JP2004131222A - Conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent generation of micro-powder due to friction or the like from a transmission element to transmit rotation of a motor to a roller, and unitize a roller way. <P>SOLUTION: Both ends of each of a plurality of rollers to compose the roller way are journalled by fluid bearings, and an induction motor is directly coupled to each one shaft end to compose a conveyor unit. A frequency controllable power unit is provided at a place on the side of a supporting base to support the conveyor unit. The conveyor unit is composed to be mechanically and electrically installed/removed to/from the supporting base of the conveyor unit and the frequency controllable power unit. A plurality of motors can thus be rotated at synchronized speed. Speed is changeable by frequency change by the frequency controllable power unit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a conveyor for transporting a flat panel display such as a semiconductor or a liquid crystal when performing a process.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventional conveyors comprising a roller way for conveying articles by a plurality of rollers arranged in parallel and continuously include, for example, a driving type as shown in FIGS.
[0003]
In the case of FIG. 6, one transmission shaft 52 is rotated by driving a motor 51, and the rotation of the transmission shaft 52 is transmitted to a plurality of right-angled rollers 54 via a bevel gear 53.
[0004]
In the case of FIG. 7, the rotation of the transmission shaft 52 is transmitted to a plurality of right-angled rollers 54 via a screw gear 55.
[0005]
In the case of FIG. 8, the configuration is such that the rotation of the transmission shaft 52 is transmitted to a plurality of rollers 54 at right angles via a round belt 56.
[0006]
In the case of FIG. 9, the rotation of the motor 51 is transmitted to a plurality of rollers 54 via a pulley or a chain wheel 57 and a timing belt or a chain 58.
[0007]
6 to 9 in the above example, friction is generated in the gears 53 and 54 or the belt or chain 58 that is a transmission element when transmitting the rotation of the motor 57 to the roller 54, thereby contaminating a clean environment. In order to prevent this, conventionally, the transmission element was separated from the clean environment in a separate room, and the generated fine powder was removed by exhausting or the water was dropped on the transmission element part to wash it out. A method was adopted to prevent it from flying in the air.
[0008]
Further, as a transmission means that does not generate fine powder, a non-contact transmission element portion is constituted by a magnet 60 arranged like a screw gear shown in FIG. 10, and the rotation of the transmission shaft 52 is non-contact by magnetic force. A method of transmitting the light to a plurality of rollers 54 in a right angle direction is adopted.
[0009]
On the other hand, a bearing (not shown) that supports both ends of the roller 54 is filled with lubricating oil such as grease, and the oil is prevented from leaking by a seal member. However, since the sealing function is not perfect, there is a problem that the conveyor is contaminated by a small amount of oil and fats leaking, or that the lubrication performance of the bearing is deteriorated due to the intrusion of an external liquid into the inside of the bearing. In order to solve this problem, it is conceivable to use bearings made of ceramics, resin, and the like, which are oil-free and allow liquid to enter, but these have the disadvantage that they are expensive and have a short life.
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and does not generate fine powder due to friction or the like from a transmission element when transmitting rotation of a motor to a roller, and at the same time, unitizes a roller way. With the goal.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a conveyor according to the present invention, wherein a plurality of rollers arranged in parallel and continuously form a roller way for conveying articles, wherein each of the plurality of rollers has a motor. And the rotation of each of the motors can be changed at a synchronous speed by one control means.
[0012]
A second aspect of the present invention is the conveyor according to the first aspect, wherein the motor comprises an induction motor, and the control means comprises a frequency control power supply.
[0013]
A third aspect of the present invention is the conveyor according to the first aspect, wherein the motor comprises a synchronous motor such as a pulse motor, and the control means comprises a pulse oscillating device.
[0014]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the conveyor according to the first aspect, wherein a fluid bearing which is supported in a non-contact manner by the pressure of a fluid is used at both ends of each of the rollers.
[0015]
Claim 5 configures a conveyor unit by the plurality of rollers, bearings that support both ends of the rollers, and a motor that is directly connected to one end of the rollers. On the other hand, the motor is provided on a support table side that supports the conveyor unit. 2. A conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said control means for controlling rotation is provided, and said conveyor unit is configured to be mechanically and electrically detachable from said support base.
[0016]
According to the first and second aspects, the induction motor is directly connected to each of the plurality of rollers, and the rotation of each of the induction motors is controlled by a single control means including a frequency control power supply device, so that the rotation speed and the frequency are synchronized. Can be changed by changing the speed. This makes it possible to transmit power without using a transmission element that generates fine powder due to mechanical friction.
[0017]
Even in the case of claim 3, a synchronous motor such as a pulse motor is directly connected in the same manner as described above, and the control means is constituted by a pulse oscillating device, so that power is transmitted without using a transmission element in which fine powder is generated by mechanical friction. It is possible to communicate.
[0018]
According to the fourth aspect, at both ends of each of the rollers, a fluid bearing that supports the shaft in a non-contact manner by floating the shaft with a floating force of a fluid pressure composed of compressed air, compressed nitrogen, or pressurized water is used. There is no mechanical friction and no fine powder is generated. Further, since the inside of the bearing is maintained at a higher pressure than the outside by the pressurized fluid, even if the fluid leaks to both sides of the bearing, the external liquid does not enter into the bearing. Moreover, if a clean pressure fluid is used for the bearing, the surroundings will not be contaminated even if the pressure fluid leaks. This eliminates contamination of the roller due to leakage of oil and fat in a conventional oil-and-oil bearing.
[0019]
According to the fifth aspect, the motor is directly connected, the conveyor unit is constituted by a plurality of rollers whose both ends are supported by bearings, and this unit can be mechanically and electrically detachably mounted on the support base. With this configuration, various units can be selected and assembled. Therefore, it is easy to change the configuration of the entire conveyor.
[0020]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 and 5 relate to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a top view of a conveyor, FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an end view of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 5 and FIG. 5 are views showing the fitting between the bearing case and the reference plate.
[0021]
In the conveyor of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a plurality of rollers 1 are arranged in parallel and at an appropriate interval to form a roller way. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, at the center of the plurality of rollers 1, sleeves 3 for carrying a conveyed object (for example, a glass substrate) 2 and conveying it while rotating are arranged at three places. ing. Both ends of the roller shaft 4 are supported by bearings 5 and 6, and a motor 7 is directly connected to one shaft end via the bearing 5.
[0022]
The bearings 5 and 6 are fluid bearings that support the shaft 4 in a non-contact manner while floating the shaft 4 with a pressurized fluid such as compressed air, compressed nitrogen, or pressurized water. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, a pressure fluid is supplied to the bearings 5 and 6 from pipings 8 and 9 connected therebelow, and this pressure fluid is interposed between the roller shaft 4 and the bearing metal 10. As a result, the roller shaft 4 is brought into a floating state, so that the shaft 4 does not directly contact the bearing metal 10, and no friction occurs between the shaft 4 and the bearing metal. Therefore, no fine powder is generated due to friction. In addition, since the inside of the bearings 5 and 6 is always kept at a higher pressure than the outside by the pressurized fluid, even if the pressurized fluid leaks from the seal portion 11 to the outside, the liquid does not enter from the outside. is there. In addition, circumferential grooves 21a and 21b are provided on the outer periphery of the bearing cases 18a and 18b so as to fit on the conveyor support 24 described later.
[0023]
An induction motor is used for the motor 7. In this motor 7, as shown in FIG. 4, a connection fitting 13 is fitted to the motor shaft 12 with a pin 13a, and the other end of the connection fitting 13 is engaged with a shaft hole 14 of the roller shaft 4 to be engaged with the pin 14a. Is fixed. Thus, the motor shaft 12 is directly connected to the roller shaft 14 via the connection fitting 13. The motor case 15 has its end fixed to an end of a bearing case 18a via a flange 16 with a screw 17. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a cord 19 for supplying electric power is connected to each of the motors 7, and a connector 20 is provided at an open end thereof.
[0024]
A conveyor unit 22 is composed of the roller 1, bearings 5 and 6 that support both ends of the roller 1, and a motor 7 that drives the roller.
[0025]
On the other hand, the conveyor support 24 for supporting the conveyor unit includes reference plates 25 and 26 and a base 27. A plurality of U-shaped openings 28 and 29 shown in FIG. It is formed at an appropriate interval along the edge. The U-shaped openings 28, 29 are fitted with circumferential grooves 21a, 21b formed on the outer periphery of the bearing cases 18a, 18b, so that a plurality of rollers 1 are arranged in parallel. It becomes possible. As shown in FIG. 5, the circumferential grooves 21a and 21b are formed with a parallel portion 30 at a part thereof, and the parallel portion 30 is fitted into the inner width of the U-shaped openings 28 and 29 to form a mutual space. Rotation is blocked. The reference plates 25 and 26 can be fixed to the base 27 via a pedestal 31 and a bolt hole 32 provided at the lower end.
[0026]
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a frequency control power supply device 33 for converting the frequency of the commercial power supply to a predetermined frequency is provided on the conveyor support base 24 as control means for controlling motor driving. The frequency control power supply 33 is provided with a plurality of connectors 34 connected to the connectors 20 of the respective motors 7 to supply electric power via control power output lines 35.
[0027]
As described above, when the conveyor according to the present invention mounts the conveyor unit 22 on the side of the conveyor support 24, the U-shaped openings 28, 29 formed on the upper edges of the reference plates 25, 26 form the bearing cases 18 a, 18 b. The circumferential grooves 21a and 21b formed on the outer circumference are fitted and fitted, and the connector 20 on the motor 7 side is connected to the connector 34 provided on the frequency control power supply device 33 on the conveyor support base 24, thereby providing the frequency control power. It is electrically connected to the device power supply 33, and the assembly of the conveyor is completed. Thus, the plurality of motors can be synchronously rotated by one frequency control power supply device 33, and the rotation of the motor can be changed to a predetermined rotation speed by converting the frequency.
[0028]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, since a roller unit in which an induction motor is directly connected to each of a plurality of rollers whose both ends are supported by bearings, it is not necessary to use a transmission element that generates friction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the generation of fine powder generated by friction from the transmission element. This makes it possible to satisfy the cleanliness required for flat panel displays such as semiconductors and liquid crystals.
[0029]
Further, the plurality of induction motors can be rotated at a synchronous speed by controlling each of the plurality of induction motors by a frequency control power supply device, which is a single control means, and the speed can be changed by changing the frequency.
[0030]
Further, since both ends of each roller are supported by a non-contact fluid bearing, there is no friction and no fine powder is generated. Further, since the inside of the bearing is maintained at a higher pressure than the outside by the supplied pressure fluid, even if the fluid leaks from the bearing, no external liquid enters the bearing. As a result, unlike the conventional bearing, the oil and grease inside do not leak and contaminate the roller, and since the external liquid does not enter the bearing, the life of the motor can be prevented from being deteriorated.
[0031]
Further, since the conveyor unit is configured to be mechanically and electrically detachable from the support table, various units can be selected and assembled, and the configuration of the entire conveyor can be changed. It will be easier.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a top view of a conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the conveyor of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an end view of the conveyor of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the conveyor according to the embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 5 is a view showing a fitting between a bearing case and a reference plate of the conveyor of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional drive type conveyor.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional drive type conveyor.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional drive type conveyor.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional drive type conveyor.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional drive type conveyor.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Roller 2 ... Conveyed thing 3 ... Sleeve 4 ... Roller shaft 5, 6 ... Bearing 7 ... Motor 8, 9 ... Piping 10 ... Bearing metal 11 ... Seal part 12 ... Motor shaft 13 ... Connection metal fitting 14 ... Shaft hole 15 ... Motor Case 16 Flange 17 Screw 18 Bearing case 19 Cord 20, 34 Connector 21 Circular groove 22 Conveyor unit 24 Conveyor support 25, 26 Reference plate 27 Base 28, 29 U-shaped Opening part 30 ... Parallel part 31 ... Pedestal 32 ... Bolt hole 33 ... Frequency control power supply unit 35 ... Control power supply output line

Claims (5)

In a conveyor that configures a roller way of article transport with a plurality of rollers arranged in parallel and continuously,
A conveyor, wherein a motor is directly connected to each of the plurality of rollers, and the rotation of each of the motors can be changed at a synchronous speed by one control means. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the motor comprises an induction motor, and the control means comprises a frequency control power supply. 2. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said motor comprises a synchronous motor such as a pulse motor, and said control means comprises a pulse oscillating device. 2. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein a fluid bearing is used at both ends of each of the rollers so as to be supported in a non-contact manner by the pressure of a fluid. A conveyor unit is constituted by the plurality of rollers, a bearing that supports both ends of the rollers, and a motor directly connected to one end of the rollers, while the rotation of the motor is controlled on a support table side that supports the conveyor unit. 2. The conveyor according to claim 1, further comprising control means, wherein the conveyor unit is configured to be mechanically and electrically detachable from the support table.

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