JP4784416B2 - Plate alignment equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a plate-like body alignment facility for adjusting the orientation and adjusting the position of a plate-like body such as a glass substrate (plasma display panel) that has been transported in a plurality of rows from the upstream side of a transport path, for example. Is.

  Conventionally, as this type, a movable table that can move in the left-right direction on the sliding surface on the gantry side is provided, and the fixed plate on the movable table is provided with a rotating table at one end and at the other end. Is provided with a moving turntable via a gap adjusting table that can slide in the left-right direction along the movement guide. The turntable and the moving turntable are each provided with a mounting board on which two trays are placed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

According to this conventional configuration, the operation is as follows. In other words, with the moving table at the origin position and the moving rotating table moved closer to the rotating table, the tray is placed on the mounting table of the rotating table and the moving rotating table by the suction disk type supply device. Let me put it. Next, after moving the moving turntable away from the turntable and adjusting the interval so that the trays can rotate without colliding with each other, the turntable and the moving turntable are moved in the direction in which the trays are aligned. Rotate. With the orientation of the trays aligned by this rotation, the moving table is moved away from the origin position and positioned below the transfer device. Next, after lowering the suction plate to suck each tray, the suction plate is raised. Then, the moving table is returned to the origin position, and the moving table is moved closer to the rotating table.
JP-A-8-258970 (page 3-4, FIG. 3) JP 2003-86659 A JP 2004-256191 A

  According to the above-described conventional configuration, the moving table is moved, the moving rotary table is moved on the moving table, and the transfer operation is performed between the supply device and the transfer device having a lifting function. Therefore, simultaneous operation becomes difficult. Therefore, when speeding up the individual transport of trays at the end of the transport path (high performance), it is necessary to speed up the operation at each operating unit, and the problem of vibration, that is, shock, is caused by increasing the speed of the machine. Will occur.

  Accordingly, the invention described in claim 1 of the present invention provides a plate-like body alignment facility capable of adjusting the orientation and the position by simultaneous operation with respect to the plate-like bodies transported in a plurality of rows from the upstream side of the transport path. It is intended to do.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the plate alignment apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention adjusts the orientation and the position with respect to the plate bodies conveyed in a plurality of rows from the upstream side of the conveyance path. A rotating alignment device is provided in the conveyance path, and the rotation alignment device is configured to convey a plurality of rows of plate-shaped bodies and a direction of the conveyance path. A plurality of movable bodies that can be moved forward and backward independently in an orthogonal lateral direction, and each movable body is provided with a plate-like body support portion that is movable up and down and pivotable about a longitudinal axis, The plate-like body support part is configured to be movable in and out with respect to the transport surface of the conveyor part by raising and lowering.

  Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the plurality of moving bodies are positioned at a predetermined pitch in the rotary alignment device before the plate-like bodies are supplied, and the plate-like body support portions of the respective moving bodies are lowered. It is located below the transfer surface. In such a state, the plate-like body group that is simultaneously conveyed in a plurality of rows from the upstream side of the conveyance path is received and supported and conveyed by the conveyor unit, so that each can be positioned above the plate-like body support portion. Next, the plate-like body supporting portion is raised and protruded with respect to the conveyance surface, whereby the plate-like body supported by the conveyor portion can be lifted and supported via the plate-like body supporting portion. And in the state which maintained the lifting support of the plate-shaped body by each plate-shaped body support part, the turning motion and the lateral movement of the plate-shaped body group are performed simultaneously.

  That is, the plate-like body support portion is turned around the vertical axis and the predetermined moving body is moved in the lateral direction. At this time, the rotation of the plate-like body support portion is performed at a predetermined angle, and thus the direction of the plate-like body can be changed. The moving body is moved in a state where a predetermined gap is generated between the plate-like bodies whose directions are changed. After adjusting the orientation and position of the plate-like body group by such turning movement and lateral movement, the plate-like body support portion group of each moving body is lowered and positioned below the conveyance surface, The plate-like body group supported by the plate-like body support portion can be returned to the conveyor portion. As described above, in the rotation and alignment apparatus, the orientation and the position can be adjusted by the simultaneous operation with respect to the plate-like bodies transported in a plurality of rows from the upstream side of the transport path.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the plate-like body aligning equipment according to the first aspect, wherein the plurality of plate-like body support portions are raised at the same level. .
Therefore, according to the invention of claim 2, the plate-like body supported by the conveyor portion is lifted and supported via the plate-like body support portion by raising the plate-like body support portion and projecting it from the conveying surface. In this case, the lifting can be performed at the same level of the plate-like body group.

  And the plate-shaped body alignment equipment according to claim 3 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the configuration according to claim 1, the plurality of plate-shaped body support portions are raised in a state where a step is generated between adjacent ones. It is what.

  Therefore, according to the invention of claim 3, the plate-like body supporting portion is lifted and supported via the plate-like body supporting portion by raising the plate-like body supporting portion and projecting it from the conveying surface. In this case, lifting can be performed in a state where a step is generated between adjacent plate-like bodies. By this step, the turning motion and the lateral motion can be performed without collision or contact between the plate-like bodies even if the plate-like bodies are long and wide.

  Furthermore, the plate-like body alignment equipment according to claim 4 of the present invention is the configuration according to claim 1 described above, wherein the plurality of plate-like body support portions are moved up and down at the same level by the same amount of lifting and lowering action. It is characterized in that it can be switched to a different amount raising / lowering action performed in a state where a step is generated.

  Therefore, according to the invention of claim 4, the plate-like body supporting portion is lifted and supported via the plate-like body supporting portion by raising the plate-like body supporting portion and projecting it from the conveying surface. Can do. In this case, the lifting can be performed in a state in which the plate-like body group is set to the same level by the same amount raising and lowering action and a step is generated between adjacent plate-like bodies by switching to the different amount raising and lowering action. By this same level, the swiveling motion and the lateral motion can be performed without colliding or contacting the plate-like bodies having a short dimension and a narrow dimension. Further, depending on the level difference, the turning movement and the lateral movement can be performed without collision or contact between the plate-like bodies even if they are plate-like bodies having a long size and a wide size.

  Moreover, the plate-like body aligning facility according to claim 5 of the present invention is the structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4 described above, in the transport path, in order from the upstream side to the downstream side. A multi-array device that makes the plate-like bodies supplied one by one into a plurality of rows, a centering device that positions each plate-like body conveyed in a plurality of rows from the multi-array device in the horizontal direction, and a A rotation alignment device that rotates and aligns a plurality of rows of plate-like bodies and a delivery device that receives a group of plate-like bodies from the rotation alignment device are provided.

  Therefore, according to the invention of claim 5, in the multi-array device, for example, the plate-like bodies supplied one by one from the manufacturing process (manufacturing line) can be arranged and supported in a plurality of rows, and in the centering device The plate-like bodies transported in a plurality of rows from the plurality of arrangement devices can be respectively positioned in the lateral direction. Next, a plurality of rows of plate-like bodies positioned in the centering device can be supplied to the rotary alignment device. In this rotary alignment device, the plate-like bodies can be aligned and adjusted in parallel. Then, a plurality of rows of plate-like bodies can be supplied to the delivery device, and the received plate-like body group can be delivered and supplied in this delivery device.

  Further, the plate-like body aligning facility according to claim 6 of the present invention is the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the moving body provided with the moving drive section is provided with a lifting drive section. Thus, the swivel drive part is provided so as to be movable up and down, and a plate-like body support part is provided on the upward turning shaft of the swivel drive part.

  Therefore, according to the invention of claim 6, the plate-like body is lifted by each moving body in a state where the plate-like body group is positioned above the plate-like body support portion. That is, the plate-like body support portion can be lifted through the swing drive portion and the upward swing shaft by first raising the lifting drive portion. By this rise, the plate-like body supporting portion is protruded with respect to the conveyance surface, so that the plate-like body supported by the conveyor portion can be lifted and supported via the plate-like body supporting portion. And in the state which maintained the lifting support of the plate-shaped body by each plate-shaped body support part, the turning motion and the lateral movement of the plate-shaped body group are performed simultaneously. That is, the plate-like body support portion is turned around the vertical axis by the operation of the turning drive portion, and the predetermined moving body is moved by the operation of the movement drive portion. At this time, the rotation of the plate-like body support portion is performed at a predetermined angle, and thus the direction of the plate-like body can be changed. The moving body is moved in a state where a predetermined gap is generated between the plate-like bodies whose directions are changed.

  And the plate-shaped object alignment equipment of Claim 7 of this invention is the structure of any one of said Claims 1-6, A conveyor part has the rotating shaft in the multiple places of the direction of a conveyance path | route. The rotating shaft is arranged with the center in the lateral direction, and the roller body is provided by being externally fitted at a plurality of locations in the length direction of each rotating shaft. The plate-like body support portion is provided on the moving body side via a member passing between the rotation axes, and is configured to be positioned between the rotation axis and the conveyance surface when lowered. Is.

  Therefore, according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, a plurality of plate-like bodies can be received and supported by the roller body group of the conveyor section, and can be respectively positioned above the plate-like body support section. Next, the plate-like body supported by the roller body group can be lifted and supported by raising the plate-like body support portion and projecting it from the conveyance surface. In this way, by maintaining the lifting support of the plate-like body by each plate-like body support portion, by performing the turning movement and the lateral movement of the plate-like body group simultaneously, the orientation of the plate-like body group and You can adjust the position. At that time, the swivel movement and the lateral movement of the plate-like body group can be performed via a member passing between the rotating shafts. The plate-like body group supported by the plate-like body support portion can be returned to the roller body group by lowering the plate-like body support portion group and positioning it between the rotating shaft and the conveyance surface.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention described above, the plurality of moving bodies are positioned at a predetermined pitch in the rotary alignment device before the plate-like bodies are supplied, and the plate-like body support portions of the respective moving bodies are It is lowered and is located below the transport surface. In such a state, the plate-like body group that is simultaneously conveyed in a plurality of rows from the upstream side of the conveyance path is received and supported and conveyed by the conveyor unit, so that each can be positioned above the plate-like body support portion. Next, by raising the plate-like body support portion and projecting it from the conveyance surface, the plate-like body supported by the conveyor portion can be lifted and supported via the plate-like body support portion. And in the state which maintained the lifting support of the plate-shaped body by each plate-shaped body support part, the turning motion and the lateral movement of the plate-shaped body group can be performed simultaneously.

  That is, the plate-like body support portion is turned around the vertical axis and the predetermined moving body is moved in the lateral direction. At this time, the rotation of the plate-like body support portion is performed at a predetermined angle, and thus the direction of the plate-like body can be changed. The moving body can be moved in a state where a predetermined gap is generated between the plate-like bodies whose directions are changed. By adjusting the orientation and position of the plate-like body group by such turning movement and lateral movement, the plate-like body support portion group of each moving body is lowered and positioned below the conveyance surface The plate body group supported by the plate body support portion can be returned to the conveyor portion.

  As described above, in the rotation and alignment apparatus, the orientation and the position can be adjusted simultaneously with respect to the plate-like bodies conveyed in a plurality of rows from the upstream side of the conveyance path. Therefore, even when the individual conveyance of the plate-like body at the end of the conveyance path is speeded up (high performance), it can be dealt with without speeding up the operation in the rotary alignment device, and hence vibration, that is, no impact is generated. The orientation and position of the plate-like body group can be adjusted.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention described above, the plate-like body supported by the conveyor portion is moved through the plate-like body support portion by raising the plate-like body support portion and projecting it from the conveyance surface. In this case, the lifting can be performed at the same level of the plate-like body group.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention described above, the plate-like body supported by the conveyor portion is moved through the plate-like body support portion by raising the plate-like body support portion and projecting it from the conveying surface. In this case, the lifting can be performed in a state where a step is generated between adjacent plate-like bodies. Due to this step, the swivel movement and the lateral movement are always carried out stably and smoothly without any collision or contact between the plate-like bodies even if they are plate-like bodies of long and wide dimensions. be able to.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention described above, the plate-like body supported by the conveyor portion is moved through the plate-like body support portion by raising the plate-like body support portion and projecting it from the conveying surface. Can be lifted and supported. In this case, the lifting can be performed at the same level of the plate-like body group by the same amount ascending / descending operation, and can be performed in a state where a step is generated between adjacent plate-like members by switching to the different amount elevating / lowering operation. . By this same level of lifting, the swivel movement and the lateral movement can be performed quickly, constantly and smoothly without causing collisions or contact between the short and narrow plate-like bodies. . Further, due to the level difference, the swivel movement and the lateral movement are always performed stably and smoothly without collision or contact between the plate-like bodies even if they are long and wide plate-like bodies. be able to. In this way, the lifting can be performed properly according to the size (shape) of the plate-like body by switching to the same amount lifting action or the different amount lifting action.

  Moreover, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention described above, in the multi-array device, the plate-like bodies received one by one can be arranged and supported in a plurality of rows, and in the centering device, the multi-array device carries the multi-rows. Each of the plate-like bodies thus formed can be positioned in the lateral direction. Next, the plurality of rows of plate-like bodies positioned in the centering device can be supplied to the rotary alignment device. In this rotary alignment device, the plate-like bodies can be arranged in parallel after adjusting their orientation and position. A plurality of rows of plate-like bodies can be supplied to the delivery device, and the received plate-like body group can be delivered and supplied in this delivery device. Thus, for example, the plate-like bodies supplied one by one from the manufacturing process (manufacturing line) can be sent out after adjusting the direction and position as a plurality of rows while being conveyed along the conveying path.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention described above, the plate-like body can be lifted by each movable body in a state where the plate-like body group is positioned above the plate-like body support portion. That is, the plate-like body support portion can be lifted via the turning drive portion and the upward turning shaft by first raising the lifting drive portion. Due to this rise, the plate-like body supporting portion is protruded with respect to the conveyance surface, whereby the plate-like body supported by the conveyor portion can be lifted and supported via the plate-like body supporting portion. And in the state which maintained the lifting support of the plate-shaped body by each plate-shaped body support part, the turning motion and the lateral movement of the plate-shaped body group can be performed simultaneously. That is, the plate-like body support portion can be turned around the vertical axis by the operation of the turning drive portion, and the predetermined moving body can be moved by the operation of the movement drive portion. At this time, the rotation of the plate-like body support portion can be performed at a predetermined angle, and the direction of the plate-like body can be changed. The moving body can be moved in a state where a predetermined gap is generated between the plate-like bodies whose directions are changed.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention described above, the plurality of plate-like bodies can be positioned above the plate-like body support portions by receiving and supporting and conveying the plurality of plate-like bodies by the roller body group of the conveyor portion. Next, the plate-like body supporting portion is lifted and protruded from the transport surface, so that the plate-like body supported by the roller body group can be lifted and supported, and the plate-like body group is maintained in a state where this lifting support is maintained. It is possible to adjust the orientation and position of the plate-like body group by simultaneously performing the swiveling motion and the lateral motion. At that time, it is possible to stably perform the turning movement and the lateral movement of the plate-like body group through the member passing between the rotation shafts. Then, the plate-like body group supported by the plate-like body support portion can be returned to the roller body group by lowering the plate-like body support portion group and positioning it between the rotation axis and the conveyance surface. it can. Therefore, the adjustment of the direction and position of the plate-like body group can be performed quickly and stably by reducing the elevation amount of the plate-like body support portion.

[Embodiment 1]
Below, Embodiment 1 of this invention is demonstrated based on a figure as a state employ | adopted for the separate use form of a large sized plate-shaped body and a small sized plate-shaped body.

  In FIG. 2, the plate-like body alignment equipment 8 adjusts the orientation and position of the plate-like bodies that have been transported in a plurality of rows from the upstream side of the transport path 9. In addition, a plurality of arraying devices 60 for arranging the plate-like bodies supplied one by one into a plurality of rows, and a centering device 80 for positioning each plate-like body conveyed in a plurality of rows from the plurality of arraying devices 60 in the lateral direction; A rotation alignment device 10 that rotates and aligns a plurality of rows of plate-like bodies from the centering device 80 and a delivery device 100 that receives the plate-like body group from the rotation alignment device 10 are arranged from the upstream side to the downstream side. It is comprised by providing in order. Here, as the plate-like body, a rectangular large glass substrate (an example of a plate-like body) 5 having a long dimension L and a wide dimension M, and a small glass substrate having a rectangular shape having a short dimension l and a narrow dimension m ( An example of a plate-like body) 6 is shown as an example.

  1, 2, and 7 to 9, the rotational alignment device 10 includes a conveyor unit 11 that can support and convey a plurality of rows of glass substrates 5 and 6, and a horizontal direction that is orthogonal to the direction of the conveyance path 9. It is composed of three (a plurality of) moving bodies 31A, 31B, 31C and the like that can move forward and backward independently on the lateral path 30 that is the direction.

  That is, the conveyor unit 11 is a roller conveyor type, and includes a conveyor frame 12, rotary shafts 13 arranged in a plurality of locations in the direction of the conveyance path 9 with the rotation axis as a lateral direction, The roller body 14 is provided by being externally fitted at a plurality of locations in the length direction, and the driving means 15 interlocked with the rotating shaft 13 group. Here, the rotary shaft 13 group is rotatably supported on the conveyor frame 11 side, and the roller body 14 group forms a transport surface 11 a of the conveyor unit 11.

  The driving means 15 includes a frame body 16 provided on the lower side of the conveyor frame 12, a motor 17 with a speed reducer mounted on the frame body 16, and a driving wheel body provided on the output shaft of the motor 17. 18, a pair of position-adjustable tension guide wheels 19 provided near the motor 17, a pressing wheel body 20 provided between one or a plurality of rotating shafts 13, and each rotating shaft 13. A passive ring body 21 that is externally fitted and fixed, an endless drive belt 22 wound between the ring bodies 18 to 21, and the like are included. Here, the drive belt 22 is hung from the upper side over the group of passive wheel bodies 21, is brought into contact with the pressing wheel body 20 from below, and is hung on both tension guide wheel bodies 19, and then the drive wheel body. 18 is arranged so as to be applied to the rotary shaft 13 group.

  An example of the conveyor unit 11 is configured by the above 12 to 22. And the conveyor part 11 is arrange | positioned on the box-frame-shaped holding | maintenance frame 25, and the holding | maintenance frame 25 is installed on the floor 1 via the several leg member 26 which can adjust a level.

  The mobile bodies 31A, 31B, and 31C have the same configuration, and in the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. That is, the moving bodies 31A, 31B, and 31C are rectangular plates, and are supported and guided by the common guide rail 27 disposed at the lower portion of the holding frame body 25 via the sliding member 32. It is configured to be movable on the path 30. Each moving body 31A, 31B, 31C is provided with a movement drive unit 33. The movement drive unit 33 includes a motor 34 with a speed reducer, a pinion 35 attached to a downward motor shaft of the motor 34, and the like. A pinion 35 is meshed with a rack 28 that is disposed sideways along the rail 27. Therefore, the moving bodies 31A, 31B, and 31C can move forward and backward independently on the lateral path 30 by driving the motor 34 forward and backward to rotate the pinion 35 forward and backward.

  In this manner, the moving bodies 31A, 31B, and 31C provided with the movement drive unit 33 are provided with the turning drive unit 47 through the elevation drive unit 36 so as to be movable up and down. That is, the elevating drive unit 36 includes a motor 37 with a speed reducer, a drive shaft 38 in a direction along the conveyance path 9 connected to the lateral motor shaft of the motor 37, and 2 in the length direction of the drive shaft 38. An example is configured by an upwardly inclined arm body 39 having a base end connected to a portion, a guide roller 40 provided at the free end of the arm body 39, and the like. Here, the guide roller 40 is fitted in a guide groove 42 formed in the elevating body 41 in the direction along the lateral path 30. Further, a guide cylinder 44 is erected from four locations of the moving bodies 31A, 31B, and 31C, and a rod body 45 that is fitted to the guide cylinder 44 so as to be movable up and down is suspended from the lower portion of the elevating body 41. Yes. The turning drive unit 47 is provided on the lifting body 41.

  Therefore, the elevating body 41, that is, the turning drive unit 47 can move up and down via the guide roller 40 and the guide groove 42 by driving the motor 37 forward and backward to swing the arm body 39 up and down. In that case, the raising / lowering of the raising / lowering body 41 is performed stably by the rod body 45 being guided by the guide cylinder 44.

  The turning drive unit 47 includes a motor 48 provided on the elevating body 41, a rotary transmission body 50 wound around a lateral motor shaft of the motor 48 and decelerated and linked via a transmission mechanism 49, and the rotary transmission body An example is constituted by an upward turning shaft 52 having a lower end connected to an upward output shaft from 50 via a connector 51. Here, the rotation transmission body 50 has functions such as reduction of rotation and forward / reverse switching of the rotation direction.

  The upward turning shaft 52 is an example of a member passing between the rotary shafts 13, and a plate-like body support portion 55 is provided at the upper end thereof. That is, the plate-like body support portion 55 is formed in a lateral shape formed using a central rectangular plate 56 having a narrower width than between adjacent roller bodies 14 and a side surface of the rectangular plate 56. An example is constituted by the material 57, the longitudinal material 58, and the receiving material 59 fixed at appropriate positions (a plurality of locations) of the lateral material 57 and the longitudinal material 58. The lower surface of the central portion of the rectangular plate 56 is connected to the upper end of the upward turning shaft 52.

  Therefore, the plate-like body support portion 55 is movable up and down by the operation of the elevating drive unit 36 and is the axis of the upward turning shaft 52 by the operation of the turning drive unit 47 in each of the moving bodies 31A, 31B, 31C. 53 is configured to be able to rotate forward and backward. At that time, when the rectangular plate body 56 is positioned between the adjacent roller bodies 14, the plate-like body support portion 55 is positioned so that the lateral member 57 and the longitudinal member 58 are also positioned between the adjacent roller bodies 14. It is configured. Further, the thickness (height) h of the plate-like body support portion 55 including the receiving material 59 is lower than the height H between the upper end surface of the rotating shaft 13 and the transport surface 11a, that is, h < H is set. Thus, the plate-like body support portion 55 is positioned between the rotary shaft 13 and the lower surface of the transport surface 11a when lowered, and is configured to be movable back and forth with respect to the transport surface 11a.

  In addition, the raising / lowering drive part 36 of each moving body 31A, 31B, 31C is comprised so that the raise of the plate-shaped body support part 55 by the action | operation may perform the same amount raising / lowering effect performed by the same level N. Then, the lifting / lowering drive unit 36 of the moving body 31B located at least in the center causes the plate-like body support 55 to be lifted by the same operation at the same level N and to be higher than this level N. Thus, it is configured to be able to switch to a different amount raising / lowering action performed in a state where a step n is generated between adjacent ones. At that time, the level difference n is set larger than the thickness of the glass substrates 5 and 6.

  On the outside of the guide rail 27, power feeding bodies 29 are provided corresponding to the respective moving bodies 31A, 31B, 31C, and these power feeding bodies 29 have a flexible wiring support type. An example of the rotational alignment apparatus 10 is configured by the above 11-59 and the like.

  2 to 4, the multiple array device 60 includes a vertical feed conveyor 61 capable of supporting and transporting a plurality of glass substrates 5 and 6, and a glass substrate 5 in a lateral direction perpendicular to the direction of the transport path. , 6 can be supported by a transverse feed conveyor unit 71. That is, the vertical feed conveyor unit 61 has the same roller conveyor format as the conveyor unit 11 described above, and includes a conveyor frame 62, a rotating shaft 63, a roller body 64, a driving means 65, and the like, and is conveyed by the group of roller bodies 64. A surface 61a is formed.

  Further, the lateral feed conveyor unit 71 includes a first lateral feed body 72A and a second lateral feed body 72B that are positioned as a pair between the rotary shafts 13 in a plan view. That is, the first lateral feed body 72A and the second lateral feed body 72B are respectively the lateral support members 73A and 73B, the lift drive units 74A and 74B that lift and lower the support members 73A and 73B, and the support members 73A and 73B. Ring bodies 75A and 75B provided at both ends of the belt, belts 76A and 76B wound between the ring bodies 75A and 75B, receiving members 77A and 77B fixed on the belts 76A and 76B, and a ring body on one side. The motors 78A and 78B with reduction gears linked to 75A and 75B are used. Here, the receiving members 77A and 77B are made of, for example, urethane, and are set to lengths capable of supporting one glass substrate 5 and 6 respectively.

  In the thus configured transverse feed conveyor section 71, the first transverse feed body 72A and the second transverse feed body 72B are operated separately. At that time, the upper and lower drive members 74A and 74B raise and lower the support members 73A and 73B, so that the upper surfaces of the receiving members 77A and 77B are configured to be movable back and forth with respect to the transport surface 61a. And it raises and it is comprised so that the glass substrates 5 and 6 can be supported by making the upper surface of receiving material 77A, 77B protrude with respect to the conveyance surface 61a. An example of the multi-array device 60 is configured by the above 61-78A, 78B and the like.

  2, 5, and 6, the centering device 80 includes a conveyor unit 81 that can support and convey the glass substrates 5 and 6 conveyed in a plurality of rows from the plurality of arraying devices 60, and the glass on the conveyor unit 81. In order to position the substrates 5 and 6 in the lateral direction, they are constituted by centering portions 86A, 86B, 86C and the like provided at three places (a plurality of places) in the transverse direction perpendicular to the direction of the transport path 9. . That is, the conveyor unit 81 has the same roller conveyor format as the conveyor unit 11 described above, and includes a conveyor frame 82, a rotating shaft 83, a roller body 84, a driving unit 85, and the like. Is formed.

  The centering portions 86A, 86B, 86C have the same configuration and are configured to be individually operable. That is, the centering portions 86A, 86B, 86C are respectively a lifted body 89 that is moved up and down by the lifting drive means 87 via the lifting frame 88 and a pair of clamps that are moved toward and away from each other in the lateral direction by the approaching and separating means 90. The body 91 is configured. At that time, the elevating frame 88 is moved up and down by the elevating drive means 87 so that the upper surface of the lifting body 89 can be moved back and forth with respect to the conveying surface 81a, and then the upper surface is raised relative to the conveying surface 81a. By projecting, the glass substrates 5 and 6 can be supported. An example of the centering device 80 is configured by the above 81-91 and the like.

  2, 10, and 11, the delivery device 100 receives a group of glass substrates 5 and 6 from the rotational alignment device 10, and a plurality of glass substrates 5 (or a plurality of glass substrates 5 from the rotational alignment device 10). A plurality of glass substrates 5 which are conveyed in the direction along the lateral path 30 from the direct feeding zone 100A after receiving the glass substrates 6) simultaneously and sending them in the same direction (direction of the conveyance path 9). After receiving (or a plurality of glass substrates 6), a direct feed zone 100A and a branch feed zone 100B that feeds in the same direction are formed. In both zones 100A and 100B, there are provided longitudinal feed conveyor portions 101A and 101B capable of supporting and transporting a plurality of glass substrates 5 and 6, respectively, and a transverse feed conveyor portion 111 is provided between both zones 100A and 100B. It has been.

  That is, the vertical feed conveyor units 101A and 101B are in the same roller conveyor format as the vertical feed conveyor unit 61 described above, and are each constituted by a conveyor frame 102, a rotary shaft 103, a roller body 104, a driving means 105, and the like. Conveying surfaces 101a and 101b are formed by the roller body 104 group. Further, the transverse feed conveyor unit 111 has the same configuration as the above-described transverse feed conveyor unit 71, and includes a first transverse feed body 112A and a second transverse feed body 112B, support members 113A and 113B, lifting drive parts 114A and 114B, wheels. The body 115A, 115B, belts 116A, 116B, receiving members 117A, 117B, motors 118A, 118B with reduction gears, and the like are included. Here, the receiving members 117A and 117B are set to lengths capable of supporting a plurality (three or two) of glass substrates 5 and 6, respectively.

  In the thus configured lateral feed conveyor unit 111, the first lateral feed body 112A and the second lateral feed body 112B are operated separately. At this time, the upper and lower support members 113A and 113B are moved up and down by the lift drive units 114A and 114B, so that the upper surfaces of the receiving members 117A and 117B are configured to be movable back and forth with respect to the transport surfaces 101a and 101b. And it raises and it is comprised so that the glass substrates 5 and 6 can be supported by making the upper surface of receiving material 117A, 117B protrude with respect to the conveyance surfaces 101a and 101b. The above 101A, 101B to 118A, 118B, etc. constitute an example of the delivery device 100.

  In FIG. 2, the multiple array device 60, the centering device 80, the rotation alignment device 10, and the delivery device 100 are arranged in a state where one side (left side surface) with respect to the direction of the transport path 9 is aligned linearly. ing. Further, on the upper side of the multiple array device 60, for example, a carry-in conveyor 2 that conveys the manufactured glass substrates 5 and 6 one by one in a state where one side portion (left side surface) is aligned is disposed. Here, the carry-in conveyor 2 has a belt type, a roller type, or the like. A box body (cassette case) 3 capable of storing a plurality of rows of glass substrates 5 and 6 in a plurality of stages at intervals in the vertical direction is positioned outside the sending side of the direct sending zone 100A and the branch sending zone 100B. The

Below, the effect | action which handles the large sized glass substrate 5 in above-described Embodiment 1 is demonstrated based on FIGS.
For example, the large glass substrate 5 from the manufacturing process (manufacturing line) is conveyed by the carry-in conveyor 2 with the direction of the long dimension L as the carrying direction, and one sheet at a time from the end of the carry-in conveyor 2 to the multiple array device 60. Supply (unload). At this time, in the multi-array device 60, as shown in FIG. 2, both the laterally-feeding bodies 72A and 72B of the laterally-feeding conveyor section 71 move the receiving materials 77A and 77B to one side (left side) and move downward. I am letting. That is, the receiving materials 77A and 77B are positioned downstream in the supply direction by the carry-in conveyor 2 and below the conveyance surface 61a.

  In such a state, the large glass substrate 5 cut out and supplied from the carry-in conveyor 2 is driven by the roller body 64 group by driving the driving means 65 of the vertical feed conveyor unit 61 in conjunction with the feeding movement by the carry-in conveyor 2. It can be supported and conveyed. Then, by detecting that the large glass substrate 5 has completely transferred onto the longitudinal feed conveyor 61 and stopping the driving of the driving means 65, the large glass substrate 5 is placed above the receiving members 77A and 77B. Can be located.

  Next, as shown in the solid line of FIG. 3, the support member 73A is lifted by driving the lifting drive unit 74A in the first lateral feed body 72A, and the upper surface of the receiving member 77A protrudes from the transport surface 61a. The large glass substrate 5 supported by the roller body 64 group can be lifted and supported by the receiving member 77A group. In this state, by rotating the belt 76A by driving the motor 78A, the large glass substrate 5 supported by the receiving material 77A group can be transported in the lateral direction, that is, the direction of the wide dimension M. And as shown to the phantom line of FIG. 3, when the large sized glass substrate 5 remove | deviates from the front of the carrying-in conveyor 2, conveyance to a horizontal direction is stopped.

  While maintaining the lifting support of the large glass substrate 5 by the first laterally-feeding body 72A, the next large glass substrate 5 is cut out from the carry-in conveyor 2 and fed, and the rollers of the driven vertical feed conveyor unit 61 are driven. It is supported and conveyed by the body 64 group. And by stopping the drive of the drive means 65, the large sized glass substrate 5 can be located above the receiving material 77B group in the 2nd horizontal feed body 72B.

  Next, the support member 73B is lifted by driving the lifting drive unit 74B in the second lateral feed body 72B, and the upper surface of the receiving member 77B is protruded from the transport surface 61a, thereby being supported by the roller body 64 group. The large glass substrate 5 can be lifted and supported by the receiving material 77B group. In this state, by simultaneously driving the motors 78A and 78B of the both lateral feeding bodies 72A and 72B, the respective large belts 76A and 76B are rotated to thereby support the large glass substrates 5 supported by the receiving members 77A and 77B. 5 can be simultaneously conveyed in the direction of the wide dimension M. And when the large sized glass substrate 5 currently supported by 77B group of the 2nd horizontal feed body 72B remove | deviates from the front of the carrying-in conveyor 2, the conveyance to the horizontal direction by both horizontal feed bodies 72A and 72B is stopped.

  While maintaining the lifting support of the large glass substrates 5 and 5 by the both lateral feed bodies 72A and 72B, the next large glass substrate 5 is cut out and supplied from the carry-in conveyor 2 and is driven. It is supported and conveyed by 61 roller bodies 64 group. And by stopping the drive of the drive means 65, the large sized glass substrate 5 can be located ahead of the carrying-in conveyor 2, as shown in FIG.

  Next, the support members 73A and 73B are lowered by the reverse drive of the elevating drive units 74A and 74B in the both lateral feed bodies 72A and 72B, and the upper surfaces of the receiving members 77A and 77B are retracted from the transport surface 61a, thereby receiving The large glass substrates 5 and 5 supported by the materials 77A and 77B group can be supported by the roller body 64 group. That is, as shown in FIG. 12A, in the multi-array device 60, the large glass substrates 5 supplied one by one by the carry-in conveyor 2 are arrayed in three rows (multiple rows) in the direction of the wide dimension M. Can be supported.

  Thus, the large glass substrate 5 group can be supplied to the centering device 80 by carrying out the carrying operation of the multiple array device 60 that supports the large glass substrates 5 in three rows. At this time, in the centering device 80, as shown in FIG. 5, the elevating frame 88 is moved downward by the elevating driving means 87 in each centering portion 86A, 86B, 86C, thereby lowering each lifting body 89 to lower the conveying surface 81a. It is located below. Further, the clamp bodies 91 are moved apart from each other in the lateral direction by the operation of the approaching / separating means 90.

  In such a state, the driving means 85 of the conveyor unit 81 is driven in conjunction with the supply movement by the vertical feeding conveyor unit 61 in the multi-array device 60, so that it is simultaneously supported by the roller body 64 group of the vertical feeding conveyor unit 61. Three rows of large glass substrates 5 to be conveyed can be received and supported by the roller bodies 84 of the conveyor unit 81. Then, by detecting that the group of large glass substrates 5 has been transferred to the conveyor unit 81, the driving unit 65 of the longitudinal feeding conveyor unit 61 in the multi-array device 60 and the driving unit 85 of the conveyor unit 81 in the centering device 80 are driven. The three large glass substrates 5 can be positioned above the lifting bodies 89 and between the clamp bodies 91 moving away from each other.

  Next, a centering action is performed in each centering portion 86A, 86B, 86C. That is, the lifting frame 88 is first lifted by the operation of the lifting drive means 87, and the upper surface of the lifting body 89 protrudes from the transport surface 81a, so that it is supported by the roller body 84 group as shown by the solid line in FIG. The large glass substrate 5 can be lifted and supported by the lifting body 89. While maintaining the lifting support of the large glass substrate 5 by the lifting body 89, the two clamping bodies 91 are moved toward each other in the lateral direction by the operation of the approaching / separating means 90. The large glass substrate 5 can be centered in the direction of the wide dimension M as shown by the phantom line in FIG. At that time, by making the lifting body 89 into a free roller type, sliding contact at the time of centering due to lateral pushing movement can be reduced.

  After that, both clamp bodies 91 are moved apart from each other in the lateral direction by the reverse operation of the approaching / separating means 90, and then the lifting frame 88 is lowered by the reverse operation of the lifting / lowering driving means 87, so that the upper surface of the lifting body 89 faces the conveying surface 81a. , The large glass substrate 5 supported by the lifting body 89 can be returned to the roller body 84 group. That is, the centering device 80 can position (center) the large glass substrates 5 that have been transported in three rows (plural rows) from the plurality of arrangement devices 60 in the lateral direction (the direction of the wide dimension M).

  In the multi-array device 60, the support members 73A and 73B are lowered by the reverse drive of the elevating drive units 74A and 74B in the both lateral feed bodies 72A and 72B, and the upper surfaces of the receiving members 77A and 77B are moved with respect to the conveying surface 61a After retreating, the receiving members 77A and 77B are moved to one side (left side) and returned to the initial state positioned downstream in the feeding direction by the carry-in conveyor 2 and below the transport surface 61a. ing. Then, as described above, the large glass substrate 5 supplied one by one by the carry-in conveyor 2 is shown in FIG. In addition, an operation of arranging as three rows (a plurality of rows) in the direction of the wide dimension M is performed.

  As described above, in the centering device 80, the three rows (a plurality of rows) of the large glass substrates 5 positioned in the lateral direction (the direction of the wide dimension M) are moved to the rotary alignment device 10 by carrying the conveyor unit 81. Can be supplied. At this time, in the rotational alignment apparatus 10, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 7, the moving bodies 31A, 31B, and 31C are arranged at a predetermined pitch downstream of the centering center by the centering portions 86A, 86B, and 86C. P is placed and sorted. And the plate-shaped body support part 55 of each moving body 31A, 31B, 31C descend | falls and is located between the rotating shaft 13 and the conveyance surface 11a.

  In such a state, the driving means 15 of the conveyor unit 11 is operated in conjunction with the supply operation of the conveyor unit 81 in the centering device 80, so that the roller body 84 group of the conveyor unit 81 simultaneously supports and conveys 3 The large glass substrates 5 in a row can be received and supported by the roller bodies 14 of the conveyor unit 11. The driving of the driving means 85 of the conveyor unit 81 in the centering device 80 and the driving means 15 of the conveyor unit 11 in the rotational alignment device 10 is stopped by detecting that the large glass substrate group 5 has moved to the conveyor unit 11. 1, the phantom line in FIG. 7, the solid line in FIG. 8, and FIG. 13A, the three large glass substrates 5 that have been centered are respectively attached to the plate-like body support portions 55. It can be located above.

  Next, the large glass substrate 5 is lifted by the moving bodies 31A, 31B, 31C. That is, by first raising the elevating body 41 by the operation of the elevating drive unit 36, the plate-like body supporting unit 55 can be raised via the turning drive unit 47 and the upward turning shaft 52. Due to this rise, the large glass substrate 5 supported by the roller body 14 group can be lifted and supported via the receiving material 59 group by projecting the plate-like body support portion 55 with respect to the transport surface 11a. In this case, as shown in the imaginary line in FIG. 1 and the imaginary line in FIG. 8, the lifting and lowering drive portions 36 of the moving bodies 31 </ b> A and 31 </ b> C located on both sides are lifted by the same amount, thereby supporting the plate-like body. The raising of the part 55 can be performed at the same level N. Further, by causing the lifting / lowering drive part 36 of the moving body 31B located in the center to increase by a different amount by switching, the rise of the plate-like body support part 55 is made higher than this level N, and the step n between adjacent ones is increased. This can be done as a result.

  In this way, the swivel movement and the lateral movement of the large glass substrate 5 group are performed simultaneously while maintaining the lifting support of the large glass substrate 5 by the respective plate-like body support portions 55. That is, as shown in the phantom line of FIG. 9 and FIG. 13B, the plate-like body support portion 55 is turned around the vertical axis 53 by the operation of the turning drive portion 47, and the moving bodies 31A, 31C is moved closer to the central moving body 31B by the operation of the movement drive unit 33. At this time, the rotation of the plate-like body support portion 55 is performed at 180 degrees, so that the direction of the large glass substrate 5 can be changed to a state where the direction is changed back and forth. Further, the moving bodies 31A and 31C are moved closer to the large glass substrate 5 whose direction has been changed.

  In this case, the turning motion and the lateral motion are such that the moving body 31B located at the center of the moving bodies 31A and 31C located on both sides is in a state in which the step n is generated, so that the long dimension L and the wide movement are obtained. Although it is the large glass substrate 5 of the dimension M, these large glass substrates 5 can always perform stably and smoothly, without colliding or contacting.

  By adjusting the orientation and position of the large glass substrate 5 group by the turning motion and the lateral motion as described above, by moving the lifting drive unit 36 of each moving body 31A, 31B, 31C downward, The plate-like body support portions 55 can be lowered to be positioned between the rotary shaft 13 and the conveyance surface 11a. As a result, the large glass substrate 5 supported by the plate-like body support portion 55 can be returned to the group of roller bodies 14 as shown by the solid line in FIG. 9, FIG. 12 (c), and FIG. 13 (c). That is, in the rotation aligning device 10, the orientation and position can be adjusted respectively for the large glass substrates 5 conveyed in three rows (plural rows) from the centering device 80. S can be placed in parallel.

  As described above, the three rows of large-sized glass substrates 5 in which the orientation (front and back) and the position (direction of the wide dimension M) have been adjusted in the rotating and aligning apparatus 10 are conveyed by moving the conveyor unit 11. As shown to 13 (d), it can supply to the delivery apparatus 100. FIG. At this time, in the feeding device 100, as shown in FIG. 2, both the laterally-feeding bodies 112A and 112B of the lateral-feed conveyor unit 111 move the receiving materials 117A and 117B to one side (left side) and move them downward. ing. That is, the receiving materials 117A and 117B are positioned in the direct feed zone 100A downstream in the supply direction by the rotary alignment device 10 and below the transport surface 101a.

  In such a state, by driving the driving means 105 of the longitudinal feed conveyor unit 101A in conjunction with the supply operation by the conveyor unit 11, three rows of large glass substrates 5 cut out and supplied from the conveyor unit 11 are 104 groups can be supported and conveyed. Then, by detecting that the large glass substrate 5 has completely transferred onto the vertical feed conveyor unit 101A, the drive means 15 of the conveyor unit 11 in the rotary alignment device 10 and the drive of the vertical feed conveyor unit 101A in the feed device 100 are detected. By stopping the driving of the means 105, the three large glass substrates 5 can be positioned above the common receiving members 117A and 117B as shown by the solid line in FIG.

  After the large glass substrate 5 is supplied to the delivery device 100 in this way, in the rotary alignment device 10, the plate-like body support portions 55 of the moving bodies 31A and 31C located on both sides are raised, and FIG. ), After moving both the moving bodies 31A and 31C away from the central moving body 31B, the plate-like body support portions 55 of both the moving bodies 31A and 31C are moved down, By being positioned between the conveyance surface 11a and the lower surface, the first predetermined pitch P can be restored.

  As described above, the group of large glass substrates 5 positioned above the receiving members 117A and 117B in the direct feed zone 100A is directly supplied to the box body 3 from the direct feed zone 100A or branched from the direct feed zone 100A. It is supplied to another box body 3 via the feeding zone 100B. That is, in the direct feed zone 100A, the large glass substrate 5 group supported by the roller body 104 group above the receiving material 117A, 117B group can be supported and conveyed by the roller body 104 group driven by the longitudinal feed conveyor unit 101A. Thus, it can be supplied to the box body 3.

  Further, when the branch feeding zone 100B is used, the three large glass substrates 5 supported by the roller body 104 group in the direct feeding zone 100A are moved to the support member 113A by driving the lifting drive unit 114A in the first lateral feeding body 112A. Ascending and projecting the upper surface of the receiving material 117A with respect to the conveying surface 101a, it can be simultaneously lifted and supported by the receiving material 117A group as shown by the phantom line in FIG. In this state, by rotating the belt 116A by driving the motor 118A, the large glass substrate 5 group supported by the receiving material 117A group can be conveyed in the horizontal direction, that is, in the direction of the branching zone 100B. Then, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 11, when the large glass substrate group 5 enters the branch feeding zone 100B, the conveyance in the lateral direction is stopped.

  Next, the support member 113A is lowered by the reverse drive of the raising / lowering drive unit 114A in the first lateral feed body 112A, and the upper surface of the receiving material 117A is retracted from the transport surface 101b, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. Moreover, the large glass substrate group 5 supported by the receiving material 117A group can be supported by the roller body 104 group of the longitudinal feed conveyor unit 101B. That is, the large glass substrate 5 conveyed from the direct feed zone 100A can be supplied to the branch feed zone 100B in a state of being arranged in three rows (a plurality of rows) in the direction of the wide dimension M. Thus, the large glass substrate group 5 supported by the roller body 104 group above the receiving material 117A group in the branch feeding zone 100B can be supported and conveyed by the roller body 104 group driven by the longitudinal feeding conveyor unit 101B. Can be supplied to the box body 3.

  In this way, when the large glass substrate group 5 is supplied to the box body 3 in the branch feeding zone 100B, in the direct feeding zone 100A, as shown in FIG. A group of glass substrates is supplied and is positioned above the group of receiving members 117B of the second laterally feeding body 112B. Then, the three large glass substrates 5 supported by the roller body 104 group in the direct feed zone 100A are lifted by the support member 113B by driving the elevating drive unit 114B, and the upper surface of the receiving material 117B is made to face the transport surface 101a. And can be lifted and supported simultaneously by the receiving material 117B group.

  In this state, the belt 116B is rotated by driving the motor 118B, whereby the large glass substrate group 5 supported by the receiving material 117B group can be conveyed in the direction of the branch feeding zone 100B. At this time, in the first lateral feed body 112A, the belt 116A is reversely rotated by the reverse drive of the motor 118A, so that the receiving material 117A group located below the transport surfaces 101a and 101b is moved from the branch feed zone 100B. It can return to the direct feed zone 100A.

Next, the operation of handling the small glass substrate 6 in the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
For example, the small glass substrates 6 from the manufacturing process (manufacturing line) are conveyed by the carry-in conveyor 2 with the direction of the short dimension l as the carrying direction, and one sheet at a time from the end of the carry-in conveyor 2 to the multiple arrangement device 60. Supply (unload). In this multi-array device 60, as shown in FIG. 15 (a), the small glass substrates 6 supplied one by one are narrowed by acting in the same manner as the large glass substrate 5 described above. It can be supported by being arranged in two rows (a plurality of rows) in the direction of the dimension m.

  As described above, the group of small glass substrates 6 can be supplied to the centering device 80 by carrying out the transport operation of the multiple array device 60 that supports the small glass substrates 6 in two rows. At this time, in the centering device 80, as shown in FIG. 15 (b), a pair of centering portions 86A and 86B are operated in the same manner as in the case of the large glass substrate 5 described above, so that two rows from the multiple array device 60 are obtained. The small glass substrates 6 conveyed in (a plurality of rows) can be positioned (centered) in the lateral direction (the direction of the narrow dimension m).

  As described above, in the centering device 80, the two rows (a plurality of rows) of the small glass substrates 6 positioned in the lateral direction (the direction of the narrow dimension m) are transported to the rotary alignment device 10 by carrying the conveyor unit 81. And can supply. At this time, in the rotating and aligning apparatus 10, as shown in FIG. 14, the pair of moving bodies 31A and 31B are positioned by being distributed with a predetermined pitch P downstream of the centering center by the centering portions 86A and 86B, respectively. At the same time, the remaining one moving body 31C is moved to the other side (right side) and is on standby as unused. The plate-like body support portions 55 of both moving bodies 31A and 31B are lowered and positioned between the rotary shaft 13 and the conveyance surface 11a.

  In such a state, the two rows of small glass substrates 6 simultaneously supported and conveyed by the roller bodies 84 of the conveyor unit 81 are received and supported and conveyed by the roller bodies 14 of the conveyor unit 11. As shown by the solid line and FIG. 16A, the two small glass substrates 6 that have been centered can be positioned above the plate-like body support portion 55, respectively.

  Next, the small glass substrate 6 is lifted by the moving bodies 31A and 31B. That is, by first raising the elevating body 41 by the operation of the elevating drive unit 36, the plate-like body supporting unit 55 can be raised via the turning drive unit 47 and the upward turning shaft 52. Due to this rise, the plate-like body support portion 55 is protruded with respect to the transport surface 11a, so that the small glass substrate 6 supported by the group of roller bodies 14 can be lifted and supported via the receiving material 59 group. In this case, as shown by the phantom line in FIG. 14, the lifting and lowering drive portions 36 of the pair of moving bodies 31A and 31B are lifted by the same amount, so that the plate-like body support portion 55 is lifted at the same level N. It can be done as

  In this manner, while the small glass substrate 6 is lifted and supported by the respective plate-like body support portions 55, the small glass substrate 6 group is swung and laterally moved simultaneously. That is, as shown in an imaginary line in FIG. 14 and FIG. 16B, the plate-like body support portion 55 is turned around the vertical axis 53 by the operation of the turning drive portion 47, and both the moving bodies 31A and 31B are moved. The movement drive unit 33 is moved to the center side by the operation. At this time, the rotation of the plate-like body support portion 55 is performed at 90 degrees, so that the direction of the small glass substrate 6 can be changed to a state in which the narrow dimension m is the front-rear direction. The moving bodies 31A and 31B are moved in a state in which the small glass substrate 6 whose direction has been changed is brought close to the moving bodies 31A and 31B.

  In this case, the turning movement and the lateral movement are the small glass substrate 6 having the short dimension l and the narrow dimension m. It can always be performed stably and smoothly without any collision or contact.

  After adjusting the direction and the position of the small glass substrate 6 group by the above-described turning motion and lateral motion, the lifting and lowering drive unit 36 of each of the moving bodies 31A and 31B is lowered to act as a plate. The body support portion 55 group can be lowered to be positioned between the rotation shaft 13 and the conveyance surface 11a. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 15C and FIG. 16C, the small glass substrate 6 supported by the plate-like body support portion 55 can be returned to the roller body 14 group. That is, in the rotation alignment apparatus 10, the orientation and position can be adjusted with respect to the small glass substrates 6 conveyed from the centering apparatus 80 in two rows (a plurality of rows).

  As described above, the two rows of small glass substrates 6 in which the orientation and the position are adjusted in the rotating and aligning apparatus 10 are sent out as shown in FIG. The device 100 can be supplied. At this time, in the delivery device 100, the receiving members 117A and 117B are positioned in the direct feed zone 100A and below the transport surface 101a. In such a state, by driving the driving means 105 of the longitudinal feeding conveyor unit 101A, the two rows (two sheets) of small glass substrates 6 cut out and supplied from the conveyor unit 11 are supported and conveyed by the roller body 104 group. Therefore, it can be positioned above the common receiving material 117A, 117B group.

  In this way, after the small glass substrate 6 is supplied to the delivery device 100, in the rotary alignment device 10, the plate-like body support portions 55 of both moving bodies 31A and 31B are raised, and shown in FIG. 16 (e). As described above, both the moving bodies 31A and 31B are moved to one side, and the plate-like body support portion 55 is turned about the vertical axis 53 by 90 degrees. The support portion 55 is lowered and positioned between the rotary shaft 13 and the conveyance surface 11a, so that the initial predetermined pitch P can be returned.

  As described above, the small glass substrate 6 group positioned above the receiving members 117A and 117B in the direct feed zone 100A is supplied directly to the box body 3 from the direct feed zone 100A or branched from the direct feed zone 100A. It is supplied to another box body 3 via the feeding zone 100B. When the group of small glass substrates 6 is supplied to the box body 3 in the branch feeding zone 100B, in the direct feeding zone 100A, as shown in FIG. Five groups are supplied.

  According to the first embodiment described above, the plurality of moving bodies 31A, 31B, 31C are positioned at a predetermined pitch P in the rotary alignment device 10 before the glass substrates 5 and 6 are supplied, and each plate shape The body support portion 55 is lowered and positioned below the transport surface 11a. In such a state, the glass substrates 5 and 6 group that are simultaneously transported in a plurality of rows from the upstream side of the transport path 9 are received by the conveyor unit 11 and supported and transported, respectively. Can be located. Next, the glass substrate 5, 6 supported by the conveyor unit 11 can be lifted and supported via the plate body support portion 55 by raising the plate body support portion 55 and projecting it from the transport surface 11 a. . And in the state which maintained the raising support of the glass substrates 5 and 6 by each plate-shaped body support part 55, the turning motion of the glass substrate 5 and 6 group and a horizontal direction movement can be performed simultaneously.

  That is, the plate-like body support portion 55 is swung around the vertical axis 53 and the predetermined moving bodies 31A, 31B, 31C are moved in the lateral direction. At this time, the rotation of the plate-like body support portion 55 is performed at a predetermined angle, whereby the direction of the glass substrates 5 and 6 can be changed. The moving bodies 31A, 31B, and 31C can be moved in a state where a predetermined gap S is generated between the glass substrates 5 and 6 whose directions are changed. After adjusting the orientation and position of the glass substrates 5 and 6 by such turning and lateral movement, the plate-like body support portions 55 of the respective moving bodies 31A, 31B and 31C are lowered. By positioning it below the transport surface 11 a, the glass substrates 5 and 6 group supported by the plate-like body support portion 55 can be returned to the conveyor portion 11.

  As described above, in the rotation and alignment apparatus 10, the orientation and the position can be adjusted by simultaneous operation with respect to the glass substrates 5 and 6 transported in a plurality of rows from the upstream side of the transport path 9. Therefore, even when the individual conveyance of the glass substrates 5 and 6 at the end of the conveyance path 9 is speeded up (high performance), it is possible to cope without speeding up the operation in the rotary alignment device 10, and thus vibration, The direction and the position can be adjusted with respect to the glass substrates 5 and 6 group without causing an impact.

  According to the first embodiment described above, the small glass substrate 6 supported by the conveyor unit 11 is supported by raising the plate-shaped body support portion 55 and projecting it from the transport surface 11a. In this case, lifting can be performed at the same level L for the small glass substrate 6 group.

  According to the first embodiment described above, the large glass substrate 5 that has been supported by the conveyor unit 11 is raised by raising the plate-shaped body support portion 55 and projecting it from the transport surface 11a. In this case, the lifting can be performed in a state where a step n is generated between the adjacent large glass substrates 5. By this step n, the turning movement and the lateral movement are always stable even if the large glass substrate 5 has a long dimension L and a wide dimension M without collision or contact between the large glass substrates 5. Can be done smoothly.

  According to the above-described first embodiment, the plate-like body support portion 55 is raised and protruded with respect to the transport surface 11a, whereby the glass substrates 5 and 6 supported by the conveyor portion 11 are supported by the plate-like body support portion. 55 can be lifted and supported. In this case, the glass substrates 5 and 6 can be lifted to the same level N by the same amount of raising and lowering action, and the step n can be formed between the adjacent glass substrates 5 and 6 by switching to the different amount raising and lowering action. . By this same level N lifting, the turning movement and the lateral movement can be performed quickly, constantly and smoothly without causing the glass substrates 6 having the short dimension l and the narrow dimension m to collide or contact each other. . Further, due to the level difference n, the turning movement and the lateral movement are always stable even if the glass substrate 5 has the long dimension L and the wide dimension M without any collision or contact between the glass substrates 5. It can be done smoothly. In this way, the lifting can be performed properly according to the dimensions (shape) of the glass substrates 5 and 6 by switching to the same amount lifting action or different amount lifting action.

  According to the first embodiment described above, in the multi-array device 60, the glass substrates 5 and 6 received one by one are arrayed and supported in a plurality of rows, and in the centering device 80, a plurality of rows are arranged from the multi-array device 60. The glass substrates 5 and 6 that have been transported in the above are positioned in the lateral direction. Next, a plurality of rows of glass substrates 5 and 6 positioned in the centering device 80 are supplied to the rotating and aligning device 10, and the rotating and aligning device 10 adjusts the orientation and position of the glass substrates 5 and 6, respectively. After that, make them parallel. Then, a plurality of rows of glass substrates 5 and 6 are supplied to the delivery apparatus 100, and the received glass substrates 5 and 6 are sent out and supplied in this delivery apparatus 100. In this way, for example, the glass substrates 5 and 6 that have been supplied one by one from the manufacturing process (manufacturing line) are transported by the transport path 9, adjusted in the direction and position as a plurality of rows, and then sent out. Can do.

  According to the first embodiment described above, the glass substrates 5 and 6 are lifted by the movable bodies 31A, 31B, and 31C in a state where the glass substrates 5 and 6 are positioned above the plate-like body support portions 55, respectively. Yes. That is, first, the raising / lowering drive unit 36 is raised to raise the plate-like body support unit 55 via the turning drive unit 47 and the upward turning shaft 52. Due to this rise, the plate-like body support portion 55 is protruded with respect to the transport surface 11 a, whereby the glass substrates 5 and 6 supported by the conveyor portion 11 can be lifted and supported via the plate-like body support portion 55. And in the state which maintained the raising support of the glass substrates 5 and 6 by each plate-shaped body support part 55, the turning motion of the glass substrate 5 and 6 group and a horizontal direction movement can be performed simultaneously. That is, the plate-like body support portion 55 is turned around the longitudinal axis 53 by the operation of the turning drive portion 47 and the predetermined moving bodies 31A, 31B, 31C are moved by the operation of the movement drive portion 33. At this time, the plate-like body support portion 55 is turned at a predetermined angle, so that the orientation of the glass substrates 5 and 6 can be changed. The moving bodies 31A, 31B, and 31C can be moved in a state where a predetermined gap S is generated between the glass substrates 5 and 6 whose directions are changed.

  According to the first embodiment described above, the plurality of glass substrates 5 and 6 are received by the roller body 14 group of the conveyor unit 11 and supported and transported, so that each can be positioned above the plate-like body support unit 55. Next, the glass substrate 5 and 6 supported by the roller body 14 group can be lifted and supported by raising the plate-like body support portion 55 and projecting it with respect to the transport surface 11a. The direction and the position of the glass substrates 5 and 6 can be adjusted by simultaneously performing the turning movement and the lateral movement of the glass substrates 5 and 6. Then, the group of glass substrates 5 and 6 supported by the plate-like body support portion 55 is moved to a roller by lowering the plate-like body support portion 55 group and positioning it between the rotary shaft 13 and the conveyance surface 11a. Return to 14 groups of bodies. Therefore, the direction and position of the glass substrates 5 and 6 can be adjusted quickly and stably by reducing the elevation of the plate support 55.

In the first embodiment described above, the glass substrates 5 and 6 are shown as the plate-like body, but this may be a metal plate or a resin plate.
In the first embodiment described above, two types of the large glass substrate 5 and the small glass substrate 6 are shown as the plate-like body, but there may be three or more types, and in this case, the moving body 31A. , 31B and 31C, the turning direction of the plate-like body support portion 55, the rising amount of the plate-like body support portion 55, and the like are appropriately set and controlled.

  In the first embodiment described above, three large glass substrates 5 and two small glass substrates 6 are shown as a plurality of rows of plate-like bodies, but these numbers are arbitrarily set. In this case, the number of moving objects and the width of each device may be changed.

  In the above-described first embodiment, the glass substrates 5 and 6 are lifted through the plate-like body support portion 55 with the same amount of ascending / descending action with the glass substrate 6 group being at the same level N, and between the adjacent glass substrates 5. It is possible to switch to a different amount raising / lowering action in which a level difference n occurs. This is because the plurality of plate-like body support portions 55 are always raised at the same level L, or a plurality of plate-like body support portions. For example, 55 may be raised in a state in which a step n is always generated between adjacent ones.

  In the first embodiment described above, a format is shown in which the multi-array device 60, the centering device 80, the rotary alignment device 10, and the delivery device 100 are provided in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport path 9. However, this is one of the three arrangement devices 60, the centering device 80, and the delivery device 100, such as a type in which the rotation alignment device 10 receives a plurality of rows of glass substrates 5 and 6 from the carry-in conveyor. A form in which all of them are omitted or a form in which other devices are incorporated before and after the rotary alignment device 10 may be used.

  In the first embodiment described above, the swivel drive unit 47 is provided on the moving bodies 31A, 31B, 31C provided with the movement drive unit 33 so as to be movable up and down via the lift drive unit 36. The rotary shaft 52 is provided with a plate-like body support portion 55. This is because the movable body 31A, 31B, 31C provided with the movement drive portion 33 is connected to the lift drive portion 36 via the turn drive portion 47. May be provided so as to be pivotable, and a plate-like body support portion 55 may be provided on the upward / downward axis of the elevation drive unit 36.

  In the first embodiment described above, the conveyor unit is externally fitted at a plurality of locations in the direction of the conveyance path, at a plurality of locations in the length direction of each rotation shaft, and a rotation shaft disposed with its rotation axis as a lateral direction. The roller body group has a conveying surface formed by the roller body group, and the plate-like body support portion 55 is a movable body via a member (upward turning shaft 52) passing between the rotary shafts 13. While being provided on the 31A, 31B, and 31C sides and configured to be positioned between the rotating shaft 13 and the conveying surface 11a when descending, the plate-like body support portion is arranged on the rotating shaft. The shape passing through the space 13 may be a form configured to be positioned below the rotary shaft 13 when lowered.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a rotary alignment device portion in the plate-like body alignment equipment according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of the plate-shaped object alignment equipment. It is a front view at the time of the start of reception of the multiple arrangement | sequence apparatus part in the plate-shaped object alignment equipment. It is a front view at the time of completion | finish of reception of the multiple arrangement | sequence apparatus part in the plate-shaped object alignment equipment. It is a front view before centering of the centering apparatus part in the same plate-shaped object alignment equipment. It is a front view at the time of centering of the centering apparatus part in the same plate-shaped object alignment equipment. It is a partially notched top view of the rotation alignment apparatus part in the same plate-shaped object alignment equipment. It is a partial notch side view of the rotation alignment apparatus part in the plate-shaped object alignment equipment. It is a front view after the rotation alignment of the rotation alignment apparatus part in the plate-shaped object alignment equipment. It is a front view at the time of completion | finish of reception of the delivery apparatus part in the same plate-shaped object alignment equipment. It is a front view at the time of the horizontal feed of the sending-out apparatus part in the same plate-shaped object alignment equipment. It is an explanatory top view at the time of handling a large sized plate-like object in the same plate-like object alignment equipment. It is a schematic plan view of the rotation alignment apparatus part when handling a large sized plate-like body in the same plate-like body alignment equipment. It is a front view of the rotation alignment apparatus part when handling a small plate-shaped object in the same plate-shaped object alignment equipment. It is an explanatory top view at the time of handling a small plate-shaped object in the same plate-shaped object alignment equipment. It is a schematic plan view of the rotation alignment apparatus part when handling a small plate-shaped object in the same plate-shaped object alignment equipment.

Explanation of symbols

2 Carrying conveyor 3 Box body 5 Large glass substrate (plate-like body)
6 Small glass substrate (plate)
8 Plate Alignment Equipment 9 Transport Path 10 Rotation Alignment Device 11 Conveyor Unit 11a Transport Surface 13 Rotating Shaft 14 Roller Body 15 Driving Means 27 Guide Rail 30 Lateral Path 31A Moving Body 31B Moving Body 31C Moving Body 32 Sliding Member 33 Moving Drive unit 36 Elevating drive unit 41 Elevating body 44 Guide cylinder 45 Rod body 47 Turning drive unit 52 Upward turning shaft (member)
53 Vertical axis 55 Plate-like body support portion 59 Receiving material 60 Multiple array device 61 Vertical feed conveyor portion 61a Conveying surface 64 Roller body 71 Horizontal feed conveyor portion 72A First lateral feed body 72B Second lateral feed body 74A Lifting drive unit 74B Lifting / lowering drive part 77A Receiving material 77B Receiving material 80 Centering device 81 Conveyor part 81a Conveying surface 84 Roller body 86A Centering part 86B Centering part 86C Centering part 89 Lifting body 90 Approaching / separating means 91 Clamping body 100 Delivery device 100A Direct feed zone 100B Branch feed Zone 101A Longitudinal Conveyor 101a Conveying Surface 101B Longitudinal Conveying Unit 101b Conveying Surface 111 Transverse Conveying Unit 112A First Transverse Feeder 112B Second Transverse Feeder 117A Receiving Material 117B Receiving Material L Long Size M Wide Size l Short Size Method m Narrow dimension h Plate The thickness of the body supporting portion 55 (height)
H Height between the upper end surface of the rotary shaft 13 and the conveying surface 11A N Same level n Step P Pitch S Clearance

Claims (7)

  A plate aligning device that adjusts the orientation and position of the plate that has been conveyed in a plurality of rows from the upstream side of the conveyance path, and a rotation alignment device is provided in the conveyance path. The rotation alignment apparatus includes a conveyor unit capable of transporting a plurality of rows of plate-like bodies, and a plurality of movable bodies that can be moved forward and backward independently in a lateral direction perpendicular to the direction of the transport path. The body is provided with a plate-like body support portion that can be raised and lowered and pivoted about the longitudinal axis, and the plate-like body support portion is configured to be movable back and forth with respect to the conveyor surface of the conveyor portion by raising and lowering. The plate-like body alignment equipment characterized by having.   2. The plate-like body alignment equipment according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of plate-like body support portions are raised at the same level.   2. The plate-like body alignment equipment according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of plate-like body support portions are raised in a state where a step is generated between adjacent ones.   The plurality of plate-like body support portions are configured to be switchable between the same amount lifting action performed at the same level and the different amount lifting action performed in a state where a step is generated between adjacent ones. The plate-like body alignment equipment according to claim 1.   In the transport path, a plurality of array devices that make a plurality of rows of plate-like bodies that are supplied one by one from the upstream side to the downstream side, and each plate shape that has been transported in multiple rows from this multiple array device A centering device for positioning the body in the lateral direction, a rotational alignment device for rotating and aligning a plurality of rows of plate-like bodies from the centering device, and a delivery device for receiving a plate-like body group from the rotational alignment device are provided. The plate-like body alignment facility according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plate-like body alignment facility is provided.   The movable body provided with the movement drive unit is provided with a swing drive unit that can be moved up and down via the lift drive unit, and a plate-like body support unit is provided on the upward swing shaft of the swing drive unit. The plate-like body alignment equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The conveyor unit includes a rotation shaft disposed in a plurality of locations in the direction of the conveyance path with the rotation axis as a lateral direction, and a roller body provided by being externally fitted at a plurality of locations in the length direction of each rotation shaft. The roller body group forms a conveyance surface, and the plate-like body support portion is provided on the moving body side via a member passing between the rotation shafts. It arrange | positions so that it may be located between, The plate-shaped object alignment equipment of any one of Claims 1-6 characterized by the above-mentioned.

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