JP2008277354A - Gripping device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for gripping a photomask substrate, or the like, at a predetermined position in a grip pawl (e.g., position on the distal end side). <P>SOLUTION: When an upper grip pawl 134 descends and a moving plate 430 abuts against a substrate 300, the moving plate 430 begins to move backward along a slope formed on the footprint of an intermediate slider 420, and the intermediate slider 420 begins to move forward along a slope formed on the footprint of a base portion 410. When a rear surface guide member 450 abuts against the rear surface of the substrate 300, the substrate 300 and the moving plate 430 stop backward movement and begin forward movement along with the intermediate slider 420 and the rear surface guide member 450. When the front surface of the substrate 300 abuts against the front surface guide member 440, the substrate 300 and the moving plate 430 stop forward movement along with the intermediate slider 420 and the rear surface guide member 450 and the substrate 300 is gripped by the upper grip pawl 134 while being aligned on the distal end side thereof. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gripping device for gripping a plate-like body such as a photomask substrate.

  A photomask used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display (LCD), an LSI, or the like is manufactured through a plurality of processes, and various processing apparatuses are used for each process. Therefore, in the manufacturing process of the photomask, it is necessary to sequentially convey the substrate constituting the photomask to each processing apparatus in charge of each process in the order of processes. For example, a carriage is used for the conveyance. The substrate carried to the vicinity of each processing apparatus by a carriage or the like is transferred from the carriage or the like to each processing apparatus and processed by each processing apparatus. Then, the substrate that has been processed in each processing apparatus is transferred again from each processing apparatus to a carriage or the like and carried to the next processing apparatus. Conventionally, the delivery of a substrate between such a cart or the like and each processing apparatus is generally performed manually.

  On the other hand, with the increase in size of LCDs, the size of photomasks has also increased. Currently, there are some photomasks that are used in LCD manufacturing, which are as large as 1220 mm × 1400 mm (thickness 13 mm). . As a result, the weight of the substrate constituting the photomask has also increased, making it difficult to handle manually. In addition, some processing apparatuses require accurate alignment for delivery of the substrate, which makes it more difficult to deliver the substrate to such a processing apparatus.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-1000084 discloses a substrate delivery mechanism for delivering a photomask substrate between a transport carriage and a processing apparatus in a photomask production line.

  Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-31250 discloses a three-dimensionally movable arm main body and a plurality of erected on the surface of one side of the arm main body at appropriate intervals so as to hold the substrate in a vertical posture. An arm unit having a gripping member is disclosed. In the arm unit, a claw portion having a notch that can be fitted to the peripheral portion of the substrate is formed at the tip of each gripping member, and by fitting these claw portions to the peripheral portion of the substrate, The substrate is gripped from the periphery and held in a vertical posture.

However, if it is considered to transfer the substrate using the arm unit, the size of the notch (the length in the thickness direction of the substrate) provided in each claw portion is the variation in the thickness of the substrate, the substrate In consideration of the ease of alignment with the notch, it is formed to be slightly larger than the thickness (maximum value) of the substrate to be transferred. Therefore, for example, when a plurality of substrates are transferred one by one with the arm unit, there may be variations in the positions in the notches where the substrates are gripped in the claw portions. If the gripping position of the substrate in the notch of each claw part varies, the orientation of the gripped substrate will vary accordingly. Depending on the processing device to which the substrate is transferred, there is a requirement that the substrate is oriented in a certain direction with high accuracy (for example, facing the processing device), and the orientation of the substrate varies. When it occurs, it becomes difficult to deliver the substrate to such a processing apparatus. In particular, when the size of the substrate is increased, a subtle difference in the gripping position at each claw portion leads to a large shift between the left and right end positions of the substrate.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-1000084 JP 2000-31250 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a gripping device capable of gripping a plate-like body such as a photomask substrate at a certain position (for example, a tip side position) in a gripping claw.

  A gripping device according to the present invention includes a gripping claw that comes into contact with an end of a plate-like body (for example, a substrate such as a photomask), and the gripping claw can move back and forth with respect to the base portion. An intermediate slider portion, a movable plate portion that can move back and forth with respect to the intermediate slider portion, and the base portion are in contact with one surface of the plate-like body to restrict the movement of the plate-like body. A fixed guide portion; and a movable guide portion that is provided on the intermediate slider portion and is in contact with the other surface of the plate-like body to push the plate-like body in a direction of the fixed guide portion. When the end surface of the body comes into contact with the moving plate portion, the intermediate slider portion starts moving in a direction in which the fixed guide portion is located, and the moving guide portion has one surface of the plate-like body as the fixed guide portion. Press the other side of the plate until it touches And features.

  In this case, the surface of the base portion facing the intermediate slider portion starts to move in the direction in which the fixed guide portion is located when the end surface of the plate-like body abuts on the movable plate portion. You may make it have such inclination.

  Further, in the above case, when the end surface of the plate-like body comes into contact with the moving plate portion, the moving plate portion may start moving in a direction in which the moving guide portion is located. In this case, the surface of the intermediate slider portion that faces the moving plate portion starts moving in the direction in which the moving guide portion is located when the end surface of the plate-like body abuts on the moving plate portion. You may make it have such inclination.

  Further, in the above case, when the end surface of the plate-like body comes into contact with the moving plate, the moving plate portion starts moving in a direction in which the moving guide portion is located, and the intermediate slider portion is fixed. When the movement of the guide portion starts in a certain direction and the other surface of the plate-like body comes into contact with the movement guide portion, the movement plate portion stops moving in the direction of the movement guide portion, When one surface of the plate-like body comes into contact with the fixed guide portion, the intermediate slider portion may stop moving in a certain direction of the fixed guide portion. The gripping claw includes first linear motion guide means for guiding the movement of the intermediate slider portion relative to the base portion, and second linear motion guide means for guiding the movement of the movable plate portion relative to the intermediate slider portion. You may make it provide further. Each of the first linear motion guide means and the second linear motion guide means is constituted by, for example, a linear guide.

  The gripping device may include a plurality of the gripping claws. In this case, the plurality of gripping claws are constituted by, for example, an upper gripping claw that comes into contact with the upper end portion of the plate-like body and a lower gripping claw that comes into contact with the lower end portion of the plate-like body. Further, each of the upper gripping claws and the lower gripping claws may be movable up and down. The upper gripping claw urges the intermediate slider part in a direction away from the fixed guide part, and urges the moving plate part in a direction in which the moving guide part is located. You may make it further provide a 2 biasing means. The lower gripping claw urges the intermediate slider portion in a direction away from the fixed guide portion, and urges the moving plate portion in a direction away from the movement guide portion. You may make it further provide a 2nd biasing means. Each of the first urging means and the second urging means is constituted by, for example, a coil spring.

  According to the present invention, a plate-like body such as a photomask substrate can be gripped at a fixed position in the gripping claw.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Below, the case where this invention is applied to the board | substrate transfer apparatus which transfers a board | substrate is demonstrated.

  1-3 is a figure which shows the external appearance of the board | substrate transfer apparatus (gripping apparatus) by this invention. 1 shows a perspective view seen from diagonally above the front side, FIG. 2 shows a perspective view seen diagonally from the back side, and FIG. 3 shows a rear view. This substrate transfer device is for transferring a substrate by holding (holding) a rectangular flat plate substrate such as a photomask in the vertical direction, and assisting the substrate transfer operation performed by the operator. is there. For example, the operator uses the substrate transfer apparatus to transfer the substrate between the carriage and the processing apparatus.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the substrate transfer apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes a body part 110, an arm part 120, and a grip part 130.

  The body part 110 includes a body base part 111 and a rotating body part 112. The trunk base 111 is fixed to a floor or the like on which the substrate transfer apparatus 100 is installed, and a shaft (not shown) extending in the vertical direction is fixed to the center thereof. The rotating body 112 is rotatable around a shaft fixed to the body base 111 and has a quadrangular prism shape. A control unit and the like for controlling the operation of the substrate transfer apparatus 100 are housed in the casing of the rotary body 112. In addition, a base end portion of the arm portion 120 extending in the horizontal direction is attached to one side surface of the rotating body portion 112 so as to be movable up and down (up and down).

  The arm unit 120 includes a first arm 121 and a second arm 122 having a cylindrical shape. The rear end of the first arm 121 is attached to the side surface of the rotary body 112 so as to be movable up and down. The front end of the first arm 121 and the rear end of the second arm 122 are connected so that the second arm 122 can rotate in the horizontal direction (about a vertical axis) with respect to the first arm 121. A grip 130 is attached to the tip of the second arm 122 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction. Note that the vertical movement of the first arm 121 (arm portion 120) is realized by using, for example, a linear guide, a ball screw, a motor, or the like housed in the casing of the rotating body portion 112.

  The gripping unit 130 grips the substrate to be transferred in a vertically standing state (slightly forward tilted during a tilting operation described later). The gripping unit 130 holds the tilt base unit 131 and the tilting unit 132. Prepare. The tilt base portion 131 and the tilt portion 132 are coupled at the lower end portion so that the tilt portion 132 can rotate in the vertical direction (about a horizontal axis) with respect to the tilt base portion 131. As the tilt part 132 rotates in the vertical direction with respect to the tilt base part 131, the tilt part 132 tilts forward. Note that the tilt operation of the tilt unit 132 (the forward tilt and the movement of returning from the forward tilt state to the original vertical state) is realized by using, for example, a ball screw, a motor, or the like housed in the housing of the grip unit 130. .

  The tilt unit 132 that performs such a tilt operation includes a plurality of claws (three in this embodiment) for gripping the substrate. More specifically, one lower gripping claw 133 that supports the lower end (bottom surface) of the substrate in a vertically standing state and two upper grips that hold down the upper end (upper surface) of the substrate in a vertically standing state. Claw 134. The lower gripping claws 133 are attached to the lower part of the front face of the tilt part 132 so as to be movable up and down, and the two upper gripping claws 134 are attached to the upper part of the front face of the tilt part 132 so as to be movable up and down. Attached to both ends. The upper gripping member 135 is a rectangular flat plate member that is long in the horizontal direction, and can move up and down for a longer distance than the lower gripping claws 133 so as to be compatible with substrates of various sizes. In the substrate transfer apparatus 100, the lower gripping claws 133 are raised and the upper gripping members 135 (that is, the upper gripping claws 134) are lowered to grip (clamp) the substrate, and the upper gripping members 135 (that is, The upper gripping claws 134) are raised, and the lower gripping claws 133 are lowered to release (unclamp) the substrate. The vertical movement of the lower gripping claw 133 and the upper gripping member 135 is realized using, for example, a linear guide, a ball screw, a motor, or the like housed in the casing of the gripping unit 130. Each of the gripping claws 133 and 134 has a mechanism (hereinafter referred to as a substrate alignment mechanism) that allows the substrate to be gripped at a fixed position (in the present embodiment, the tip side position) in each of the gripping claws 133 and 134. Is provided. Details of the substrate alignment mechanism will be described later.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, a liquid crystal display 141 with a touch panel is attached to the tilt base 131 as a display device and an input device. The liquid crystal display 141 with a touch panel is for displaying various menus necessary for the operation of the substrate transfer apparatus 100 and the state of the apparatus, and inputting an operator's instruction. Further, a monitor 142 is attached to the tilt base 131 as a display device. The monitor 142 is for displaying an image of a CCD camera (not shown) provided near each gripping claw in order to confirm the clamped / unclamped state of the lower and upper gripping claws 133, 134.

  Further, handles 143 extending outward are attached to both side surfaces of the tilt base portion 131. The operator holds the handle 143 and moves the grip 130 to a necessary place to transfer the substrate. The handle 143 is provided with a plurality of switches 144 for operating the substrate transfer apparatus 100. For example, a switch for instructing a tilt operation, a clamp / unclamp operation, and an arm up / down movement is provided.

  Next, the operation of the substrate transfer apparatus 100 having the above configuration will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining how to use the substrate transfer apparatus 100. Here, a case where the substrate 300 is transferred from the substrate mounting table 201 to the substrate mounting table 202 shown in FIG. Each of the substrate mounting tables 201 and 202 is a type of mounting table on which a substrate is mounted so as to lean diagonally. In addition, catchers 211 and 212 are provided in front of the substrate mounting tables 201 and 202 as instruments for facilitating the positioning of the grip portion 130 when the substrates are transferred. The catchers 211 and 212 include an accommodating portion 213 that accommodates the lower end portion of the grip portion 130 (around the connecting portion between the tilt base portion 131 and the tilt portion 132), and the accommodating portion 213 as shown in FIG. The linear guide 214 restricts the movement in the linear direction, and is placed on an installation table (not shown) arranged in front of each substrate mounting table 201, 202. , 202 can be moved back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

  First, in order to hold the substrate 300 placed on the substrate mounting table 201 as shown in FIG. 4A, the operator holds the handle 143 of the holding unit 130 and moves the holding unit 130 to the substrate mounting table 201. Move it to a position where it is almost directly opposite. At this time, according to the handle operation of the operator, the rotation of the grip 130 with respect to the second arm 122, the rotation of the second arm 122 with respect to the first arm 121 (bending and stretching), and the rotation of the first arm 121 and the rotating body 112 (turning). ) Is appropriately performed. Then, when the gripper 130 is moved to a position where the lower end of the gripper 130 is located above the accommodating part 213 of the catcher 211, the operator operates the switch 144 to lower the arm part 120 to move the gripper 130. Is accommodated in the accommodating portion 213 of the catcher 211. When the lower end portion of the gripping part 130 is accommodated in the accommodating part 213 of the catcher 211, the gripping part 130 is aligned with the substrate mounting table 201 in the left-right direction. When the accommodation of the lower end portion of the grip portion 130 is completed, the operator operates the switch 144 to tilt the tilt portion 132 forward by a predetermined angle. When a tilt operation is instructed by the operator, the tilt unit 132 tilts forward by a predetermined angle so that the front surface of the tilt unit 132 is parallel to the substrate 300.

  When the tilt part 132 tilts forward and the front surface of the tilt part 132 and the substrate 300 become parallel, the operator then pushes the handle 143 forward, and the grip part 130 is moved to the substrate as shown in FIG. Advance to the position immediately before 300 (substrate gripping position). At this time, the grip 130 moves in a straight line with the housing 213 in a state where the lower end is housed in the housing 213 of the catcher 211. Can be moved. At this time, the upper and lower gripping claws 133 and 134 are in a released state, that is, the lower gripping claw 133 is lowered and the upper gripping claw 134 (upper gripping member 135) is in a raised state. When the gripping part 130 reaches the substrate gripping position, the operator operates the switch 144 to clamp the substrate 300. When a clamp operation is instructed by the operator, first, the lower gripping claws 133 are raised, the lower gripping claws 133 are brought into contact with the bottom surface of the substrate 300, and then the upper gripping member 135 is lowered to move the upper gripping force. The claw 134 contacts the upper surface of the substrate 300. When the force (clamping force) applied to the substrate 300 exceeds a predetermined value, the lower gripping claw 133 and the upper gripping claw 134 stop moving up and down. The clamping force is controlled by, for example, motor torque control, and is controlled so that a constant force is always applied to the substrate 300 while the substrate 300 is held. When the gripping (holding) of the substrate 300 by the lower gripping claws 133 and the upper gripping claws 134 is completed in this way, the operator operates the switch 144 so that the tilt part 132 that has been tilted forward is in a vertical state. Return to. Subsequently, the operator pulls the handle 143 so that the substrate 300 is sufficiently separated from the substrate mounting table 201 to retract the grip portion 130. When the retraction of the grip portion 130 is completed, the operator operates the switch 144 to raise the arm portion 120 and remove the lower end portion of the grip portion 130 from the accommodating portion 213 of the catcher 211.

  After that, the operator operates the handle 143 to place the substrate 300 held by the holding unit 130 on the substrate mounting table 202, and moves the holding unit 130 together with the arm unit 120 and the body unit 110 (rotating body unit 112). For example, the grip 130 is moved to a position generally facing the substrate mounting table 202 while being rotated clockwise. Then, when the gripper 130 is moved to a position where the lower end of the gripper 130 is located above the accommodating part 213 of the catcher 212, the operator operates the switch 144 to lower the arm part 120 to move the gripper 130. Is accommodated in the accommodating portion 213 of the catcher 212. When the accommodation of the lower end portion of the gripping unit 130 is completed, the operator pushes the handle 143 forward to advance the gripping unit 130 to a position immediately before the substrate mounting table 202 (substrate mounting position). When the substrate placement position is reached, the operator operates the switch 144 to tilt the tilt part 132 forward by a predetermined angle as shown in FIG. As a result, the substrate 300 is placed on the substrate mounting table 202 while leaning on the substrate mounting table 202 while being held by the holding unit 130. Next, the operator operates the switch 144 to unclamp the substrate 300. When an unclamping operation is instructed by the operator, first, the upper gripping member 135 is raised, the upper gripping claw 134 is separated from the upper surface of the substrate 300, and then the lower gripping claw 133 is lowered to lower the lower gripping. The claw 133 is separated from the bottom surface of the substrate 300. When the release of the substrate 300 is completed in this way, the operator pulls the handle 143 so that the grip portion 130 is sufficiently separated from the substrate 300 placed on the substrate platform 202 and moves the grip portion 130 backward. Thereafter, the operator operates the switch 144 to return the tilting part 132 that is tilted forward to a vertical state, and further raises the arm part 120 so that the lower end part of the gripping part 130 is moved to the accommodating part of the catcher 212. Remove from 213.

  As described above, the substrate 300 is transferred from the substrate mounting table 201 to the substrate mounting table 202. An operator can easily transfer a substrate by using the substrate transfer apparatus 100. Here, the transfer of the substrate 300 is performed with the tilt unit 132 tilted forward, but in the case of a device that transfers the substrate with the transfer source or transfer destination being vertical, the tilt operation is performed. Is no longer necessary.

  Next, the board | substrate position alignment mechanism provided in each holding claw 133,134 is demonstrated. The substrate alignment mechanism is a mechanism for holding a substrate to be gripped with each gripping nail at a predetermined fixed position of each gripping nail (in this embodiment, the position on the tip side of each gripping nail). It is a mechanism for moving the substrate in each gripping claw so as to be gripped. By providing a substrate alignment mechanism for each gripping nail, the substrate is moved to the tip side at each gripping nail regardless of the position where the substrate first contacts each gripping nail when the gripping operation is started, and the gripping operation is completed. At the time, it is possible to ensure that the substrate is held at the tip side position by each holding claw.

  The substrate alignment mechanism is provided in each of the gripping claws 133 and 134, but the structure of the substrate alignment mechanism provided in each of the two upper gripping claws 134 is the same, and the substrate provided in the lower gripping claw 133 is provided. Since the alignment mechanism has substantially the same structure as that of the upper gripping claws 134, the following description will mainly focus on the substrate alignment mechanism provided on one of the upper gripping claws 134.

  5-10 is a figure for demonstrating the board | substrate position alignment mechanism provided in the upper side grip nail | claw 134. FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the peripheral portion of the upper gripping claw 134, FIG. 6 shows a side view of the peripheral portion of the upper gripping claw 134, and FIG. 7 shows a bottom view of the peripheral portion of the upper gripping claw 134. . 8 to 10 are sectional views of the upper gripping claw 134, FIG. 8 is an AA enlarged sectional view of FIG. 5, and FIG. 9 is an BB enlarged sectional view of FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the upper gripping claw 134 is attached to the end portion of the upper gripping member 135 by mounting members 401 and 402. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the upper gripping claw 134 includes a base portion 410, an intermediate slider 420, a moving plate 430, a front guide member 440, a rear guide member 450, and a first linear guide. A member 460 and a second linear motion guide member 470 are provided.

  The base portion 410 is a member that serves as a base for the upper gripping claws 134. The intermediate slider 420 is a member that is disposed between the base portion 410 and the moving plate 430 and moves back and forth along the bottom surface of the base portion 410. The moving plate 430 is a member that is disposed below the intermediate slider 420 and moves back and forth along the bottom surface of the intermediate slider 420. The first linear motion guide member 460 is a member that is disposed between the base portion 410 and the intermediate slider 420 and restricts the movement of the intermediate slider 420 relative to the base portion 410 to linear motion. The second linear motion guide member 470 is a member that is disposed between the intermediate slider 420 and the moving plate 430 and restricts the movement of the moving plate 430 relative to the intermediate slider 420 to linear motion. As shown in FIG. 10, in this embodiment, the first linear motion guide member 460 and the second linear motion guide member 470 are each two linear elements arranged at intervals (in the left-right direction in the figure). Consists of guides.

  The base portion 410 has a base end portion fixed to the attachment member 401. An intermediate slider 420 is attached to the base portion 410 via a first linear guide member 460 so as to be movable back and forth. That is, the linear guide rail 461 that constitutes the first linear motion guide member 460 is fixed to the bottom surface (the downward surface in FIG. 8) of the base portion 410, and the linear guide slider that constitutes the first linear motion guide member 460. (Slide unit) 462 is fixed to the upper surface of the intermediate slider 420 (upward surface in FIG. 8). As will be described later, the bottom surface of the base portion 410 is inclined at a predetermined angle (for example, 1 °) with respect to the upper surface (horizontal surface) of the base portion 410, and the intermediate slider 420 is moved back and forth along the inclined surface. Will move.

  Furthermore, a movable plate 430 is attached to the intermediate slider 420 via a second linear guide member 470 so as to be movable back and forth. That is, the linear guide rail 471 constituting the second linear motion guide member 470 is fixed to the bottom surface (the downward surface in FIG. 9) of the intermediate slider 420, and the linear guide slider constituting the second linear motion guide member 470. 472 is fixed to the upper surface of the moving plate 430 (the upward surface in FIG. 9). As will be described later, the bottom surface of the intermediate slider 420 is also assembled as a part of the upper gripping claw 134 with a predetermined angle (for example, the bottom surface of the base portion 410 and the bottom surface of the base portion 410). Is inclined at 1 ° in the opposite direction, and the movable plate 430 moves back and forth along the inclined surface.

  A front guide member 440 is fixed to the front end side of the base portion 410, and a rear guide member 450 is fixed to the rear end side of the intermediate slider 420. The front guide member 440 is a member that serves as a reference for substrate alignment, and is a member that contacts the front surface of the substrate and restricts the forward movement of the substrate (fixed guide). On the other hand, the rear guide member 450 is a member (moving guide) that contacts the rear surface of the substrate and pushes the substrate forward (in the direction in which the front guide member 440 is present) to move the substrate forward. The gap between the front guide member 440 and the rear guide member 450 is slightly wider than the thickness (maximum value) of the substrate to be gripped in the initial state before the gripping operation starts. In between, the board | substrate used as a holding | grip object fits.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the upper gripping claw 134 includes a first urging member 480 and a second urging member 490. As shown in FIG. 10, in this embodiment, the first urging member 480 and the second urging member 490 are each formed by two tension coil springs arranged at intervals (in the left-right direction in FIG. 10). It is configured.

  The first biasing member 480 is disposed between the base portion 410 and the intermediate slider 420 and biases the intermediate slider 420 rearward (in a direction away from the front guide member 440) with respect to the base portion 410. is there. In the tension coil spring constituting the first biasing member 480, one hook is hooked on a columnar member 411 (a groove formed on the side surface) erected on the bottom surface of the base portion 410, and the other hook is The base member 410 and the intermediate slider 420 are attached to each other by being hooked by a columnar member 421 (a groove formed on the side surface thereof) erected on the upper surface of the intermediate slider 420. In a state where no external force is applied, the intermediate slider 420 is pulled rearward by the first biasing member 480, and the rear end side surface of the intermediate slider 420 is in contact with the inner side surface of the base portion 410 ( The state shown in FIG. That is, when no external force is applied, the distance between the front guide member 440 and the rear guide member 450 is maintained in the most open state.

  On the other hand, the second urging member 490 is disposed between the intermediate slider 420 and the moving plate 430 and urges the moving plate 430 backward (in the direction in which the rear guide member 450 is present) with respect to the base portion 410. Is. In the tension coil spring constituting the second urging member 490, one hook is hooked on a columnar member 411 (a groove formed on the side surface) erected on the bottom surface of the base portion 410, and the other hook is It is attached to the base part 410 and the moving plate 430 by being hooked on a columnar member 431 (groove formed on the side surface thereof) erected on the upper surface of the moving plate 430. When assembled as a part of the upper gripping claw 134, the bottom surface of the intermediate slider 420 is inclined downward toward the front, so that it moves even when no external force is applied (the substrate is not in contact). The plate 430 is biased forward by gravity (along the bottom surface of the intermediate slider 420). However, since the moving plate 430 is also urged rearward (along the bottom surface of the intermediate slider 420) by the second urging member 490, the forward force due to gravity and the rearward direction due to the second urging member 490. The moving plate 430 is stationary at a position where the force is balanced. As a result, the moving plate 430 comes to rest at a position where the portion in contact with the substrate 300 can be seen from between the front guide member 440 and the rear guide member 450.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the upper gripping claw 134 includes a detection member 403 and an optical sensor 404 for detecting the presence or absence of the substrate 300. The detection member 403 is a member that can rotate around the rotation shaft 405, and includes a protruding portion 406 that contacts the end surface of the substrate 300 when the upper gripping claw 134 grips the substrate 300. When the upper gripping claw 134 grips the substrate 300, when the upper gripping claw 134 is lowered and the protrusion 406 of the detection member 403 contacts the upper end surface of the substrate 300, the detection member 403 is centered on the rotation shaft 405. Begins rotating counterclockwise. When the detection member 403 rotates more than a certain angle, a part of the detection member 403 blocks the light for detecting the object of the optical sensor 404, and the presence of the detection member 403 is directly detected. Then, the presence of the substrate 300 is detected. When the substrate 300 is released, when the upper gripping claw 134 rises and the substrate 300 starts to move away from the protruding portion 406 of the detection member 403, the detection member 403 is moved to the substrate by the torsion coil spring provided on the rotation shaft 405. When the substrate 300 starts to rotate in the direction opposite to the direction of gripping and the substrate 300 does not contact the protruding portion 406 of the detection member 403, the protruding portion 406 is below the bottom surface of the moving plate 430 as shown in FIGS. It stops in a state where it protrudes (initial state). In the initial state, the object detection light of the optical sensor 404 is not blocked by the detection member 403, so the absence of the detection member 403 is detected directly, and as a result, there is no substrate indirectly. Detected.

  Next, details of each component constituting the substrate alignment mechanism will be described. In the following description as well, the upper surface and the bottom surface of each component are determined based on the state assembled as a part of the upper gripping claw 134 as described above.

  FIG. 11 is a view showing the structure of the base portion 410. FIG. 4A is a bottom view of the base portion 410, FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 4A, and FIG. It is BB sectional drawing.

  As shown in the figure, the base portion 410 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, an opening is formed in the bottom surface thereof, and a first linear motion guide member 460, an intermediate slider 420, and a second linear motion are formed therein. A space 412 for accommodating the guide member 470, the moving plate 430 and the like is formed.

  Two holes 413 for fixing the base portion 410 to the attachment member 401 are formed at one end in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 410. A hole 414 for fixing the front guide member 440 is formed in the center of the other end portion in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 410. In addition, between the two holes 413 formed at one end, it extends linearly from the end on the side where the two holes 413 are formed to the vicinity of the hole 414 formed at the other end. A notch 415 is formed. The notch 415 is provided for arranging the detection member 403 described above. And the protrusion part 417 is formed in the inner surface (bottom surface of the base part 410) of the upper wall 416 of the base part 410 so that the both sides and the front-end | tip of the said notch 415 may be enclosed, The inner surface of the wall 416 is separated into two regions.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, the thickness of the upper wall 416 of the base portion 410 is formed so as to become thinner at a constant rate toward the front (side with the hole 414). That is, the inner side surface of the upper wall 416 is formed to be inclined at a certain angle (for example, 1 °) with respect to the outer side surface of the upper wall 416. As a result, in a state where the base portion 410 is assembled as a part of the upper gripping claw 134 (the state shown in FIG. 8), the inner surface of the upper wall of the base portion 410 is inclined so as to rise at a certain angle toward the front. Will do.

  Further, the upper wall 416 of the base portion 410 has four holes 418 for fixing the linear guide rail 461 constituting the first linear motion guide member 460, and a tension coil spring constituting the first biasing member 480. Holes 419 for inserting and fixing the cylindrical member 411 for hooking the hook are formed on both sides of the protruding portion 417, respectively.

  FIG. 12 is a view showing the structure of the front guide member 440. The figure (a) is a top view, the figure (b) is a front view, and the figure (c) is a side view.

  As shown in the figure, the front guide member 440 includes a guide main body 441 and an attachment portion 442.

  The guide body 441 is a part that abuts the front surface of the substrate and restricts the forward movement of the substrate. That is, it becomes a reference for the alignment of the substrate, and the substrate is aligned when the substrate abuts against the guide body 441 and stops moving in the forward direction. As shown in the figure, the guide body 441 has a substantially elongated rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, and the surface facing the substrate minimizes the portion in contact with the substrate, so that the front surface (vertical surface) of the substrate is minimized. In addition, a notch 443 is formed on the surface facing the substrate to avoid interference with the tip of the moved moving plate 430 on the surface facing the substrate. ing.

  The mounting portion 442 is a rectangular parallelepiped portion for fixing the front guide member 440 to the base portion 410, and is provided at the center in the longitudinal direction of the guide main body 441 so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Yes. A hole 444 for fixing the front guide member 440 to the base portion 410 is formed on the upper surface of the attachment portion 442 (the surface in contact with the base portion 410).

  FIG. 13 is a view showing the structure of the intermediate slider 420 and the rear guide member 450. The figure (a) is a top view, The figure (b) is a front view, The figure (c) is AA sectional drawing of the figure (a), The figure (d) is, It is BB sectional drawing of the figure (a).

  As shown in the figure, the intermediate slider 420 includes two slide portions 422 and a connecting portion 423 that connects the two slide portions 422. Each of the slide portions 422 has an elongated flat plate shape, two holes 424 for fixing the slider 462 of the linear guide constituting the first linear motion guide member 460 to the upper surface, and the second linear motion guide. Three holes 425 for fixing the rail 471 of the linear guide constituting the member 470 to the bottom surface and holes for inserting and fixing the columnar member 421 for hooking the hook of the tension coil spring constituting the first biasing member 480 426 is formed. Further, the corners outside the rear end of the slide portion 422 (the lower left corner and the lower right corner in FIG. 5A) are cut into a shape that avoids interference with the columnar member 411 standing on the bottom surface of the base portion 410. It is missing.

  As shown in FIG. 6C, each slide portion 422 is formed to increase in thickness at a certain rate toward the front (upward direction in FIG. 10C). When the upper surface is arranged in parallel with the inner wall of the upper wall of the base part 410, the bottom surface of each slide part 422 is inclined at a certain angle (for example, 1 °) in the opposite direction to the inner wall of the upper wall of the base part 410. become. That is, when assembled as a part of the upper gripping claw 134, the bottom surface of each slide portion 422 is inclined so as to descend at a certain angle toward the front with respect to the upper surface (horizontal plane) of the base portion 410. become.

  Moreover, the connection part 423 is a part which connects the two slide parts 422 in the one edge part, Comprising: As shown in the same figure (b), it has a U-shape in front view. In addition, two holes 427 for fixing the rear guide member 450 are formed in the connecting portion 423.

  On the other hand, as shown in the figure, the rear guide member 450 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the surface 451 facing the rear surface of the substrate minimizes the portion in contact with the substrate. It is formed so as to form a predetermined angle (for example, 2 °) with respect to the rear surface (vertical surface). Further, the rear guide member 450 is formed with two holes 452 for fixing the rear guide member 450 to the bottom surface of the connecting portion 423 (surface opposite to the slide portion 422).

  FIG. 14 is a view showing the structure of the moving plate 430. The figure (a) is a top view, The figure (b) is AA sectional drawing of the figure (a).

  As shown in the figure, the moving plate 430 includes a main body portion 432 and two leg portions 433 provided on both sides of one side of the main body portion 432.

  The main body portion 432 is a portion that abuts against the end surface of the substrate, has a substantially rectangular flat plate-like outer shape, and has a rectangular shape at the center of the end portion on the front end side in order to avoid interference with the mounting portion 442 of the front guide member 440. A notch 434 having a shape is formed. Also, two holes 435 for fixing the linear guide slider 472 constituting the second linear motion guide member 470 are formed in the vicinity of the left and right sides of the main body 432.

  The leg portions 433 each have a rectangular flat plate shape, and are provided on both the left and right sides of the rear end of the main body portion 432 so as to avoid interference with the connecting portion 423 of the intermediate slider 420. Further, a hole 436 for inserting and fixing a columnar member 431 for hooking a hook of a tension coil spring constituting the second urging member 490 is formed in a portion of the leg portion 433 from the main body portion 432.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, the moving plate 430 is formed so that the thickness is reduced at a constant rate toward the front (upward in the same figure), and the upper surface is at a constant angle with respect to the bottom surface. (For example, 1 °). That is, when assembled as a part of the upper gripping claws 134, the bottom surface (downward surface in FIG. 8) of the moving plate 430 is formed to be parallel to the upper surface (horizontal surface) of the base portion 410.

  Next, the operation of the substrate alignment mechanism having the above structure will be described.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the substrate alignment mechanism. FIG. 4A shows a state before alignment, and FIG. 4B shows a state after alignment.

  First, as the gripping operation starts, the upper gripping claw 134 descends and the end surface of the movable plate 430 comes into contact with the substrate 300 as shown in FIG. An upward force acts on the intermediate slider 420 (via the member 470). As a result, the moving plate 430 starts moving rearward (in the direction in which the rear guide member 450 is present) along the slope formed on the bottom surface of the intermediate slider 420, and the intermediate slider 420 is formed on the bottom surface of the base portion 410. The movement is started forward (in the direction in which the front guide member 440 is present) along the slope. As the moving plate 430 moves rearward, the substrate 300 that contacts the moving plate 430 also moves rearward together with the moving plate 430 due to friction.

  As described above, when the movement plate 430 and the substrate 300 are moved rearward (relative to the intermediate slider 420) and the intermediate slider 420 is moved forward as the upper gripping claws 134 are lowered, the intermediate slider is eventually added. The rear guide member 450 fixed to 420 comes into contact with the rear surface of the substrate 300.

  When the rear guide member 450 comes into contact with the rear surface of the substrate 300, the substrate 300 is pushed forward by the rear guide member 450, so that the substrate 300 and the moving plate 430 stop moving backward, Together with the intermediate slider 420 and the rear guide member 450, the forward movement is started.

  Thus, when the substrate 300 starts to move forward, the front surface of the substrate 300 comes into contact with the front guide member 440 as shown in FIG. When the front surface of the substrate 300 comes into contact with the front guide member 440, the substrate 300 and the moving plate 430 stop moving forward, and accordingly, the intermediate slider 420 and the rear guide member 450 also stop moving forward. That is, the substrate 300 stops moving while being aligned with the distal end side of the upper gripping claw 134 and is gripped (pressed) by the upper gripping claw 134 at the position.

  Note that when the upper gripping claw 134 is lifted to release the gripped substrate 300 and the moving plate 430 does not contact the substrate 300, an upward force does not act, so the intermediate slider 420 and the rear guide member 450 is pulled rearward by the first biasing member 480 and starts moving rearward, and the rear end side surface of the intermediate slider 420 is in contact with the inner side surface of the base portion 410 (shown in FIG. 8). Stand still). Further, the moving plate 430 stops at a position where the forward force due to gravity and the backward force due to the second urging member 490 are balanced.

  In the substrate positioning mechanism of the upper gripping claw 134, by performing the above-described operation, at the time when the gripping operation is completed, regardless of the position of the moving plate 430 when the substrate 300 is abutted at the start of the gripping operation, The substrate 300 is held in a state where the front surface of the substrate 300 is in contact with the front guide member 440, that is, in a state where the front surface is aligned with the front end side.

  As described above, the lower gripping claw 133 is also provided with the same substrate positioning mechanism as that of the upper gripping claw 134. The substrate positioning mechanism of the lower gripping claw 133 is also the substrate of the upper gripping claw 134. It operates in the same manner as the alignment mechanism, but the lower gripping claw 133 faces the moving plate 430 of the intermediate slider 420 as the gripping claw is reversed (the state is upside down in FIG. 15 and the like). Since the inclination of the surface to be moved is opposite (so as to descend toward the rear), the lower gripping claw 133 causes the second biasing member 490 to move the moving plate 430 in order to stop the moving plate 430 at an appropriate position. It is necessary to energize not forward but forward (in a direction away from the rear guide member 450). Therefore, in the lower gripping claw 133, the second urging member 490 is configured by, for example, a compression coil spring instead of a tension coil spring. In this case, the moving plate 430 stops at a position where the backward force due to gravity and the forward force due to the second biasing member 490 are balanced. In this embodiment, the width of the lower gripping claw 133 (in the left-right direction) is twice that of the upper gripping claw 134 (see FIG. 1). The width of the portion 410, the intermediate slider 420, the moving plate 430, etc. is twice the width of the base portion 410, the intermediate slider 420, the moving plate 430, etc. that constitute the upper gripping claws 134, and the lower gripping claws 133 are not associated therewith. Then, each of the linear motion guide members 460 and 470 is configured with, for example, twice as many linear guides (that is, four) as the upper gripping claws 134.

  Since each gripping claw of the substrate transfer apparatus 100 has the above-described structure, a fixed position (in each gripping claw (when the gripping operation is completed) regardless of the position of the substrate at the start of the gripping operation ( That is, the substrate is held at the tip side position). As a result, the orientation of the gripped substrate does not vary, and the substrate can be easily delivered to a processing apparatus or the like that requires accurate alignment.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, naturally, embodiment of this invention is not restricted to said thing. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the substrate is gripped at the front end side position of each gripping nail, but the substrate is gripped at another position, for example, the rear end side position of the gripping nail. It is also possible. In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to each gripping claw that comes into contact with the upper end surface and the lower end surface of the substrate has been described. However, the present invention is applied to each gripping claw that comes into contact with both end surfaces of the substrate. It is also possible. In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is basically applied to a gripping device that grips a substrate while standing is described. However, the gripping device that grips a substrate in a laid state (for example, horizontally). It is also conceivable to apply the present invention to the above.

It is the perspective view which looked at the substrate transfer apparatus 100 by this invention from the front side diagonally upward. It is the perspective view which looked at the board | substrate transfer apparatus 100 by this invention from the back side diagonally upward. It is a rear view of the substrate transfer apparatus 100 by this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the usage method of the board | substrate transfer apparatus. 4 is a plan view of a peripheral portion of an upper gripping claw 134. FIG. 4 is a side view of a peripheral portion of an upper gripping claw 134. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a peripheral portion of an upper gripping claw 134. FIG. It is an AA expanded sectional view of FIG. It is BB expanded sectional drawing of FIG. It is CC sectional drawing of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the base part. It is a figure which shows the structure of the front guide member 440. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the intermediate | middle slider 420 and the rear surface guide member 450. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the movement plate 430. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of a board | substrate position alignment mechanism.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Substrate transfer apparatus 110 trunk | drum 111 trunk | drum base part 112 rotation trunk | drum 120 arm part 121 1st arm 122 2nd arm 130 grip part 131 tilt base part 132 tilt part 133 lower side grip claw 134 upper side grip claw 135 upper side grip member 141 Liquid Crystal Display with Touch Panel 142 Monitor 143 Handle 144 Switch 201, 202 Substrate Placement 211, 212 Catcher 213 Housing 214 Linear Guide 300 Substrate 401, 402 Mounting Member 403 Detection Member 404 Photosensor 405 Rotating Shaft 406 Projection 410 Base 411 Columnar member 412 Space 413,414 Hole 415 Notch 416 Upper wall 417 Projection part 418,419 Hole 420 Intermediate slider 421 Columnar member 422 Slide part 423 Connection 424 to 427 Holes 430 Moving plate 431 Columnar member 432 Body portion 433 Leg portion 434 Notch 435, 436 Hole 440 Front guide member 441 Guide body 442 Mounting portion 443 Notch 444 Hole 450 Rear guide member 452 Hole 460 First linear motion Guide member 461 Rail 462 Slider 470 Second linear motion guide member 471 Rail 472 Slider 480 First bias member 490 Second bias member

Claims (11)

It has a gripping claw that comes into contact with the end of the plate-like body,
The gripping claw is
A base part;
An intermediate slider part movable back and forth with respect to the base part;
A movable plate part movable back and forth with respect to the intermediate slider part;
A fixed guide portion that is provided on the base portion, abuts against one surface of the plate-like body, and regulates the movement of the plate-like body;
A moving guide portion that is provided on the intermediate slider portion, abuts against the other surface of the plate-like body, and pushes the plate-like body in a direction with the fixed guide portion;
When the end surface of the plate-like body comes into contact with the moving plate portion, the intermediate slider portion starts moving in a direction in which the fixed guide portion is located, and the moving guide portion has one surface of the plate-like body being A gripping device, wherein the other surface of the plate-like body is pushed until it comes into contact with the fixed guide portion. The surface of the base portion facing the intermediate slider portion is inclined such that the intermediate slider portion starts moving in the direction of the fixed guide portion when the end surface of the plate-like body comes into contact with the movable plate portion. The gripping device according to claim 1, comprising: The gripping device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the end surface of the plate-like body comes into contact with the moving plate portion, the moving plate portion starts moving in a direction in which the moving guide portion is located. The surface of the intermediate slider portion that faces the moving plate portion is such that when the end surface of the plate-like body abuts on the moving plate portion, the moving plate portion starts moving in a direction in which the moving guide portion is located. The gripping device according to claim 3, wherein the gripping device has an inclination. When the end surface of the plate-like body comes into contact with the moving plate portion, the moving plate portion starts moving in a direction in which the moving guide portion is located, and the intermediate slider portion is moved in a direction in which the fixed guide portion is located. Start moving,
When the other surface of the plate-like body abuts on the movement guide part, the movement plate part stops moving in a certain direction of the movement guide part,
5. The intermediate slider portion stops moving in a certain direction of the fixed guide portion when one surface of the plate-like body abuts on the fixed guide portion. The gripping device according to one item. The gripping claw is
First linear motion guide means for guiding the movement of the intermediate slider portion with respect to the base portion;
The gripping device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising second linear motion guide means for guiding the movement of the movable plate portion with respect to the intermediate slider portion.   The gripping device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a plurality of the gripping claws. The plurality of gripping claws are configured by an upper gripping claw that abuts on an upper end portion of the plate-like body and a lower gripping claw that abuts on a lower end portion of the plate-like body. The gripping device described. The gripping apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the upper gripping claw and the lower gripping claw can move up and down, respectively. The upper gripping claw is
First biasing means for biasing the intermediate slider portion in a direction away from the fixed guide portion;
The gripping device according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising: a second urging unit that urges the moving plate portion in a direction in which the moving guide portion is located. The lower gripping claw is
First biasing means for biasing the intermediate slider portion in a direction away from the fixed guide portion;
The gripping device according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising: a second urging unit that urges the moving plate portion in a direction away from the moving guide portion.

Images