JP4183525B2 - Thin plate support device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a thin plate transport support device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a manufacturing process of a liquid crystal display panel or a semiconductor device, a transport device for transporting a substrate such as liquid crystal glass or a wafer is provided. Since substrates such as liquid crystal glass and wafers do not like scratches on their surfaces, conventionally, the transport apparatus is configured to hold the substrate surface in a non-contact supported state. The non-contact support is performed by ejecting a pressurized fluid (liquid in Patent Document 1) onto the substrate from the substrate support side of the support.
[0003]
As a conventional transport apparatus, as shown in FIG. 6, a flat surface transport apparatus 41 that transports a substrate W with a flat surface facing upward is known. The planar transport device 41 includes a base 42, and a porous unit 44 is provided on an upper surface 43 of the base 42. A large number of porous units 44 are provided in a lattice pattern at regular intervals over the entire upper surface 43 of the base 42. A port (not shown) is formed on the outer surface of the base 42. A fluid passage (not shown) is formed in the base 42 and the porous unit 44 so that the pressurized air supplied to the port is supplied to the porous body 45 of the porous unit 44.
[0004]
Accordingly, when pressurized air is supplied to the port, the pressurized air is ejected from the upper surface of the porous body 45 through the fluid passage. The substrate W is supported in a non-contact state floating on the upper surface of the porous body 45 by the ejection of the pressurized air. That is, a pressure air layer is formed between the upper surface of the porous body 45 and the lower surface of the substrate W, thereby bringing about a static pressure. Thereby, the substrate W is supported in a non-contact manner with respect to the base 42.
[0005]
Here, if the supply pressure is increased to increase the flying height too much, the thin plate W is vibrated and becomes unstable. On the other hand, if the flying height is too small, the upper surface of the porous body 45 and the thin plate W are prevented from coming into contact with each other, so that it is necessary to finish the upper surface of the porous body 45 with high accuracy, leading to an increase in manufacturing cost. For this reason, the flying height of the substrate W is usually about several tens of μm.
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-85496 A
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, liquid crystal glass in the manufacturing stage is also enlarged (for example, 1800 × 1600 × 0.6 mm) due to recent demands for an increase in liquid crystal display panel and an improvement in productivity. As described above, the large and thin liquid crystal glass has a property of low rigidity and easy bending. Due to this property, when this large and thin liquid crystal glass is transported by the conventional planar transport device 41, there are the following problems.
[0008]
That is, as shown in FIG. 6, in the conventional plane transfer device 41, the porous units 44 are arranged on the upper surface 43 of the base 42 in a lattice shape with a certain interval, and the porous body adjacent in the transfer direction. There is a certain interval (gap) between 45. Above this gap, sufficient ejection of pressurized air from the porous body 45 is not always obtained, and the static pressure acting on the liquid crystal glass W as the substrate located there is also weak. For this reason, when the leading end of the large thin liquid crystal glass W in the conveying direction is positioned above the gap, the liquid crystal glass W originally has a property of being easily bent. It will hang down to the 43rd side. In other words, it looks like a bow when viewed from the front of the transport direction.
[0009]
The porous body 45 is provided so as to protrude from the upper surface 43 of the base 42. Further, as described above, the flying height of the liquid crystal glass W is as small as several tens of μm. For this reason, if conveyance is continued in a state where the end portion of the liquid crystal glass W hangs down, the possibility that the porous body 45 and the front end portion of the liquid crystal glass W collide on the way is extremely high. And when a collision arises, the liquid crystal glass W will be damaged from the impact, or it will be damaged.
[0010]
Therefore, in order to prevent such a collision, the supply pressure of the pressurized air is set to increase the flying height to the extent that the liquid crystal glass W does not collide with the porous body 45 even if the end of the liquid crystal glass W hangs down on the upper surface 43 side of the base 42. It can be considered to be high. However, as described above, the liquid crystal glass W vibrates and becomes unstable. Further, since another liquid crystal glass W is not transported without any gap before and after the transported liquid crystal glass W, there is also a porous body 45 in which the liquid crystal glass W does not exist. Since the pressurized air ejected from the porous body 45 is released into the atmosphere without applying a static pressure to the liquid crystal glass W, increasing the pressurized air supply pressure increases the flow rate of the pressurized air. The problem that it ends up also arises. In addition, since the flow rate of the pressurized air released from the porous body 45 is also increased, a very small amount of dust is scattered when used in a clean room.
[0011]
Such problems are not limited to the above-mentioned transportation of the liquid crystal glass. If the sheet is a large thin plate or has a property of being easily bent even if it is a non-large thin plate, the thin plate is not contacted. The same occurs when transporting in a state.
[0012]
An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems in a thin plate transport support device for transporting a thin plate while supporting it in a non-contact manner.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention]
In the following, means and the like that can solve the above problems are listed separately. In addition, the action, effect, specific means, etc. will be added as necessary.
[0014]
Means 1. A large number of jetting parts protruding from the upper surface are provided on the upper surface of the base independently of each other, pressurized fluid is jetted from the upper surface of each jetting part to support the flat surface of the thin plate in a non-contact manner, and the thin plate in that state is conveyed In the support device for transporting the thin plate,
A shape-deformation jetting part is provided for forcibly deforming the thin plate in a non-contact manner so that the end of the thin plate does not hang down on the upper surface side of the base by ejecting pressurized fluid to the thin plate, and at least the thin plate is not A thin plate carrying support device that maintains its deformed shape while being conveyed in contact.
[0015]
According to the means 1, when the thin plate is conveyed, the thin plate is forcibly deformed in a non-contact manner so as not to hang down on the upper surface side of the base by the ejection of the pressurized fluid from the shape deformation ejecting portion. The deformed shape is maintained at least while the thin plate is conveyed in a non-contact state. For this reason, even if the static pressure which acts on the conveyance direction edge part of a thin plate arises, it can prevent that the edge part of a thin plate droops to the upper surface side of a base by dead weight. Thus, in preparation for the case where the end of the thin plate hangs down on the upper surface side of the base, it is necessary to increase the consumption flow rate and increase the flying height so that the end of the thin plate does not collide with the ejection portion protruding from the upper surface of the base. There is no. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the end of the thin plate from colliding with the ejection portion during conveyance while maintaining an appropriate flying height and reducing the consumption flow rate, and to prevent the thin plate from being scratched or damaged.
[0016]
Such an effect appears particularly prominent when the ejection portions are arranged in a lattice pattern. That is, when each ejection part is arranged in a lattice shape, a certain gap is generated between the ejection parts adjacent in the transport direction. And when the conveyance direction edge part of a thin plate is located above the clearance gap, the static pressure which acts on the edge part is weak, and the edge part of a thin plate tends to droop to the upper surface side of a base. For this reason, the possibility that the end portion of the thin plate collides with the ejection portion is increased. In this respect, according to the means 1, the collision can be prevented as described above, which is particularly effective.
[0017]
Mean 2. The support device for transporting a thin plate according to means 1, wherein the deformed shape of the thin plate is a shape in which the left and right widths are shortened when viewed in the transport direction and has the same shape throughout the transport direction.
[0018]
According to the means 2, the thin plate has a shape in which the left and right widths are shortened in the conveying direction by the ejection of the pressurized fluid from the shape deformation ejecting portion, and is deformed into the same shape in the entire conveying direction. If such a shape is forcibly maintained while the thin plate is being conveyed in a non-contact state, even if a static pressure acting on the end of the thin plate in the conveyance direction is weakened, the end portion The force that tries to maintain the shape in which the left and right widths are shortened is superior to the force that tends to sag due to its own weight. For this reason, it can prevent that the edge part of a thin plate droops to the upper surface side of a base with dead weight. In addition, as the shape in which the left and right widths are shortened, for example, a corrugated shape, an arcuate shape, a shape combining a linear shape and an arcuate shape, and the like are conceivable.
[0019]
Means 3. The support device for transporting a thin plate according to means 1, wherein the deformed shape of the thin plate is an arcuate shape that is convex upward or downward in the transport direction and has the same shape throughout the transport direction.
[0020]
According to the means 3, the thin plate has an arcuate shape that is convex upward or downward as a whole in the conveying direction due to the ejection of the pressurized fluid from the shape deforming ejection part, and has the same shape throughout the entire conveying direction. Transformed into If such a shape is forcibly maintained while the thin plate is being conveyed in a non-contact state, even if a static pressure acting on the end of the thin plate in the conveyance direction is weakened, the end portion The force that maintains the arcuate shape is superior to the force that tends to sag due to its own weight. For this reason, it can prevent that the edge part of a thin plate droops to the upper surface side of a base with dead weight. Note that the arcuate shape can be considered to include a substantially square shape, but considering the ease of shape deformation and the like, it is preferably an arcuate shape that draws an arc as a whole or a shape close thereto.
[0021]
In addition, since such an arcuate shape is a simple shape, it is possible to deform the shape by simply providing the shape deformation jetting portions on both the left and right sides as viewed in the conveying direction, and jetting pressurized fluid to the upper and lower surfaces on the left and right sides of the thin plate. Is possible. For this reason, compared to changing the shape of the thin plate to a complicated shape in which a curved surface or a flat surface is mixed, the configuration of the shape deforming ejection portion can be made simple and compact. Further, when the thin plate is deformed into an arcuate shape by adjusting the pressure supplied to the shape deforming ejection portion, the pressure adjustment for adjusting the amount of warpage can be easily performed. Furthermore, if the pressurized fluid is uniformly ejected to the thin plate from the shape deforming ejection portions provided on both the left and right sides, the thin plate is suppressed from shifting to the left and right when viewed in the transport direction. Thereby, the rectilinearity of the thin plate at the time of conveyance can be improved.
[0022]
Means 4. 4. The thin plate carrying support device according to any one of means 1 to 3, wherein the base ejection portion and the shape deformation ejection portion are shared.
[0023]
According to the means 4, the shape of the thin plate is compulsorily deformed by the pressurized fluid ejected from the common ejection part by commonizing the base ejection part and the shape deformation ejection part. At the same time, the thin plate is supported in a non-contact manner. For this reason, it becomes unnecessary to newly install the structure for supplying the pressurized fluid to the ejection part for shape deformation and the ejection part. Thereby, the structure of the whole support apparatus for conveyance can be made simple and compact.
[0024]
Means 5. 5. The thin plate carrying support device according to claim 4, wherein a deformed shape applied to the thin plate is formed by the common upper surface of the ejection portion.
[0025]
According to the means 5, the deformation | transformation shape given to a thin plate is formed by the upper surface of the common (combined) ejection part, and the ejection direction of the pressurized fluid ejected from each ejection part is specified. . For example, the upper surface position of each ejection part is determined so that a curved line is drawn as a whole when the upper surfaces of the ejection parts arranged in a direction crossing the thin plate conveyance direction are smoothly connected. For this reason, while the supply pressure of the pressurized fluid to each ejection part is made the same, the shape deformation and non-contact support of the thin plate are simultaneously performed by the ejected pressurized fluid. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform pressure adjustment such as changing the supply pressure for each ejection portion in order to deform the shape of the thin plate. As a result, the configuration of the entire transport support apparatus can be simplified.
[0026]
Means 6. The common ejection part has an arrangement configuration in which a plurality of rows in which the ejection parts of the same shape are provided at regular intervals along the transport direction are provided in parallel, and a plane is formed by the upper surface of each ejection part, The thin plate carrying support device according to claim 4, further comprising pressure adjusting means for adjusting the pressure of the pressurized fluid supplied to the ejection portion for each row.
[0027]
According to the means 6, since the pressure of the pressurized fluid supplied to the common ejection portion for each row is adjusted by the pressure adjusting means, the pressurized fluid ejected from the ejection portion for each row is adjusted. The pressure is also different. This different jetting pressure acts on the thin plate, thereby changing the shape of the thin plate. And if the deformation | transformation shape of a thin plate is made into the same shape for the whole conveyance direction, the pressure supplied to an ejection part can be made the same pressure for every row | line | column at least. In order to maintain such a shape by arranging the ejection parts at random, complicated pressure adjustment of adjusting the supply pressure to the individual ejection parts is necessary, but it is unnecessary in principle. For example, if there are three rows of ejection portions and a downwardly convex arcuate shape, the supply pressure to the outer ejection portion relative to the supply pressure to the inner ejection portion as viewed in the conveying direction by the pressure adjusting means Can be raised. At that time, if the supply pressure to the outer ejection part is adjusted, the amount of bow-shaped warpage can be easily adjusted.
[0028]
Further, this means 6 realizes the shape deformation of the thin plate by adjusting the pressure of the pressurized fluid supplied to the ejection part, and forms a flat surface on the upper surface of the ejection part to support the thin plate in a non-contact manner. It is also possible to use a transport support device. For this reason, versatility can be improved.
[0029]
Mean 7 7. The thin plate carrying support device according to any one of means 4 to 6, wherein the common jet part is formed of a porous body.
[0030]
According to the means 7, since the ejection part is constituted by the porous body, the flow of the pressurized gas is restricted when the pressurized fluid passes through the porous body (porous restriction). Static pressure can be generated. Moreover, it is possible to generate a static pressure between the counterpart side (thin plate) more evenly than a simple throttle passage. Thereby, the thin plate can be supported in a non-contact manner in a stable state.
[0031]
Further, the pressurized fluid is uniformly ejected from the upper surface of the porous body by the porous restriction. If the jet of pressurized fluid is not uniform, the deformed shape of the thin plate may gradually change, but there is no such inconvenience, and the deformed shape can be maintained in the same shape.
[0032]
Means 8. A large number of porous bodies protruding from the upper surface are provided independently on the upper surface of the base, and pressurized fluid is ejected from the upper surface of each porous body to support the flat surface of the thin plate in a non-contact manner. In the support device for transporting a thin plate that is transported,
A thin plate transport support device in which a thin portion is provided at least at a location facing an end portion in the transport direction of the thin plate in plan view among the outer peripheral portion of the upper surface of the porous body.
[0033]
According to the means 8, when the porous body is provided with the thin portion, when the pressurized fluid is supplied to the porous body, the amount of the pressurized fluid ejected from the thin portion is determined by the upper surface of the porous body. The amount of the pressurized fluid ejected from the portion where the thin portion is not formed is larger. That is, the levitation force of the thin plate is increased by increasing the amount of ejection above the thin portion. This is because the degree of flow restriction due to the porous restriction becomes lower as the thickness of the porous body is thinner. And the thin part is provided in the location which opposes the conveyance direction edge part of a thin plate at least in planar view. This portion is a portion that is highly likely to collide with an end portion of the thin plate when the thin plate is conveyed in the direction of the upper surface of the base due to its own weight.
[0034]
As a result, even if the transport direction end of the thin plate hangs down on the upper surface side of the base when transporting the thin plate, if the end reaches above the thin wall portion, the above-described increase in levitation force becomes a cushion. Collision between the part and the porous body is avoided. As a result, even if the end portion of the thin plate hangs down on the upper surface side of the base, it is not necessary to increase the consumption flow rate and increase the flying height so that the end portion does not collide with the porous body protruding from the upper surface of the base. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the end of the thin plate from colliding with the porous body at the time of conveyance while maintaining an appropriate flying height and reducing the consumption flow rate, and to prevent the thin plate from being scratched or damaged.
[0035]
Such an effect appears particularly prominent when the porous bodies are arranged in a lattice pattern. That is, when the porous bodies are arranged in a lattice pattern, a certain gap is generated between the porous bodies adjacent in the transport direction. And when the conveyance direction edge part of a thin plate is located above the clearance gap, the static pressure which acts on the edge part is weak, and the edge part of a thin plate tends to droop to the upper surface side of a base. For this reason, the possibility that the end of the thin plate collides with the porous body is high. In this respect, the means 8 is particularly effective because the collision can be prevented as described above.
[0036]
Means 9. 9. The thin plate carrying support device according to claim 8, wherein the thin portion is provided over the entire outer peripheral portion of the upper surface of the porous body.
[0037]
According to the means 9, since the thin wall portion is provided over the entire outer peripheral portion of the upper surface of the porous body, the thin wall portion is also formed in a portion that is less likely to collide with the end portion of the thin plate that hangs down on the upper surface side of the base. Will be. For this reason, even if it is a case where it is likely to collide with the location with few possibility of a collision by generation | occurrence | production of an unexpected situation, the collision with the edge part of a thin plate and a porous body can be avoided. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the thin plate from being scratched or damaged.
[0038]
Means 10. The thin plate transport support device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the thin portion is a tapered portion or a round shape.
[0039]
According to the means 10, since the thin portion is formed into a tapered portion or a round shape, a step of a right angle or an acute angle does not occur on the outer peripheral edge of the upper surface of the porous body where the thin portion is not formed. Even though the thin wall portion is provided, it is preferable to eliminate the possibility of collision as much as possible, and such a step can be said to increase the possibility of collision. Therefore, if the taper portion or the round shape does not cause the step, the possibility of collision between the end portion of the thin plate and the porous body can be further reduced.
[0040]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[First embodiment]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. 1 is a perspective view of a conveying support device showing an outline of a conveying state of a thin plate, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams of the first embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows another example.
[0041]
As shown in FIG. 1, the transport support device 1 of this embodiment is a device that supports a thin plate W such as liquid crystal glass in a non-contact manner with its flat surface (front and back side surfaces) facing upward. A flat plate conveying device for the thin plate W is configured together with a driving device (not shown) that applies a driving force to the thin plate W to convey it.
[0042]
As shown in FIG. 2, the transport support device 1 includes a flat base 2 and a porous unit 4 provided on the upper surface 3 of the base 2. Legs (not shown) are provided on the bottom surface of the base 2, and the base 2 is installed at a predetermined distance from the installation surface by the legs. The base 2 may be configured to be installed directly on the installation surface.
[0043]
A large number of ports 5 are formed on the bottom surface of the base 2. Each port 5 is arranged in a grid so as to cover the entire bottom surface of the base 2. In this embodiment, three rows of ports 5 provided at regular intervals along the transport direction are provided. The port 5 is connected to the upper surface side of the base 2 through a passage 6 formed in the base 2 and opened on the upper surface 3 side. In addition, as this channel | path 6, a common channel | path can also be provided in the middle of a path | route, and it will become possible to make some or all the ports 5 common in this way.
[0044]
For example, the port 5 may be formed as a female screw hole in which a female screw for connecting a pipe is formed, or may be provided with a one-touch joint. The same applies to each port described later in this specification. When the transport support device 1 is used, a pipe from a pressure supply source (not shown) is connected to the port 5. The port 5 can also be provided on the outer surface of the base 2.
[0045]
A large number of the porous units 4 are provided over the entire upper surface 3 of the base 2. In the present embodiment, each porous unit 4 is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with each port 5 and is arranged in a lattice pattern. In the present embodiment, the arrangement in which the porous units 4 having the same configuration are provided at regular intervals along the transport direction is one row, and three rows are provided in parallel at regular intervals. Furthermore, a large number of porous units 4 are arranged so that the porous units 4 in each row are arranged in a single line on the left and right in a plan view.
[0046]
The configuration of the porous unit 4 alone is as follows. That is, the porous unit 4 includes a porous support 7, and an accommodation groove 8 having a circular shape in plan view is formed on the upper surface of the porous support 7. A disc-shaped porous body 9 is accommodated in the accommodation groove 8 in a state protruding from the upper surface of the porous support 7 and is fixed in that state. Fixing is performed by, for example, being bonded to the surface on which the accommodation groove 8 is formed with an adhesive. In the present embodiment, the porous body 9 is an ejection portion of the base 2 and is an ejection portion for shape deformation, both of which are ejection portions common to each other.
[0047]
In addition, the shape of the accommodation groove | channel 8 and the porous body 9 is not restricted to circular shape in planar view, Arbitrary shapes, such as square shape, can be selected. However, it is preferable that both shapes are common to each other. Further, a plurality of porous bodies 9 may be provided on the upper surface of the porous support 7.
[0048]
The porous body 9 can be made of a metal material such as sintered aluminum, sintered copper, and sintered stainless steel, but other than that, a sintered trifluoride resin, a sintered tetrafluoride resin, a sintered material, It can also be composed of synthetic resin materials such as sintered nylon resin and sintered polyacetal resin, sintered carbon, sintered ceramics and the like. Although not shown in the drawings, the porous body 9 has a seal layer formed on the outer peripheral edge thereof. When pressurized air is supplied to the porous body 9 as will be described later, the additional pressure is applied. The compressed air is prevented from leaking from the outer peripheral surface of the porous body 9. The seal layer is formed by applying or injecting synthetic resin to the outer peripheral surface. The same applies to the porous body described later in this specification.
[0049]
A flow groove 10 communicating with the receiving groove 8 is formed on the bottom surface of the receiving groove 8. The bottom surface of the flow groove 10 is communicated with the outside of the porous support 7 through a passage 11 formed in the porous support 7 and opening in the bottom.
[0050]
The porous unit 4 having such a configuration is provided on the upper surface 3 of the base 2 in a one-to-one correspondence with the respective ports 5, so that each port 5 has the passage 6 of the base 2 and the passage of the porous support 7. 11 is communicated with the bottom surface of each flow groove 10. When pressurized fluid (for example, air) is supplied from a pressure supply source (not shown), the pressurized air flows into each port 5, each passage 6 in the base 2, each passage 11 in each porous unit 4, and each flow groove 10. Is ejected from the surface of the porous body 9, that is, the upper surface. In addition, the part which connects the channel | path 6 of the base 2 and the channel | path 11 of the porous support body 7 is sealed, and the leak of pressurized air is prevented.
[0051]
Here, among the porous units 4 provided in three rows in the transport direction, the porous unit 4 constituting the middle row is defined as the inner unit 4a, and the porous units 4 constituting the rows on both sides thereof. Is the outer unit 4b. Among these, the inner unit 4a is directly installed on the upper surface 3 of the base 2 as described above.
[0052]
On the other hand, the outer unit 4 b is indirectly installed on the upper surface of the base 2 via a support base 13 provided on the upper surface of the base 2. For this reason, with respect to the outer unit 4 b, the port 5 and the bottom surface of the flow groove 10 are communicated with each other through a passage 14 formed in the support base 13 in addition to the passages 6 and 11. The portion connecting the passage 6 of the base 2 and the passage 14 of the support base 13 and the portion connecting the passage 14 of the support base 13 and the passage 11 of the porous support 7 are sealed to prevent leakage of pressurized air. Has been.
[0053]
Further, the upper surface of the support base 13 is a slope inclined inward, that is, inward in the width direction. For this reason, the outer unit 4b is provided on the support base 13 in a state of being inclined inward (inner unit 4a side), and the upper surface of the porous body 9 is also an inclined surface inclined inward. Therefore, on the upper surface 3 side of the base 2, the upper surface of three rows of porous units 4 (inner unit 4 a and outer unit 4 b), that is, the upper surface of each porous body 9, has an arcuate shape that protrudes downward in the conveying direction. A support portion 15 is formed. Similarly to the outer unit 4b, the inner unit 4a may be configured to be indirectly installed on the upper surface of the base 2 via a support base, or the support base 13 and the porous support 7 of the outer unit 4b may be integrated. It may be formed.
[0054]
In the flat plate transport device for the thin plate W using the transport support device 1 configured as described above, the thin plate W is supported in a non-contact manner with the flat surface facing upward by the transport support device 1. That is, by the operation of a pressure supply source (not shown), the pressurized air is ejected from the entire upper surface of the porous body 9 through the port 5, the passages 6, 11, and the flow groove 10 for the inner unit 4 a. Further, with respect to the outer unit 4 b, pressurized air is ejected from the entire upper surface of the porous body 9 through the port 5, the passages 6, 11, 14 and the flow groove 10. In this state, the thin plate W is supplied to the transport support device 1 in a state where the plane is directed upward by a transport robot or the like. At this time, a pressurized air layer is formed between the upper surface of the porous body 9 and the bottom surface of the thin plate W (the surface on the porous body 9 side) by the ejection of pressurized air from the porous body 9, and the static pressure is reduced. Brought about. As a result, the thin plate W is supported in a non-contact manner on the support portion 15 of the base 2.
[0055]
And since the support part 15 of the base 2 has an arcuate shape that protrudes downward when viewed from the front in the transport direction, the thin plate W that is supported in a non-contact manner by the support part 15 is also forced to have the same shape as the support part 15, That is, it is deformed into an arcuate shape convex downward as viewed in the transport direction. A driving force is applied to the thin plate W supported in such a shape in a non-contact manner by a driving device (not shown), and the thin plate W is transported in the transport direction while being supported in a non-contact manner. Since the shape of the support portion 15 is maintained over the entire conveyance direction, the thin plate W is maintained in an arcuate shape while being conveyed.
[0056]
Since the thin plate W is maintained in an arcuate shape as viewed from the front in the transport direction as described above, the transport direction end of the thin plate W is positioned above the gap between the porous bodies 9 adjacent to each other in the transport direction. In this case, the end of the thin plate W can be prevented from drooping to the upper surface 3 side of the base 2 due to its own weight even if the static pressure acting on the end is weak. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the end of the thin plate W from colliding with the porous body 9 during conveyance while maintaining an appropriate flying height of about several tens of μm and suppressing the consumption flow rate. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the thin plate W from being scratched or damaged.
[0057]
Further, at the time of conveyance, the thin plate W is deformed into an arcuate shape convex downward as viewed in the conveyance direction. In addition, since the porous body 9 is used as a configuration for non-contact support, the pressurized air supplied to the ports 5 of the pair of outer units 4b with the same supply pressure is supplied from both porous bodies 9. It is ejected uniformly. For this reason, static pressure acts uniformly on both left and right ends of the thin plate W as viewed in the transport direction. Thereby, the centering effect with respect to the thin plate W is acquired, and it can suppress that the thin plate W shift | deviates right and left seeing in the conveyance direction during the conveyance. Therefore, the straight advanceability of the thin plate W can be improved.
[0058]
Further, the non-contact support of the thin plate W as in the transport support device 1 has the following advantages.
[0059]
(A) When the thin plate W is supported by contact, scratches and dust are generated by rubbing between the thin plate W and the support portion during transportation, but such scratches and dust are generated by supporting the thin plate W in a non-contact manner. There is nothing. For this reason, it is suitable for use in an environment that does not like the generation of dust, such as a clean room. Further, the vibration due to stick-slip or rolling does not occur in the thin plate W as in the case of carrying by contact support.
[0060]
(A) Since the thin plate W is supported in a non-contact manner, sliding resistance does not occur during conveyance. For this reason, in order to convey the thin plate W, the drive force given to the thin plate W may be small. Thereby, the drive device which generates the drive force can be reduced in size. In addition, an air nozzle can be provided around the thin plate W, and a driving device that applies a driving force to the thin plate W by the jet air from the air nozzle can be provided.
[0061]
(C) Even if some external force is applied to the non-contact supported thin plate W, the pressurized air layer serves as a cushion, so that the influence of the external force on the thin plate W can be reduced.
[0062]
(D) If a switching valve is provided in the pipe connected to each port 5 and each port is switched and connected to a pressure supply source or a vacuum device by the operation of this switching valve, the thin plate W is made of the porous body 9. It can also be adsorbed on the upper surface of the substrate. That is, pressurized air is ejected from the upper surface of the porous body 9 to gradually reduce the supply pressure from the state in which the thin plate W is supported in a non-contact manner, thereby bringing the thin plate W into contact with the upper surface of the porous body 9. Thereafter, the thin plate W can be adsorbed by driving the switching valve by the control device and connecting each port 5 to the vacuum device. Thereby, when it is desired to stop the conveyance of the thin plate W in the middle for adjusting the manufacturing timing, the conveyance can be stopped by adsorbing the thin plate W.
[0063]
In addition, this 1st Embodiment is not limited to the content mentioned above, For example, you may implement as follows.
[0064]
(A) The shape of the support portion 15 formed by the upper surface of each porous body 9 may be an upwardly convex arcuate shape as viewed in the conveying direction, or a wave shape, a linear shape and an arcuate shape as viewed in the conveying direction. It is good also as a shape which combined. It is also possible to use the porous unit 4 in which the upper surface of the porous support 7 and the upper surface of the porous body 9 are flush with each other, and the shape of the support portion 15 can be formed by the surface.
[0065]
(B) An accommodation groove is formed in the upper surface 3 of the base 2, and the porous body 9 is accommodated in the accommodation groove so that the upper surface protrudes from the upper surface of the base 2. It is good also as a structure. However, even in this case, it is preferable to form the support portion 15 having a predetermined shape by the upper surface of the porous body 9.
[0066]
(C) The porous units 4 may be provided in a plurality of rows as viewed in the transport direction. For example, two or more rows may be provided. However, even in this case, the support unit 13 is formed on the upper surface of each porous body 9 by providing the support unit 13 in the porous unit 4 or changing the slope angle of the upper surface of the support table 13. It is preferable.
[0067]
(D) The base 2 may be formed in a flat plate shape as a whole by combining a plurality of base members. For example, the base 2 may be configured by arranging a plurality of porous units 4 arranged in a line at a predetermined interval. Moreover, the shape of the base 2 does not need to be flat. However, the installation surface of the porous unit 4 is preferably a flat surface.
[0068]
(E) As a flat surface transport device using the transport support device 1, not only a device for transporting the thin plate W but also a processing device of the thin plate W that needs to be transported in the middle of processing, the processing device The apparatus which comprises some may be sufficient.
[0069]
(F) As shown in FIG. 3, the outer unit 4 b may be directly installed on the upper surface 3 of the base 2 without the support 13. In this configuration, the pressure of pressurized air supplied from the pressure supply source P to the port 5 corresponding to the outer unit 4b by the pressure adjusting means 16 (for example, a pressure control valve) is supplied to the port 5 corresponding to the inner unit 4a. It is adjusted to be higher than the applied pressure. Thereby, the pressure of the pressurized air ejected from the porous body 9 of the outer unit 4b is increased. For this reason, the thin plate W is deformed into a convex arcuate shape as viewed in the conveying direction and is supported in a non-contact manner. Conversely, if the supply pressure is adjusted so that the supply pressure to the port 5 of the inner unit 4a is higher than the supply pressure to the port 5 of the outer unit 4b, the thin plate W has an arcuate shape that is convex upward in the conveying direction. It is deformed into a shape and supported without contact. As a result, the same effect as that of the configuration in which the shape of the support portion 15 is bowed by the upper surface of the porous body 9 (preventing scratches and breakage during conveyance) can be obtained. Moreover, since such an effect can be obtained without using a new member such as the support base 13, it is excellent in versatility.
[0070]
In this configuration, the upper surface of the porous support 7 and the upper surface of the porous body 9 may be flush with each other, and the porous body 9 is not the porous unit 4 but the upper surface 3 of the base 2. You may provide directly so that it may protrude from. It is also possible to provide air nozzles as shape deformation ejection portions on both the left and right sides, and shape deformation of the thin plate W can be performed by ejecting exclusively from the air nozzles.
[0071]
(G) As shown in FIG. 4, the upper surface of the support base 13 is formed in parallel with the upper surface 3 of the base 2, and the porous unit 4 installed on the upper surface of the base 2 via the support base 13 It is good also as a structure which provided the porous unit 4 installed in the upper surface by multiple rows (4 rows in FIG. 4) by turns. As shown in the figure, in this configuration, the thin plate W is deformed into a wave shape and is supported in a non-contact manner. Also with this configuration, it is possible to prevent the end of the thin plate W from drooping toward the upper surface 3 side of the base 2 during conveyance, and to prevent the end from colliding with the porous body 9. In this configuration, the upper surface of the porous support 7 and the upper surface of the porous body 9 may be flush with each other.
[0072]
[Second Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a thin plate support state.
[0073]
The transport support device 21 of this embodiment is a device that supports the thin plate W such as liquid crystal glass in a non-contact manner with its flat surface facing upward, and gives the thin plate W a driving force for transporting the thin plate W. A planar conveying device for the thin plate W is configured together with the driving device and the like.
[0074]
As shown in FIG. 5, the transport support device 21 includes a base 22 and a porous unit 24 provided on the upper surface 23 of the base 22. A large number of porous units 24 are provided on the upper surface 23 of the base 22, and these are arranged in a lattice pattern. The porous unit 24 includes a porous support 27, and a disk-shaped porous body 29 is provided on the upper surface of the support 27. The configuration for ejecting a pressurized fluid (for example, air) from the upper surface of the porous body 29 is the same as the configuration of the transport support device 1 of the first embodiment. That is, the pressurized air supplied to the port 25 of the base 22 is supplied to the porous body 29 via the passage 26 of the base 22, the passage 31 of the porous support 27 and the flow groove 30. Since these configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
[0075]
The transport support device 21 of this embodiment is characterized by the configuration of the porous unit 24, particularly the shape of the porous body 29. A taper portion 32 (thin wall portion) is formed over the entire outer peripheral portion of the upper surface (surface) of the porous body 29 having a disk shape, and the upper surface is composed of a flat portion 33 and a taper portion 32. The tapered portion 32 is formed as a slope inclined outward. In the tapered portion 32, the thickness of the porous body 29 is thinner than that of the flat portion 33. By forming such a tapered portion 32 in the porous body 29, the porous body 29 has the following characteristics.
[0076]
First, the relationship between the thickness of the porous body 29 and the amount of pressurized air ejected will be described. As the thickness of the porous body 29 increases, the degree of flow restriction by the porous restriction increases, and the amount of pressurized air ejected increases. Less. Conversely, the thinner the porous body 29, the lower the degree of flow restriction due to the porous restriction, and the amount of pressurized air jetted increases. From such a relationship, the amount of pressurized air ejected from the tapered portion 32 in the porous body 29 is larger than the amount of pressurized air ejected from the flat portion 33. Therefore, the upper part of the taper portion 32 is an ejection amount increasing region R, and the floating force of the thin plate W is increased in the region R. The porous body 29 has such a characteristic that it has such a region R. Note that the region R shown in FIG. 5 is shown for convenience of explanation, and the actual ejection amount increasing region includes the periphery of the region R shown in the figure.
[0077]
In the flat plate transport apparatus for the thin plate W using the transport support device 21 configured as described above, the thin plate W is supported in a non-contact manner with the flat surface facing upward by the transport support device 21. That is, pressurized air is ejected from the entire upper surface 29 a of the porous body 29 through the port 25, the passages 26 and 31, and the flow groove 30 by the operation of a pressure supply source (not shown). In this state, the thin plate W is supplied to the transport support device 21 in a state where the plane is faced up by a transport robot or the like. At this time, a pressurized air layer is formed between the upper surface 29a of the porous body 29 and the lower surface of the thin plate W (the surface on the porous body 29 side) by the ejection of pressurized air from the porous body 29, and the static pressure Is brought about. Thereby, the thin plate W is supported by the base 22 in a non-contact manner.
[0078]
A driving force is applied to the non-contact supported thin plate W by a driving device (not shown), and the thin plate W is conveyed in the conveying direction while being non-contact supported. At this time, when the end portion of the thin plate W in the transport direction reaches above the gap between the porous units 24 adjacent to each other in the transport direction, the end portion hangs down to the upper surface 23 side of the base 22. This is because the pressurized air is not necessarily ejected sufficiently in the gap, and the resulting static pressure is weak. However, if the conveyance is continued as it is, the end portion of the thin plate W in the suspended state reaches the ejection amount increasing region R of the porous body 29. In such a region R, since the floating force of the thin plate W is increased by the increased jet of pressurized air, it becomes a cushion. In addition, since the tapered portion 32 extends obliquely downward from the flat portion 33, the cushion effect acts at a position below the flat portion 33 that is the original bearing portion. Therefore, the collision between the end portion of the thin plate W in the suspended state and the porous body 29 is avoided. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the end of the thin plate W from colliding with the porous body 29 during conveyance while maintaining an appropriate flying height of about several tens of μm and suppressing the consumption flow rate, and to prevent the thin plate W from being damaged or damaged.
[0079]
Further, the non-contact support of the thin plate W as in the conveyance support device 21 has the advantages described in (a) to (d) as in the case of the conveyance support device 1 of the first embodiment. is there.
[0080]
In addition, this 2nd Embodiment is not limited to the content mentioned above, For example, you may implement as follows.
[0081]
(A) The base 22 may be formed in a flat plate shape by combining a plurality of base members, or may not have a flat plate shape (see another example (d) of the first embodiment). However, the installation surface of the porous unit 24 is preferably a flat surface. Moreover, as a plane conveyance apparatus using the conveyance support apparatus 21, the apparatus which comprises a part of processing apparatus of the thin plate W may be sufficient (refer the other example (e) of 1st Embodiment).
[0082]
(B) A configuration may be adopted in which the flow groove 30 is formed on the upper surface 23 of the base 22 and the porous body 29 is directly installed on the upper surface 23 of the base 22.
[0083]
(C) The tapered portion 32 of the porous body 29 may be formed at a location where there is a high possibility of colliding with at least the thin plate W to be conveyed. The shape of the porous body 29 is not limited to a disk shape. For example, when the porous body 29 is formed in a square plate shape, among the four sides forming the outer periphery of the upper surface of the porous body 29, only the side facing the transport direction in plan view. It is good also as a structure in which the taper part 32 was formed. However, in order to cope with an unexpected situation, it is more preferable that the tapered portion 32 is formed on the entire outer peripheral portion of the upper surface of the porous body 29.
[0084]
(D) Due to the characteristic that if the thickness of the porous body 29 is reduced, the amount of jetted pressurized air increases. Therefore, if the thickness on the outer peripheral side of the porous body 29 is reduced, the amount of jetted air is increased above it. The increase region R can be set. For this reason, a configuration other than the tapered portion 32 may be formed on the outer peripheral portion of the upper surface of the porous body 29. For example, it is conceivable to form a round shape (thin wall portion) or a thin flat surface portion whose upper surface is flat. However, in order to avoid a collision with the thin plate W, it is more preferable that no step is generated on the outer peripheral edge of the flat portion 33. From this point of view, the tapered portion 32 or the round shape is preferable.
[0085]
(E) In the first embodiment, a combination to which a configuration such as a tapered portion 32 shown in the present embodiment is added is also possible.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transport support device showing an outline of a transport state of a thin plate according to a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the first embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a transport support device showing a support state of a thin plate according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a front view showing a conventional transfer support device.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,21 ... Support apparatus for conveyance, 2,22 ... Base, 9 ... Porous body (jet part of base, jet part for shape deformation, jet part in which both are made common), 16 ... pressure adjusting means, 29 ... Porous body, 32 ... taper part (thin part), W ... thin plate.

Claims (7)

A large number of jetting parts protruding from the upper surface are provided on the upper surface of the base independently of each other, pressurized fluid is jetted from the upper surface of each jetting part to support the flat surface of the thin plate in a non-contact manner, and the thin plate in that state is conveyed In the support device for transporting the thin plate,
Each of the ejection portions is provided so as to form a plurality of rows when viewed in the conveying direction, and the ejection portions constituting the rows on both sides are inclined to the inside in the width direction to forcibly deform the thin plate into a convex arcuate shape. A thin plate conveying support device that maintains the deformed shape at least while the thin plate is conveyed in a non-contact state. A large number of jetting parts protruding from the upper surface are provided on the upper surface of the base independently of each other, pressurized fluid is jetted from the upper surface of each jetting part to support the flat surface of the thin plate in a non-contact manner, and the thin plate in that state is conveyed In the support device for transporting the thin plate,
Each of the ejection portions is provided in a plurality of rows as viewed in the conveying direction, and a flat surface is formed by the upper surface of each of the ejection portions, and the pressure of the pressurized fluid supplied to the ejection portions constituting the rows on both sides is inside thereof A support device for transporting a thin plate provided with a pressure adjusting means for adjusting so as to be higher than the pressure of the pressurized fluid supplied to the jetting portion . A large number of jetting parts protruding from the upper surface are provided on the upper surface of the base independently of each other, pressurized fluid is jetted from the upper surface of each jetting part to support the flat surface of the thin plate in a non-contact manner, and the thin plate in that state is conveyed In the support device for transporting the thin plate,
A support device for transporting a thin plate in which each of the ejection portions is provided so as to form a plurality of rows when viewed in the transport direction, and an upper surface of the ejection portion is the same height for each row and has a height different from the upper surfaces of the ejection portions of adjacent rows . The thin plate carrying support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ejection portion is formed of a porous body . A large number of porous bodies protruding from the upper surface are provided independently on the upper surface of the base, and pressurized fluid is ejected from the upper surface of each porous body to support the flat surface of the thin plate in a non-contact manner. In the support device for transporting a thin plate that is transported,
A thin plate transport support device in which a thin portion is provided at least at a location facing an end portion in the transport direction of the thin plate in plan view among the outer peripheral portion of the upper surface of the porous body . The thin plate transport support device according to claim 5, wherein the thin portion is provided over the entire area of the upper surface outer peripheral portion of the porous body . The support device for transporting a thin plate according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the thin portion is a tapered portion or a round shape .

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