JP4356234B2 - Substrate transfer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a board transfer device capable of improving the upper space utilizing efficiency and the process operating efficiency. SOLUTION: A conveyor 5 to be loaded with boards 1 to horizontally transfer them toward a process 4 is provided between a loading table 3 loaded with a cassette 2 horizontally housing the boards 1 in multiple stages and the process 4 freely to appear and disappear in/from the board 1 loading position. An elevating mechanism 7 for supporting a transfer hand 6 to be inserted into the cassette 2 to transfer the boards 1 freely to be elevated is provided freely to move forward and backward from a process 2 side to the loading table 3. The transfer hand 6 is formed to pass through the conveyor 5 appearing in the board loading position when elevating the transfer hand 6. A control function is provided to move the conveyor 5 backward from the board loading position when the transfer hand 6 loaded with the board 1 passes through the conveyor 5 from under thereof to over thereof and to make the conveyor 5 appear in the board loading position to receive the boards 1 when the transfer hand 6 loaded with the board 1 passes through the conveyor 5 from over thereof to under thereof.

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a transfer apparatus for taking out a substrate from a cassette and delivering it to a process, or receiving a substrate from a process and storing it in a cassette, and in particular, improves the utilization efficiency of the upper space and improves the operation efficiency of the process. The present invention relates to a substrate transfer apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a flat panel display production line, a glass substrate for a panel is processed for each single leaf in each process, but a multi-leaf glass substrate is housed in a cassette and transported in a batch between processes. Therefore, there is a transfer device (loader / unloader) for taking out a single glass substrate from the cassette and transferring it to the process between the transfer line and the process, or storing the single glass substrate received from the process in the cassette. used. As a transfer method, a roller type and a hand type are generally adopted. Hereinafter, a case where the glass substrate is taken out from the cassette will be described.
[0003]
In the hand type, a robot hand capable of placing a glass substrate is inserted under the glass substrate in the cassette, and the robot hand is lifted to place the glass substrate away from the cassette and place it on the robot hand. This is a system in which the glass substrate is transferred from the robot hand to the process after being moved out of the cassette.
[0004]
The roller type is a system in which a roller is inserted into a cassette and a glass substrate is transferred to the process by this roller.
[0005]
The roller type has the advantage that it does not occupy more space than the hand type, but it is easy to damage the substrate due to the number of times the roller contacts the substrate or the substrate bends between the rollers. There are drawbacks. In the roller type, since the substrate may be displaced on the roller, the positional accuracy is not good when the substrate is transferred to a predetermined position in the process. In order to place the substrate on the roller, an elevating mechanism that raises and lowers the roller and the cassette is required, but the elevating mechanism that elevates and lowers the roller and the cassette has poor maintainability.
[0006]
On the other hand, the hand type has the disadvantage that the occupied space is large because the hand needs an exercise space for entering and exiting the cassette, but there is less substrate damage than the roller type, and the position accuracy of the transfer is also good. However, since the elevating mechanism has good maintainability, the utility value can be improved if the occupied space is made as small as possible.
[0007]
The present applicant has already proposed a method in which a roller-type conveyor and a hand that performs only up / down and forward / backward movements are combined based on the application of Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-122034 and the serial number P6077 (both are not disclosed). As a result of these proposals, the occupied space was reduced and the movable mechanism was simplified.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, it is necessary to manage the production line of the flat panel display in a clean atmosphere by installing the whole in a clean room. A stocker for storing cassettes containing substrates is also installed in the same clean room. The stocker can also be arranged in the upper space of the transfer device and the process, so that the stocker capacity can be secured in a clean room with a limited floor area. For example, if there is a sufficient space in the upper space of the cassette installed on the installation table, the stocker can be installed in that space.
[0009]
In the proposed technique, the hand that has taken out the substrate from the cassette moves above the conveyor and returns to the conveyor, and the hand descends below the conveyor to transfer the substrate to the conveyor. For this purpose, the cassette is installed at a position higher than the conveyor. Since the cassette occupies a high position, there is not enough space for installing the stocker in the upper space of the cassette.
[0010]
In the proposed technique, the hand that has taken out the substrate from the cassette moves above the conveyor and returns to the conveyor. However, when the substrate is still on the conveyor, When returning to the conveyor, the lifting mechanism that supports the hand interferes with the substrate on the conveyor, so the hand cannot be returned to the conveyor. Therefore, when waiting for the next substrate on the conveyor for the process that is processing the substrate, the hand cannot be returned to the conveyor, the hand remains in the cassette, and the cassette is moved. Can not even.
[0011]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate transfer apparatus that solves the above-described problems, increases the utilization efficiency of the upper space, and increases the operation efficiency of the process.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is provided with a conveyor for horizontally transferring a substrate to a process by placing the substrate between an installation table on which cassettes in which horizontal substrates are stored in multiple stages are installed and the process, The conveyor is constructed so that it can appear and retreat to the place on which the substrate can be placed, and the lifting mechanism that supports the transfer hand for placing and placing the substrate in the cassette can be moved up and down from the process side toward the installation table. The transfer hand is configured to be able to pass a conveyor that appears in the substrate mounting arrangement when moving up and down, and when the transfer hand puts a substrate and passes the conveyor from below to above, the conveyor When the transfer hand loads the substrate and passes through the conveyor from the top to the bottom, the conveyor is made to appear in the substrate mounting arrangement to receive the substrate. It is provided with a control function.
[0013]
When the lifting mechanism is moved backward from the installation base toward the process, a control function may be provided for lowering the transfer hand below the conveyor.
[0014]
The conveyor may be composed of rollers arranged at a plurality of locations in the substrate transfer direction, and a moving mechanism for retracting these rollers from the substrate mounting arrangement may be provided.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate transfer apparatus according to the present invention includes an installation table (loading station in the figure) 3 and a process (FIG. Then, a conveyor (in the figure, a receiving conveyor) 5 is placed between the process line conveyor device 4 and the glass substrate 1 and horizontally transferred toward the process 4, and the conveyor 5 appears and retreats to an arrangement where the glass substrate 1 can be placed. An elevating mechanism 7 configured to be freely configured and supported so as to be able to move up and down, which is inserted into the cassette 2 and placed on the glass substrate 1, is provided so as to be movable forward and backward from the process 4 side toward the installation table 3. The transfer hand 6 is configured to be able to pass through the conveyor 5 that appears in the substrate mounting arrangement when moving up and down, and the transfer hand 6 puts the glass substrate 1 on the conveyor 5 from below to above. The conveyor 5 is withdrawn from the substrate mounting arrangement when it passes, and when the transfer hand 6 puts the glass substrate 1 and passes through the conveyor from the top to the bottom, the conveyor 5 appears in the substrate mounting arrangement to make the glass. A control function for receiving the substrate 1 is provided, and a control function is provided for lowering the transfer hand 6 below the conveyor 5 when the lifting mechanism 7 is retracted from the installation table 3 toward the process 4.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 5, the cassette 2 has a rectangular perforated plate as a top plate 101 and a bottom plate 102, and a long side between the top plate 101 and the bottom plate 102 is supported by a plurality of columns 103. Further, a shelf member 105 is provided between the long sides of the top plate 101 and the bottom plate 102, and ribs 104 for placing the glass substrate thereon are arranged in multiple stages. No member is provided at the short side opening (substrate outlet) so that the glass substrate placed on the rib 104 is taken out in a direction facing the short side.
[0018]
The conveyor 5 includes rollers 5a arranged at a plurality of locations in the substrate transfer direction, and is provided with a moving mechanism (not shown) for retracting these rollers 5a from the substrate mounting arrangement. If this moving mechanism is provided on both sides of the substrate transfer path, that is, the back side and the near side of the sheet, and the rollers 5a are advanced into the substrate transfer path by each moving mechanism, the conveyor 5 is placed on the substrate. When the roller 5a is withdrawn from the substrate transfer path, the conveyor 5 is retracted. In the substrate mounting arrangement, when the conveyor 5 is viewed from the top (not shown), a plurality of rollers 5a are projected in a comb shape, and the two sets of comb teeth rollers 5a face each other. Become. The distance between the tips of the rollers 5 a is narrower than the short side of the glass substrate 1. Thereby, the glass substrate 1 can be placed on the conveyor 5. In the retracted arrangement, the tips of the rollers 5a on both sides are opened wider than the short side of the glass substrate 1, and the glass substrate 1 can pass through.
[0019]
The transfer hand 6 is a member horizontally provided with a member thinner than the glass substrate storage interval in the cassette 2, and a main rib 6a that can pass between the tips of the two comb-shaped rollers 5a, Sub ribs (not shown) extending from the main rib toward both sides of the substrate transfer path. By moving the transfer hand 6 up and down at a position where the secondary rib does not overlap the roller 5a, the transfer hand 6 can pass from the top to the bottom and from the bottom to the top on the conveyor 5 appearing in the substrate mounting arrangement. It has become.
[0020]
The control function of the substrate transfer device is realized by using, for example, software in a control device (not shown).
[0021]
Hereinafter, the operation of the substrate transfer apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0022]
First, assuming that the state immediately before reaching FIG. 1 is the start time of the operation, (1) the transfer hand 6 is lowered by the lowering operation and is lower than the current lowest glass substrate 1 in the cassette 2 as shown in the figure. Go to and stop. At this time, the conveyor 5 is moved to the retracted position by the operation of (1). Next, the elevating mechanism 7 moves forward toward the installation table 3 by the insertion operation (2). When the transfer hand 6 enters the position where the glass substrate 1 is placed in the cassette 2, the lifting mechanism 7 stops and the transfer hand 6 rises slightly. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the glass substrate 1 is separated from the cassette 2 and placed on the transfer hand 6.
[0023]
In FIG. 2, (3) the lifting mechanism 7 is moved backward toward the process 4 by the pulling operation. When the transfer hand 6 returns to an arrangement that can pass through the conveyor 5 that appears in the substrate placement arrangement, the elevating mechanism 7 stops. At this time, the glass substrate 1 is placed on the transfer hand 6. The conveyor 5 is in a retracted arrangement. Therefore, if the transfer hand 6 moves up, the glass substrate 1 can pass through the conveyor 5 from the bottom to the top. Next, the transfer hand 6 is lifted by the lift operation (4). The transfer hand 6 stops after the glass substrate 1 passes through the conveyor 5 from the bottom to the top. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3, the glass substrate 1 is positioned slightly above the conveyor 5.
[0024]
In FIG. 3, (5) The conveyor 5 appears in the substrate placement arrangement by the operation of taking out the conveyor. Thereafter, the transfer hand 6 descends and passes from the top to the bottom of the conveyor 5 appearing in the substrate mounting arrangement. During this passage, the glass substrate 1 cannot pass through the conveyor 5 and remains on the conveyor 5.
[0025]
Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the conveyor 5 transfers the glass substrate 1 toward the process 4 by the operation of (6) substrate movement. The transfer hand 6 continues to move down (1), moves to a position lower than the current lowest glass substrate 1 in the cassette 2 and stops. After the glass substrate 1 leaves the conveyor 5 and moves to the process 4, the conveyor 5 performs a retracting operation (1).
[0026]
By repeating the operations shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the glass substrates 1 stored in the cassette 2 can be sequentially fed into the process 4.
[0027]
In the present invention, when the elevating mechanism 7 is retracted from the installation table 3 toward the process 4, the transfer hand 6 is controlled below the conveyor 5, so that the cassette 2 to the glass substrate 1 are controlled. The transfer hand 6 that has taken out the head moves below the conveyor 5 and returns to the bottom of the conveyor. For this reason, even if the glass substrate 1 is still on the conveyor 5, the lifting mechanism 7 can return without interfering with the glass substrate 1 on the conveyor 5. If the elevating mechanism 7 returns to the lower side of the conveyor, the cassette 2 can be moved, so that an empty cassette can be replaced with a full cassette. Thereby, while the process 4 is proceeding with the processing of the glass substrate 1, the cassette is exchanged, and the glass substrate 1 can be immediately taken out to the cassette 2 as soon as the transfer hand 6 becomes empty. As a result, the state in which the process 4 waits for the glass substrate 1 is eliminated, and the operation efficiency of the process 4 is increased.
[0028]
In the present invention, the transfer hand 6 moves exclusively under the conveyor 5 during the period when the transfer hand 6 accesses the cassette 2 and returns. Correspondingly, the installation position of the cassette 2 is lower than the conveyor 5. Accordingly, a sufficient space for installing the stocker is secured in the upper space of the cassette 2, and the stocker capacity can be secured in a clean room with a limited floor area.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
The present invention exhibits the following excellent effects.
[0030]
(1) Since the cassette is installed at a position lower than the conveyor, the utilization efficiency of the upper space can be increased.
[0031]
(2) Since the transfer hand returns to the bottom of the conveyor even if the substrate remains on the conveyor, the cassette can be exchanged during that time, and the operation efficiency of the process can be improved.
[0032]
(3) Compared to the roller type, there is less substrate damage, better transfer position accuracy, and better elevating mechanism maintenance. In addition, the occupied space is small compared to a hand type that does not use a conveyor.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a configuration diagram showing another operation sequence of the substrate transfer apparatus of FIG. 1; FIG.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing another operation sequence of the substrate transfer apparatus of FIG. 1;
4 is a configuration diagram showing another operation sequence of the substrate transfer apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a commonly used cassette.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Glass substrate 2 Cassette 3 Conveyor 4 Process 5 Conveyor 6 Transfer hand 7 Lifting mechanism

Claims (3)

A conveyor is installed between the installation stage where the cassettes in which the horizontal substrates are stored in multiple stages are installed and the process, and the substrate is horizontally transferred toward the process. An elevating mechanism configured to be freely configured and supported so as to be able to move up and down, which is inserted into the cassette and placed on the substrate, is provided so as to be able to move forward and backward from the process side toward the installation table. It is configured to be able to pass a conveyor that appears in the substrate placement arrangement, and when the transfer hand places a substrate and passes through the conveyor from the bottom to the top, the conveyor is retracted from the substrate placement arrangement, and the transfer hand Is provided with a control function for receiving the substrate by causing the conveyor to appear in the substrate mounting arrangement when the substrate is loaded and the conveyor passes from the top to the bottom. Plate transfer device. 2. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control function for lowering the transfer hand below the conveyor when the lifting mechanism is moved backward from the installation base toward the process. 3. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor is composed of rollers arranged at a plurality of locations in the substrate transfer direction, and a moving mechanism is provided for retracting these rollers from the substrate mounting arrangement.

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