JP2001007595A - Plate-like work supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a plate-like work supply device which is compact and can supply a plate-like work with high positional accuracy. SOLUTION: In a plate-like work supply apparatus for supplying a substrate 3 mounted on a carriage 2 in a stacked state to an electronic component mounting apparatus 1, the carriage 2 is pushed in to guide a guide roller 22 into a guide rail 16 of a substrate supply section 1a. The carriage 2 is fixed by fitting the rod 15a of the cylinder 15 into the recess 20c. Then, the substrate 3 is supplied by the transfer head 4 in this state. Thereby, the position of the cart can be accurately maintained irrespective of the state of the floor surface, and the substrate 3 can always be supplied with stable positional accuracy by a compact and simple mechanism.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for supplying a plate-like work, such as a board for mounting electronic components, to a next process apparatus in a stacked state.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a large number of plate-like works, such as substrates for mounting electronic components, are handled in a stacked state, and when supplied to an electronic component mounting apparatus, a plasma processing apparatus, or the like, the plate-like works are stacked. Supplied with. In the case of a large-sized large substrate, the weight of the entire stacked work exceeds the weight that can be carried by hand, and thus a truck is often used to supply such a heavy work. This method
The truck on which the workpieces are stacked is positioned on the floor immediately below the plate-like work supply device, and the work placed on the truck is picked up by the pickup head of the plate-like work supply device.

[0003]

However, when the work is directly picked up from the cart as described above, there are the following problems. The conventional plate-like workpiece supply device positions the cart with the cart placed on the floor, but the condition of the floor surface of the factory where the electronic component mounting device is installed is not necessarily good, The height level and levelness of the placed cart are not secured. For this reason, the position of the work directly picked up from the trolley varies depending on the state of the trolley. Therefore, in order to correct this variation in the position, a work picked up from a conventional bogie is once mounted on a temporary stage, positioned there, and then supplied to the next process apparatus again.

However, in the method of positioning using the temporary stage, it is necessary to occupy a space for the apparatus for the temporary stage, and a dedicated positioning mechanism is separately required, which hinders compactness and simplification of the apparatus. There was a problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a plate-like work supply apparatus which is compact and can supply a plate-like work with high positional accuracy.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for supplying a plate-like work, which supplies a plate-like work placed in a stacked state on a truck moving on a floor surface to a next process apparatus. A supply device, a positioning means for positioning the carriage at a predetermined position in a state of being lifted from the floor surface, a fixing means for fixing the positioned carriage, and an elevating means for elevating the stacked plate-like work And with.

According to the present invention, by providing positioning means for positioning a carriage on which plate-like works are stacked in a stacked state at a predetermined position of the next process apparatus, the position of the carriage is accurately held and the work is always stabilized. It can be supplied with the specified positional accuracy.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plate-like work supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are side sectional views of the plate-like work supply device.

First, the structure of a substrate supply device for supplying a substrate, which is a plate-like work, will be described with reference to FIGS.
In FIG. 1, the front part (1
a) is a substrate supply part, and the substrate supply part 1a supplies the substrate 3 to the mounting part of the electronic component mounting apparatus 1 which is the next process apparatus. Therefore, the substrate supply unit 1a is a substrate 3
Supply device. Although the example of the board supply unit 1a included in the electronic component mounting apparatus 1 is shown here as a board supply apparatus, a board supply apparatus configured separately from the electronic component mounting apparatus 1 may be used. .

A receiving portion 1b is provided on a side surface on the front side of the substrate supply portion 1a.
The trolley 2 that stores the で in a stacked state enters. As shown in FIG. 2, the trolley 2 is configured such that a free caster 21 is attached to a bottom 20b of a key-shaped frame 20 so that the trolley 2 can be moved by being pushed on a floor surface in a free direction. The substrate storage section 24 is provided via a slide mechanism 23 in the section 20a.
Are slidably arranged in the vertical direction.

A large number of substrates 3 are stored in a stacked state on the substrate storage portion 24. When a force is applied to the substrate storage portion 24 from below, the whole substrate 3 in the stacked state is lifted upward. The slide mechanism 23 has a built-in counterweight mechanism.
It can be lifted with.

A Z table 11 is vertically disposed on a fixed wall surface 10 inside the substrate supply section 1a.
1 is provided with a lift arm 12,
Extends horizontally. In a state where the carriage 2 has entered the receiving portion 1b, the lift arm 12 is
Located below. Lift arm 12 is moved to substrate storage
By driving the Z-table 11 to move the lift arm 12 up and down in a state where the substrate 3 is in contact with the lower surface of the substrate 3, the substrate storage section 24 on which the substrate 3 is placed moves up and down. Therefore, the Z table and the lift arm 12 are lifting means for lifting the substrate 3.

Two guide rollers 22 are provided on both sides of the bottom 20 of the carriage 2. These guide rollers 2 are located below both insides of the receiving portion 1b.
A guide rail 16 is provided corresponding to the position of No. 2. At the front end of the guide rail 16, a guide slope 16a on which the guide roller 22 rides is provided.
The carriage 2 is pushed in and received by the receiving portion 1b, and the carriage 2 is strongly pushed in a state where the guide rollers 22 are aligned with the guide rails 16.
Moves onto the guide rail (see FIG. 3) and enters a groove 16c provided on the upper surface of the guide rail 16. In this state, the carriage 2 floats from the floor surface, and the level of the plate-like work with respect to the supply device is ensured.

When the carriage 2 is further pushed in, the guide rollers 2
Moves along the guide rail 16, and the distal end surface of the bottom portion 20b contacts the fixed wall surface 13 inside the receiving portion 1b. In this state, the carriage 2 is positioned at a predetermined position specified by the guide rail 16 and the fixed wall 13 which also serves as a stopper. Thereby, the position and posture (horizontality) of the carriage 2 with respect to the supply device of the plate-like work are accurately secured. Therefore, the guide roller 22, the guide rail 16, and the fixed wall surface 13 serve as positioning means for positioning the carriage 2 in a state of being floated from the floor surface.

A cylinder 15 is disposed downward on the fixed wall surface 13 via a bracket 14. When the rod 15a of the cylinder 15 is protruded in a state where the tip of the bottom 20 of the carriage 2 is in contact with the fixed wall surface 13, the rod 15a fits into a recess 20c provided on the upper surface of the bottom 20b as shown in FIG. Combine. Thereby, the position of the carriage 2 is fixed with respect to the substrate supply unit 1a. Therefore, cylinder 1
5 and the concave portion 20 provided in the cart 2 are fixing means for fixing the cart 2.

The substrate supply section 1a is provided with a transfer head 4 for sucking and picking up the substrate 3. Substrate 3
The transfer head 4 is lowered to the substrate suction level L in a state where the carriage 2 storing the stacked substrates 3 is positioned in the receiving portion 1b.
Is picked up by sucking the uppermost substrate 3. A substrate detection sensor 16 is located near the pickup position of the transfer head 4.
Is disposed, and the substrate 3 at the height position of the substrate suction level L is optically detected by the substrate detection sensor 16. Accordingly, the substrate detection sensor 16 serves as a work detection unit that detects the uppermost substrate 3 that has been stacked at the substrate suction level L that is a predetermined height position.

Next, the control system will be described. The board supply section 1a is provided with an operation panel 6 as input means.
The signal input from the operation panel 6 is sent to the control unit 17.
Z motor 11a for driving Z table 11, cylinder 1
The control unit 17 controls the operation of the signal lamp 5 as a notifying unit provided on the substrate supply unit 1a. The detection signal of the board detection sensor 16 is sent to the control unit 17. By controlling the Z motor 11a based on this detection signal, the uppermost stage of the stacked substrates 3 can be maintained at the substrate suction level L. The control unit 17 receives signals from the board detection sensor 16 and the operation panel 6 and
a, control means for controlling the operation of the cylinder 15 and the signal lamp 5.

The substrate supply apparatus is configured as described above, and the operation will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, as shown in FIG. 1, the substrate 3 in a stacked state is placed on the substrate storage portion 24 of the cart 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the cart 2 is pushed by an operator and pushed into the receiving portion 1b of the substrate supply portion 1a. At this time, the guide roller 2
When the guide roller 22 is pushed in such that the position of the guide rail 22 coincides with the groove 16 c of the guide rail 16, the guide roller 22
6 and is guided further by the groove 16c to further enter the inside.

When the operator senses that the tip of the bottom portion 20b has come into contact with the fixed wall 13 also serving as a stopper, the operator operates a switch on the operation panel 6. The operation signal is sent to the control unit 17, and in response, the control unit 17 drives the cylinder 15 to cause the rod 15a to protrude.
As a result, the rod 15a is fitted into the concave portion 20c of the carriage 2, and the carriage 2 is fixed. In this state, as shown in FIG. 3, the casters 21 of the cart 2 are in a state of being lifted from the floor, and the position of the cart 2, that is, the position of the substrate 3 stored in the cart 2, is always irrespective of the state of the floor. It is kept in a fixed position.

Thereafter, the supply of the substrate 3 is started. The Z motor 11 a is driven by a signal from the control unit 17, and the lift arm 12 is lifted up to come into contact with the bottom surface of the substrate storage unit 24 and apply an upward force to the substrate storage unit 24. As a result, the substrate storage section 24 rises together with the stacked substrates 3, and the uppermost substrate 3 reaches the substrate suction level L and is detected by the substrate detection sensor 16, so that the raising operation stops. In this state, the transfer head 4 is lowered, and the uppermost substrate 3 is sucked and picked up.
Is transferred on the transfer line of

Since the uppermost substrate 3 is picked up, the substrate detection signal of the substrate detection sensor 16 is interrupted at this time. Then, the control unit 17 drives the Z motor 11a until a new substrate 3 is detected, whereby the next substrate 3 reaches the substrate suction level L. Thereafter, the same substrate supply operation is continued. Then, when all the substrates 3 on the substrate storage section 24 are supplied and the substrate 3 is no longer detected by the substrate detection sensor 16 or the height of the lift arm 12 reaches the upper limit, the control section 17 determines that the substrate has run out. The signal lamp 5 informs the user of the fact, and lowers the lift arm 12 to the standby position. The operator replenishes a new board 3 based on this notification.

As described above, the carriage 2 on which the substrates 3 are placed in a stacked state is guided and positioned at a predetermined position irrespective of the state of the floor surface, so that the pickup position of the substrates 3 is always constant, which is conventionally required. The substrate can be supplied without requiring a temporary placement stage for positioning and a positioning mechanism. Therefore, a substrate supply device which is compact and simple in mechanism is realized.

In this embodiment, a combination of a guide rail and a guide roller is used as a positioning means for guiding and positioning the carriage 2. However, if the mechanism can perform positioning with required accuracy, sliding is used. Another guide mechanism such as the above-described mechanism may be used. Also, the fixing means is not limited to the method of fitting the rod into the recess,
Other position fixing mechanisms may be used.

[0024]

According to the present invention, the positioning means for guiding and positioning the trolley on which the plate-shaped workpieces are placed in a stacked state at the predetermined position of the next process apparatus is provided. Regardless, the position of the cart is accurately maintained, and the work can be always supplied with stable position accuracy by a compact and simple mechanism.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plate-like workpiece supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a plate-like workpiece supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a plate-like workpiece supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electronic component mounting apparatus 1a Substrate supply part 2 Cartridge 3 Substrate 4 Transfer head 5 Signal lamp 6 Operation panel 11 Z table 12 Lift arm 13 Fixed wall surface 15 Cylinder 16 Guide rail 22 Guide roller 24 Substrate storage part

Claims (1)

[Claims] An apparatus for supplying a plate-like work, which is placed in a stacked state on a truck moving on a floor surface, to a next process device, wherein the carriage is floated from the floor surface. An apparatus for feeding a plate-like work, comprising: a positioning means for positioning at a predetermined position; a fixing means for fixing the positioned carriage; and a lifting means for lifting and lowering the stacked plate-like works.