JP6695225B2 - Transport unit - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a transfer unit that transfers a plate-shaped work.

  The transport unit that is provided in a processing apparatus or the like and holds and conveys a plate-like work such as a semiconductor wafer with a suction pad includes, for example, a unit of a type in which the suction pad is brought into contact with the plate-like work and is held by suction, and There is a unit of a type that sucks and holds a plate-shaped work by contact. In the contact type transport unit (for example, refer to Patent Document 1), the suction pad is composed of a porous plate or the like made of a porous material, and the suction source is connected to the porous plate so that the suction source sucks. The generated suction force is transmitted to the suction surface of the porous plate that is in contact with the plate-shaped work, so that the plate-shaped work can be suction-held. On the other hand, the non-contact type transport unit (see, for example, Patent Document 2) uses the Bernoulli principle and supplies high-pressure gas to the suction generation unit provided in the suction pad. That is, the high-pressure gas is supplied along the inner surface of the suction pad, passes between the suction generation unit and the plate-shaped work, and is discharged to the atmosphere. The discharged high-pressure gas jet decelerates due to the diameter expansion and becomes atmospheric pressure, so the Bernoulli effect works in the gap between the suction generation part and the plate-like work, causing a pressure drop around the suction generation part. To do. The negative pressure thus generated causes the suction pad to suck the plate-shaped work in a non-contact manner.

JP, 2006-344778, A JP, 2005-070002, A

  In a type of transport unit that holds the suction pad in contact with the plate-shaped work by suction, when holding the plate-shaped work by suction, make sure that there is no displacement between the plate-shaped work and the suction pad, and the entire suction surface of the suction pad is After contacting the surface to be attracted of the plate-like work, the suction source is operated to hold the suction. Further, in a transfer unit of a type that suction-holds a plate-shaped work by a suction pad in a non-contact manner, the plate-shaped work and the suction pad are aligned with each other, and for example, the horizontal movement of the plate-shaped work provided in the suction pad is restricted. After the contact portion is brought into contact with the outer peripheral region of the plate-like work, the plate-like work is sucked and held by the negative pressure generated around the suction generation unit by supplying high-pressure gas to the suction pad. Therefore, in either the contact type or non-contact type transport unit, the weight of the suction pad may be applied to the plate-like work when holding the plate-like work by suction.

  Further, the inclination of the holding surface of the holding table that is provided in the processing device and holds the plate-shaped work is different from the inclination of the suction surface of the suction pad of the transport unit, that is, the holding surface of the holding table and the suction surface of the suction pad. And may not be parallel. Further, the inclination of the holding surface of the cleaning table of the cleaning unit included in the processing apparatus and the inclination of the suction surface of the suction pad of the transport unit may be different. In such cases, in particular, when the suction pad is brought into contact with the plate-like work in order to hold the plate-like work by suction, the weight of the suction pad is heavier on the plate-like work. It may be damaged by the pressing force received from the suction pad.

  Therefore, when the plate-like work is conveyed by the conveyance unit, when the suction pad is brought into contact with the plate-like work, the weight of the suction pad is prevented from being applied to the plate-like work, and the plate-like work is damaged. There is a problem of preventing this.

  The present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a transport unit for transporting a plate-like work, comprising a suction holding means for sucking and holding the plate-like work, and a moving means for moving the suction holding means. The holding means has a suction pad for holding the plate-like work by suction, a guide shaft for movably supporting the suction pad so as to move toward and away from the plate-like work, and a through hole through which the guide shaft is inserted. A plate for supporting the guide shaft, and a spring for maintaining the state in which the guide shaft supports the suction pad and urging the suction pad in a direction to bring the suction pad closer to the support plate. A holding unit for holding a work piece, wherein the suction pad weakens the force of pressing the plate work piece by the spring.

  The guide shaft includes a head portion that extends outward in the radial direction on the upper end side, and the spring moves between the lower surface of the head portion and the support plate in a direction in which the head portion is separated from the support plate. Then, it is preferably arranged so as to expand.

  Alternatively, a head extending outward in the radial direction of the guide shaft is provided on the upper end side of the guide shaft, and the spring includes the suction pad between the support plate and the suction pad. It is preferably arranged so that it contracts when moved in the direction of separation.

  The suction pad is in contact with a suction generation unit that generates a negative pressure by ejecting air from an air ejection port and sucks a plate-like work in a non-contact manner, and an outer peripheral region of the plate-like work sucked by the suction generation unit. In addition, a so-called Bernoulli-type suction pad that includes a contact portion that restricts the horizontal movement of the plate-like work may be used.

  In a transport unit for transporting a plate-like work according to the present invention, a suction holding means sucks and holds the plate-like work, and a guide shaft that supports the suction pad so as to be movable in a direction toward and away from the plate-like work. A support plate having a through hole through which the guide shaft is inserted and supporting the guide shaft; and a spring for maintaining a state in which the guide shaft supports the suction pad and urging the suction pad in a direction to bring the suction pad closer to the support plate. Therefore, when the suction pad holds the plate-shaped work, the force of the suction pad pressing the plate-shaped work is weakened by the spring, so that the plate-shaped work can be suction-held and conveyed without being damaged. it can.

  Further, the suction pad is brought into contact with the suction generation unit that generates negative pressure by ejecting air from the air ejection port and sucks the plate-shaped work in a non-contact manner, and the outer peripheral region of the plate-shaped work sucked by the suction generation unit. A so-called Bernoulli-type suction pad having a contact portion for restricting the horizontal movement of the plate-shaped work, for example, even if the suction target is a warped plate-shaped work, the suction pad When the plate-shaped work is held, the force of the suction pad pressing the plate-shaped work is weakened by the spring, so that the plate-shaped work can be transported without being damaged.

It is sectional drawing which shows an example of a structure of the conveyance unit of Embodiment 1 provided with a contact type suction pad. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the state in which a spring is arrange | positioned between the lower surface of the head of a guide shaft, and a support plate. FIG. 3A is an exploded cross-sectional view showing an example of a state in which the spring is arranged between the lower surface of the head portion of the guide shaft and the support plate without being immersed in the support plate. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a state in which the spring is arranged between the lower surface of the head portion of the guide shaft and the support plate without being immersed in the support plate. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the suction pad is in contact with the plate-shaped work in the transport unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a suction pad holding a plate-shaped work by suction is raised in the transport unit according to the first embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the structure of the conveyance unit of Embodiment 2 provided with a non-contact type suction pad. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the contact portion of the suction pad is brought into contact with the plate-like work to suck and hold the plate-like work in the transport unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a suction pad holding a plate-shaped work by suction is raised in the transport unit according to the second embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of a structure of the conveyance unit provided with the non-contact type suction pad and the spring arrange | positioned between the support plate and the suction pad.

(Embodiment 1)
The transport unit 1 that transports the plate-shaped work W shown in FIG. 1 includes at least a suction holding unit 2 that suction-holds the plate-shaped work W and a moving unit 4 that moves the suction-holding unit 2. The transport unit 1 is mainly used by being incorporated in a cutting device for cutting the plate-like work W, a grinding device for grinding the plate-like work W, or a cluster type device having all the functions of these devices. For example, in FIG. 1, the suction holding means 2 is located above a holding table 3 provided in a processing device such as a grinding device.

  The holding table 3 has, for example, a circular outer shape, and is provided with a holding surface 3a made of a porous member or the like for adsorbing the plate-shaped work W. The holding surface 3a communicates with a suction source (not shown), for example. The suction force generated by the suction of the suction source is transmitted to the holding surface 3a, so that the holding table 3 can hold the plate-shaped work W by suction on the holding surface 3a. The plate-shaped work W is, for example, a semiconductor wafer having a circular outer shape. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the work W is sucked and held on the holding surface 3a of the holding table 3 with the back surface Wb of the work facing upward. There is. On the front surface Wa of the work W facing downward in FIG. 1, for example, a large number of devices are formed, and a protective tape (not shown) is attached to protect the device.

  The suction holding means 2 of the transport unit 1 includes a suction pad 20 that suction-holds the plate-shaped work W, and a guide shaft that supports the suction pad 20 so as to be movable in a direction toward and away from the plate-shaped work W (Z-axis direction). 21 and a support plate 23 having a through hole 230 through which the guide shaft 21 is inserted and supporting the guide shaft 21. The suction pad 20 has, for example, a circular outer shape, and includes a suction unit 200 that is made of a porous member and that suctions the plate-shaped work W, and a frame body 201 that supports the suction unit 200. One end of a communication passage 290 communicates with the adsorption unit 200, and the other end of the communication passage 290 is connected to a suction source 29 including a vacuum generator, a compressor, and the like. Then, the suction force generated by the suction of the suction source 29 is transmitted to the holding surface 200a, which is the exposed surface of the suction portion 200 and is flush with the lower surface of the frame body 201, through the communication passage 290. As a result, the suction pad 20 can suck and hold the plate-shaped work W on the holding surface 200a.

  The suction pad 20 is fixed to the lower end 210b of the guide shaft 21 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and is supported by the guide shaft 21. For example, the guide shaft 21 includes a base shaft portion 210 having a vertical (Z-axis direction) axial direction, and a radial direction of the guide shaft 21 on the side of the upper end 210a of the base shaft portion 210 (which is orthogonal to the axial direction of the base shaft portion 210 in the horizontal direction). Direction) and a head portion 211 extending outward. That is, the guide shaft 21 has a substantially T-shaped vertical cross section.

  The support plate 23 shown in FIG. 1 is formed, for example, in the shape of a flat plate having a circular outer shape, and the outer periphery of the support plate 23 is formed so as to penetrate in the thickness direction (Z axis direction) and the guide shaft 21 is inserted therethrough. A hole 230 is provided. The through holes 230 are formed, for example, at a plurality of positions (for example, four positions at 90 ° intervals, only two positions are shown in FIG. 1) at regular intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral portion of the support plate 23. The base shaft portions 210 of the guide shafts 21 (a total of four in this embodiment, only two in FIG. 1) are loosely fitted in the respective through holes 230, and the guide shafts 21 are attached to the support plate 23. On the other hand, it is movable in the Z-axis direction. The head portion 211 of the guide shaft 21 is formed with a diameter larger than the diameter of the through hole 230 so as not to penetrate the through hole 230 formed in the support plate 23. As shown in FIG. 1, the base shaft portion 210 of the guide shaft 21 has a length at least equal to or larger than the thickness of the support plate 23, and the guide shaft 21 is in a state in which the suction pad 20 is not in contact with the plate-shaped work W. A gap of a predetermined width is formed between the lower surface 23b of the support plate 23 in which 21 is inserted and the upper surface 201b of the suction pad 20 fixed to the lower end 210b of the guide shaft 21.

  The suction holding means 2 includes a spring 27 that maintains the state in which the guide shaft 21 supports the suction pad 20 and biases the suction pad 20 toward the support plate 23. The spring 27 is, for example, a torsion coil spring that extends from its natural length and tries to return, and is disposed between the lower surface 211 b of the head portion 211 and the support plate 23, and is attached in a direction in which the suction pad 20 approaches the support plate 21. I am energetic. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the inner diameter of the spring 27 is larger than the outer diameter of the base shaft portion 210 of the guide shaft 21, and the outer diameter of the spring 27 is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the head portion 211 of the guide shaft 21. When the base shaft portion 210 of the guide shaft 21 is inserted into the central opening portion of the spring 27, the upper end of the spring 27 comes into contact with the lower surface 211b of the head 211.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a spring accommodating hole 230a having a hole diameter such that the spring 27 can be fitted therein is formed coaxially with the through hole 230 formed in the outer peripheral portion of the support plate 23. That is, the spring accommodating hole 230a is formed by increasing the outer diameter of the through hole 230 from the middle portion of the support plate 23 in the thickness direction (Z-axis direction) to the upper surface 23a of the support plate 23. The depth of the spring accommodating hole 230a from the upper surface 23a of the support plate 23 is, for example, substantially the same as the natural length of the spring 27. As shown in FIG. 2, after the spring 27 is immersed in the spring accommodating hole 230 a, the guide shaft 21 is inserted from above the support plate 23 into the central opening portion of the spring 27 and the through hole 230. Further, the lower end side of the spring 27 is fixed to the annular bottom surface of the spring accommodating hole 230a, and the upper end side of the spring 27 is fixed to the lower surface 211b of the head portion 211 using an appropriate adhesive or the like, and the lower end 210b of the guide shaft 21 is fixed. 1 is fixed to the upper surface 201b of the suction pad 20, the spring 27 causes the head 211 to move between the lower surface 211b of the head 211 of the guide shaft 21 and the support plate 23, as shown in FIG. Is arranged so as to expand when moved in a direction away from the Z axis direction.

  The arrangement mode of the spring 27 is not limited to the above-described mode. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B), the spring 27 is provided with the lower surface 211 b of the head 211 of the guide shaft 21 and the support plate. It may be disposed between the first and second terminals. That is, as shown in FIG. 3A, the spring 27 is placed on the upper surface 23 a of the support plate 23 with an appropriate adhesive or the like so that the central opening portion of the spring 27 and the through hole 230 of the support plate 23 overlap each other. Then, the guide shaft 21 is inserted into the central opening portion of the spring 27 and the through hole 230 from above the support plate 23. Then, the upper end side of the spring 27 is fixed to the lower surface 211b of the head portion 211 by using an appropriate adhesive or the like, and the lower end 210b of the guide shaft 21 is fixed to the upper surface 201b of the suction pad 20, so that as shown in FIG. ), The spring 27 is arranged in a state where it is not immersed in the support plate 23.

  As shown in FIG. 1, for example, a connecting member 250 is fixed to a central region of the upper surface 23 a of the supporting plate 23, and the supporting plate 23 has an arm portion 25 provided in the suction holding means 2 via the connecting member 250. Is fixed to the lower surface side at one end. The moving means 4 is connected to the arm portion 25, which enables the arm portion 25 to move in parallel on the horizontal plane or to turn, and to move up and down in the Z-axis direction. The moving means 4 is composed of, for example, an air cylinder for vertically moving the arm portion 25 in the Z-axis direction by air pressure, a ball screw mechanism for moving the arm portion 25 in parallel by rotating a ball screw by a motor, and the like.

  The operation of the transport unit 1 when the transport unit 1 carries out the plate-shaped work W from the holding table 3 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4 to 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the plate-shaped work W is suction-held on the holding surface 3a of the holding table 3 with the back surface Wb facing upward. First, the moving means 4 moves the suction holding means 2 on the horizontal plane so that the center of the suction pad 20 substantially coincides with the center of the plate-like work W, and the suction pad 20 is positioned above the plate-like work W. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the arm portion 25 descends in the −Z direction, and the holding surface 200a of the suction pad 20 and the back surface Wb of the plate-shaped work W come into contact with each other.

  When the holding surface 200a of the suction pad 20 and the back surface Wb of the plate-shaped work W come into contact with each other, the plate-shaped work W is pressed by the suction pad 20 in the −Z direction. At the same time, the guide shaft 21 loosely fitted to the support plate 23 moves in the + Z direction by the + Z-direction vertical reaction force acting from the plate-shaped work W via the suction pad 20. Therefore, the lower surface 211b of the head 211 of the guide shaft 21 that supports the suction pad 20 moves in the + Z direction away from the upper surface 23a of the support plate 23. With the movement of the guide shaft 21 in the + Z direction, the upper end side of the spring 27 having a natural length is pulled by the head portion 211 of the guide shaft 21 and the spring 27 is expanded in the + Z direction. The elastic energy that returns 27 to its natural length is accumulated.

  Due to the behavior of the spring 27 as described above, when the suction pad 20 holds the plate-like work W, the force of the spring 27 pressing the plate-like work W by the spring 27 is weakened while the suction pad 20 causes the plate-like work W to move. W can be reliably held. That is, in order to perform suction holding in a state where the center of the suction pad 20 is substantially aligned with the center of the plate-shaped work W, the plate-shaped work W is prevented from moving in the horizontal direction and the position is displaced, and It is necessary to bring the suction pad 20 into contact with the work W. Therefore, it is necessary to generate a frictional force of a predetermined magnitude between the holding surface 200a of the suction pad 20 and the back surface Wb of the plate-shaped work W. The frictional force increases as the holding surface 200a of the suction pad 20 is strongly pressed against the back surface Wb of the plate-shaped work W, but the plate-shaped work W is more likely to be damaged. Here, in the transport unit 1 according to the present invention, the spring 27 applies a force to the plate-like work W from the suction pad 20 in a well-balanced manner, and the holding surface 200a of the suction pad 20 and the back surface of the plate-like work W are applied. While generating a frictional force between Wb and the plate-like work W to prevent displacement of the plate-like work W, a pressing force enough to cause damage to the plate-like work W is not applied from the suction pad 20 to the plate-like work W. It becomes possible to That is, the pressing force excessively applied to the plate-shaped work W from the suction pad 20 is offset and weakened by expanding the spring 27, so that an appropriate pressing force is applied from the suction pad 20 to the plate-shaped work W. can do. Note that, for example, when the suction holding means 2 is not provided with the spring 27, the positional displacement of the plate work W is simply prevented between the holding surface 200a of the suction pad 20 and the back surface Wb of the plate work W. Since it is not possible to generate a pressing force to the extent that a frictional force can be generated, the plate-like work W moves in the horizontal direction, and a positional deviation easily occurs.

  After the suction pad 20 contacts the plate-shaped work W, the suction force generated by the suction source 29 is transmitted to the holding surface 200a, so that the suction pad 20 sucks and holds the plate-shaped work W. .. At the same time, the suction holding of the plate-shaped work W by the holding table 3 is released. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the plate-shaped work W is unloaded from the holding table 3 by the transport unit 1 by the arm portion 25 rising in the + Z direction. When the plate-shaped work W separates from the holding surface 3a of the holding table 3, the spring 27 expanded by the elastic energy stored in the spring 27 returns to its natural length, and accordingly, the plate-shaped work W comes into contact with the plate-shaped work W. The suction pad 20 that holds by suction moves in the + Z direction so as to approach the support plate 23.

(Embodiment 2)
In the transport unit 1A according to the present invention shown in FIG. 6, the suction pad 20 which is a part of the configuration of the suction holding means 2 of the transport unit shown in FIG. 1 is changed to a Bernoulli type suction pad 26 shown in FIG. This is a device including a holding means 2A. The transport unit 1 and the transport unit 1A have the same configuration except that the suction pad 20 of the suction holding unit 2 and the suction pad 26 of the suction holding unit 2A are different in configuration.

  The suction pad 26 is fixed to the lower end 210b of the guide shaft 21 and is supported by the guide shaft 21. The suction pad 26 includes, for example, a suction generation unit 260 that generates a negative pressure by ejecting air from the air ejection port 260c and sucks the plate-shaped work W in a non-contact manner, and a plate-shaped work that is suctioned by the suction generation unit 260. It is provided with a contact portion 261 that restricts the movement of the plate-like workpiece W in the horizontal direction by coming into contact with the outer peripheral region of W, and a substrate portion 264 on which the suction generation portion 260 and the contact portion 261 are arranged.

  The plate-shaped base plate portion 264 having a circular outer shape is curved in a slightly bowl-like shape by gradually curving from the center toward the outer peripheral portion in the + Z direction. That is, when the plate-shaped work W is suction-held, the suction surface 264a of the substrate portion 264 that faces the plate-shaped work W in a non-contact manner is curved inward. The shape and configuration of the substrate portion 264 are not limited to the shape in this embodiment. For example, the substrate portion 264 may have an outer shape formed in a circular flat plate shape or an annular shape, or may be configured by a plurality of members such as an annular member and a linear member.

  For example, one suction generation unit 260 that sucks the plate-shaped workpiece W in a non-contact manner is arranged in the central region of the suction surface 264a of the substrate unit 264. For example, an air supply path 260b is formed inside the suction generation section 260 having a disk-shaped outer shape, and the air supply path 260b is connected to a ring-shaped air ejection port 260c formed on the bottom surface of the suction generation section 260. It is in communication. Further, one end of a communication passage 280, which communicates with the air supply source 28 such as a compressor, is connected to the air supply passage 260b. Note that, for example, the air supply passage 260b may be formed with an annular orifice or the like that accelerates the air supplied from the air supply source 28 to the suction generation unit 260.

  The contact portion 261 that restricts the horizontal movement of the plate-shaped workpiece W is, for example, a columnar member made of rubber or sponge, and is fixed in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral portion of the suction surface 264a of the substrate portion 264. A plurality of them (for example, four at 90-degree intervals, only two in FIG. 6) are fixed at intervals. The lower end surface of each contact portion 261 is located at a height position below the suction generation portion 260.

  The operation of the transport unit 1A when the transport unit 1A carries out the plate-shaped work W from the holding table 3 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the plate-shaped work W is suction-held on the holding surface 3a of the holding table 3 with the back surface Wb facing upward. First, the moving means 4 moves the suction holding means 2A on the horizontal plane so that the center of the suction pad 26 substantially coincides with the center of the plate-like work W, and the suction pad 26 is positioned above the plate-like work W. .. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the arm portion 25 descends in the −Z direction, the contact portion 261 comes into contact with the outer peripheral region of the plate-shaped workpiece W, and the suction generation unit 260 and the back surface Wb of the plate-shaped workpiece W are separated. The suction pad 26 descends in the -Z direction to a position where it does not contact.

  When the contact portion 261 of the suction pad 26 and the back surface Wb of the plate-shaped work W come into contact with each other, the plate-shaped work W is pressed by the suction pad 26 in the −Z direction. At the same time, the guide shaft 21 loosely fitted to the support plate 23 moves in the + Z direction by the vertical reaction force acting from the plate-shaped work W via the suction pad 26. Therefore, the lower surface 211b of the head portion 211 of the guide shaft 21 that supports the suction pad 26 moves in the + Z direction in which it is separated from the upper surface 23a of the support plate 23. With the movement of the guide shaft 21 in the + Z direction, the upper end side of the spring 27 having a natural length is pulled by the head portion 211 of the guide shaft 21 and expanded in the + Z direction, so that the spring 27 naturally moves. The elastic energy that returns to the length is accumulated.

  Due to the behavior of the spring 27 as described above, when the suction pad 26 holds the plate-like work W, the force of the contact portion 261 of the suction pad 26 pressing the plate-like work W by the spring 27 is weakened, and the suction pad 26 is reduced. Thereby, the plate-shaped work W can be reliably held. That is, in order to perform suction holding in a state where the center of the suction pad 26 is substantially aligned with the center of the plate-shaped work W, the suction pad is prevented while preventing the plate-shaped work W from moving in the horizontal direction and being displaced. It is necessary to contact the contact portion 261 of 26 with the back surface Wb of the plate-shaped work W. Therefore, it is necessary to generate a predetermined amount of frictional force between the contact portion 261 of the suction pad 26 and the back surface Wb of the plate-shaped work W. The frictional force increases as the contact portion 261 of the suction pad 26 is pressed against the back surface Wb of the plate-like work W with a stronger force, but the plate-like work W is more likely to be damaged. Here, in the transport unit 1A according to the present invention, the spring 27 applies a well-balanced force to the plate-shaped workpiece W from the contact part 261 of the suction pad 26, and the contact part 261 of the suction pad 26 and the plate-shaped work W While generating a frictional force between the back surface Wb of the work W and the back surface Wb of the work W, a pressing force enough to damage the work W is applied from the suction pad 26 to the work W. It becomes possible not to hit W. That is, the pressing force excessively applied to the plate-like work W from the suction pad 26 is offset and weakened by expanding the spring 27, so that the pressing force is appropriately applied to the plate-like work W from the suction pad 26. can do. Note that, for example, when the suction holding means 2A is not provided with the spring 27, the positional displacement of the plate-shaped work W is simply prevented between the contact portion 261 of the suction pad 26 and the back surface Wb of the plate-shaped work W. Since it is not possible to generate a pressing force to the extent that a frictional force can be generated, the plate-shaped work W moves in the horizontal direction and a positional deviation easily occurs.

  After the suction pad 26 descends to a predetermined position in the Z-axis direction, the air supply source 28 supplies high-pressure air to the air supply passage 260b inside the suction pad 26 via the communication passage 280. The air supplied to the suction pad 26 is accelerated in the air supply path 260b through, for example, an annular orifice (not shown), and is ejected from the air ejection port 260c onto the back surface Wb of the plate-shaped work W. The high-pressure air ejected from the air ejection port 260c flows between the suction pad 26 and the plate-like work W in the radial direction from the center of the plate-like work W and is discharged to the atmosphere. Therefore, the high-pressure air flows in the gap between the suction surface 264a of the suction pad 26 and the back surface Wb of the plate-like work W at a high speed in the radial direction, so that the negative pressure due to the Bernoulli effect is centered around the suction generation unit 260. Is generated, and the plate-like work W is held by suction with the suction pad 26 in a non-contact state. In the second embodiment, for example, one suction generation unit 260 is arranged in the central region of the suction surface 264a of the substrate unit 264, but the suction generation unit 260 is arranged at the outer peripheral portion of the suction surface 264a of the substrate unit 264 in the circumferential direction. It is also possible to dispose a plurality of them at regular intervals. In this case, the contact portions 261 and the suction generation portion 260 are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral portion of the suction surface 264a. The suction generator 260 is configured to generate a negative flow for sucking the plate-like work W by forming a swirl flow with the plate-like work W by the high-pressure air supplied from the air supply source 28. May be.

  After the suction pad 26 suction-holds the plate-shaped work W in a non-contact manner, the suction-holding of the plate-shaped work W by the holding table 3 is released. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the plate-shaped workpiece W is unloaded from the holding table 3 by the transport unit 1A by moving the arm portion 25 upward in the + Z direction. When the plate-shaped work W separates from the holding surface 3a of the holding table 3, the spring 27 expanded by the elastic energy stored in the spring 27 returns to the natural length, and accordingly, the plate-shaped work W does not contact. The suction pad 26, which is suction-held by, moves in the + Z direction so as to approach the support plate 23.

  The transport unit according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described first and second embodiments, and the size and shape of each configuration of the transport unit according to each embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings are also included. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be appropriately changed within the range in which the effects of the present invention can be exhibited.

  For example, in the transport unit 1B according to the present invention shown in FIG. 9, the spring 27, which is a part of the structure of the suction holding means 2A of the transport unit 1A shown in FIG. 6, is replaced with the spring 24 and the location of the spring is changed. The device is provided with the suction holding means 2B. The transport unit 1A and the transport unit 1B are configured in the same manner except that the spring 27 is changed to the spring 24 and the configuration of the spring is different. The spring 24 is, for example, a spring biased in a direction in which it contracts from its natural length and tries to return, that is, a direction in which the suction pad 26 approaches the support plate 21, and the upper end side of the spring 24 is the lower surface of the support plate 23. 23 b by adhering and fixing the lower end side of the spring 24 to the upper surface 264 b of the base plate portion 264 by adhering and fixing the lower end side of the spring 24 between the supporting plate 23 and the suction pad 26. It is arranged so that it contracts when it moves in the separating direction.

  When the contact portion 261 of the suction pad 26 shown in FIG. 9 and the back surface Wb of the plate-shaped work W come into contact with each other, the plate-shaped work W is pressed from the suction pad 26 in the −Z direction. At the same time, the guide shaft 21 loosely fitted to the support plate 23 moves in the + Z direction by the vertical reaction force acting from the plate-shaped work W via the suction pad 26. Therefore, the head portion 211 of the guide shaft 21 that supports the suction pad 26 moves in the + Z direction, which is separated from the upper surface 23 a of the support plate 23. As the guide shaft 21 moves in the + Z direction, the spring 24 having a natural length contracts. In the transport unit 1B according to the present invention, the spring 24 that behaves as described above exerts a force that presses the plate-shaped workpiece W in a well-balanced manner from the contact portion 261 of the suction pad 26, and the contact portion 261 of the suction pad 26. While generating a frictional force between the plate-like work W and the back surface Wb of the plate-like work W to prevent displacement of the plate-like work W, the pressing force enough to cause damage to the plate-like work W is applied from the suction pad 26. It is possible to prevent the work W from being applied.

1: Transport unit 2: Suction holding means 20: Suction pad 200: Suction part 200a: Holding surface 201: Frame 21: Guide shaft 210: Base shaft part 211: Head part 211b: Lower surface 23 of head part: Support plate 230: Penetration Hole 230a: Spring accommodation hole 25: Arm part 250: Connection member 27: Spring 29: Suction source 290: Communication path 4: Moving means 3: Holding table 3a: Holding surface of holding table W: Plate-shaped work
1A: Transport unit 2A: Suction holding means
26: Bernoulli-type suction pad 260: suction generation section 260b: air supply path 260c: air ejection port 261: contact section 264: substrate section 28: air supply source 280: air supply path 1B: transport unit 2B: suction holding means 24 :Spring

Claims (4)

A transport unit for transporting a plate-shaped work,
A suction holding means for sucking and holding the plate-like work, and a moving means for moving the suction holding means,
The suction holding means includes a suction pad for sucking and holding a plate-like work, a guide shaft movably supporting the suction pad in a direction approaching and separating from the plate-like work, and a through hole through which the guide shaft is inserted. A support plate for supporting the guide shaft, and a spring for maintaining the state in which the guide shaft supports the suction pad and urging the suction pad in a direction to approach the suction plate.
A transport unit, wherein when the suction pad holds a plate-like work, the force of the suction pad pressing the plate-like work is weakened by the spring. The guide shaft has a head portion that extends outward in the radial direction on the upper end side,
The transport unit according to claim 1, wherein the spring is arranged between the lower surface of the head and the support plate so as to expand when the head moves in a direction in which the head is separated from the support plate.   The transport unit according to claim 1, wherein the spring is arranged between the support plate and the suction pad so as to contract when the suction pad moves in a direction away from the support plate. The suction pad is in contact with a suction generation unit that generates a negative pressure by ejecting air from an air ejection port and sucks a plate-like work in a non-contact manner, and an outer peripheral region of the plate-like work sucked by the suction generation unit. And a contact portion for restricting the horizontal movement of the plate-like work,
4. The transport unit according to claim 1, wherein when the suction pad holds the plate-shaped work, the force of the contact portion of the suction pad to press the plate-shaped work is weakened by the spring.

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