JP7443151B2 - Conveyance system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a conveyance system for conveying a workpiece.

2. Description of the Related Art A conveyance system that is incorporated into an assembly line for liquid crystal display devices used in mobile devices and the like is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). The conveyance system described in Patent Document 1 includes a shuttle robot that conveys a workpiece in a first direction, a plurality of placing units arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the shuttle robot and on which trays are placed, and a shuttle robot that conveys a workpiece in a first direction. It includes a transport robot that moves the workpiece transported by the robot to the tray. The transfer robot is a pick-and-place type robot, and includes a head including a tray suction section, a second direction drive section that moves the head in the second direction, and a first direction drive section that moves the second direction drive section in the first direction. and a direction drive section.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-311086

In the conveyance system described in Patent Document 1, in order to improve the maintainability of the conveyance system, the distance in the second direction between the plurality of trays on which trays are placed may be increased, or the number of trays may be increased. If the width in the second direction of the area in which the placement section is arranged increases due to the increase in the width of the area, the second direction drive section of the transfer robot also becomes larger in the second direction, resulting in an increase in the size of the transfer robot. For this reason, there is a problem in that the spacing and number of the receivers are limited, and the layout of the receivers cannot be freely designed.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a transport system that can prevent the transport robot from increasing in size due to the layout of the mounting section.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the conveyance system of the present invention includes a first robot that moves the workpiece that has been carried in, and a first placement section on which the workpiece that has been moved by the first robot is placed. a first discharge mechanism; a carriage on which the workpiece moved by the first robot is placed; a carriage that transports the workpiece in a first direction; a second robot that moves the workpiece transported by the carriage; a second ejecting mechanism including a second placement section on which the workpiece moved by the second robot is placed, the second placement section being on the side of the first placement section in the first direction; It is characterized by being located in

In the present invention, the second mounting section is located on the first direction side of the first mounting section. With this configuration, the workpiece transported in the first direction by the carriage is placed on the second placement section by the second robot. Therefore, since the first robot does not place a workpiece on the second placing section, even if the distance in the first direction between the first placing section and the second placing section is increased, the first robot can be made larger. There's no need to. Therefore, even if the distance in the first direction between the first placement section and the second placement section is increased for the purpose of improving maintainability, the workpiece is transported in the first direction by the carriage, so the distance between the first placement section and the second placement section is increased. It is possible to suppress the increase in the size of one robot.

In the present invention, the first mounting section and the second mounting section may be arranged in a direction along the first direction.

In the present invention, the first ejection mechanism includes a first tray supply mechanism that supplies the tray to the first placement section, and the second ejection mechanism includes a second tray supply mechanism that supplies the tray to the second placement section. The first robot includes a tray supply mechanism, the first robot places the workpiece on the tray supplied to the first mounting section, and the second robot loads the workpiece on the tray supplied to the second mounting section. It is preferable to place the workpiece on. With this configuration, the first robot and the second robot can each accommodate a workpiece in the tray.

In the present invention, after the workpiece is placed on the tray by a first robot, the first placing section moves downward by the thickness of the tray, and the first tray feeding mechanism moves the workpiece downward by the thickness of the tray. It is preferable that another tray on which the workpiece is not placed is stacked on top of the placed tray. With this configuration, since the height of the tray can be kept constant, it is possible to suppress the first robot from increasing in size in the height direction.

In the present invention, after the workpiece is placed on the tray by a second robot, the second placing section moves downward by the thickness of the tray, and the second tray feeding mechanism moves the workpiece downward by the thickness of the tray. It is preferable that another tray on which the workpiece is not placed is stacked on top of the placed tray. With this configuration, the height of the tray can be kept constant, so it is possible to prevent the second robot from increasing in size in the height direction.

In the present invention, an aspect is adopted in which the first ejecting mechanism includes a first tray ejecting mechanism that ejects the stacked trays from the first stacking section after a preset number of trays are stacked. can do. In this case, in the present invention, it is preferable that the first tray feeding mechanism is located below the first tray feeding mechanism and overlaps the first tray feeding mechanism in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the installation area of the first ejection mechanism can be made compact.

In the present invention, an aspect is adopted in which the second ejecting mechanism includes a second tray ejecting mechanism that ejects the stacked trays from the second stacking section after a preset number of the trays are stacked. can do. In this case, in the present invention, it is preferable that the second tray delivery mechanism is located below the second tray supply mechanism and overlaps the second tray supply mechanism in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the installation area of the second ejection mechanism can be made compact.

In the present invention, an aspect may be adopted in which a plurality of the first mounting portions are provided in a direction along the first direction. In this case, in the present invention, the workpiece is a display panel, the display panel is any one of a non-defective product, a defective product, and a re-inspected product, and the display panel of the non-defective product is inspected by the first robot. The display panel of the re-inspected product is placed on some of the plurality of first placing parts, and the display panel of the re-inspected item is placed on some of the plurality of first placing parts by the first robot. It is possible to adopt an aspect in which the display panel of the re-inspection item is placed on a part of the first placing section by the second robot.

In the conveyance system of the present invention, even if the placement section is freely arranged, it is possible to suppress the first robot from increasing in size.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conveyance system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of a conveyance system. It is a side view of a conveyance system. It is a perspective view of a conveyance system. It is a figure explaining the movement of a separation mechanism. It is a figure explaining the movement of a stacking mechanism. It is a front view of the conveyance system concerning a 2nd embodiment.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description will focus on the case where the workpiece is the display panel 100. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conveyance system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a front view of the conveyance system, FIG. 2(a) is a front view showing the conveyance system from the AA direction in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2(b) is a front view showing the conveyance system from the BB direction in FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the conveyance system. 3 is a side view of the conveyance system, FIG. 3(a) is a side view showing the conveyance system from the direction CC in FIG. 2(a), and FIG. 3(b) is a side view of the conveyance system in FIG. ) is a side view showing the conveyance system from the DD direction. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the transport system. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the movement of the separation mechanism. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the movement of the stacking mechanism.

(Overall configuration of conveyance system)
The transport system 1 of this embodiment is used by being incorporated into a manufacturing line for small liquid crystal displays used in mobile devices and the like. When the display panel 100, which is the workpiece inspected in the previous process, is carried in by the carry-in mechanism 9, the conveyance system 1 carries it based on the inspection results of the carried-in display panel 100. The display panel 100 is a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL panel, or the like. The display panel 100 is formed in a rectangular shape. In this embodiment, the pre-process is a lighting inspection process of the display panel 100, and the display panel 100 is classified into a non-defective product, a defective product, or a re-inspected product based on the test results of the lighting test.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the transport system 1 includes a first robot 2 that moves the display panel 100 that has been carried in, and a first mounting device on which the display panel 100 that has been moved by the first robot 2 is placed. a first ejection mechanism 3A including a section 31; a carriage 4 on which the display panel 100 moved by the first robot 2 is placed and transports the display panel 100 in the first direction; and a display panel 100 transported by the carriage 4. and a second ejecting mechanism 3B including a second placing section 34 on which the display panel 100 moved by the second robot 5 is placed. Further, an empty tray 10 is placed on the first placing section 31 of the first ejection mechanism 3A, and the first robot 2 moves the display panel 100 to the empty tray 10. Similarly, an empty tray 10 is placed on the second placing section 34 of the second ejection mechanism 3B, and the second robot 5 moves the display panel 100 to the empty tray 10. The tray 10 of this embodiment is formed into a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. A recessed portion in which the display panel 100 is accommodated is formed on the upper surface of the tray 10.

Here, in the figure, three mutually orthogonal axes are referred to as an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis. Carriage 4 extends along the Y-axis. The Z axis is a vertical axis. On the Y axis, the direction in which the carriage 4 conveys the display panel 100 is defined as the Y1 direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the Y2 direction. In the Z axis, the upper direction is the Z1 direction, and the lower direction is the Z2 direction. On the X axis, one direction is defined as the X1 direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the X2 direction. In this embodiment, the Y1 direction is the first direction.

(Carrying mechanism)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the carry-in mechanism 9 conveys the display panel 100 inspected in the previous process to the conveyance system 1. The carry-in mechanism 9 includes a stage 91 on which the display panel 100 is placed, and a transport section 92 that transports the stage 91 in the X-axis direction. The carry-in mechanism 9 includes an electric cylinder and the like. The carry-in mechanism 9 transports the display panel 100 placed on the stage 91 at the end in the X2 direction from the end in the X2 direction to the end in the X1 direction. Two display panels 100 are placed on the stage 91.

(1st robot)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the first robot 2 is a pick-and-place type robot. The first robot 2 includes a head 21 that supports a holding unit 24 that holds the display panel 100 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction, a Y-axis transport unit 22 that moves the head 21 in the Y-axis direction, and a Y-axis transport unit 22. and an X-axis transport section 23 that moves the X-axis in the X-axis direction. The holding section 24 holds the display panel 100 by adsorbing the display panel 100. The holding unit 24 can simultaneously hold two display panels 100 placed on the stage 91. The Y-axis conveyance section 22 and the X-axis conveyance section 23 are composed of electric cylinders and the like.

Therefore, since the first robot 2 can move the holding section 24 in the X-axis, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction, the first robot 2 can move the display panel 100 carried in by the carrying mechanism 9 onto the first mounting section 31. Alternatively, it is possible to move it to the stage 41 of the carriage 4. The first robot 2 moves the display panel 100 to the first mounting section 31 or the stage 41 of the carriage 4 based on the inspection result of the display panel 100 inspected in the previous process. Specifically, the first robot 2 moves the display panel 100 to the first mounting section 31A if the display panel 100 is a good product, and moves the display panel 100 to the first mounting section 31A if the display panel 100 is a re-inspected product. 31B, and if the display panel 100 is defective, the display panel 100 is moved to the stage 41 of the carriage 4.

(First ejection mechanism)
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2(a), and 3, the first ejecting mechanism 3A includes a first placing section 31 and a first tray supplying mechanism that supplies empty trays 10 to the first placing section 31. 32, and a first tray delivery mechanism 33 for ejecting the tray 10 placed on the first placement section 31. The first ejecting mechanism 3A also includes a cart 61 for taking out the trays 10 ejected from the first tray sending mechanism 33, and a tray transporting section that transports the stacked empty trays 10 to the first tray supplying mechanism 32. 62, and a moving section 63 that transports the empty tray 10 from the tray transport section 62 to the first tray supply mechanism 32.

The first placement section 31 includes two support sections 311 on which the trays 10 are placed. The support portion 311 extends in the X1 direction from both ends of the base portion 315 that extends in the Y-axis direction. The first mounting section 31 is provided with an opening 313 surrounded by a support section 311 and a base section 315 . The support section 311 is moved in the vertical direction by the position adjustment section 312 via the base section 315. The position adjustment unit 312 is composed of an electric cylinder or the like, and moves the support unit 311 in the vertical direction according to the number of trays 10 placed on the support unit 311. In this embodiment, two first mounting parts 31 are arranged in the direction along the first direction. One of the two first mounting sections 31 is a first mounting section 31A, and the other is a first mounting section 31B. The first mounting section 31A is located on the Y1 direction side of the first mounting section 31B. The tray 10 placed on the first placement section 31A accommodates display panels 100 of good quality, and the tray 10 placed on the first placement section 31B accommodates display panels 100 of re-inspected products. be done.

The first tray supply mechanism 32 includes a separating mechanism 37 that holds the stacked trays 10 and separates the lower trays 10 from the stacked trays 10, and a stage 38 that transports the separated trays 10. , and a stacking mechanism 39 that places the trays 10 conveyed on the stage 38 on the support section 311.

The separation mechanism 37 consists of a pair of parts located on both sides of the tray 10 in the Y-axis direction.
The separation mechanism 37 includes a first claw part 371 on which the lowest tray 10 is placed, a second claw part 372 that supports the tray 10 one stage higher than the lowest stage, and a second claw part 372 that supports the tray 10 on the lowest stage from the stacked trays 10. A separating claw portion 373 for separating the tray 10 is provided. Further, the separation mechanism 37 includes a tray detection sensor 374 that detects the presence or absence of the tray 10, and a tray stopper 375.

The first claw portion 371 includes a claw portion 371A that protrudes from the side in the Z2 direction (see FIG. 5). The first claw portion 371 is moved in the vertical direction by a cylinder or the like. The distance between the opposing first claw portions 371 in the Y-axis direction is slightly narrower than the width of the tray 10 in the Y-axis direction. That is, the claw portions 371A of the first claw portions 371 support the tray 10 at both ends of the tray 10 in the Y-axis direction.

The second claw portion 372 includes a claw portion 372A that projects from the side in the Z2 direction (see FIG. 5). The second claw portion 372 moves in the vertical direction and the Y-axis direction by a cylinder or the like. Specifically, the opposing second claw portions 372 move from a spacing at which the claw portions 372A support the tray 10 to a spacing at which the claw portions 372A do not support the tray 10 at both ends of the tray 10 in the Y-axis direction.

The separation claw portion 373 includes a claw portion 373A that protrudes from the side in the Z2 direction (see FIG. 5). The separation claw portion 373 moves in the vertical direction and the Y-axis direction by a cylinder or the like. Specifically, the opposing separating claw portions 373 move from a spacing at which the claw portions 373A support the tray 10 to a spacing at which the claw portions 373A do not support the tray 10 at both ends of the tray 10 in the Y-axis direction.

The tray stopper 375 is located on the side of the separation mechanism 37 in the X1 direction. The tray stopper 375 includes a partition plate 376 and a cylinder 377 that moves the partition plate 376 in the Y-axis direction. The partition plate 376 is a metal plate, and regulates the position of the tray 10 held by the separation mechanism 37 in the X1 direction. The cylinder 377 is located on the side of the separation mechanism 37 in the Y1 direction.

The stage 38 is moved in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction by a moving mechanism 381. When the lowermost tray 10 separated by the separating mechanism 37 is placed on the stage 38, the moving mechanism 381 moves the stage 38 in the X2 direction. The stacking mechanism 39 places the tray 10 transported by the stage 38 on the support section 311.

The stacking mechanism 39 consists of a pair of parts located on both sides of the support part 311 in the Y-axis direction. The stacking mechanism 39 includes a first claw part 371 on which the lowest tray 10 is placed, a second claw part 372 that supports the tray 10 one stage higher than the lowest stage, and a second claw part 372 that supports the tray 10 one stage higher than the lowest stage. and a separating claw part 373 for separating the trays 10. Further, the stacking mechanism 39 includes a tray detection sensor 393 that detects the presence or absence of the tray 10.

The first claw portion 391 includes a claw portion 391A that projects from the side in the Z2 direction (see FIG. 6). The first claw portion 391 moves in the Y-axis direction by a cylinder or the like. Specifically, the opposing first claw portions 391 are arranged at both ends of the tray 10 placed on the support portion 311 in the Y-axis direction, from the spacing at which the claw portions 391A support the tray 10 to the spacing at which the claw portions 391A do not support the tray 10. Move so that

The second claw portion 392 includes a lower claw portion 392A projecting from the Z2 direction side and an upper claw portion 392B projecting from the Z1 direction side (see FIG. 6). The second claw portion 392 moves in the vertical direction and the Y-axis direction by a cylinder or the like. Specifically, the opposing second claw portions 392 are arranged at intervals at which the lower claw portion 392A and the upper claw portion 392B support the tray 10 at both ends of the tray 10 placed on the support portion 311 in the Y-axis direction. Move so that the tray 10 is not supported.

The first tray delivery mechanism 33 transports the tray 10 placed on the first placement section 31 to the cart 61. The first tray delivery mechanism 33 is located below the first tray supply mechanism 32 and overlaps the first tray 31 in the vertical direction. The first tray delivery mechanism 33 includes a belt conveyor 331. Belt conveyor 331 extends in the X-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 3A, the width of the belt conveyor 331 in the Y-axis direction is narrower than the interval between the supporting parts 311 in the Y-axis direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 2A, the end of the belt conveyor 331 on the X2 direction side is located in the X1 direction from the base 315. Therefore, when the support part 311 is moved in the vertical direction by the position adjustment part 312, the belt conveyor 331 can pass through the opening part 313.

The trolley 61 is used to take out the tray 10 ejected by the first tray delivery mechanism 33 from the first ejection mechanism 3A. The trolley 61 includes a belt conveyor 611. A lift 612 is provided below the belt conveyor 611 to move the belt conveyor 611 in the vertical direction. The lift 612 moves the belt conveyor 611 up and down so that the height of the belt conveyor 611 is the same as the height of the belt conveyor 331. The trolley 61 includes a connecting portion 613 connected to the first tray delivery mechanism 33 at the end in the X2 direction. Except when the tray 10 is taken out using the cart 61, the connecting portion 613 is connected to the first tray delivery mechanism 33, so that the cart 61 is fixed.

The tray transport unit 62 transports the stacked trays 10 in the X2 direction. The tray conveyance section 62 extends in the X-axis direction and includes a roller conveyor or the like. Roller parts 621 are provided at both ends of the tray conveyance part 62 in the Y-axis direction, and an opening part 622 is provided in the center part in the Y-axis direction. The roller section 621 is rotated by a drive section (not shown), and the tray 10 is conveyed by the rotation of the roller section 621. The tray transport section 62 includes a downstream tray stopper 623A and an upstream tray stopper 623B. The tray stopper 623A includes a partition plate 624A and a cylinder 625A that moves the partition plate 624A in the Y-axis direction. The tray stopper 623B includes a partition plate 624B and a cylinder 625B that moves the partition plate 624B in the Y-axis direction. The partition plate 624A and the partition plate 624B are metal plates, and restrict movement of the tray 10 transported by the roller section 621 in the X2 direction. Cylinder 625A and cylinder 625B are located on the side of roller portion 621 in the Y2 direction.

The tray transport section 62 is provided with a downstream tray detection sensor 626A and an upstream tray detection sensor 626B. The tray detection sensor 626A and the tray detection sensor 626B are composed of photosensors and the like, and detect the position of the tray 10.

The moving unit 63 includes a stage 631 on which the tray 10 is placed, a drive unit 632 that moves the stage 631 in the X-axis direction, and a lift 633 that moves the stage 631 in the vertical direction via the drive unit 632. The stage 631 includes guide portions 634 that protrude upward from both ends in the X-axis direction. The width of the stage 631 in the Y-axis direction is narrower than the width of the opposing first claw portion 371 in the Y-axis direction and the width of the opening 622 of the tray transport section 62 in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, the stage 631 has a size that allows it to pass vertically between the opposing first claws 371 and through the opening 622 of the tray transport section 62.

The tray 10 is placed on the stage 631 while being positioned by the guide section 634. The drive unit 632 moves the stage 631 from a position where the separation mechanism 37 and the stage 631 overlap in the vertical direction to a position where the opening 622 of the tray transport unit 62 and the stage 631 overlap in the vertical direction.

Here, the movement of the first ejection mechanism 3A will be explained. First, the movement of transporting the stacked trays 10 from the tray transport section 62 to the first tray supply mechanism 32 will be described. Two sets of stacked trays 10 are carried into the tray transport section 62. At this time, the upstream cylinder 625B moves the partition plate 624B in the Y1 direction, thereby restricting the tray 10 from moving in the X2 direction. Similarly, in the downstream cylinder 625A, movement of the tray 10 in the X2 direction is restricted by moving the partition plate 624A in the Y1 direction. Furthermore, in this state, the stages 631 are located below the opening 622 of the tray conveying section 62 and at positions overlapping in the vertical direction.

When the tray 10 is not placed on the separation mechanism 37, the cylinder 377 moves the partition plate 376 in the Y1 direction. The lift 633 moves the stage 631 upward, and the downstream cylinder 625A moves the partition plate 624A in the Y2 direction. As a result, the stage 631 passes through the opening 622 of the tray transport section 62, so that the stacked trays 10 are placed on the stage 631. Then, the drive unit 632 moves the stage 631 in the X2 direction, and stops moving the stage 631 when it overlaps the separation mechanism 37 in the vertical direction.

At this time, the stage 631 is located above the first claw portion 371 of the separation mechanism 37, as will be described later. The lift 633 then moves the stage 631 to a position below the first claw portion 371. As a result, the tray 10 placed on the stage 631 is placed on the first claw portion 371. Then, the cylinder 377 moves the partition plate 376 in the Y2 direction, and the partition plate 376 regulates the position of the tray 10 placed on the first claw part 371 in the X1 direction.

When the stage 631 is in the initial position, the downstream cylinder 625A moves the partition plate 624A in the Y1 direction, and the upstream cylinder 625B moves the partition plate 624B in the Y2 direction. Then, the tray transport unit 62 resumes transporting the tray 10 located upstream. When the upstream tray detection sensor 626B detects passage of the tray 10, the upstream cylinder 625B moves the partition plate 624B in the Y1 direction. When the downstream tray detection sensor 626A detects the arrival of the tray 10, the tray transport section 62 stops transporting the tray 10.

Next, the movement of the first tray supply mechanism 32 will be explained using FIGS. 5 and 6. Note that FIGS. 5 and 6 show the separation mechanism 37 and stacking mechanism 39 in the Y1 direction.

The movement of the separation mechanism 37 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 5A, when the stage 631 is located above the first claw portion 371 of the separation mechanism 37, the first claw portion 371 is located at a position overlapping the tray 10 in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the second claw part 372 and the separation claw part 373 are retracted to positions where they do not overlap the tray 10 in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 5B, when the stage 631 moves below the first claw part 371, the tray 10 is placed on the first claw part 371. As shown in FIG. 5(c), when the stage 631 moves to the initial position, the second claw part 372 and the separation claw part 373 move in the Y2 direction. Specifically, the claw portion 372A of the second claw portion 372 and the claw portion 373A of the separation claw portion 373 are positioned between the lowest tray 10 and the tray 10 one stage higher than the lowest tray 10. The second claw portion 372 and the separation claw portion 373 move in the Y2 direction.

As shown in FIG. 5(d), the first claw portion 371 and the separation claw portion 373 move downward. At this time, since the tray 10 one step above the bottom tray 10 is supported by the second claw part 372, the bottom tray 10 is separated from the stacked trays 10 by the first claw part 371 and the separating claw part 373. separated from The separated lowermost tray 10 is placed on the stage 38. As shown in FIG. 5E, when the separating claw portion 373 moves in the Y1 direction, the stage 38 transports the tray 10 to the stacking mechanism 39.

As shown in FIG. 5(f), the first claw portion 371 moves upward and supports the tray 10 with the claw portion 371A. As shown in FIGS. 5(g) and 5(h), the separating claw portion 373 moves in the Y1 direction and then moves upward. Then, the separation mechanism 37 repeats the operations shown in FIGS. 5(c) to 5(h) until the tray detection sensor 374 detects that the tray 10 is gone.

The movement of the stacking mechanism 39 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 6(a), when the tray 10 is transported to the stacking mechanism 39 by the stage 38, the first claw portion 391 moves in the Y2 direction as shown in FIG. 6(b). Specifically, the claw portion 391A moves to a position where it overlaps the tray 10 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 6(c), the tray 10 is placed on the claw portion 391A of the first claw portion 391 by moving the stage 38 downward.

As shown in FIG. 6(d), after the stage 38 moves in the X1 direction, the second claw portion 392 moves in the Y2 direction. Specifically, the lower claw portion 392A and the upper claw portion 392B move to a position where they overlap the tray 10 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 6(e), when the first claw portion 391 moves in the Y1 direction, the second claw portion 392 moves downward as shown in FIG. 6(f). As a result, the empty tray 10 on which the display panel 100 is not placed is stacked on top of the stacked tray 10 on which the display panel 100 is placed. At this time, since the upper claw portion 392B presses down the tray 10 from above, the tray 10 is reliably stacked on the top of the stacked trays 10. After the trays 10 are stacked, the second claw portion 392 moves in the Y1 direction and also moves upward, as shown in FIG. 6(g). After the second claw portion 392 moves, the first robot 2 places the display panel 100 on the empty tray 10 at the top. After the display panel 100 is placed on the tray 10 by the first robot 2, the support portion 311 moves downward by the thickness of the tray. Thereafter, the stacking mechanism 39 repeats the operations shown in FIGS. 6A to 6G until the tray detection sensor 394 detects that a preset number of trays 10 are stacked on the support section 311.

Through the above operation, the first tray supply mechanism 32 places another tray 10 on the tray 10 on which the display panel 100 is placed before the display panel 100 is placed in the first placement section 31. Stack.

Next, the operation of the first tray delivery mechanism 33 will be explained. After a predetermined number of trays 10 are stacked on the support section 311, the position adjustment section 312 moves the support section 311 below the belt conveyor 331. At this time, the belt conveyor 331 passes through the opening 313, so that the tray 10 placed on the support section 311 is placed on the belt conveyor 331. After the tray 10 is placed on the belt conveyor 331, the belt conveyor 331 transports the tray 10 to the cart 61. At this time, the belt conveyor 611 of the cart 61 operates in conjunction with the movement of the belt conveyor 331 of the first tray delivery mechanism 33. After the tray 10 is transported to the trolley 61, the position adjustment section 312 moves the support section 311 upward.

(carriage)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the carriage 4 extends in the Y-axis direction. Specifically, the carriage 4 extends longer than the distance between the first mounting section 31A and the second mounting section 34 in the Y direction. The carriage 4 includes a stage 41 on which the display panel 100 is placed, and a transport section 42 that transports the stage 41 in the Y-axis direction. The stage 41 has a size on which two display panels 100 can be placed. The conveyance unit 42 includes an electric cylinder or the like. When the defective display panel 100 is placed on the stage 41 by the first robot 2, the carriage 4 transports the stage 41 from the end in the Y2 direction to the end in the Y1 direction. Two display panels 100 are placed on the stage 41.

(Second robot)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the second robot 5 is a pick-and-place type robot. The second robot 5 includes a head 51 that supports a holding section 54 that holds the display panel 100 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction, a Y-axis transport section 52 that moves the head 51 in the Y-axis direction, and a Y-axis transport section 52 that moves the head 51 in the Y-axis direction. and an X-axis transport section 53 that moves the X-axis in the X-axis direction. The holding unit 54 holds the display panel 100 by adsorbing the display panel 100. The holding section 54 can simultaneously hold the two display panels 100 placed on the stage 41. The Y-axis conveyance section 52 and the X-axis conveyance section 53 are composed of electric cylinders and the like. Therefore, since the second robot 5 can move the holding unit 54 in the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction, the second robot 5 can move the defective display panel 100 carried in by the carriage 4 to the second mount. It is possible to move it to the storage section 34.

(Second ejection mechanism)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(b), the second ejecting mechanism 3B includes a second placement section 34, a second tray supply mechanism 35 that supplies the empty tray 10 to the second placement section 34, A second tray delivery mechanism 36 is provided to eject the tray 10 placed on the second placement section 34. The defective display panel 100 is accommodated in the tray 10 placed on the second placement section 34 by the second tray supply mechanism 35 .

The second mounting section 34 of the second ejection mechanism 3B has the same configuration as the first mounting section 31 of the first ejection mechanism 3A. The second tray supply mechanism 35 of the second discharge mechanism 3B has the same configuration as the first tray supply mechanism 32 of the first discharge mechanism 3A. The second tray delivery mechanism 36 of the second delivery mechanism 3B has the same configuration as the first tray delivery mechanism 33 of the first delivery mechanism 3A. Therefore, in the second ejection mechanism 3B, the same components as those of the first ejection mechanism 3A may be given the same reference numerals and the explanation thereof may be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the second mounting section 34 is located on the side of the first mounting section 31 in the Y1 direction. Further, the first mounting section 31 and the second mounting section 34 are arranged in a direction along the first direction (Y1 direction), which is the conveyance direction of the carriage 4. That is, the first mounting section 31 and the second mounting section 34 are lined up along the carriage 4 in the Y-axis direction.

In this embodiment, the second ejection mechanism 3B does not include a cart 61 for taking out the tray 10 ejected from the second tray delivery mechanism 36. Therefore, the tray 10 is taken out from the second tray delivery mechanism 36 by the worker. Specifically, after a predetermined number of trays 10 are stacked on the support section 311, the position adjustment section 312 moves the support section 311 below the belt conveyor 331. At this time, the tray 10 placed on the support section 311 is placed on the belt conveyor 331. After the tray 10 is placed on the belt conveyor 331, the belt conveyor 331 conveys the tray 10 to the end of the belt conveyor 331 on the side in the X1 direction. After the tray 10 is conveyed to the end of the belt conveyor 331 in the X1 direction, the position adjustment section 312 moves the support section 311 upward. Then, the tray 10 is taken out from the second tray delivery mechanism 36 by the operator.

In this embodiment, the second ejection mechanism 3B includes a tray transport section 62 that transports the stacked empty trays 10 to the second tray supply mechanism 35, and a tray transport section 62 that transports the stacked empty trays 10 from the tray transport section 62 to the second tray supply mechanism 35. It does not include a moving section 63 that transports the tray 10. Therefore, the tray 10 is transported to the second tray supply mechanism 35 by the worker. When the tray 10 is conveyed to the second tray supply mechanism 35 by the worker, the separation mechanism 37 operates as shown in FIGS. 5(c) to 5(h) until the tray detection sensor 374 detects that the tray 10 is missing. Repeat the action. Then, the stacking mechanism 39 repeats the operation shown in FIG. In the second ejection mechanism 3B, the operation shown in FIG. 6(g) is such that after the second claw portion 392 moves, the first robot 2 places the display panel 100 on the empty tray 10 at the top. . By the above operation, the second tray supply mechanism 35 places another tray 10 on the tray 10 on which the display panel 100 is placed, in the second placement section 34, before the display panel 100 is placed thereon. Stack.

(Main effects of this form)
The transport system 1 of this embodiment includes a first robot 2 that moves the display panel 100 that has been carried in, and a first loading section 31 on which the display panel 100 that has been moved by the first robot 2 is placed. The mechanism 3A, the carriage 4 on which the display panel 100 moved by the first robot 2 is placed and transporting the display panel 100 in the first direction (Y1 direction), and the carriage 4 transporting the display panel 100 transported by the carriage 4. It includes a second robot 5 and a second ejecting mechanism 3B including a second placing section 34 on which the display panel 100 moved by the second robot 5 is placed. Furthermore, in the transport system 1 of this embodiment, the second mounting section 34 is located on the first direction side of the first mounting section 31. With this configuration, the display panel 100 transported in the first direction by the carriage 4 is placed on the second placement section by the second robot 5. Therefore, since the first robot 2 does not place the display panel 100 on the second placement section 34, even if the distance between the first placement section 31 and the second placement section 34 in the first direction is increased, There is no need to increase the size of the first robot 2. Therefore, even if the distance between the first mounting section 31 and the second mounting section 34 in the first direction is increased for the purpose of improving maintainability, the display panel 100 cannot be transported in the first direction by the carriage 4. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the first robot 2 from increasing in size, and it is possible to suppress the transfer robot from increasing in size depending on the layout of the mounting section.

In this embodiment, the first ejection mechanism 3A includes a first tray supply mechanism 32 that supplies the tray 10 to the first placement section 31, and the second ejection mechanism 3B supplies the tray to the second placement section 34. The first robot 2 is equipped with a second tray supply mechanism 35 , and the first robot 2 places the display panel 100 on the tray 10 supplied to the first placement section 31 , and the second robot 5 supplies the display panel 100 to the second placement section 34 . The display panel 100 is placed on the tray 10. With this configuration, the first robot 2 and the second robot 5 can each accommodate the display panel 100 in the tray 10.

In this embodiment, after the display panel 100 is placed on the tray 10 by the first robot 2, the first placement unit 31 moves downward by the thickness of the tray 10, and the first tray supply mechanism 32 moves the display panel 100 downward by the thickness of the tray 10. Another tray 10 on which the display panel 100 is not placed is stacked on top of the tray 10 on which the panel 100 is placed. With this configuration, the height of the tray 10 can be kept constant, so it is possible to prevent the first robot 2 from increasing in size in the height direction.

In this embodiment, after the display panel 100 is placed on the tray 10 by the second robot 5, the second placement unit 34 moves downward by the thickness of the tray 10, and the second tray supply mechanism 35 moves the display panel 100 downward by the thickness of the tray 10. Another tray 10 on which the display panel 100 is not placed is stacked on top of the tray 10 on which the panel 100 is placed. With this configuration, the height of the tray 10 can be kept constant, so it is possible to prevent the second robot 5 from increasing in size in the height direction.

In this embodiment, the first ejecting mechanism 3A includes a first tray ejecting mechanism 33 that ejects the stacked trays 10 from the first mounting section 31 after a preset number of trays 10 have been stacked. The first tray feeding mechanism 33 is located below the first tray feeding mechanism 32 and overlaps with the first tray feeding mechanism 32 in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the installation area of the first ejection mechanism 3A can be made compact.

In this embodiment, the second ejecting mechanism 3B includes a second tray ejecting mechanism 36 that ejects the stacked trays 10 from the second placing section 34 after a preset number of trays 10 have been stacked. The second tray delivery mechanism 36 is located below the second tray supply mechanism 35 and overlaps the second tray supply mechanism 35 in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the installation area of the second ejection mechanism 3B can be made compact.

(Second embodiment)
With reference to FIG. 7, a conveyance system 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, components similar to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted.

In the first embodiment, two first placing parts 31 are arranged in the direction along the first direction, as the first placing part 31A and the first placing part 31B. The configuration is such that one placing section 31 is arranged. Further, in the first embodiment, one second placing section 34 is arranged, but in this embodiment, two second placing sections 34 are arranged. One of the two second receivers 34 is a second receiver 34A, and the other is a second receiver 34B. The second placement section 34A is located on the Y2 direction side of the first placement section 31 of the first ejection mechanism 3A, and the second placement section 34B is located on the side of the first placement section 31 of the first ejection mechanism 3A. Located on the Y1 direction side.

In this embodiment, two carriages 4 are arranged, a first carriage 4A and a second carriage 4B. The first carriage 4A and the second carriage 4B extend in the Y-axis direction. Further, two second robots 5 are arranged, a second robot 5A and a second robot 5B. The second robot 5A moves the display panel 100 transported by the first carriage 4A to the second mounting section 34A. The second robot 5B moves the display panel 100 transported by the second carriage 4B to the second mounting section 34B.

In this embodiment, the display panel 100 of good quality is accommodated in the tray 10 placed on the first placement section 31 by the first robot 2 . The display panel 100 of the re-inspected product is accommodated in the tray 10 placed on the second placement section 34A by the second robot 5A. The defective display panel 100 is accommodated in the tray 10 placed on the second placement section 34B by the second robot 5B.

In this embodiment, the first carriage 4A transports the stage 41A on which the display panel 100 is placed in the Y2 direction. Therefore, the first direction in the first carriage 4A is the Y2 direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the second mounting section 34A is located on the side of the first mounting section 31 in the Y2 direction. The first mounting section 31 and the second mounting section 34A are arranged in a direction along the first direction (Y2 direction), which is the transport direction of the first carriage 4A. That is, the first mounting section 31 and the second mounting section 34A are lined up in the Y-axis direction along the first carriage 4A.

In this embodiment, the second carriage 4B transports the stage 41B on which the display panel 100 is placed in the Y1 direction. Therefore, the first direction in the second carriage 4B is the Y1 direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the second mounting section 34B is located on the side of the first mounting section 31 in the Y1 direction. The first mounting section 31 and the second mounting section 34B are arranged in a direction along the first direction (Y1 direction), which is the transport direction of the second carriage 4B. That is, the first mounting section 31 and the second mounting section 34B are lined up in the Y-axis direction along the second carriage 4B.

In this embodiment, since the display panel 100 is transported in the Y2 direction (the first direction of the first carriage 4A) by the first carriage 4A, the interval between the first mounting section 31 and the second mounting section 34A in the Y2 direction is can be made larger. Similarly, since the display panel 100 is transported in the Y1 direction (the first direction of the second carriage 4B) by the second carriage 4B, the distance between the first mounting section 31 and the second mounting section 34B in the Y1 direction is Can be made larger. Therefore, even if the distance between the first mounting section 31 and the second mounting section 34 in the direction along the first direction is increased for the purpose of improving maintainability, the display panel 100 is not moved by the carriage 4. Since the first robot 2 is transported in the first direction, it is possible to prevent the first robot 2 from increasing in size, and it is possible to prevent the transport robot from increasing in size depending on the layout of the loading section.

(Other embodiments)
In the second embodiment, one first mounting section 31 is disposed, but two or more first mounting sections 31 may be disposed. In addition, the second placement section 34A was located on the side of the first placement section 31 in the Y2 direction, and the second placement section 34B was located on the side of the first placement section 31 in the Y1 direction. , the second mounting section 34A and the second mounting section 34B may be located on the same side of the first mounting section 31. In this case, only one carriage 4 and one second robot 5 are required.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Conveyance system, 2... First robot, 3A... First discharge mechanism, 3B... Second discharge mechanism, 4... Carriage, 4A... First carriage, 4B... Second carriage, 5, 5A, 5B... Second robot , 9... Carrying-in mechanism, 10... Tray, 21... Head, 22... Y-axis transport section, 23... X-axis transport section, 31, 31A, 31B... First mounting section, 32... First tray supply mechanism, 33... First tray delivery mechanism, 34, 34A, 34B...Second loading section, 35...Second tray supply mechanism, 36...Second tray delivery mechanism, 37...Separation mechanism, 38...Stage, 39...Stacking mechanism, 41 ...Stage, 42...Transport unit, 51...Head, 52...Y-axis transfer unit, 53...X-axis transfer unit, 54...Holding unit, 61...Dolly, 62...Tray transfer unit, 63...Movement unit, 91...Stage, 92...Transportation section, 100...Display panel, 311...Supporting section, 312...Position adjustment section, 313...Opening section, 331...Belt conveyor, 371...First claw section, 371A...Claw section, 372...Second claw section, 372A...Claw portion, 373...Separation claw portion, 373A...Claw portion, 374...Tray detection sensor, 381...Movement mechanism, 391...First claw portion, 391A...Claw portion, 392...Second claw portion, 392A...Lower claw Part, 392B... Upper claw part, 611... Belt conveyor, 612... Lift, 613... Connection part, 621... Roller part, 622... Opening part, 623A, 623B... Tray stopper, 624A, 624B... Partition plate, 625A, 625B... Cylinder, 626A, 626B...Tray detection sensor, 631...Stage, 632...Drive unit, 633...Lift, 634...Guide unit

Claims (11)

a first robot that moves the workpiece that has been brought in;
a first ejecting mechanism including a first placing section on which the workpiece moved by the first robot is placed;
a carriage on which the workpiece moved by the first robot is placed and transports the workpiece in a first direction;
a second robot that moves the workpiece transported by the carriage;
a second ejecting mechanism including a second placing section on which the workpiece moved by the second robot is placed;
Equipped with
The conveyance system is characterized in that the second mounting section is located on a side of the first mounting section in the first direction. The conveyance system according to claim 1,
A conveyance system, wherein the first mounting section and the second mounting section are arranged in a direction along the first direction. The conveyance system according to claim 1 or 2,
The first ejection mechanism includes a first tray supply mechanism that supplies the tray to the first loading section,
The second ejection mechanism includes a second tray supply mechanism that supplies the tray to the second placement section,
the first robot places the workpiece on the tray supplied to the first placing section;
The conveyance system is characterized in that the second robot places the workpiece on the tray supplied to the second placing section. The conveyance system according to claim 3,
After the workpiece is placed on the tray by the first robot, the first placing section moves downward by the thickness of the tray,
The conveyance system is characterized in that the first tray supply mechanism stacks another tray on which the work is placed on top of the tray on which the work is placed. The conveyance system according to claim 4,
After the workpiece is placed on the tray by a second robot, the second placing section moves downward by the thickness of the tray,
The conveyance system is characterized in that the second tray supply mechanism stacks another tray on which the workpiece is placed on top of the tray on which the workpiece is placed. The conveyance system according to claim 4,
The conveyance system is characterized in that the first ejection mechanism includes a first tray ejection mechanism that ejects the stacked trays from the first loading section after a preset number of the trays are stacked. . The conveyance system according to claim 5,
The conveyance system is characterized in that the second ejection mechanism includes a second tray ejection mechanism that ejects the stacked trays from the second loading section after a preset number of the trays have been stacked. . The conveyance system according to claim 6,
The conveyance system is characterized in that the first tray delivery mechanism is located below the first tray supply mechanism and overlaps with the first tray supply mechanism in the vertical direction. The conveyance system according to claim 7,
The conveyance system is characterized in that the second tray delivery mechanism is located below the second tray supply mechanism and overlaps with the second tray supply mechanism in the vertical direction. The conveyance system according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A conveyance system characterized in that a plurality of the first mounting sections are provided in a direction along the first direction. The conveyance system according to claim 10,
The workpiece is a display panel,
The display panel is any one of a non-defective product, a defective product, and a re-inspected product,
The non-defective display panel is placed on some of the plurality of first placing parts by the first robot,
The display panel of the re-inspection product is placed on another part of the first placing parts among the plurality of first placing parts by the first robot,
The conveyance system is characterized in that the display panel of the re-inspected item is placed on the second placing section by the second robot.

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