JP2008297046A - Air flow controlling method, and storage warehouse facility - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To supply clean air to a part near a rail, and to locally and promptly exhaust air including dust near the rail, without diffusing dust generating articles caused by rail traveling of a mobile body device in a room. <P>SOLUTION: Toward a position near the rail where at least wheels 62 of the mobile body device 60 pass through, clean air is brown off from a clean air blowoff device 40. Air including dust generated by the traveling of the mobile body device 60 is sucked and exhausted by an exhaust device 50 opposite to the clean air blowoff device 40 over rails 30a, 30b with the clean air blown out from the clean air blowoff device 40. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an airflow control method and a storage warehouse facility, and more particularly, an airflow control method for preventing dust generated due to rail running in a storage warehouse for storing stored items such as liquid crystal substrates from diffusing in the storage warehouse. And storage warehouse equipment.

  The liquid crystal substrate is generally accommodated in a semi-exposed state in a cassette type case (hereinafter referred to as “cassette”). In such a storage warehouse room for liquid crystal substrates, there are a plurality of storage shelves for storing the liquid crystal substrates accommodated in the cassette, a stacker crane that moves through the storage warehouse room and transports the cassette, and a stacker crane A rail serving as an operation area and a cleaning air supply device for supplying cleaning air are provided. The stacker crane moves up and down while holding the cassette and travels on rails with wheels.

  In Patent Document 1, in order to prevent a decrease in cleanliness near the floor surface, clean air is blown sideways into the stocker (storage shelf) from the fan filter unit to pass through the stocker and from the suction port near the floor surface. Inhalation is described.

Patent Document 2 states that the turbulent flow generated in the vicinity of the stacker crane (lateral side or rear side) during the movement of the stacker crane is not forced to diffuse upward, in the vicinity of the stacker crane (lateral side or rear side). Thus, it is described that an air flow from the upper side to the lower side is formed.
JP 2006-256794 A JP 2004-299813 A

  Stacker cranes that run on rails have a sealed structure as much as possible to suppress dust generation.However, dust is inevitably generated from exposed areas, and dust is spilled into the storage warehouse room while running on rails. It will be scattered. In particular, the wheel and rail slide and wear, and dust generated due to this slides up.

  Since the methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are controlled by the airflow of the entire room, the dust generated from the stacker crane is once released into the storage warehouse and diffused. That is, since the clean air supplied to the entire room is excessively supplied and the generated dust is to be suppressed from the air flow of the entire room, the amount of clean air supplied to the room is increased.

  In view of the above-described problems associated with dust generation in a storage warehouse room, the present invention locally removes clean air toward the vicinity of the rail without diffusing dust generated due to rail travel of the mobile device in the room. An object of the present invention is to provide an airflow control method and a storage warehouse facility that can supply and exhaust air including dust near the rail locally and quickly.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is directed to a rail on which a mobile device for transporting stored items travels, a clean air blowing device for blowing clean air, and air containing dust to be exhausted. An airflow control method in a storage warehouse room provided with an exhaust device, wherein clean air is blown out from the clean air blowing device toward a position where at least the wheels of the mobile device near the rail pass, and the mobile body The air containing dust generated by the running of the apparatus, together with the clean air blown from the clean air blowing device, is sucked and exhausted by the exhaust device facing the clean air blowing device across the rail. An airflow control method is provided.

  Here, there are various modes in which the clean air blowing device and the exhaust device are arranged facing each other across the rail. First, an aspect in which the air blowing surface of the clean air blowing device and the air intake surface of the exhaust device are arranged to face each other (facing) straight across the rail, and second, the air blowing surface and the exhaust device of the clean air blowing device. There is a mode in which the air intake surface is disposed diagonally across the rail.

  According to this configuration, the clean air is supplied to at least the position near the rail through which the wheels of the mobile device pass, and the clean air is blown out by the clean air blowing device that blows out the clean air and the exhaust device that faces the rail. Since a so-called push-pull airflow is formed from the blowing device across the rail to the exhaust device at the shortest distance, air containing dust near the rail is exhausted locally and quickly. Therefore, the dust generated due to the rail travel of the mobile device can be exhausted locally and quickly without diffusing in the storage warehouse room.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the clean air blowing device and the exhaust device facing each other with the rail interposed therebetween form a first airflow crossing the rail. A second air flow is formed by the clean air blowing device and the exhaust device which are adjacent to each other along the rail.

  According to this configuration, even when the first air flow between the clean air blowing device and the exhaust device facing each other across the rail is interrupted by the moving body device, the clean air blowing devices adjacent to each other along the rail. And the second airflow formed by the exhaust device can prevent the dust from diffusing into the storage warehouse.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the invention, the position of the mobile device is detected, and based on the position detected by the position detection unit, the mobile device is arranged around the mobile device. Provided is an airflow control method characterized by linking the clean air blowing device and the exhaust device which are positioned.

  According to this configuration, since it is possible to operate the necessary clean air blowing device and the exhaust device only when the mobile device is generating dust, it is possible to prevent the diffusion of dust at a low running cost.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rail on which a mobile body device that transports stored items travels, and a plurality of rails disposed along the rail, and at least a position near the rail where a wheel of the mobile body device passes. A clean air blowing device that blows out clean air, and a plurality of air disposed along the rail so as to face the clean air blowing device across the rail, and air containing dust generated by running of the mobile device, There is provided a storage warehouse facility comprising an exhaust device that sucks and exhausts together with clean air blown from the clean air blowing device.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the storage warehouse facility according to claim 4, wherein the clean air blowing device and the exhaust device are arranged adjacent to each other along the rail. I will provide a.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the moving body is based on a position detecting unit that detects a position of the moving body device and a position detected by the position detecting unit. There is provided a storage warehouse facility comprising a control unit that performs control for interlocking the clean air blowing device and the exhaust device positioned around the device.

  According to the present invention, clean air is locally supplied toward the vicinity of the rail and the air containing the dust in the vicinity of the rail is locally distributed without diffusing dust generated due to the rail travel of the mobile device indoors. And evacuate quickly.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an entire example of a liquid crystal substrate storage warehouse room (hereinafter simply referred to as “storage warehouse room”) to which the present invention is applied.

  In FIG. 1, a storage warehouse room 20 is a clean room (clean room) for storing liquid crystal substrates to be maintained in a clean state. The storage warehouse room 20 mainly includes a storage shelf 22 for storing a liquid crystal substrate exposed and stored in a cassette-type container 12 (hereinafter referred to as “cassette”), and cleaning air 90 for the entire storage warehouse room 20. FFU 24 (fan filter unit) to be supplied, a return space 26 for circulating air to return to the FFU 24, a rail 30 on which a stacker crane 60 that transports the cassette 12 travels, and a clean that blows clean air locally to the vicinity of the rail 30 An air blowing device 40 and an exhaust device 50 that exhausts air after locally sucking air containing dust in the vicinity of the rail 30 to remove dust are configured.

  The stacker crane 60 has wheels 62 and holds a traveling carriage 64 that travels along the rail 30 as a moving region of the stacker crane 60 and a cassette 12 in which a liquid crystal substrate as a stored item is exposed and accommodated. A fork 66 that moves the position in the vertical direction and the like is provided.

  The airflow property of the entire storage warehouse room 20 will be described. In the storage warehouse room 20, an airflow is formed in which the clean air 90 blown out from the FFU 24 is sucked into the return space 26 as the return air 91. In such an air flow, the stacker crane 60 moves to a target position such as a position near the storage shelf 22 or a position near the manufacturing apparatus (not shown) by the traveling carriage 64 while holding the cassette 12 by the fork 66. . During the movement, dust is generated by sliding between the stacker crane 60 and an object in contact therewith. In recent years, by improving the sealing degree of the stacker crane 60 itself, dust generation from the inside of the stacker crane 60, which is a moving body, has been greatly reduced, but it is difficult to take measures against exposed sliding portions. . In particular, it is difficult to eliminate dust generation from the wheels 62 and the rails 30, and the stacker crane 60 moves at a high speed (for example, 2 to 3 m / s or more), so that dust generated from the wheels 62 and the rails 30 is generated. There is concern that the stacker crane 60 moves up and spreads into the storage warehouse room 20 as it moves. Therefore, the clean air blowing device 40 that blows clean air toward at least the position where the wheel 62 of the stacker crane 60 passes in the vicinity of the rail 30 and the clean air blowing device 40 across the rail 30 are arranged to face the stacker crane. On the floor of the storage warehouse room 20, an exhaust device 50 that sucks in air containing dust generated by running 60 together with clean air blown from the clean air blowing device 40 and exhausts the dust after removing the dust is provided. The shortest distance from the clean air blowing device 40 across the rail 30 to the exhaust device 50 by the supply of air (clean air blowing) of the clean air blowing device 40 and the intake of the exhaust device 50 (suction of air containing dust). Thus, a so-called push-pull airflow is formed, so that dust that is generated due to the traveling of the stacker crane 60 is prevented from being rolled up, and the cleanliness in the storage warehouse room 20 is maintained.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of the storage warehouse room 20a of FIG. 1, mainly including a cross section of the rail 30 (30a, 30b), a traveling carriage 64 of the stacker crane 60, a clean air blowing device 40, and an exhaust device 50. Show.

  In FIG. 2, the clean air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50 are arranged so as to face each other with the pair of rails 30 (30a, 30b) interposed therebetween. The clean air blowing device 40 mainly includes a blower 44 and a high performance air filter 43 (HEPA filter: High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter). The exhaust device 50 of this example has the same configuration as the clean air blowing device 40. That is, the exhaust device 50 of this example includes the same blower 44 as the clean air blowing device 40 and the same high-performance air filter (HEPA filter) 43 as the clean air blowing device 40. A so-called push-pull airflow is formed from the clean air blowing device 40 across the rail 30 to the exhaust device 50 by the clean air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50 facing each other across the rail 30.

  The push-pull airflow formation space having both the end surfaces of the surface (air blowing surface) for blowing clean air 77 of the clean air blowing device 40 and the surface (intake surface) for sucking air 78 of the exhaust device 50 is used as a traveling carriage for the stacker crane 60. 64 passes. In other words, when the stacker crane 60 passes between the clean air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50, the clean air blowing device 40 is in a space through which the traveling carriage 64 passes (at least a space through which the wheels 62 pass). While the clean air 77 is blown out sideways, the exhaust device 50 sucks in an airflow including dust flowing through the space through which the traveling carriage 64 passes, removes the dust, and then exhausts the air. In chronological order, not only the period in which the traveling carriage 64 passes between the clean air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50 but, in particular, the traveling carriage 64 between the clean air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50. The air supply and exhaust by the clean air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50 are continued within a certain time after the air passes.

  In this way, the polluted air around the lower portion of the traveling carriage 64 is sucked by the exhaust device 50, passed through the high-performance filter 53, and exhausted to the storage warehouse room 20 or the let-in space 26. Therefore, even if the stacker crane 60 moves and generates dust due to the wear of the rails 30 and the wheels 62, the dust caused by the rail travel is removed and diffusion in the storage warehouse room 20 is prevented. Further, by exhausting air after passing through the high-performance filter 53, an improvement in the cleanliness of the air in the storage warehouse room 20 can be expected.

  In particular, contamination including dust in the push-pull airflow formation space is carried by a push-pull airflow synthesized by a blown airflow (push airflow) from the clean air blowing device 40 and a suction airflow (pull airflow) of the exhaust device 50. Since the exhausted air quickly reaches the exhaust device 50, the air around the lower portion of the traveling carriage 64 can be locally exhausted more efficiently than when the exhaust device 50 alone is exhausted.

  FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of a storage warehouse 20b according to another embodiment. In FIG. 3, the same components as those of the storage warehouse room 20a shown in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the already described contents is omitted.

  The exhaust device 500 of this example includes an exhaust chamber 55, a blower 54, a high performance filter 43, and an exhaust flow path 45 that connects the exhaust chamber 55, the blower 54, and the high performance filter 43.

  In order to improve the exhaust efficiency of the polluted air by the push-pull airflow, in general, the supply air volume per hour from the clean air blowing device 40 (the blown air volume per hour of the blower 44 of the clean air blowing device 40). It is desirable to increase the exhaust air volume per hour of the exhaust device 50 (the air flow per hour of the blower 54 of the exhaust device 50). Although it depends on the supply air volume, the exhaust air volume, the distance between the intake port and the exhaust port, etc., it is generally desirable that the exhaust air volume be at least three times the supply air volume.

  According to the structure shown in FIG. 3, it is easy to make the exhaust air volume larger than the air supply air volume, and the size of the exhaust port and the place to exhaust can be set freely.

  In addition, instead of exhausting the air, from which dust has been removed by the exhaust device (50 in FIG. 2 and 500 in FIG. 3) and cleaning it to the letter space 26 in FIG. 1, it is exhausted outside the storage warehouse room 20. Also good.

  4 (a) to 4 (c) and FIG. 5 show examples of installation layouts of the clean air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50. FIG.

  FIG. 4A shows a first installation layout example. In this installation layout, a plurality of clean air blowing devices 40 are continuously arranged along the laying direction on one side (left side in the figure) of the pair of rails 30a and 30b, and the exhaust device 50 is arranged on the pair of rails 30a. , 30b is continuously arranged along the laying direction on the other side (right side in the drawing), and the clean air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50 are straightened across the pair of rails 30a, 30b. They were placed facing each other. The so-called push-pull air flow from the clean air blowing device 40 to the exhaust device 50 is usually such that the air blowing surface of the clean air blowing device 40 and the air intake surface of the exhaust device 50 are opposed to each other with the pair of rails 30a and 30b interposed therebetween. The rails 30a and 30b are formed so as to be orthogonal to the laying direction.

  FIG. 4B shows a second installation layout example. In this installation layout, a plurality of clean air blowing devices 40 are intermittently arranged along the laying direction on one side (left side in the drawing) of the pair of rails 30a and 30b, and the exhaust device 50 is arranged on the pair of rails 30a. , 30b are arranged intermittently along the laying direction on the other side (right side in the drawing), and the clean air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50 are straightened across the pair of rails 30a, 30b. They were placed facing each other. The so-called push-pull air flow from the clean air blowing device 40 to the exhaust device 50 is usually such that the air blowing surface of the clean air blowing device 40 and the air intake surface of the exhaust device 50 are opposed to each other with the pair of rails 30a and 30b interposed therebetween. The rails 30a and 30b are formed so as to be orthogonal to the laying direction.

  FIG. 4C shows a third installation layout example. In this installation layout, a plurality of clean air blowing devices 40 are intermittently arranged along the laying direction on one side (left side in the drawing) of the pair of rails 30a and 30b, and the exhaust device 50 is arranged on the pair of rails 30a. , 30b are intermittently arranged along the laying direction on the other side (right side in the drawing), and the clean air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50 are diagonally opposed to each other with the pair of rails 30a, 30b interposed therebetween. Arranged. The air blowing surface of the clean air blowing device 40 and the air intake surface of the exhaust device 50 face each other across the pair of rails 30a and 30b, and so-called push-pull airflow from the clean air blowing device 40 toward the exhaust device 50 is usually The rails 30a and 30b are formed so as to cross each other obliquely.

  FIG. 5 shows a fourth installation layout example. In this installation layout, a plurality of clean air blowing devices 40 and a plurality of exhaust devices 50 are alternately arranged along the laying direction on both sides (the left side and the right side in the figure) of the pair of rails 30a and 30b. In addition, the clean air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50 are disposed so as to face each other across the pair of rails 30a and 30b. In addition, the clean air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50 are arranged adjacent to each other along the laying direction of the rail 30, and the adjacent clean air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50 are connected by the connection chamber 80. Yes.

In this example, the rails 30a, cleaned are opposed to each other across the 30b air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50 (e.g., an exhaust system of the clean air blowing device and the reference numeral _{50 -21} numerals _{40 -11)} are in pairs while running, the stacker crane 60 is an obstacle that is moving, the rails 30a, the across the 30b clean faces the air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50 (e.g., reference numeral 40 _-12 clean air blowing device and the code 50 when the air does not flow between _-22 exhaust system), the rails 30a, 30b exhaust device and the clean air blowing device 40 are adjacent to each other along the laying direction 50 (e.g., code _{40 -12} of clean air A local circulating airflow is formed between the blow-out device and the exhaust device (reference numeral _50-11 or reference numeral _50-12 ) to prevent dust from diffusing into the storage warehouse room 20.

  Further, in order to realize the operation with energy saving, as shown in FIG. 5, a position detector 82 that detects the position of the stacker crane 60 and a stacker that moves based on the position detected by the position detector 82. A control unit 84 that performs control for interlocking the clean air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50 located around the crane 60 is provided. A detection signal is input from the position detector 82 to the controller 84. Further, the control unit 84 outputs an air supply control signal instructing each air purification device 40 to start and stop air supply, and exhausts instructing each exhaust device 50 to start and stop exhaust. Output a control signal.

  The position detection part 82 is comprised by a known sensor, for example, and arrange | positions along the rails 30a and 30b. The control unit 84 is configured by, for example, a microcomputer and its peripheral circuits.

For example, in FIG. 5, reference numeral _{50 -11} located around the stacker crane 60 is moving, reference numeral _{50 -21} and clean air blowing device and the reference numeral _{40 -11} numeral _{50 -22,} reference numeral _{40 -12} and only exhaust system code _{40 -21} performs supply and exhaust, the other clean air blowing device _{50 -12,} 50 _{-13, 50 -23} and other exhaust devices _{40 -13} 40 _{-22, 40 -23} supply and exhaust Stop. Thereby, dust can be efficiently removed at a low running cost.

  The interlock control process between the clean air blowing device 40 and the exhaust device 50 has been described using the fourth installation layout example shown in FIG. 5, but is not particularly limited to such a case, and FIGS. It goes without saying that the interlock control process may be performed in the first, second, and third installation layout examples shown in FIG.

  The case where the stored item is a liquid crystal substrate has been described above as an example, but another stored item that should be kept clean may be used. For example, the present invention may be applied to a storage warehouse room that stores semiconductor substrates (wafers). Moreover, it is not specifically limited when accommodated in a cassette.

  The present invention is not limited to the examples described in the present specification and the examples illustrated in the drawings, and various design changes and improvements may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Sectional drawing which shows the whole of an example of the storage warehouse room to which this invention is applied Enlarged view showing the main part of an example of a storage warehouse room Enlarged view showing the main part of another example of the storage warehouse room (A) is a plan view showing a first installation layout example, (b) is a plan view showing a second installation layout example, (c) is a plan view showing a third installation layout example, A plan view showing a fourth installation layout example;

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 ... Cassette, 20 (20a, 20b) ... Storage warehouse room, 22 ... Storage shelf (storage part), 24 ... FFU (clean air supply device), 26 ... Lettan space, 30 (30a, 30b) ... Rail, 40 ... Clean air blowing device, 44, 54 ... Blower, 43 ... High performance filter, 50, 500 ... Exhaust device, 55 ... Exhaust chamber, 56 ... Exhaust flow path, 60 ... Stacker crane, 62 ... Stacker crane wheel, 64 ... Stacker Crane traveling carriage, 66 ... Stacker crane fork, 80 ... Connection chamber, 82 ... Position detection unit, 84 ... Control unit

Claims (6)

An airflow control method in a storage warehouse room comprising a rail on which a mobile device that transports stored items travels, a clean air blowing device that blows clean air, and an exhaust device that sucks and exhausts air containing dust,
Clean air is blown out from the clean air blowing device toward at least a position in the vicinity of the rail where the wheels of the moving body device pass, and air containing dust generated by the traveling of the moving body device is discharged into the clean air blowing device. An airflow control method, wherein the air is sucked and exhausted together with the clean air blown out from the air by the exhaust device facing the clean air blowing device across the rail.   The clean air blowing device and the exhaust device facing each other across the rail form a first air flow that crosses the rail, and the clean air blowing device adjacent to each other along the rail and the The airflow control method according to claim 1, wherein the second airflow is formed by the exhaust device.   The position of the mobile device is detected, and based on the position detected by the position detector, the clean air blowing device and the exhaust device positioned around the mobile device are interlocked. The airflow control method according to claim 1 or 2. A rail on which a mobile device for transporting stored items travels;
A plurality of clean air blowing devices that are arranged along the rails and blow out clean air toward the position where at least the wheels of the mobile device near the rail pass,
A plurality of clean airs that are arranged along the rails so as to face the clean air blowing device across the rails, and that contain dust generated by the traveling of the mobile device, and are blown from the clean air blowing device. An exhaust system that inhales and exhausts with,
Storage warehouse equipment characterized by comprising.   The storage warehouse facility according to claim 4, wherein the clean air blowing device and the exhaust device are arranged adjacent to each other along the rail. A position detector for detecting the position of the mobile device;
Based on the position detected by the position detection unit, a control unit that performs control for interlocking the clean air blowing device and the exhaust device located around the mobile body device;
The storage warehouse facility according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising:

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