JP2006026874A - Loader hand for disc workpieces - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a loader hand for a disk workpiece machining device, which can simultaneously hold a workpiece before machining and a workpiece after machining, wherein the loader hand prevents formation of a dead space to which the workpiece cannot be carried, at a location near a work stage of a work stand. <P>SOLUTION: The loader hand has a main finger 3a and an auxiliary finger 3b horizontally extending toward the work stage in parallel with each other. The main finger 3a can change its position between a horizontal position assumed at the time of loading/unloading the workpiece on/from the work stage, and a downward facing position assumed at the time of loading/unloading the same on/from a housing section. The auxiliary finger 3b can change its position between a horizontal position assumed at the time of loading/unloading the workpiece on/from the work stage, and an upward or downward facing position assumed when the main finger 3a loads/unloads the workpiece from/on the housing section near the work stage. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a structure of a loader hand that conveys a disk work such as a disk substrate or a lens used as an information recording medium between a work table (stocker) and a processing stage. The present invention relates to the structure of a loader hand provided with two fingers extending to the processing stage side so as to be held simultaneously.

  The disk substrate processing apparatus is provided with a work table for storing disk substrates (workpieces) before and after processing and a loader for transporting the disk substrates adjacent to the processing stage, and a plurality of cassettes storing a large number of workpieces. The workpieces are mounted on a work table, and a loader's hand sequentially loads and unloads the pre-machined workpiece and the machined workpiece, thereby continuously processing a large number of workpieces on the work table.

  The loader hand is equipped with a finger that extends from the workpiece base toward the machining stage to avoid interference with the workpiece holder and other components equipped on the machining stage. The workpiece is sucked and held at the tip of this finger. And the work is being conveyed.

If there is only one finger on the hand, the machined workpiece and the workpiece before machining cannot be held at the same time, and the workpiece before machining can be transported only after the machined workpiece is unloaded. In other words, there is a dead time in loading and unloading the workpiece when the workpiece is continuously processed. Therefore, two fingers are provided in the hand so that the workpiece before machining and the workpiece after machining can be gripped at the same time during loading / unloading.
JP 2000-153425 A

  Since the processing cycle of small disk workpieces is generally fast, the workpiece transfer distance during load / unload is shortened by bringing the machining stage close to the workpiece table to shorten the load / unload time. I am doing so. In order to continue continuous machining of workpieces with short machining cycles for a long time, there is a demand to increase the number of workpieces mounted on the workpiece table. However, increasing the workpiece table increases the installation area of the equipment and machining The transport distance of the work housed at a position away from the stage becomes long, and it is impossible to make it compatible with the request to shorten the transport time.

  In order to accommodate a large number of disk workpieces on a workpiece table having a limited area, it is preferable to store the workpieces with the workpiece surface vertical. On the other hand, when the loader hand having fingers extending toward the machining stage is moved in a direction crossing the load / unload direction (X direction in FIG. 1) of the workpiece with respect to the machining stage at a position close to the machining stage, Since the stage members interfere with each other, the workpiece cannot be loaded and unloaded on the workpiece table, and a dead space where the workpiece cannot be mounted is generated at a position close to the machining stage where the workpiece conveyance distance is shortest.

  The main object of the present invention is to increase the work storage amount on the work table by storing the disk work surface in a vertical direction, and to allow the loader hand to simultaneously hold the work before processing and the processed work. An object of the present invention is to obtain a technical means for preventing a dead space in which a workpiece cannot be conveyed at a position close to a machining stage of a workpiece table in a disk workpiece machining apparatus provided with fingers and auxiliary fingers.

  The disk work loader hand of the present invention that has solved the above-described problems is a main finger 3a extending horizontally from a work base side toward a processing stage 2 adjacent thereto on a hand base 12 that moves above the work base 1. And the auxiliary finger 3b in parallel, in the loader hand of the disc work in which the two workpieces can be held at the same time by the tip of the two fingers, the main finger and the auxiliary finger are both proximal ends The main finger 3a is changed in posture to a horizontal posture when loading / unloading the workpiece on the processing stage 2 and a downward posture when loading / unloading the workpiece to / from the storage portion 32. The auxiliary finger 3b is used when the workpiece is loaded into and removed from the machining stage 2 and when the workpiece is loaded and unloaded from the storage portion where the main finger 3a is located close to the machining stage. It is characterized in that the posture change in the direction or downward orientation.

  The disk work 9 accommodated on the work table with the surface vertical is taken out and stored with the main finger 3a in the downward posture. The loading and unloading of the disk work to the machining stage is performed by the main finger 3a and the auxiliary finger 3b which are in a horizontal posture. When the work table 1 is provided with an intermediate table for temporarily placing a work such as the centering table 21 and the drying device 22, the work can be taken out and stored from the work table 1 only by the main finger. At this time, the folding direction of the auxiliary finger 3b may be upward or downward. When the auxiliary finger 3b is desired to be able to take out or store the workpiece on the work table 1, the folding direction of the auxiliary finger 3b is limited to the downward direction.

  According to the present invention, the work table 1 is brought close to the processing stage 2 to shorten the work transfer distance between the work table 1 and the processing stage 2 and the main finger 3a and the auxiliary finger 3b are provided to load and unload the work. In a disk work processing apparatus with a reduced load time, a large number of works can be stored on a work table 1 of a limited area, and a dead space that cannot store a work 9 on the processing stage 2 side of the work table 1 is provided. This can be prevented, and the work space can be reduced by downsizing the work table 1 and the machining cycle can be improved by shortening the moving distance of the loader hand 4.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to an apparatus for grinding the inner and outer circumferences of a disk substrate used as a recording medium. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a main part of the apparatus, FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a state of storing and taking out a workpiece, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a loader hand, and FIG. 4 is a plan view of the entire apparatus.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the illustrated disk processing apparatus includes a planar rectangular work table 1 and two processing stages 2 a and 2 b arranged outside one side thereof. The two processing stages 2 a and 2 b are respectively disposed on both sides of a machine frame column (not shown) substantially integrated with the work table 1. Each processing stage 2 includes a work shaft 5, an outer peripheral grindstone 6, and an inner peripheral grindstone 7, and the inner and outer peripheries of the disk substrate 9 held by the suction holder 8 at the upper end of the work shaft are connected to the work shaft. 5 and grindstones 6 and 7 are rotated and simultaneously processed.

  The unprocessed and processed disk substrate 9 is mounted on the work table 1 while being accommodated in the cassette 23. The cassette 23 is provided with a plurality of rows of receiving frames (housing units) 32 having an open upper surface and U-shaped support rods at equal intervals. The disk substrate 9 is housed in a state in which the peripheral edge portion is supported by the support frame of the receiving frame, and the disk surface is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the surface with the disk surface vertical (see FIG. 2).

  The cassette 23 is of a push-out type and is guided by a plurality of pairs of guides arranged on the work table 1 and is attached to and detached from the work table 1 from both sides. The cassette 23 guided by the guide and horizontally pushed onto the work table is locked by a locking device 27 provided on the work table at the pushing end, and fixed at a fixed position on the work table 1. The cassette 23 on the work table is removed by operating the lock release button 29 to release the lock and then pulling out the cassette 23 with the handle 28.

  In the center of the work table between the cassette storage areas on both sides of the work table 1, a centering table 21 for the unprocessed disk substrate and a drying device 22 for the processed disk substrate are arranged.

  A traverse guide 16 elongated in the Y direction in the figure is provided above the work table 1 on the side opposite to the processing stage. The base end of a traverse arm 17 extending toward the processing stage 2 is a traverse guide. 16 is supported so as to be movable along the line 16. The traverse arm 17 is provided with a hand base 12 that travels in the extending direction (X direction in the figure). The hand base 12 is moved and positioned along the traverse arm 17 by the rotation of the X direction servo motor 19, and the traverse arm 17 is moved and positioned along the traverse guide 16 by the rotation of the Y direction servo motor 18.

  A loader hand 4 for conveying a disk between a work table and a processing stage is shown in FIG. The loader hand 4 shown in the figure has two fingers, a main finger 3a and an auxiliary finger 3b, and each finger has a suction pad 15 for vacuum-sucking the disk substrate 9 at its tip.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the main finger 3a and the auxiliary finger 3b are rotatably provided around the horizontal shafts 10a and 10b and are connected to the rods of the swing cylinders 11a and 11b, respectively. Thus, by moving the rods 14a and 14b of the swing cylinders 11a and 11b, the direction can be changed between the horizontal direction shown in the figure and the downward direction rotated 90 degrees downward. The main finger 3a and the auxiliary finger 3b are provided on the hand base 12 so as to be movable up and down. The lift cylinder 13a with a built-in lift guide for the main finger 3a has a large stroke, while the lift cylinder 13b with a built-in lift guide for the auxiliary finger 3b has a small stroke.

  The unprocessed disk substrate accommodated in the cassette 23 on the work table 1 with the surface vertical is sucked by the suction pad 15 of the main finger 3a moved downward and moved upward, and then the main finger 3a is raised. Thus, the cassette 23 is pulled out. Next, the disk substrate 9 is placed on the centering table 21 by moving the hand base 12 with the main finger 3a in the horizontal direction. The disk substrate 9 is centered on the centering table 21, and is again adsorbed by the suction pad 15 of the main finger 3a. Next, the hand base 12 moves to one of the processing stages 2a and 2b, holds the processed disk substrate by the auxiliary finger 3b, moves laterally, and sucks the main finger 3a to the pre-processing disk. The substrate is supplied to the processing position at the upper end of the workpiece shaft 5 of the processing stage.

  The processed disk substrate 9 adsorbed by the auxiliary finger 3b is conveyed to the drying device 22, and after removing and evaporating the grinding liquid (water) with dry air, it is adsorbed by the main finger 3a and returned to the original cassette. And is accommodated in the cassette by the downward movement and the downward movement of the main finger 3a.

  When the disk substrate accommodated at a position away from the processing stages 2a and 2b is transported, the auxiliary finger 3b always maintains a horizontal posture. On the other hand, when the disk substrate stored in a position close to the processing stages 2a and 2b is transported, when the disk substrate in the cassette 23 is taken out and stored with the main finger 3a facing downward, the auxiliary finger 3b is also facing downward. Thus, interference between the auxiliary finger 3b and the members of the processing stages 2a and 2b is avoided.

  By the above operation, the disk substrate can be stored up to the position closest to the processing stages 2a, 2b of the work table 1, and there is no dead space where no work can be mounted on the work table 1, and the work table is reduced in size. It is possible to improve the machining cycle by reducing the installation space of the machine and shortening the moving distance of the loader hand.

Schematic perspective view of the main part of the device Schematic side view showing how the work is stored and taken out Perspective view of loader hand Plan view of the entire device

Explanation of symbols

1 Work table 2 Processing stage
3a Main finger
3b Auxiliary finger
12 hand base
32 Receiving slots

Claims (1)

  A main base (3a) and an auxiliary finger (3b) extending horizontally from the work base side toward the processing stage (2) adjacent to the hand base (12) moving above the work base (1). In a disk work loader hand that is provided in parallel and can hold a pre-machined workpiece and a machined workpiece simultaneously at the tips of the two fingers, both the main finger and the auxiliary finger swing the base end around a horizontal axis. Mounted movably, the main finger (3a) is converted into a horizontal posture when loading and unloading the workpiece on the processing stage (2) and a downward posture when loading and unloading the workpiece on the storage section (32). The auxiliary finger (3b) is in the horizontal position when loading / unloading the workpiece on / from the machining stage (2) and upward when loading / unloading the workpiece from the storage portion where the main finger (3a) is located close to the machining stage. The disk workpiece is characterized in that the posture is converted to a downward posture. Coder hand.

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