JP2014099447A - Substrate transport hand and substrate tranport method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a small-sized and lightweight substrate transport hand of which the size can be changed in accordance with the size of a substrate, and to provided a substrate transport method.SOLUTION: In a substrate transport hand 10, when substrate support members 18, 20 are moved in parallel in a horizontal direction so as to get closer to each other by a drive section 22, substrate support members 24, 26 are moved in parallel in a horizontal direction via parallel link members 28, 28... so as to get closer to each other, while being operatively connected with the movement of the substrate support members 18, 20. When the substrate support members 18, 20 are moved in parallel in the horizontal direction so as to be separated away from each other by the drive section 22 inversely to the above movement, the substrate support members 24, 26 are moved in parallel in the horizontal direction via the parallel link members 28, 28... so as to be separated away from each other, while being operatively connected with the movement of the substrate support members 18, 20. In the substrate transport hand 10, the size of a space 58 defined by the substrate support members 18, 20, 24, 26 can be adjusted stepless from maximum size to minimum size.

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate transfer hand and a substrate transfer method.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate transport hand that supports the edges of the four sides of the lower surface of the glass substrate and transports the glass substrate.

  The substrate transfer hand is attached to a hand attachment portion of an automatic transfer device via a hand attachment plate. Further, the arm portion of the substrate carrying hand is composed of a plurality of members joined in the vicinity of the outside of the side portion of the glass substrate in parallel with each side portion so as to fit the size of the glass substrate. The member is made of a hollow square pipe material for both light weight and high rigidity. Moreover, the said member is provided with the board | substrate holding part which supports the edge part of the lower surface of a glass substrate.

JP-A-11-254374

  However, since the arm portion of the substrate carrying hand disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured by joining a plurality of members, the size (a space in a rectangular shape in plan view defined by the plurality of members) is changed. I can't. Therefore, the suction pad of Patent Document 1 has a problem that a glass substrate having a size different from the supportable size cannot be handled.

  In order to handle glass substrates of different sizes with a single substrate transfer hand, a plurality of drive units that support each of a plurality of members constituting the arm portion in a movable manner and move each member independently are provided. It is necessary to provide it. However, when a guide member that supports the member in a movable manner is provided for each member or a plurality of driving units are provided, there is a problem that the substrate carrying hand becomes heavy and increases in size.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a small and lightweight substrate transport hand and a substrate transport method that can change the size according to the size of the substrate.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, in order to achieve the above-described object, a first pair of substrate support members arranged in parallel in a horizontal direction, and a direction in which the first pair of substrate support members are moved toward and away from each other. A drive unit that translates in parallel, a second pair of substrate support members that are arranged in parallel to the horizontal direction in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first pair of substrate support members, and the first The pair of substrate support members and the second pair of substrate support members are coupled, and the second pair of substrates is interlocked with the parallel movement of the first pair of substrate support members toward each other. The support members are translated in a direction approaching each other, and the second pair of substrate support members are translated in a direction away from each other in conjunction with the parallel movement of the first pair of substrate support members in the direction away from each other. Parallel And a first holding portion that holds a lower surface edge of the substrate, and a longitudinal direction of the second pair of substrate support members. And a second holding portion that holds the lower surface edge of the substrate, and a substrate transfer hand.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, when the first pair of substrate support members are horizontally translated in the direction of approaching each other by the driving unit, the second pair of substrate support members are linked in parallel with the operation. Translate horizontally in the direction of approaching each other through the members. Contrary to this operation, when the first pair of substrate support members are translated horizontally in the direction away from each other by the drive unit, the second pair of substrate support members move the parallel link members in conjunction with the operation. And move horizontally in a direction away from each other.

  That is, according to one aspect of the present invention, the size of the rectangular space defined by the first pair of substrate support members and the second pair of substrate support members is the rectangular size for holding the substrate. The size of the shape space can be adjusted steplessly from the maximum size to the minimum size. Therefore, according to the substrate carrying hand of one embodiment of the present invention, the size can be changed according to the size of the substrate. In addition, since the drive unit only needs to include one drive unit that drives the first pair of substrate support members, a small and lightweight substrate transfer hand can be provided.

  The substrate is held by the first holding unit and the second holding unit of the substrate transfer hand adjusted to the size of the substrate.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the driving unit is configured to guide the first pair of substrate support members so as to be movable in directions toward and away from each other, and power to the first pair of substrate support members. It is preferable to include a drive source that transmits the parallel movement in the direction approaching and separating from each other, and a support member to which the guide member and the drive source are attached.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, the guide member and the drive source are attached to the support member. Therefore, the first pair of substrate support members are attached to the support member via the guide member, and the second pair of substrate support members are supported by the first pair of substrate support members via the parallel link member. It becomes the composition which becomes. Therefore, it is preferable to manufacture the first pair of substrate support members and the second pair of substrate support members with a lightweight material because the weight burden on the support members can be reduced. In addition, since the substrate is supported, it is preferable that the first pair of substrate support members and the second pair of substrate support members are made of a highly rigid material. Examples of the material include CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic), aluminum alloy, and titanium alloy that are lightweight and highly rigid.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, when the power from the driving source is transmitted to the first pair of substrate support members, the first pair of substrate support members are guided by the guide members, and move away from each other and away from each other. Translate in the direction. As a result, the first pair of substrate support members operate smoothly with respect to the support members.

  The guide member is preferably an LM (Linear Motion) guide (registered trademark), and the drive source is preferably a servo motor and a feed screw member. The feed screw member includes a pair of nut portions and a pair of screw rods each engraved with a reverse screw. One nut portion of the pair of nut portions is attached to one first substrate support member, and the other nut portion is attached to the other first substrate support member. Then, one screw rod is screwed into one nut portion, and the other screw rod is screwed into the other nut portion. As a result, if the pair of screw rods are rotated in the forward direction and the reverse direction by the servo motor, the first pair of substrate support members are moved in parallel to and away from each other by the feed action of the feed screw member. To do.

  In one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that a transport unit that moves the substrate transport hand from the substrate receiving position to the delivery position is connected to the driving unit.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, since the transport unit is connected to the support member of the substrate transport hand, the transport unit can move the substrate transport hand from the substrate receiving position to the delivery position. As the transfer means, a horizontal articulated robot such as a SCARA robot is preferable.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the first holding unit and the second holding unit include a suction member that sucks and holds the substrate.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, since the edge portion of the lower surface of the substrate can be reliably held by the adsorption member, the substrate can be transported stably.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that a resin liquid is applied to the upper surface of the substrate, and an edge portion of the lower surface of the substrate is held by the first holding portion and the second holding portion.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, since the edge portion of the lower surface of the substrate having the upper surface coated with the resin liquid is held by the substrate conveying hand, the substrate can be conveyed without touching the resin liquid.

  In one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the driving unit includes a contact member that contacts the lower surface of the substrate.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, the contact member is in contact with the lower surface of the substrate to support the substrate. By providing the contact member in the substrate transfer hand, the substrate can be transferred while suppressing the bending of the substrate even if the substrate has a large size. The contact position of the contact member with respect to the lower surface of the substrate is preferably a center portion, a vicinity of the center portion, or a position along a concentric circle centered on the center portion, from the viewpoint of suppressing the bending of the substrate. The central portion is the position of the center of gravity of the substrate.

  In one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the abutting member includes an arm member extending from the driving unit, and a pin-like member that is provided on the arm member and abuts against the lower surface of the substrate.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, the pin-shaped member that contacts the lower surface of the substrate can be disposed at the contact position by the arm member.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the pin-shaped member is preferably provided so as to be movable up and down with respect to the arm member by an elevating means.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, before supporting the lower surface edge of the substrate by the first holding unit and the second holding unit of the substrate carrying hand, the pin-shaped member does not collide with the lower surface of the substrate. The pin-shaped member is kept waiting at the lowered position. And after supporting the lower surface edge part of a board | substrate with a 1st holding | maintenance part and a 2nd holding part, a pin-shaped member is raised and the lower surface of a board | substrate is supported by a pin-shaped member. Thereby, the damage of the board | substrate resulting from the said collision can be prevented.

  In one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the arm member is provided so as to be movable up and down with respect to the drive unit by an elevating unit.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, before supporting the lower surface edge of the substrate by the first holding unit and the second holding unit of the substrate carrying hand, the pin-shaped member does not collide with the lower surface of the substrate. The arm member is kept waiting at the lowered position. And after supporting the lower surface edge part of a board | substrate with a 1st holding | maintenance part and a 2nd holding part, an arm member is raised and the lower surface of a board | substrate is supported by a pin-shaped member. Thereby, the damage of the board | substrate resulting from the said collision can be prevented.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate is transferred to the drying unit that dries the resin applied to the upper surface of the substrate from the application unit that applies the resin to the upper surface of the substrate using the substrate transfer hand of the present invention. Provided is a substrate carrying method characterized by carrying.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, substrates having different sizes can be transported from the coating unit to the drying unit using one substrate transport hand.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a small and lightweight substrate transport hand and a substrate transport method that can change the size according to the size of the substrate.

The top view of the board | substrate conveyance hand of 1st Embodiment Plan view of glass substrate held by substrate transfer hand Sectional drawing of the drive part which follows the AA line of FIG. The top view of the board | substrate conveyance hand holding the glass substrate of smaller size than the glass substrate shown in FIG. The top view of the board | substrate conveyance hand holding the glass substrate of smaller size than the glass substrate shown in FIG. The perspective view which showed the composition of the application part Explanatory drawing in which the substrate transfer hand is positioned above the glass substrate raised from the substrate mounting table. Explanatory drawing holding the glass substrate with the substrate transfer hand in the coating section Explanatory drawing which showed the form which moved the glass substrate held at the application part to the drying part An enlarged cross-sectional view showing the behavior of a glass substrate with a suction pad FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view in which a cylindrical body is arranged around the suction pad of FIG. Enlarged sectional view showing the behavior of the glass substrate by the suction pad of FIG. 9A The top view of the board | substrate conveyance hand of 2nd Embodiment Side view of substrate transfer hand according to second embodiment Explanatory drawing where the elastic pin is positioned at the lowered position by the air cylinder Explanatory drawing where the elastic pin is positioned at the raised position by the air cylinder Side view of raising and lowering the application pins to place the glass substrate in the receiving position Side view of substrate transfer hand moved to glass substrate receiving position Side view in which the lower edge of the glass substrate is held by the holding portion of the substrate support member Side view in which the elastic pin is raised and brought into contact with the lower surface of the glass substrate Side view of substrate transfer hand moved up Side view of moving up and down pins and moving substrate transfer hand horizontally Side view of moving glass substrate to delivery position in drying section Side view of the bottom surface of the glass substrate supported by the fixing pin of the drying section Side view of the elastic pin lowered and retracted from the lower surface of the glass substrate Side view in which the substrate support members are moved up and moved away from each other Side view of arm member of abutting member slid linearly in horizontal direction Side view of arm member of contact member in lowered position Side view of arm member of contact member in raised position

  Preferred embodiments of a substrate carrying hand and a substrate carrying method according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Configuration of the substrate transfer hand 10]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a substrate transfer hand 10 according to a first embodiment, in which a hand mounting plate (support member) 12 of the substrate transfer hand 10 is schematically illustrated as a horizontal articulated robot (for example, a SCARA robot). : Conveying means) The form attached to the tip of the arm 16 of the 14 is shown. Further, FIG. 1 shows a form immediately before holding the glass substrate G1 having a rectangular shape in plan view by the substrate carrying hand 10. FIG. 2 is a plan view in which the glass substrate G <b> 1 is held by the substrate transfer hand 10. The glass substrate G1 has its surfaces (upper surface and lower surface) held in the horizontal direction by the substrate transfer hand 10.

  A substrate transport hand 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is parallel to a pair of substrate support members 18, 20 arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction and a direction in which the pair of substrate support members 18, 20 approach each other and away from each other. A drive unit 22 to be moved and a pair of substrate support members 24 and 26 arranged in parallel to the horizontal direction in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the pair of substrate support members 18 and 20 are provided. The substrate support members 18 and 20 are plate-like and have the same length, and the substrate support members 24 and 26 are the same.

  The substrate transport hand 10 includes parallel link members 28, 28... For connecting the substrate support members 18, 20 and the substrate support members 24, 26 at both ends of each of the substrate support members 24, 26. The parallel link members 28, 28... Move the substrate support members 24, 26 in a direction approaching each other in conjunction with the parallel movement of the substrate support members 18, 20 toward each other, and the substrate support members 18, 20. The substrate support members 24 and 26 are translated in the direction away from each other in conjunction with the parallel movement in the direction away from each other.

  The parallel link member 28 includes two links 30, 30 arranged in parallel, and one end of each of the two links 30, 30 is placed on the substrate support member 18 (substrate support member 20) via a bearing (not shown). And are connected so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction. The other ends of the two links 30 and 30 are connected to the substrate support member 24 (substrate support member 26) via a bearing (not shown) so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction. With this connection configuration, the parallel link member 28 has the above function.

  Further, the substrate carrying hand 10 includes holding units (first holding units) 32, 32... And holding units (second holding units) 34, 34. A plurality of holding portions 32 are provided at predetermined intervals along the opposing side portions of the substrate support member 18 and the substrate support member 20, and hold the lower surface edge portion of the glass substrate G1 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of holding portions 34 are provided at predetermined intervals along the opposing side portions of the substrate support member 24 and the substrate support member 26, and hold the lower surface edge of the glass substrate G1 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, it is preferable that a vacuum suction pad 36 is provided in the holding portions 32 and 34 and the lower surface edge of the glass substrate G1 is sucked and held by the suction pad 36 from the viewpoint that the glass substrate G1 can be stably conveyed. . The suction pad 36 will be described later.

  The driving unit 22 transmits guide power to the substrate support members 18 and 20 so that the substrate support members 18 and 20 can move in directions toward and away from each other and a direction in which the substrate support members 18 and 20 move away from each other. And a drive source 40 that translates in directions away from each other. And the guide members 38 and 38 and the drive source 40 are mounted in the hand attachment plate 12, and the drive part 22 is comprised.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1 and shows the configuration of the guide member 38.

  As the guide member 38, an LM (Linear Motion) guide (registered trademark) is employed, and includes a pair of rails 42 and 42 and blocks 44 and 44 that are slidably fitted to the rails 42 and 42. ing. The rails 42 and 42 are fixed in parallel to the upper surface of the hand mounting plate 12 along the moving direction of the substrate support members 18 and 20, and the blocks 44 and 44 are the substrate support member 18 (the same applies to the substrate support member 20). It is fixed to the lower surface of the.

  On the other hand, the drive source 40 shown in FIG. 1 includes a servo motor 46, a pair of screw rods 48 and 48 that are coaxially engraved with reverse screws, and a nut 50 shown in FIG. The drive source 40 includes a pulley 52, a belt 54, and a pulley 56 that transmit the rotational force of the servo motor 46 to a pair of screw rods 48, 48 as shown in FIG. That is, the pulley 52 is attached to the rotation shaft of the servo motor 46, the pulley 56 is attached to the center in the longitudinal direction of the pair of screw rods 48, 48, and the belt 54 is stretched around these pulleys 52, 56. .

  Further, the nut 50 is fixed to the lower surface of the substrate support member 18 (same as the substrate support member 20) as shown in FIG. A screw rod 48 laid parallel to the rail 42 is screwed onto the nut 50. That is, a feed screw member composed of a screw rod 48 and a nut 50 is employed as a mechanism for moving the substrate support members 18 and 20 by the drive source 40.

  Therefore, according to the drive unit 22, if the pair of screw rods 48, 48 are rotated in the forward direction and the reverse direction by the servo motor 46, the pair of screw rods 48, 48 and the nuts each provided with the reverse screw are engraved. Due to the feeding action by 50 and 50, the substrate support members 18 and 20 are translated in the direction toward and away from each other. Further, since the substrate support members 18 and 20 are guided by the guide members 38 and 38, the substrate support members 18 and 20 move smoothly with respect to the hand mounting plate 12.

  On the other hand, in the drive unit 22, the substrate support members 18 and 20 are cantilevered by the hand mounting plate 12 via the guide members 38 and 38, and the substrate support members 24 and 26 are connected via the parallel link members 28, 28. In this configuration, the substrate support members 18 and 20 are supported.

  Therefore, it is preferable to manufacture the substrate support members 18, 20, 24, and 26 with a light material because the weight burden on the hand mounting plate 12 can be reduced. Further, since the glass substrate G1 is supported, the substrate support members 18, 20, 24, and 26 are preferably made of a material having high rigidity. From these viewpoints, the substrate support members 18, 20, 24, and 26 are preferably made of CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic), aluminum alloy, or titanium alloy that is lightweight and highly rigid.

  Next, the operation of the substrate carrying hand 10 of the first embodiment configured as described above will be described.

[Basic operation of substrate transfer hand 10]
When the substrate support members 18 and 20 are horizontally translated in the direction approaching each other by the driving unit 22, the substrate support members 24 and 26 are moved toward each other via the parallel link members 28, 28. Translate horizontally. Contrary to this operation, when the substrate support members 18 and 20 are horizontally translated in the direction away from each other by the drive unit 22, the substrate support members 24 and 26 are linked to the parallel link members 28, 28. Are translated horizontally in a direction away from each other.

[Holding operation of the glass substrate G1 by the substrate transfer hand 10]
First, as shown in FIG. 1, the distance between the substrate support members 18 and 20 is maximized by the drive unit 22. That is, the space 58 having a rectangular shape in plan view defined by the substrate support members 18, 20, 24, and 26 is expanded to the maximum size, and the substrate transfer hand 10 is horizontally extended so that the glass substrate G 1 can be placed in the space 58. It is moved by the joint robot 14.

  Next, the substrate support members 18 and 20 are translated horizontally in the direction approaching each other by the driving unit 22, and the substrate support members 24 and 26 are translated horizontally in the direction approaching each other. 2, all the holding portions 32, 32... 34, 34... Enter the lower surface edge portion of the glass substrate G1, and the lower surface edge portions are supported by the holding portions 32, 32. . By this operation, the glass substrate G1 is held by the substrate carrying hand 10. The movement amounts of the substrate support members 18 and 20 are controlled by the servo motor 46 so as to correspond to the size of the glass substrate G1.

  In the substrate transfer hand 10 of the first embodiment, the size of the space 58 defined by the substrate support members 18, 20, 24, 26 is from the maximum size shown in FIG. 1 to the minimum size (not shown). It can be adjusted steplessly.

  Therefore, according to the substrate transport hand 10, the size can be changed according to the size of the glass substrate. That is, the substrate transport hand 10 can hold a glass substrate G2 having a smaller size than the glass substrate G1 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) as shown in FIG. 4, and the glass substrate G2 (see FIG. 5). It is possible to hold even a glass substrate G3 having a smaller size than (see 4). In addition, since the drive unit 22 of the substrate transport hand 10 only needs to include one drive unit that drives the substrate support members 18 and 20, the substrate transport hand 10 is small and light.

[Method of transporting glass substrate by substrate transport hand 10]
FIGS. 6A, 6 </ b> B, and 6 </ b> C show a form in which the glass substrate G is held by the substrate transfer hand 10 in the resin liquid application portion (substrate receiving position) 60. FIG. 7 shows a form in which the glass substrate G held by the coating unit 60 is transported to the drying unit (substrate delivery position) 62 by the horizontal articulated robot 14 of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the coating unit 60 includes a die coater 64 and a substrate mounting table 66. Further, as shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, the substrate mounting table 66 is provided with a plurality of lifting pins 68, 68... Projecting and retracting from the upper surface of the substrate mounting table 66.

  6A, the glass substrate G is mounted on the substrate mounting table 66, and the resin liquid 70 is applied to the upper surface of the glass substrate G by the die coater 64. When the application of the resin liquid 70 is completed, the die coater 64 retreats from the upper position of the substrate mounting table 66 to the side position, and the lifting pins 68, 68... Protrude from the upper surface of the substrate mounting table 66 as shown in FIG. . As a result, the lower surface of the glass substrate G is pushed up by the lift pins 68, 68. Thereafter, the substrate carrying hand 10 moved by the horizontal articulated robot 14 of FIG. 1 is positioned above the glass substrate G as shown in FIG. 6B. Thereafter, the substrate transport hand 10 is moved down to a position where the glass substrate G can be held, and then the driving unit 22 of the substrate transport hand 10 is driven so that the glass substrate G is moved by the substrate transport hand 10 as shown in FIG. 6C. Retained.

  The glass substrate G held by the substrate transport hand 10 is transported to the drying unit 62 of FIG. 7 by the horizontal articulated robot 14, and a plurality of fixing pins 74 protruding from the upper surface of the oven shelf 72 of the drying unit 62. , 74... Thereafter, the substrate support members 18 and 20 of the substrate transport hand 10 are moved by the drive unit 22 in a direction away from each other. Thereby, holding | maintenance of the glass substrate G by the board | substrate conveyance hand 10 is cancelled | released. Thereafter, the substrate carrying hand 10 is moved to a position near the coating unit 60 in FIG. 6A by the horizontal articulated robot 14 and is kept waiting at that position until an operation for holding the next glass substrate G is started.

  According to the method for transporting the glass substrate G, the lower surface edge portion of the glass substrate G having the upper surface coated with the resin liquid 70 is held by the holding portions 32, 32, 34, 34,. The glass substrate G can be transported from the coating unit 60 to the drying unit 62 without touching the resin liquid 70. In addition, glass substrates having different sizes can be transported from the coating unit 60 to the drying unit 62 using one substrate transporting hand 10. 6C and the shape of the fixing pin 74 shown in FIG. 7 are not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be a conical shape with a sharp upper end.

[Form of suction pad 36]
FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the suction pad 36 provided in the holding portions 32 and 34. The suction pad 36 is made of resin or rubber, and is an annular member having a central opening 78 that communicates with the suction path 76. When the suction pad 36 is attracted to the lower surface edge of the glass substrate G, the glass substrate G is securely held by the substrate carrying hand 10.

  The suction pad 36 shown in FIG. 8 is elastically deformed by the weight of the glass substrate G. The glass substrate G is held in a bent state by the elastic deformation of the suction pad 36, and the glass substrate G may be damaged by the bending.

  In order to prevent such a problem, a cylindrical body 80 surrounding the suction pad 36 is disposed in the holding portions 32 and 34 as shown in the enlarged cross section shown in FIG. 9A. When the suction pad 36 sucks and holds the glass substrate G and is elastically deformed by being pressed by the glass substrate G, the lower surface edge portion of the glass substrate G abuts on the ring-shaped upper end surface 82 of the cylindrical body 80. As a result, the lower surface edge of the glass substrate G is in contact with the ring-shaped upper end surface 82 of the rigid cylindrical body 80 as shown in FIG. 9B, that is, in a state in which bending is suppressed. Since it is held by the hand 10, damage due to bending can be prevented.

[Configuration of the substrate transport hand 100]
FIG. 10 is a plan view of the substrate transport hand 100 according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 11 is a side view of the substrate transport hand 100, which is the same as or similar to the substrate transport hand 10 according to the first embodiment. Similar members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the substrate transport hand 100 includes a contact member 102 that contacts the lower surface of the glass substrate G1. The contact member 102 includes an arm member 104 whose base end portion is cantilevered on the lower surface of the hand mounting plate 12, and two members that are provided in the vicinity of the distal end of the arm member 104 and contact the lower surface of the glass substrate G1. It is comprised from the elastic pin (pin-shaped member) 106,106.

  The base end portion of the arm member 104 is fixed to the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the hand mounting plate 12 and is provided in parallel with the substrate support members 18 and 20. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the arm member 104 is disposed at a position below the substrate support member 20 (18, 24, 26) by a predetermined amount.

  The elastic pin 106 is made of rubber or resin and is a member that elastically contacts the lower surface of the glass substrate G1. In addition, the contact position of the elastic pins 106 and 106 with respect to the lower surface of the glass substrate G1 is a position along the center of the glass substrate G1, the vicinity of the center, or a concentric circle centering on the center. It is preferable at the point which can suppress the bending of G1. The said center part is the gravity center position of the glass substrate G1, and the elastic pins 106 and 106 of FIG. 10, FIG. 11 are the examples arrange | positioned concentrically centering on the said center part vicinity or the said center part. Further, the number of elastic pins 106 is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more. Since the abutting member 102 includes the arm member 104, the elastic pins 106 and 106 can be arranged at desired positions in the longitudinal direction of the arm member 104.

  12A and 12B show an air cylinder (elevating means) 108 that moves the elastic pin 106 up and down with respect to the upper surface of the arm member 104. 12A shows a state where the piston 110 of the air cylinder 108 is positioned at the lowered position by the cylinder 112, and FIG. 12B shows a state where the piston 110 of the air cylinder 108 is positioned at the raised position by the cylinder 112. Has been.

  The arm member 104 is formed in a hollow pipe shape, and a cylinder 112 is inserted into the opening 114 thereof.

[Method of transporting glass substrate by substrate transport hand 100]
13A to 13F show a procedure for holding and transporting the glass substrate G1 coated with the resin liquid 70 (see FIG. 6A) by the substrate transporting hand 100 in the coating unit 60.

  FIG. 13A is a side view in which the raising and lowering pins 68, 68... Of the coating unit 60 are raised to place the glass substrate G1 at an upper position (receiving position) of the substrate mounting table 66.

  FIG. 13B is a side view of the substrate transfer hand 100 moved to the receiving position of the glass substrate G1 by the horizontal articulated robot 14. As shown in the figure, the substrate support member 20 (18, 24, 26) is on standby at a position above the glass substrate G1. Further, the arm member 104 of the contact member 102 is inserted and disposed at a position below the lower surface of the glass substrate G1 so as not to interfere with the lifting pins 68, 68,. Note that when the arm member 104 is inserted, the elastic pins 106 and 106 stand by at the lowered position shown in FIG. 12A so as not to collide with the lower surface of the glass substrate G1.

  13C, after the substrate support member 20 (18, 24, 26) is moved downward by the horizontal articulated robot 14 from the state of FIG. 13B, the substrate support member 20 (18, 24, 26) is moved to the drive unit 22 ( FIG. 1 is a side view in which the lower surface edge portion of the glass substrate G1 is held by the holding portion 32 (34) by being moved in a direction approaching each other.

  FIG. 13D is a side view in which the elastic pins 106 and 106 are lifted by the air cylinder 108 (see FIG. 12) and come into contact with the lower surface of the glass substrate G1 from the state of FIG. 13C. That is, after the lower surface edge of the glass substrate G1 is supported by the holding portion 32 (34), the elastic pins 106 and 106 are raised and the lower surface of the glass substrate G1 is supported by the elastic pins 106 and 106. Damage to the glass substrate G1 can be prevented. Note that the lower surface of the glass substrate G1 may be supported by the elastic pin 106 without moving the elastic pin 106 up and down, but from the viewpoint of avoiding the collision, it is preferable to perform the lifting operation.

  FIG. 13E is a side view in which the substrate transfer hand 100 is moved up by the horizontal articulated robot 14 from the state of FIG. 13D. As a result, the glass substrate G1 is separated from the lift pins 68, 68, and the lower surface edge thereof is supported by the holding portion 32 (34), and the vicinity of the lower surface central portion thereof is supported by the elastic pins 106, 106.

  13F is a side view in which the lift pins 68, 68... Are moved downward from the state of FIG. 13E and the substrate transfer hand 100 is linearly moved in the horizontal direction by the horizontal articulated robot 14. FIG. Thereafter, the glass substrate G1 is conveyed by the horizontal articulated robot 14 to the drying unit 62 shown in FIG.

  Therefore, according to the substrate transport hand 100 provided with the contact member 102 that supports the vicinity of the center of the lower surface of the glass substrate G1, even when the glass substrate G1 is large, the glass substrate G1 is restrained from being bent. G1 can be stably conveyed from the coating unit 60 to the drying unit 62.

  14A to 14E show a procedure for placing the glass substrate G1 conveyed to the drying unit 62 on the fixing pins 74, 74... Of the drying unit 62. FIG.

  14A is a side view of the glass substrate G1 moved to the delivery position in the drying unit 62 by the horizontal articulated robot 14. FIG. As shown in the figure, the arm member 104 of the contact member 102 of the substrate transport hand 100 is inserted and disposed above the oven shelf 72 so as not to interfere with the fixing pins 74, 74.

  14B is a side view in which the substrate supporting member 20 (18, 24, 26) is moved downward by the horizontal articulated robot 14 from the state of FIG. 14A, and the lower surface of the glass substrate G1 is supported by the fixing pins 74, 74. FIG.

  14C is a side view in which the elastic pins 106 and 106 are lowered by the air cylinder 108 (see FIG. 12) and retracted from the lower surface of the glass substrate G1 from the state of FIG. 14B.

  FIG. 14D shows that the substrate support member 20 (18, 24, 26) is moved upward by the horizontal articulated robot 14 after being moved away from each other by the drive unit 22 (see FIG. 1) from the state of FIG. 14C. It is a side view. Thereby, the glass substrate G1 is supported by the fixing pins 74, 74.

  FIG. 14E is a side view in which the arm member 104 of the contact member 102 is slid linearly in the horizontal direction by the horizontal articulated robot 14 without interfering with the fixing pins 74, 74... is there. Thereafter, the substrate transport hand 100 is moved to the drying unit 62 shown in FIG. 13A by the horizontal articulated robot 14.

  In the above embodiment, the elastic pin 106 is moved up and down by the air cylinder 108, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, the elastic pin 106 is fixed to the arm member 104 via a fixing pin 116, and the arm member 104 is connected to the hand mounting plate 12 via an elevating device (elevating means) 118. It may be provided so as to be movable up and down. Examples of the lifting device 118 include an LM guide (registered trademark) and a feed screw device. Further, since the lifting / lowering operation timing of the arm member 104 by the lifting / lowering device 118 is the same as the lifting / lowering operation timing of the elastic pin 106 by the air cylinder 108, description thereof is omitted here.

[Industrial applicability]
In the embodiment, the glass substrate is exemplified as the transfer object of the substrate transfer hands 10 and 100. However, the substrate transfer hand of the embodiment may be a plate-like body made of metal or resin other than the glass substrate. 10 can be used.

  The glass substrate to be transported by the first substrate transport hand 10 preferably has a thickness of 0.5 mm or more in consideration of breakage of the glass substrate due to excessive bending. Moreover, as for the size of the glass substrate in this case, it is preferable that length and width are 500-1500 mm.

  The glass substrate to be transported by the second substrate transport hand 100 is a glass substrate having a thickness of less than 0.5 mm (for example, 0.2 mm) because the bending of the glass substrate is suppressed by the contact member 102. Can be transported. In this case, even a glass substrate having a length and width exceeding 2400 to 2100 mm can be transported.

  G, G1, G2, G3 ... Glass substrate, 10 ... Hand for board transfer, 12 ... Plate for hand mounting, 14 ... Horizontal articulated robot, 16 ... Arm, 18, 20 ... Substrate support member, 22 ... Drive unit, 24 , 26 ... substrate support member, 28 ... parallel link member, 30 ... link, 32, 34 ... holding part, 36 ... suction pad, 38 ... guide member, 40 ... drive source, 42 ... rail, 44 ... block, 46 ... servo Motor, 48 ... Screw rod, 50 ... Nut, 52 ... Pulley, 54 ... Belt, 56 ... Pulley, 58 ... Space, 60 ... Application part, 62 ... Drying part, 64 ... Die coater, 66 ... Substrate mounting table, 68 ... Elevating pins, 70 ... resin liquid, 72 ... oven shelf, 74 ... fixing pins, 76 ... suction passage, 78 ... center opening, 80 ... cylindrical body, 82 ... ring-shaped upper end surface, 100 ... hand for carrying a substrate, 102 ... contact Wood, 104 ... arm member, 106 ... elastic pins, 108 ... air cylinder, 110 ... piston 112 ... cylinder, 114 ... opening, 116 ... fixing pins, 118 ... lifting device

Claims (10)

A first pair of substrate support members arranged parallel to the horizontal direction;
A drive unit that translates the first pair of substrate support members in a direction toward and away from each other;
A second pair of substrate support members disposed in parallel to the horizontal direction in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the first pair of substrate support members;
The first pair of substrate support members and the second pair of substrate support members are connected to each other, and the second pair of substrate support members are interlocked with the parallel movement of the first pair of substrate support members toward each other. A direction in which the pair of substrate support members are translated in a direction approaching each other, and the second pair of substrate support members are separated from each other in conjunction with the parallel movement of the first pair of substrate support members in the direction away from each other. A parallel link member that translates to
A plurality of first holding portions provided along the longitudinal direction of the first pair of substrate supporting members, and holding a lower surface edge portion of the substrate;
A plurality of second holding portions provided along the longitudinal direction of the second pair of substrate supporting members, and holding the lower surface edge portion of the substrate;
A board transporting hand characterized by comprising: The drive unit is
A guide member that movably guides the first pair of substrate support members toward each other and away from each other;
A driving source for transmitting power to the first pair of substrate support members to translate them in the directions approaching and separating from each other;
A support member to which the guide member and the drive source are attached;
A substrate transfer hand according to claim 1.   The substrate transfer hand according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit is connected to a transfer unit that moves the substrate transfer hand from the substrate receiving position to the delivery position.   4. The substrate transport hand according to claim 1, wherein the first holding unit and the second holding unit include a suction member that sucks and holds the substrate.   The substrate transport according to claim 1, wherein a resin liquid is applied to an upper surface of the substrate, and an edge portion of the lower surface of the substrate is held by the first holding unit and the second holding unit. For hands.   The substrate transport hand according to claim 3, 4, or 5, wherein the driving unit includes a contact member that contacts a lower surface of the substrate.   The substrate transporting hand according to claim 6, wherein the contact member includes an arm member extended from the drive unit, and a pin-shaped member provided on the arm member and contacting the lower surface of the substrate.   8. The substrate transfer hand according to claim 7, wherein the pin-shaped member is provided so as to be movable up and down with respect to the arm member by an elevating means.   The substrate transfer hand according to claim 7, wherein the arm member is provided so as to be movable up and down with respect to the drive unit by an elevating unit.   The substrate transporting hand according to any one of claims 3 to 9, wherein the substrate transporting hand according to any one of claims 3 to 9 is used from a coating unit that coats resin on the top surface of the substrate to a drying unit that dries the resin coated on the top surface of the substrate. A substrate carrying method comprising carrying the substrate.

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