JP2622523B2 - Magnetic levitation transfer device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetic levitation transport device, and more particularly, to a magnetic levitation transport device capable of moving an object to be transported in the front-rear and left-right directions.

<< Conventional Technology >> Conventionally, a magnetic levitation transfer device capable of contactless transfer has been used as a transfer device in an advanced clean environment such as an IC manufacturing factory.

The above-mentioned conventional magnetic levitation transfer device is configured such that an electromagnet is provided in a transfer device main body, a magnetic body of the electromagnet holds a levitation body having a transfer arm, and the transfer device main body can be moved in the left and right direction by a transfer mechanism. Further, a seal pipe is interposed between the main body of the transfer machine and the floating body, and the floating body side is kept completely insulated from the outside.

Therefore, when the transporter main body is moved along the seal pipe, the transport arm is configured to be able to move accordingly.

<< Problems to be Solved by the Invention >> However, in the above-mentioned conventional magnetic levitation transfer device, the transfer arm moves only in the moving direction of the transfer device main body, that is, in the axial direction of the seal pipe ( Since it is configured to move only in the left-right direction), there is a problem that the conveyance direction of the conveyed object is limited and the usability is poor.

In particular, when automatically processing an object to be conveyed, the emergence of a magnetic levitation conveyance device capable of freely moving a work as an object to be conveyed forward, backward, left and right has been awaited.

<< Means for Solving the Problems >> The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and its structure is located in a chamber isolated from the outside, and a floating body having a transfer arm. A transfer device main body that is provided laterally in the left and right direction within the chamber and that floats the floating body, and that holds the floating body with a seal member interposed therebetween; and moves the floating body in the horizontal direction. And a rotation mechanism that is vertically connected to the transporter main body and rotates the transporter main body.

<< Operation >> In the present invention, the transfer arm moves in the left-right direction when the transfer device main body moves left and right, and the transfer arm rotates when the transfer device main body turns.

<< Example >> Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, where 1 is a hollow ferromagnetic material which is located in a chamber a maintained in a vacuum state and has a transfer arm 2 at one end. It is a cylindrical floating body.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a transfer machine main body, which includes a seal pipe 4 as a seal member made of a non-magnetic material having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the floating body 1, and both end wall plates of the seal pipe 4.
A shaft 7 suspended between the centers of 5, 6 and a carrier 8 slidably provided on the shaft 7 are formed.

The carrier 8 is provided at a position corresponding to both ends of the floating body 1.
8a is provided with electromagnets 9a to 9d and position sensors 10a to 10d.
Rack 11 and a pinion 12 meshing with the rack 11
Is provided.

Therefore, the excitation signals of the electromagnets 9a to 9d are controlled by feedback-controlling the detection signals of the position sensors 10a to 10d, and the levitation body 1 is levitated and held as shown in FIG.
When the pinion 12 is rotated by rotating the pinion 12 in a predetermined direction by remote control, the carrier 8 moves in the left and right direction along the shaft 7, thereby moving the floating body 1 in the left and right direction (the direction of arrow a in the drawing). be able to. Therefore, the transferred object b placed at the tip of the transfer arm 2 can be arbitrarily moved in the left-right direction. At this time, since the inside of the seal pipe 4 is completely sealed by the blind plates 5 and 6 at both ends, the sliding effect between the shaft 7 and the carrier 8 does not affect the inside of the chamber a at all.

In the figure, reference numeral 14 denotes a rotating mechanism, the upper part of which is fixed to the seal pipe 4 and the lower part of which is a vertical shaft part 15 provided with a pulley 16 and the bottom of a chamber a for supporting the shaft part 15. wall
Bearing 19 airtightly mounted in a hole 18 provided in 17
And a motor for rotating the pulley 16 via a belt
20 and are formed from.

The shaft portion 15 and the bearing portion 19 are supported by bearings and are sealed by a magnetic fluid seal 21.

Therefore, when the motor 20 rotates by a predetermined angle while the rotation angle is detected by the rotation angle sensor 22, the shaft 15 rotates (in the direction of arrow B in the drawing), whereby the transporter body 3 can rotate by a predetermined angle. Therefore, the transferred object b at the tip of the transfer arm 2 can rotate by an arbitrary angle about the shaft 15. At this time, the rotation of the shaft portion 15 is performed in the chamber a, but is performed through the magnetic fluid seal 21, so that the clean environment in the chamber a is not impaired.

According to the present embodiment, since the transporter main body 3 is made movable in the left-right direction and rotated, the transported object b placed at the tip of the transport arm 2 is moved in the front-rear, left-right direction. This makes it possible to provide a magnetic levitation transfer device that is extremely easy to use.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, and has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except that the floating body 1 and the transporter main body 3 have an inverse relationship. Have been.

That is, the levitating body 1 is disposed inside the transporter main body 3. For this reason, the transporter body 3 located on the outside has a cylindrical member 23 having one end opened, one end attached to the side wall 23a of the cylindrical member 23, and the other end attached to the open end of the cylindrical member 23 via the bellows 24. And a carrier 8 provided outside the seal pipe 4 and in the cylindrical member 23.
And a chain 24 and sprockets 25, 25 as a moving mechanism for moving the carrier 8 in the left-right direction.

The carrier 8 is provided with electromagnets 9a to 9d and position sensors 10a to 10d in the same manner as in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, but these are arranged in the reverse manner to the first embodiment. ing.
That is, the position sensors 10a to 10d are provided inside the electromagnets 9a to 9d.

The chain 24 is provided on the bottom wall 23b of the cylindrical member 23, and is rotated by a motor (not shown).
5 and 25, and a part of the chain 24 is connected to a part of the transporter main body 3.

Therefore, the sliders 26, 26 provided on the bottom of the transporter main body 3 are placed on the guide rails 27 provided on the bottom wall 23b of the cylindrical member 23, and move in accordance with the left-right movement of the chain 24. For this reason, the floating body 1 can also move in the left-right direction similarly to the first embodiment.

On the other hand, the upper part of the shaft part 15 of the rotating mechanism 14 is
Fixed to b. Therefore, by rotating the shaft portion 15 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the transporter main body 3 is rotated.
Can be rotated, and similarly to the first embodiment,
The transferred object b placed at the tip of the transfer arm 2 can be moved in the front-rear and left-right directions. For this reason, it is possible to provide a magnetic levitation transfer device that is extremely easy to use.

<< Effect >> The present invention is configured such that the transporter main body can be moved in the left-right direction and rotated as described above,
The transported object placed at the tip of the transport arm can be freely moved in the front-rear and left-right directions, and has effects such as an extremely easy-to-use magnetic levitation transport device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view according to a first embodiment of the device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view according to a second embodiment of the device of the present invention. 1 Floating body 2 Carrier arm 3 Carrier body 8 Carrier 9a to 9d Electromagnet 10a to 10d Position sensor 11 Rack 12 Pinion 14 Rotary mechanism 24 Chain 25 Sprocket a Chamber b Workpiece

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A floating body which is located in a chamber isolated from the outside and has a transfer arm, and an electromagnet which is horizontally provided in the chamber in a lateral direction and floats the floating body. A carrier body for holding the levitation body with a seal member interposed therebetween, a moving mechanism for moving the levitation body in the left-right direction, and a vertically connected to the carrier body for rotating the carrier body. A magnetic levitation transfer device, comprising: a rotating mechanism;