate support portion for supporting the 2 nd object is disposed between the upper support portion and the lower support portion in the vertical direction,
the intermediate support portion is connected to the upper support portion so as to integrally protrude and retract, or connected to the lower support portion so as to integrally protrude and retract.
2. The article handling device of claim 1,
the intermediate support portion is connected to the upper support portion so as to protrude and retract integrally therewith, and is disposed below the upper support portion and above the entire portion of the lower transfer portion protruding and retract integrally with the lower support portion.
3. The article handling device of claim 2,
a 1 st placing part for placing the 1 st object is provided in the transfer target part,
the 1 st placing part is formed with a notch part through which the upper supporting part can pass in the vertical direction,
a space into which both the upper support portion and the intermediate support portion can be inserted is provided below the 1 st placement portion.
4. The article handling device of any one of claims 1 to 3,
the 1 st object article is supported by the 1 st supported portion provided on the bottom portion so that the entire 1 st object article is supported in a state of being positioned above the upper supporting portion or the lower supporting portion,
the 2 nd object article is supported by the 2 nd supported portion provided at the upper portion, and is supported in a state having a portion located below the intermediate support portion.
5. The article handling device of claim 4,
the upper support part and the lower support part each have an engaging convex part protruding upward from the upper surface thereof,
the intermediate support portion includes a pair of extending portions extending in a protruding/retracting direction in which the intermediate support portion protrudes/retracts,
the 1 st object article comprises a 1 st main body part and an engaged concave part which is recessed upward from the bottom surface of the 1 st main body part and can be engaged with the engaging convex part,
the 2 nd object article includes a 2 nd body portion and a flange portion, the flange portion is disposed above the 2 nd body portion and is locked by the pair of extension portions along the protruding and retracting direction,
the engaged concave portion is the 1 st supported portion,
the flange portion is the 2 nd supported portion.
6. The article handling device of any one of claims 1 to 5,
a pair of 1 st placing parts for placing the 1 st object are respectively arranged on the transferring object parts,
the pair of the first mounting portions 1 are arranged to overlap each other in a plan view and to be separated from each other in a vertical direction,
the distance in the vertical direction between the upper support portion and the lower support portion is equal to the distance in the vertical direction between the pair of the first mounting portions 1.
CN202110423183.8A 2020-05-13 2021-04-20 Article carrying device Pending CN113666037A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2020084500A JP7222378B2 (en) 2020-05-13 2020-05-13 Article conveying device
JP2020-084500 2020-05-13

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CN113666037A true CN113666037A (en) 2021-11-19

Family

ID=78510820

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CN202110423183.8A Pending CN113666037A (en) 2020-05-13 2021-04-20 Article carrying device

Country Status (3)

Country Link
JP (1) JP7222378B2 (en)
KR (1) KR20210139147A (en)
CN (1) CN113666037A (en)

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2000340631A (en) * 1999-05-28 2000-12-08 Sony Corp Truck for wafer transfer
JP3973006B2 (en) * 2000-03-23 2007-09-05 日本電産サンキョー株式会社 Double arm robot
JP6747217B2 (en) * 2016-09-27 2020-08-26 株式会社ダイフク Goods transport facility
JP6801640B2 (en) * 2017-12-21 2020-12-16 株式会社ダイフク Storage shelves and goods storage equipment
JP6835031B2 (en) * 2018-04-27 2021-02-24 株式会社ダイフク Goods transport equipment

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JP2021178712A (en) 2021-11-18
JP7222378B2 (en) 2023-02-15

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