JP2003176021A - Liquid crystal panel carrying and transferring device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal panel carrying and transferring device capable of securely and safely transferring when transporting a carrying container housing liquid crystal panels with a carriage and transferring the carrying container between the carriage and a liquid crystal panel manufacturing device. <P>SOLUTION: When connecting the carriage 1 to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing device 2, the information about the liquid crystal panel housed in the carrying container 3 to be transferred is exchanged through a connection part 100. On the basis of this information, a carrying unit 200 is operated, and a fork is moved forward and connected to a fork receiver means of the liquid crystal panel manufacturing device 2. A lifting unit 300 is operated to set the height of the carriage 1 nearly equal to the height of a carrying surface of the liquid crystal panel manufacturing device 2. A base plate 203 for placing the carrying container 3 and to be guided by carrying rollers 204 and a guide roller 206 of the carrying unit 200 to extrude the carrying container 3 for transference onto the liquid crystal panel manufacturing device 2 is supported through a buffer means 202. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a carrier truck for transporting a liquid crystal panel to a liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly, a liquid crystal panel carrier transfer for transferring a liquid crystal panel between the carrier truck and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus. Regarding the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus is an apparatus for injecting liquid crystal into a panel such as a glass plate formed in a previous step and sealing the injection port, which is an apparatus for assembling a liquid crystal panel in which liquid crystal is sealed. Is. To supply unsealed liquid crystal panels filled with liquid crystal to this liquid crystal panel manufacturing device, store an appropriate number of unsealed panels filled with liquid crystal in the previous process in a transport container and transport this transport container. It is carried by a dolly to the LCD panel manufacturing equipment. Also, an appropriate number of liquid crystal panels with sealed inlets are housed in the carrier device and carried out from the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus. That is, the work of storing the pre-encapsulation panel in the transport container and the work of collecting the pre-encapsulation panel from the transport container are performed on the work table, and the work table and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus are carried by the transfer cart. .

A transport container storing a large number of pre-encapsulation panels and a liquid crystal panel after sealing becomes a weight part and is complicated to handle, but the transport container can be efficiently stored and recovered. Is required. In addition, it is required to efficiently transfer the transfer container housing the liquid crystal panel between the transfer carriage and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus. Then, the delivery is performed by the operator lifting the transport container.

However, since the operator lifts a heavy object, the workability is poor, and the feeding and collecting properties of the transport container are not sufficient. For this reason, a semiconductor wafer transfer device disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-169817 is used as a transfer device for transferring a work such as a product from a transfer carriage of this type to another device in which the work of the operator is reduced. and so on. As shown in FIG. 11, this semiconductor wafer transfer apparatus includes a stocker 502 that can store a plurality of semiconductor wafers 501, a comb-shaped jig 503 that can hold the semiconductor wafers 501, and a comb-shaped jig that operates the comb-shaped jigs 503. The semiconductor wafer manufacturing apparatus 510 is composed of an operating device 504 and a trolley 500 on which these devices are self-propelled.
A communication device 520 for exchanging information is provided between and.

[0005]

However, the above-mentioned conventional transfer / transfer device is a device for transferring and transferring a semiconductor wafer, and is a comb-like jig used in this transfer / transfer device. It is not easy to apply such a mechanism to a heavy liquid crystal panel. Further, since the liquid crystal panel is housed in the carrier container and transferred together with the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus together with the carrier container, the liquid crystal panel housed in the carrier container is damaged when an impact is applied to the carrier container. In the conventional transfer / transfer device, a space remains between the transfer car and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing device when the transfer car and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing device are connected to each other. Since the height matching mechanism is not provided, the heights may differ from each other, and the containers may be impacted during transfer.

Further, when the specifications of the liquid crystal panel are changed or the products are used for different kinds of products, and the size of the carrier container is different, the conventional carrier transfer is performed. Since the apparatus does not have a mechanism for adjusting the height of the transport surface, it cannot be easily handled.

Further, conventionally, since a sufficient cushioning mechanism is not provided, there is a risk that the liquid crystal panel may be damaged by the impact generated during the transportation by the transportation vehicle.

In view of this, the present invention prevents a shock from being applied for transportation by making the delivery surface of the transportation container common and making the heights of the container mounting surfaces substantially the same when connecting with the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the space formed between the carrier truck and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus, and further to provide a liquid crystal panel carrier transfer device that prevents vibrations from being transmitted to the carrier container during transportation as much as possible. Has an aim.

[0009]

As a technical means for achieving the above object, a liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device according to the present invention is configured so that a transfer container accommodating a large number of liquid crystal panels is placed and transferred. In the transport carriage described above, the base plate on which the transport container is placed is supported with a cushioning means interposed.

Vibration when the carrier truck moves is mitigated by the buffer means. Therefore, the transmission of vibrations to the transfer container placed on the transfer carriage is suppressed as much as possible, and the liquid crystal panel housed in the transfer container is prevented from being damaged.

The liquid crystal panel transfer / mounting device according to the second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the buffer means is a buffer spring interposed between the base plate and the substrate.

By using a buffer spring composed of a compression coil spring, a coiled spring, a torsion bar, etc. as the buffer means,
The buffer means can have a simple structure. The buffer means may be a buffer cylinder or other mechanism.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid crystal panel transporting / transferring device in which a transporting container for storing and transporting a large number of liquid crystal panels is supported at a fixed position of the transporting car. A fixed-side transport roller on which a part of the transport container is placed, and a part of the transport container on which the transport container is placed,
A pair of forks supported so as to be retractable from the front end of the transport carriage, fork drive means for sliding the forks to retract from the front end of the transport carriage, and the forks provided in the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus. And a fork receiving means for receiving the front end portion of the fork, the fork being projected from the front end portion of the transfer vehicle in a state in which the transport carriage and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus are connected, and the tip portion of the fork is connected to the fork receiving means. The delivery container is characterized in that it is received.

The transport container is carried by being mounted on the fixed side transport roller of the transport carriage and a pair of forks. The fork drive means is actuated in a state in which the carrier truck has moved to a predetermined position with respect to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus, and the fork is moved in a direction in which the fork projects from the front end portion of the carrier truck. With the tip of the fork received by the fork receiver, the forward movement of the fork is stopped. Since the transfer container is placed on this fork, the transfer container moves from the transfer carriage to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus as the fork advances. After that, the transport container is transferred to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus by the receiving means provided in the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus. After the transfer container is transferred, the fork is retracted to the position retracted from the front end of the transfer carriage.

Since the transfer of the transfer container is performed with the transfer container mounted on the fork, a space is not formed between the transfer carriage and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus, and the transfer container can be transferred reliably. it can. Moreover, since it is placed on the fork, there is no difference in the height of the placement surface during transfer, the transport container does not vibrate, and the stored liquid crystal panel is prevented from being damaged as much as possible. You can

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid crystal panel transfer / mounting device, wherein the fixed side transfer roller and the fork are provided on a vertically movable base plate, and an elevating drive means for elevating the base plate is provided. It is characterized by that.

When the mounting surface of the carrier is different from the mounting surface of the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus, the elevating drive means is operated to adjust the mounting surfaces so that they have substantially the same height. As a result, with the fork moved forward,
The tip can be reliably received by the fork receiving means.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid crystal panel transfer / mounting device in which the base plate is provided on an elevating plate which is movable up and down with buffer means interposed, and the elevating plate is provided on the elevating drive means. It is characterized by that.

Vibration is suppressed by the buffer means from being transmitted to the transport container during transportation, and damage to the liquid crystal panel can be prevented as much as possible.

Further, the liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the buffer means is a buffer spring interposed between the base plate and the elevating plate.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device in which a transfer container for storing a large number of liquid crystal panels is placed and transferred. An elevating plate is provided so as to be capable of ascending and descending, and a base plate is provided by interposing a cushioning means on the elevating plate. A direction intersecting the elevating direction of the base plate and a direction intersecting the moving direction of the transport container A rotatable fixed-side transfer roller that is an axis is provided, and a pair of forks is slidable in the moving direction of the transfer container in front of the fixed-side transfer roller of the base plate and can be retracted from the front end of the transfer carriage. Provided is fixing means for fixing the carrying container placed on the fixed-side carrying roller and fork, and raising / lowering driving means for raising / lowering the raising / lowering plate, so that the fork is projected / retracted from the front end portion of the carriage. F Over provided click drive means, the manual lifting means for lifting the elevating plate manually provided, the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus is characterized in that a fork receiving means for receiving the distal end portion of the fork.

The transport container accommodating the liquid crystal panel is fixed and transported by the fixing means while being placed on the fixed side transport roller and the fork of the transport carriage. Since it is fixed, it can be prevented from being accidentally dropped from the carrier, and the buffer means can prevent the carrier container from vibrating during transportation.

When the carrier truck moves to a predetermined position with respect to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus, the lift drive means moves the lift plate up and down to move the base plate to a predetermined height. At this time, the height is finely adjusted by the manual elevating means as needed. When the fork drive means is operated to move the fork in a direction projecting from the front end portion of the carrier, the carrier container mounted on the fork advances toward the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus. The forward movement of the fork is stopped with the tip of the fork received by the fork receiving means, and the carrier container is delivered to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus.

After the transfer container is transferred to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus, the fork driving means is operated to retract the fork to a position where the front end of the fork is retracted from the front end of the transfer carriage. As a result, another transport container can be placed.

Further, in a liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device according to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the information relating to the liquid crystal panel and the transfer container accommodating the liquid crystal panel in a state where the transfer carriage and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus are connected. An information exchanging means for exchanging the information is provided, and the lifting drive means or the fork drive means is driven based on the information exchanged by the information exchange means.

Information relating to the liquid crystal panel to be provided to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus, the mounting surface height of the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus, and the like, based on the information to be exchanged, is transferred to the information exchanging means provided in the carrier. Provided. Based on the provided information, the lifting / lowering of the lifting plate and the forward / backward movement of the fork are controlled. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly transfer the transfer container and easily meet the specifications of the liquid crystal panel.

[0027]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device according to the present invention will be specifically described below based on the illustrated preferred embodiments.

1 to 3 show a carrier truck 1 relating to a liquid crystal panel carrier transfer device of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view, FIG. 2 is a rear view, and FIG. 3 is a side view. A liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 is also shown in FIG. A connecting portion 10 is arranged at the lower front portion of the carrier truck 1, a carrier portion 20 is arranged on the upper surface, an elevating portion 30 is arranged below the carrier portion 20, and a fixing portion 40 is arranged on the front side portion of the upper surface. Further, the transport container 3 accommodating the liquid crystal panel is placed on the transport unit 20. In addition, in the word of liquid crystal panel, liquid crystal is injected and the injection port is not yet sealed,
Includes both those with sealed inlets.

The connecting portion 10 is a mechanism for connecting the carrier vehicle 1 and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2. 4 and 5 are partially omitted plan views showing the connecting portion 10. FIG. 4 shows an unconnected state.
FIG. 5 shows a connected state. On the front surface of the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2, guide rails 21 are provided at positions facing both ends of the carrier 1. A female communication connector 22 is provided adjacent to the inside of one guide rail 21, and a power output connector 23 is provided adjacent to the inside of the other guide rail 21. A pair of positioning bushes 24 are provided adjacent to the insides of the connectors 22 and 23. A clamp bar 25 having an appropriate width is provided in the central portion between the positioning bushes 24.

At each of the front end portions of the carrier truck 1,
A guide block 101 guided by the guide rail 21 is provided. A communication male connector (102) detachable from the connector (22) is provided at a portion facing the communication female connector (22).
And a force input connector that can be attached to and detached from the force output connector 23 at a portion facing the force output connector 23.
103 are provided. With the communication female connector 22 and the communication male connector 102 connected, information about the liquid crystal panel to be manufactured, such as information for controlling the operation of the transport carriage 1, is stored in the transport carriage 1 and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2. Exchanged between. Further, the power output connector 23 and the power input connector 103 are connected to each other, so that the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 supplies power necessary for various operations of the carrier 1 described later. Positioning pins 104 are provided at the portions facing the positioning bushes 24, respectively, and the positioning pins 104 are positioned at the time of connection.
It is designed to be inserted into. A connection detection sensor 104a is provided at the base end of one of the positioning pins 104 to detect the connection state between the carrier 1 and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 and output a connection signal. A clamp claw 105 is provided at a position where both ends of the clamp bar 25 face. This clamp claw 105 is
The output shaft 105b is fitted to the tip end of the output shaft 105b, and is engaged with and disengaged from the clamp bar 25 when the output shaft 105b is rotated by the operation of the actuator 105a.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transfer unit 200 is disposed above the elevating unit 300, and the elevating plate 201 is moved up and down by the operation of the elevating unit 300, and the elevating plate 201. A base plate 203 supported by a buffer spring 202 as a buffer, a fixed-side transport roller 204 provided on the base plate 203, and a pair of forks 205 (see FIG. 1).
It is composed mainly of and. The base plate 203 is supported above the lift plate 201 via a buffer spring 202 composed of a compression coil spring or the like, and transmission of vibrations from the lift plate 201 to the base plate 203 is suppressed. Base plate 20
Roller supporting plates 203a are attached to both sides of the roller 3, and the fixed side conveying rollers are supported by supporting shafts 204a at the portions of the roller supporting plate 203a located in the rear half of the carriage 1.
204 is rotatably supported. As shown in FIG. 1, the fixed-side transport roller 204 projects from the roller support plate 203a by an appropriate length so that the transport container 3 can be stably placed thereon. Further, a guide roller 206 having a width smaller than that of the fixed side transport roller 204 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 206a on the front half of the roller support plate 203a. A part of the transport container 3 is also placed on this guide roller 206.

The fork 205 is slidably provided so as to extend and retract the front end portion of the transport carriage 1 over the position facing the guide roller 206 and the position facing the fixed side transport roller 204. . At the rear end of the fork 205, a notch 205a is formed so as to avoid the fixed side transport roller 204. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the pair of forks 205 are supported by the linear guide 205b, and are slid by being guided and moved by the linear guide 205b. This fork 20
On the upper surface of 5, a transfer roller 207 is rotatably supported. Further, an engaging portion 205c is formed at the tip of the fork 205 so that the width is reduced by appropriately notching the side portion. A conveying surface detection sensor 205d is attached to a part of the engaging portion 205c of one of the forks 205, which is a part facing the side of the fork 205. Further, a conveying section sensor 205e is provided at the tip of the one fork 205.

A connecting plate is provided at the rear end of each fork 205.
208 is spanned, and a slide screw 209 is planted in the center of the connecting plate 208 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the fork 205. This slide screw 209
The output mechanism of the fork drive actuator 210 fixed to the transport carriage 1 is linked to the slide carriage 1. By the operation of the fork drive actuator 210, the slide screw is operated.
The 209 is designed to move back and forth in its longitudinal direction.

On the other hand, the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 is provided with a fork receiving means 26 for receiving the tip of the fork 205 protruding from the carriage 1 by the forward movement. The fork receiving means 26 mainly includes a transport base 27 having a notch 27a for receiving the engaging portion 205c of the fork 205, and a transport roller 28 rotatably supported on the transport base 27. Is configured.
A notch portion that receives the engaging portion 205c of the fork 205 provided with the conveyance surface detection sensor 205d and the conveyance portion sensor 205e.
In the state where the engagement portion 205c is received by the cutout portion 27a, the detection protrusion 27a is provided at a position facing the conveyance surface detection sensor 205d.
29a is located at the position where the sensor protrusion 205
b are provided respectively.

An elevating part 300 for elevating the elevating plate 201 of the conveying part 200 is shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 8. An elevating board 301 serving as a main board is provided in a part of the carrier vehicle 1. The elevating board 301 is penetrated and guided by a guide bush 303 attached to the lower surface of the elevating board 301 so that it can be moved up and down. An appropriate number of support rods 302 are supported. The lifting plate 201 is supported by the tips of these support rods 302. Further, a pair of lift input sections 304 are attached to the lower surface of the lift board 301, and a drive shaft 305 is stretched over these lift input sections 304. This drive shaft 30
Reference numeral 5 is connected to the output shaft of a lift actuator 306 attached to the center of the pair of lift input units 304, and is rotated by the operation of the lift actuator 306. An elevating shaft 307, which penetrates the elevating board 301, is connected to the elevating input section 304 so that the elevating input section 304 receives the driving force from the elevating input section 304 and ascends and descends. This lifting axis 30
The upper end of 7 is linked to the lifting plate 201,
The lifting plate 201 is moved up and down by lifting and lowering 7.

A handle 308 is connected to the elevating shaft 307 so that an operator can manually elevate the elevating shaft 307 by operating the handle 308. A lift sensor 309 is provided on the lift board 301, and the lift sensor 309 detects the lift plate 201.

The fixing portion 400 is provided on the base plate 203, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. This fixed part 400
Is a lock shaft 401 that penetrates the base plate 203 and this lock shaft
A lock lever 402 that engages with 401 and is swingable so as to engage and disengage with the transport container 3 is mainly configured. The lock shaft 401 has a flange portion 401a formed at the upper end,
A return spring 403 composed of a compression coil spring is loosely fitted in a portion between the flange portion 401a and the base plate 203, and the restoring force of the return spring 403 is urged to raise the lock shaft 401. The lock lever 402 is swingably mounted on a lock bracket 404 that is planted on the base plate 203.
This swinging causes the transport container 3 to move back and forth within the transport area.

The lower end of the lock shaft 401 is a lock guide.
The lock shaft 401 is moved up and down by operating the operation lever 406 which is inserted through the lock guide 405 and is swingably provided on the lock guide 405.

An actuator bracket 407 is fixed to the lower surface of the base plate 203, and a stopper actuator 408 is attached to the actuator bracket 407. A stopper block 409 is attached to the output shaft 408a of the stopper actuator 408, and the stopper block 409 is moved back and forth within the ascending / descending region of the lock shaft 401 by the operation of the stopper actuator 408. Further, a fixing confirmation sensor 410 is provided on the base plate 203, and the lock lever 403
Is arranged so that the carrier container 3 can be moved.

The carrier 1 is formed of a frame structure in which the connecting part 100, the carrier part 200, the elevating part 300 and the fixing part 400 can be attached. As shown in FIG. 1, a fork actuation switch 41 is provided at the rear end of the carriage 1.
A connection operation switch 42, a fixing release switch 43, and a manual automatic changeover switch 44 are provided. Further, handles 45 are provided at appropriate positions on the rear end corner portion and the front side portion of the transport carriage 1. Further, a positioning block 46 for positioning the transport container 3 is provided at an appropriate position on the rear portion. Casters 47 are attached to the lower surface of the carrier vehicle 1 so that they can be moved smoothly.

As shown in FIG.
The identification plate 31 is attached to the transportation container 3
Information about the contents such as the type of the liquid crystal panel stored in and the number of stored sheets is recorded on the identification plate 31. On the other hand, with the transport container 3 placed, the transport carriage 1
At a position facing the identification plate 31, a panel information recognition means 48 for reading the information recorded on the identification plate 31 is provided.

A control unit 5 is provided on the carrier vehicle 1 to control the operations of the connecting unit 100, the carrier unit 200, the elevating unit 300, the fixing unit 400, etc., and the panel information recognizing means.
It manages the information of the identification plate 31 read by 48.

The operation of the liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device of the present invention constructed as described above will be described below.

On the work cart (not shown), the transport container 3
Then, the liquid crystal panel in which the liquid crystal is injected from the liquid crystal injection device is stored. From this work cart, the transport container 3 in which the liquid crystal panel is stored is transferred to the transport cart 1. By operating the fixing release switch 43, the stopper actuator 408 of the fixing portion 400 is operated in the releasing direction. This allows
The stopper block 409 is retracted from the ascending / descending region of the lock shaft 401. In this state, the operation lever 406
Rotate clockwise from the position in Figure 9
As shown in FIG. 10, the lock shaft 401 is pushed down against the restoring force of the return spring 403, and the lock lever 402 is moved to the transport container 3
The state where the operation lever 406 is retracted from the moving range is maintained, and this state is maintained while the operation lever 406 is maintained at the position. In this state, the transport container 3 is placed on the guide roller 206 of the transport carriage 1 from the work carriage, rolled on the guide roller 206 and pushed to the fixed side transport roller 204, and abutted on the positioning block 41. And the operating lever
When the hand is released from 406, the lock shaft 401 is raised by receiving the restoring force of the return spring 403, and the lock lever 402 is pushed up to the position where it enters the moving range of the transport container 3 as shown in FIG. For this reason, the transport container 3 has the lock lever 40
2 and the positioning block 41 prevent the carrier truck 1 from falling.

When the transport container 3 is transferred from the work carriage to the transport carriage 1 and fixed by the fixing portion 400, the handle 45 is provided.
Is gripped and the carrier 1 is moved. Since the casters 47 are attached to the carrier truck 1, the worker can smoothly move the carrier truck 1. The transport carriage 1 is moved to a predetermined position with respect to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2, and the transport carriage 1 is further pressed from the position to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 to be connected to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the carriage 1 is positioned so that the guide block 101 of the carriage 1 faces the outside of the guide rail 21 of the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2.
At this position, the carrier 1 is pushed to move the liquid crystal panel manufacturing device 2
Push into. At this time, the carrier block 1 moves with its guide block 101 guided by the guide rail 21. As a result, the positioning pin 104 is positioned by the positioning bush 24.
And the positional relationship between the carrier 1 and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 is determined. When the carrier vehicle 1 is pushed, the communication male connector 102 is connected to the communication female connector 22, the power input connector 103 is connected to the power output connector 23, and the output shaft 105b of the actuator 105a is clamped. The clamp claw 105 passes through the side of the bar 25 and is located on the inner side of the clamp bar 25. The connection detection sensor 104a is turned on in a state where these connections are made in a predetermined relationship. In this state, by operating the connection operation switch 42, the actuator 105a is operated to rotate the output shaft 105b. This rotation causes the clamp claw 105 to rotate and engage with the clamp bar 25, as shown in FIG. In this state, the transport vehicle 1 and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 are reliably connected. Also, in this state, information relating to the type of liquid crystal panel is exchanged between the control unit 5 of the carrier vehicle 1 and the control unit (not shown) of the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 via the communication connectors 22 and 102. Be seen. Further, it becomes possible to take in the power of various actuators and the like provided on the carrier 1 from the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 via the utility connectors 23 and 103.

Information relating to the liquid crystal panel stored in the transport container 3 is recorded, and the recorded content of the identification plate 31 attached to the transport container 3 is read by the panel information recognizing means 48 and the read information. Is the control unit 5
And the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 via the communication connectors 22 and 102.

The carrier 1 connected to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 then operates the carrier unit 200. When the fork operating switch 41 is operated, the fork driving actuator 210 operates. This allows the slide screw
Since the fork 205 is connected to the slide screw 209 via the connecting plate 208, the pair of forks 205 are guided by the linear guide 205b to move forward. At this time, the moving-side transport roller 207 also moves forward together with the fork 205. The forward movement of the fork 205 moves from the state shown in FIG. 6 to the state shown in FIG. 7 in the direction in which the tip portion projects toward the upper surface of the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2. By this movement, when the notch 205c at the tip of the fork 205 advances to a position facing the fork receiving means 26 of the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2, the transport surface detection sensor 205d causes
The difference between the height of the conveying surface of the conveying container 3 formed by the fixed side conveying roller 204 and the moving side conveying roller 207 of the conveying carriage 1 and the height of the conveying surface formed by the conveying roller 28 of the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 is detected. To be done. Based on the detected difference in the heights of the transport surfaces, the elevating unit 300 is operated to make the heights of the transport surfaces substantially equal.

By the operation of the elevating unit 300, the transfer surface height of the transfer carriage 1 is raised and lowered to be substantially equal to the transfer surface height of the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2. This lifting operation is automatically performed by the operation of the lift actuator 306. Or manually by operating the handle 308.

When the detected difference in the height of the conveying surface is input to the control unit 5, the control unit 5 outputs a drive signal to operate the lift actuator 306. The lift actuator 306 rotates the drive shaft 305. When the rotation of the drive shaft 305 is transmitted to the lift input unit 304, the lift input unit 304 receives the rotation.
The elevating shaft 307 linked to the vertical axis 307 moves up and down.
The elevator input unit 304 and the elevator shaft 307 can be connected by using, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism or a slide screw mechanism. Further, when the elevating shaft 307 moves up and down, the support rod 302 also moves in the same direction by being guided by the guide bush 303. The lifting shaft 307 and the support rod 302 are mounted on the lifting plate 20.
Since 1 is supported, the lifting plate 201 also moves in the same direction, and the base plate 203 supported by the lifting plate 201 via the buffer spring 202 also moves in the same direction. For this reason, this base plate 2
The fixed side conveying roller 204, the moving side conveying roller 207, the fork 205, etc. provided on 03 also move in the same direction, and the conveying surface height is adjusted.

On the other hand, when the elevating plate 201 is manually moved up and down, the manual automatic changeover switch 44 is operated.
As a result, in the lift input unit 304, the connection between the lift actuator 306 and the lift shaft 307 is released. When the handle 308 is rotated in this state, the elevating shaft 307 elevates and lowers in accordance with the rotation direction of the elevating plate 201 to move the elevating plate 201 up and down to move the fixed side conveying roller 204 and the moving side conveying roller 207 disposed on the base plate 203. The height of the transport surface can be adjusted.

In the normal operation, the height of the conveying surface is automatically adjusted, and when fine adjustment is required, it is manually adjusted. Further, since the engaging portion 205c of the fork 205 faces the fork receiving means 26 from above,
The height of the transport surface is adjusted by lowering the base plate 203.

When the height of the conveying surface is adjusted by elevating the base plate 203, the fixing state of the conveying container 3 by the fixing portion 400 is released. When the carrier vehicle 1 and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 are connected to each other, the fixed portion 400 is fixed as shown in FIG.
The lock lever 402 is positioned within the moving range of the transport container 3 and the transport container 3 is fixed. This fixed state can be released only when the transport vehicle 1 and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 are normally connected. That is, when the connection detection sensor 104a provided in the connection part 100 outputs an ON signal for confirming the connection state and the actuator 105a is in an operation state for engaging the clamp claw 105 with the clamp bar 25, The unlocking switch 43 can be operated.
When the lock release switch 43 is operated, the stopper actuator 408 operates, and the stopper block 409 is retracted from the ascending / descending region of the lock shaft 401 as shown in FIG. Then, when the operation lever 406 is rotated clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 9, the lock lever 402 withdraws from the moving range of the transport container 3 as described above, and the state shown in FIG. 10 is obtained. In this state, the transport container 3 is moved to the transport carriage 1
When it is pushed from the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 side to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2, the liquid is supplied to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 by sliding on the fixed side conveying roller 204 and the moving side conveying roller 207. The lock lever
With the 402 in a position that allows movement of the transport container 3,
The fixation confirmation sensor 410 is in the ON state, and the signal is provided to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 so that the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 can receive the transport container 3.

When the carrier 3 is transferred to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2, if the operator releases the operating lever 406, the restoring force of the return spring causes the lock shaft 401 to rise and push up the lock lever 402. The lock lever 402 is the container 3
9 and enters the moving range of the state shown in FIG.

When the fork operating switch 41 is operated, the fork driving actuator 210 is operated to move the fork 205 backward. This allows the fork 205
6 is in a state of being retracted into the upper portion of the transport carriage 1, as shown in FIG.

Then, by operating the connection operation switch 42 to operate the actuator 105a, the clamp claw 10
5 disengages from clamp bar 25. As a result, the carrier 3 can be separated from the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2.

When the connection operation switch 42 is operated, the connection operation switch 42 cannot be operated unless the fixing confirmation sensor 410 is in the OFF state. This is from the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 to the transport container 3
If the carrier 3 is separated from the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 in a state where the carrier 400 is not fixed by the fixing unit 400 when collecting the carrier, the carrier 3 may drop from the carrier 1. , To prevent this. The work of collecting the transport container 3 from the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 2 to the transport carriage 1 is performed in reverse to the above-described work of supplying the transport container 3.

[0057]

As described above, according to the liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the vibration generated during the transfer by the transfer carriage from being transmitted to the transfer container.
It is possible to prevent the liquid crystal panel housed in the carrier container from being damaged.

According to the liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device of the second aspect of the present invention, the buffer means can be constructed with a simple structure.

According to the liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device of the third aspect of the present invention, when the liquid crystal panel is transferred,
Since the fork is hung between the carrier and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing device, a space is not formed between the carrier and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing device, and the carrier container may accidentally drop during transfer. It is possible to carry out the transfer work safely without any trouble.

Moreover, since the transfer can be performed by pushing the transfer container, the transfer operation can be simplified, the operation time can be shortened, and the productivity of the liquid crystal panel can be improved.

According to the liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the transfer plate and the liquid crystal panel device are made substantially equal in height by moving the base plate up and down during transfer. Therefore, the transfer work can be performed more easily, the transfer time can be shortened, and the productivity of the liquid crystal panel can be further improved.

According to the liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device of the fifth aspect of the present invention, the liquid crystal panel can be prevented from being damaged by the buffer means as much as possible, and the liquid crystal panel transfer of the sixth aspect of the present invention can be performed. The transfer device can serve as a buffer means having a simple structure.

According to the liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device of the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the transfer container is fixed by the fixing means when the transfer container is transferred, it does not accidentally drop from the transfer carriage. Can be safely transported. Further, at the time of transfer, the fork is suspended between the carrier and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus, so that the transfer can be performed safely. Moreover, since the fork receiving means is provided in the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus, the forks can be reliably bridged and the safety at the time of transfer can be further improved. Furthermore, by adjusting the height of the transport surface of the transport vehicle by raising and lowering the lift plate, the transport surface heights of the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus can be made substantially equal, and the transfer operation can be simplified.

Further, according to the liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device of the eighth aspect of the present invention, information regarding the type of liquid crystal panel housed in the transfer container can be easily transferred between the liquid crystal panel manufacturing device and the transfer carriage. It is possible to replace the data with a user, and it is possible to simplify manual input of data to a liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus or a carrier by a worker, and it is possible to improve workability of transfer work.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a carrier truck equipped with a liquid crystal panel carrier transfer device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a connecting portion showing a state before connection between a transfer carriage equipped with a liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device according to the present invention and a liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus, and a part of the connecting portion is omitted. .

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of a connecting portion showing a state after connection between a transfer carriage equipped with a liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device according to the present invention and a liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus, and a part thereof is omitted. .

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing a state before a fork for transferring a transfer container is hung on a transfer carriage and a liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus equipped with a transfer transfer device for a liquid crystal panel according to the present invention. Is.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which a fork for transferring a container for transfer is laid over a transfer carriage equipped with the transfer transfer device for a liquid crystal panel according to the present invention and a liquid crystal panel manufacturing device. is there.

FIG. 8 is a schematic rear view showing an elevating part of the liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of a fixing portion of a liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device according to the present invention, showing a state in which a transfer container is fixed.

FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of a fixing portion of the liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device according to the present invention, showing a state in which the transfer container is unfixed.

FIG. 11 is a side view showing an example of a conventional transfer device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 carrier 2 Liquid crystal panel manufacturing equipment 21 Guide rail 22 Communication female connector 23 power output connector 24 Positioning bush 25 clamp bar 26 Fork receiving means 27 Transport base 27a Notch 28 Conveyor roller 29a Detection protrusion 29b Detection protrusion 3 transport containers 31 identification plate 41 Fork actuation switch 42 Connection operation switch 43 Release switch 44 Manual automatic changeover switch 45 handle 46 Positioning block 47 casters 48 Panel information recognition means 5 control unit 100 connections 101 guide block 102 Male connector for communication 103 power input connector 104 Locating pin 104a Connection detection sensor 105 clamp claw 105a actuator 105b output shaft 200 transport section 201 Lift plate 202 buffer spring 203 base plate 203a Roller support plate 204 Fixed side transport roller 204a support shaft 205 fork 205a cutout 205b Linear motion guide 205c Engagement part 205d Transport surface detection sensor 205e Conveyor sensor 206 Guide roller 207 Moving side transport roller 208 Connecting plate 209 slide screw 210 Fork drive actuator 300 lift 301 Lifting board 302 Support rod 303 guide bush 304 Lift input section 305 drive shaft 306 Lifting actuator 307 Lifting axis 308 handle 309 Lift sensor 400 fixed part 401 lock shaft 401a Flange 402 Lock lever 403 Return spring 404 lock bracket 405 Lock guide 406 Operation lever 407 Actuator bracket 408 Stopper actuator 409 Stopper block 410 Fixed confirmation sensor

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F-term (reference) 2H088 FA17 FA30 MA20                 3F022 AA08 CC02 EE05 KK01 LL02                       LL33 MM08                 5F031 CA05 DA01 FA03 FA07 FA13                       GA36 GA53 GA57 JA21 JA49                       LA07 LA15 MA13 MA21 PA16                       PA20 PA30

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A transport carriage for mounting and transporting a transport container accommodating a large number of liquid crystal panels, wherein a base plate on which the transport container is placed is supported with buffer means interposed. Transfer device. 2. The liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the buffer means is a buffer spring interposed between the base plate and the substrate. 3. A transport carriage for mounting and transporting a transport container accommodating a large number of liquid crystal panels, and a fixed-side transport roller for supporting a part of the transport container supported on a fixed position of the transport carriage. A pair of forks supported by the front end of the transport carriage, on which a part of the transport container is mounted, and a fork drive means for sliding the fork to retract from the front end of the transport carriage. The liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus is provided with fork receiving means for receiving the tip of the fork, and in a state in which the carrier is connected to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus,
A liquid crystal panel transfer / transfer device, characterized in that the fork is projected from a front end portion of a transfer carriage, and the front end portion of the fork is received by the fork receiving means to transfer the transfer container. 4. The liquid crystal panel transport according to claim 3, wherein the fixed-side transport roller and the fork are provided on a vertically movable base plate, and an up-and-down drive means for vertically moving the base plate is provided. Transfer device. 5. The base plate according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the base plate is provided on a lift plate that can move up and down with buffer means interposed, and the lift plate is provided on the lift drive means. Liquid crystal panel transfer device. 6. The liquid crystal panel transfer device according to claim 5, wherein the buffer means is a buffer spring interposed between the base plate and the elevating plate. 7. A transport carriage for mounting and transporting a transport container accommodating a large number of liquid crystal panels, wherein an elevating plate is provided so as to be capable of moving up and down with respect to a main board provided on the transport carriage, and the elevating plate has a cushioning means. And a base plate provided with a fixed-side transport roller that is rotatable about a direction that intersects with the moving direction of the transport container and that intersects with the moving direction of the transport container. A pair of forks slidable in the moving direction of the transport container in front of the fixed-side transport roller are provided so as to be retractable from the front end portion of the transport carriage, and the transport mounted on the fixed-side transport roller and the fork is carried out. A fixing means for fixing the container is provided, an elevating drive means for vertically moving the elevating plate is provided, a fork driving means for moving the fork in and out of the front end portion of the carrier is provided, and the elevating plate is manually raised. Is the manual lifting means is provided to the liquid crystal panel manufacturing equipment, conveying apparatus for transferring a liquid crystal panel, characterized in that a fork receiving means for receiving the distal end portion of the fork. 8. An information exchanging means for exchanging information about the liquid crystal panel and a conveying container accommodating the liquid crystal panel in a state where the conveying carriage and the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus are connected to each other, and the information exchanging means exchanges the information. Based on the information
The liquid crystal panel transfer device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the lifting drive means or the fork drive means is driven.