JP4680996B2 - Tray holding device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a tray holding device that holds a tray that accommodates components such as electronic devices, and in particular, holds a tray while positioning the tray, or stacks and holds a plurality of trays or stacks trays. The present invention relates to a tray holding device that is separated and taken out.

When transporting electronic parts such as semiconductor chips or other mechanical parts, a tray that is formed in a substantially rectangular outline and can hold (place) or accommodate a plurality of parts is used. The tray is transported to various work places while holding a plurality of parts or empty. Therefore, when transferring multiple trays at one time or storing the transferred trays in a predetermined place for a certain period, stack multiple trays as much as possible to improve transfer efficiency and effectively use storage space. Transported or stored.
Then, the uppermost tray or the lowermost tray among the trays stacked at the transfer destination is separated and taken out by a take-out device or the like, the taken-out tray is positioned or centered, and the parts held in the tray are taken out. Then, various operations are performed, and then the emptied tray is stored or transported by being stacked again after being placed or after components are placed thereon.
Since the parts held in such a tray are mainly small items, if the tray is not correctly positioned at a predetermined position when the parts are gripped or picked up by the pick-up device, a gripping mistake or a picking mistake will occur. There is a risk that the take-out operation will not be performed reliably.

By the way, as a conventional tray holding device, a pair of left and right frames extending in the front-rear direction and a tray positioned between the pair of frames are engaged with each other so as to be supported from below. Two pairs of left and right support members (separation hooks) provided so as to be swingable in the left-right direction, and left and right on each frame so that the tray can be positioned while abutting against the tray positioned between the pair of frames. Two pairs of left and right positioning pushers provided so as to be swingable in the direction, and supported by a reciprocating motion in the front-rear direction in a standing state on a pair of frames to exert a cam action for reciprocating the support member and positioning pushers. A plate-like pair of left and right cam plates that exert a reciprocating cam action, and a link drive mechanism that drives the cam plates in the front-rear direction are known. (E.g., Patent Document 1).
However, the conventional tray holding device employs a dedicated support member (separation hook) and a positioning pusher that are individually driven in order to support the tray from the lower side and position the supported tray. Therefore, there are problems that the number of parts is large and the structure is complicated, the assembling work is complicated, and the manufacturing cost is high.

In addition, since the cam plate is supported in an upright state with respect to the frame (that is, supported so that a wide main surface is directed in the horizontal direction), the height dimension in the vertical direction is increased, the device is downsized, It is difficult to reduce the thickness, and therefore, it is disadvantageous to use the tray holding device to stack a plurality of trays for effective use of the upper and lower spaces.
JP 2002-168907 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to simplify and consolidate the structure, to reduce the size and thickness of the apparatus, to reduce the installation area of the apparatus, It is an object of the present invention to provide a tray holding device capable of shortening the time required for holding (supporting and positioning) and efficiently stacking or separating trays.

The tray holding device of the present invention that achieves the above-described object includes a left and right frame that extends in the front-rear direction with a space for raising and lowering the tray, and a reciprocating motion with respect to the frame to move in the front-rear direction to exert a cam action. The left and right cam plates are movably supported, and are supported so as to be able to reciprocate in the left and right directions with respect to the frame so that they can be raised and lowered by the cam action of the cam plates, and can support and position the tray. Left and right holding members and a drive mechanism that drives the left and right cam plates in conjunction with each other. The left and right frames are each substantially flat and formed so as to define a space therein. In this configuration, the main surface is flattened in the vertical direction so as to be flat .
According to this configuration, when the left and right cam plates are moved forward or backward by the drive mechanism from the state where the left and right holding members are retracted from the lifting space to the left and right outer sides, the cam action of the cam plates The left and right holding members protrude into the lifting space to support and position the tray positioned in this area. That is, the tray is supported and positioned by simply moving the left and right holding members so as to be close to each other, and held at a predetermined position, while the left and right holding members are held so as to be separated from each other. The tray is released from the state.
Thus, since the tray holding device is composed of the left and right frames, the left and right cam plates, the left and right holding members that also serve to hold and position the tray, the drive mechanism, etc., the structure is simplified and consolidated. Can be reduced, the installation area of the apparatus can be saved, and the time required for holding (supporting and positioning) the tray can be shortened.
In addition, the left and right cam plates are arranged so as to be flat with the main surface facing up and down with respect to the space portion of the left and right frames, that is, the cam plates are supported sideways rather than standing upright. Therefore, the dimension of the apparatus in the thickness direction can be reduced, and the apparatus can be thinned. As a result, when this tray holding device is used where a plurality of trays are stacked and held in the vertical direction, the space for stacking the trays can be used effectively to the extent that the device can be made thinner.

In the above configuration, the left and right cam plates each have a cam groove on the main surface, and the left and right holding members have a base portion having a follower pin that engages with the cam groove, and a tray that protrudes horizontally from the base portion toward the lifting space. The structure which has integrally the support part supported from the lower side and the positioning part which protrudes upwards in the base side of a support part, and abuts a tray in the side surface is employable.
According to this configuration, when the left and right holding members move toward each other, the support portion first supports the tray from below, and then the positioning portion positioned outside the support portion contacts the edge of the tray. To position from both sides.
As described above, since the support portion and the positioning portion are formed integrally with the holding member, the number of parts can be reduced, the structure can be simplified and the load resistance can be reduced as compared with the case where the support portion and the positioning portion are provided separately. Can be increased. Further, the timing for supporting the tray and the timing for positioning the tray can be reliably set to a predetermined timing, and therefore the tray can be reliably held and positioned with a stable operation .

In the above SL configuration, the left and right cam plates, the left and right portions of the frame, and is slidably supported in the longitudinal direction by the recess-projection fitting, it is possible to adopt a configuration.
According to this configuration, the cam plate is slidably supported by a simple coupling structure called concave / convex fitting, so that the cam plate is raised in the front-rear direction while achieving simplification of the structure, thinning of the apparatus, and the like. Can be guided to accuracy.

In the above configuration, the frame has a guide slot for guiding in the lateral direction together with inserting the follower pin, the cam groove of the cam plate accepts the follower pin, and retract the holding member from the lifting space retracted position and the elevation space It is possible to adopt a configuration that is formed so as to exert a cam action so as to be positioned at a protruding position where the tray is protruded toward the end to support the tray and then positioned.
According to this configuration, when the apparatus is assembled, the holding member is disposed on the upper side of the frame, the cam plate is reciprocally moved on the lower side of the frame, and the follower pin of the holding member is passed through the guide long hole of the frame. Further, it is inserted into the cam groove of the cam plate. Thus, the apparatus can be assembled by a simple procedure. When the cam plate is moved forward or backward, the follower pin is guided by the cam groove of the cam plate while being guided in the left-right direction by the guide long hole of the frame, and the holding member moves from the retracted position to the protruding position. Then, after the tray is supported from the lower side, it is positioned at a predetermined position in the horizontal plane. Thus, the tray can be held and positioned by a simple operation.

In the above-described configuration, the cam groove may include a play area that stops the holding member regardless of the movement of the cam plate at the retracted position and the protruding position.
According to this configuration, there is a play area in which the cam action does not occur even if the cam plate moves excessively after the holding member is positioned at the retracted position or the protruding position. It can be positioned with high accuracy, and overload can be prevented, thus preventing damage to the apparatus.

In the above configuration, the connecting frame extending in the left-right direction and connected to the rear end side of the left and right frames, and the rear end of the left and right cam plates extending in the left-right direction to drive the left and right cam plates in the front-rear direction And a connecting member that is connected to the side and supported to be movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the connecting frame.
According to this configuration, when the frame is configured by the left and right frames and the connection frame, and the connection member supported by the connection frame reciprocates in the front-rear direction, the left and right cam plates are reciprocated in the front-rear direction together, The cam action can be generated in the cam plate.

In the above configuration, the connection frame may be formed so as to define a space portion therein, and the connection member may be disposed in the space portion of the connection frame portion.
According to this configuration, when the tray holding device is used where the size in the thickness direction of the device can be reduced, the thickness of the device can be reduced, and a plurality of trays are stacked and held in the vertical direction, The space for stacking trays can be effectively used as much as possible.

In the above configuration, the drive mechanism includes a drive motor having a rotating shaft extending in the vertical direction, a rotor directly connected to the rotating shaft, a connecting pin provided at an eccentric position of the rotor, and a left and right to insert the connecting pin. It is possible to adopt a configuration including a connection member that has a connection long hole formed extending in the direction and connects the left and right cam plates.
According to this configuration, when the drive motor is activated and the rotor rotates, the rotational force is transmitted to the connection member through the connection between the connection pin and the connection long hole, and the left and right cam plates move in the front-rear direction. The holding member moves between the immersion position and the protruding position.
As described above, the drive mechanism is formed by a rotor, a connection pin, a connection long hole, and a connection member that are directly connected to the drive motor, that is, a simple configuration that converts a rotational motion into a linear motion. And miniaturization of the apparatus can be achieved. In addition, by appropriately controlling the rotation speed and rotation amount of the drive motor, it is possible to perform fine operation while finely adjusting the operation of the holding member, and to hold and position the tray reliably and with high accuracy. Can do.

In the above configuration, a configuration including an elevating mechanism for elevating the tray in the elevating space can be adopted.
According to this configuration, when the tray is positioned at a predetermined height position in the lifting space by the lifting mechanism, the left and right cam plates are moved by the driving mechanism, and the left and right holding members protrude into the lifting space and the tray. And positioning. In addition, by loading a plurality of trays by reciprocation of the lifting mechanism and holding and positioning the tray located at the lowermost end by the holding member, the plurality of trays can be stacked while being positioned. Therefore, it is possible to achieve a space saving of the storage place for storing the tray, an improvement in transport efficiency when transporting the tray, and the like. On the other hand, by performing the reverse operation, the lowermost tray among the stacked trays can be efficiently separated and carried out.

In the above configuration, a base provided with a plurality of tray holding mechanisms arranged in the horizontal direction and a plurality of tray holding mechanisms formed by the left and right frames, the left and right cam plates, the left and right holding members, and the drive mechanism are disposed between each other. A configuration including a transfer mechanism provided on the base to transfer the tray in the above and a lift mechanism provided on the base to raise and lower the tray in the lift space can be adopted.
According to this configuration, the trays can be stacked and held in the plurality of tray holding mechanisms provided on the base, and the trays can be received and transferred between the tray holding mechanisms by the transfer mechanism. be able to.
Therefore, it is possible to hold a plurality of trays in a stacked state or to transfer the stacked trays while achieving a space saving of the installation area of the apparatus.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a tray holding device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a right side view of the tray holding device shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a rear view including a partial cross section of the tray holding device shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged plan view in which a part of the tray holding device shown in FIG. 1 is enlarged.
5A is a partial plan view showing the right frame and holding member of the tray holding device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5B is a partial cross-sectional view showing the right frame and holding member of the tray holding device shown in FIG. It is.
6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line E1-E1 in FIG. 5B, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line E2-E2 in FIG. 5B.
7A is a partial plan view showing the right frame and cam plate of the tray holding device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 7B includes a partial cross section of the right frame and cam plate of the tray holding device shown in FIG. It is a partial top view.
FIG. 8 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the tray holding device shown in FIG.
9A, 9B, and 9C illustrate the operation of the tray holding device. FIG. 9A is a plan view showing a state in which the holding member is in the immersive position, and FIG. 9B is a diagram showing the holding member in the immersive position and the protruding position. FIG. 9C is a plan view showing a state in which the holding member is in the protruding position.
FIG. 10A, FIG. 10B, FIG. 10C, and FIG. 10D are operation diagrams showing the operation of lifting and holding the tray carried by the transfer mechanism by the lifting mechanism and holding it by the holding member.
11A, FIG. 11B, FIG. 11C, FIG. 11D, FIG. 11E, and FIG. 11F are operation diagrams showing an operation of stacking a plurality of trays while lifting and lifting the trays carried by the transfer mechanism by the lifting mechanism and supporting and positioning them by the holding members. It is.
12A, FIG. 12B, FIG. 12C, FIG. 12D, and FIG. 12E are operation diagrams showing an operation of separating and carrying out the lowermost tray among the stacked trays.
FIG. 13 is a right side view showing another embodiment of the tray holding device according to the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a front view of the tray holding device shown in FIG.
FIG. 15 is a plan view of the tray holding device shown in FIG.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, the tray holding device extends in the front-rear direction Y with an elevating space S in which the tray T can be moved up and down, and is connected to the rear end side of the frame 10 and the frame 10. The left and right cam plates 20 supported so as to be reciprocable in the direction Y, and the left and right cam plates 20 supported so as to be able to reciprocate in the left-right direction X with respect to the frame 10 so as to appear in and out of the lifting space S by the cam action of the cam plate 20. A holding mechanism 30 and a drive mechanism 40 that drives the left and right cam plates 20 in conjunction with each other are provided.

As shown in FIG. 1, the frame 10 is formed in a substantially flat shape as a whole, and the left and right frames 11 extending in the front-rear direction Y with the lifting space S open, and the left and right frames 11 extending rearward in the left-right direction X are rearranged. A connection frame 12 and the like connected at the end side are provided.
As shown in FIGS. 5B, 6A, and 7B, the left and right frames 11 are formed with recesses 11a that slidably support the holding member 30, and follower pins 34 of the holding member 30 that will be described later are formed on the bottom surfaces of the recesses 11a. And a guide long hole 11b for guiding in the left-right direction X is formed. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5B, 6B, and 7B, the left and right frames 11 are formed with linear guides 11c that extend in the front-rear direction Y and have a concave cross section. The linear guide 11c is adapted to slidably guide in the front-rear direction Y by fitting a linear rail 22 having a convex cross section, which will be described later, formed on the cam plate 20.
The connection frame 12 firmly holds a drive motor 41 of a drive mechanism 40, which will be described later, on the upper surface thereof, and rotatably supports a rotor 42 of the drive mechanism 40, which will be described later, on the inside or the lower side thereof. The member 43 is supported so as to reciprocate in the front-rear direction Y.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7B, the left and right cam plates 20 are capable of reciprocating in the front-rear direction Y with respect to the left and right frames 11, and The main surface is supported so as to be flat toward the vertical direction Z. The left and right cam plates 20 each include two cam grooves 21 that receive the follower pins 34 and exert a cam action, linear rails 22 having a convex section that are slidably fitted to the linear guides 11 c of the frame 11, and the like. .
As described above, the left and right cam plates 20 are supported so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction Y by the concave-convex fitting of the linear guide 11 c and the linear rail 22. That is, since the cam plate 20 is slidably supported by a simple coupling structure called concave / convex fitting, the cam plate 20 is highly accurate in the front-rear direction Y while achieving simplification of the structure and thinning of the apparatus. It can guide smoothly.

The left and right cam plates 20 are connected to a connecting member 43 (described later) whose rear end side extends in the left-right direction X, and reciprocates together.
Here, the cam groove 21 exerts a cam action for moving the holding member 30 between the retracted position retracted from the lifting space S to the protruding position protruding to the lifting space S, and is formed to be symmetrical. ing.
Further, as shown in FIG. 7A, the cam groove 21 is formed with a play area 21a that does not exert a cam action on the immersion position side, and a play area 21b that does not exert a cam action on the protruding position side. Therefore, even if the cam plate 20 moves excessively after the holding member 30 is positioned at the retracted position or the protruding position, there are play areas 21a and 21b that do not cause a cam action. In addition, it can be positioned with high accuracy, and overload can be prevented, thus preventing damage to the apparatus. Even if an unexpected external force is applied to the holding member 30, the play areas 21a and 21b can function as a stopper and can be prevented from inadvertently operating.

  Further, the left and right cam plates 20 are arranged so as to be flat with the main surface directed in the vertical direction Z with respect to the left and right frames 11, that is, the cam plates 20 are supported sideways instead of standing upright. Therefore, the dimension of the apparatus in the thickness direction (vertical direction Z) can be reduced, and the apparatus can be thinned. As a result, when this tray holding device is used where a plurality of trays T are stacked and held in the vertical direction Z, the space for stacking the trays can be effectively utilized as much as the device can be thinned. .

  1, 5A, 5B, 6A, and 8, the left and right holding members 30 protrude horizontally from the base 31 supported by the recess 11a of the frame 11 toward the lifting space S. A support portion 32 that supports the tray T from below, a positioning portion 33 that protrudes upward on the base side of the support portion 32 and contacts the tray T on its side surface, a follower pin 34 that protrudes downward from the base portion 31, and the like And two are arranged on each of the left and right frames 11. As shown in FIG. 6A, the support portion 32 is formed with a chamfered or curved upper end side so that the tray T can be smoothly received.

That is, when the left and right holding members 30 move toward each other (the direction protruding into the lifting space S) by the cam action of the cam plate 20, the support portion 32 first supports the tray T from below, and then A positioning portion 33 located outside the support portion 32 (on the side away from the lifting space S) abuts on the edge of the tray T and is positioned between the left and right sides.
Thus, since the support part 31 and the positioning part 32 are integrally formed with respect to the holding member 30, the number of parts can be reduced and the structure can be simplified as compared with the case where they are provided separately as in the prior art. The load resistance can be increased. In addition, the timing for supporting the tray T and the timing for positioning the tray T can be reliably set to a predetermined timing without deviation, and therefore the tray T can be reliably held and positioned in a stable manner. Can do.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and 8, the drive mechanism 40 includes a drive motor 41 having a rotary shaft 41a extending in the vertical direction Z, a rotor 42 directly connected to the rotary shaft 41a, and an eccentric position of the rotor 42. A connecting pin 42a, a connecting long hole 43a formed extending in the left-right direction X to insert the connecting pin 42a, and a connecting member 43 for connecting the left and right cam plates 20 are provided.
Here, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rotor 42 is provided with a detected piece 42 b, and the amount of rotation is detected by a detection sensor 44 such as a photo interrupter.

That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when the drive motor 41 is activated and the rotor 42 rotates, the rotational force of the rotor 42 is transmitted to the connecting member 43 through the connection between the connecting pin 42a and the connecting long hole 43a. . As the connecting member 43 moves, the left and right cam plates 20 move in the front-rear direction Y, and the four holding members 30 move between the immersion position P0 and the protruding position P1 by the cam action of the cam groove 21. To do.
As described above, the drive mechanism 40 is formed by the drive motor 41, the rotor 42, the connection pin 42a, the connection long hole 43a, and the connection member 43, that is, with a simple configuration that converts the rotational motion into a linear motion. Centralization of parts, miniaturization of equipment, etc. can be achieved. Further, by appropriately controlling the rotational speed and amount of rotation of the drive motor 41, it is possible to perform a fine operation while finely adjusting the operation of the holding member 30, so that the tray T can be held with high accuracy to reliably win. Can be positioned.

Next, a holding operation by supporting and positioning the tray T by the tray holding device will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A to 10D. Here, an elevating mechanism 50 for positioning the tray T at a predetermined height in the elevating space S and a transfer mechanism 60 for transferring the tray T into the elevating space S are employed.
As shown in FIGS. 10A to 10D, the elevating mechanism 50 includes an actuator 51 that expands and contracts in the vertical direction Z by hydraulic pressure or air pressure, a table 52 that is fixed to the upper end of the actuator 51 and carries the tray T, and the like. .
The transfer mechanism 60 moves the tray T from another position in the horizontal direction and carries it into the elevating space S, and various mechanisms such as a conveyor and a handler are adopted.

First, as shown in FIG. 9A, with the left and right cam plates 20 positioned at the moving end of the front F, the left and right holding members 30 are retracted from the lifting space S as shown in FIGS. 9A and 10A. At the position P0, the tray T is carried into the transfer height position H0 of the elevating space S by a transfer mechanism such as a conveyor.
Then, as shown in FIG. 10B, the elevating mechanism 50 is operated to raise the table 52 to carry the tray T and lift it to the holdable position H1.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 9B, when the drive motor 41 is activated and the rotor 42 rotates clockwise, the left and right cam plates 20 are moved in the front-rear direction Y through the connection of the connection pin 42a and the connection long hole 43a. The left and right holding members 30 move so as to protrude into the elevating space S so that the support portion 32 slides below the edge of the tray T to support the tray T. Begin to.
When the left and right cam plates 20 move to a predetermined rear position (a position corresponding to the start area of the play area 21b past the inclined area of the cam groove 21), as shown in FIG. 9C and FIG. The member 30 further moves into the elevating space S to reach the protruding position P1, the positioning portions 33 of the left and right holding members 30 come into contact with the edges of the tray T, and the tray T is sandwiched from both sides in the left-right direction X. Then, it is positioned at the center position in the left-right direction X (the center position of the lifting space S).
At this time, since the cam groove 21 is provided with a play area 21b, even if the cam plate 20 moves excessively after the holding member 30 is positioned at the protruding position P1, the holding member 30 is moved to the predetermined protruding position P1. Positioning can be performed with high accuracy, and overload can be prevented, thus preventing damage to the apparatus.

Thereafter, the table 52 of the elevating mechanism 50 is lowered to the lower rest position as shown in FIG. 10D.
That is, only by moving the left and right holding members 30 so as to be close to each other, the tray T can be positioned while being supported and held at a predetermined position, while the left and right holding members 30 are separated from each other. The tray T can be released from the holding state simply by moving to.
As described above, the left and right frames 11, the left and right cam plates 20, the left and right holding members 30 that also serve to support and position the tray T, the drive mechanism 40 that converts the rotational motion into a linear motion, and the like are employed as the tray holding device. As a result, the structure can be simplified and consolidated, the apparatus can be downsized, the installation area of the apparatus can be saved, the time required for holding (supporting and positioning) the tray T can be shortened, and the like.

Next, an operation of stacking the trays T in the vertical direction Z by the tray holding device will be described with reference to FIGS. 11A to 11F. In this case as well, as described above, an elevating mechanism 50 for positioning the tray T at a predetermined height in the elevating space S and a transfer mechanism 60 for transferring the tray T into the elevating space S are employed.
First, as shown in FIG. 11A, in a state where the left and right holding members 30 are located at the protruding positions and the tray T is supported by the support portion 32 and positioned by the positioning portion 33, the next tray T ′ is moved by the transfer mechanism 60. Is carried into the elevating space S.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11B, the elevating mechanism 50 is operated to raise the table 52 so that the tray T ′ at the transfer height position H0 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the upper tray T and can be held and released. Lift to H2. As a result, the upper tray T is detached from the support portion 32 and the positioning portion 33 of the holding member 30.
Subsequently, when the drive motor 41 is activated and the rotor 42 rotates counterclockwise, the left and right cam plates 20 are directed toward the front F in the front-rear direction Y via the connection of the connection pin 42a and the connection long hole 43a. As shown in FIG. 11C, the left and right holding members 30 move so as to recede from the lifting space S, and the support portion 32 reaches an immersion position P0 separated from the lower side of the edge of the tray T.
Then, as shown in FIG. 11D, the elevating mechanism 50 operates to raise the table 52 and lift the lower tray T ′ to the holdable position H1.

Subsequently, when the drive motor 41 starts in the reverse direction and the rotor 42 rotates clockwise, the left and right cam plates 20 are moved in the front-rear direction Y in the same manner as described above via the connection of the connection pin 42a and the connection long hole 43a. Move toward the rear R.
As shown in FIG. 11E, the left and right holding members 30 protrude into the elevating space S, and the support portion 32 slides below the edge of the tray T ′ to support the tray T ′ and the positioning portion 33. Position by.
Thereafter, the table 52 of the elevating mechanism 50 is lowered to the lower rest position as shown in FIG. 11F.
Thus, the two trays T and T ′ are held while being positioned by the holding member 30 in a state where they are stacked in two stages.
That is, while repeating the approach and separation of the left and right holding members 30, the plurality of trays T can be accurately moved in the vertical direction Z simply by lifting the new tray T ′ to the holdable position P 1 having a predetermined height by the lifting mechanism 50. Can be stacked while positioning.

  Next, the operation of separating and carrying out the tray T at the lowermost end among the plurality of trays T stacked in the vertical direction Z by this tray holding device will be described with reference to FIGS. 12A to 12E. Here again, as described above, the elevating mechanism 50 for positioning the tray T at a predetermined height in the elevating space S and the transfer mechanism 60 for transferring the tray T from the elevating space S to other locations outside. Is adopted.

First, as shown in FIG. 12A, the left and right holding members 30 are located at the protruding position P1, and the tray T positioned at the lowest end among the plurality of trays T stacked in the vertical direction Z is supported by the support portion 32. And is positioned by the positioning portion 33.
Then, as shown in FIG. 12B, the elevating mechanism 50 is operated, and the table 52 is lifted to carry and slightly lift a plurality of trays T stacked in contact with the tray T positioned at the lowermost end. Thereby, the tray T located at the lowermost end is detached from the support portion 32 and the positioning portion 33 of the holding member 30.

Subsequently, when the drive motor 41 is activated and the rotor 42 rotates counterclockwise, the left and right cam plates 20 are directed toward the front F in the front-rear direction Y via the connection of the connection pin 42a and the connection long hole 43a. As shown in FIG. 12C, the left and right holding members 30 move so as to recede from the lifting space S, and the support portion 32 reaches an immersion position P0 separated from the lower side of the edge of the tray T. In this state, the elevating mechanism 50 is operated, the table 52 is lowered while carrying a plurality of trays T, and the second tray T from the bottom is positioned at the holdable position P1.
Subsequently, when the drive motor 41 starts in the reverse direction and the rotor 42 rotates clockwise, the left and right cam plates 20 are moved in the front-rear direction Y in the same manner as described above via the connection of the connection pin 42a and the connection long hole 43a. Move toward the rear R.
Then, as shown in FIG. 12D, when the left and right holding members 30 protrude into the elevating space S and reach the protruding position P1, the support portion 32 slides below the edge of the second tray T and the tray While supporting T, the positioning portion 33 contacts the edge of the tray T to position the tray T.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 12E, the elevating mechanism 50 is operated, and the table 52 separates the lowermost tray T from the second tray T and positions it at the transferable position H0. Thereafter, the separated tray T is transferred to another place by the transfer mechanism 60.
That is, while repeating the approach and separation operations of the left and right holding members 30, the tray located at the lowermost end among the stacked trays T can be obtained by simply separating the tray T located at the lowermost end by the lifting mechanism 50. T can be easily separated and carried out.

  13 to 15 show another embodiment of the tray holding device according to the present invention. The tray holding device according to this embodiment includes a plurality of (four in this case) configurations including the frame 10, the left and right cam plates 20, the left and right holding members 30, and the drive mechanism 40 as one tray holding mechanism U. The tray holding mechanisms U are arranged in the horizontal direction (front and rear, left and right). In this embodiment, the drive mechanism 40 included in the two tray holding mechanisms U disposed on the rear side R is disposed so as to protrude downward, so that the tray T can be easily loaded and unloaded from the upper side. It can be done.

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, the tray holding device includes a base 100 for holding and fixing various components, and a plurality of (here, four) tray holding mechanisms arranged in the front, rear, left and right directions on the base 100. U, a plurality of (here, two) transfer mechanisms 110 provided on the base 100 to transfer the tray T between the tray holding mechanisms U arranged in the front-rear direction Y, and the lifting space of each tray holding mechanism U A plurality of (here, four) lifting mechanisms 120 provided on the base 100 to raise and lower the tray T in S, a regulating member 130 that regulates the displacement of the stacked trays T, a detection sensor 140 that detects the tray T, and the like. I have.

  The transfer mechanism 110 transfers the tray T from one to the other between the tray holding mechanisms U arranged in the front-rear direction Y. As shown in FIG. 13, the drive motor 111, the guide rail 112, the guide A table 113 that moves on the rail 112, a transmission mechanism (for example, a lead screw and a nut, and other mechanisms) that converts the rotational force of the drive motor 111 into a linear movement and transmits it to the table 113 are provided. In addition, as a transfer mechanism, you may employ | adopt conveyors, such as a roller and a belt.

The elevating mechanism 120 includes an actuator 121 that expands and contracts in the vertical direction Z by hydraulic pressure or air pressure, a table 122 that is fixed to the actuator 121 and carries the tray T, and the like.
The regulating members 130 are located at the four corners of the stacked trays T and regulate the displacement of the trays T.
The detection sensor 140 detects the height (number of sheets) of the stacked trays T, and preferably a light reflection type or light transmission type optical sensor or the like is applied.

According to this apparatus, the trays T can be stacked and held in the plurality of tray holding mechanisms U provided on the base 100, and the tray T between the tray holding mechanisms U can be held by the transfer mechanism 110. Can be accepted and delivered. Therefore, it is possible to hold the plurality of trays T in a stacked state or to transfer the stacked trays T while achieving space saving of the installation area of the apparatus.
As described above, according to this tray holding device, the time required for simplifying and consolidating the structure, reducing the size and thickness of the device, saving the installation area of the device, and holding (supporting and positioning) the tray T. The tray T can be efficiently stacked or separated.

In the above-described embodiment, two left and right holding members 30 are arranged as left and right holding members. However, if the width of the support portion 32 and the positioning portion 33 in the front-rear direction Y of one holding member is set large, May be arranged one by one, or three or more holding members may be arranged on the left and right.
In the above-described embodiment, the support member 32 and the positioning portion 33 are integrally formed as the holding member 30. However, the holding member 30 is not limited to this, and is formed separately and then integrally joined. A thing may be adopted.
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the four tray holding mechanisms U are arranged on the base 100 is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and two or five or more tray holding mechanisms U are arranged. May be.
In the above-described embodiment, the drive motor 41, the rotor 42, the connecting member 43, and the like are shown as the drive mechanism 40. However, the drive mechanism 40 is not limited to this, and an electromagnetic wave that reciprocates linearly and is directly connected to the cam plate. An arrangement may be adopted in which an actuator is employed and the cam plate is reciprocated by turning on / off the electromagnetic actuator.

  As described above, the tray holding device of the present invention has a structure that is simplified and integrated, the size and thickness of the device are reduced, the installation area of the device is reduced, and the time required for holding (supporting and positioning) the tray. Since the trays can be efficiently stacked or separated while achieving a shortening of the length, etc., it can be applied to a tray used for transporting or storing electronic components in a semiconductor production line or the like, as well as other electronic devices or machines. It is also useful for transporting or storing trays that contain parts.

Claims (10)

Left and right frames extending in the front-rear direction with a space for raising and lowering the tray,
Left and right cam plates supported so as to reciprocate with respect to the frame so as to move in the front-rear direction and exert a cam action;
Left and right holding members that are supported so as to be able to reciprocate in the left-right direction with respect to the frame so as to appear and retract with respect to the elevating space by the cam action of the cam plate, and that can support and position the tray;
See containing and a driving mechanism for driving by interlocking the right and left of the cam plate,
The left and right frames are each substantially flat and are formed so as to define a space portion therein.
The left and right cam plates are disposed in the space portion so as to be flat with the main surface facing in the vertical direction.
A tray holding device. The left and right cam plates each have a cam groove on the main surface,
The left and right holding members include a base portion having a follower pin that engages with the cam groove, a support portion that protrudes horizontally from the base portion toward the lifting space and supports the tray from below, and a base side of the support portion. And a positioning portion that protrudes upward and abuts the tray on its side surface,
The tray holding device according to claim 1, wherein: The left and right cam plates are supported so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction by concavo-convex fitting with respect to the left and right frames,
The tray holding device according to claim 1, wherein: Before Symbol frame has a guide slot for guiding in the lateral direction together with inserting the said follower pin,
Cam groove of the cam plate, receives the follower pin, so locating the retaining member to the projected position to position to then support the tray is projected toward the retracted position and the lifting space set back from the lift space cam Formed to act ,
The tray holding device according to claim 1, wherein: The cam groove includes a play area that stops the holding member regardless of the movement of the cam plate at the retracted position and the protruding position.
The tray holding device according to claim 4 , wherein the tray holding device is provided. A connecting frame extending in the left-right direction and connected to the rear end side of the left and right frames;
  In order to drive the left and right cam plates in the front-rear direction, the connecting member extends in the left-right direction and is connected to the rear end side of the left and right cam plates and is supported to be movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the connection frame. And further including
The tray holding device according to claim 1, wherein: The connection frame is formed so as to define a space inside.
  The connecting member is disposed in the space.
The tray holding device according to claim 6, wherein: The drive mechanism includes a drive motor having a rotary shaft extending in the vertical direction, a rotor directly connected to the rotary shaft, and a connecting pin provided at an eccentric position of the rotor ,
The connecting member has a connecting long hole formed by extending in the left-right direction to insert the connecting pin .
The tray holding device according to claim 6 or 7 , wherein the tray holding device is characterized in that: An elevating mechanism for elevating the tray in the elevating space,
The tray holding device according to claim 1, wherein: A base for horizontally arranging and holding a plurality of tray holding mechanisms formed by the left and right frames, the left and right cam plates, the left and right holding members, and the drive mechanism;
A transfer mechanism provided on the base for transferring a tray between the plurality of tray holding mechanisms;
An elevating mechanism for elevating the tray in the elevating space,
The tray holding device according to claim 1, wherein:

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