JP4281499B2 - Thin plate container - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a container, and more particularly to a thin plate transport container used for transporting thin plate electronic components used for manufacturing various flat panels, display devices (plasma display devices, liquid crystal display devices, etc.), and the like.

  For example, a flat display device such as a liquid crystal display device or a plasma display device requires a container for storing and transporting the substrate so that the glass substrate is not damaged and the substrate surface is not contaminated in the manufacturing process. Become.

  However, the conventional container cannot transport a thin plate such as a glass substrate used in a flat display device so as not to be damaged and so that the substrate surface is not soiled.

  Further, since the opening of the conventional container is provided in the upper part of the container, it is necessary to insert the thin plate from above and take it out from above, and it is difficult to put it in and out of the container without breaking the thin plate. It was.

  Therefore, as shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below, a thin plate container has been developed in which a thin plate can be taken out from the side of the container.

  However, in the conventional container for thin plates described in these documents and the like, the thin plates are placed vertically and accommodated inside the container. In the case of a thin plate having a relatively small area, even if the thin plate is placed vertically, it can be transported satisfactorily without causing problems such as deflection.

  However, in recent years, thin plates such as glass substrates used for flat display devices have become larger with the expansion of the display screen, and if the thin plates are placed inside a container in a vertical orientation, bending or the like occurs. It is necessary to arrange them at intervals. For this reason, it is difficult to accommodate a large number of thin plates inside the container.

However, when a thin plate such as a glass substrate is simply placed horizontally in a container, there is a problem that the thin plate breaks. Further, when the thin plate is accommodated horizontally in the container, it is difficult to accommodate the thin plate from the upper opening of the container. Furthermore, it is convenient that a container for storing a thin plate such as a glass substrate can be directly taken to a semi-clean room or the like.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-310145 JP 2003-40271 A

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to allow a large amount to be accommodated at a time without damaging a relatively large thin plate, and to easily take in and out the container. It is an object of the present invention to provide a container for transporting thin plates that can be transported to a semi-clean room without any problem.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

In order to achieve the above object, a container for transporting a thin plate according to the present invention is:
A plurality of fixed side plates fixed on the carrier so as to form at least one sidewall opening;
A movable side plate that is detachably attached to the opening side end portion of the fixed side plate so as to close the side wall opening and form a tray accommodating space on the carrier;
An internal pallet that is detachably mounted on the carrier from the side wall opening,
A tray that can be stacked on the internal pallet and can store at least one thin plate positioned substantially horizontally.

  Preferably, a plurality of the trays are detachably stacked on the inner pallet, and the inner pallet on which the plurality of trays are stacked is taken in and out of the transfer platform from the side wall opening. Can be installed freely.

  In the container for transporting thin plates according to the present invention, the thin plates are placed horizontally (substantially horizontal) inside the trays stacked inside the container, so that even relatively large thin plates can be accommodated without being bent. Can do. Further, since the thin plate is not disposed directly inside the container but is accommodated inside the tray, there is little risk of the thin plate being damaged.

  Further, for example, about 10 thin plates are stacked and accommodated inside the tray, and the trays are stacked and accommodated inside the container. Therefore, a large number of thin plates can be accommodated and transported and stored at a time. A buffer sheet may be arranged inside the tray, between the thin plate and the tray, or between the thin plates. Although it does not specifically limit as a buffer sheet, For example, a corrugated cardboard plastic etc. are illustrated.

  Moreover, in the thin plate transport container according to the present invention, the stacked trays are taken in and out from the inside of the container through the opening on the side wall of the container, so that the work is easy. For example, the internal pallet can be lifted using a forklift or the like, and the trays stacked on the internal pallet can be taken in and out of the container.

  Furthermore, in the thin plate transport container according to the present invention, the tray is made of a metal such as aluminum, and the members constituting the container casing such as the transport base, the fixed side plate, and the movable side plate are made of a metal or a composite material of metal and resin. Therefore, it is possible to transport the container to a semi-clean room or the like. In the semi-clean room, it is easy to take out and put out the tray from the container.

  In particular, a large glass panel for a PDP (plasma display panel) or a large glass panel for a liquid crystal panel is easy to break, is expensive, has a large weight, and is difficult to lift. The container of this invention is suitable for the use which conveys such a some glass panel safely and efficiently.

Preferably, the tray is
A frame member;
A bottom plate disposed on the bottom surface of the thin plate accommodation space so as to form a thin plate accommodation space and an upper opening in the space surrounded by the frame member,
In the thin plate accommodation space, a plurality of the thin plates are stacked in a substantially horizontal state,
The trays are stacked with the upper opening open.

  In the present invention, by adopting such a tray structure, it is possible to realize a low-cost tray having a relatively light weight and sufficient mechanical strength. Further, since the trays are stacked with the upper opening of the tray open, it is easy to take out and put in the thin plates from the tray. Moreover, even if the trays are stacked, the frame members of the stacked upper and lower trays are in contact with each other, so that the thin plate accommodated in the tray is not damaged.

  Preferably, the frame members of the respective trays are mounted with positioning members that are positioned relative to each other when the trays are stacked on each other. Examples of the positioning member include an upper protrusion mounted on a part of the outer periphery of the frame member, and a fitting between an unevenness formed on the upper surface of the frame member and an unevenness formed on the lower surface of the frame member. Is done.

  Forming the positioning members on each tray is preferable because the upper and lower trays are positioned when the trays are stacked, and the trays are not misaligned inside the container due to vibrations such as the conveyance of the container.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on embodiments shown in the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a thin plate transport container according to an embodiment of the present invention,
2A is a plan view of the tray shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2B is a front view of the tray shown in FIG. 2A, and FIG. 2C is a right side view of the tray shown in FIG. Figure,
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part showing a part of the state in which the trays are stacked inside the container.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part showing a tray positioning mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the thin plate transport container 2 according to the present embodiment has an external pallet 4 as a transport table. The external pallet 4 has a lift hole 5 into which a forklift claw is inserted. In this embodiment, the external pallet 4 is composed of a combination of foamed plastic and plastic corrugated cardboard from the viewpoint of weight reduction, but can also be composed of a material other than plastic, such as a metal such as stainless steel. . The size of the external pallet is usually 80 to 300 cm in length, 400 to 250 cm in width, and 10 to 25 cm in height.

  Three fixed side plates 6 and 8 are erected on the outer pallet 4 so as to form at least one side wall opening 10 on the outer pallet 4. Further, the movable side plate 12 can be detachably attached to the opening side end portions of the fixed side plates 8 and 8 so as to close the side wall opening 10. These side plates 6, 8, and 12 are made of, for example, metal or plastic.

  A bottom plate 14 is installed on the upper surface of the external pallet 4 inside the fixed side plates 6 and 8. The bottom plate 14 is made of, for example, metal or plastic. The bottom plate 14 is preferably formed with a protrusion or a recess for positioning an internal pallet 20 described later.

  Inside the container 2, a tray accommodating space surrounded by side plates 6, 8, and 12 provided on the external pallet 4 is formed, and a lid 16 is detachably attached to the upper opening thereof. The lid 16 is made of, for example, metal or plastic.

  An internal pallet 20 in which a plurality of trays 30 are stacked is detachably mounted in the tray accommodating space inside the container 2 through the upper opening or the side wall opening 10 of the container. The internal pallet 20 can be conveyed by a forklift or the like.

  As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, for example, the tray 30 includes frame members 32 that are arranged at four sides of a quadrangle. As shown in FIG. 3, the frame member 32 is comprised, for example with metal hollow pipes, such as aluminum, and a cross section is a rectangular shape.

  A reinforcing member 34 spans the bottom of the thin plate accommodation space 62 surrounded by the frame member 32, and the reinforcing member 34 is joined to the frame member 32. The reinforcing member 34 is made of a hollow metal pipe such as aluminum, and has a rectangular cross section.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a bottom plate 36 is fixed on the reinforcing member 34. The bottom plate 36 is made of, for example, an aluminum metal plate. The bottom plate 36 may have a structure that is detachable from the reinforcing member 34. A thin plate accommodating space 62 is formed on the bottom plate 36, and a plurality of thin plates 50 are stacked and stacked there. That is, the thin plate 50 is not placed vertically but horizontally (installed in a substantially horizontal direction). Although the number of the thin plates 50 accommodated in the thin plate accommodation space 62 of one tray 30 is not specifically limited, Preferably it is 5-10 sheets.

  Buffer sheets 42 are installed above and below the stacked thin plates 50 in the stacking direction. The buffer sheet 42 is made of, for example, a corrugated plastic material and has a thickness of 3 to 5 mm, for example. A buffer sheet may be laminated between the stacked thin plates 50.

  The depth of the thin plate accommodating space 62 is such that even if the necessary number of thin plates 50 and the buffer sheet 42 are stacked and stacked, the uppermost buffer sheet 42 does not protrude from the upper opening 60 of the tray 30. To be determined. That is, the dimensional relationship between the frame member 32 and the reinforcing member 34 is determined so that the uppermost buffer sheet 42 does not protrude upward from the top surface of the frame member 32.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality of grips 38 and a plurality of positioning projections 40 are attached to a part of the outer periphery of the frame member 32. The positioning convex portion 40 protrudes upward from the top surface of the frame member 32. As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom of the frame member 32 of another tray 30 stacked on the tray 30 enters the inside of the positioning convex portion 40 protruding upward from the top surface of the frame member 32, It is designed to be positioned. From the viewpoint of preventing the trays 30 stacked vertically from moving relative to each other in the horizontal direction, the positioning convex portions 40 are preferably provided at four positions on the outer periphery of the tray 30.

  The positioning convex portion 40 can be formed, for example, by fixing a metal piece to a part of the outer periphery of the frame member 32 by welding or the like. The positioning member is not limited to the positioning convex portion 40, and may be a positioning pin member 70 shown in FIG. The pin member 70 is provided in a part of the frame member 32 in the circumferential direction so as to penetrate the upper and lower surfaces of the frame member 32. A concave portion 72 is formed on the top surface of the pin member 70. A convex portion 74 that can be detachably fitted into the concave portion 72 of the other pin member 70 is formed. By providing a plurality of such pin members 70 along the circumferential direction of the frame member, it is possible to position the trays 32 in the horizontal direction.

  In the thin plate transport container 2 according to the present embodiment, since the thin plate 50 is disposed horizontally (substantially horizontal) inside the tray 30 stacked inside the container 2, even a relatively large thin plate 50 is bent. It can be accommodated without leaving. Further, since the thin plate 50 is not disposed directly inside the container 2 but is accommodated inside the tray 30, there is little risk of the thin plate 50 being damaged.

  Further, for example, about 10 thin plates 50 are stacked and accommodated inside the tray 30, and the trays 30 are stacked and accommodated inside the container 2, so that a large number of thin plates 50 can be accommodated and transported and stored at a time. become.

  Further, in this thin plate transporting container 2, since the stacked trays 30 are taken in and out from the inside of the container 2 through the side wall opening 10 of the container 2, the work is easy. For example, the internal pallet 20 can be lifted using a forklift or the like, and the tray 30 stacked on the internal pallet 20 can be taken in and out of the container 2.

  Furthermore, in this thin plate transport container 2, the tray 30 is made of a metal such as aluminum, and members constituting the container casing such as the external pallet 4, the fixed side plates 6, 8 and the moving side plate 12 are made of metal, metal and resin. By comprising a composite material, the container 2 can be transported to a semi-clean room or the like. In the semi-clean room, the tray 30 can be easily taken in and out of the container 2.

  In particular, a large glass panel for a PDP (plasma display panel) or a large glass panel for a liquid crystal panel is easy to break, is expensive, has a large weight, and is difficult to lift. The container 2 of this embodiment is suitable for the use which conveys the thin plate 50 as such a some glass panel safely and efficiently.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified within the scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the single side wall opening 10 is formed on the side wall of the container 2, but in the present invention, the portion of the fixed side plate 6 that faces the side wall opening 10. Alternatively, the side wall opening 10 may be provided. A movable side plate 12 is detachably attached to each side wall opening 10.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a thin plate transport container according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2A is a plan view of the tray shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2B is a front view of the tray shown in FIG. 2A, and FIG. 2C is a right side view of the tray shown in FIG. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main part showing a part of the state in which the trays are stacked inside the container. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part showing a tray positioning mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

2 ... Thin plate container 4 ... External pallet (conveyor)
6, 8 ... Fixed side plate 10 ... Side wall opening 12 ... Moving side plate 14 ... Bottom plate 16 ... Lid 20 ... Internal pallet 30 ... Tray 40 ... Positioning convex part 50 ... Thin plate 60 ... Upper opening 62 ... Thin plate accommodation space 70 ... Positioning Pin member

Claims (3)

A plurality of fixed side plates fixed on the carrier so as to form at least one sidewall opening;
A movable side plate that is detachably attached to the opening side end portion of the fixed side plate so as to close the side wall opening and form a tray accommodating space on the carrier;
An internal pallet that is detachably mounted on the carrier from the side wall opening,
A tray that can be stacked on the inner pallet and can accommodate at least one thin plate positioned substantially horizontally ;
The tray is
A frame member made of a metal hollow pipe having a rectangular cross section, which is arranged at four side positions of a rectangle;
A reinforcing member formed of a metal hollow pipe having a rectangular cross section, which is stretched over the bottom of a space surrounded by the frame member and joined to the frame member;
A bottom plate made of a metal plate, disposed on the reinforcing member;
In a space surrounded by the frame member on the bottom plate, a thin plate accommodation space is formed in which a plurality of thin plates are stacked and stacked.
A container for transporting thin plates. The thin plate transport container according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of grips and a plurality of positioning convex portions are attached to a part of the outer periphery of the frame member. A plurality of the trays are detachably stacked on the inner pallet, and the inner pallet on which a plurality of the trays are stacked is mounted on the transfer table through the side wall opening. The container for thin plate conveyance according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein

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