JPH06211351A - Conveying equipment utilizing linear motor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively and economically perform air suction by an air suction device by effectively utilizing space in a guide rail. CONSTITUTION:A guide rail 2 for guiding a load conveying moving vehicle 1 is formed in a tubular shape, so as to store a running part 6 of the moving vehicle 1 in one side part of the vertical width direction and further a linear motor stator 19 for giving thrust to the moving vehicle 1 in the other side part of the vertical width direction, to also provide a partitioning plate 18 for partitioning the inside of this guide rail 2 into a running space part A for the running part 6 to pass through and a ventilating space part B, and a communication port 18b of the running space part A and the ventilating space part B is formed in the partitioning plate 18 with a space apart in a running direction of the moving vehicle. Further in a conveying equipment provided with an air suction part 21 relating to the ventilating space part B to utilize a linear motor, the stator 19 is supported on a surface in a running space part side of the partitioning plate 18.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a guide rail for guiding a mobile vehicle for transporting goods, which accommodates a traveling portion of the mobile vehicle in one side portion in the vertical width direction and applies a propulsive force to the mobile vehicle. The traveling space and the ventilation space are formed in a tubular shape so that the stator of the linear motor to be fed is housed in the other side portion in the vertical width direction, and the inside of the guide rail allows the traveling portion to pass through. A partition wall is provided for partitioning into, and a communication port between the traveling space portion and the ventilation space portion is formed in the partition wall at an interval in the traveling direction of the moving vehicle, and an intake device for the ventilation space portion is provided. The present invention relates to a transfer facility using a linear motor provided.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Transfer equipment using such a linear motor is
By accommodating the traveling part of the moving vehicle in the cylindrical guide rail, it is configured to prevent dust generated by the contact between the wheel provided on the traveling part and the guide rail from scattering to the outside. It is used in clean rooms. The generated dust is sucked by the intake device together with the surrounding air, and is removed by, for example, a filter.

Conventionally, as a structure for efficiently performing suction by an intake device, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, inside the guide rail 30, an upper running space A and a lower ventilation space B are provided. There is one in which a partition plate 31 for partitioning is provided (see Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-16629). On the bottom surface of the guide rail 30, stators (primary coils) 32 of the linear motor are installed at appropriate intervals in the traveling direction of the moving vehicle, and the partition plate 31 is provided between the stators 32 and 32. It is provided. The partition plate 31 has a communication port 31a between the traveling space A and the ventilation space B at appropriate intervals in the traveling direction of the moving vehicle.
Are formed.

The traveling portion 33 of the moving vehicle has a traveling wheel 34 in contact with the horizontal guide portion 30a of the guide rail 30,
The reaction plate 35 facing the stator of the linear motor is provided, and the traveling unit 33 and the load loading unit 36 above the traveling unit 33 are provided.
And are connected by a connecting member 37. The air sucked from the opening between the pair of left and right covers 30b attached to the upper part of the guide rail 30 passes through the communication port 31a and the ventilation space B together with the dust generated in the traveling space A, and Duct 3 attached below the guide rail 30
It is sucked into the intake device (not shown) through 8.

The ventilation space B includes a stator 32 and a stator 3.
It is formed between the two. That is, it is divided by the stator 32. Therefore, it is necessary to individually apply the suction action of the intake device to the divided ventilation spaces B, but conventionally, two ventilation spaces B adjacent to each other are provided as shown in FIG. The duct 38 is integrated in one place, and one intake device is in charge.

[0006]

In order to reduce the cost of the entire transportation facility, it was studied to enhance the capacity of the air intake device and reduce the number of installed air intake devices.
In the structure in which the air is divided, it is difficult to make one intake device take charge of the ventilation spaces B at three or more places. Figure 1
As shown in FIG. 3, instead of partitioning the inside of the guide rail 40, the intake duct 4 is provided along the lower surface of the guide rail 40.
There is also one in which 1 is attached to form a continuous ventilation space B, but in this case, attaching the intake duct 41 over the entire length of the guide rail 40 becomes a factor of cost increase.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to make effective use of the space in the guide rail and to perform the intake by the intake device effectively and economically. To do.

[0008]

In a transport facility using a linear motor according to the present invention, a guide rail for guiding a mobile vehicle for transporting goods stores a traveling portion of the mobile vehicle at one side in a vertical width direction, In addition, the linear motor is provided in a tubular shape so that the stator of the linear motor that gives a propulsive force to the moving vehicle is housed in the other side portion in the vertical width direction, and the traveling portion passes inside the guide rail. A partition wall for partitioning the space for ventilation and the space for ventilation is provided, and a communication port between the space for running and the space for ventilation is formed in the partition with a space in the traveling direction of the moving vehicle. An air intake device for the ventilation space is provided, and a first characteristic configuration is that the stator is supported on a surface of the partition wall on the side of the traveling space. Here, the stator of the linear motor refers to a primary coil or a secondary conductor (reaction plate).

A second characteristic configuration is that the ventilation space is formed below the inside of the guide rail, and the intake device is attached to the lower surface of the guide rail.

[0010]

According to the first characteristic configuration, the stator of the linear motor is supported on the surface of the partition wall that divides the inside of the guide rail into the traveling space and the ventilation space. Therefore, the ventilation space is formed continuously without being divided by the stator.

According to the second characteristic configuration, it is attached so as to be directly connected to the lower belly of the ventilation space formed below the guide rail. A communication port that connects the duct and the intake device is provided in the bottom wall of the guide rail at the location where the intake device is attached.

[0012]

Therefore, according to the first characteristic configuration, the intake device for the ventilation space can be installed at an arbitrary position in the traveling direction of the moving vehicle, so that the intake device can be effectively installed depending on the capability of the intake device. It has become possible to arbitrarily set the installation interval of the intake device so that the intake can be performed economically. Further, according to the second characteristic configuration, the duct from the ventilation space portion to the intake device is not required, and the entire transportation facility is compact. Further, when installed in a clean room by downflow, there is an effect that it is difficult to disturb the airflow.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In a clean room, as shown in FIG. 2, a guide rail 2 for guiding a moving vehicle 1 for load transportation and a cylindrical cover 3 for covering the whole are provided so as to be suspended from a ceiling by a supporting member 4. There is. The moving vehicle 1 is given a propulsive force by a linear motor of a primary type on the ground as described later, and carries a load (semiconductor wafer) from one station to another station along the guide rail 2.

A cross section of the guide rail 2 and the cover 3 is shown in FIG. The guide rail 2 is formed in a tubular shape by extruding aluminum having a U-shaped cross section. Cover 3
Is a plurality of cover members 3a which are also extruded materials of aluminum.
To 3c, and a support groove cover 3d which is an extruded product made of resin. In addition to the guide rail 2, the cover 3 also houses a primary coil of a linear motor, which will be described later, a control unit, a clean unit, and the like.

The guide rail 2 and the cover members 3a to 3c
Are available for straight parts with a predetermined length and for curved parts (left curve, right curve), and by connecting them, the traveling path of the moving vehicle is formed in a loop, for example. It Actually, a plurality of types of guide rail units in which the guide rail 2, the primary coil, the control unit, etc. are incorporated in the cover 3, that is, the station rail unit STU and the intermediate rail unit CR shown in FIG.
U, a curve rail unit HCU, etc. are prepared, and these will be connected at the time of construction of the transportation facility.

A member for connecting the guide rail 2 is also used as a supporting member for the cover members 3a to 3c. That is, a pair of left and right upper brackets 5a, a lower bracket 5b having a U-shaped cross section, a pair of left and right cover blocks 5c, etc. shown in FIG. Support groove cover 3
d is fixed by pushing a locking projection that is erected on one side thereof between the leaf springs 5e that are fitted into the side surface recesses of the cover block 5c.

A support bracket 4a for connecting the guide rail 2 and a support member 4 for suspending the guide rail 2 shown in FIG. 2, a communication device IT for communicating with the mobile vehicle 1 and the mobile vehicle 1 are provided.
Similarly to the cover block 5c, the support bracket of the load sensor LD for checking the presence / absence of the load is also fixed to the side surface of the guide rail 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the moving vehicle 1 includes a traveling portion 6 housed inside a guide rail 2 having a U-shaped cross section, a load loading portion 7 located above the traveling portion 6, and a connection for connecting them. And the member 8. Then, the connecting member 8 is inserted into the opening groove D provided in the upper wall of the tubular cover 3 along the longitudinal direction.

Two carriers 9 for semiconductor wafers are loaded on the front and back of the load loading unit 7 of the mobile vehicle 1 (see FIG. 4). The traveling unit 6 includes traveling wheels 1 that rotate around a horizontal axis.
Roller wheel 1 for horizontal positioning that rotates around 0 and the vertical axis 1
1 is provided. The traveling wheel 10 contacts a pair of left and right horizontal guide portions 2a formed so as to project inwardly from an intermediate portion in the up-down direction of the left and right inner walls of the guide rail 2, and
Are in contact with the left and right inner wall surfaces above them. Further, a horizontal plate-shaped secondary-side conductor 12 forming a linear motor is provided at the center bottom of the traveling unit 6.

The structure of the traveling unit 6 of the mobile vehicle 1 will be described below. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the traveling unit 6
Includes front and rear wheel units 13 and 14 each including a pair of left and right traveling wheels 10 and a pair of left and right rolling wheels 11, which are attached to the load carrying portion 7 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. There is. That is, a cylindrical shaft 15 fixed to the bottom surface of the load carrying portion 7 and rotatably fitted on a pair of front and rear rod-shaped connecting members 8 extending downward is fixed to the central portions of the wheel units 13 and 14. The connecting member 8 penetrates the tubular shaft 15,
The secondary conductor 12 is fixed to the tip.

However, the secondary-side conductor 12 is divided into three parts, front and rear, and a central secondary-side conductor 12a is fixed to the tip of the connecting member 8 as described above before and after. The front and rear secondary conductors 12b are, as shown in FIG.
The wheel units 13 and 14 are fixed to the standing members 13a and 14a extending downward from the bottom surfaces of the frames.

With the structure of the traveling unit 6 as described above, the moving vehicle 1 can smoothly travel even on the curved portion of the guide rail. At this time, the front and rear wheel units 13, 14
Are in different directions along the curve with the two pairs of left and right wheels 11 contacting the left and right inner walls of the guide rail 2. Therefore, the front and rear secondary-side conductors 12b have different orientations with respect to the central secondary-side conductor 12a, and the secondary-side conductor 12 as a whole has a bent posture along a curve in plan view.

Each of the secondary-side conductors is constructed by laminating an iron plate for forming a magnetic circuit on the upper surface of an aluminum plate. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the front and rear wheel units 13 and 14 are provided with shock absorbers 16, and the rear wheel unit 14 is provided with an emergency stop brake unit 17 and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a wide concave groove portion 2b is formed in the bottom portion of the guide rail 2 along the longitudinal direction, and a base plate 18 covering the upper portion thereof is formed by a bolt.
It is attached to the guide rail 2 with a nut 18a. The duct formed by the recessed groove portion 2b and the base plate 18 serves as an air suction passage to the clean unit described later. Therefore, the base plate 18 corresponds to a partition wall that partitions the inside of the guide rail 2 into a traveling space portion A and a ventilation space portion B through which the traveling portion 6 of the mobile vehicle 1 passes. The base plate 18 is provided with communication ports 18b for communicating the traveling space A and the ventilation space B at appropriate intervals in the longitudinal direction.

The primary coil 19 of the linear motor is attached to the upper surface of the base plate 18. The primary side coil 19 is screwed to the base plate 18 with a bolt 19c via a spacer 19b in a collar portion 19a provided in front and rear thereof. The portion of the base plate 18 into which the bolt 19c is screwed is tapped in advance.

When the primary coil 19 is excited with an alternating current having a predetermined frequency, a traveling magnetic field is generated, and a propulsive force is applied to the secondary conductor 12 immediately above it, that is, the moving vehicle 1. However, the primary coil 19 is provided at regular intervals along the guide rail 2 in order to reduce the equipment cost, and the moving vehicle 1 inertially travels between them. The primary side coil 19 must be provided before and after the stop position of the moving vehicle 1 at the station.
Is installed, and acceleration control when the moving vehicle 1 starts and deceleration control when the moving vehicle 1 stops are performed. A primary coil 19 for intermediate acceleration is installed at regular intervals between stations.

The space surrounded by the bottom surface of the guide rail 2 and the lower wall of the cover 3 accommodates a control unit 20, a clean unit 21, and the like, which are composed of a plurality of control boards (see FIG. 2). The control unit 20 controls the excitation voltage of the primary coil 19 and the like to accelerate or decelerate the moving vehicle 1.

Further, the station rail unit STU is provided with an electromagnet unit and a positioning unit for stopping the moving vehicle 1 at a predetermined position, and the control unit 20 also controls these. Further, destination information performed between the ID tag T, which is a storage medium with a wireless communication device attached to the side surface of the load carrying section 7 of the mobile vehicle 1, and the communication device IT supported on the side surface of the guide rail 2, It also performs communication such as exchange of weight information and the like, and processing such as checking whether or not there is a load by the presence sensor LD.

The clean unit 21 corresponds to an air intake device for the ventilation space B, sucks air containing dust generated by friction between the guide wheels 2 and the running wheels 10 or the rolling wheels 11 of the moving vehicle 1, and passes through the filter. It has the function of purifying. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the clean unit 21
Is fixed to the lower surface of the guide rail 2 by L metal fittings 21a and bolts and nuts 21b attached to the front and rear thereof. A communication port 2c between the ventilation space B and the clean unit 21 is formed in the bottom wall (concave groove 2b) of the guide rail 2 where the clean unit 21 is attached.

As shown in FIG. 7, the clean unit 21 includes an intake fan 22 and an air filter 23.
The air sucked into the guide rail 2 through the opening groove D in the upper wall of the cover 3 is, together with the dust generated inside the guide rail 2, the communication port 18 b provided in the base plate 18, the ventilation space B, and the guide rail 2. Is sucked into the clean unit 21 through the communication port 2c provided on the bottom wall of the.
Then, after being purified through the air filter 23, it is discharged downward from the lower surface. At the location where the clean unit 21 is attached, the bottom wall of the cover 3 has a large rectangular opening as shown in FIG.
Is exposed.

A power supply 25, a control box 26, etc. are housed in a small room beside the fan 22 and the air filter 23 of the clean unit 21, and an operation lamp 27, an abnormal lamp 28, etc. of the control box 26 are covered with the bottom wall of the cover 3. It can be seen from the opening. Clean unit 2
1 is available in three sizes, large, medium and small. The station rail unit STU has a large size, the curve rail unit HCU has a small size, etc. Is installed.

Other examples will be listed below. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the base plate which is a separate body from the guide rail is used as a partition wall for partitioning the inside of the guide rail into the traveling space portion and the ventilation space portion, but this is the specific structure of the present invention. However, the partition wall 18 may be formed integrally with the guide rail 2 as shown in FIG. 9 or FIG. 10, for example. Note that FIG. 10 shows a case where the bottom wall of the guide rail 2 is constituted by a separate plate 2d.

At the present time, in the straight part of the guide rail, one clean unit (large) 21 is provided about every 5 m so that one clean unit 21 shares the intake air of a plurality of rail units. However, a clean unit having a small processing capacity may be provided at a shorter interval, and the installation location of the clean unit 21 and the installation interval can be freely changed according to the transport facility.

In the above-described embodiment, the traveling space is formed on the upper side and the ventilation space is formed on the lower side inside the cylindrical guide rail. However, the traveling space is formed on the lower side and the ventilation space is formed on the upper side. The present invention can be applied to the transportation equipment.

The linear motor of the above-described embodiment is a ground-based primary type in which the guide rail is provided with a primary coil as a stator and the moving vehicle is provided with a secondary conductor (reaction plate). Alternatively, the guide rail may be provided with a secondary side conductor as a stator, and the moving vehicle may be provided with a primary side coil.

The specific structure of the intake device (clean unit) and the structure for mounting it on the lower surface of the guide rail are not limited to those in the above-described embodiment, but can be variously modified. For example, the suction fan and the air filter may be arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction instead of vertically.

It should be noted that although reference numerals are given in the claims for convenience of comparison with the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the accompanying drawings by the entry.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a moving vehicle, a guide rail, etc. of a transportation facility according to an embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the transportation facility.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a moving vehicle.

[Fig. 4] Side view of a moving vehicle

FIG. 5 is a partial view showing a wheel unit of a moving vehicle.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a ventilation structure in a guide rail and a mounting structure of an intake device.

FIG. 7 is a side perspective view showing a ventilation structure in a guide rail and a mounting structure of an intake device.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the intake device.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a guide rail and the like according to another embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a guide rail and the like according to another embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a ventilation structure in a guide rail according to a conventional example.

FIG. 12 is a side perspective view showing a ventilation structure in a guide rail according to a conventional example.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a ventilation structure in a guide rail according to a comparative example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile vehicle 2 Guide rail 6 Traveling part 18 Partition wall 18b Communication port 19 Stator 21 Intake device A Running space B Bending space

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A guide rail (2) for guiding a mobile vehicle (1) for transporting goods stores a traveling portion (6) of the mobile vehicle (1) at one side in the vertical width direction, and The linear motor stator (19) for applying a propulsive force to the moving vehicle (1) is formed in a tubular shape so as to be housed on the other side in the vertical width direction, and the inside of the guide rail (2) is A partition wall (18) for partitioning the traveling space (A) through which the traveling portion (6) passes and the ventilation space (B) is provided, and the traveling space (A) and the ventilation space are provided. A linear line in which a communication port (18b) with (B) is formed in the partition wall (18) at an interval in the traveling direction of the moving vehicle, and an intake device (21) for the ventilation space (B) is provided. In a transfer facility using a motor, the stator (19) is located on the side of the partition space (18) for running space. Transport equipment using a linear motor supported on the surface. 2. The ventilation space (B) is formed below the inside of the guide rail (2), and the intake device (21) is attached to the lower surface of the guide rail (2). A transport facility using a linear motor according to claim 1.