JP2012222051A - Plate-like member transfer system, plate-like member transfer method, plate-like member housing system and plate-like member housing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a plate-like member transfer system which can transfer a plate-like member at high speed by minimizing an operation required for transferring the plate-like member.SOLUTION: The plate-like member transfer system for sequentially transferring a plurality of plate-like members 12 comprises: a housing cassette 11; a sending side lifting device 22; and a first transfer device 35. In the housing cassette 11, the plurality of plate-like members 12 are arranged in a horizontal posture in a vertical direction and housed. The sending side lifting device 22 has the housing cassette 11 installed therein and lowers the housing cassette 11. In addition, the first transfer device 35 on which the plurality of plate-like members 12 housed in the housing cassette 11 are sequentially placed when the housing cassette 11 is lowered by the sending side lifting device 22, and sequentially transfers the placed plate-like members 12 forward in the horizontal posture.

Description

  The present invention relates to a plate-like member transfer system for transferring a plate-like member such as a film or a glass plate, a transfer method thereof, a plate-like member storage system for storing the plate-like member in a storage cassette, and a storage method thereof.

  In the process apparatus, plate-like members such as films and glass plates are housed in a plurality of sheets in a storage cassette, which is taken out from the storage cassette one by one by a transfer robot and processed. The plate-like members processed by the process apparatus are also transferred one by one by the transfer robot and stored in the storage cassette. As an example of the transfer robot that transfers the plate-like members one by one in this way, there is a transfer robot described in Patent Document 1, for example.

  When transferring a glass substrate, the transfer robot described in Patent Document 1 first moves the hand unit forward and inserts it into the storage cassette (advance operation), and then raises the hand unit to move the hand unit under the glass substrate. Insert the unit (ascending operation). Next, the glass substrate is held by the hand unit (holding operation), and the hand unit is moved backward to be moved out of the storage cassette (unloading operation). Further, the hand unit is lowered to place the glass substrate on the roller unit (lowering operation), and is moved as it is toward the processing device (process device) by the hand unit (transfer operation). When the glass substrate is carried in, the glass substrate is stored in the storage cassette in the reverse procedure.

International Publication No. 2007/105310

  However, in the transfer robot described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to perform five operations in order to transfer from the storage cassette to the processing apparatus. Therefore, the transfer time from the storage cassette to the processing apparatus becomes long, and the transfer time per glass substrate becomes long.

  Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide a plate-like member transfer system and a method for transferring the plate-like member capable of minimizing the operation required for transferring the plate-like member and transferring the plate-like member at high speed. It is.

  In addition, a second object of the present invention is to store the plate-like member capable of transferring and storing the plate-like member at a high speed in a storage cassette while minimizing the operation required for transferring the plate-like member. It is providing the plate-shaped member storage system which can be, and its storage method.

  The plate-shaped member transfer system for sequentially transferring a plurality of plate-shaped members according to the present invention includes a storage cassette for storing the plurality of plate-shaped members arranged in a vertical position in a horizontal posture, and the storage cassette mounted thereon, A lowering device for lowering the cassette, and when the storage cassette is lowered by the lowering device, the plurality of plate-like members stored in the storage cassette are sequentially placed, and the placed plate-like members are And a delivery-side transfer device that sequentially transfers in a predetermined direction in a horizontal posture.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of plate-like members stored in the storage cassette can be placed in a horizontal state by only two operations, the lowering operation of the storage cassette by the lowering device and the transfer operation of the plate-like member by the first transfer device. It can be transferred in a predetermined direction. In other words, a plurality of plate-like members stored in the storage cassette can be directly transferred to the first transfer device and sent out in a predetermined direction. Thus, since the operation | movement required for transfer can be suppressed to the minimum, a plate-shaped member can be sequentially transferred (sent out) at high speed.

  In the above invention, the delivery side transfer device is a conveyor extending in the predetermined direction, the storage cassette has a pair of side walls facing each other and extending in the vertical direction, and the pair of side walls Each side of the conveyor extends in the vertical direction, and has a support portion that holds both ends of the plurality of plate-like members so that the plurality of plate-like members are aligned in the vertical direction in a horizontal posture. The lowering device is configured such that the plurality of plate-like members held on the pair of side portions are sequentially placed on the conveyor by lowering the pair of side portions. preferable.

  If the said structure is followed, the lowermost plate-shaped member accommodated in the storage cassette can be mounted in order in the predetermined direction of a conveyor by the downward operation | movement of a descending apparatus. Accordingly, the plurality of plate-like members stored in the storage cassette can be transferred in a predetermined direction in a horizontal state by only two operations of the lowering operation by the lowering device and the transfer operation by the first transfer device. be able to.

  In the above invention, a control device is provided for controlling the operation of the lowering device and the delivery-side transfer device, the control device controls the operation of the delivery-side transfer device, and the next plate-like member is the delivery side. It is preferable that the plate-like member placed on the delivery-side transfer device is transferred before being placed on the transfer device.

  If the said structure is followed, the several plate-shaped member accommodated in the accommodation cassette can be sequentially transferred to a predetermined direction, without mutually overlapping.

In the above invention, the operation is controlled by the control device, and the plate is transported by the delivery-side transport device from a placement position where the plate-like member is placed to a predetermined transfer end position separated in the predetermined direction. A transfer robot that holds and transfers the shaped member,
The control device operates the delivery-side transfer device intermittently, and when the delivery-side transfer device is stopped, the plate-like member is placed by the lowering device and the plate-like shape by the transfer robot. It is preferable that the holding operation of the member is executed in synchronization.

  If the said structure is followed, control of delivery of the plate-shaped member between each apparatus will become easier than the case where it performs while operating a 1st transfer apparatus, and a plate-shaped member can be delivered reliably. Moreover, the stop time of a 1st transfer apparatus can be shortened by synchronizing mounting operation and holding | maintenance operation | movement. Thereby, transfer time can be shortened, simplifying control of each apparatus.

  In the above invention, it is preferable that the control device is configured to stop the transfer operation of the plate-like member by the delivery-side transfer device only during the placement operation and the holding operation.

  If the said structure is followed, since the 1st transfer apparatus is operated except the delivery of the plate-shaped member between each mechanism and apparatus, the stop time of a transfer apparatus can be shortened further. Thereby, transfer time can be shortened and transfer efficiency can be improved.

  In the above invention, the lowering device is configured to lower the storage cassette by a first servo motor, and the sending-side transfer device is configured to transfer the placed plate-shaped member by a second servo motor, The first servo motor and the second servo motor are preferably configured to be position-controlled by a control device.

  According to the above configuration, the plate-like member can be transferred from the storage cassette in a predetermined direction while controlling the position. That is, the lowering device and the first transfer device can function as a plate-like member feeding device capable of controlling the position of the plate-like member. Accordingly, the transferred plate-like member can be suitably transferred by, for example, a transfer robot. Further, since the position of the plate member can be controlled, the accuracy of the transfer position and arrival time (timing) of the plate member is improved when the plate member is transferred to the transfer robot. Thereby, the transfer by the transfer robot can be speeded up.

  In the above invention, the control device controls the lowering of the storage cassette in the lowering device so as to decelerate and stop the storage cassette after accelerating the storage cassette from a stopped state to a predetermined first speed, and the acceleration at that time And preferably configured to control the deceleration.

  If the said structure is followed, a plate-shaped member can be mounted, adjusting a timing from a storage cassette to a 1st transfer apparatus by controlling the acceleration and deceleration of a storage cassette. Therefore, the speed at which the plate-like member is placed from the storage cassette to the first transfer device can be improved, and the accuracy of the placement position can be improved.

  In the above invention, the control device controls the transfer of the plate-like member in the sending-side transfer device so as to decelerate and stop after the plate-like member is accelerated from a stopped state to a predetermined second speed, and It is preferable to be configured to control the acceleration and deceleration at that time.

  According to the said structure, a plate-shaped member can be mounted, adjusting a timing from a storage cassette to a 1st transfer apparatus by controlling the acceleration and deceleration in the transfer of the said plate-shaped member. Therefore, the speed at which the plate-like member is placed from the storage cassette to the first transfer device can be improved, and the accuracy of the placement position can be improved.

In the above invention, the delivery-side transfer device has an adsorption mechanism that adsorbs the lower surface of the plate-like member to be transferred,
It is preferable that the suction mechanism is configured to start suction on the lower surface of the plate-like member when the plate-like member is placed and release suction in the transfer end region.

  If the said structure is followed, the shift | offset | difference of the plate-shaped member on the 1st transfer apparatus at the time of transfer can be prevented, and it can be moved at high speed, maintaining a predetermined attitude | position. Thereby, it can transfer to a transfer completion area | region from a mounting area in a short time, and the precision of the transfer completion area arrival position of a plate-shaped member can be improved. Further, since the suction is released, the plate-like member can be delivered reliably.

  A plate-shaped member storage system for sequentially storing a plurality of plate-shaped members according to the present invention includes a storage cassette for storing the plurality of plate-shaped members arranged in a vertical position in a horizontal posture, and the storage cassette mounted thereon, A lowering device for lowering the cassette, and when the storage cassette is lowered by the lowering device, the plurality of plate-like members stored in the storage cassette are sequentially placed, and the placed plate-like members are And a delivery-side transfer device that sequentially transfers in a predetermined direction in a horizontal posture.

  According to the above configuration, a plurality of plate-like members are arranged in a horizontal state in the vertical direction by only two operations of transferring the plate-like member by the storage transfer device and the raising operation of the storage cassette by the lifting device. It can be stored in a storage cassette. As described above, since the plurality of plate-like members can be transferred and stored with a minimum operation, the storage time of the plate-like member can be shortened, and the storage efficiency can be improved.

  The plate-like member transfer method of the present invention includes a storage cassette for storing a plurality of plate-like members arranged in a vertical direction in a horizontal posture, a lowering device to which the storage cassette is attached and lowers the storage cassette, When the storage cassette is lowered by the lowering device, a plurality of plate-like members stored in the storage cassette are sequentially placed, and the placed plate-like members are sequentially transferred in a predetermined direction in a horizontal posture. A plate-like member transfer method for a plate-like member transfer system, comprising: a transfer device, wherein the storage cassette is lowered by the lowering device and the plate-like member is placed on the delivery-side transfer device. And a first transfer step of transferring the plate-like member placed in the placement step in the predetermined direction by the delivery side transfer device, the placement step and the first transfer step, Repeats sequentially It is a method that has been.

  According to the above configuration, the plurality of plate-like members stored in the storage cassette are in a horizontal state by only the two operations of lowering the storage cassette by the lowering device and transferring the plate-like member by the first transfer device. Can be transferred in a predetermined direction. As described above, since the plurality of plate-like members can be transferred with a minimum operation, the transfer time of the plate-like member can be shortened, and the transfer efficiency can be improved.

  In the above invention, the plate-like member transfer system is configured to transfer the plate-like member transferred to a predetermined transfer end region separated in a predetermined direction from a placement region on which the plate-like member is placed by the delivery side transfer device. It is preferable to include a transfer process that includes a transfer robot that holds and transfers the plate-like member that has been transferred to the transfer end region by the transfer process and that transfers and holds the plate member by the transfer robot.

  According to the said structure, a plate-shaped member can be transferred.

  In the above invention, a storage cassette for storing a plurality of plate-shaped members arranged in a vertical direction in a horizontal posture, a lifting device that is mounted with the storage cassette and lifts the storage cassette, and the plate-shaped members are sequentially transferred. And a storage transfer device that transfers the plate-like member transferred to the transfer area from the mounted position to the transfer completion position, and the storage cassette is moved by the lifting device. Plate members configured to sequentially store the plate members transferred to the transfer completion position by the storage transfer device in the storage cassette so as to be lined up and down in a horizontal posture when raised. A plate-like member storage method for a storage system, wherein the plate-like member to be sequentially transferred is transferred to the transfer completion position by the storage transfer device, and is moved forward by the lifting device. And a storage step of storing the plate-shaped member which is transferred before described transfer completion position to raise the accommodating cassette in a horizontal position, it is preferable that the transfer process and the storage process is sequentially repeated.

  According to the above configuration, a plurality of plate-like members are arranged in a horizontal state in the vertical direction by only two operations of transferring the plate-like member by the storage transfer device and the raising operation of the storage cassette by the lifting device. It can be stored in a storage cassette. Since the plurality of plate-like members can be accommodated with such a small amount of operation, the accommodation time of the plate-like member can be shortened and the accommodation efficiency can be improved.

  According to the transfer system and the transfer method of the present invention, the operation required for transferring the plate-like member can be minimized, and the plate-like member can be transferred at high speed.

  Further, according to the storage cassette, the plate-like member of the present invention can be stored in such a manner that the operation required for transferring the plate-like member can be minimized and the plate-like member can be transferred and stored at high speed. .

It is a block diagram which shows process processing equipment provided with the transfer system and storage system of this invention. It is an enlarged plan view which expands and shows the transfer system shown in FIG. It is the right view which looked at the transfer system shown in FIG. 2 from the right side. It is an enlarged plan view which expands and shows the raising / lowering apparatus shown in FIG. It is the right view which looked at the raising / lowering apparatus shown in FIG. 4 from the right side. It is an enlarged plan view which expands and shows the 1st transfer apparatus shown in FIG. 2, (a) shows the state which is transferring the plate-shaped member, (b) removes the plate-shaped member from (a). Shows the state. It is the right view which looked at the 1st transfer device shown in Drawing 6 (b) from the right side. It is an enlarged plan view which expands and shows the inversion system shown in FIG. It is the rear view which looked at the inversion system shown in FIG. 8 from back. It is an enlarged plan view which expands and shows the inversion apparatus shown in FIG. It is the rear view which looked at the inversion apparatus shown in FIG. 10 from back. It is an enlarged plan view which expands and shows the 2nd transfer apparatus shown in FIG. It is the rear view which looked at the 2nd transfer device shown in Drawing 12 from back. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the equipment process performed with a processing equipment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the transfer process performed with a transfer system. It is a graph which shows the cycle time of the raising / lowering apparatus, 1st transfer apparatus, and 1st delta robot during a transfer process. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the inversion process performed with an inversion system. It is the rear view which illustrated the inversion apparatus in operation | movement in the inversion process. It is the rear view which illustrated the inversion apparatus in operation | movement in the inversion process. It is the rear view which illustrated the inversion apparatus in operation | movement in the inversion process. It is a graph which shows the cycle time of the inversion apparatus and 2nd transfer apparatus in inversion processing. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the storage process performed with a storage system.

  Hereinafter, the plate-shaped member transfer system 1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as “transfer system 1”) and the plate-shaped member reversing system 2 (hereinafter simply referred to as “reversing system”) according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings described above. 2) and a plate-like member storage system 3 (hereinafter simply referred to as “storage system 3”) will be described. The concept of directions such as up and down, left and right, and front and rear in the following description is used for convenience of explanation, and suggests that the arrangement and orientation of those components are limited to that direction with respect to the processing equipment 4. It is not a thing. The processing equipment 4 described below is only one embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and can be added, deleted, and changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

<Process processing equipment>
The processing facility 4 is a facility for performing process processing on plate-like members such as films, glass substrates, and semiconductor wafers. As shown in FIG. 1, the processing facility 4 includes a transfer system 1, a first process device 5, a reversing system 2, a second process device 6, and a storage system 3. The transfer system 1 transfers a plurality of plate-like members 12 (see FIG. 2 etc.) stored in the storage cassette 11A (see FIG. 2 etc.) one by one and transfers them onto the first tray 13 (see FIG. 2). It is comprised so that it may carry. The first process device 5 includes a first transport mechanism 14 (see FIG. 2) such as a belt conveyor, and the first transport mechanism 14 moves the first tray 13 on which the plate-like member 12 is transferred by the transport system 1. A process process is performed on the surface of the plate-like member 12 on the first tray 13 while being conveyed.

  The reversing system 2 takes out the plate-like member 12 surface-treated by the first process device 5 from the first tray 13 and reverses it one by one so that the back surface is directed upward, and to the second tray 15 (see FIG. 8). It is configured to be transferred. The second process device 6 includes a second transport mechanism 16 (see FIG. 8) such as a belt conveyor, and the second transport mechanism 16 moves the second tray 15 on which the plate-like member 12 is transferred by the reversing system 2. A process process is performed on the back surface of the plate-like member 12 on the second tray 15 while being conveyed. The storage system 13 is configured to transfer a plurality of plate-like members 12 whose back surfaces are processed by the second process device 6 one by one and store them in a storage cassette 11B (see FIG. 6).

  The processing equipment 4 having the apparatus and the system configured as described above takes out a plurality of plate-like members 12 stored in the storage cassette 11A one by one from each of them, performs a process process on both sides, and has processed the plate-like members. 12 can be stored again one by one in the storage cassette 11B. Below, the structure of the transfer system 1, the inversion system 2, and the storage system 3 is explained in full detail.

[Transport system]
The transfer system 1 has a transfer robot 20 as shown in FIGS. The transfer robot 20 is a 6-axis robot, and a hand 21 is attached to the tip of the hand. The hand 21 is configured to hold the storage cassette 11. The transfer robot 20 is configured to move the stored storage cassette 11 and attach it to the sending-side lifting device 22. The storage cassette 11 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box, and extends in the up-down direction while being attached to the sending-side lifting device 22.

  More specifically, the storage cassette 11 has a pair of side walls 11a facing each other and extending in the vertical direction as shown in FIGS. The pair of side walls 11a are provided with a plurality of support portions 11g on opposing surfaces (that is, inner peripheral surfaces). The support portion 11g is positioned so as to face the support portion 11g provided on the other side wall 11a. Thereby, the two support parts 11g which oppose hold | maintain the both ends of the plate-shaped member 12 in a horizontal state. In addition, a plurality of support portions 11g are provided on the pair of side walls 11a at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction, whereby the plurality of plate-like members 12 are placed in a horizontal posture in the storage cassette 11 in the vertical direction. It can be stored side by side.

  Moreover, the ceiling part 11b and the bottom part 11c are provided in the upper end part and lower end part of a pair of side wall 11a. The bottom part 11c is formed in a substantially U shape, and has an opening groove 11d in the central part thereof. Further, a back plate 11e is provided on the back of the pair of side walls 11a, that is, on the back side of the storage cassette 11 so as to close the side. On the other hand, the front side of the storage cassette 11 is open, and the opening groove 11d of the bottom 11c is open on the front side. The storage cassette 11 configured as described above is attached to the sending-side lifting device 22 as described above.

  The sending-side lifting device 22 moves the mounted storage cassette 11 up and down. In the present embodiment, only one sending-side lifting device 22 is provided, but a plurality of sending-side lifting devices 22 may be provided in parallel. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the sending-side lifting device 22 extends in the vertical direction, and includes a lifting motor 23, a ball screw mechanism 24, and a lifting platform 25. The elevating motor 23 is a so-called servo motor, and is configured such that the amount of angular displacement can be controlled (that is, the position can be controlled). A drive pulley 26 is provided on the output shaft of the elevating motor 23. By rotating the drive pulley 26, a belt 27 stretched thereon drives the ball screw mechanism 24. Yes.

  The ball screw mechanism 24 includes a passive pulley 28, a ball screw 29, and a slide portion 30. The passive pulley 28 has a belt 27 stretched thereon, and is rotated by rotating the driving pulley 26. The passive pulley 28 is attached to a ball screw 29 that is rotatably supported, and rotates together with the ball screw 29. A slide part 30 is attached to the ball screw 29, and the ball screw 29 moves up and down as it rotates. Further, a lift 25 is attached to the slide portion 30.

  The lifting platform 25 is attached to the slide portion 30 and is provided at a base portion 25a that is divided into two forks and extends forward, and at a base end portion (rear end portion) of the base portion 25a, and extends upward. And a backrest portion 25b. The base portion 25a has a substantially flat upper surface, and the bottom portion 11c of the storage cassette 11 can be placed and mounted thereon. At this time, the back plate 11e of the storage cassette 11 is disposed along the backrest 25b. The back plate 11e has lock pieces (not shown) extending in the left-right direction on both side surfaces thereof. The lock piece is located on the bottom 11c side of the back plate 11e and faces the backrest 25b. The backrest 25b is provided with a lock mechanism 31.

  The lock mechanism 31 has a pair of lock members 32 and a roller 33. The lock member 32 is provided on each of the left and right sides of the backrest portion 25b, and an intermediate portion thereof is swingably attached to the backrest portion 25b. When the lock member 32 is positioned in the locked state, the front end portion of the lock member 32 covers the lock piece from above. Therefore, when the lock member 32 is positioned in the locked state, the storage cassette 11 placed on the lifting platform 25 is locked so as not to be lifted upward. On the other hand, the lock member 32 swings so that the rear end portion is lowered when positioned in the unlocked state, and the front end portion retreats from above the lock piece. Thereby, the storage cassette 11 placed on the lifting platform 25 can be detached.

  Further, a roller 33 is attached to the rear end portion of the lock member 32, and a cam plate 34 is provided at a position facing the roller 33. The cam plate 34 is a plate-like member that is positioned in the upper part of the sending-side lifting device 22 and extends in the vertical direction. The lower portion 34a of the cam plate 34 is inclined rearward, and the rear end portion of the lock member 32 is pushed downward by the roller 33 riding on the lower portion 34a. When the roller 33 rides on the upper portion 34b of the cam plate 34, the front end portion is completely lifted so that the storage cassette 11 is unlocked. Thus, the delivery side lifting device 22 can unlock the storage cassette 11 by moving the lifting platform 25 to the upper portion thereof. On the other hand, when the lifting platform 25 is lowered from the upper portion thereof, the rear end portion of the lock member 32 is lifted and the storage cassette 11 is locked. A first transfer device 35 is provided below the lifting platform 25.

  The first transfer device 35 which is a sending-side transfer device is a so-called belt conveyor, and transfers the plate member 12 forward while adsorbing the plate-like member 12. The first transfer device 35 extends in the front-rear direction as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and includes a base body 36, a delivery motor 37, a pulley 38, a conveyor belt 39, and a plurality of rollers 40. I have. The base body 36 extends in the front-rear direction and is provided on a base 41 erected in the up-down direction. The base body 36 has four box-shaped parts 36a to 36d, and is configured by arranging these in parallel in the front-rear direction.

  The main body portion 36a, which is one of the four box-shaped portions 36a to 36d, is provided on the base 41, and the lifting device side delivery portion 36b is connected to the rear thereof. The lifting device side delivery part 36b is located between the front end side parts of the base part 25a which are divided into two forks in plan view. Further, the lifting device side delivery portion 36b is located between the pair of side walls 11a of the storage cassette 11 mounted on the lifting platform 25 in a plan view and is located in the opening groove 11d of the bottom portion 11c.

  The main body 36a has an extension 36c connected to the front thereof, and a robot-side delivery portion 36d attached to the front of the extension 36c. The robot-side delivery portion 36d is attached to the extending portion 36c via a cylinder mechanism 42, and the cylinder mechanism 42 can finely adjust the position in the front-rear direction.

  The base 41 is provided with a sending motor 37. The sending motor 37, which is the second servo motor, is a so-called servo motor, and is configured such that the amount of angular displacement can be controlled (that is, the position can be controlled). The sending motor 37 is connected to a pulley 38 via a belt 37a. A conveyor belt 39 is hung on the pulley 38. The conveyor belt 39 is endless, is provided along the upper surface of the base 36, and extends from the front end to the rear end of the upper surface of the base 36. The conveyor belt 39 slides on the base body 36 by driving a delivery motor 37. Thus, when the delivery motor 37 is driven, the plate-like member 12 on the conveyor belt 39 is transferred forward along the base 36. Further, rollers 40 are respectively provided at the front and rear end portions and the intermediate portion of the base body 36, and tension is applied to the conveyor belt 39 by the rollers 40.

  The back surface of the conveyor belt 39 to which tension is applied in this way is in contact with the upper surface of the substrate 36 and is made of a low friction material. Thereby, the friction between the conveyor belt 39 and the base body 36 is reduced. On the other hand, the pulley 38 has teeth formed on the outer peripheral portion around which the conveyor belt 39 is hung so as to increase the frictional resistance, and prevents slippage between the pulley 38 and the pulley 38. Thus, the drive of the delivery motor 37 can be reliably transmitted to the conveyor belt 39, and the position control of the plate-like member 12 transferred by the conveyor belt 39 is improved.

  In addition, a protruding piece is formed on the entire circumference of the conveyor belt at the center portion in the width direction on the back surface of the conveyor belt 39. In addition, grooves are formed in the four box-shaped portions 36a to 36d at positions corresponding to the protruding pieces of the conveyor belt 39 (that is, the central portions of the box-shaped portions 36a to 36d). It is inserted. Accordingly, the conveyor belt 39 can be slid on the base body 36 without greatly shifting or relying on the conveyor belt 39. Moreover, this groove | channel is formed wider than a protrusion piece, and the box-shaped parts 36a-36d are connected by this groove | channel.

  Further, the box-shaped portions 36a to 36d are provided with suction ports 43a to 43e, respectively, and suction devices such as a pump (not shown) are connected to the suction ports 43a to 43e. An isolation wall 44 is provided in the main body 36a, and the inside is divided into two regions 44a and 44b. The suction ports 43a and 43b are connected to these two regions, respectively. The conveyor belt 39 is formed with a plurality of intake holes 39a. The conveyor belt 39 forms a suction mechanism 45 by the base 36 and a suction device (not shown), and the suction mechanism 45 can suck the plate-like member 12 on the conveyor belt 39. Yes. The intake holes 39a are arranged in two rows in the width direction of the conveyor belt 39 and formed over the entire circumference. In addition, it is preferable to arrange the intake holes 39a so that all the intake holes 39a are hidden by the plate-like member 12 on the conveyor belt 39 during the transfer.

  Further, the suction ports 43a to 43e can be switched between suction and release separately, and the pressure states in the four box-shaped portions 36a to 36d and the regions 44a and 44b can be switched separately. It can be done. The conveyor belt 39 is divided into regions (specifically, five regions) corresponding to the four box-like portions 36a to 36d and the two regions 44a and 44b on the base body 36, and each of the regions is attracted and sucked. The release can be switched. Thereby, the 1st transfer apparatus 35 can cancel | release adsorption | suction of the robot side delivery part 36d, maintaining adsorption | suction of parts other than the robot side delivery part 36d of the base | substrate 36. FIG. A first delta robot 50 is provided at the first transfer end position on the robot-side delivery unit 36d where the suction is released in this way.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first delta robot 50, which is a transfer robot, is provided on the ceiling of the frame 51, and includes a main body 52, three arm mechanisms 53, a mounting portion 54, and a suction hand. 55. The upper portion of the main body 52 is fastened to the ceiling portion of the frame 51, and three arm mechanisms 53 are attached to the lower portion thereof at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The three arm mechanisms 53 have the same configuration, and only one arm mechanism 53 will be described below, and the other description will be omitted.

  The arm mechanism 53 includes first and second arm portions 53a and 53b. The first arm portion 53 a is swingably attached to the lower portion of the main body 52, and extends in a substantially horizontal direction so as to be separated from the main body 52. A second arm portion 53b is swingably attached to a distal end portion of the first arm portion 53a, and the second arm portion 53b is configured by a parallel link and extends downward. The second arm portion 53 b of each arm mechanism 53 has a lower end portion connected to one attachment portion 54. The arm mechanism 53 moves the mounting portion 54 in the up-down direction, the left-right direction, and the front-back direction while keeping the horizontal state by moving the joint portion that is swingably mounted by a drive motor (servo motor) (not shown). (For example, refer to the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3). A suction hand 55 is attached to the attachment portion 54.

  The suction hand 55 is a Bernoulli-type suction hand, and can suck the plate-like member 12 on the bottom surface thereof. The suction hand 55 has a hand body and four guides (not shown). The hand body has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and its outer diameter dimension is slightly smaller than that of the plate-like member in plan view. The hand main body is configured to attach the upper portion to the attachment portion 54 and suck the plate-like member 12 at the bottom surface. In addition, guides are respectively provided on the four side surfaces of the hand body. The guide extends so as to protrude downward from the bottom surface of the hand main body, and can advance and retreat in the horizontal direction with respect to the hand main body. The guide can position the plate-like member 12 near the center of the suction hand 55 by bringing them all toward the hand body.

  The first tray 13 is placed below the first delta robot 50 configured as described above, and the plate-like member 12 transferred by the first transfer device 35 is placed on the first tray 13. It has become. The first tray 13 has a plurality of sections that are partitioned and aligned according to the shape of the plate-like member 12, and the plate-like member 12 can be placed one by one in each section. Yes. The first tray 13 is placed on the first transport mechanism 14, and the first transport mechanism 14 passes the first tray 13 through the processing chamber (not shown) of the first process device 5 to the reversing system 2. It is designed to be transported.

<Inversion system>
The reversing system 2 extends in a direction orthogonal to the first process apparatus 5 extending in the front-rear direction, that is, in the left-right direction. As shown in FIGS. 61, a second transfer device 62, and a third delta robot 63. The second delta robot 60, which is an upstream transfer robot, has the same configuration as the first delta robot 50 of the transfer system 1. For the configuration, refer to the description of the first delta robot 50, and the structure A part of the explanation is omitted. The second delta robot 60 sucks and holds the plate-like member 12 by the suction hand 64 at the lower end thereof. The second delta robot 60 is located at the tip of the processing chamber of the first process apparatus 5 and sucks and holds the plate-like member 12 on the first tray 13 on the first transport mechanism 14. Yes. The second delta robot 60 is provided with a reversing device 61 so as to be adjacent thereto.

  The reversing device 61 is configured to reverse the upper and lower surfaces of the plate-like member 12 transferred in the first transfer area 65 and move it to the second transfer area 66. The reversing device 61 is provided on the base 67. Further, the reversing device 61 is located in a frame 68 where the second delta robot 60 is provided, and receives the plate-like member 12 sucked and held from the second delta robot 60.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the reversing device 61 includes a reversing motor 69, a reversing shaft 70, a pair of reversing stands 71 and 72, and a plurality of suction pads 73. The reversing motor 69 is a so-called servo motor and is attached to the base 67. The reversing motor 69 has a reversing shaft 70 as its output shaft, and rotates the reversing shaft 70. The reversing shaft 70 is a shaft member extending in the front-rear direction, and a tip end portion thereof is rotatably supported by a bearing member 70a. A pair of reversing stands 71 and 72 are attached to the middle portion of the reversing shaft 70.

  The pair of inversion tables 71 and 72 are fixed to the outer periphery of the inversion shaft 70, and are disposed at positions that are axially symmetric with respect to the axis of the inversion shaft 70. The inversion tables 71 and 72 extend from the inversion shaft 70 in directions opposite to each other. That is, one inversion table 71 extends from the inversion shaft 70 toward the second delta robot 60, and the other inversion table 72 extends in the opposite direction. The reversing bases 71 and 72 are substantially U-shaped with the front end side of the base end portion attached to the reversing shaft 70 being bifurcated, and have spaces 71a and 72a at the central portions thereof, respectively. . In addition, a plurality of suction pads 73 (four suction pads in the present embodiment) are attached to the tip side portions of the inverting tables 71 and 72.

  The suction pad 73 is connected to a suction device (not shown) through a tube 73a, and the suction device holds the back surface of the plate member 12 on the suction pad 73 by driving the suction device. . The suction pad 73 is attached toward the same direction of the reversing table 72 in the circumferential direction around the reversing shaft 70. That is, the suction pad 73 is attached to the upper surface of one reversing table 71 and is attached to the lower surface of the other reversing table 72. That is, when the reversing bases 71 and 72 are in the receiving posture, the suction pad 73 is always directed upward, and when the reversing stands 71 and 72 are in the delivery posture, the suction pad 73 is always directed downward. It has become.

  Here, the receiving posture is a posture in which the reversing stand 71 is in a horizontal posture and extends toward the second delta robot 60 (see the reversing stand 71 in FIGS. 10 and 11). The delivery posture is a posture in which the reversing stand 72 is in a horizontal posture and extends to the opposite side via the second delta robot 60 and the reversing shaft 70 (see the reversing stand 72 in FIGS. 10 and 11). . The upper side of the reversing table 71 when in the receiving position is the first transfer area 65, and the lower side of the reversing table 72 when in the delivery position is the second transferring area 65. The second transfer device 62 is located in the second transfer area 66.

  The second transfer device 62 has a configuration similar to that of the first transfer device 35 of the transfer system 1, and the configuration will mainly be described with respect to differences from the first transfer device 35, and the same configuration will be described. The description is omitted with reference to the first transfer device 35. The second transfer device 62 receives the plate-like member 12 reversed by the reversing device 61 in the second transfer area 66 and transfers the plate-like member 12 to the third delta robot 63 while sucking and holding the plate-like member 12. It has become.

  The second transfer device 62 is provided on the base 67 as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 and extends in the left-right direction so as to be bridged between the second delta robot 60 and the third delta robot 63. ing. The second transfer device 62 receives the plate-like member 12 from the reversing device 61 at one end portion (end portion on the second delta robot 60 side) 62a. In addition, the one end part 62a of the 2nd transfer apparatus 62 is settled in the space 71a, 72a of the inversion tables 71 and 72 of the inversion apparatus 61 by planar view. Thus, the reversing device 61 can rotate once without hitting the second transfer device 62. Moreover, the 2nd transfer apparatus 62 has the base | substrate 74, The conveyor belt 75 which slides along the base | substrate 74 is provided. By moving the conveyor belt 75, the plate-like member 12 can be transported to the second transfer end position of the other end portion (end portion on the third delta robot 63 side) 62b. Further, the reversing device 61 includes a suction mechanism 77 including a base body 74, a conveyor belt 75, and a suction device (not shown), and sucks the lower surface of the plate-like member 12 on the conveyor belt 75. Further, the third delta robot 63 is located at the second transfer end position.

The third delta robot 63, which is a downstream transfer robot, has the same configuration as the first delta robot 50 of the transfer system 1. For the configuration, refer to the description of the first delta robot 50, and the structure A part of the explanation is omitted. The third delta robot 63 sucks and holds the plate-like member 12 at the second transfer end position by the suction hand 76 at the lower end thereof. The second transport mechanism 16 is positioned below the third delta robot 63, and the second tray 15 is placed thereon. And
The third delta robot 63 is configured to place the plate-like members 12 sucked and held one by one on the second tray 15 on the second transport mechanism 16. The second tray 15 and the second transport mechanism 16 transport the second tray 15 to the storage system 3 through a processing chamber (not shown) of the second process device 6.

<Storage system>
The storage system 3 has the same configuration as that of the transfer system 1. For the configuration, refer to the description of the transfer system 1, and a description of the structure and the like is partially omitted. The storage system 3 stores the plate-like members 12 processed by the second process device 6 one by one in the vertical direction and stores them in the storage cassette 11. Hereinafter, a specific configuration of the storage system 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. The storage system 3 shares the transfer robot 20 with the transfer system 1, and further includes a fourth delta robot 81, a third transfer device 82, and a storage-side lifting device 83.

  The fourth delta robot 81, which is a transfer robot, has the same configuration as the first delta robot 50. The fourth delta robot 81 is located above the end point position of the second transport mechanism 16, and sucks and holds the plate-like member 12 on the second tray 15 by the suction hand 84 attached to the lower end portion thereof. It has become. The fourth delta robot 81 is configured to transfer the plate-like member 12 held by suction onto the third transfer device 82.

  The third transfer device 82 that is the storage-side transfer device has the same configuration as the first transfer device 35. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the third transfer device 82 is moved from the fourth delta robot 81 to the plate-like member 12 at one end (the robot-side delivery portion 85 a of the base 85) that is the end on the fourth delta robot 81 side. Is supposed to be received. Further, the third transfer device 82 is provided on the base body 85, and the plate-like member 12 received by the conveyor belt 86 sliding along the third transfer device 82 is received by the conveyor belt 86 at the other end (the lifting device side receiving of the base body 85). It is moved to the transfer completion position in the transfer section 85b). The third transfer device 82 sucks and holds the plate-like member 12 from the conveyor belt 86 side during transfer, so that the plate-like member 12 does not fall from the conveyor belt 86. Further, a storage-side lifting device 83 is disposed at the transfer completion position.

  The storage-side lifting device 83 has the same configuration as the sending-side lifting device 22. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the storage-side lifting device 83 can lift and lower the lifting platform 89 by a lifting motor 87 and a ball screw 88. The lifting platform 89 has a base portion 89a with a tip end portion divided into a bifurcated shape, and the lifting device side delivery portion 85b is located between the tip end portions. Further, the base portion 89a can be mounted with the storage cassette 11 mounted thereon, and the storage cassette 11 that is mounted has the lifting device side delivery portion 85b positioned in the opening groove 11d in plan view. It is supposed to be.

  The storage cassette 11 can be attached to and detached from the lifting platform 89 by the transport robot 20 by raising the lifting platform 89 and releasing the lock. The transfer robot 20 is configured to transfer the storage cassette 11 removed from the lifting platform 89 to the unloading table 90. Further, the transfer robot 20 is configured to remove the storage cassette 11 from which all the plate-like members 12 have been carried out by the transfer system 1 from the sending-side lifting device 22 of the transfer system 1 and move it to the standby table 91. The storage cassette 11 transferred to the standby table 91 is placed on the lifting platform 89 from the transfer robot 20. Hereinafter, the storage cassette 11 in which the unprocessed plate member 12 is stored is referred to as a storage cassette 11A, and the storage cassette 11 in which the unprocessed plate member 12 is not stored and the processed plate member 12 are stored. May be referred to as a storage cassette 11B.

  The processing equipment 4 configured as described above includes a control device 92 as shown in FIG. The control device 92 controls the operation of each device provided in each of the systems 1, 2, and 3, and processes the surface and the back surface of the plate-like member 12 by controlling the operation of each device. It has become. Hereinafter, the operation of each device controlled by the control device 92 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 20.

[Operation of processing equipment]
In the processing facility 4, the transfer system 1, the first process device 5, the reversing system 2, the second process device 6, and the storage system 3 are operating at the same time, and a plurality of plate-like members 12 are sequentially sent and continuously. Has been processed. Below, operation | movement of each system 1,2,3 and the apparatuses 5 and 6 in the processing equipment 4 is demonstrated along the flow of the process of the plate-shaped member 12, referring the flowchart of FIG. In the processing facility 4, all the following operations are controlled by the control device 92, and process processing starts when the loading table 93 on which the plurality of storage cassettes 11A are loaded is loaded. When the process process starts, the process proceeds to step S1.

<Transfer processing>
In step S1, which is a transfer process, the control device 92 controls each device of the transfer system 1 to take out a plurality of plate-like members 12 stored in the storage cassette 11A one by one and align them on the first tray 13. Put it on. Hereinafter, the transfer process will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.

  When the transfer process is started, first, the process proceeds to step S11. In step S <b> 11 which is the mounting process, the control device 92 moves the transfer robot 20 and holds any storage cassette 11 </ b> A placed on the carry-in table 93 in the hand 21. Thereafter, the control device 92 moves the storage cassette 11A held by the transport robot 20 to the lift platform 25 that is unlocked and empty, and places it there. In this way, the storage cassette 11A is mounted on the lifting platform 25. Thereafter, the control device 92 releases the holding of the hand 21. When the holding of the hand 21 is released, the process proceeds to step S12.

  In step S12, which is a lowering process, the control device 92 moves the sending-side lifting device 22 to lower the lifting platform 25 on which the storage cassette 11A is mounted. Specifically, when the controller 92 drives the lifting motor 23, the ball screw mechanism 24 rotates in a predetermined direction via the drive pulley 26, the belt 27, and the passive pulley 28. Thereby, the slide part 30 descend | falls and the raising / lowering stand 25 descend | falls. When the elevator 25 is lowered, the roller 33 of the lock mechanism 31 is eventually removed from the cam plate 34, and the lock member 32 swings and is positioned in the locked state. Thereby, the storage cassette 11 </ b> A is locked to the lifting platform 25.

  When the lifting platform 25 is further lowered, the lifting device side delivery portion 36b enters between the bifurcated tip end portions of the lifting platform 25, and eventually the lifting device side delivery portion 36b also enters the opening groove 11d of the storage cassette 11A. . Thereby, the plate-like member 12 stored in the lowermost side of the storage cassette 11 </ b> A is placed on the lifting / lowering device-side delivery portion 36 b, i. Once placed, the process proceeds to step S13.

  In step S13, which is the first transfer process, the control device 92 moves the first transfer device 35 to move the plate-like member 12 placed at the placement position toward the first delta robot 50, that is, at the first transfer end position. Move to the direction. Specifically, the control device 92 rotates the pulley 38 via the belt 37 a by driving the delivery motor 37 and rotates the conveyor belt 39. The plate-like member 12 in the loading position is located on the conveyor belt 39, and is transferred toward the first transfer end position by turning the conveyor belt 39.

  Moreover, when transferring, the control apparatus 92 is driving the suction device, and is sucking the air in the box-shaped parts 36a-36d from the suction ports 43a-43e. As a result, the suction hole 39a has a negative pressure, and the plate-like member 12 is attracted to the conveyor belt 39 by the suction hole 39a. The adsorbing mechanism 45 adsorbs the plate-like member 12 while the plate-like member 12 is placed at the placement position, and releases the adsorption when the plate-like member 12 is transferred to the first transfer end position. Yes. By transferring while adsorbing in this way, it is possible to transfer the plate-like member 12 at a high speed while maintaining the posture of the plate-like member 12 at the time of placement. As a result, the transfer speed can be increased, the transfer from the placement position to the transfer end position can be performed in a shorter time, and the accuracy of the arrival position of the plate-like member 12 at the transfer end position is improved. be able to. When the plate-like member 12 is adsorbed in this way and moved to the first transfer end position for a predetermined time and transferred and the placement position becomes empty, the process proceeds to step S14. The control device 92 drives the sending motor 37 even after moving to step S14, and moves the plate-like member 12 from the mounting position by a predetermined distance (for example, the length of the plate-like member 12). 37 is stopped. That is, step S14 is executed by partially wrapping (ie, overlapping) the transfer operation of the first transfer device 35.

  In step S14 which is a mounting process, the control device 92 moves the sending side lifting device 22 and lowers the lifting platform 25 by the same height as a predetermined interval in which the support portion 11g is separated vertically. By lowering the lifting platform 89, the next plate-like member 12 is placed at the placement position, and the plate-like member 12 is separated from the support portion 11g. Thereafter, the control device 92 stops the movement of the sending-side lifting device 22, but before stopping the movement, the control device 92 returns to step S13 to move the first transfer device 35, and again returns to the first transfer end position. The member 12 is moved a predetermined distance (see FIG. 16).

  In this way, the control device 92 operates the first transfer device 35 before the lowering operation is completed, and operates the delivery-side lowering device 22 before the transfer operation of the first transfer device 35 is completed. By partially wrapping the operation of the sending-side lifting device 22 and the operation of the first transfer device 35, the drive stop time of the first transfer device 35 can be shortened, and the transfer time of the transfer system 1 is shortened. Can do. Further, the first transfer device 35 is operated after the plate-like member 12 is placed, that is, the first transfer device 35 is stopped during the placement. Therefore, the control is simpler than when the plate-like member 12 is placed by operating the first transfer device 35, and the plate-like member 12 is placed on the first transfer device 35 reliably and without being damaged. can do. It is not always necessary to wrap the operation of the lifting device and the operation of the first transfer device 35, and the first transfer device 35 may be operated after the operation of the lifting device is stopped.

  The control device 92 controls the elevating motor 23 so as to decelerate and stop after accelerating from the stopped state to a predetermined first speed when the storage cassette 11 is raised and lowered by the sending side elevating device 22. To control the acceleration and deceleration. The control device 92 controls the delivery motor 37 so as to decelerate and stop after accelerating from the stopped state to a predetermined second speed when the plate-like member 12 is sent out by the first transfer device 35, and The acceleration and deceleration at that time are controlled. Accordingly, the plate-like member 12 can be placed from the storage cassette 11 to the first transfer device 35 while keeping the timing, so that the placement speed of the plate-like member 12 can be improved and the accuracy of the placement position can be improved. it can.

  The control device 92 alternately performs the lowering operation (step S14) of the sending-side lifting device 22 and the transfer operation (step S13) of the first transfer device 35, and intermittently executes the lowering operation and the transfer operation. . As a result, the plate-like members 12 are successively sent out from the storage cassette 11A and transferred toward the first transfer end position. And before returning to step S13 from step S14, the control apparatus 92 confirms whether the plate-shaped member 12 reaches | attains to the 1st transfer completion position by the transfer operation | movement of following step S13 (step S15). When it is confirmed that the plate-like member 12 sent out by the first transfer device 35 is transferred to the first transfer end position, step S16 is started in synchronization with step S14.

  In step S <b> 16 which is the first transfer process, the control device 92 drives the first delta robot 50 and sucks and holds the plate-like member 12 at the first transfer end position by the suction hand 55. Transfer to that area. Specifically, when the plate-like member 12 is transferred to the first transfer end position, the control device 92 moves the suction hand 55 to the first transfer end position, and then four guides (not shown). 1) The suction hand 55 is lowered so that the plate-like member 12 enters inside. After the insertion, the guide is moved toward the inside for positioning, and then the plate-like member 12 is attracted to the bottom surface of the hand body. In addition, since the accuracy of the arrival position in the 1st transfer completion position of the 1st transfer apparatus 35 is high, the adsorption | suction mistake of the adsorption | suction hand 55 is prevented.

  Since the transfer operation in step S16 is performed in synchronization with the descending operation in step S14, the transfer operation is started before the transfer operation in step S13 ends (see FIG. 16). On the other hand, the control device 92 stops the operation of the first transfer device 35 for the plate member 12 until the first delta robot 50 sucks and holds the plate member 12 on the first transfer device 35. Therefore, since the first delta robot 50 sucks and holds the stopped plate-like member 12, the control is simpler than the case where the moving plate-like member 12 is sucked and held. Moreover, the stop time of the 1st transfer apparatus 35 can be shortened by lapping. Thereby, the transfer time of the transfer system 1 can be shortened. Note that it is not always necessary to wrap the operation of the first delta robot 50 and the operation of the first transfer device 35, and the first transfer device 35 may be operated after the operation of the first delta robot 50 is stopped. .

  After being sucked by the sucking hand 55, the control device 92 moves the sucking hand 55 over the area of the first tray 13 where the plate-like member 12 is to be put, where the sucking of the hand main body is released and the plate is placed in the area. The member 12 is placed. Note that when the plate-like member 12 is sucked by the suction hand 55, the control device 92 releases the suction of the robot-side delivery unit 36d in advance, and the plate-like member 12 transferred to the first transfer end position is sucked. It has been released. Therefore, the plate-like member 12 can be sucked and held by the suction hand 55 without damaging it.

  Each operation of steps S13, S14 and S16 is repeated until the plate-like member 12 is transferred to all areas of the first tray 13 (see step S17). That is, when the plate-like member 12 is not transferred to all the areas of the first tray 13, step S16 is completed, and when step S14 is completed, the process returns to step S13 and the transfer operation is performed. Then, immediately before the end of the transfer operation in step S13, the lowering operation in step S14 and the transfer operation in step S16 are performed in synchronization. Thus, the transfer operation of the first transfer device 35 can be stopped only when the transfer operation and the placement operation are being performed, and the transfer operation can be continued at other times, and the stop time of the transfer device can be further shortened. can do. Thereby, transfer time can be shortened and transfer efficiency can be improved. In the transfer operation in step S16, the control device 92 places the plate-like members 12 one by one in each zone of the first tray 13 in a predetermined order, and a plurality of plate-like members 12 are placed in each zone. Is not listed.

  When the plate-like members 12 are successively sent out from the storage cassette 11A by alternately repeating the descending operation and the transfer operation in this way, all the plate-like members 12 in the storage cassette 11A are eventually lost. Then, the control device 92 raises the lifting platform 25 and releases the lock of the storage cassette 11B. After the release, the control device 92 moves the transport robot 20 to grip the storage cassette 11 </ b> A by the hand 21 and causes the robot 20 to remove the storage cassette 11 </ b> B from the lifting platform 25. Thereafter, the control device 92 places the storage cassette 11B removed by the transport robot 20 on the standby table 91, and causes the hand 21 to release the holding of the storage cassette 11B. If it cancels | releases, it will transfer to step S11 and will mount the storage cassette 11A in the raising / lowering stand 25 which became empty again.

  The determination as to whether or not all the plate-like members 12 have been sent out from the storage cassette 11A is performed when, for example, the plate-like member 12 stored in the uppermost stage of the storage cassette 11A is placed at the placement position. This is determined by a specified position where the elevator 25 is located (specifically, the driving amount of the elevator motor). Further, a sensor may be provided to determine whether or not the plate-like member 12 is supported at the uppermost stage.

  Further, by repeatedly performing the operations of steps S13, S14, and S16, the plate-like member 12 is eventually transferred to all areas of the first tray 13 (step S17). If it does so, step S1 which is a transfer process will be once complete | finished regarding the 1st tray 13, and it will transfer to step S2.

  As described above, in the transfer system 1, the storage cassette 11 </ b> A is stored by only two operations, that is, the lowering operation of the storage cassette 11 </ b> A by the delivery-side lifting device 22 and the transfer operation of the plate-like member 12 by the first transfer device 35. The plurality of plate-like members 12 can be transferred toward the first transfer end position in a horizontal state. In other words, the plurality of plate-like members 12 stored in the storage cassette 11A can be directly transferred to the first transfer device 35 and sent out toward the first transfer end position. Thus, since the operation | movement required for transfer can be suppressed to the minimum, the plate-shaped member 12 can be sent out in order at high speed.

  Further, in the transfer system 1, the control device 92 moves the plate member 12 by the first transfer device 35 to clear the placement position, and then places the next plate member at the placement position. 12 can be sequentially sent out from the storage cassette 11A without overlapping each other. Further, by configuring the lifting motor 23 and the transfer motor 37 with servo motors, the sending-side lifting device 22 and the first transfer device 35 can function as a delivery device capable of controlling the position of the plate-like member 12. . Thereby, the precision of the transfer position and arrival time (timing) of the plate-like member when transferring to the transfer robot is improved. Thereby, the transfer by the transfer robot can be speeded up.

<First process>
In step S <b> 2, which is the first process process, the first tray 13 on which the plate-like member 12 is transferred is transported to the processing chamber of the first process apparatus 5 by the first transport mechanism 14. By passing through the processing chamber of the first process device 5, the surface of the plate-like member 12 is processed. The plate-like member 12 that has been subjected to the process processing is transported below the second delta robot 60 by the first transport mechanism 14. When transported below the second delta robot 60, the first transport mechanism 14 stops, and the process proceeds to step S3.

<Reversal processing>
In step S3, which is a reversal process, the control device 92 controls the operation of each device of the reversing system 1, reverses the upper and lower surfaces of the plate-like member 12 carried on the first tray 13, and then the second Align and place on the tray 15. Hereinafter, the inversion process will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  When the inversion process is started, first, the process proceeds to step S31. In step S <b> 31 which is the second transfer process, the control device 92 moves the second delta robot 60, and any of the plate-like members 12 on the first tray 13 below the second delta robot 60 is moved by the suction hand 64. Hold by adsorption. Then, the suction member 64 is moved and the plate-like member 12 held is moved to the first transfer area 65. Thereby, the plate-like member 12 moves onto the suction pad 73 of the reversing table 71 in a horizontal posture and with the surface thereof facing upward (see FIG. 18A (a)). Thereafter, the control device 92 releases and drops the holding of the plate-like member 12 by the suction hand 64 and places the plate-like member 12 on the suction pad 73 of the reversing table 71. When the holding is released and the plate-like member 12 is placed, the process proceeds to step S32.

  In step S32, which is an evacuation process, the control device 92 moves the second delta robot 60, moves the suction hand 64 from the first transfer area 65, and moves the suction hand 64 to the movable range of the reversing table 71 (FIG. 18A (b)). The area 95) within the two-dot chain line is retracted. After the retreat, the control device 92 returns the suction hand 64 to a predetermined position and stops it in order to transfer the next plate-like member 12. Moreover, it moves to step S33 by evacuating.

  In step S33, which is the reversing step, the control device 92 drives the reversing motor 69 to rotate the reversing shaft 70 of the reversing device 61. When rotated, the reversing table 71 moves toward the second transfer region 66, and conversely, the reversing table 72 moves to the first transfer region 67 (see FIG. 18B (c)). The control device 92 drives the reversing motor 69 and simultaneously drives the suction mechanism 77 to suck the lower surface of the plate-like member 12 by the suction pad 73. This prevents the plate-like member 12 from falling off when the reversing table 71 moves. Further, since only the lower surface (that is, the back surface) of the plate-like member 12 is adsorbed by the suction pad 73, the plate-like member 12 can be reversed without touching the upper surface (that is, the surface subjected to the process treatment). it can.

  Then, the control device 92 stops driving the reversing motor 69 by stopping the reversing device 61 when the reversing stands 71 and 72 are both in the receiving posture and the delivering posture. Then, the suction pad 73 of the reversing table 71 on the second transfer region 66 side faces downward, and the plate-like member 12 sucked by the suction pad 73 is positioned in the second transfer region 66 (FIG. 18B (d)). In other words, the reversing device 61 can move the plate-like member 12 to the second transfer region 66 with its upper and lower surfaces reversed. Further, the suction pad 73 of the reversing table 72 on the first transfer area 66 side faces upward, and the suction pad 73 is located in the first transfer area 65.

After stopping the movement of the reversing device 61, the control device 92 releases the suction of the plate member 12 by the suction pad 73 and places the plate member 12 on the one end portion 62 a of the second transfer device 62. When the plate-like member 12 is placed on the one end portion 62a of the second transfer device 62, the process returns to step S31 and the plate-like member 12 is placed on the suction pad 73 of the reversing table 72 moved to the first transfer region 65 side. Put. Then, the control device 92 starts step S34 in synchronization with this step S31. In step S34, which is the second transfer step, the control device 92 moves the second transfer device 62 and ends one end 62a of the second transfer device 62. The plate-like member 12 placed above is transferred toward the second transfer end position. When starting the transfer, the control device 92 moves the conveyor belt 75 of the second transfer device 62 before the rotation of the reverse shaft 70 of the reverse device 61 is completely stopped as shown in FIG. Yes. That is, the control device 92 compensates for the dead time required for starting the second transfer device 62, that is, controls the plate-like member 12 to be transferred immediately after placement. Thereby, the transfer time is shortened. In FIG. 19, a graph related to the speed of the reversing shaft 70 is shown on the upper side, and a graph related to the speed of the conveyor belt 75 is shown on the lower side. In the upper and lower graphs, the vertical axis represents speed, and the horizontal axis represents cycle time. Note that the reversing operation and the transferring operation described above do not necessarily have to be partially wrapped.

  In addition, when transferring, the control device 92 drives the suction mechanism 77 to attract the plate-like member 12 to the conveyor belt 75. The plate-like member 12 is transferred toward the second transfer end position in the adsorbed state. When the second transfer area 66 is empty after the transfer for a predetermined time and the evacuation operation in step S32 is completed, the control device 92 starts the reversing operation in step S33 and reaches the empty second transfer area 66. The plate-like member 12 is moved. Then, the control device 92 stops the movement of the conveyor belt 75 when the plate-like member 12 previously placed on the conveyor belt 75 is transferred by a predetermined distance (the length of the plate-like member). After the movement of the conveyor belt 75 further stops, the control device 92 places the inverted plate member 12 on the one end portion 62 a of the second transfer device 62.

  Thus, by repeating the reversing operation 61 of the reversing device and the transporting operation of the second transporting device 62, the plate-like member 12 sequentially transferred by the second delta robot 60 is reversed by the reversing device 61 and the second transporting. It is transferred to the device 62 and further transferred to the second transfer end position by the second transfer device 62. Then, when the plate-like member 62 is transferred to the second transfer end position (step S35), step S36 is started.

  In step S36, which is the third transfer step, the control device 92 drives the third delta robot 63, and sucks and holds the plate-like member 12 at the second transfer end position by the suction hand 76. Transfer to that area. At this time, the control device 92 releases the suction of the plate member 12 transferred to the second transfer end position before the plate member 12 is sucked by the suction hand 76.

  The control device 92 executes the transfer operation of the third delta robot 63 in step S36 in synchronization with the reversing operation of the reversing device 61 in step S33. The transfer operation and the reversing operation partially overlap the transfer operation (step S31) by the second delta robot 60 and the transfer operation (step S34) by the second transfer device 62, which are synchronized with each other. In particular, when the transfer operation of the second delta robot 60 and the transfer operation of the second transfer device 62 are stopped, the plate-like member 12 is delivered to the second delta robot 60 and the second transfer device 62. On the other hand, the transfer operation of the second delta robot 60 and the transfer operation of the second transfer device 62 are also performed before the reversal operation is finished in step S32 and before the transfer operation of the third delta robot 63 is finished in step S36. In this case, the control device 92 starts steps S31 and S34 after a predetermined time from the start of the reversing operation and the transfer operation of the third delta robot 63. That is, the operation start of steps S31 and S34 is partially wrapped before the operation of steps S32 and S36 is completed, and the suction hand 64 and the conveyor belt 75 are accelerated. Thereby, the stop time of the 2nd delta robot 60 and the 2nd transfer apparatus 62 can be shortened, and the inversion time of the inversion apparatus 61 can be shortened. In addition, you may make it start step S32 and S36, after the operation | movement of each step S31 and S34 is complete | finished completely, without making it wrap.

  Further, the transfer operation in step S36 is repeated until the plate-like member 12 is transferred to all areas of the second tray 15 (step S37). When repeatedly performing, as described above, the control device 92 starts step S36 immediately before the transfer operation of step S34 is completed. After the operation of step S34 is completed and the conveyor belt 75 is stopped, the next plate member 12 transferred to the second transfer end position is sucked and held by the third delta robot 63, and then the second tray 15 To be transferred to. When transferring, the control device 92 is configured to place the plate-like members 12 one by one in each area of the second tray 15 in a predetermined order, so that a plurality of plate-like members 12 are not placed in each area. It has become. When the transfer operation of step S36 is repeatedly performed and the plate-like member 12 is transferred to all the areas of the second tray 15, step S3 that is the reversal process for the second tray 15 is temporarily ended, and the process proceeds to step S4. And migrate.

  As described above, in the reversing process, the control device 92 operates the second delta robot 60, the reversing device 61, the second transfer device 62, and the third delta robot 63 intermittently. Is transferred (downstream transfer operation), and when the reversing device 61 is reversing, the transfer operation by the second delta robot 60 (step S31) and the transfer operation by the second transfer device 62 (step S34). Is partially stopped. On the other hand, when the transfer operation (downstream transfer operation) of the third delta robot 63 and the reverse operation of the reversing device 61 are stopped, the control device 92 performs the transfer operation (upstream transfer operation) by the second delta robot 60. Loading operation) and the transfer operation by the second transfer device 62 are executed in synchronization.

  Thus, by synchronizing the devices that do not deliver the plate-like member 12 between the devices, the stop time of each device in the reversing system 2 can be shortened, and the time for reversing and transferring the plate-like member 12 can be reduced. Can be shortened. Further, since the third delta robot 63 removes the plate-like member 12 from the second transfer device 62 while the second transfer device 62 is stopped to deliver the plate-like member 12 from the reversing device 61 to the second transfer device 62. The stop time of the second transfer device 62 can be effectively used, and the transfer time in the reversing system 2 can be shortened.

  Further, in the reversing system 2, the reversing speed can be improved by sucking and holding the plate-like member 12 with the suction pad 73 at the time of reversing, and the transfer position of the plate-like member 12 when passing to the second transfer device 62 can be improved. Accuracy can be improved. Further, since the upper surface is opened at the time of reversal, the upper and lower surfaces can be reversed and passed to the second transfer device 62 without damaging the upper surface of the transferred plate-like member 12. Further, since the suction pad 73 is sucked and held, it can be reversed without applying unnecessary force to the plate-like member 12 as compared with the case of gripping. Thereby, it is applicable also when inverting plate-like members of various shapes and materials, for example, plate-like members such as thin films.

  In the reversing system 2, the reversing operation and the sucking operation are started at the same time. However, immediately after the reversing operation is started, the plate member 12 is placed on the suction pad 73. The plate-like member 12 can be sucked and held even with a small suction force. Therefore, the reversing operation and the adsorption operation can be started simultaneously, and the stop time of the reversing device can be reduced. Thereby, the time which reverses and transfers a plate-shaped member can be shortened.

<Second process processing>
In step S <b> 4 that is the second process process, the second tray 15 on which the plate-like member 12 is transferred is transported to the processing chamber of the second process apparatus 6 by the second transport mechanism 16. By passing through the processing chamber of the second process device 6, the back surface of the plate-like member 12 is subjected to process processing. The plate-like member 12 that has been subjected to the process processing is transported below the fourth delta robot 81 by the second transport mechanism 16. When transported below the fourth delta robot 81, the second transport mechanism 16 stops, and the process proceeds to step S5.

<Storage processing>
In step S5, which is a storage process, the control device 92 controls the operation of each device of the storage system 3, and stores the plate-like members 12 carried on the second tray 15 one by one in the storage cassette 11B. . Hereinafter, the storage process will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  The control device 92 first moves the transport robot 20 before the storage process is executed, and grips the storage cassette 11 </ b> B on the standby table 91 with the hand 21. Then, the gripped storage cassette 11 </ b> B is mounted on an empty lifting platform 89 in the storage-side lifting device 83. Thereafter, the lifting platform 89 is lowered until the uppermost support portion 11g in the storage cassette 11B is positioned at the transfer completion position on the lifting device-side delivery portion 85b of the third transfer device 82. Then, the storage system 3 waits for the storage process to be executed with the lifting platform 89 lowered.

  When the storage process is started, the process first proceeds to step S51. In step S 51, which is the third transfer process, the control device 92 moves the fourth delta robot 81, and any plate-like member 12 on the second tray 15 below the fourth delta robot 81 is picked up by the suction hand 84. Hold by adsorption. Then, the plate-like member 12 holding the suction hand 64 is moved to the transfer position on the robot-side delivery unit 85 a of the third transfer device 82. As a result, the plate-like member 12 takes a horizontal posture on the third transfer device 82. Thereafter, the control device 92 releases the holding of the plate member 12 by the suction hand 64. When the holding is released, the process proceeds to step S52.

  In step 52, which is the third transfer step, the control device 92 moves the third transfer device 82 to transfer the plate-like member 12 placed at the transfer position toward the transfer completion position. At this time, the control device 92 causes the suction mechanism 94 to suck the plate member 12. The plate-like member 12 is transferred toward the transfer completion position in the adsorbed state. Thereafter, the controller 92 stops the movement of the conveyor belt 86 when the plate-like member 12 is moved a predetermined distance. Further, the control device 92 returns to step S51 to start the transfer operation when a predetermined time elapses after the transfer is started before stopping the movement, and starts the transfer operation. Another plate-like member 12 is transferred by the 4 delta robot 81. When this transfer operation and transfer operation are repeated, the plate member 12 eventually moves to the transfer completion position. The plate-like member 12 is inserted into the storage cassette 11B by moving to the transfer completion position. Further, the control device 92 starts step S54 in synchronization with the transfer operation of step S52 immediately before the plate-like member 12 moves to the transfer completion position (step S53).

  In step S54, which is a storage process, the control device 92 moves the storage side lifting device 83 to raise the lifting platform 89. When the elevator 89 is raised, both end portions of the plate-like member 12 that has reached the transfer completion position and stopped in step S53 are supported by the support portion 11g and lifted upward as they are. As a result, the plate member 12 is separated from the third transfer device 82 and stored in the storage cassette 11B. The control device 92 stops the movement of the storage-side lifting device 83 when the lifting platform 89 is raised by the same height as the predetermined interval at which the support portion 11g is separated. Further, the control device 92 returns to step S52 before stopping, starts the operation of the third transfer device 82, stops the movement of the storage lifting device 83, and then moves the next plate-like member 12 to the transfer completion position. It is moved and inserted into the storage cassette 11B. By repeating this, the plate-like member 12 is stored in the storage cassette 11B so as to be arranged in the vertical direction. Thus, the storage time of the storage system 3 can be shortened by performing the storage operation of step S54 and the transfer operation of step S51 in synchronization.

  The storing operation in step S54 is repeated until the plate-like member 12 is stored in all the steps of the storage cassette 11B (step S55). When the plate-like member 12 is stored in the lowermost support portion 11g, the process proceeds to step S56. And migrate. In step S56, which is a removal process, the control device 92 stops the movement of the fourth delta robot 81 and the third transfer device 82. And the control apparatus 92 moves the storage side raising / lowering apparatus 83, raises the raising / lowering stand 89, and unlocks | releases the storage cassette 11B. After releasing the lock, the control device 92 moves the transport robot 20, holds the storage cassette 11 </ b> B placed on the lifting platform 89 by the hand 21, and places it on the carry-out platform 90. Thereby, the storage process ends and the process in the processing facility 4 ends. When the storage cassette 11B is removed from the lifting platform 89, the control device 92 moves the transport robot 20 to place another storage cassette 11B placed on the standby table 91 on the empty lifting platform 89.

[Other Embodiments]
In the present embodiment, the plate-like member 12 is suction-held by the suction hands 55, 64, 76, 84 in the first to fourth delta robots 50, 60, 63, 81, but a hand that can be simply held is used. May be. The robot that moves the plate-like member is not limited to the first to fourth delta robots 50, 60, 63, and 81, but may be a robot such as a 6-axis robot or a horizontal 3-axis robot.

  In this embodiment, the reversing device 61 sucks and holds the plate-like member 12 by the suction pad 73, but even if the plate-like member 12 is gripped from the side by a hand or the like. It is only necessary that the upper surface of the plate-like member 12 can be held open.

  In the transfer process (storage process) of the present embodiment, the sending-side lifting device 22 (storage-side lifting device 83) and the first delta robot 50 (fourth delta robot 81) are synchronized. There is no need. For example, the lowering operation by the sending-side lifting device 22, the transfer operation by the first transfer device 35, and the transfer operation by the first delta robot 50 may be performed in order. Also in the reversing process of the present embodiment, it is not always necessary to synchronize the second delta robot 60 and the second transfer device 62, and it is not always necessary to synchronize the reversing device 61 and the third delta robot 63. Similarly to the transfer process, for example, the operations of the respective devices may be performed in order.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transfer system 3 Storage system 11 Storage cassette 11A Storage cassette 11a A pair of side wall 11B Storage cassette 11d Opening groove 11g Support part 12 Plate-like member 22 Sending side lifting device 35 First transfer device 45 Adsorption mechanism 50 First delta robot 81 Fourth Delta robot 82 Third transfer device 83 Storage side lifting device 92 Control device 94 Adsorption mechanism

Claims (13)

In a plate-shaped member transfer system that sequentially transfers a plurality of plate-shaped members,
A storage cassette for storing the plurality of plate-shaped members side by side in a horizontal posture;
A lowering device which is mounted with the storage cassette and lowers the storage cassette;
When the storage cassette is lowered by the lowering device, the plurality of plate-like members stored in the storage cassette are sequentially placed, and the placed plate-like members are sequentially transferred in a predetermined direction in a horizontal posture. A plate-like member transfer system comprising a delivery-side transfer device. The delivery-side transfer device is a conveyor extending in the predetermined direction;
The storage cassette has a pair of side walls facing each other and extending in the vertical direction,
The pair of side walls extend vertically on both sides of the conveyor, and both end portions of the plurality of plate-like members are arranged so that the plurality of plate-like members are arranged vertically in a horizontal posture. Having a support to hold,
The lowering device is configured such that the plurality of plate-like members held on the pair of side portions are sequentially placed on the conveyor by lowering the pair of side portions. The plate-shaped member transfer system according to 1. A control device for controlling the operation of the lowering device and the delivery-side transfer device;
The control device controls the operation of the delivery-side transfer device, and the plate-like component placed on the delivery-side transfer device before the next plate-like member is placed on the delivery-side transfer device. The plate-like member transfer system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plate-like member transfer system is configured to transfer a member. The operation is controlled by the control device, and the plate-like member transferred by the delivery-side transfer device is held from a placement position on which the plate-like member is placed to a predetermined transfer end position separated in the predetermined direction. Equipped with a transfer robot
The control device operates the delivery-side transfer device intermittently, and when the delivery-side transfer device is stopped, the plate-like member is placed by the lowering device and the plate-like shape by the transfer robot. The plate-like member transfer system according to claim 3, wherein the plate-like member transfer system is configured to execute a member holding operation in synchronization.   The said control apparatus is a plate-shaped member transfer system of Claim 4 comprised so that the transfer operation | movement of the said plate-shaped member by the said sending side transfer apparatus may be stopped only at the time of the said mounting operation | movement and the said holding | maintenance operation | movement.   The lowering device is configured to lower the storage cassette by a first servo motor, the sending-side transfer device is configured to transfer the placed plate-like member by a second servo motor, and the first The plate-shaped member transfer system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the position of the first servo motor and the second servo motor is controlled by a control device.   The control device controls the lowering of the storage cassette in the lowering device so as to decelerate and stop the storage cassette after accelerating the storage cassette from a stopped state to a predetermined first speed, and the acceleration and deceleration at that time are controlled. The plate-like member transfer system according to claim 6, wherein the plate-like member transfer system is configured to be controlled.   The control device controls the transfer of the plate-like member in the sending-side transfer device so as to decelerate and stop the plate-like member after accelerating from the stopped state to a predetermined second speed, and the acceleration at that time And a plate member transfer system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the plate member transfer system is configured to control the deceleration. The delivery-side transfer device has an adsorption mechanism that adsorbs the lower surface of the plate-like member to be transferred,
9. The suction mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the suction mechanism is configured to start suction on the lower surface of the plate-like member when the plate-like member is placed and release suction in the transfer end region. The plate-shaped member transfer system according to claim 1. In the plate member storage system for sequentially storing a plurality of plate members,
A storage cassette for storing the plurality of plate-shaped members side by side in a horizontal posture;
A lifting device that is mounted with the storage cassette and raises the storage cassette;
The plate-like member is sequentially transferred, and a transfer device for storage that transfers the transferred plate-like member from the placed position to a transfer completion position,
When the storage cassette is lifted by the lifting device, the storage cassette is arranged so that the plate-like members transferred to the transfer completion position by the storage transfer device are aligned in a vertical position in a horizontal posture. A plate-shaped member storage system configured to be sequentially stored therein. A storage cassette for storing a plurality of plate-like members arranged in a vertical direction in a horizontal posture, a lowering device for mounting the storage cassette and lowering the storage cassette, and lowering the storage cassette by the lowering device A plate-like member comprising a plurality of plate-like members stored in a storage cassette, and a sending-side transfer device that sequentially transfers the placed plate-like members in a predetermined direction in a horizontal posture. A plate-like member transfer method for a transfer system,
A placing step of lowering the storage cassette by the lowering device and placing the plate-like member on the delivery-side transfer device;
A first transfer step of transferring the plate-like member placed in the previous placement step in the predetermined direction by the delivery side transfer device;
The transfer method of the plate-shaped member transfer system, wherein the placing step and the first transfer step are sequentially repeated. A transfer robot for holding and transferring the plate-like member transferred to a predetermined transfer end region separated in a predetermined direction from the placement region on which the plate-like member is placed by the sending-side transfer device; A plate-like member transfer system transfer method comprising:
The transfer method of the plate-shaped member transfer system according to claim 11, further comprising a transfer step of holding and transferring the plate-shaped member transferred to the transfer end region by the transfer step by the transfer robot. A storage cassette for storing a plurality of plate-like members arranged in a vertical position in a horizontal position, a lifting device that is mounted with the storage cassette and lifts the storage cassette, the plate-like members are sequentially transferred, and A storage transfer device that transfers the plate-like member transferred to the transfer area from the mounted position to the transfer completion position, and the storage cassette raises the storage cassette by the lifting device; A plate of a plate-shaped member storage system configured to sequentially store the plate-shaped members transferred to the transfer completion position by the storage transfer device in the storage cassette so as to be arranged in the vertical direction in a horizontal posture. A method of storing a member,
A transfer step of transferring the plate-like members sequentially transferred to the transfer completion position by the storage transfer device;
A storage step of storing the plate-like member in a horizontal posture by lifting the storage cassette by the lifting device and transported to the transfer completion position described above,
A storage method for a plate-shaped member storage system, wherein a transfer step and the storage step are sequentially repeated.