JP2006036412A - Tray stacking device, and method for exchanging stacked tray using it - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tray stacking device, and a method of exchanging the stacked trays using the device capable of totally changing or exchanging one part or all of multiple stages of stacked trays while maintaining the order of stack by preventing concentration of loads at a limited portion. <P>SOLUTION: In this tray stacking device 1, a plurality of pawls 5 aligned in a height direction on each one side of holder units 2, 3 are engaged with a plurality of stacked trays 21, so that a plurality of the trays 21 are held by the holder units 2, 3 via the pawls 5. When the holer units 2, 3 are raised under this holding condition, a plurality of the pawls 5 disperse and support loads of the trays 21. The sequential trays 21 raised by rising the holder units 2, 3 can be totally exchanged while maintaining a stacking condition by moving the trays with an appropriate means, or moving a transfer means arranged below the holder units 2, 3, then lowering the holder units 2, 3, and releasing engagement with the trays 21. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a tray stacking apparatus used for stacking trays that store and hold thin plate materials such as glass substrates for liquid crystals, and a method for transferring a stacking tray using the same.

  A liquid crystal display panel is normally manufactured by enclosing a liquid crystal between a pair of glass substrates arranged to face each other. In order to manufacture such a display panel, a glass substrate manufactured in a glass substrate manufacturing factory is shipped with a plurality of glass substrates stored in a glass substrate storage case, and is transported to the display panel manufacturing factory. . In recent years, glass substrates have become larger, and rectangular glass substrates having sides of 1500 mm × 1800 mm or more are also handled. The thickness of each glass plate is as thin as about 0.7 mm, and it is very easy to bend. Nevertheless, the weight of one glass plate is 5 kg, the tray is 12 kg, the weight of one glass plate and the tray reaches about 17 kg, and it is very difficult to handle manually.

  In order to facilitate the handling of the glass substrate, the glass substrate is handled in a state of being housed in a dedicated tray from the shipping stage of the glass substrate manufacturing factory as well as in the display panel manufacturing stage. There is a type of tray for storing glass substrates horizontally as a glass substrate storage tray. By storing the glass substrate in such a tray, it is transported and stored in a state where the bending of the glass substrate is minimized. can do. In addition, by stacking multiple trays dedicated to store glass substrates in a horizontal state, the glass substrates are not in contact with each other, and the stacked trays are handled in a batch so that multiple glass substrates can be efficiently handled. It can be handled.

A display substrate storage tray has been proposed in which a plurality of openings through which support pins for supporting a glass substrate can be inserted vertically are formed at appropriately dispersed positions, and engaging portions are formed to protrude on both sides. (Patent Document 1). The substrate storage tray is formed so as to be slightly larger than the display substrate, and is provided with a bottom portion on which the display substrate can be horizontally placed and a peripheral edge of the bottom portion so as to protrude upward from the upper surface of the bottom portion. And a frame portion surrounding the entire circumference of the substrate. Moreover, the positioning part is formed in the frame part as a level | step difference between the engaging parts provided in the outer side. Since the other substrate storage trays stacked on the upper side are positioned by the positioning unit, the trays are stacked without causing the trays to be displaced from each other in the horizontal direction and without contacting the display substrate with the other trays. It becomes easy to handle in a state.
JP 2004-59116 A (paragraphs [0020] to [0045], FIGS. 4 to 8)

  By engaging the chuck claw provided on the transport mechanism that moves up and down with the engaging portion on the substrate storage tray side, the substrate storage tray can be moved up and down by the transport mechanism. The display substrate placed on the bottom is lifted upward by the support pins inserted into the opening formed in the bottom. When taking out glass substrates from stacked trays, the uppermost tray is held by the chuck claw and separated by the transport mechanism, and the opening formed at the bottom in the takeout mechanism provided at another position The display substrate is lifted upward by the support pins inserted into. The lifted display substrate is held by an appropriate suction hand and conveyed to a predetermined position.

  The height of the stacked trays reaches 2 m when the number of trays is 60. If 2 m cannot be secured due to restrictions on storage space and installation space, for example, it may be necessary to use half of the 30 steps. In such a case, a method of manually moving every two to three steps is also conceivable. However, even if the tray is made of a lightweight metal such as aluminum, it has a weight of about 12 kg, and when the weight of the glass substrate is added, the weight of the tray is about 17 kg. Therefore, it is virtually impossible to manually transfer a large number of trays at once. Also, when trying to transfer multiple trays at once using the transport device, if you try to support the weight of all trays you want to transfer with the lowest tray, lift the lowest tray An excessive load is applied to the engaging portion, which may cause damage. If it tries to respond by raising the intensity | strength of an engaging part, the weight of each tray will become large and will raise the tray manufacturing cost. Furthermore, if the order of stacking is different from the original order at the time of transfer, it becomes difficult to track the product number before and after the product check, which causes a problem in terms of quality control.

  The glass substrate is used not only for the display panel of a liquid crystal display device but also for the manufacture of display panels for various display devices. Furthermore, a semi-finished product of a glass substrate on which an electrode or the like is formed may be transported. In order to transport glass substrates used in various display panels, trays that store glass substrates are used, and large cassettes that can store a plurality of trays have also been proposed.

  Therefore, it is possible to change or transfer the stacks in a batch while maintaining the stacking state by supporting a part or all of the stacked trays by dispersing and supporting the load. There is a problem to be solved in terms of points.

  It is an object of the present invention to prevent a load from being concentrated on a limited part of a tray or a plurality of trays stacked in a plurality of stages, and to stack them in a batch while maintaining the stacking order. It is to provide a tray stacking apparatus that can be changed or transferred, and a method for transferring a stacking tray using the tray stacking apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a tray stacking apparatus according to the present invention includes a holder unit that can be moved up and down and a plurality of claw portions that are arranged side by side in the height direction on one side portion of the holder unit. The plurality of trays can be held at a time by engaging with a plurality of stacked trays.

  According to this tray stacking device, the plurality of trays can be configured to engage with the plurality of stacked trays by engaging the plurality of claw portions arranged side by side in the height direction on one side of the holder unit. Via the frame. When the holder unit is raised while holding the tray, the plurality of claw portions are supported by distributing the load on the tray, and a series of stacked trays are lifted. The raised stacking tray moves the holder unit by an appropriate means, or moves the conveying means placed below the holder unit, and then lowers the holder unit to further disengage the tray. Thus, it is possible to change the stacking in a batch while maintaining the stacked state.

  In this tray stacking device, each of the claw portions can be engaged with a plurality of stacked trays sequentially and individually. In this case, among the claw parts arranged in the height direction, when a part or all of the claw parts continuous from the lower end are engaged with a plurality of trays, the claw parts are sequentially engaged with the stacked trays. To do. That is, each tray held at a time can be individually held by separate claws. Since the trays at each stage are held by different claw parts, an excessive load is not applied to the claw parts. The claw portions may preferably vary somewhat in the height direction, but can be arranged at regular intervals.

  In this tray stacking apparatus, the claw portions can be arranged at a slightly larger pitch than the tray stacking pitch in the height direction of the holder unit. By defining the pitch relationship between the claw portion and the tray in this way, when the claw portion is engaged with the tray and the holder unit is raised, the claw portion at each stage holds only the corresponding tray. As the holder unit is raised, the claw portion is engaged and lifted first toward the upper tray, and the lower tray is gradually engaged with the lower claw portion sequentially. Therefore, the claw portion that supports the tray at a certain stage does not support the load of the tray stacked above the tray, and can reliably equalize the load on the claw portion from the beginning when the holder unit is raised.

  In the tray stacking apparatus described above, the holder unit is preferably configured as a set that is opposed to each other so that the claw portions face each other. By setting the holder units as opposed groups, the holder unit can stably hold a plurality of trays. The pair of opposing arrangements may be a pair of two sides of the tray, or two sets of two opposite sides of the tray (that is, convenience, four sides of the tray). Or you may arrange oppositely including a corner.

  In the tray stacking device configured in a set in which the claw portions are opposed to each other, an operation mechanism that moves the holder units of the set toward and away from each other toward the tray can be provided. By operating the operation mechanism provided in the tray stacking apparatus, the holder units constituting the set can be moved toward and away from each other toward the tray, and the holder units can be operated easily.

  In the tray stacking apparatus including the operation mechanism, the operation mechanism includes an operation unit, an action unit that moves one frame constituting the set by a force applied to the operation unit, and a force applied to the operation unit. It can be set as the structure which has the reaction part which moves the other frame which comprises a group by reaction. According to the tray stacking apparatus configured as described above, the operation unit moves one frame body by the force applied to the operation unit only by operating the operation unit, and the reaction unit becomes the other by the reaction of the force. Move the frame.

  In the above tray stacking apparatus, it is preferable to include a guide mechanism for raising and lowering the holder unit along the stacked trays. When the holder unit is separated from the tray and the claw part is not engaged, if the holder unit shakes when the holder unit is moved up and down, the claw part collides with the tray and the claw part is damaged, or the clean room There is a risk of debris scattering inside. By moving the holder unit up and down along the stacked trays while being guided by the guide mechanism, the holder unit and the claw portion are prevented from colliding between the claw portion and the tray when the claw portion is disengaged. Can be reliably raised and lowered to a predetermined height. Further, in a state where the claw portion is engaged with the tray, it can be moved up and down while preventing the tray held by the holder unit from swinging.

  In the tray stacking apparatus described above, each claw portion can be one continuous claw that engages the entire area of each side of each tray, or one or a plurality of partial claws that partially engage the side. When each claw portion is formed as one continuous claw that engages the entire side, it can be stably engaged with the tray. When each nail | claw part is used as a partial nail | claw, the structure of a frame can be comprised simply and lightweight.

  In the tray stacking apparatus described above, a resin piece may be provided in a contact portion of the claw portion with the tray. Aluminum and its alloy metal are used for the tray in order to reduce the weight. However, if the contact between the tray and the claw portion is metal-to-metal, it will lead to generation of metal powder due to the contact in the clean room. By providing the resin piece at the contact portion of the claw portion with the tray, the generation of such metal powder can be prevented.

  The tray may be a tray that can accommodate a glass substrate for a display device such as a liquid crystal or a semi-finished product obtained by processing the glass substrate in a planar state.

  The transfer method for stacking trays according to the present invention holds a plurality of stacked trays at a time using the tray stacking device described above, and moves the plurality of trays up and down while holding the plurality of trays. Consists of transferring trays at once.

  According to this stacking tray transfer method, the trays are held by the holder unit via the claw portions by engaging the plurality of claw portions arranged in the holder unit with the plurality of stacked trays. . When the holder unit is lifted while holding the tray, the claw portions support the tray in a distributed manner, and a series of stacked trays are lifted. The raised stacking tray moves the holder unit by an appropriate means, or moves the conveying means placed below the holder unit, and then lowers the holder unit at the same position and engages the tray. By canceling, it is possible to transfer all at once while maintaining the stacked state. Depending on the form of transfer, the plurality of trays can be further stacked on top of the stacking tray, partially unloaded from the stacking tray, or all trays can be transferred. In this case, if the strength of the claw portion or the like permits, it can be held together for each tray of a small number of stages.

  In this method of transferring trays, a part or all of the claw portions from the bottom are engaged with the trays from the top of the stacked trays. Can be held at once. About the nail | claw part provided in the holder unit, a part or all of a continuous claw part can be used for transfer from the lowest step. As for the stacked trays, a series of trays (may be a part or all) may be transferred from the uppermost stage.

  In this stacking tray transfer method, a tray stacking device that holds a plurality of trays at a time is transported by a transfer device, and the holding of the tray is released at a transport destination of the transfer device, thereby transferring a plurality of trays. Can be replaced. In this case, the transfer device can be, for example, an overhead crane that transfers the tray stacking device in a suspended state.

  In this stacking tray transfer method, a tray stacking device is disposed on a transport path of a tray transporting device that transports stacked trays, and the stacked trays transported by the tray transporting device are placed in the tray stacking tray. The tray can be held at a time by the stacking device and the tray can be lifted in the held state, and the tray can be transferred to another position of the tray transporting device in a stacked state after the operation of the tray transporting device. In this case, the conveying device can be a conveyor that conveys the stacking tray.

  Since the tray stacking apparatus and the stacking tray transfer method using the same according to the present invention are configured as described above, a part or all of the trays stacked in a plurality of stages are limited. It is possible to prevent the load from concentrating on the claw portion, and to change or transfer the stacks in a batch while maintaining the stacking order.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a tray stacking apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a tray stacking apparatus according to the present invention in a state where the tray is held, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which one holder unit of the tray stacking apparatus shown in FIG. It is detail drawing shown in a state.

  The tray stacking apparatus shown in FIG. 1 can be applied to trays stacked up to as many as 60 stages, but the middle part of the upper part of the description is omitted. A tray 21 as an object to be handled by the tray stacking apparatus 1 has the same shape and structure as a conventional one. As shown in FIG. 8, the tray 21 has a planar rectangular shape and aluminum and its alloy system for weight reduction. It is made of metal. The glass substrates are placed and handled in a state of being accommodated in the tray 21, and the trays 21 are stacked when transported and stored in a lump. In the stacked state, the glass substrate does not contact another tray. The tray 21 has a flange 22 around it, and a through hole 23 is formed inside.

  The tray stacking apparatus 1 includes a pair of left and right holder units 2 and 3 that are arranged to face each other so as to engage with two opposite sides of the tray 21 in a stacked state. Each of the holder units 2 and 3 includes a claw holder 4 and a plurality of claw portions 5 (for example, 30 steps, one side) that are arranged side by side in the height direction on one side of the claw holder 4 and can be engaged with the flange 22 of the tray 21. The reference numerals are assigned only to the parts). As shown in the drawing, the claw portion 5 is attached to the claw holder 4 via the base plate 6 in units of five.

  Each holder unit 2, 3 is suspended from an upper frame, which will be described later, and is approached and separated from the side with respect to trays stacked in a stacked state by an operating mechanism (tray stacked body; see reference numeral 20 in FIG. 8). Although it is possible to move up and down, this will be described in detail later. By bringing each holder unit 2, 3 close to the tray stack 20 and engaging each claw portion 5 with a plurality of stacked trays 21, a tray 21 having the same number of steps as the number of steps of the claw portions 5 is obtained. Can be held at once. With the claw portions 5 engaged with the respective trays 21, the trays in the stacked state can be transferred by moving the engaging units 2 and 3 up and down.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the claw portions 5 are arranged side by side at a constant claw pitch Pf in the height direction in the claw holder 4. As shown in FIG. 2 (b), each holder unit 2 and 3 has a width corresponding to the length of the side of the tray 21. Can have a partial length Lf. As shown in FIG. 4, the claw portions 5 can be arranged at three positions at both ends and the center at any stage. In this case, the claw portion 5 becomes one or a plurality of partial claws that are partially engaged with the side of the tray 21, and the structure of the holder units 2 and 3 can be configured simply and lightly. Moreover, it is good also as one continuous nail | claw which has the length over the full width of the holder units 2 and 3, and engages the whole area | region of the tray 21 side. In this case, the claw portion 5 can be engaged with the tray 21 widely and stably.

  As shown in FIG. 2 (c), each claw portion 5 includes a resin piece 7 on the upper side which is a contact portion with the flange 22 of the tray 21. If the contact between the metal tray and the claw portion 5 is metal-to-metal, it is not preferable in a clean room because it leads to generation of metal powder due to the contact. By providing the resin piece 7 at the contact portion of the claw portion 5 with the tray 21, it is possible to prevent such metal powder from being generated. As for the fixing of the resin piece 7 to the claw part 5 and the fixing of the claw part 5 to the frame body 4, suitable metal fittings and bolts and nuts as shown in the figure can be used. Any other suitable fixing means can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the trays 21 are already stacked at the pitch Pt in the stacked state. The claw pitch Pf is set to be slightly larger than the stacking pitch Pt of the tray 21. For example, assuming that the trays 21 are stacked in 60 stages at a pitch of 30 mm, the pitch Pf of the claw portions 5 can be made larger than the pitch Pt of the trays 21 with a pitch difference of up to 0.5 mm. Assuming that the uppermost nail portion is aligned with the uppermost tray, there is a difference in the lowermost nail portion between the corresponding tray 21 and 0.5 mm × 60 = 30 mm, that is, the same as the tray stacking pitch Pt. Up to the difference can be absorbed.

  By determining the pitch relationship between the claw portion 5 and the tray 21 in this way, the claw portions are moved up when the holder units 2 and 3 are moved up by inserting the claw portions 5 between the trays 21 and 21 adjacent to each other. 5 is engaged with the flange portion 22 from the uppermost tray 21 to lift the tray 21. Further, as the holder units 2 and 3 are raised, the lower claw portions 5 are sequentially engaged with the flange portions 22 of the lower tray 21. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the tray stacking apparatus 1. As shown in the order from (a) to (c), the tray is moved along with the raising of the holder unit 2 (the holder unit 3 is not shown). The state in which the claw portion 5 starting to engage with the flange portion 22 of 21 is sequentially moved downward is shown. Therefore, for example, in FIG. 3 (b), the claw portions 5a to 5d support only the corresponding trays 21a to 21d, but each claw portion 5 supports the load of the tray 21 stacked above it. The load on the claw portion 5 can be equalized from the beginning when the holder unit 2 is raised. When unloading the plurality of trays 21 held by the holder units 2 and 3, the holder units 2 and 3 are lowered to be stacked sequentially from the lower tray 21. In this state, the trays 21e to 21z are stacked on the pallet 30.

  In a state where the holder units 2 and 3 are sufficiently raised, the claw portions 5 of each step hold only the corresponding tray 21. In this way, even if the tray stacking apparatus 1 holds a plurality of trays 21 at a time, the trays 21 of each step are sequentially and individually held by the separate claw portions 5, and an excessive load is applied to any claw portion 5. It does not take. In the illustrated example, among the claw portions 5 arranged in the height direction, all the claw portions 5 are engaged with the tray 21, but a part of the claw portions 5 that are continuous from the lowermost end are arranged from the uppermost side. Obviously, some of the trays 21 may be engaged.

  4 to 6 are general views showing a state in which the tray stacking apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is applied to the tray stack 20, FIG. 4 is a front view thereof, and FIG. 5 is a side view thereof. FIG. 6 and FIG. 6 are plan views showing the upper frame omitted. The tray stack 20 is placed on a pallet 30 to which a forklift can be engaged and conveyed. The tray stacking apparatus 1 is an apparatus of a type configured to be hangable from a ceiling, and includes a vertical frame 11 having a hanging portion 13 with which a crane hook is engaged, and a horizontal frame 12 combined with the vertical frame 11. The upper frame 10 which consists of these is provided. The holder units 2 and 3 are arranged in such a manner that they are suspended from the upper frame 10 and face each side surface of the tray stack 20 facing away from each other. Therefore, the tray stacking apparatus 1 has a structure that surrounds the tray stack 20 in a U shape from above.

  An operating mechanism 14 can be provided to move the holder units 2 and 3 toward and away from the tray stack 20. The operating mechanism 14 is obtained by an operation unit 15 having a lever shape, a conversion unit 16 that converts a force applied to the operation unit 15 into a right-angled direction like an appropriate cam means, and a conversion unit 16. It is configured to have an action part 17 for moving one holder unit 2 by one applied force and a reaction part 18 for moving the other frame constituting the set by reaction of the force applied to the conversion part 16. Can do. According to the tray stacking apparatus 1 configured as described above, the operation unit 17 moves the one holder unit 2 toward the stack 20 of trays only by operating the operation unit 15, and the holder unit 2. Are inserted between the flanges 22 of the corresponding trays 21, and the reaction unit 18 causes the other holder unit 3 to approach the tray stack 20 by the reaction of the lateral force after the insertion. Thus, each claw portion 5 of the holder unit 3 can be fitted between the corresponding flanges 22 of the tray 21. By operating the operation unit 15 in the reverse direction, an operation opposite to the above occurs, and the holder units 2 and 3 are moved away from the tray stack 20 to disengage the claw unit 5 from the flange 22 of the tray 21. Can do.

  As shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, the stacking tray 21 is transferred by holding a plurality of trays 21 in a stacked state at a time using the tray stacking apparatus 1, and holding the held trays 21. It is performed at once by raising and lowering in the holding state. Each tray 21 is individually held via the corresponding claw portion 5 by sequentially engaging the plurality of claw portions 5 arranged in the height direction with the plurality of stacked trays 21. By raising the tray stacking apparatus 1 in the holding state, each claw portion 5 supports the load of the continuous plurality of trays 21 in a distributed manner for each load of the individual trays 21 and lifts the trays 21.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, all the claw portions 5 of the tray stacking device 1 are engaged with a continuous (half) tray 21 from the uppermost stage of the tray stacking body 20, thereby The tray 21 is held at a time. However, the claw part 5 can be used as a part of the claw part 5 instead of the entire part. Regarding the stacked trays 21, depending on how to use the tray stacking apparatus 1, a series of trays 21 can be transferred from the uppermost stage instead of all. The transfer of the tray 21 is completed by separating the holder units 2 and 3 from the stacked body 20 in a state where all the trays 21 are stacked.

  The plurality of raised trays 21 can move the tray stacking apparatus 1 by an appropriate means like an overhead crane. Alternatively, after raising the tray stacking apparatus 1 with the tray 21 held, the conveying means such as a conveyor placed below is moved, and then the tray stacking apparatus 1 is lowered at the same position, and the tray 21 By releasing the engagement, it is possible to perform batch transfer while maintaining the stacked state. Depending on the form of transfer, the plurality of trays can be further stacked on top of the stacking tray, partially unloaded from the stacking tray, or all trays can be transferred. In this case, if the strength of the claw portion or the like permits, it is possible to hold the trays in a small number of trays together with a single claw portion.

  FIG. 7 is a side view showing an example of a tray stacking apparatus including a guide mechanism. The tray stacking apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 7 includes a guide mechanism 31 that moves up and down along the tray stack 20. The guide mechanism 31 is configured by combining an upper guide bar 32 that hangs down in parallel to the holder unit 2 from the horizontal frame 12 of the upper frame 10 and a lower guide bar 33 that is attached to the pallet 30 and stands upward. The same guide mechanism 31 (however, symmetrical arrangement) is adopted also on the holder unit 3 side. By sliding the engaging portion 34 of the upper guide rod 32 and the engaging portion 35 of the lower guide rod 33 on each side of the holder units 2 and 3, the tray stacking apparatus 1 is guided by the guide mechanisms 31 and 31. Guided and raised. Even if the holder units 2 and 3 are moved up and down when the claw portion 5 is not engaged with the tray 21 or when the claw portion 5 is engaged with the tray 21, the holder units 2 and 3 remain in the guide mechanism 31. Because it is guided by, no shaking occurs. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the claw part 5 from colliding with the tray 21, the claw part 5 from being damaged, or the possibility of debris scattering in the clean room.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the tray stacking apparatus 1 holding a plurality of trays 21 at a time is transported in a state of being suspended by a transport device such as an overhead crane, and the claw portion 5 and the tray are transported at the transport destination of the transport device. The plurality of trays 21 can be transferred by releasing the engagement with 21 and releasing the holding. In this case, the tray 21 can be transferred while maintaining the order of the stacking, although the number of stacking changes.

  As for the transfer of the stacking trays, the tray stacking apparatus 1 can be disposed on the transport path of a tray transporting apparatus 40 such as a conveyor for transporting the tray stacking body 20 as shown in FIG. In this case, the tray stack 20 conveyed by the tray transport device 40 is stopped under the tray stacking device 1, the tray stacking device 1 is lowered, and the holder units 2 and 3 are moved to the tray stack 20. A plurality of continuous trays 21 are held at a time by engaging the claw portions 5 of each step with the tray 21, and the tray stacking device 1 is temporarily raised in the holding state. After actuating the tray transport device 40, the tray transport device 1 is lowered to move the plurality of held trays 21 to different positions on the tray transport device 40. As a form of transfer, the stacking added to the upper part of another tray stacking body in a stacking state, or the transfer to the conveyance surface (pallet) of a tray conveyance apparatus is mentioned.

  In each of the above embodiments, the pair of holder units 2 and 3 facing each other may be a pair of the two sides of the tray 21 as shown in the example, or two sets of two different sides of the tray 21 ( That is, for convenience, the four sides of the tray may be used. Or you may arrange oppositely including a corner. Further, if the strength of the claw portion 5 is sufficient, it is possible to process a relatively small number of trays 21 such as two to three in a batch.

The side view which shows one Example of the tray stacking apparatus by this invention. The side view which shows one holder unit of the tray stacking apparatus shown in FIG. The figure explaining the action | operation of this tray stacking apparatus. The whole front view which shows the state which applied the tray stacking apparatus with respect to the tray stacking body. The side view of the application state of the tray stacking apparatus shown in FIG. The top view which abbreviate | omits and shows the upper frame of the application state of the tray stacking apparatus shown in FIG. The side view which shows an example of the tray stacking apparatus provided with the guide mechanism. The figure which shows the stacking state of a tray.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tray stacking apparatus 2,3 Holder unit 4 Claw holder 5 Claw part 6 Base plate 7 Resin piece 10 Upper frame 11 Vertical frame 12 Horizontal frame 13 Suspension part 14 Actuation mechanism 15 Operation part 16 Conversion part 17 Action part 18 Reaction part Pf Claw pitch Lf Claw length Pt Stacking pitch 20 Tray stack 21 Tray 22 Flange 23 Through hole 30 Pallet 31 Guide mechanism 32 Upper guide bar 33 Lower guide bar 34, 35 Engagement unit 40 Tray transport device

Claims (14)

  A holder unit that can be moved up and down, and a plurality of claw portions arranged side by side in a height direction on one side of the holder unit, the claw portions engaging a plurality of stacked trays, thereby A tray stacking device that can hold trays at a time.   2. The tray stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the claw portions is capable of engaging with the plurality of stacked trays sequentially and individually.   The tray stacking apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the claw portions are arranged in a height direction of the holder unit at a pitch slightly larger than a stacking pitch of the trays.   The tray stacking apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the holder unit is configured in a group that is opposed to each other so that the claw portions face each other.   5. The tray stacking apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an operating mechanism for moving the set of holder units toward and away from each other toward the tray.   The actuating mechanism includes an operating part and an action part that moves the holder unit that constitutes the set by the force applied to the operating part, and the other that constitutes the set by the reaction of the force applied to the operating part. The tray stacking device according to claim 5, further comprising a reaction portion that moves the holder unit.   The tray stacking apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a guide mechanism for moving the holder unit up and down along the stacked trays.   The said claw part consists of one continuous claw which engages with the whole region of the edge | side of each said tray, or one or some partial claw which partially engages with the said edge | side. 2. The tray stacking apparatus according to item 1.   The tray stacking apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the claw portion includes a resin piece at a contact portion with the tray.   The tray stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the tray is a tray capable of accommodating a glass substrate for a display device such as a liquid crystal or a semi-finished product obtained by processing the glass substrate in a planar state. .   A plurality of stacked trays are held at a time using the tray stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the holder unit is moved up and down while holding the plurality of trays in the holding state. A method for transferring a stacking tray, comprising transferring a plurality of said trays at once.   By holding a series of the trays at a time by engaging a part or all of the claw portions from the bottom to the series of trays from the top of the stacked trays. The method for transferring a stacking tray according to claim 11.   The tray stacking device holding a plurality of trays at a time is transported by a transfer device, and the plurality of trays are transferred by releasing the holding of the tray at a transport destination of the transfer device. Item 13. A method for transferring a stacking tray according to Item 11 or 12.   The tray stacking device is disposed on a transport path of a tray transporting device that transports the trays in a stacked state, and the stacked trays transported by the tray transporting device are simultaneously transported by the tray stacking device. The stacking according to claim 11 or 12, comprising holding and raising the tray in the holding state, and transferring the tray in a stacked state to another position of the tray transporting device after the operation of the tray transporting device. Tray transfer method.

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