JP2669395B2 - Handling device and method of attaching and detaching substrate - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a handling device for handling a work such as glass whose surface is easily scratched,
In particular, it relates to a handling device for attaching and detaching a glass substrate to and from a film-forming machine tray.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is a film-forming machine tray (hereinafter referred to as "tray" as appropriate) for handling scratchable works such as glass. This tray has an opening and a glass substrate or the like is placed in this opening. It is detachably attached and is used when the glass substrate is transported to the film forming machine. The tray is carried into the film-forming machine together with the substrate, where the film is formed on the substrate.

The tray is placed horizontally before entering the film-forming machine, and a glass substrate is set thereon by a handling device. After that, the tray on which the substrate is placed is made vertical and is carried by hooking it on a carrying rail or the like, and then carried into the film forming machine.
Film formation is performed in the film forming machine, and when the film formation is completed, the substrate is removed from the transport rail and placed horizontally, and the substrate on the tray is removed from the tray by a handling device. The tray from which the substrate has been removed circulates and returns to the original state, and the above operation is repeated.

Since the tray is deformed by heat during the film formation process, when the glass substrate or the like is attached or detached, the handling device may damage the substrate unless it is accurately operated with respect to the attachment position of the substrate.

Therefore, in the conventional handling device, an alignment mark for image recognition is provided on the tray side,
On the other hand, a CCD camera is attached to the handling device,
The alignment mark on the tray side is recognized, the opening (attachment position) of the tray is calculated by image processing, the peripheral edge of the glass substrate is vacuum-sucked, and the tray is attached to or removed from the opening.

[0006]

The conventional handling device has the following problems. (1) When the glass substrate is picked up, the image processing for calculating the position of the mounting hole from the image taken by the CCD camera is performed every time, so that the processing time for each sheet is long. There is also a method of preparing a fixed camera in order to avoid this, but this is not practical because the CCD camera must be used frequently.

(2) Since the peripheral portion of the glass substrate is sucked and handled, dust is generated in the peripheral portion of the substrate. Therefore, the effective use processing area of the glass substrate is reduced.

(3) Since the glass substrate is handled directly from the tray, when the tray is warped due to thermal stress, the glass cannot be evenly adsorbed and there is a risk of damaging the glass.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the present invention, in a handling device for attaching and detaching the substrate to a tray having an opening and detachably attaching the substrate to the opening, A floating mechanism having a floating part that takes an unlocked state and a locked state, a moving part attached to the floating part, a centering pawl attached to the moving part so as to be able to move up and down, and a lifting device attached to the moving part. The floating portion is unlocked, the moving portion is moved, the centering claw is brought into contact with the opening to position the floating portion, and in that state, the floating portion is locked and the ascending / descending operation is performed. The mechanism was raised to raise the substrate from the tray. Further, according to the present invention, in the method of attaching / detaching a substrate to / from a tray having an opening so as to be detachably attached, a movable centering claw and a lifting device are attached to a floating mechanism to unlock the floating mechanism. Then, the centering claw is brought into contact with the opening to position the floating mechanism, the floating mechanism is locked, and the lifting device is lifted to lift the substrate from the tray.

[0010]

The floating mechanism moves the moving portion in the unlocked state, positions it, and then locks it so that the centering claw 6 makes contact with the tray and the moving portion 3a moves horizontally as shown in FIG. Is performed, the floating mechanism in the unlocked state is centered with respect to the tray, and after the centered floating mechanism is locked, the taper claw 7 is raised to raise the substrate from the tray, as shown in FIG. Can be made. As a result, rapid processing can be performed without damaging the glass substrate 12.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, and FIGS. 3 to 5 are vertical sectional views for explaining the operation.

The floating mechanism 1 has a prismatic floating portion 14, a guide rod 15 for guiding the floating portion 14 in one direction (left and right direction in FIG. 1), and a floating portion at a central portion (of the floating portion 14 in FIG. 1). Position 13) and a spring 13 that biases it weakly. Through holes are formed in the floating part,
When the guide rod 15 is inserted through the through hole and is in the floating state (unlocked state), the floating portion 1
4 is movable along the guide rod 15 against the spring 13, but in the locked state, the actuator 2 (cylinder or the like) rises and pushes up the floating portion 14, and the floating portion 14 is fixed at that position. (Figs. 4 and 5).

The parallel opening / closing mechanism 3 is mounted on the floating portion 14. The parallel opening / closing mechanism 3 is a mechanism that translates the moving unit 3a in the left-right direction in the drawing, and is configured by a well-known mechanism such as a rack and pinion, a ball screw and nut, and a link mechanism.

Actuators 4 and 4 (cylinders or the like) as centering devices are installed on the left and right of the moving part 3a with the parallel opening / closing mechanism 3 as a center, and actuators 5 and 5 (elevating devices) outside thereof are further installed. Cylinder etc.)
Is installed. Centering claws 6 and 6 are attached to the tips of the actuators 4 and 4, and tapered claws 7 and 7 are attached to the tips of the actuators 5 and 5, respectively. The tapered claws 7 and 7 have inclined surfaces as shown in the figure. In the initial state, the moving unit 3a is in the closed state (contracted state),
The centering pawls 6 and 6 and the tapered pawls 7 and 7 are also in the lowered position as shown in FIG.

The tray 11 is formed with an opening 11a for attaching the glass 12. An openable and closable lock claw 21 is attached around the opening 11a, and the lock claw 21 is constantly urged in a direction of pressing the glass 12 by a spring 22. Tray 11 is glass 12
The glass 12 is prevented from falling by being locked by the lock claws 21 even if the glass 12 is placed vertically with the mount on. Notches 11b through which the tapered claws 7, 7 pass are formed at both ends of the opening 11a.

Next, the operation of the embodiment will be described by taking the operation of removing the glass 12 from the tray 11 as an example.

First, since centering is performed with the center of the opening 11a of the tray 11 as a reference, the actuator 4 is driven and the centering claws 6 and 6 rise (FIG. 3). Next, the parallel opening / closing mechanism 3 is driven to move the moving portion 3a in order to bring the centering claws 6, 6 into contact with the side wall of the opening 11a (FIG. 4). When the centering claws 6 and 6 come into contact with the side wall of the opening 11a as shown in FIG. 4, the floating mechanism 1 is in the unlocked state, so that the floating portion of the floating mechanism 1 is moved to the position of the opening 11a of the tray 11. 14 moves. After that, actuator 2
Is driven to bring the floating mechanism 1 into a locked state (FIG. 4), and the actuators 4 and 4 are driven to lower the centering claws 6 and 6 (FIG. 5). In this state, the actuators 5 and 5 are driven to raise the tapered claws 7 and 7, and the tapered claws 7 and 7 lift the glass 12 horizontally from the tray 11 (FIG. 5). At this time, the lock claw 21 is pushed by the glass 12 and opens as shown by the chain line in FIG. 1 to release the glass 12. Since the tapered claws 7 and 7 support the glass 12 on their inclined surfaces, the glass is not damaged.

After being removed from the tray 11 in the state of FIG.
The glass 12 is conveyed, for example, with its side surface being gripped by another handling robot or the like. The glass 12 can be stored in the tray 11 in the same manner as above.

In the above description, the operations of the actuators 2, 4, 5 and the parallel opening / closing mechanism may be controlled by a control means such as a microcomputer in accordance with a predetermined program.

In the above description, the centering is performed in one direction (left and right direction in FIG. 2) with respect to the opening of the tray, but centering is also performed in another direction (up and down direction in FIG. 2). The glass substrate or the like can be attached and detached more accurately.

In the above embodiment, the floating mechanism is used as the centering device. However, the centering device is not limited to the floating mechanism, and in short, any device that centers the lifting device (actuator 5) with respect to the opening of the tray can be used. Other mechanisms may be used. Further, the floating mechanism is not limited to the floating mechanism 1 of the embodiment. Generally, a floating mechanism has two states: a floating state in which the floating portion can move in a predetermined direction while receiving a weak centripetal force by a spring or the like, and a locked state in which the floating portion is constrained and fixed. is there. Therefore, other mechanism may be used as long as it is such a mechanism.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, the time-consuming process of calculating the position of the opening from the image taken by the CCD camera or the like as in the prior art is unnecessary, and the handling time is shortened. Because the board is lifted from the tray, the side surface of the board can be gripped, and the generation of dust is reduced. Since the board is lifted from the tray and handled,
Since the substrate can be handled in the horizontal state without being affected by the thermal deformation of the tray, the substrate is not damaged.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the operation of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Floating mechanism 2 Actuator 3 Parallel opening / closing mechanism 4 Actuator 5 Actuator 6 Centering claw 7 Taper claw 11 Tray 12 Glass

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A handling device for attaching and detaching a substrate to and from a tray having an opening and detachably attaching a substrate to the tray, and a floating mechanism having a floating portion for taking an unlocked state and a locked state. A moving part attached to the floating part; a centering pawl attached to the moving part so as to be able to move up and down; and an elevating device attached to the moving part, wherein the floating part unlocks the moving part. And moving the centering claw to abut the opening to position the floating part, and in that state, the floating part is locked, and the lifting mechanism is lifted to lift the substrate from the tray. And handling equipment. 2. The floating mechanism includes a guide rod that guides the floating portion, a spring that biases the floating portion so that the floating portion is located at a predetermined position, and a cylinder that pushes the floating portion into a locked state. The handling device according to claim 1. 3. The handling device according to claim 1, wherein the elevating device has a tapered portion that supports an end portion of the substrate. 4. A method of attaching and detaching a substrate to the opening of a tray having an opening in a detachable manner, wherein a movable centering claw and a lifting device are attached to a floating mechanism, and the floating mechanism is unlocked. Attachment / detachment of a substrate, characterized in that the centering claw is brought into contact with the opening to position the floating mechanism, the floating mechanism is locked, and the lifting device is raised to raise the substrate from the tray. Method.