JP2703373B2 - Plate holding device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention holds a plate-like body called a reticle on which a host mask used for printing a pattern on a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate is formed. The present invention relates to a plate-like body gripping device suitably used for performing the above-described operations.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a typical prior art gripping device 1. FIG. In this gripping device 1, an arm 4 is swingably displaced by a pin 3 with respect to a gripper 2 held by an operator, and a clamp head 15 mounted on a leg 5 of the arm 4 is provided. The reticle 7 is held by the clamp head 16 of the support leg 6 attached to the grip portion 2.

V-grooves 9, 10 into which the flanges 8 formed on the reticle 7 fit are formed in the clamp heads 15, 16, respectively. A tension spring 11 is mounted between the arm 4 and the support leg 6 formed integrally with the grip portion 2.
With the spring force of 11, the support leg 6 and the arm 4 are spring-biased in a direction approaching each other.

A push button 12 is attached to the base end of the arm 4. By pushing and displacing the push button 12 in the direction of arrow A, the arm 4 swings in the direction of arrow B against the spring force of the spring 11. As a result, the clamp heads 15 and 16 are displaced away from each other, and the gripping device 1 is arranged so that the flange 8 of the reticle 7 fits into the V grooves 9 and 10 in this state.

When the pressing force on the push button 12 is released, the arm 4 swings in the direction opposite to the arrow B direction by the spring force of the spring 11, and the reticle 7 is moved by the clamp heads 15 and 16.
Is gripped.

When the reticle 7 is held in this manner, the gripper 2
Tightening ring 13 attached to the outer peripheral surface near the push button 12
Are tightened, and the arm 4 is fixed. As a result, the distance between the clamp heads 15 and 16 is further reduced, and thus the reticle 7 is gripped.

The reticle 7 is attached to and detached from the container 21 shown in FIG. 8 while being held by the gripping device 1 as described above. The container 21 includes a container body 23 having a storage space 22 and a lid 24 that can be freely opened and closed. The container body 23 has a pair of pedestals 25 and 26 on which the flange 8 of the reticle 7 is mounted, and a guide for guiding the reticle 7 when the reticle 7 is attached and detached, and for holding the reticle 7 without rattling during storage. Walls 27 and 28 and positioning projections 29 to 32 are formed.

The operator operates the reticle 7 stored in the container 21.
After the processes such as cleaning and baking are completed, the reticle 7 is gripped by the gripping device 1 and stored in the container 21 as described above.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the conventional gripping device 1 as described above, the reticle 7
Are supported at two points by the clamp heads 15 and 16 and cannot be stably gripped. Further, the reticle 7 may slide down during handling of the reticle 7 in the cleaning step or the like. Furthermore, since the arm 4 covers the vicinity of the center of the reticle 7, dust or the like adhering to the arm 4 may fall and adhere.

In addition, in order to securely hold the reticle 7, it is necessary to rotate the tightening ring 13, and the workability is poor. Furthermore, when the tightening degree of the tightening ring 13 is loose, the reticle 7 is likely to drop, while when excessively tightened, the reticle 7 may be distorted or damaged. Therefore, handling of the gripping device 1 requires skill.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a plate-like body gripping device that can securely hold a plate-like body with a simple operation.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention relates to a frame having a holding portion formed at a tip thereof, and a movable piece which is attached to the frame so as to be capable of swinging displacement and grips a plate-like body between the holding portion and the frame. A grip portion formed integrally with the frame, a position where the movable piece is gripped by the plate, and a position where the movable piece is separated from the position where the plate is gripped. A plate-like body gripping device characterized by including a push button.

According to the present invention, one end of the plate is held by the holding portion of the frame, the other end of the plate is gripped by the movable piece, and the grip is gripped by the operator. Then, the push button is operated to lock the movable piece at a position where the plate-shaped body is gripped and at a position where the plate-shaped body is separated from the gripped position. Accordingly, the state in which the plate-like body is securely grasped can be maintained, and the movable piece can be maintained in a position where the movable piece is separated without grasping the plate-like body.

Embodiment FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gripping device 41 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a plan view thereof. The gripping device 41 is generally formed by a gripping portion 42 gripped by an operator, a frame 43 integrally formed with the gripping portion 42, and hanging from the frame 43. A pair of legs 43a, 43b arranged on the hand side, and a contact piece 4 formed to be suspended from the frame 43 and arranged on the operator's hand side.
6,47, and abutment pieces 46,47.
Movable pieces 48 and 49 attached to the frame 43 so as to be able to be displaced away from each other. The grip portion 42 is formed integrally with the frame 43 as described above. Therefore, for example, in this embodiment, a shaft 60 described later is connected to the support portion 43 of the frame 43.
c, 43d, one end of the gripper 42 is fixed to the shaft 60, and the lever 64 and the movable pieces 48, 49 are provided so as to be angularly displaceable around the shaft 60, and thus the gripper 42 is A lever 64 is provided around the shaft 60 so as to be mutually angularly displaceable. Gripper
42 extends on the opposite side of the frame 43 with respect to the shaft 60 (to the right in FIGS. 1 and 2). The support portions 43c and 43d are connected by a connection shaft 79.

The grip 42, the frame 43, the legs 43a and 43b, the contact pieces 46 and 47, and the movable pieces 48 and 49 are made of a material such as stainless steel or an aluminum alloy, and therefore, the legs 43a and 43b and the contact pieces. Clamp heads 51 to 56 made of a resin material such as Teflon are attached to portions of the movable pieces 46 and 47 and the movable pieces 48 and 49 which come into contact with the flange 8 of the reticle 7, respectively. Clamp head 51 and leg 43a
Constitute the holding section 44, and the clamp head 52 and the leg 43b constitute the holding section 45.

The clamp heads 51 and 52 are formed with V-grooves 57 and 58 into which a flange 8a at one end of the reticle 7 is fitted. The length W1 of the contact pieces 46, 47 from the frame 43 is selected to be substantially equal to the length W2 of the holding portions 44, 45 up to the V-grooves 57, 58. 54 is its bottom 5
3a and 54a are mounted so as to be parallel to the reticle 7.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of the movable pieces 48 and 49. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the movable pieces 48, 49 are supported by a shaft 60 on the operator side of the frame 43 so as to be swingable and displaceable. , 62 are spring-biased in the direction of arrow C. When the movable pieces 48 and 49 are displaced by this spring force, the clamp head 5
The contact surfaces 55a and 56a of the reticle 7 and the bottom surfaces 53a and 54a of the clamp heads 53 and 54 hold the flange 8b at the other end of the reticle 7 in parallel with each other. By the action of the springs 61 and 62, the movable pieces 48 and 49 have the clamp heads 55 and 56 whose bottom surfaces 53a and 54a
A spring force is applied in a direction that comes into contact with the spring.

The two movable pieces 48 and 49 are swingably supported by a shaft 60 and connected by a connecting shaft 63, and are displaced in conjunction with each other. The connecting shaft 63 passes through an insertion hole 65 formed at one end of a lever 64 formed in an L-shape. A central portion of the lever 64 is swingably supported by the shaft 60. At the other end of the lever 64, an engagement piece 66 is formed.
Moves in and out of the through hole 67 formed in the grip portion 42 due to the swing displacement of the lever 64.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the play hole 67 of the grip portion. A recess 71 is formed in the grip portion 42 so as to communicate with the play hole 67, and a push button 72 for locking the engagement piece 66 is fitted in the recess 71. The push button 72 is operated by the operator's finger, and a pressing operation unit 73 facing one opening 71a,
It comprises a connecting portion 74 smaller in diameter than the pressing operation portion 73 and a cap-shaped spring receiving portion 75. One end of a compression spring 76 abuts the spring receiving portion 75, and the other end of the compression spring 76 has a concave hole 71.
Is in contact with a cover 77 closing the other opening 71b. By the compression spring 76, the push button 72 is spring-biased in a direction opposite to the pressing operation direction indicated by the arrow D.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5. Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the push button 72 is pressed while the reticle 7 is being gripped. When not operated, as shown in FIGS. 5 (1) and 6 (1), the top 66a of the engagement piece 66 which has entered the recess 71 from the through hole 67 is a large-diameter spring. As shown in FIG. 2, the lever 64 is locked while holding the reticle 7 as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, when the push button 72 is pushed in the direction of arrow D, as shown in FIGS. 5 (2) and 6 (2), the engagement piece 66 is engaged with the spring receiving portion 75 and the spring receiving portion. There is no contact with the small-diameter connecting portion 74 adjacent to the portion 75 in the axial direction of the push button 72, and therefore, until the lever 64 fits into the play hole 67,
The engagement piece 66 can enter the recess 71.

When the pressing operation of the push button 72 is released in this state, as shown in FIG. 6 (3), the top 66 of the engaging piece 66 is released.
a side 6 that is connected to a and faces the opposite side of shaft 60 (to the right in FIG. 6)
6b abuts against the spring receiver 75, thus locking the lever 64.

The gripping device 41 configured as described above is used as follows. The operator grips the grip portion 42 and the lever 64 and displaces in the direction opposite to the arrow C direction against the spring force of the springs 61 and 62, as shown in FIG. 6 (3). In this state, the side 66b of the engagement piece 66 is in contact with the spring receiving portion 75.
In this state, the flange 8a at one end of the reticle 7 housed in the container 21 shown in FIG.
Into the V-grooves 57, 58.

Then, the contact pieces 46 and 47 are attached to the flange 8 at the other end of the reticle 7.
In this state, the push button 72 is pushed in, and the engaged state of the lever 64 is released. As a result, the lever 64 is displaced in the direction of arrow C by the spring force of the springs 61 and 62, and the contact pieces 46 and 47 abut on the other surface of the flange 8b, thus fixing and holding the reticle 7.

When the pressing operation of the push button 72 is released in this state, the lever 64 is released.
As shown in FIG. 6A, the top 66a of the engaging piece 66 contacts the spring receiving portion 75, and the displacement of the lever 64 in the direction opposite to the arrow C direction is prevented. Thus, reticle 7
Is securely grasped, the operator takes it out of the container 21 and performs another process on the reticle 7.

Thus, in the gripping device 41 according to the present invention, the reticle 7
Is supported at four points, so that it can be held stably. Also, as described in the section of the prior art, the frame 43
Does not cover the top of the reticle 7, so that there is no danger of dust or the like adhering to the reticle 7, and workability such as cleaning work can be improved. Furthermore, the clamp heads 51 to 56 abut against the reticle 7, and the clamp heads 51 to 56 are made of a resin material such as Teflon as described above. Therefore, the reticle 7 can be securely held with a large frictional force. , Falling off during handling can be prevented.

The fixing of the reticle 7 can be easily performed by a push button operation instead of the tightening ring as described in the section of the related art, and the workability can be remarkably improved, and the handling operation is simple, No special skills are required. Furthermore, no excessive force is applied to the reticle 7, so that damage to the reticle 7 as described in the section of the related art can be prevented.

Effect of the Invention According to the present invention, the movable piece can be locked by the push button at the position where the plate-like body is gripped between the holding portion and the position separated from the gripping position. Therefore, by locking the movable piece at the plate-like body gripping position, the plate-like body can be kept held between the holding portion and the movable piece. Further, by locking the movable piece at a position separated from the gripping position, the hand does not slip due to carelessness, the movable piece does not hit the plate-like body, and the plate-like body is not damaged. When trying to grip the body, it is not necessary to operate for a long time with the movable piece being spread to the position separated from the holding position of the plate-like body, and the burden on the operator is reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gripping device 41 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a side view of the gripping device 41, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the gripping device 41, FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of the movable pieces 48 and 49,
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the through hole 67, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view line of FIG.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view as viewed from VI-VI, and FIG.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the reticle 7 and its container 21. FIG. 41 ... Grip device, 42 ... Grip part, 43 ... Frame, 44,45 ...
… Retaining part, 46,47… Contact piece, 48,49… Movable piece, 51-56
…… Clamp head, 57,58 …… V-groove, 64 …… Lever, 6
6 ... engagement piece, 67 ... play hole, 71 ... recess, 72 ... push button

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A frame having a holding portion formed at a tip thereof; a movable piece attached to the frame so as to be swingably displaceable and gripping a plate-like body between the holding portion and the frame; A grip portion integrally formed, including a push button that locks the movable piece at a position where the movable piece is gripped by the plate-like body, and a position where the movable piece is separated from the position where the movable piece is gripped by the plate-like body. Characteristic plate-shaped body gripping device.