JP2020092233A - Conveyance system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a conveyance system that is capable of conveying an object to be processed to each of a plurality of processing devices and is easy to construct.SOLUTION: A conveyance system for conveying an object to be processed to each of a plurality of processing devices includes: a conveyance passage; an unmanned object-to-be processed conveyance vehicle that travels on the conveyance passage; a stock unit; a control unit; and the processing devices. The conveyance passage is provided in a space right over the processing devices throughout the plurality of processing devices. The processing devices comprise: a loading stand having an upper part on which a tray for storing the object to be processed is loaded and a lower part in which a storage region for temporarily storing the object to be processed after processing is provided; a temporary placement region on which the object to be processed carried out from the tray loaded on the loading stand is temporarily placed; a chuck table for holding the object to be processed carried out from the temporary placement region; a processing unit for processing the object to be processed held by the chuck table; and an intra-processing device conveyance part for conveying the object to be processed among the tray loaded on the loading stand, the storage region, the temporary placement region, and the chuck table.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a transfer system that transfers a workpiece to a processing device.

In the process of manufacturing a device chip incorporated in an electronic device or the like, a plate-shaped workpiece represented by a semiconductor wafer or a resin package substrate is processed by various processing devices. When a work piece is conveyed to this processing apparatus, a conveyance cassette that can accommodate a plurality of work pieces is usually used.

By the way, in the above method of accommodating a plurality of workpieces in the cassette and transporting them to the processing apparatus at once, if the processing apparatus stops for some reason, the unprocessed workpieces stored in the cassette are uniformly distributed. You will have to wait. That is, the unprocessed workpiece cannot be processed by another processing apparatus, so that the processing efficiency is significantly reduced.

To solve this problem, for example, the workpieces may be conveyed to the processing device one by one according to the operating status of the processing device. Therefore, a transfer system has been proposed in which a plurality of processing devices are connected by a transfer path and a workpiece can be transferred to each processing device at an arbitrary timing (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP-A-6-177244

However, the side surface of each processing device is provided with a pipe connection portion to which pipes are connected, a maintenance door, and the like, and when constructing the above-described transport system, the transport system is designed so as not to interfere with these. The route needs to be designed. Therefore, it is not always easy to construct the transportation system, and the transportation route tends to be long.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a transfer system that can transfer a workpiece to each of a plurality of processing devices and that can be easily constructed. ..

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transport system for transporting a workpiece to each of a plurality of processing devices, the plurality of processing devices being installed in a space directly above the processing devices. A transport passage, a workpiece support portion that supports the workpiece that is accommodated in the tray, a traveling mechanism that is provided on the workpiece support portion, and a receiver that receives a control signal. An unmanned workpiece transport vehicle that travels in the transport passage, a workpiece stocker that accommodates the workpiece to be supplied to the processing device, and the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle between the workpiece. A stock unit including a workpiece transport unit for transporting and a receiver for receiving a control signal, the processing apparatus, the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle, and a transmitter for transmitting a control signal to the stock unit, A control unit including a receiver that receives a notification signal transmitted from the processing device and a control signal generation unit that generates a control signal transmitted from the transmitter, and the tray that accommodates the workpiece. A mounting table placed on the upper part and provided with a storage area on the lower part for temporarily storing the processed workpiece, and the workpiece carried out from the tray mounted on the mounting table are A temporary placement area for temporary placement, a chuck table for holding the workpiece carried out from the temporary placement area, a processing unit for processing the workpiece held on the chuck table, and a mounting table. The processing unit, comprising: the tray to be placed, the accommodation area, the temporary placement area, and an in-processing apparatus transfer section that transfers the object to be processed among the chuck table. The control signal generation unit of the control unit generates a control signal transmitted from the transmitter of the control unit based on the notification signal received by the receiver of the control unit, and the transmitter of the control unit controls the control signal. The control signal generated by the control signal generation unit of the unit is transmitted to the processing device, the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle, and the stock unit, and the workpiece transport unit of the stock unit transmits the control signal to the stock unit. Of the workpiece stored in the workpiece stocker on the basis of the control signal received by the receiver, the workpiece is conveyed to the workpiece support portion of the unmanned workpiece carrier, and the unmanned workpiece is conveyed. The traveling mechanism of the transport vehicle causes the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle to travel on the transport path based on a control signal received by the receiver of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle and is supported by the workpiece support portion. There is provided a carrying system, which carries the work piece housed in the tray to the working device.

In this transfer system, the transfer passage is preferably installed on the upper surface of the processing apparatus.

Further, in this transfer system, it is preferable that the transfer path is configured by connecting a plurality of path modules.

Further, in this transfer system, the transfer passage may be provided with a leg portion having a suction portion that sucks the processing device, and may be fixed to the processing device by the suction portion.

Further, in this transport system, the processing device may be provided with a pipe connecting portion to which a pipe is connected or a maintenance door on a side surface.

The transport system also receives a control signal, a blade support portion that supports a cutting blade used when the workpiece is processed by the processing device, a traveling mechanism provided in the blade support portion, and a control signal. A receiver, and further includes an unmanned blade transport vehicle that travels in the transport path, wherein the stock unit includes a blade stocker that accommodates the cutting blade supplied to the processing apparatus, and the unmanned blade transport vehicle. Further comprises a blade transport unit for transporting the cutting blade, the transmitter of the control unit further has a function of transmitting a control signal to the unmanned blade transport vehicle, and the transmitter of the control unit is A control signal generated by the control signal generation unit of the control unit to the processing apparatus, the unmanned workpiece carrier, the unmanned blade carrier, and the stock unit, and the blade of the stock unit. The transport unit transports the cutting blade accommodated in the blade stocker to the blade support unit of the unmanned blade transport vehicle based on a control signal received by the receiver of the stock unit, and the unmanned blade transport vehicle. The traveling mechanism of the traveling apparatus causes the unmanned blade transportation vehicle to travel on the transportation path based on a control signal received by the receiver of the unmanned blade transportation vehicle, and the cutting blade supported by the blade supporting unit is processed by the processing device. It may be transported to.

A transport system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a transport passage installed across a plurality of processing devices, an unmanned workpiece transport vehicle including a workpiece support portion, a traveling mechanism, and a receiver, and a workpiece. And a stock unit having a receiver.

Therefore, the workpiece stored in the workpiece stocker is transported to the workpiece support section of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle in the workpiece transport section, and the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle is transported on the transport path. By traveling, the workpiece can be conveyed to each of the plurality of processing devices.

Further, in the transfer system according to the aspect of the present invention, the transfer passage is installed in a space right above the processing device. Therefore, it is not necessary to consider the structure of the side surface of each processing device when designing the transport passage. That is, the construction of the transportation system becomes easy.

It is a top view which shows the structural example of the conveyance system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows the example of the connection relation of the conveyance system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the structural example of the stock unit which concerns on 1st Embodiment typically. FIG. 4(A) is a perspective view showing a configuration example of an unmanned workpiece transport vehicle, and FIG. 4(B) is a perspective view showing the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle with a cassette placed thereon. It is a perspective view showing appearance of a cutting device, a conveyance way, etc. concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structural example of a cutting device. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that a conveyance passage is installed in a cutting device. 8(A), 8(B), and 8(C) are plan views showing configuration examples of the passage module. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which a transfer passage is formed from the passage module. 10(A) and 10(B) are cross-sectional views showing how the passage modules are connected. It is a bottom view which shows the structural example of a passage module. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a cassette etc. 13(A), 13(B), and 13(C) are cross-sectional views showing a state in which the frame supporting the workpiece is unloaded from the cassette. It is a functional block diagram for explaining an example of operation etc. of the conveyance system concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows the example of the connection relation of the conveyance system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the structural example of the stock unit which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structural example of an unmanned blade conveyance vehicle. It is a perspective view showing appearance of a cutting device etc. concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is an exploded perspective view showing an example of composition of a blade changer. It is a functional block diagram for explaining an example of operation etc. of a transportation system concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows typically a mode that a cassette is carried out from an unmanned workpiece conveyance vehicle in the conveyance system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows typically a mode that a cassette is carried in to the cutting device in the conveyance system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows typically a mode that a cassette is carried out from the unmanned workpiece conveyance vehicle stopped near the cutting device which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows typically a mode that a cassette is carried in with respect to the cutting device which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of a cassette support stand, a mounting stand, and a cassette. It is a bottom view which shows the structural example of a mounting base. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state before a cassette is placed on a mounting table mounted on a cassette support table. 28(A) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of FIG. 27, and FIG. 28(B) is a cross-sectional view showing a state after the cassette is mounted on the mounting table mounted on the cassette support table. .. FIG. 29(A) is a bottom view showing a state in which the work piece, the frame, etc. are stored in the first storage area of the mounting table, and FIG. 29(B) shows the small work piece, the frame, etc. It is a bottom view showing the state where it was stored in the 2nd storage field of a table.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in each of the following embodiments, a transfer system that transfers a workpiece or the like to a plurality of cutting devices will be described. It suffices if it is configured to be able to convey. That is, the conveyance destination of the workpiece or the like may be a processing device other than the cutting device.

For example, the transportation system of the present invention may be configured to be capable of transporting a workpiece to a plurality of laser processing devices. In addition, the transfer system of the present invention may be configured to be capable of sequentially transferring a workpiece to a plurality of types of processing devices used for a series of processing, for example.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a transport system 2 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a connection relationship of the transport system 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the transport system 2 according to the present embodiment includes a transport passage 6 for transporting a plate-shaped workpiece 11 processed by a cutting device (processing device) 4.

The workpiece 11 is, for example, a disk-shaped wafer made of a semiconductor material such as silicon. The surface side of the workpiece 11 is divided into a plurality of small regions by a plurality of dividing lines (streets) that intersect each other, and each small region has an IC (Integrated Circuit), a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems). ) Etc. are formed.

A tape (dicing tape) 13 having a diameter larger than that of the workpiece 11 is attached to the back surface side of the workpiece 11. The outer peripheral portion of the tape 13 is fixed to an annular frame 15 that surrounds the workpiece 11. The workpiece 11 is conveyed to the cutting device 4 while being supported by the frame 15 via the tape 13.

In the present embodiment, the disk-shaped wafer made of a semiconductor material such as silicon is used as the workpiece 11, but the material, shape, structure, size, etc. of the workpiece 11 are not limited. For example, a substrate made of another semiconductor, ceramics, resin, metal, or the like can be used as the workpiece 11. Similarly, there are no restrictions on the type, quantity, shape, structure, size, arrangement, etc. of devices. No device may be formed on the workpiece 11.

Further, the cutting device 4 for processing the workpiece 11 is connected to the transport system 2 as a transport destination of the workpiece 11, but is not necessarily a component of the transport system 2. Therefore, the cutting device 4 may be changed or omitted depending on the mode of use of the transport system 2 as described above.

1 shows only one cutting device 4a and FIG. 2 shows two cutting devices 4a and 4b for convenience of description, but in the present embodiment, the destination of the workpiece 11 is conveyed. As a result, two or more cutting devices 4 are required. That is, the number of processing devices connected to the transport system 2 is two or more.

The transport passage 6 is installed across a plurality of cutting devices 4 so that the workpiece 11 can be transported to each cutting device 4. That is, the plurality of cutting devices 4 are connected to each other via the transport passage 6. Further, the transport passage 6 is provided in a space directly above the cutting device 4. Therefore, the transfer passage 6 does not interfere with the pipe 21 or the like connected to the side surface of each cutting device 4.

In addition to the cutting device 4, a stock unit 8 capable of accommodating a plurality of workpieces 11 is provided below the transport passage 6. The workpiece 11 housed in the stock unit 8 is carried into the unmanned workpiece carrier 10 at an arbitrary timing. The unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 travels on the transport path 6 and transports the workpiece 11 to each cutting device 4. Although FIG. 1 shows three unmanned workpiece transport vehicles 10a, 10b, 10c, and FIG. 2 shows two unmanned workpiece transport vehicles 10a, 10b, unmanned workpiece transport. There is no limit to the number of cars 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, a control unit 12 for controlling these operations is wirelessly connected to the cutting device 4, the stock unit 8, and the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10. However, the control unit 12 may be configured so as to be able to control the operations of the cutting device 4, the stock unit 8, and the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10, and may be connected to these by a wire.

FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing a configuration example of the stock unit 8. As shown in FIG. 3, the stock unit 8 includes a housing 14 that houses various components. Note that in FIG. 3, only the outline of the housing 14 is shown for convenience of description.

Inside the housing 14, for example, a first cassette support base 16 that is lifted and lowered by a ball screw type first lifting mechanism (not shown) is provided. A cassette (workpiece stocker) 18 capable of accommodating a plurality of workpieces 11 is placed on the upper surface of the first cassette support 16. The cassette 18 accommodates the workpiece 11 supported by the frame 15 via the tape 13 as described above.

A push-pull arm 20 that is capable of gripping and moving the frame 15 is disposed on the side of the first cassette support base 16. For example, if the height of the frame 15 housed in the cassette 18 is adjusted to the height of the push-pull arm 20 by the first elevating mechanism and the frame 15 in the cassette 18 is gripped by the push-pull arm 20, It can be pulled out of the cassette 18.

A pair of guide rails 22 are provided at positions sandwiching the push-pull arm 20 so as to approach and separate while maintaining a parallel state to each other. Each of the guide rails 22 has a support surface that supports the frame 15 from below, and a side surface that is substantially perpendicular to the support surface, and sandwiches the frame 15 pulled out from the cassette 18 by the push-pull arm 20 to align it with a predetermined position.

A second cassette support base 26 that is moved up and down by a ball screw type second elevating mechanism 24 is provided further to the side of the push-pull arm 20 and the pair of guide rails 22. On the upper surface of the second cassette support base 26, a cassette (conveyance cassette, tray) 28 capable of accommodating one workpiece 11 is placed. The cassette 28 may be configured to be able to accommodate two or more workpieces 11.

The frame 15 adjusted to a predetermined position by the pair of guide rails 22 is gripped again by the push-pull arm 20 and is moved toward the cassette 28 on the second cassette support 26 whose height is adjusted by the second elevating mechanism 24. It is inserted from one side. When the workpiece 11 is housed in the cassette 28, the second elevating mechanism 24 raises the second cassette support table 26.

An opening 14b that vertically penetrates the ceiling 14a of the housing 14 is provided in a region immediately above the second cassette support base 26. The opening 14b is formed to have a shape and a size capable of passing at least the cassette 28 mounted on the second cassette support base 26. Therefore, by raising the second cassette support base 26 by the second elevating mechanism 24, the cassette 28 containing the workpiece 11 can be exposed to the outside of the housing 14 through the opening 14b.

A cassette carrying arm (workpiece carrying part) 30 for carrying the cassette 28 exposed at the opening 14b to the unmanned workpiece carrying vehicle 10 stopped near the opening 14b is provided outside the housing 14. ing. A controller 32 for controlling the operation of the stock unit 8 is connected to the components such as the first elevating mechanism, the push-pull arm 20, the pair of guide rails 22, the second elevating mechanism 24, and the cassette carrying arm 30. There is.

The control device 32 is typically configured by a computer including a processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage device such as a flash memory, and operates the processing device and the like according to software stored in the storage device. The function of the control device 32 is realized by.

The control device 32 further includes a receiver 34 that receives a control signal (control signal) transmitted from the control unit 12 of the transport system 2 and a notification signal (notification signal) to the control unit 12. The transmitter 36 for transmitting is connected. The control device 32 controls the operation of the stock unit 8 based on the signal received by the receiver 34. In addition, the control device 32 transmits a necessary signal to the control unit 12 through the transmitter 36.

FIG. 4(A) is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10, and FIG. 4(B) is a perspective view showing the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 with the cassette 28 placed thereon. Is. As shown in FIG. 4A, the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 includes a tray-shaped chassis (a workpiece support portion) 38. A recess 38a corresponding to the shape and size of the cassette 28 is provided on the upper surface side of the chassis 38, and the cassette 28 transferred by the cassette transfer arm 30 is placed in the recess 38a of the chassis 38.

On the lower surface side of the chassis 38, a plurality (four in the present embodiment) of wheels (running mechanism) 40 are attached. Each wheel 40 is connected to a rotary drive source such as a motor and rotates. By rotating the wheels 40 by the rotary drive source, the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 travels on the transport passage 6. As the wheel 40, a so-called mecanum wheel or the like in which a plurality of inclined barrel-shaped (cylindrical) rotating bodies are attached to the outer peripheral surface in contact with the transport passage 6 may be used.

A control device 42 that controls the operation of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 is provided on the side surface of the chassis 38. The control device 42 is typically configured by a computer including a processing device such as a CPU and a storage device such as a flash memory. The control device 42 is operated by operating the processing device or the like in accordance with software stored in the storage device. The function of is realized.

A receiver 44 that receives a control signal (control signal) transmitted from the control unit 12 of the transport system 2 and a notification signal (notification signal) to the control unit 12 are transmitted to the control device 42. The transmitter 46 is connected. The control device 42 controls the operation (running) of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 based on the signal received by the receiver 44. The control device 42 also sends the required signals to the control unit 12 through the transmitter 46.

A secondary battery is connected to the components such as the rotation drive source of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10, the control device 42, the receiver 44, and the transmitter 46, and the power supplied from the secondary battery. Thus, each component of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 operates. Power supply (charge) to the secondary battery is preferably performed by a non-contact (wireless, non-contact) method, but may be performed by a contact method.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the cutting device 4, the transport passage 6, and the like, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the cutting device 4. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cutting device 4 includes a base 48 that supports each component. An opening 48a is formed at a corner of the base 48, and a cassette support 50 that is moved up and down by an elevating mechanism (not shown) is provided in a region corresponding to the opening 48a. The cassette 28 described above is placed on the upper surface of the cassette support base 50. 5 and 6, only the outline of the cassette 28 is shown for convenience of description.

As shown in FIG. 6, an opening 48b that is long in the X-axis direction (front-rear direction, machining feed direction) is formed on the side of the opening 48a. Inside the opening 48b, a ball screw type X-axis moving mechanism (processing feed unit) 52 and a dust-proof and drip-proof cover 54 that covers the upper portion of the X-axis moving mechanism 52 are arranged. The X-axis moving mechanism 52 includes an X-axis moving table 52a, and moves the X-axis moving table 52a in the X-axis direction.

A chuck table (holding table) 56 for sucking and holding the workpiece 11 is provided on the X-axis moving table 52a. The chuck table 56 is connected to a rotary drive source (not shown) such as a motor, and rotates about a rotation axis substantially parallel to the Z-axis direction (vertical direction, cut feed direction). Further, the chuck table 56 is moved in the X-axis direction by the above-mentioned X-axis moving mechanism 52 (processing feed).

The upper surface of the chuck table 56 is a holding surface 56a for holding the workpiece 11. The holding surface 56a is connected to a suction source (not shown) via a suction path (not shown) formed inside the chuck table 56. Further, around the chuck table 56, four clamps 58 for fixing the frame 15 supporting the workpiece 11 from four sides are provided.

Above the opening 48b, a pair of guide rails (temporary placement areas) 60 are provided that approach and separate while maintaining a state parallel to the Y-axis direction (horizontal direction, indexing feed direction). The pair of guide rails 60 each include a support surface that supports the frame 15 from below and a side surface that is substantially perpendicular to the support surface, and sandwich the frame 15 pulled out from the cassette 28 in the X-axis direction to a predetermined position. To match.

A first gate-shaped support structure 62 is arranged above the base 48 so as to straddle the opening 48b. A first rail 64 along the Y-axis direction is fixed to the front surface (the surface on the guide rail 60 side) of the first support structure 62, and a first moving mechanism 66 and the like are provided on the first rail 64. The first transfer unit (in-processing device transfer section) 68 is connected.

The first transport unit 68, for example, comes into contact with the upper surface of the frame 15 to adsorb and hold the frame 15, moves up and down by the first moving mechanism 66, and moves in the Y-axis direction along the first rail 64. A gripping mechanism 68 a for gripping the frame 15 is provided on the opening 48 a side of the first transport unit 68.

For example, when the frame 15 is gripped by the gripping mechanism 68a and the first transport unit 68 is moved in the Y-axis direction, the frame 15 in the cassette 28 is pulled out to the pair of guide rails 60, or on the pair of guide rails 60. The frame 15 can be inserted into the cassette 28. After the frame 15 is aligned with the pair of guide rails 60, the frame 15 (workpiece 11) is carried into the chuck table 56 by the first transport unit 68.

Further, a second rail 70 along the Y-axis direction is fixed above the first rail 64 on the front surface of the first support structure 62. A second transfer unit (in-processing device transfer section) 74 is connected to the second rail 70 via a second moving mechanism 72 and the like. The second transport unit 74, for example, comes into contact with the upper surface of the frame 15 to adsorb and hold the frame 15, moves up and down by the second moving mechanism 72, and moves in the Y-axis direction along the second rail 70.

A gate-shaped second support structure 76 is disposed behind the first support structure 62. Two sets of cutting units (processing units) 80 are provided on the front surface of the second support structure 76 (the surface on the side of the first support structure 62) via Y-axis and Z-axis moving mechanisms (index feed unit, cut feed unit) 78, respectively. Is provided. The cutting unit 80 moves in the Y-axis direction (indexing feed) by the Y-axis Z-axis moving mechanism 78 and moves in the Z-axis direction (cutting feed).

Each cutting unit 80 includes a spindle (not shown) that serves as a rotation axis substantially parallel to the Y-axis direction. An annular cutting blade 82 is attached to one end of the spindle. A rotary drive source (not shown) such as a motor is connected to the other end of each spindle. A nozzle for supplying a cutting fluid such as pure water to the workpiece 11 or the cutting blade 82 is arranged near the cutting blade 82.

The workpiece 11 can be cut by cutting the rotated cutting blade 82 into the workpiece 11 held by the chuck table 56 while supplying the cutting fluid from the nozzle. An image pickup unit (camera) 84 for picking up an image of the workpiece 11 or the like held on the chuck table 56 is provided at a position adjacent to the cutting unit 80. The imaging unit 84 also moves in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction by the Y-axis and Z-axis moving mechanism 78.

A cleaning unit 86 is arranged at a position opposite to the opening 48a with respect to the opening 48b. The cleaning unit 86 includes a spinner table 88 that sucks and holds the workpiece 11 in the cylindrical cleaning space. A rotation drive source (not shown) that rotates the spinner table 88 at a predetermined speed is connected to the lower portion of the spinner table 88.

An injection nozzle 90 for injecting a cleaning fluid (typically, a mixed fluid of water and air) toward the workpiece 11 held by the spinner table 88 is arranged above the spinner table 88. Has been done. The workpiece 11 can be washed by rotating the spinner table 88 holding the workpiece 11 and jetting a cleaning fluid from the jet nozzle 90.

After the workpiece 11 is cut by the cutting unit 80, for example, the frame 15 is carried into the cleaning unit 86 by the second transport unit 74. After the workpiece 11 is cleaned by the cleaning unit 86, for example, the frame 15 is placed on the pair of guide rails 60 by the first transport unit 68, and then the frame 15 is gripped by the gripping mechanism 68a and accommodated in the cassette 28. To do.

As shown in FIG. 5, the upper surface side of the base 48 is covered with a cover 92, and the above-described components are housed inside the cover 92. An opening 92b that vertically penetrates the ceiling 92a of the cover 92 is provided in a region immediately above the opening 48a. Therefore, when the cassette support base 50 is raised by the elevating mechanism, the upper surface of the cassette support base 50 can be exposed to the outside of the cover 92 through the opening 92b. The shape and size of the opening 92b are the same as the shape and size of the opening 48a provided in the base 48, for example.

On the ceiling 92a of the cover 92, for example, the cassette 28 is transferred between the cassette support table 50 positioned at the same height as the opening 92b and the unmanned workpiece transfer vehicle 10 stopped near the opening 92b. A cassette transfer arm 94 is provided. The cassette transfer arm 94 is connected to a control device 96 together with an elevating mechanism for elevating the cassette support base 50 (FIG. 5).

The control device 96 is typically configured by a computer including a processing device such as a CPU and a storage device such as a flash memory, and the control device 96 is operated by operating the processing device or the like in accordance with software stored in the storage device. The function of is realized.

A receiver 98 that receives a control signal (control signal) transmitted from the control unit 12 of the transport system 2 and a notification signal (notification signal) to the control unit 12 are transmitted to the control device 96. The transmitter 100 is further connected. The control device 96 controls each component of the above-described cutting device 4 based on, for example, a signal received by the receiver 98.

A pipe connection portion 48c (FIG. 5) that connects various pipes 21 is provided on the side wall of the base 48. Further, a door 92c (FIG. 5) that is opened/closed for maintenance or the like is provided on the side wall of the cover 92. Furthermore, an operation panel (not shown), a display (not shown), or the like may be provided on the side wall of the cover 92.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing how the transport passage 6 of the transport system 2 is installed in the cutting device 4. As shown in FIG. 7 and the like, the transport passage 6 of the transport system 2 according to the present embodiment is mounted on the upper surface side of the ceiling 92a of the cover 92 included in the cutting device 4. That is, the transport passage 6 is installed in the space directly above the cutting device 4.

As a result, the transport passage 6 does not interfere with the structures of the pipe connecting portion 48c, the door 92c, and the like provided on the side surface of the cutting device 4. That is, it is not necessary to consider the structure of the side surface of the cutting device 4 when designing the transport passage 6. Therefore, the construction of the transport system 2 becomes easy.

8A is a plan view showing a configuration example of the passage module 6a used in the transport passage 6, and FIG. 8B is a plan view showing a configuration example of the passage module 6b. C) is a plan view showing a configuration example of the passage module 6c. The transfer passage 6 is configured by combining a plurality of passage modules 6a, 6b, 6c shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C, for example.

Each of the passage modules 6a, 6b, 6c is provided with a passage portion 102 having an upper surface with high flatness suitable for traveling of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10, and provided at the end of the passage portion 102 in the width direction. A guide portion 104 extending along the line 102. The height of the upper end of the guide portion 104 from the passage portion 102 is higher than the height of the wheels 40 of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10, for example. As a result, it is possible to prevent the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 traveling in the passage portion 102 from falling off the passage portion 102.

The passage module 6a in FIG. 8A further includes a standby unit 106 for waiting the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10, and, for example, the workpiece 11 can be coupled to the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10. It is installed directly above the cutting device 4 or the like for delivering (cassette 28). It should be noted that the standby unit 106 and the like may be provided with power supply equipment (charger) for supplying power to the secondary battery of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10. On the other hand, the passage module 6b of FIG. 8(B) is formed in a straight line shape, and the passage module 6c of FIG. 8(C) is formed in a right angle shape suitable for a bend angle.

The passage modules 6b and 6c are used to connect, for example, two adjacent passage modules 6a. However, there are no restrictions on the type, quantity, arrangement (connection relationship), etc. of the passage modules that form the conveyance passage 6. For example, the two passage modules 6a may be connected by another passage module 6a. Further, for example, an arcuate (curved) passage module may be used instead of the right-angled passage module 6c.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing how the transfer passage 6 is formed from the passage module 6a and the passage module 6b. 10(A) and 10(B) are cross-sectional views showing how the passage module 6a and the passage module 6b are connected. Further, FIG. 11 is a bottom view showing a configuration example of the passage module 6b.

As shown in FIG. 9, a pair of angles (brackets) 108 having an L-shaped cross section is provided at the end of the lower surface of the passage portion 102 in the longitudinal direction (the end portion in the direction along the transport passage 6). There is. Each angle 108 includes a substantially horizontal support surface 108a and a side surface 108b that is substantially vertical to the support surface 108a, and is fixed to the lower surface of the passage portion 102 so that the longitudinal direction of each angle 108 is along the conveyance passage 6. It

When connecting the passage module 6a and the passage module 6b, first, as shown in FIG. 10(A), the longitudinal end of the passage portion 102 forming the passage module 6a and the passage module 6b are formed. The end of the passage portion 102 in the longitudinal direction is sufficiently close to each other. Then, as shown in FIG. 10(B), it is connected to the angle 108 provided in the passage portion 102 forming the passage module 6a and the angle 108 provided in the passage portion 102 forming the passage module 6b. The tool 110 is inserted.

The connector 110 has, for example, a rod portion 110a longer than the combined length of the angle 108 of the passage module 6a and the length of the angle 108 of the passage module 6b, and has an opening at the center provided at both ends of the rod portion 110a. And a ring portion 110b. The rod portion 110a of the connector 110 is inserted into the angle 108.

After inserting the rod portion 110a into the angle 108, the bolt 112 is tightened into the bolt hole (not shown) on the lower surface side of the passage portion 102 through the opening of the ring portion 110b. Thereby, the passage module 6a and the passage module 6b can be connected to each other via the connecting tool 110. The passage module 6c is also connected to other passage modules (passage module 6a, passage module 6b, etc.) in the same procedure.

The passage modules 6a, 6b, 6c are attached to the cutting device 4 via the leg members 114 shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, for example. The leg member 114 includes a plate-shaped base portion 114a, a columnar column portion 114b protruding from near the center of one surface of the base portion 114a, and a suction cup-shaped suction portion 114c attached to the tip of the column portion 114b (see FIG. 11). ), and are included.

Four openings 114d that penetrate the base 114a in the thickness direction are formed in a region of the base 114a that does not overlap with the pillar 114b. Further, bolt holes 102a (FIG. 11) corresponding to the openings 114d are formed on the lower surface of the passage portion 102 that constitutes the passage modules 6a, 6b, 6c.

Therefore, the leg member 114 can be fixed to the passage modules 6a, 6b, 6c by bringing the other surface of the base portion 114a into contact with the lower surface of the passage portion 102 and tightening the bolt 116 in the bolt hole 102a through the opening 114d. It should be noted that there is no limitation on the number and arrangement of the openings 114d and the bolt holes 102a.

As shown in FIG. 11, in the passage module 6b of the present embodiment, four bolt holes 102a corresponding to the four openings 114d of the base portion 114a are formed in each of a plurality of regions on the lower surface of the passage portion 102. The leg member 114 can be attached to any area. The same applies to the other passage modules 6a and 6c.

That is, the leg member 114 is attached to one of the areas selected from the plurality of areas on the lower surface of the passage portion 102. It is desirable that a plurality of leg members 114 be attached to each passage module 6a, 6b, 6c. This facilitates stabilizing the position of the transport passage 6 with respect to the cutting device 4.

When the passage modules 6a, 6b, 6c are attached to the cutting device 4, for example, the passage modules 6a, 6b, 6c are aligned with the cover 92 of the cutting device 4, and as shown in FIG. The suction portion 114c of the leg member 114 is pressed against the upper surface of the ceiling 92a of the cover 92. As a result, the suction portion 114c can be sucked onto the upper surface of the ceiling 92a of the cover 92, and any passage module 6a, 6b, 6c can be attached to the cover 92. That is, the arbitrary passage modules 6a, 6b, 6c are attached to the cover 92 of the cutting device 4 via the leg members 114.

It is not always necessary to mount all the passage modules 6a, 6b, 6c on the cutting device 4. For example, the passage module located between the two cutting devices 4 may be supported only by the adjacent passage module via the connector 110. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, in the passage portion 102 of the passage module attached to the cutting device 4, the stock unit 8 and the like, as shown in FIG. Is provided. The information providing unit 102b is used, for example, for confirming the position of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10.

Next, the structure of the cassette 28 or the like used to convey the workpiece 11 will be described. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the structure of the cassette 28 and the like. The cassette 28 includes a box 118 that is large enough to accommodate the frame 15 that supports the workpiece 11. The box 118 has a bottom plate 120 for supporting the workpiece 11 and the frame 15.

The bottom plate 120 is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view, and the lower ends of the side plates 122, 124, and 126 are fixed to the positions corresponding to the three sides thereof, respectively. A top plate 128 having the same shape as the bottom plate 120 is fixed to the upper ends of the side plates 122, 124, and 126. That is, the box 118 is formed in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape having the opening 118a on one of the four side surfaces.

The top plate 128 is preferably formed of a material such as resin or glass that transmits visible light having a wavelength of 360 nm to 830 nm. As a result, for example, the type of the workpiece 11 housed in the box 118 can be determined from the outside of the cassette 28. When determining the type of the workpiece 11, it is preferable to read the identification code 17 such as a barcode drawn on the workpiece 11.

Further, in the region of the bottom plate 120 on the side of the opening 118a, two movement restricting members 130a and 130b for restricting the outward movement of the frame 15 housed in the box 118 are provided. Each of the two movement restricting members 130a and 130b is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is arranged such that the longitudinal direction of each of the movement restricting members 130a and 130b is along the lower edge of the opening 118a.

The height of the two movement restricting members 130a and 130b is lower than the height of the opening 118a, and the workpiece 11 and the frame 15 are placed between the movement restricting members 130a and 130b and the top plate 128. A gap is formed for loading and unloading. The two movement restriction members 130a and 130b are not in contact with each other. That is, a predetermined gap 130c is formed between the movement restricting member 130a and the movement restricting member 130b.

In a part of the bottom plate 120, a plurality of rectangular openings 120a penetrating the bottom plate 120 in the thickness direction are formed in a plan view. Each opening 120a is provided, for example, in a region immediately below the frame 15 housed in the box 118. That is, each opening 120a is formed at a position overlapping the frame 15 housed in the box 118 in a plan view.

As shown in FIG. 12, for example, a plurality of rectangular parallelepiped projections 50a corresponding to the shape of the opening 120a are provided on the upper surface of the cassette support base 50 included in the cutting device 4. Each protrusion 50a is arranged at a position corresponding to the opening 120a of the cassette 28 placed on the upper surface of the cassette support base 50. Therefore, for example, when the cassette 28 on the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 is transported by the cassette transport arm 94 and placed on the upper surface of the cassette support base 50, the protrusion 50a is inserted into the opening 120a of the cassette 28.

As a result, the frame 15 housed in the cassette 28 is relatively pushed up to a position higher than the movement restricting members 130a and 130b by the protrusion 50a, and can be carried out from the gap between the movement restricting members 130a and 130b and the top plate 128. Becomes There are no particular restrictions on the shapes of the openings 120a and the protrusions 50a. Further, in FIG. 12, only the cassette support base 50 included in the cutting device 4 is illustrated, but the structure of, for example, the second cassette support base 26 included in the stock unit 8 is similar.

13A, 13B, and 13C are cross-sectional views showing a state in which the frame 15 supporting the workpiece 11 is carried out from the cassette 28. For example, when carrying out the frame 15 from the cassette 28 in the cutting device 4, as shown in FIG. 13(A), the cassette 28 is placed on the upper surface of the cassette support base 50 so that the projection 50a is inserted into the opening 120a. Put on. As a result, the frame 15 housed in the cassette is relatively pushed up to a position higher than the movement restricting members 130a and 130b by the protrusion 50a.

Next, the relative heights of the cassette support base 50 and the gripping mechanism 68a are adjusted so that the upper surface of the protrusion 50a of the cassette support base 50 and the gripping mechanism 68a of the first transport unit 68 are approximately at the same height. . Then, as shown in FIG. 13B, the gripping mechanism 68a of the first transport unit 68 is inserted into the cassette 28 through the opening 118a. Specifically, the first transport unit 68 is moved horizontally, and the gripping mechanism 68a is inserted into the gap 130c between the movement regulating member 130a and the movement regulating member 130b.

After that, the frame 15 is gripped by the gripping mechanism 68a, the first transport unit 68 is moved horizontally as shown in FIG. 13C, and the gripping mechanism 68a is pulled out from the cassette 28. As a result, the frame 15 is unloaded from the cassette 28. The frame 15 that has been carried out is carried into the chuck table 56 after the position of the frame 15 is adjusted by a pair of guide rails 60, for example.

Next, an example of the operation of the transport system 2 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 14 is a functional block diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the transport system 2 and the like. For example, the control device 96 of the cutting device 4 generates a notification signal (workpiece request signal) for notifying that a new workpiece 11 is needed when it becomes necessary. The notification signal (workpiece request signal) generated by the control device 96 is transmitted from the transmitter 100 to the control unit 12.

As shown in FIG. 14, the control unit 12 includes a control unit (control signal generation unit) 132 that generates control signals for performing various controls. The control unit 132 is typically configured by a computer including a processing device such as a CPU and a storage device such as a flash memory, and the control unit 132 is operated by operating the processing device or the like according to software stored in the storage device. 132 functions are realized.

The control unit 132 includes a receiver 134 that receives a notification signal transmitted from the cutting device 4, the stock unit 8, the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10, etc., the cutting device 4, the stock unit 8, and the unmanned workpiece transport. A transmitter 136 that transmits a control signal to the vehicle 10 or the like is connected.

Upon receiving the notification signal (workpiece request signal) transmitted from the transmitter 100 of the cutting device 4, the receiver 134 of the control unit 12 sends this to the control unit 132. When confirming the notification signal (workpiece request signal) from the cutting device 4, the control unit 132 waits for the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 at a position where the workpiece 11 can be received from the stock unit 8. Give instructions. Specifically, the control unit 132 generates a control signal (first standby instruction signal) corresponding to this instruction and sends it from the transmitter 136 to the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10.

Upon receiving the control signal (first standby instruction signal) from the control unit 12, the receiver 44 of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 sends the control signal to the control device 42. The control device 42 controls the operation of the wheels (travel mechanism) 40 and the like based on this control signal (first standby instruction signal), and causes the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 to travel along the transport passage 6.

As shown in FIG. 14, the control device 42 of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 is connected to a reader 138 for reading information from the information providing unit 102b provided in the transport passage 6. Therefore, the control device 42 can confirm the position of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 by reading the information of the information providing unit 102b with the reader 138.

When the control device 42 confirms that the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 has moved near the stock unit 8, the control device 42 stops the wheels 40 and the like. Further, the control device 42 generates a notification signal (first waiting signal) for notifying that the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 is on standby at a position where the workpiece 11 can be received. The notification signal (first waiting signal) generated by the control device 42 is transmitted from the transmitter 46 to the control unit 12.

Upon receiving the notification signal (first waiting signal) transmitted from the transmitter 46 of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10, the receiver 134 of the control unit 12 sends this to the control unit 132. When confirming the notification signal (first waiting signal) from the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10, the control unit 132 transports the workpiece 11 to the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 with respect to the stock unit 8. To give instructions. Specifically, the control unit 132 generates a control signal (first conveyance instruction signal) corresponding to this instruction and sends it from the transmitter 136 to the stock unit 8.

Upon receiving the control signal (first transport instruction signal) from the control unit 12, the receiver 34 of the stock unit 8 sends this to the control device 32. The control device 32 controls the operation of the cassette transfer arm 30 and the like based on this control signal (first transfer instruction signal) to set the cassette 28 in which the workpiece 11 is housed to the chassis of the unmanned workpiece transfer vehicle 10. Put on 38.

When the transport of the cassette 28 to the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 is completed, the control device 32 notifies the notification signal that the transport of the cassette 28 to the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 is completed (first transport completion signal). ) Is generated. The notification signal (first transport completion signal) generated by the control device 32 is transmitted from the transmitter 36 to the control unit 12.

When the receiver 134 of the control unit 12 receives the notification signal (first transport completion signal) transmitted from the transmitter 36 of the stock unit 8, it sends this to the control unit 132. When the control unit 132 confirms the notification signal (first transfer completion signal) from the stock unit 8, the control unit 132 moves to the position where the workpiece 11 can be delivered to the cutting device 4 with respect to the unmanned workpiece transfer vehicle 10. Instruct them to wait. Specifically, the control unit 132 generates a control signal (second standby instruction signal) corresponding to this instruction and sends it from the transmitter 136 to the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10.

Upon receiving the control signal (second standby instruction signal) from the control unit 12, the receiver 44 of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 sends the control signal to the control device 42. The control device 42 controls the operation of the wheels 40 and the like based on this control signal (second standby instruction signal) to cause the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 to travel along the transport passage 6.

When the control device 42 confirms that the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 has moved near the cutting device 4, the control device 42 stops the wheels 40 and the like. Further, the control device 42 sends a notification signal (second waiting signal) for notifying that the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 is on standby at a position where the workpiece 11 can be delivered to the cutting device 4. To generate. The notification signal (second waiting signal) generated by the control device 42 is transmitted from the transmitter 46 to the control unit 12.

When the receiver 134 of the control unit 12 receives the notification signal (second waiting signal) transmitted from the transmitter 46 of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10, the receiver 134 sends the notification signal to the control unit 132. When confirming the notification signal (second waiting signal) from the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10, the control unit 132 conveys the workpiece 11 from the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 to the cutting device 4. Give instructions to. Specifically, the control unit 132 generates a control signal (second conveyance instruction signal) corresponding to this instruction and sends the control signal from the transmitter 136 to the cutting device 4.

Upon receiving the control signal (second conveyance instruction signal) from the control unit 12, the receiver 98 of the cutting device 4 sends this to the control device 96. The control device 96 controls the operation of the cassette transfer arm 94 and the like based on this control signal (second transfer instruction signal) to move the cassette 28 in which the workpiece 11 is housed to the chassis of the unmanned workpiece transfer vehicle 10. It is carried out from 38 and placed on the cassette support 50.

When the transportation of the cassette 28 to the cutting device 4 is completed, for example, the control device 96 generates a notification signal (second transportation completion signal) for notifying that the transportation of the cassette 28 to the cutting device 4 is completed. The notification signal (second transport completion signal) generated by the control device 96 is transmitted from the transmitter 100 to the control unit 12.

By such a procedure, the workpieces 11 housed in the stock unit 8 can be conveyed one by one to the arbitrary cutting device 4. In addition, here, although the procedure for transporting the workpiece 11 to the cutting device 4 has been mainly described, the procedure for collecting the workpiece 11 and the cassette 28 from the cutting device 4 is also the same. ..

Further, the procedure described above can be changed within a range in which the workpiece 11 can be appropriately conveyed. For example, a plurality of steps included in the procedure described above may be performed at the same time, or the order of steps may be changed within a range that does not hinder the conveyance of the workpiece 11. Similarly, arbitrary steps may be added, changed, or omitted within a range that does not hinder the conveyance of the workpiece 11.

As described above, the transfer system 2 according to the present embodiment has the transfer passage 6 installed across the plurality of cutting devices (processing devices) 4, the chassis (workpiece support portion) 38, the wheels (traveling mechanism). An unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 including a receiver 40 and a receiver 44, a cassette transport arm (a workpiece transport unit) 30, and a stock unit 8 including a receiver 34 are included.

Therefore, the workpiece 11 housed in the cassette (workpiece stocker) 18 is transported to the chassis 38 of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 by the cassette transport arm 30, and the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 is transported. By traveling on the passage 6, the workpiece 11 can be conveyed to each of the plurality of cutting devices 4. Further, in the transfer system 2 according to the present embodiment, the transfer passage 6 is installed in the space directly above the cutting device 4. Therefore, it is not necessary to consider the structure of the side surface of each cutting device 4 when designing the transport passage 6. That is, the construction of the transport system 2 becomes easy.

(Embodiment 2)
In this embodiment, a transfer system in which the cutting blade 82 and the like are transferred together with the workpiece 11 will be described. The basic configuration of the transfer system according to this embodiment is the same as the basic configuration of the transfer system 2 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the same components as those of the transport system 2 according to the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 15 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the connection relationship of the transport system 202 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, the unmanned workpiece carrier 10, the cutting device 204, the unmanned blade carrier 206, and the stock unit 208 are wirelessly connected to the control unit 12 of the carrier system 202 according to the present embodiment. ..

The unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 travels in the transport passage 6 (see FIG. 16 and the like) similarly to the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10, and transports the cutting blade 82 to each cutting device 204. The stock unit 208 is configured to accommodate the cutting blades 82 supplied to the respective cutting devices 204 in addition to the plurality of workpieces 11.

In addition, in FIG. 15, for convenience of description, two unmanned workpiece transport vehicles 10a and 10b, two cutting devices 204a and 204b, and two unmanned blade transport vehicles 206a and 206b are shown. There is no limit to the number of. Further, the control unit 12 may be connected to the unmanned workpiece carrier 10, the cutting device 204, the unmanned blade carrier 206, the stock unit 208, and the like by wire.

FIG. 16 is a side view showing a configuration example of the stock unit 208 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 16, the basic configuration of the stock unit 208 is the same as the basic configuration of the stock unit 8 according to the first embodiment. However, in the stock unit 208 according to the present embodiment, a blade stocker 210 for housing the plurality of cutting blades 82 is arranged.

The blade stocker 210 has, for example, a tray shape in which the upper surface side is divided into a plurality of regions. A cutting blade 82 is housed in each area. A blade transfer arm (blade transfer unit) 212 that transfers the cutting blade 82 between the blade stocker 210 and the unmanned blade transfer vehicle 206 is provided near the blade stocker 210.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206. As shown in FIG. 17, the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 includes a tray-shaped chassis (blade support portion) 214. A plurality of recesses 214a corresponding to the size of the cutting blade 82 are formed on the upper surface side of the chassis 214, and a blade case 216 capable of accommodating the cutting blade 82 is arranged in each recess 214a.

The cutting blade 82 transported by the blade transport arm 212 is placed on the blade case 216 arranged in the recess 214a of the chassis 214. An information providing unit 214b such as a wireless tag or an identification code is provided at a position of the chassis 214 corresponding to each blade case 216 (recess 214a). Therefore, the cutting blade 82 accommodated in each blade case 216 can be easily specified.

On the lower surface side of the chassis 214, a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) wheels (traveling mechanisms) 218 are attached. Each wheel 218 is connected to a rotary drive source such as a motor and rotates. By rotating the wheels 218 with the rotary drive source, the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 travels on the transport passage 6. As the wheel 218, it is preferable to use a so-called mecanum wheel or the like in which a plurality of tilted barrel-shaped (cylindrical) rotating bodies are attached to the outer peripheral surface in contact with the transport passage 6.

A control device 220 that controls the operation of the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 is provided on the side surface of the chassis 214. The control device 220 is typically configured by a computer including a processing device such as a CPU and a storage device such as a flash memory, and the control device 220 is operated by operating the processing device or the like in accordance with software stored in the storage device. The function of is realized.

The control device 220 includes a receiver 222 that receives a control signal (control signal) transmitted from the control unit 12, and a transmitter 224 that transmits a notification signal (notification signal) to the control unit 12. And are connected. The control device 220 controls the operation (running) of the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 based on the signal received by the receiver 222. In addition, the control device 220 transmits necessary signals to the control unit 12 through the transmitter 224.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the cutting device 204 and the like. As shown in FIG. 18, the basic configuration of the cutting device 204 is the same as the basic configuration of the cutting device 4 according to the first embodiment. However, the cutting device 204 is further provided with two openings 92d that vertically penetrate the ceiling 92a of the cover 92. Each opening 92d is formed in a size that allows the cutting blade 82 to pass through.

A blade elevating mechanism 226 for elevating the cutting blade 82 is arranged in each opening 92d. The blade lifting mechanism 226 includes a blade holding unit 228 that holds the cutting blade 82, and moves the blade holding unit 228 up and down. Therefore, if the blade holding portion 228 holds the cutting blade 82 and then moves the blade holding portion 228 up and down, the cutting blade 82 is transported from the outside of the cover 92 to the inside or from the inside of the cover 92 to the outside. Can be transported.

On the ceiling 92 a of the cover 92, a blade holding unit 228 included in the blade lifting mechanism 226 and a blade carrying arm 230 that carries the cutting blade 82 between the unmanned blade carrying vehicle 206 stopped beside the blade lifting mechanism 226. It is provided. The blade transfer arm 230 includes a blade gripper 230a that holds the cutting blade 82, and the blade gripper 230a is rotated and moved up and down to move the cutting blade 82 between the unmanned blade transfer vehicle 206 and the blade holder 228. Transport.

Inside the cover 92 of the cutting device 204, there is further provided a blade changer 232 for automatically changing the cutting blade 82 of the cutting unit 80. The blade changer 232 is connected to the controller 96 together with the blade lifting mechanism 226 and the blade transfer arm 230.

FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration example of the blade changer 232. The blade changer 232 includes, for example, a fixed plate 234 whose position is fixed with respect to the base 48, the cover 92, and the like. A pair of guide rails 236 that are long in the X-axis direction are provided on the lower surface side of the fixed plate 234. A moving plate 238 is supported by the guide rail 236 in a manner that it can slide along the X-axis direction.

A bracket 240 corresponding to the shape of the guide rail 236 is provided at the end of the moving plate 238 in the Y-axis direction, and the moving plate 238 is supported by the guide rail 236 via the bracket 240. The nut portion 242 is fixed to the upper surface of the moving plate 238. A ball screw 244, which is substantially parallel to the X-axis direction, is inserted into the screw hole 242a of the nut portion 242 in a rotatable manner.

A pulse motor 246 is connected to one end of the ball screw 244. When the pulse motor 246 rotates the ball screw 244, the moving plate 238 moves in the X-axis direction along the guide rail 236. A changer support structure 248 is fixed to the lower surface side of the moving plate 238.

The changer support structure 248 supports a pair of nut attaching/detaching mechanisms 250 for attaching/detaching a fixing nut (not shown) for fixing the cutting blade 82 to the cutting unit 80. Each nut attaching/detaching mechanism 250 is configured to be movable along the Y-axis direction and rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the Y-axis direction. By gripping and rotating the fixed nut by the nut attaching/detaching mechanism 250, the fixed nut can be attached to or removed from the cutting unit 80.

The changer support structure 248 also supports a pair of blade exchanging mechanisms 252 for exchanging the cutting blade 82. Each blade exchanging mechanism 252 includes a first blade holding portion 252a and a second blade holding portion 252b capable of holding the cutting blade 82, respectively. The blade exchanging mechanism 252 is configured to be movable along the Y-axis direction and to be able to switch the positions of the first blade holding portion 252a and the second blade holding portion 252b in the X-axis direction.

When the cutting blade 82 is replaced by the blade changer 232, for example, the replacement cutting blade 82 held by the blade holding portion 228 of the blade lifting mechanism 226 is received by the first blade holding portion 252a. Then, the fixing nut is removed from the cutting unit 80 by the nut attaching/detaching mechanism 250. Further, the cutting blade 82 mounted on the cutting unit 80 is removed from the cutting unit 80 by the second blade holding portion 252b.

After that, the positions of the first blade holding portion 252a and the second blade holding portion 252b are exchanged, and the replacement cutting blade 82 is attached to the cutting unit 80 by the first blade holding portion 252a. Then, finally, the fixing nut is attached to the cutting unit 80 by the nut attaching/detaching mechanism 250. The cutting blade 82 mounted on the cutting unit 80 is delivered to the blade holding unit 228 of the blade lifting mechanism 226 from the second blade holding unit 252b, for example.

Next, an example of the operation of the transport system 202 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 20 is a functional block diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the transport system 202. Since the operation related to the transportation of the workpiece 11 is the same as that of the first embodiment, in the present embodiment, an example of the operation mainly related to the transportation of the cutting blade 82 will be described.

For example, when the cutting blade 82 needs to be replaced, the control device 96 of the cutting device 204 generates a notification signal (blade request signal) for notifying that. The notification signal (blade request signal) generated by the control device 96 is transmitted from the transmitter 100 to the control unit 12.

Upon receiving the notification signal (blade request signal) transmitted from the transmitter 100 of the cutting device 204, the receiver 134 of the control unit 12 sends the notification signal to the control unit 132. When confirming the notification signal (blade request signal) from the cutting device 204, the control unit 132 instructs the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 to stand by at a position where the cutting blade 82 can be received from the stock unit 208. Specifically, the control unit 132 generates a control signal (first standby instruction signal) corresponding to this instruction and sends it from the transmitter 136 to the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206.

Upon receiving the control signal (first standby instruction signal) from the control unit 12, the receiver 222 of the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 sends this to the control device 220. The control device 220 controls the operation of the wheels (travel mechanism) 218 and the like based on this control signal (first standby instruction signal), and causes the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 to travel along the transport passage 6.

Note that, as shown in FIG. 20, a reader 254 for reading the information of the information providing unit 102b provided in the transport passage 6 is connected to the control device 220 of the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206. Therefore, the control device 220 can confirm the position of the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 by reading the information of the information providing unit 102b with the reader 254.

When the control device 220 confirms that the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 has moved near the stock unit 208, it stops the wheels 218 and the like. The control device 220 also generates a notification signal (first waiting signal) for notifying that the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 is waiting at a position where the cutting blade 82 can be received. The notification signal (first waiting signal) generated by the control device 220 is transmitted from the transmitter 224 to the control unit 12.

When the receiver 134 of the control unit 12 receives the notification signal (first waiting signal) transmitted from the transmitter 224 of the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206, the receiver 134 sends the notification signal to the control unit 132. Upon confirming the notification signal (first waiting signal) from the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206, the control unit 132 issues an instruction to the stock unit 208 to transport the cutting blade 82 to the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206. .. Specifically, the control unit 132 generates a control signal (first conveyance instruction signal) corresponding to this instruction and sends it from the transmitter 136 to the stock unit 208.

When the receiver 34 of the stock unit 208 receives the control signal (first transport instruction signal) from the control unit 12, the receiver 34 sends the control signal to the control device 32. The control device 32 controls the operation of the blade transfer arm 212 and the like based on this control signal (first transfer instruction signal), carries out the cutting blade 82 from the blade stocker 210, and places it on the chassis 214 of the unmanned blade transfer vehicle 206. .. Specifically, for example, the cutting blade 82 is placed on the blade case 216 instructed by the control unit 12 through the control signal (first conveyance instruction signal).

When the conveyance of the cutting blade 82 to the unmanned blade conveyance vehicle 206 is completed, the control device 32 outputs a notification signal (first conveyance completion signal) for notifying that the conveyance of the cutting blade 82 to the unmanned blade conveyance vehicle 206 is completed. To generate. The notification signal (first transport completion signal) generated by the control device 32 is transmitted from the transmitter 36 to the control unit 12.

When the receiver 134 of the control unit 12 receives the notification signal (first conveyance completion signal) transmitted from the transmitter 36 of the stock unit 208, the receiver 134 sends the notification signal to the control unit 132. Upon confirming the notification signal (first transport completion signal) from the stock unit 208, the control unit 132 moves the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 to a position where the cutting blade 82 can be delivered to the cutting device 204 and waits. Give instructions to. Specifically, the control unit 132 generates a control signal (second standby instruction signal) corresponding to this instruction and sends it from the transmitter 136 to the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206.

Upon receiving the control signal (second standby instruction signal) from the control unit 12, the receiver 222 of the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 sends this to the control device 220. The control device 220 controls the operation of the wheels 218 and the like based on the control signal (second standby instruction signal) to cause the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 to travel along the transport passage 6.

When the control device 220 confirms that the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 has moved near the cutting device 204, it stops the wheels 218 and the like. Further, the control device 220 generates a notification signal (second waiting signal) for notifying that the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 is waiting at the position where the cutting blade 82 can be delivered to the cutting device 204. The notification signal (second waiting signal) generated by the control device 220 is transmitted from the transmitter 224 to the control unit 12.

When the receiver 134 of the control unit 12 receives the notification signal (second waiting signal) transmitted from the transmitter 224 of the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206, the receiver 134 sends it to the control unit 132. When confirming the notification signal (second standby signal) from the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206, the control unit 132 instructs the cutting device 204 to transport the cutting blade 82 from the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206. Specifically, the control unit 132 generates a control signal (second conveyance instruction signal) corresponding to this instruction and sends it from the transmitter 136 to the cutting device 204.

Upon receiving the control signal (second conveyance instruction signal) from the control unit 12, the receiver 98 of the cutting device 204 sends this to the control device 96. The control device 96 controls the operation of the blade transfer arm 230 and the like based on this control signal (second transfer instruction signal), and carries out the cutting blade 82 from the chassis 214 of the unmanned blade transfer vehicle 206 to the blade holding section 228. Hand over. Specifically, the cutting blade 82 in the blade case 216, which is instructed by the control unit through the control signal (second conveyance instruction signal), is carried out and transferred to the blade holding unit 228.

When the delivery of the cutting blade 82 to the cutting device 204 is completed, for example, the control device 96 generates a notification signal (second transportation completion signal) for notifying that the transportation of the cutting blade 82 to the cutting device 204 is completed. .. The notification signal (second transport completion signal) generated by the control device 96 is transmitted from the transmitter 100 to the control unit 12. By such a procedure, the cutting blade 82 housed in the stock unit 208 can be conveyed to the cutting device 204 as needed.

After that, the cutting device 204 transfers the cutting blade 82 from the above-mentioned blade holding unit 228 to the blade changer 232, for example. Then, the blade changer 232 replaces the cutting blade 82 received from the blade holding unit 228 with the used cutting blade 82 already mounted on the cutting unit 80.

The used cutting blade 82 removed from the cutting unit 80 is transferred to the blade holding portion 228. The blade transfer arm 230 places the used cutting blade 82 held by the blade holding portion 228 on the chassis 214 of the waiting unmanned blade transfer vehicle 206. At this time, the used cutting blade 82 is placed on the blade case 216 designated by the control device 96, for example.

When the transportation of the used cutting blade 82 to the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 is completed, the control device 96 notifies the controller 96 of a notification signal for notifying that the transportation of the used cutting blade 82 to the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 is completed. 3 transport completion signal). The notification signal (third conveyance completion signal) generated by the control device 96 is transmitted from the transmitter 100 to the control unit 12. The notification signal (third conveyance completion signal) includes information on the blade case 216 on which the used cutting blade 82 is placed (information on the information providing unit 214b corresponding to the blade case 216).

Upon receiving the notification signal (third conveyance completion signal) transmitted from the transmitter 100 of the cutting device 204, the receiver 134 of the control unit 12 sends this to the control unit 132. When confirming the notification signal (third conveyance completion signal) from the cutting device 204, the control unit 132 moves the used cutting blade 82 to the position where the used cutting blade 82 can be delivered to the stock unit 208 with respect to the unmanned blade conveyance vehicle 206. Instruct them to wait. Specifically, the control unit 132 generates a control signal (third standby instruction signal) corresponding to this instruction and sends it from the transmitter 136 to the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206.

Upon receiving the control signal (third standby instruction signal) from the control unit 12, the receiver 222 of the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 sends this to the control device 220. The control device 220 controls the operation of the wheels 218 and the like based on this control signal (third standby instruction signal) to cause the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 to travel along the transport passage 6.

When the control device 220 confirms that the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 has moved near the stock unit 208, it stops the wheels 218 and the like. The control device 220 also generates a notification signal (third waiting signal) for notifying that the unmanned blade carrier 206 is waiting at a position where the cutting blade 82 can be received. The notification signal (third waiting signal) generated by the control device 220 is transmitted from the transmitter 224 to the control unit 12.

Upon receiving the notification signal (third waiting signal) transmitted from the transmitter 224 of the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206, the receiver 134 of the control unit 12 sends this to the control unit 132. When confirming the notification signal (third waiting signal) from the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206, the control unit 132 instructs the stock unit 208 to carry out the used cutting blade 82 from the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206. Give out. Specifically, the control unit 132 generates a control signal (third conveyance instruction signal) corresponding to this instruction and sends it from the transmitter 136 to the stock unit 208.

Upon receiving the control signal (third transport instruction signal) from the control unit 12, the receiver 34 of the stock unit 208 sends this to the control device 32. The control device 32 controls the operation of the blade transfer arm 212 and the like based on this control signal (third transfer instruction signal) to carry out the used cutting blade 82 from the chassis 214 of the unmanned blade transfer vehicle 206, and to move the blade stocker. It is accommodated in 210. Specifically, the cutting blade 82 in the blade case 216, which is instructed by the control unit 12 through the control signal (third conveyance instruction signal), is carried out and delivered to the blade stocker 210.

By such a procedure, the cutting blade 82 housed in the stock unit 208 is conveyed to the cutting device 204 as necessary, and the used cutting blade 82 removed from the cutting unit 80 of the cutting device 204 is collected. it can. Note that, here, the unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 is made to stand by on the spot during the work of exchanging the cutting blade 82. Alternatively, the cutting blade 82 may be conveyed.

Further, the procedure described above can be changed within a range in which the cutting blade 82 can be appropriately conveyed. For example, a plurality of steps included in the procedure described above may be performed at the same time, or the order of steps may be changed within a range that does not hinder the conveyance of the cutting blade 82. Similarly, any step may be added, changed, or omitted within a range that does not hinder the conveyance of the cutting blade 82.

As described above, the transfer system 202 according to the present embodiment includes the transfer passage 6 installed across a plurality of cutting devices (processing devices) 204, the chassis (blade support portion) 214, the wheels (traveling mechanism) 218, And an unmanned blade transport vehicle 206 including a receiver 222, a blade transport arm (blade transport unit) 212, and a stock unit 208 including a receiver 34.

Therefore, the cutting blades 82 accommodated in the blade stocker 210 are conveyed by the blade conveying arm 212 to the chassis 214 of the unmanned blade conveying vehicle 206, and the unmanned blade conveying vehicle 206 is caused to travel on the conveying path 6 so that a plurality of blades can be obtained. The cutting blade 82 can be conveyed to each of the cutting devices 204. Further, in the transfer system 202 according to the present embodiment, the transfer passage 6 is installed in the space directly above the cutting device 204. Therefore, it is not necessary to consider the structure of the side surface of each cutting device 204 when designing the transport passage 6. That is, the transport system 202 can be easily constructed.

(Embodiment 3)
In this embodiment, an example in which a transport mechanism for transporting the cassette 28 (workpiece 11) to the cutting device is attached to the transport passage will be described. The basic configuration of the cutting device and the transport passage is the same as in the first and second embodiments. Therefore, common components are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view schematically showing how the cassette 28 is unloaded from the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 in the transport system according to the present embodiment, and FIG. ) 304 is a perspective view schematically showing a state of being carried in. 21 and 22, all components inside the cover 92 are omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the cutting device 304 used in the present embodiment is not provided with the cassette transfer arm 94. Further, in this cutting device 304, it is not necessary to expose the upper surface of the cassette support base 50 to the outside of the cover 92. On the other hand, a support structure 306 is fixed to the transport passage 6 on the cutting device 304.

The support structure 306 is provided with a moving mechanism 308 that moves in the horizontal direction. At the lower end of the moving mechanism 308, a cassette holding hand 310 that holds the cassette 28 is provided. The cassette holding hand 310 is connected to the moving mechanism 308 in such a manner that it can move up and down like a crane, for example. Further, on the lower surface side of the cassette holding hand 310, a camera (not shown) used for confirming the presence or the position of the cassette 28 is arranged.

When transporting the cassette 28 from the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 to the cutting device 304 in this transport system, first, a moving mechanism above the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 waiting by the cutting device 304. Position 308. Next, as shown in FIG. 21, the cassette holding hand 310 is lowered, and the cassette 28 on the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 is held by the cassette holding hand 310.

Then, the cassette holding hand 310 is raised. Further, the moving mechanism 308 is moved to above the opening 92b of the cover 92 (that is, above the cassette support base 50). Then, as shown in FIG. 22, the cassette holding hand 310 is lowered and the cassette 28 held by the cassette holding hand 310 is placed on the upper surface of the cassette support base 50. The cassette 28 can be transported from the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 to the cutting device 304 by the above procedure.

In the transfer system of the present embodiment, since the transfer mechanism for transferring the cassette 28 (workpiece 11) to the cutting device is attached to the transfer passage 6, it is necessary to provide the cutting device 304 with the cassette transfer arm. Absent. Therefore, the versatility of the transfer system is enhanced as compared with the case where the cutting device is provided with the cassette transfer arm.

(Embodiment 4)
In this embodiment, another aspect of the cutting device (processing device) connected to the transport system will be described. The basic configuration of the cutting device, the transport system, etc. according to the present embodiment is the same as that of the cutting device, the transport system, etc. according to the first to third embodiments. Therefore, common components are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view schematically showing how the workpiece 11 is unloaded from the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 stopped near the cutting device (machining device) 404 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 24 is a perspective view schematically showing how the workpiece 11 is carried into the cutting device 404. 23 and 24, some of the components existing inside the cover 92 are omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, a cassette support 450 that is moved up and down by an elevating mechanism (not shown) is provided at the opening 48a of the base 48 that constitutes the cutting device 404. A mounting table 452 is mounted on the upper surface 450a of the cassette supporting table 450. The mounting table 452 is configured to be attachable/detachable to/from the cassette supporting table 450, and when the mounting table 452 is detached from the cassette supporting table 450, for example, a cassette 18 that accommodates a plurality of workpieces 11 is provided. Can be placed on the cassette support table 450.

On the mounting table 452 mounted on the cassette support table 450, a cassette (conveyance cassette, tray) 454 capable of accommodating one workpiece 11 is mounted. FIG. 25 is an exploded perspective view showing the structures of the cassette support base 450, the mounting base 452, and the cassette 454. As shown in FIG. 25, a projection 456 that defines the position of the mounting table 452 with respect to the cassette support table 450 and a push switch type sensor 458 that detects the presence or absence of the cassette 454 are provided on the upper surface 450 a of the cassette support table 450. ing.

The protrusion 456 is arranged in a region corresponding to the outer edge of the mounting table 452 mounted on the upper surface 450 a of the cassette support table 450. Therefore, the mounting table 452 is not positioned outside the area defined by the protrusion 456. In addition, in the present embodiment, the plurality of columnar projections 456 are arranged on the upper surface 450a of the cassette support base 450, but the shape, number, size, material, etc. of the projections 456 are not particularly limited. ..

The sensor 458 includes, for example, a push portion 458a that is inserted into an opening 450b provided in the upper surface 450a of the cassette support base 450. A movable contact (not shown) and a fixed contact (not shown) are arranged below the push portion 458a. A biasing member (not shown) such as a spring that applies an upward force to the push portion 458a is connected to the push portion 458a.

Therefore, unless a downward external force is applied to the push portion 458a, the push portion 458a is kept protruding from the upper surface 450a. That is, the upper end of the push portion 458a is positioned above the upper surface 450a. On the other hand, when a large downward external force is applied to the push portion 458a, the push portion 458a moves downward.

As a result, the movable contact disposed below the push portion 458a is pushed downward by the push portion 458a, the movable contact moves downward to contact the fixed contact, and the sensor 458 conducts. Therefore, the presence or absence of the load acting on the push portion 458a can be detected based on the conduction of the sensor 458. In the cutting device 404 of this embodiment, the presence or absence of the cassette 454 on the mounting table 452 is detected using the sensor 458.

FIG. 26 is a bottom view showing a configuration example of the mounting table 452. As shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, the mounting table 452 includes a mounting plate 460 having a size capable of supporting the entire cassette 454. The mounting plate 460 has a rectangular shape in a plan view, and the cassette 454 is mounted on the upper surface 460a thereof.

The lower surface 460b of the mounting plate 460 is provided with four regions corresponding to the four sides of the rectangle, and two regions corresponding to the two opposite sides are provided with a rectangular parallelepiped long in the first direction substantially parallel to the two sides. The first guide portions 462 and 464 each having the shape of a circle are fixed. The first guide portion 462 and the first guide portion 464 are spaced apart from each other, for example, in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction with an interval corresponding to the size of the frame 15 (an interval slightly smaller than the size of the frame 15). It is arranged.

Further, linear grooves 462b and 464b are formed on the inner surfaces 462a and 464a of the first guide portions 462 and 464, respectively, along the first direction. The frame 15 that supports the workpiece 11 is inserted into the linear grooves 462b and 464b. That is, the space between the first guide portion 462 and the first guide portion 464 below the mounting plate 460 is a first accommodation area in which the workpiece 11, the frame 15, and the like are accommodated.

Second parallelepiped-shaped second guide portions 466 and 468, which are long in the first direction, are fixed to the area sandwiched between the first guide portions 462 and 464 on the lower surface 460b of the mounting plate 460. The second guide portion 466 and the second guide portion 468 are, for example, in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, an interval corresponding to the size of the frame 35 (see FIG. 29A) that is smaller than the frame 15. They are arranged with a space (slightly smaller than the size of the frame 35).

The lengths of the second guide portions 466 and 468 are shorter than the lengths of the first guide portions 462 and 464 corresponding to the size of the frame 35. Linear grooves 466b and 468b are formed in the inner surfaces 466a and 468a of the second guide portions 466 and 468, respectively, along the first direction.

A workpiece 31 (see FIG. 29A) smaller than the workpiece 11 is inserted into the linear grooves 462b and 464b via a tape 33 (see FIG. 29A) similar to the tape 13. The supporting frame 35 is inserted. That is, the space below the mounting plate 460 and between the second guide portion 466 and the second guide portion 468 is a second storage area in which the workpiece 31, the frame 35, and the like are stored.

The thickness (height) of the second guide portions 466 and 468 is thinner (lower) than the thickness (height) of the first guide portions 462 and 464. Therefore, when the mounting table 452 is placed on the upper surface 450a of the cassette support table 450, the lower surfaces 462c and 464c of the first guide portions 462 and 464 come into contact with the upper surface 450a of the cassette support table 450, but the second guide portions 466 and 468 do not contact each other. The lower surfaces 466c and 468c do not contact each other.

In addition, the grooves 462b and 464b of the first guide portions 462 and 464 are positions sufficiently lower than the lower surfaces 466c and 468c of the second guide portions 466 and 468 when the mounting table 452 is mounted on the cassette support table 450, respectively. Formed in. Therefore, the frame 15 inserted into the first guide portions 462 and 464, the workpiece 11 supported by the frame 15 via the tape 13 and the like do not interfere with the second guide portions 466 and 468.

An opening 460c that vertically penetrates the mounting plate 460 is formed in a part of the region of the mounting plate 460 that is positioned directly above the sensor 458. A load transmission member 470 that transmits the load from the cassette 454 mounted on the upper surface 460a of the mounting plate 460 to the push portion 458a of the sensor 458 is arranged in the opening 460c.

The load transmitting member 470 includes, for example, a flat plate-shaped upper plate portion 470a arranged on the upper surface 460a side of the mounting plate 460, a flat plate-shaped lower plate portion 470b arranged below the upper plate portion 470a, and an upper plate. And a side plate portion 470c that connects the base end of the portion 470a and the base end of the lower plate portion 470b. A columnar member 472 that serves as a rotation axis parallel to the first direction is fixed to the side plate portion 470c.

The columnar member 472 is supported by the first guide portion 462 so that the load transmission member 470 can freely rotate. The first guide portion 462 of the present embodiment is cut out in a region corresponding to the above-described opening 460c (that is, a region corresponding to the sensor 458), and two regions are separated by the region corresponding to the opening 460c. It is divided into parts.

The upper surface 460 a of the mounting plate 460 is provided with a protrusion 474 that defines the position of the cassette 454 with respect to the mounting table 452. The protrusion 474 is arranged in a region corresponding to the outer edge of the cassette 454 placed on the upper surface 460 a of the placing plate 460. Therefore, the cassette 454 is not positioned outside the area defined by the protrusion 474. In addition, in the present embodiment, the plurality of columnar protrusions 474 are arranged on the upper surface 460a of the mounting plate 460, but the shape, number, size, and material of the protrusions 474 are not particularly limited. ..

As shown in FIG. 25, the cassette 454 includes a box body 476 having a size capable of accommodating the frame 15 that supports the workpiece 11. The box body 476 has a bottom plate 478 that is substantially flat. The bottom plate 478 is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view, and the lower end side of the side plate 480 and the lower end side of the side plate 482 are connected to the positions corresponding to the two opposite sides, respectively.

A top plate 484 having the same shape as the bottom plate 478 is fixed to the upper end side of the side plate 480 and the upper end side of the side plate 482. That is, the box body 476 is formed in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape having openings 476a and 476b on two of the four side surfaces. The top plate 484 is preferably formed of a material such as resin or glass that transmits visible light having a wavelength of about 360 nm to 830 nm.

As a result, for example, the type of the workpiece 11 housed in the box 476 can be determined from the outside of the cassette 454. When determining the type of the workpiece 11, it is preferable to read the identification code 17 (see FIG. 12) such as a barcode drawn on the workpiece 11. Further, the bottom plate 478 and the like may be formed of the same material as the top plate 484.

In the region of the bottom plate 478 on the side plate 480 side and the region of the bottom plate 478 on the side plate 482 side, rectangular parallelepiped support portions 486, 488 are provided, respectively. The frame 15 accommodated inside the box body 476 through the opening 476a or the opening 476b is supported by the supporting portions 486 and 488.

A supported plate 492 is fixed above the top plate 484 via a plurality of columns 490. When carrying the cassette 454, the supported plate 492 is supported from below and the box 476 is lifted. Note that there is no particular limitation on the shape, number, arrangement, etc. of the columns 490. On the other hand, similarly to the top plate 484, the supported plate 492 is preferably formed of a material such as resin or glass that transmits visible light having a wavelength of about 360 nm to 830 nm.

As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, a cassette transport mechanism 494 is provided on the ceiling 92a of the cover 92. The cassette transport mechanism 494 includes a support structure 496 having a lower end fixed to the ceiling 92a. The support structure 496 may be fixed to the transport passage 6. At the upper end of the support structure 496, for example, a rail-shaped guide portion 498 is arranged along the X-axis direction. However, the arrangement and the like of the guide portion 498 are arbitrarily changed according to the arrangement and the like of the transport passage 6.

A first moving portion 500 that moves along the guide portion 498 is connected to the guide portion 498. The first moving unit 500 has a second moving unit 502 that moves in a direction (Y-axis direction in this embodiment) perpendicular to the moving direction (X-axis direction in this embodiment) of the first moving unit 500. Are connected. A cassette holding hand 504 that holds the cassette 454 is provided on the lower surface side of the second moving unit 502.

The cassette holding hand 504 is connected to the second moving unit 502 in such a manner that it can move up and down like a crane, for example. On the lower surface side of the cassette holding hand 504, a camera (not shown) used when confirming the presence or the position of the cassette 454 is arranged. A cassette holding claw (not shown) is provided on the lower surface side of the cassette holding hand 504.

When carrying the cassette 454 (workpiece 11) from the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 to the cutting device 404 configured as described above, first, the unmanned workpiece waiting on the side of the cutting device 404 is processed. The cassette holding hand 504 is positioned above the article transporting vehicle 10. Next, as shown in FIG. 23, the cassette holding hand 504 is lowered to insert the cassette holding claw between the top plate 484 of the cassette 454 on the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 and the supported plate 492.

If the cassette holding hand 504 is raised in this state, the supported plate 492 can be supported by the cassette holding claws to lift the cassette 454 from the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10. After the cassette 454 is lifted, the cassette holding hand 504 is moved above the opening 92b of the cover 92 (that is, above the mounting table 452 mounted on the cassette support table 450).

Then, as shown in FIG. 24, the cassette holding hand 504 is lowered and the cassette 454 held by the cassette holding hand 504 is placed on the upper surface 460a of the placing plate 460 included in the placing table 452. The cassette 454 can be carried into the cutting device 404 from the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10 by the above procedure.

27 is a perspective view showing a state before the cassette 454 is mounted on the mounting table 452 mounted on the cassette support table 450, and FIG. 28A is a sectional view in which a part of FIG. 27 is enlarged. Note that in FIG. 28A, some components of the mounting table 452 are omitted. As shown in FIGS. 27 and 28A, when the mounting table 452 is mounted on the cassette supporting table 450, the lower plate part 470b of the load transmitting member 470 contacts the push part 458a of the sensor 458.

As described above, the load transmission member 470 is configured to be freely rotatable with the columnar member 472 as the rotation axis. Therefore, when the cassette 454 is not placed on the mounting table 452, the lower plate portion 470b is pushed upward by the push portion 458a, and the tip side of the upper plate portion 470a is positioned above the upper surface 460a of the mounting plate 460. Be done. That is, the upper plate portion 470a is in a state of protruding from the upper surface 460a of the mounting plate 460.

As shown in FIG. 28A, in the present embodiment, the angle θ ₁ formed by the upper plate portion 470a and the side plate portion 470c is set to about 90°, and the lower plate portion 470b and the side plate portion 470c form. The angle θ ₂ is set to a value larger than 90°. Therefore, when the lower plate portion 470b of the load transmission member 470 is pushed upward and the lower surface of the lower plate portion 470b approaches the horizontal, the upper surface of the upper plate portion 470a is inclined. However, there is no particular limitation on the structure or the like of the load transmission member 470.

FIG. 28B is a cross-sectional view showing a state after the cassette 454 is placed on the mounting table 452 mounted on the cassette support table 450. Note that in FIG. 28A, some components of the mounting table 452 are omitted. As shown in FIG. 28B, when the cassette 454 is placed on the mounting table 452, the upper plate portion 470a of the load transmission member 470 is pushed downward by the weight of the cassette 454, and the lower plate portion 470b of the load transmission member 470 is pushed. Move down. As a result, the push portion 458a of the sensor 458 is pushed by the lower plate portion 470b of the load transmission member 470 and moves downward, so that the sensor 458 conducts.

The control device 96 of the cutting device 404 starts an operation for unloading the workpiece 11 from the cassette 454 by using the conduction of the sensor 458 as a trigger. Specifically, first, the cassette support base 450 (or the first transfer unit (in-processing device transfer section) 68) is moved up and down to match the height of the frame 15 in the cassette 454 with the height of the gripping mechanism 68a.

Then, the first transport unit 68 is moved closer to the cassette 454 along the Y-axis direction, and the frame 15 accommodated in the cassette 454 is gripped by the gripping mechanism 68a. Next, the first transport unit 68 is separated from the cassette 454 along the Y-axis direction, and the frame 15 is pulled out to the pair of guide rails (temporary placement area) 60.

After the frame 15 is unloaded from the cassette 454, the empty cassette 454 is unloaded from the mounting table 452 by the cassette transport mechanism 494, and another frame 15 (the workpiece 11 before processing) is accommodated. The cassette 454 is placed on the mounting table 452. As a result, the workpiece 11 can be continuously processed.

After the frame 15 is aligned with the pair of guide rails 60, the frame 15 is carried into the chuck table 56 by the first transport unit 68. Then, the workpiece 11 is held by the chuck table 56. After that, the workpiece 11 held on the chuck table 56 is processed by the cutting unit (processing unit) 80.

When the processing of the workpiece 11 by the cutting unit 80 is completed, the frame 15 is carried into the cleaning unit 86 by the second transport unit 74, and the cleaning unit 86 cleans the workpiece 11. After cleaning the workpiece 11, the frame 15 is placed on the pair of guide rails 60 by the first transport unit 68.

After that, the frame on the guide rail 60 (processed object 11 after processing) is accommodated in the cassette 454, but the unprocessed object 11 is accommodated in the cassette 454 on the mounting table 452. There is. Therefore, the processed workpiece 11 is temporarily stored in the above-described first storage area.

Specifically, first, the first transport unit 68 (or the cassette support table 450) is moved up and down to match the height of the grooves 462b and 464b of the mounting table 452 with the height of the gripping mechanism 68a. Then, the frame 15 on the pair of guide rails 60 (frame 15 that supports the processed workpiece 11) is gripped by the gripping mechanism 68a, and the first transport unit 68 approaches the mounting table 452 along the Y-axis direction. Let

Accordingly, the frame 15 can be inserted into the grooves 462b and 464b of the mounting table 452, and the processed workpiece 11 can be stored in the first storage area. FIG. 29A is a bottom view showing a state in which the workpiece 11, the frame 15, and the like are stored in the first storage area of the mounting table 452. After accommodating the workpiece 11, the frame 15, etc. in the first accommodating area of the mounting table 452, the frame 15 (the workpiece 11 before processing) in the cassette 454 is conveyed to the chuck table 56 by the same procedure. ..

It should be noted that the mounting table 452 according to the present embodiment can accommodate a workpiece 31, a frame 35, and the like that are smaller than the workpiece 11 in addition to the first storage area that can store the workpiece 11, the frame 15, and the like. A second accommodation area is provided. Therefore, the small work piece 31 can be similarly conveyed and processed. FIG. 29B is a bottom view showing a state in which the small work piece 31, the frame 35, and the like are stored in the second storage area of the mounting table 452.

After the frame 15 in the cassette 454 is conveyed to the chuck table 56, the frame 15 is unloaded from the first accommodation area of the mounting table 452. Specifically, the first transfer unit 68 (or the cassette support table 450) is moved up and down to match the heights of the grooves 462b and 464b of the mounting table 452 with the height of the gripping mechanism 68a.

Then, the first transport unit 68 is moved closer to the mounting table 452 along the Y-axis direction, and the frame 15 accommodated in the first accommodation area of the mounting table 452 is grasped by the grasping mechanism 68a. Next, the first transport unit 68 is separated from the mounting table 452 along the Y-axis direction, and the frame 15 is pulled out to the pair of guide rails 60.

After the frame 15 is pulled out from the first accommodation area of the mounting table 452 to the pair of guide rails 60, the first transport unit 68 (or the cassette support table 450) is moved up and down again to raise the height of the cassette 454 and the gripping mechanism 68a. Match the height of. Then, with the frame 15 held by the holding mechanism 68a, the first transport unit 68 is moved closer to the cassette 454 along the Y-axis direction.

As a result, the frame 15 can be inserted into the cassette 454 and the processed workpiece 11 can be accommodated in the cassette 454. After accommodating the processed work 11 in the cassette 454, the cassette 454 is carried out of the mounting table 452 by the cassette transfer mechanism 494 and placed on the unmanned work transfer vehicle 10.

As described above, in the cutting device 404 according to the present embodiment, since the mounting table 452 having the first accommodation area capable of temporarily accommodating the workpiece 11 is attached to the cassette support table 450, the workpiece 11 can be processed. After the workpiece 11 is unloaded from the cassette 454 in the state of being accommodated, another workpiece 11 can be accommodated in the cassette 454.

In other words, since the processed workpiece 11 can be transported by using the cassette 454 in which the workpiece 11 to be processed next is stored, it is necessary to make the empty cassette 454 stand by in the cutting device 404. Absent. As a result, the use efficiency of the cassette 454 for carrying the workpiece 11 is increased.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the description of the above embodiment and can be implemented with various modifications. For example, the cutting device 204 of the above embodiment is provided with the blade lifting mechanism 226 for lifting the cutting blade 82, but the blade lifting mechanism may be attached to the transport passage 6. In this case, the versatility of the transfer system becomes higher than that in the case where a blade lifting mechanism is provided in the cutting device. Further, for example, the constituent elements of the cutting device 204 can be combined with the cutting device 404 and the like.

In addition, the transport passage 6 may have a space (standby region) for two unmanned workpiece transport vehicles 10 and the like to cross each other. Further, the transport passage 6 may be set to a so-called one-way street, which allows traveling only in one direction such as the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle 10. In this case, the transport path 6 for the forward path and the transport path 6 for the return path may be provided on the cutting device (processing device).

Further, in the above embodiment, the information providing unit 102b such as the identification code and the wireless tag is provided in the passage unit 102, but the information providing unit may be attached to the guide unit 104. In this case, for example, the information providing unit may be attached to the inner wall surface or the upper end of the guide unit 104.

In addition, the structures, methods, and the like according to the above-described embodiments and modifications can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the scope of the object of the present invention.

2 Transport system 4,4a,4b,204,204a,204b,304,404 Cutting device (processing device)
6 Transport Passages 6a, 6b, 6c Passage Modules 8, 208 Stock Units 10, 10a, 10b, 10c Unmanned Workpiece Transport Vehicles 12 Control Units 14 Housings 14a Ceilings 14b Openings 16 First Cassette Supports 18 Cassettes (Workpieces) stocker)
20 push-pull arm 22 guide rail 24 second lifting mechanism 26 second cassette support 28 cassette (transport cassette, tray)
30 Cassette transfer arm (Workpiece transfer part)
32 control device 34 receiver 36 transmitter 38 chassis (workpiece support)
38a recess 40 wheel (travel mechanism)
42 control device 44 receiver 46 transmitter 48 base 48a, 48b opening 48c pipe connection 50 cassette support 56 chuck table 60 guide rail (temporary storage area)
68 1st transfer unit (transfer part in processing equipment)
74 2nd transfer unit (transfer part in processing equipment)
80 Cutting Unit (Processing Unit)
82 cutting blade 92 cover 92a ceiling 92b opening 92c door 96 control device 98 receiver 100 transmitter 102 passage part 104 guide part 106 standby part 108 angle (bracket)
110 Connecting Tool 112 Bolt 114 Leg Member 114a Base 114b Column 114c Adsorption 114d Opening 132 Control (control signal generator)
134 Receiver 136 Transmitter 206 Unmanned Blade Transport Vehicle 210 Blade Stocker 212 Blade Transport Arm (Blade Transport Section)
214 chassis (blade support)
214a recess 216 blade case 218 wheel (running mechanism)
220 control device 222 receiver 224 transmitter 306 support structure 308 moving mechanism 310 cassette holding hand 450 cassette support base 450a upper surface 450b opening 452 mounting table 454 cassette (transport cassette, tray)
456 Protrusion 458 Sensor 458a Push part 460 Mounting plate 460a Upper surface 460b Lower surface 460c Opening 462,464 First guide part 462a, 464a Inner surface 462b, 464b Groove 462c, 464c Lower surface 466,468 Second guide part 466a of 468a Surface 466b, 468b Groove 466c, 468c Lower surface 470 Load transmission member 470a Upper plate part 470b Lower plate part 470c Side plate part 472 Columnar member 474 Protrusion 476 Box body 476a, 476b Opening 478 Bottom plate 480, 482 Side plate 484, Side plate 484 490 Support post 492 Supported plate 494 Cassette transport mechanism 496 Support structure 498 Guide section 500 First moving section 502 Second moving section 504 Cassette holding hand 11,31 Work piece 13,33 Tape (dicing tape)
15,35 frame 21 piping

Claims (6)

A transport system for transporting a workpiece to each of a plurality of processing devices,
A transport passage installed in a space directly above the processing devices over a plurality of the processing devices;
The transport passage includes a workpiece support portion that supports the workpiece that is accommodated in the tray, a traveling mechanism that is provided on the workpiece support portion, and a receiver that receives a control signal. An unmanned workpiece carrier that travels in
A workpiece transporter that transports the workpiece between the workpiece stocker that accommodates the workpiece that is supplied to the processing apparatus and the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle, and a reception that receives a control signal. A stock unit including a machine,
A transmitter that transmits a control signal to the processing device, the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle, and the stock unit, a receiver that receives a notification signal transmitted from the processing device, and a control that is transmitted from the transmitter. A control unit that includes a control signal generation unit that generates a signal;
The tray that accommodates the workpiece is placed on an upper portion, and a placing table that is provided on the lower portion has an accommodation area that temporarily accommodates the processed workpiece, and the tray placed on the placing table. A temporary placement area for temporarily placing the workpiece carried out from the tray; a chuck table for holding the workpiece carried out from the temporary placement area; and a workpiece held on the chuck table. A processing unit for processing, and a tray mounted on the mounting table, the accommodation area, the temporary placement area, and an in-processing apparatus transfer section that transfers the workpiece among the chuck table. And a processing device,
The control signal generation unit of the control unit generates a control signal transmitted from the transmitter of the control unit based on a notification signal received by the receiver of the control unit,
The transmitter of the control unit transmits the control signal generated by the control signal generator of the control unit to the processing device, the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle, and the stock unit,
The workpiece transfer unit of the stock unit transfers the workpieces stored in the workpiece stocker to the unmanned workpiece transfer vehicle based on a control signal received by the receiver of the stock unit. Transported to the workpiece support,
The traveling mechanism of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle causes the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle to travel on the transport path based on a control signal received by the receiver of the unmanned workpiece transport vehicle, A transport system for transporting the workpiece, which is accommodated in the tray supported by an object support section, to the processing device. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the transport passage is installed on an upper surface of the processing device. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the transport path is configured by connecting a plurality of path modules. 4. The transport passage is provided with a leg portion having an adsorption portion that adsorbs to the processing device, and is fixed to the processing device by the adsorption portion. Transport system. The transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the processing device includes a pipe connecting portion to which a pipe is connected or a maintenance door on a side surface. A blade support portion that supports a cutting blade used when processing the workpiece with the processing device, a traveling mechanism provided in the blade support portion, and a receiver that receives a control signal, Further comprising an unmanned blade transport vehicle traveling in the transport passage,
The stock unit further includes a blade transporter that transports the cutting blade between a blade stocker that accommodates the cutting blade supplied to the processing device and the unmanned blade transport vehicle,
The transmitter of the control unit further has the function of transmitting a control signal to the unmanned blade carrier;
The transmitter of the control unit transmits the control signal generated by the control signal generation unit of the control unit to the processing device, the unmanned workpiece carrier, the unmanned blade carrier, and the stock unit. Then
The blade transport section of the stock unit transports the cutting blade accommodated in the blade stocker to the blade support section of the unmanned blade transport vehicle based on a control signal received by the receiver of the stock unit. ,
The traveling mechanism of the unmanned blade transport vehicle causes the unmanned blade transport vehicle to travel on the transport path based on a control signal received by the receiver of the unmanned blade transport vehicle, and supports the cutting by the blade support portion. The transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the blade is transported to the processing device.