JP2007246232A - Conveyed article proper loading position detector in unmanned conveyer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveyed article proper loading position detector in an unmanned conveyer, detecting whether a cassette is properly loaded when loaded on the tip of a telescopic arm for transfer loading with a simplified mechanical device and without a power supply. <P>SOLUTION: Detectors 3a, 3b are provided on the transfer loader body 10 side mounted on the unmanned conveyer, reflectors 4a, 4b, which reflect light beams emitted from the detectors 3a, 3b toward the detectors 3a, 3b are disposed in a pair opposite to each other at the tips of the telescopic arms 21, 22, 23 of the transfer loader 1, and a shutter plate 52 of a shutter mechanism 5 disposed on the front of the reflectors 4a, 4b is opened by the cassette K loaded in a fixed position at the tips of the telescopic arms 21, 22, 23. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting a proper placement position of a conveyed product in an unmanned transport machine, and in particular, a simple mechanical device that determines whether or not a cassette is properly loaded when loaded at the tip of a transfer arm. The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting a proper placement position of a transported object in an automatic guided machine that can be detected without a power source.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, in a liquid crystal manufacturing factory or the like, a transported object such as a cassette (hereinafter referred to as “cassette”) that is stored so as to stack a plurality of thin substrates such as glass thin plates is stacked at a loading port. The cassette is automatically loaded on the automatic guided vehicle and transported to a preset position, and then the cassette is wholesaled.
However, between the automatic guided vehicle traveling along the traveling path and the loading port or the wholesale port, the automatic guided vehicle loaded with the cassette contacts a storage shelf or the like disposed along the traveling path. A certain amount of clearance is provided in consideration of safety so that the vehicle can travel without any problems.
Therefore, the automatic guided vehicle is equipped with a transfer machine in which the transfer arm extends and contracts, and the cassette is loaded and unloaded.

  In order to load the cassette from the loading port into the automatic guided vehicle, the telescopic transfer telescopic arm is extended from the automatic guided vehicle side stopped at a fixed position with respect to the loading port, and is moved to the loading port position. After inserting the tip arm below the bottom of a cassette, the transfer arm is slightly lifted and retracted to load the cassette onto the automatic guided vehicle side and transport it to a predetermined position.

However, if the cassette is not properly transferred onto the extending transfer arm, there is a risk that the cassette will drop during transfer or during transport. However, in the conventional loading method, when the cassette is loaded at the loading port position, it is not possible to detect whether or not the loading cassette is in an appropriate state, so that the cassette is loaded at the position where the automatic guided vehicle returns to the center. Although the state is detected, there is a problem that if the cassette is abnormal at the time of loading, the cassette is dropped during transfer or transportation.
A method of detecting the state of this loading cassette using a sensor or the like is also conceivable, but it is necessary to supply power with a cable that operates to the sensor attached to the tip of the telescopic arm for transfer, but it runs between storage shelves. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to supply power with a cable in the size of the automatic guided vehicle.

  In view of the problems of the loading position detection of a transported object in an unmanned transport machine, the present invention determines whether or not a cassette is properly loaded at the time of loading at the distal end of a transfer telescopic arm. It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for detecting a proper placement position of a transported object in an automatic guided machine that can be detected without a power source.

  In order to achieve the above object, the device for detecting the proper placement position of the transported object in the automatic guided machine according to the present invention includes a detector on the transfer machine body mounted on the automatic guided machine, and a tip of the telescopic arm of the transfer machine. In the cassette mounted in a fixed position at the distal end of the telescopic arm, with a pair of reflectors that reflect the light emitted from the detector toward the detector as a pair. The shutter plate of the shutter mechanism disposed in the door is opened.

  In this case, a pair of detectors and reflectors can be arranged on each side of the transfer machine.

  Further, the shutter mechanism is configured such that the shutter plate swings inward by the weight of the cassette placed at a fixed position to expose the reflector, and the light emitted from the detector is reflected toward the detector. Can be.

  The detector can be a photoelectric switch.

  According to the device for detecting the proper placement position of the conveyed product in the automatic guided machine according to the present invention, the detector is emitted from the transfer machine body mounted on the automatic guided machine, and the detector emits light at the distal end of the telescopic arm of the transfer machine. A pair of reflectors that reflect the light beam toward the detector is opposed to each other, and is placed on the front side of the reflector in a cassette that is mounted at a fixed position at the distal end of the telescopic arm. By opening the shutter plate of the shutter mechanism, it is possible to detect the cassette placement position only when the cassette is placed at a fixed position, so that the proper placement detection of the cassette can be performed more reliably with a simple device. Can do.

  In addition, by arranging a pair of detectors and reflectors on both sides of the transfer machine, the proper placement position of the cassette can be reliably detected, and the size of the cassette is different. Even in this case, it can be easily applied by adjusting the left and right mounting intervals of the position detection device paired with the detector and the reflector to the cassette width.

  Further, the shutter mechanism is configured such that the shutter plate swings inward by the weight of the cassette placed at a fixed position to expose the reflector, and the light emitted from the detector is reflected toward the detector. By doing so, the proper placement detection of the cassette can be performed easily and without requiring a power source, and the detection device can be disposed even in a narrow conveyance path width.

  Further, by using a photoelectric switch as the detector, the mounting configuration is simple and the connection cable can be simplified.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a proper placement position detection apparatus for a conveyed product in an automatic guided machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 to 4 show an embodiment of an apparatus for detecting a proper placement position of a conveyed product in the automatic guided machine according to the present invention.
In manufacturing factories and automatic warehouses for precision electronic parts such as liquid crystal, organic EL, and semiconductors, parts and the like are transported in a clean room due to the nature of the product, and therefore an unmanned transporter is provided. In this unmanned transport machine, a traveling route is determined in advance, cassettes are loaded at a loading port, and the cassettes are wholesaled at a wholesale port. For this reason, the automatic transfer vehicle is equipped with a transfer machine 1 for unloading and unloading cassettes.

The transfer machine 1 is telescopic and is not particularly limited for loading and unloading cassettes. For example, the transfer machine 1 includes telescopic transfer arms 21, 22, and 23. The telescopic arms 21, 22, and 23 are usually arranged in two or three stages with respect to the transfer machine main body so as to be disposed on the transfer machine main body 10 in a contracted state so as to overlap each other. The telescopic arms 21, 22, and 23 are supported by a linear motion bearing (not shown) so as to be smoothly moved, and are configured to expand and contract in response to a command from the transfer machine main body.
Note that the cassette K is placed on the telescopic arm 23 at the tip during this extension.

In addition, the detectors 3a and 3b of the detection device are not particularly limited on the left and right sides of the transfer machine body 10 side, for example, photoelectric switches are provided. This is a position at the side of the transfer machine main body 10 that does not hinder when the automatic guided vehicle travels with the cassette K mounted and when the extendable arms 21, 22, and 23 of the transfer machine 1 extend and contract. Then, it is attached directly to a position where it can be detected whether the cassette K is properly placed, or the detector mounting bracket 31 is projected as shown in the illustrated embodiment and attached to the tip of the detector mounting bracket 31. To.
In this case, light rays emitted from the detectors (photoelectric switches) 3a and 3b are parallel to the extending direction of the extendable arms 21, 22, and 23 and directed toward the extensible arm side of the tip.

The telescopic arm 23 at the tip is provided with reflectors 4a and 4b so as to make a pair with the detectors 3a and 3b. The reflectors 4a and 4b are usually attached so as to reflect the light emitted from the detectors 3a and 3b toward the detectors 3a and 3b, and are not particularly limited. Use metal mirrors.
The reflector 4 is attached so as to be attached to a mounting plate 42 attached to a reflector mounting bracket 41 projecting from the lower surface of the extensible arm side portion at the tip.

  The mounting plate 42 attached so as to attach the reflectors 4a and 4b (metal mirrors) is fixed to the reflector mounting bracket 41, but faces the front surface of the mounting plate 42, that is, this. The shutter mechanism 5 is arranged in an openable / closable manner close to the detector surface side.

As shown in FIG. 4, the shutter mechanism 5 has a shutter plate 52 attached to a shaft 51 attached to the attachment plate 42 so as to be swingable. A tension spring 43 is provided between the shutter plate 52 and the attachment plate 42. As long as the weight of the cassette does not act on the shutter plate 52, the shutter plate 52 overlaps the front surface of the mounting plate 42 and covers the front surface of the reflector 4 attached to the mounting plate 42. Further, on the upper part of the shutter plate 52, when the cassette is placed at a fixed position on the telescopic arm 23 at the tip, a pressing portion 53 is pressed and pressed from above at the end of the lower bottom surface of the cassette. Protrusively configured.
The pressing portion 53 is not particularly limited. For example, when the surface of the reflector 4 is covered with the shutter plate 52, that is, when the shutter plate 52 is closed, the top surface of the telescopic arm 23 at the tip end. When the pressing portion 53 is pushed down by the lower bottom end portion of the cassette K, it can be of a roller type so that the pressing force acts smoothly.

  Further, a notch 54 is formed in a part of the shutter plate 52 excluding the surface covering the front surface of the reflectors 4a and 4b as necessary, and a stopper 43 is provided with the side surface of the notch portion protruding from the side surface of the mounting plate 42. Further, the tension force of the tension spring 43 causes the shutter plate 52 to abut on the shutter plate 52 as long as the pressing force of the cassette does not act.

  The detectors 3a and 3b formed in this way and the reflectors 4a and 4b provided with the shutter mechanism 5 are paired, and these are placed on the left and right sides of the transfer machine 1 so as to hinder the loading and unloading of the cassette. The left and right shutter mechanisms 5 and 5 are arranged so that the left and right shutter plates 5 and 5 are simultaneously moved to the left and right shutter plates when the fixed cassette K is placed on the telescopic arm 23 at the front end and extended in a fixed position. By depressing the pressing portions 53 and 53 of 52 and 52, it is detected that the cassette is placed at a fixed position. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the shutter plates 52 and 52 of the shutter mechanisms 5 and 5 swing inwardly so that the reflectors 4 and 4 attached to the mounting plate 42 are exposed.

Next, the operation of the device for detecting the proper placement position of the conveyed product in the automatic guided machine of the present invention will be described.
When the unmanned transporter stops at a predetermined position of the predetermined loading port, the telescopic arms 21, 22, 23 of the transfer machine 1 mounted on the unmanned transporting machine extend and project toward the loading port side according to the command. Then, after the telescopic arm 23 at the tip is inserted into the lower bottom portion of the cassette K placed on the loading port, when the telescopic arms 21, 22, 23 are slightly lifted, the cassette K is loaded into the loading port. It is transferred from the side to the telescopic arm 23 side of the tip. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the pressing portions 53, 53 projecting from the upper portion of the shutter plate 52 are pushed down at the lower bottom end portion of the fixed cassette K loaded on the telescopic arm 23, so that both left and right shutter plates are 52 and 52 are swung.
The reflectors 4a and 4b attached to the mounting plate 42 are exposed by the swing of the shutter plates 52 and 52. At this time, light is emitted from the detectors 3a and 3b on the transfer machine body 10 side. The light beam is reflected by the reflectors 4a and 4b and received by the detectors 3a and 3b again.
When light reception by the two pairs of detectors 3a and 3b is confirmed in this way, it is confirmed that the cassette is placed at a fixed position by a detection circuit (not shown) connected to the detectors 3a and 3b. Then, the telescopic arm of the transfer machine is retracted to move the automatic transfer machine to the next wholesale port.

When only one of the pressing portions 53 is pushed down at the lower bottom end portion of the cassette K loaded on the telescopic arm 23, for example, the reflector 4b on the non-pressing side swings the shutter plate 52. Since the reflector 4b is still covered with the shutter plate 52, the light beam from the paired detector 3b does not reach the reflector 4b, and is therefore received by the detector 3b. Nor. And only the light reception of one detector 3a detects that the cassette is not placed at a fixed position by the detection circuit. If it is detected that it is not placed at this proper position, a warning lamp is used for notification, or the stop position of the automatic guided machine is finely adjusted, or the telescopic arms 21, 22, 23 are expanded and contracted again. The same operation is repeated until it is placed at an appropriate position.
As a result, the cassette K can be properly placed on the telescopic arm at the extending tip, and accidents such as dropping of the cassette during transportation can be prevented.

  As described above, the proper placement position detection device for the conveyed product in the automatic guided machine according to the present invention has been described based on the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the above embodiments, and the gist thereof is as follows. The configuration can be changed as appropriate without departing from the scope.

  The apparatus for detecting the proper placement position of the conveyed product in the automatic guided machine according to the present invention determines whether or not the cassette is properly loaded at the end of the transfer arm, and does not require a power supply with a simple mechanical device. In addition to being suitable for use in detecting the proper placement position of transported objects in unmanned transport machines, it can also be used for, for example, hoisting machines and stacker cranes. Can do.

It is a front longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows one Example of the proper mounting position detection apparatus of the conveyed product in the automatic guided machine of this invention. It is a top view which shows the state which the expansion-contraction arm extended | stretched. It is a side view. The shutter mechanism is shown, (A) is a front view, (B) is a side view.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transfer machine 10 Transfer machine main body 21, 22, 23 Telescopic arm 23 Telescopic arm 3a, 3b Detector 31 Detector mounting bracket 4a, 4b Reflector 41 Reflector mounting bracket 42 Mounting plate 43 Tension spring 5 Shutter mechanism 51 Axis 52 Shutter plate 53 Pressing part K Cassette

Claims (4)

  A detector is placed on the side of the transfer machine mounted on the unmanned transfer machine, and a pair of reflectors that reflect the light emitted from the detector at the tip of the extension arm of the transfer machine toward the detector are opposed to each other. In the unmanned transfer machine, the shutter plate of the shutter mechanism provided on the reflector front side is opened in a cassette mounted at a fixed position on the distal end of the telescopic arm. A proper placement position detection device for an object.   2. An apparatus for detecting an appropriate placement position of a conveyed product in an automatic guided machine according to claim 1, wherein a pair of detectors and reflectors are arranged on each side of the transfer machine.   In the shutter mechanism, the shutter plate swings inward with the weight of the cassette placed at a fixed position to expose the reflector, and the light emitted from the detector is reflected toward the detector. The apparatus for detecting a proper placement position of a conveyed product in the automatic guided machine according to claim 1 or 2.   4. The apparatus for detecting a proper placement position of a transported object in an automatic guided machine according to claim 1, wherein the detector is a photoelectric switch.

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