JP4640059B2 - Sheet substrate supply device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet-like base material supply device for reliably separating a base material one by one from a plurality of sheet-like base materials laminated in a mutually overlapping state and supplying the base material processing apparatus side.

  Conventionally, when separating a plurality of sheet-like base materials stacked in the vertical direction one by one in order from the top, taking them out and supplying them to the base material processing device side, it is usually sheet-like with vacuum or other suction means In general, after adsorbing the base material, the base material is lifted, supplied, and conveyed.

  However, when the base material is highly elastic, thin, and oil is applied, the upper and lower overlapping base materials are in close contact with each other, and the uppermost layer When the substrate is lifted after adsorbing the upper surface of the substrate, there is a problem that two or two or more closely contacting substrates are simultaneously lifted, supplied and transported.

  Therefore, as a sheet-like substrate supply device, a device that adsorbs, lifts, supplies, and conveys the stacked sheet-like substrates one by one from above, or the uppermost substrate of a plurality of laminated substrates. As an apparatus that separates the lower substrate from the uppermost first substrate that is adsorbed among the two or two or more substrates lifted simultaneously when the upper surface is adsorbed and lifted, The following are listed.

  For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-330179, the suction means (suction pad) provided at the corner portion of the uppermost base material of the plurality of stacked base materials is inclined upward. By turning up, the lower substrate is separated from the uppermost one of the two or more lifted substrates and directly adsorbed by the adsorbing means. It is designed to supply only a single base material.

  However, in the case of the above-mentioned apparatus, in the case of a laminated body of a base material having a strong adhesion force or a base material having elasticity such as a resin, there is a problem that the base material below the first sheet cannot be reliably separated from the laminated body. Have.

  Further, in the sheet feeding device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-77947 and the sheet feeding device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-167483, compressed air is blown using an air nozzle, and the uppermost base material is used. In addition, there is one in which an air layer is formed on two or more base materials so that the base materials can be separated and supplied one by one.

  However, when an air layer is formed between the substrates by blowing air, a gap for air to enter first is necessary, and in a substrate in a completely contacted state, no matter how much air is blown, There is a problem that an air layer is not easily formed between the substrates, and the substrates cannot be reliably separated.

Below, the well-known patent document relevant to this invention is described.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-330179 JP-A-5-77947

  In view of the problems as described above, the object of the present invention is to reliably adsorb a plurality of sheet-like base materials stacked in a superposed manner one by one from the uppermost surface, such as a base material processing apparatus. It is providing the sheet-like base material supply apparatus which can be supplied and conveyed to the next process.

The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention provides a sheet-like base material supply apparatus that automatically adsorbs and conveys flexible sheet-like base materials laminated in a superposed manner one by one from the upper surface. An adsorption mechanism that adsorbs at least one part of one end of the material, a bracket that holds the adsorption mechanism, an air cylinder that moves up and down, and a first spindle that is provided on the side of the air cylinder. A connecting arm that is connected, and a lever for pressure deformation that is connected to an end of the connecting arm via a second support shaft and is connected to a third support shaft provided on the bracket. And the lever for pressing deformation is in contact with the edge of the one end of the sheet-like base material after the suction mechanism sucks the sheet-like base material and the air cylinder starts to rise. Down The Rukoto give forcibly pressed and deformed so as to face curvature at the end portion of the sheet-like substrate, wherein forming an air layer between a plurality of sheet-like substrate adsorbed simultaneously by the suction mechanism A sheet-like substrate supply device that promotes separation between substrates and prevents a plurality of sheet-like substrates from being removed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet-like base material supply apparatus that automatically adsorbs a flexible sheet-like base material laminated in a superposed manner one by one from the upper surface. An adsorption mechanism that adsorbs at least one part of one end of the material, a bracket that holds the adsorption mechanism, an air cylinder that moves up and down, and a first spindle that is provided on the side of the air cylinder. A connecting arm that is connected, and a lever for pressure deformation that is connected to an end of the connecting arm via a second support shaft and is connected to a third support shaft provided on the bracket. The lever for pressing deformation contacts the corner corners of the edge of the one end of the sheet-like substrate after the adsorption mechanism adsorbs the sheet-like substrate and the air cylinder starts to rise. and The Rukoto given curvature both said angle corners forcibly pressed and deformed so as to face in order downward, the base material to form an air layer between a plurality of sheet-like substrate adsorbed simultaneously by the suction mechanism A sheet-like substrate supply device that promotes separation and prevents a plurality of sheets of the sheet-like substrate from being removed.

  The invention according to claim 3 of the present invention is the sheet-like substrate supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one end of the sheet-like substrate is the front end or the rear end of the sheet-like substrate. This is a sheet-like base material supply device.

  The invention according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the sheet-like base material supply device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the one end of the sheet-like base material is provided in a sheet region inside the suction mechanism. The sheet is provided with a pressing mechanism that presses from above the sheet-like base material surface on which the sheet-like base material is stacked by adsorbing and raising at least one part of the sheet by the suction mechanism, and the sheet is raised by pressing by the pressing mechanism A sheet-like substrate supply apparatus characterized in that the sheet-like substrate laminated by the sheet-like substrate is prevented from rising and a larger curvature is given to the one end of the sheet-like substrate.

  The invention according to claim 5 of the present invention is the sheet-like base material supply apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pressing mechanism is configured to separate and drop the first and subsequent sheet-like base materials at the time of simultaneous adsorption of a plurality of sheets. In addition, the sheet-like substrate supply apparatus is characterized in that it is prevented from being displaced from the laminated sheet-like substrate.

The invention according to claim 6 of the present invention is the sheet-like substrate supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the pressure deformation is applied to the contact surface of the pressing deformation lever with the sheet-like substrate. A sheet-like base material provided with a non-slip portion for preventing the sheet-like base material from slipping downward at the time, and having a larger curvature at the one end of the sheet-like base material to be pressed and deformed It is a supply device.

The invention according to claim 7 of the present invention is the sheet-like substrate supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the one end portion of the sheet-like substrate is given a curvature by the pressing deformation lever. It is provided with a blower mechanism that blows compressed air to the air layer between the base materials generated by this, and the air layer is forcibly expanded by the air blow so that the sheet-like base material can be separated more reliably and in a short time. This is a sheet-like base material supply device characterized by being made.

  According to the sheet-like base material supply device of the present invention, when a plurality of stacked sheet-like base materials are adsorbed one by one from above, supplied, and conveyed, a plurality of sheets are obtained by an adsorption mechanism (adsorption means). After adsorbing and holding at least one or more upper end portions (sheet front end portion or rear end portion) of the uppermost base material among the sheet-like base materials, one or more upper end portions of the base material To rise. Subsequently, the one end of the substrate that has been lifted is forcibly pressed and deformed so that the edge of the substrate faces obliquely downward by a press deformation mechanism (press deformation means), thereby giving a curvature to the one end of the substrate. Then, the one end is pushed inwardly toward the lower side of the base material, and a curvature is given between the uppermost base material lifted by the adsorption mechanism and the base material lifted together below the uppermost base material. A shear stress is generated, and the uppermost substrate directly adsorbed and held by the adsorption mechanism can be separated from the lower simultaneously adsorbed substrate (one or more).

  In addition, in order to press-deform the base material lifted by the suction mechanism, a slip stopper is provided on the contact surface of the pressure-deformation mechanism that contacts the edge of one end of the base material, or the base material lifted by the suction mechanism. The uppermost substrate directly adsorbed and held by the adsorption mechanism and the lower simultaneously adsorbed substrate (one or more) by blowing compressed air to the air layer between the plurality of substrates formed The reliability of the separation operation between the substrates can be increased.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an overall side view for explaining an example of a main part configuration of a sheet-like substrate supply device of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 3 illustrate operations of the device of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the supply device of the present invention includes a base material transport frame 1 that can be moved forward and backward in the horizontal direction, and a plurality of sheet-like shapes on the lower side facing the base material transport frame 1. A lifting lifter 8 (stacker) is provided as a lifting / lowering stacking means for stacking the substrate S in a superimposed manner. In addition, 8a is a contact part which contacts the front-end part Sf or the rear-end part Sr of the sheet-like base material S, and regulates a stacking position, for example, the contact part 8a is the front-end part Sf of the sheet-like base material S. It is provided on the side, on the rear end Sr side, or on both ends of the front end Sf and the rear end Sr. Here, the front end portion Sf and the rear end portion Sr are names for convenience of the planar rectangular sheet-like substrate S, and one side that precedes the sheet-like substrate S with respect to the conveyance direction is generally referred to as a front end portion. The opposite side is called the rear end.

  The base material transport frame 1 is provided with an air cylinder 2 that moves up and down as a base material lifting means, and a sheet-like base material S that is attached to the lower end of an operating rod 2a of the air cylinder 2 via a bracket 4a. Suction pad 4 (suction cup, suction gripper, etc.) that moves up and down as a suction mechanism (base material suction holding means) that sucks and holds by air suction operation by unit 10 (vacuum pump) and releases suction hold by releasing air suction operation And.

Further, the base material transport frame 1 is provided with an air cylinder 6 that is attached downward and a sheet-like base material S that is attached to the lower end of the operating rod 6a of the air cylinder 6 and prevents the base material frame 1 from being lifted. And a base material pressing portion 7 that moves up and down as means.

  One end side of the sheet-like substrate S of the adsorption means (hereinafter referred to as the rear end Sr side, and the other end side will be described as the front end Sf side) is attached to the air cylinder 2 of the adsorption means. Further, the rear end Sr of the base S (or the rear end edge) is supported by the bracket 4a of the suction pad 4 that moves up and down through the support shaft 4b so as to be rotatable. ), Or a pressure deformation that rotates as a pressure deformation mechanism (a pressure deformation means) that presses both corners of the rear end (or rear end edge) on the rear end portion Sr side of the substrate S toward the lower inner side of the substrate S. Lever 3 is provided.

  Further, air is blown to the rear end (or rear end edge) of the lifted base material S on the bracket 9a on the rear end Sr side of the base material S of the suction means independently of the suction means. An air nozzle 9 is attached as air blowing means.

  The pressure deformation lever 3 pivotally supported by the support shaft portion 4b as the press deformation means is rotatable about the support shaft portion 4b, and the lever 3 is provided at the intermediate portion thereof. It is supported by a connecting arm 5 that connects the shaft portion 3 a and a support shaft portion 2 a provided on the side of the air cylinder 2. For this purpose, the lever 3 is indicated by an arrow upwardly about the support shaft portion 4a when the air cylinder 2 as the pressing deformation means moves upward (the upper surface of the substrate S is lifted by being sucked by the suction pad). The rear end edge Sr of the base material S or both corners of the rear end edge of the base material S on the side of the rear end Sr so as to press in the downward inner direction of the base material S. It has become.

  Further, when the air cylinder 2 is lowered (lowering operation for adsorbing the upper surface of the base material S by the adsorption pad), the air cylinder 2 is rotated upward in the direction indicated by the arrow about the support shaft portion 4a. The pressing of the rear end edge Sr of the material S or both corners of the rear end edge of the base material S on the rear end Sr side is released.

  Operation | movement of the sheet-like base material supply apparatus of this invention is demonstrated below based on FIGS.

  First, as shown in FIG. 2A, the suction pad 4 is lowered in the direction of the arrow by the lowering operation of the air cylinder 2, and is one end of the uppermost base material S stacked on the stacker 8. (Rear end portion Sr or front end portion Sf) Stops in contact with the upper surface, and the rear end portion Sr of the uppermost substrate S is adsorbed by air suction by the vacuum unit 10 (see FIG. 1). At that time, the lever 3 also pivots upward in the direction of the arrow about the support shaft portion 4a and stops away from the rear end portion Sr of the uppermost substrate S.

  At the same time, the base material pressing portion 7 is lowered in the direction of the arrow by the lowering operation of the air cylinder 6, and the uppermost base on the inner side (base material front end portion Sf side) from the rear end portion Sr of the stacked base materials S. The upper surface of the material S is pressed from above.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 2B, the suction pad 4 is in a state in which the rear end portion Sr of the uppermost base material S is sucked, and the uppermost base material S in the base material pressing portion 7. With the upper surface pressed, the air cylinder 2 moves upward in the direction of the arrow, and the rear end Sr of the uppermost substrate S is lifted upward and stopped. At that time, the lever 3 rotates downward in the direction of the arrow about the support shaft portion 4a, and contacts the rear end edge (or rear end edge corner) of the rear end portion Sr of the uppermost substrate S. Then, the rear end Sr of the base material S is pressed inwardly and stopped.

By the downward inward pressing of the rear end edge (or rear end edge corner) of the base material rear end portion Sr by the lever 3, as shown in the partially enlarged side view of FIG. The end portion Sr is curved and is attracted to the rear end portion Sr of the uppermost substrate S in the state of being sucked and lifted by the suction pad 4 and lifted together. Shear stress is generated between one or several sheets of the substrate S and the rear end Sr (boundary surface). And this shearing stress resists the adsorption | suction force between the base materials S, respectively, spreads the base materials S, generates a clearance gap between the base materials S, and makes it isolate | separate.

  At this time, in order to further ensure the separation, as shown in FIG. 2 (c), the uppermost substrate S and the lower substrate among the plurality of substrates S that are sucked and held. Separation between the substrates S is promoted by blowing compressed air a from the air nozzle 9 into the gap formed between the substrates S and expanding the air layer between the substrates S.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (a), the uppermost single substrate S is formed by shear stress due to downward inward pressing with respect to the substrate rear end Sr, or by blowing this shear stress and compressed air a. While being sucked and held by the suction pad 4, one or several lower substrates S are separated and dropped on the lower substrate S surface loaded on the stacker 8.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 3B, the base material pressing portion 7 is lifted in the direction of the arrow by the ascending operation of the air cylinder 6, and the inner side (base material) The pressing operation on the uppermost base material S surface on the front end portion Sf side is released. Thereafter, the substrate transport frame 1 is moved in the direction indicated by the solid arrow (on the front end portion Sf side of the substrate) by a known horizontal repetitive moving mechanism (not shown) such as an air cylinder or a rack and binion gear that drives in the horizontal direction. ) To move the substrate horizontally and lift the substrate S sucked and held by the suction pad 4 while supplying a substrate for a predetermined substrate processing device, process, etc. on the front end Sf side of the substrate. Is supplied to the process side.

  In addition, when a predetermined substrate processing apparatus, an apparatus to be supplied with a substrate such as a process, and the process are on the rear end Sr side of the substrate, the substrate transport frame 1 is driven in the horizontal direction. By a known horizontal repetitive movement mechanism (not shown) such as a cylinder or rack and binion gear, it is moved horizontally in the direction of the dotted arrow (the rear end Sr side of the substrate) and is sucked and held by the suction pad 4. While lifting the substrate S, the substrate S may be supplied to a predetermined substrate processing apparatus, a device to be supplied with a substrate such as a process, or a process side. At that time, if the edge of the rear end Sr of the substrate S and the air nozzle 9 are in contact with each other, the air nozzle 9 body or the tip of the nozzle 9 is moved by an appropriate lifting means. It is possible to temporarily retract the lower surface side of the substrate S to be supplied so as to move it downward so as not to contact.

  In the present invention, the base material pressing portion 7 that moves up and down attached to the operating rod 6a of the air cylinder 6 has a suction function for pressing and holding the base material S surface together with a pressing function against the original stacked base material S surface. It is good also as the suction pad 7a (refer FIG. 1) similar to the suction pad 4 so that it may have a holding function.

  As a result, the uppermost base material S is sucked and held by the suction pad 4 and the base material pressing portion 7 (suction pad 7a) on both the rear end side and the rear end side of the base material. While the substrate S is lifted, the substrate S is supplied to a predetermined substrate processing apparatus, a device to be supplied with a substrate such as a manufacturing operation process, and the process side.

  The sheet-like base material stacked and stacked on the stacker 8 by the downward inward pressing operation with respect to the substrate rear end Sr, or the downward inward pressing operation with respect to the substrate rear end Sr and the air blowing operation. The base material S can be reliably taken out from the material S group one by one and transported to the next process.

The example described above is merely an example of the present invention, and the present invention can be modified in design without departing from the scope of the claims. For example, the base material pressing portion 7 (base material pressing mechanism) is not limited to a mechanism that simply presses as described above, but includes pressing by a transport suction mechanism such as the suction pad 4. Further, the lever 3 (pressing mechanism) that presses the rear end portion (or the rear end corner portion) of the base material S to the lower inner side of the base material S is not limited to one corner, and is installed at a plurality of corners. Is included.

  The lever 3 (pressing mechanism) is not limited to being pivotally supported on the suction pad 4 attached to the base material transport frame 1 so as to be movable up and down, and the base material S is loaded thereon. It may be mounted on the stacker 8 (lifting / lowering) side so as to be pivotally supported.

The whole side view explaining one Embodiment of the sheet-like base material supply apparatus of this invention. (A)-(b) is a whole side view explaining operation | movement of the sheet-like base material supply apparatus of this invention, (c) is the elements on larger scale of the sheet-like base material supply apparatus of this invention. (A)-(b) is a whole side view explaining operation | movement of the sheet-like base material supply apparatus of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

S ... Sheet-like substrate Sf ... Front end portion Sr of sheet-like substrate ... Rear end portion 1 of sheet-like substrate ... Substrate transport frame 2 ... Air cylinder 3 for lifting / lowering suction pad ... Lever 4 for pressure deformation ... Suction pad 5 ... Connecting arm 6 ... Air cylinder 7 for pressing the substrate 7 ... Pressing portion 7a for the substrate ... Suction pad 8 ... Lifter for lifting the substrate (stacker)
9 ... Air nozzle 10 ... Vacuum unit

Claims (7)

In the sheet-like substrate supply device that automatically adsorbs the flexible sheet-like substrates laminated in a superimposed manner, one by one from the upper surface,
An adsorption mechanism for adsorbing at least one of the one end portions of the sheet-like substrate;
A bracket that holds the suction mechanism and an air cylinder that moves up and down;
A connecting arm rotatably connected to a first support shaft provided on a side of the air cylinder;
A pressure deformation lever connected to the end of the connecting arm via a second support shaft and connected to a third support provided on the bracket;
The pressing and deforming lever contacts the edge of the one end of the sheet-like base material after the suction mechanism sucks the sheet-like base material and the air cylinder starts to rise, and is directed obliquely downward. By forcibly pressing and deforming to give a curvature to the one end of the sheet-like substrate,
Forming an air layer between a plurality of sheet-like substrates simultaneously adsorbed by the adsorption mechanism, promoting separation between the substrates, and preventing a plurality of sheets of the sheet-like substrate from being removed Substrate supply device. In the sheet-like substrate supply device that automatically adsorbs the flexible sheet-like substrates laminated in a superimposed manner, one by one from the upper surface,
An adsorption mechanism for adsorbing at least one of the one end portions of the sheet-like substrate;
A bracket that holds the suction mechanism and an air cylinder that moves up and down;
A connecting arm rotatably connected to a first support shaft provided on a side of the air cylinder;
A pressure deformation lever connected to the end of the connecting arm via a second support shaft and connected to a third support provided on the bracket;
The pressure deforming lever contacts the both corners of the edge of the one end of the sheet-like base material after the suction mechanism sucks the sheet-like base material and the air cylinder starts to rise. By forcibly pressing and deforming so as to face and giving curvature to both corners,
Forming an air layer between a plurality of sheet-like substrates simultaneously adsorbed by the adsorption mechanism, promoting separation between the substrates, and preventing a plurality of sheets of the sheet-like substrate from being removed Substrate supply device.   The sheet-like base material supply apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one end portion of the sheet-like base material is a front end portion or a rear end portion of the sheet-like base material.   The sheet-like substrate supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the one end portions of the sheet-like substrate is adsorbed by the adsorption mechanism in a sheet region inside the adsorption mechanism. The sheet-like base material laminated is provided with a pressing mechanism that is pressed from above on the surface of the sheet-like base material on which the sheet-like base material is to be raised, and the sheet-like base material laminated by the sheet-like base material to be raised by pressing by the pressing mechanism An apparatus for supplying a sheet-like base material, wherein the sheet-like base material supply device is configured to suppress lifting and give a larger curvature to the one end of the sheet-like base material.   5. The sheet-like base material supply apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pressing mechanism deviates from the stacked sheet-like base materials when the first and subsequent sheet-like base materials at the time of simultaneous adsorption of a plurality of sheets are separated and dropped. The sheet-like base material supply apparatus characterized by preventing. The sheet-like base material supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a slip surface of the sheet-like base material at the time of pressure deformation is slipped on a contact surface of the pressure deformation lever with the sheet-like base material. An anti-slip portion for preventing the sheet-like base material supply device, wherein a larger curvature is applied to the one end portion of the sheet-like base material to be pressed and deformed. The sheet-like base material supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an air layer between the base materials is generated by applying a curvature to the one end portion of the sheet-like base material by the pressing deformation lever . A sheet-like substrate supply comprising a blowing mechanism for blowing compressed air, and forcibly expanding the air layer by the blowing so that the sheet-like substrate can be separated more reliably and in a short time. apparatus.

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