JP2006159125A - Work cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To clean the top surface of a work transferred by using a tray or stored in a tray. <P>SOLUTION: A work cleaning device 10 is incorporated in a transferring system for the tray 6 on which a glass substrate 8 is placed. A supporting body 32 is lifted from an opening 17 in the bottom face of the tray 6 to support the supporting face 19 of the tray bottom surface together with the substrate 8. A nozzle 22 is moved above the substrate 8, and the substrate is cleaned by blowing clean air. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to sheet conveyance by a tray, and more particularly to cleaning of a workpiece such as a glass substrate in the tray.

  Conventionally, transport of liquid crystal substrates and the like has been performed in units of cassettes, each being accommodated in several cassettes. However, as the liquid crystal substrates have been enlarged to about 2 square meters, it has become impossible to transport cassettes. . Therefore, it is conceivable that the liquid crystal substrates are placed one by one on the tray and transported in units of trays. In this case, it is preferable to open the upper surface of the tray for the convenience of loading and unloading the glass substrate into and from the tray. However, in such a case, it is conceivable that particles or the like adhere to the surface of the glass substrate during the conveyance process.

A basic object of the present invention is to be able to clean the upper surface of a workpiece in a tray during conveyance on a tray or during stocking.
An additional problem in the invention of claim 2 is to enable strong blowing of clean air or the like by supporting the workpiece at a larger number of positions.
An additional problem in the invention of claim 3 is to create a flow along the surface of the work in the tray so that dust can be removed more efficiently.

  The workpiece cleaning apparatus according to the present invention is a workpiece cleaning apparatus for incorporation in a transport system for mounting and transporting a workpiece on a tray having an upper opening, and is provided with means for removing dust from the tray. It is characterized by that.

  Preferably, the dust removing means is configured to blow an airflow on the upper surface of the workpiece, and the tray has an opening on the bottom surface for lifting the workpiece from the tray, and further supports the workpiece against the airflow. Supporting means for exerting the above force on the bottom surface of the work through the opening.

  Preferably, means for covering the upper surface of the tray during dust removal is provided.

  In the workpiece cleaning apparatus of the present invention, the upper surface of the workpiece can be cleaned during conveyance on a tray or during stocking. In the present invention, since the workpiece can be cleaned in the transfer system, it is efficient, and contamination of the workpiece can be prevented even when the tray having an open upper surface is used, for example, when the tray is handled in the transfer system for a long time.

  In the invention of claim 2, since the work can be supported at a large number of positions, even if there is an opening on the bottom surface of the tray, a strong air current can be sprayed on the work, and the work can be reliably washed.

  In the invention of claim 3, the cover covering the upper surface of the tray can form a flow along the surface of the work and can efficiently remove dust.

  In the following, an optimum embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be shown.

  1 to 6 show an embodiment and its modifications. In the figure, reference numeral 2 denotes a transfer system, which is provided in a clean room, for example, and 4 is a transfer conveyor for transferring a glass substrate 8 placed on a tray 6 opened upward. Reference numeral 10 denotes a station serving as an entrance / exit of a processing apparatus or the like, and includes a lifter in which a large number of drive rollers 13 are arranged. Reference numeral 12 denotes a substrate transfer conveyor which includes a drive roller 13. In the station 10 and the substrate transport conveyor 12, the drive roller 13 is brought into contact with the bottom surface of the glass substrate 8 and transported. 14 is a conveyor with a lifter, and 15 is a branching conveyor. The conveyor 14 with a lifter is lifted and supported by supporting both flanges of the tray 6 in the left-right direction in FIG. 1, and is transported between the branching conveyor 15 side. The glass substrate 8 is, for example, a glass substrate for liquid crystal, has a size of about 2 m square and a thickness of about several millimeters, a weight of the order of 10 kg, and the processing apparatus uses the glass substrate 8 to create a liquid crystal display. It is a processing device.

  Reference numeral 20 denotes a workpiece cleaning device which is incorporated in the transfer system 2 and provided at an appropriate position. For example, in the embodiment, the workpiece cleaning device 20 is provided on the conveyor 4 for transporting the tray 6, but may be provided on the station 10, for example. In this case, for example, the glass substrate 8 may be cleaned while the tray on which the glass substrate 8 is placed is waiting on the station 10. Alternatively, the glass substrate 8 may be cleaned while being transported by the driving roller 13 between the tray 6 and the substrate transporting conveyor 12. Further, when the glass substrate 8 is unloaded at the station 10, an empty tray remains, so that not only the glass substrate 8 but also an empty tray may be washed.

  When the cleaning device 20 is provided on the branch conveyor 15, for example, the branch conveyor 15 may be used as a buffer for the tray 6 on which the glass substrate 8 is placed, and cleaning may be performed while the tray 6 is waiting on the branch conveyor 15. Furthermore, a tray stocker (not shown) is provided on the terminal side of the branch conveyor 15 in FIG. 1 to stock empty trays and trays on which glass substrates are placed. In addition, the glass substrate 8 on the tray 6 may be washed.

  As described above, the glass substrate 8 on the tray 6 is cleaned by the workpiece cleaning device 20 during the transfer of the tray 6 in the transfer system 2 or while the tray 6 is stocked in the transfer system 2. This is called cleaning the glass substrate 8 of the tray in the transport system 2. In the embodiment, since the glass substrate 8 can be cleaned in the middle of conveyance, the glass substrate 8 is efficient, and even if the tray 6 on which the glass substrate 8 is placed is handled in the conveyance system 2 for a long time, the glass substrate 8 is not contaminated. .

  FIG. 2 shows the workpiece cleaning device 20 on the conveyor 4 with its upper cover removed. Moreover, the cross section of the workpiece | work washing apparatus 20 is shown in FIG. The conveyor 4 is composed of a roller conveyor, for example, and supports and conveys the flanges on both sides of the tray 6 along the conveying direction. A conveyor frame 16 supports the conveyor 4. A large number of openings 17 are provided on the bottom surface of the tray 6 so that the driving roller 13 can come into contact with the bottom surface of the glass substrate 8. Further, when using a SCARA arm, a slide fork or the like in order to put the glass substrate 8 in and out of the tray 6, these can be applied to the bottom surface of the glass substrate 8 from the opening 17. For example, the tray 6 is provided with protrusions 18 in the left-right direction (before and after the conveying direction on the conveyor 4) so that the trays 6 can be stacked and stored. A support surface 19 is provided between the openings 17 and 17 on the bottom surface of the tray 6 to support the bottom surface of the glass substrate 8. Although the support surface 19 is used here, a pin (not shown) or the like may be provided in this portion and supported by the pin or the like.

  A nozzle 22 of the workpiece cleaning device 20 removes dust by blowing an air flow such as clean air onto the upper surface of the glass substrate 8. The airflow may be blown perpendicularly to the surface of the glass substrate 8, or may be blown obliquely, or clean air ionized positively or negatively by an ionizer may be blown. Reference numeral 24 denotes a clean air supply pipe, and 26 denotes an upper cover which covers the upper surface of the tray 6, and the nozzle 22 moves along a slit 28 provided in the upper cover 26. The drive unit 30 supports and moves the nozzle 22 and supplies clean air from the air supply pipe 24.

  When clean air or the like is sprayed, a large pressure is applied to the glass substrate 8. The glass substrate 8 is, for example, 2 square meters, has a thickness of about several mm, and its weight is on the order of 10 kg. If clean air is blown from the nozzle 22 while the bottom surface of the glass substrate 8 is supported only by the support surface 19, the glass substrate 8 may be bent and damaged at the opening 17. Therefore, the support 32 supports the bottom surface of the glass substrate 8 even at the opening 17 so that stronger clean air can be blown. Although the support body 32 is a pin-shaped member here, the shape thereof is arbitrary, and a nozzle may be provided below the opening 17 to blow upward airflow to support the pressure from the clean air. The support 32 is attached to the plate 34, and is lifted and lowered by the lifter 35. The support 32 is raised during dust removal, and comes into contact with the bottom surface of the glass substrate 8. In the embodiment, the bottom portion of the glass substrate 8 is supported by both the support 32 and the support surface 19 during dust removal, but may be supported only by the support 32.

  The upper surface of the glass substrate 8 is covered with the upper cover 26, and clean air is blown from the nozzle 22 onto the upper surface of the glass substrate 8. There are gaps 36 and 38 between the tray 6 and the four ends of the upper cover 26, and the blown air escapes from the gaps 36 and 38 to the surroundings. Therefore, clean air blown from the nozzle 22 onto the upper surface of the glass substrate 8 flows in a layered manner along the surface of the glass substrate 8 and escapes from the gaps 36 and 38 to efficiently remove dust. On the other hand, for example, even when clean air is blown vertically from the upper part of the glass substrate 8, the air above the glass substrate 8 does not move, and the clean air blown from the nozzle reaches the upper surface of the glass substrate 8. It becomes difficult to remove dust.

As described above, the following actions are obtained in the embodiment.
(1) The upper surface of the glass substrate 8 on the tray 6 can be cleaned during conveyance in the conveyance system 2 or during stocking.
(2) On the bottom surface of the tray 6, there is an opening 17 for conveyance by the drive roller 13 or the like. Since the bottom surface of the glass substrate 8 is supported by the support body 32 at the opening 17 portion, the glass substrate 8 is not bent and damaged even when a strong air current is blown. Instead of the physical support 32 such as a pin, an upward air flow may be blown to the bottom surface of the glass substrate 8 through the opening 17 to cancel the pressure by the clean air. Since the upper portion of the tray 6 is covered with the upper cover 26 at the time of cleaning, a laminar flow that escapes to the gaps 36 and 38 along the upper surface of the glass substrate 8 is likely to occur, and dust can be efficiently removed.
(3) By moving the nozzle 22 along the slit 28, strong clean air can be intensively sprayed on the cleaning portion.

  FIG. 5 shows a first modification. A new top cover 56 has a large number of nozzles 52 arranged at the bottom, for example, in a lattice pattern. The position of the nozzle 52 is fixed, the slit 28 is not provided, and clean air from the air supply pipe 24 is blown to the upper surface of the glass substrate 8 through the nozzle 52 and escapes from the gaps 36 and 38 to the outside. The other points are the same as those of the embodiment of FIGS.

FIG. 6 shows a second modification. In this modification, air knife-shaped clean air is blown from the nozzle 62 onto the upper portion of the glass substrate 8, and the distance between the nozzle 62 and the glass substrate 8 is a few millimeters, for example, and the direction of the clean air to be blown is the glass substrate. 8 is almost parallel to the surface of 8 and acts as an air knife. An ionizer 64 moves the nozzle 62 from the ionizer 64 in parallel with the upper surface of the glass substrate 8 to perform dust removal. When clean air is blown at a small angle with respect to the substrate using an air knife, a force that moves the glass substrate 8 to the left and right acts. When this force becomes a problem, it is preferable to prevent the glass substrate 8 from moving left and right by the protrusion 18. The other points are the same as those of the embodiment of FIGS.

Plan view of the main part of the transfer system incorporating the workpiece cleaning device of the embodiment The top view which looked at the workpiece washing device of an example by removing the upper cover and cutting the air supply pipe to the nozzle Vertical sectional view of the workpiece cleaning apparatus of the embodiment Partial enlarged sectional view of FIG. Vertical section enlarged sectional view of a workpiece cleaning device of a modified example The vertical direction partial expanded sectional view of the workpiece | work washing apparatus of a 2nd modification

Explanation of symbols

2 Conveying System 4 Conveyor 6 Tray 8 Glass Substrate 10 Station 12 Substrate Conveying Conveyor 13 Driving Roller 14 Conveyor with Lifter 15 Branch Conveyor 16 Conveyor Frame 17 Opening 18 Protrusion 19 Support Surface 20 Work Cleaning Device 22, 52 Nozzle 24 Air Supply Pipes 26, 56 Upper cover 28 Slit 30 Drive unit 32 Support 34 Plate 35 Lifter 36, 38 Gap 62 Nozzle 64 Ionizer

Claims (3)

A workpiece cleaning apparatus for incorporating a workpiece into a transport system for placing and transporting a workpiece on a tray having an upper opening, wherein the workpiece cleaning device is provided with means for removing dust from the workpiece from above the tray. apparatus. The dust removing means is configured to blow an airflow on the upper surface of the workpiece, and the tray has an opening on the bottom surface for lifting the workpiece from the tray, and further has a force for supporting the workpiece against the airflow. 2. The workpiece cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising support means for exerting an influence on the bottom surface of the workpiece through the opening. 3. A workpiece cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for covering the upper surface of the tray during dust removal.

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