JPH10250836A - Overhead traveling vehicle system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make effective use of the space of a clean room by making an advancing/retreating means project directly below a travel rail by advance/ retreat so as to deliver workpieces between an overhead traveling vehicle and the advancing/retreating means. SOLUTION: Each handling device 42 has delivery stations 44, 46 for workpieces 6 along a position directly below a travel rail 1. The station 44 is arranged on the entrance side of the handling device 42, and the station 46 is arranged on the exit side, for instance. An advancing/retreating device 50 is installed on the upper face of the handling device 42. The advancing/ retreating device 50 can store about five workpieces 6 on the upper face and advance to the lower part of the rail 1. The advancing/retreating device 50 is not necessarily arranged on the upper face of the handling device but can be suspended from the ceiling onto the upper part of the handling device 42, but installation is facilitated by supporting it on the upper face of the handling device 42. The advancing/retreating device 50 normally stands by on the upper face of the handling device 42 and delivers the workpieces 6 to and from the overhead traveling vehicle 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an overhead traveling vehicle system for transporting a work in a clean room or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An overhead traveling vehicle system is for transporting a work in a factory or a warehouse. In this system, running rails are laid along the ceiling of these buildings,
A processing device for the work is arranged along the rails, and the overhead traveling vehicle is run to transfer the work between the processing devices. The position at which the overhead traveling vehicle loads or unloads the work is called a station, and the overhead traveling vehicle is controlled so as to stop immediately above this station. By the way, when the station is full of work and cannot accommodate the work any more, a buffer for temporarily storing the work is required. When a buffer is provided, the space is occupied by that amount. This poses a problem in a clean room, for example, because space is at a premium.

[0003]

The object of the present invention is as follows (claims 1 to 3). 1) To be able to store the work in the empty space above the processing equipment without occupying the floor, and to make effective use of the space. An additional problem in claim 2 is that 2) the overhead traveling vehicle can transfer the workpiece to and from the forward / backward traveling means for storing the workpiece at the same position as the station of the processing apparatus, thereby facilitating the stop control of the overhead traveling vehicle. Is to do. The additional object of claim 3 is to effectively utilize the space in the clean room and to facilitate installation of the forward / reverse means.

[0004]

According to the present invention, there is provided an overhead traveling vehicle system in which a work processing device is arranged along a traveling rail of an overhead traveling vehicle provided near a ceiling of a building, and a work is placed on an upper portion of the processing device. A forward / backward moving means is provided, and the forward / backward moving means is protruded immediately below the traveling rail by forward / backward movement, so that a workpiece can be transferred between the overhead traveling vehicle and the forward / backward moving means. It is characterized by having such a configuration.

[0005] Preferably, the transfer of the work between the overhead traveling vehicle and the forward and backward moving means is performed immediately above the work transfer station of the processing apparatus. Preferably, the overhead traveling vehicle system is provided in a clean room, and the forward / backward traveling means is supported on the upper surface of the processing apparatus.

[0006]

According to the present invention, since the forward and backward moving means is provided on the upper part of the processing apparatus and the work is placed on the forward and backward moving means, the work can be stored without occupying the floor space. Here, if the forward / reverse means protrudes from the processing device and transfers the workpiece to and from the overhead traveling vehicle just above the original station of the processing device, stop control of the overhead traveling vehicle is facilitated. That is, the overhead traveling vehicle can transfer the work to both the original station of the processing apparatus and the forward / reverse means at the same stop position. If the overhead traveling vehicle system of the present invention is arranged in a clean room, the space of the clean room can be effectively used, and if the forward / reverse means is supported on the upper surface of the processing device, the installation of the forward / reverse means becomes easy.

[0007]

1 to 9 show an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an outline of an overhead traveling vehicle system excluding a processing device and forward / backward traveling means, and 1 is a traveling rail laid along a ceiling of a clean room, for example, and 2 is an overhead traveling vehicle traveling along the rail 1. , 3, 3 are a pair of trolleys. Reference numeral 4 denotes a hoisting unit below the carriage 3, which raises and lowers the elevating platform 5 with a hanging material such as a belt or a rope, and 6 denotes a work to be transferred. The work means the article itself or a case or the like containing the article. In the case of the embodiment, the work 6 is a case containing a semiconductor substrate or a liquid crystal substrate. FIG. 2 shows the structure of the truck 3. A traveling motor 10 drives a traveling wheel 14 via a gear 12, and 16 is a guide roller for causing the truck 3 to travel smoothly along the rail 1. A pivot shaft 18 is provided at the bottom of the bogie 3, and pivotally connects an overhead traveling vehicle body such as the hoisting unit 4.

Referring to FIG. 3, reference numeral 20 denotes a rail support member.
2 is a bolt and 24 is a cover for fixing the rail support member 20 to the ceiling 26 of the clean room with the bolt 22. Reference numeral 32 denotes an overhead line provided on the rail 1, and reference numeral 34 denotes a current collector of the truck 3. 36 is a communication cable, 38 is a mark indicating a stop position, and 40 is a sensor for reading the mark 38.

FIG. 4 shows the processing device 42 and the forward / reverse device 50. The processing apparatus 42 is an apparatus that performs various processes on a semiconductor substrate, a liquid crystal substrate, and the like, and includes, for example, a film forming apparatus, a heat treatment apparatus, and a cleaning apparatus. The processing unit 42 has stations 44 and 46 for transferring the work 6 directly below the traveling rail 1. For example, the station 44 is arranged on the entrance side of the processing unit 42 and the station 46 is arranged on the exit side. The forward / reverse device 50 is installed on the upper surface of the processing device 42,
For example, about five works 6 can be stored on the upper surface of
You can move down to the bottom. The forward / reverse device 50 is a processing device 42
Is not limited to the one disposed on the upper surface of the
May be hung from the ceiling 26 to a position above the processing device 42, but if it is supported on the upper surface of the processing device 42, installation will be simplified.

FIG. 5 shows the control of the forward / reverse device 50.
Reference numeral 8 denotes a host computer of the overhead traveling vehicle system, which controls both the overhead traveling vehicle 2 and the controller 52 of the forward / backward traveling device 50. 6 and 7 show the structure of the forward / reverse device 50, 56 is the base of the forward / reverse device, 58 is the first slide, 60 is the rack at the bottom of the slide 58, 62 is the second slide, 64 Is a chain belt, and 66 is a gear. The forward / reverse device 50 is fixed to the upper surface of the processing device 42 with, for example, screws 68.

The forward / reverse device 50 normally stands by on the upper surface of the processing device 42, and rotates the gears 66 to move the slide 58 forward by the rack 60 when transferring the work 6 to and from the overhead traveling vehicle 2. Let it. At this time, the slide 62 is further protruded from the slide 58 by the chain belt 64. Therefore, the overhead traveling vehicle 2 and the work 6 can be delivered and received at a position immediately above the stations 44 and 46, and when the delivery is completed, the vehicle returns to the original position. In the embodiment, the forward / reverse device 50 is configured by using the two slides 58 and 62. However, the forward / backward device may be configured to travel forward and backward by a cylinder such as a hydraulic or pneumatic pressure. For example, the entire conveyor such as a belt conveyor may be moved forward and backward by a cylinder, and the conveyor belt may be driven to further move the work forward and backward with respect to the conveyor. In the forward / reverse traveling device 50, the overhead traveling vehicle 2 and the work 6 are transferred just above the stations 44 and 46, so that the number of stop positions of the overhead traveling vehicle 2 is reduced, and the stop control of the overhead traveling vehicle 2 is easy. become.

The forward / reverse device 50 is used as a buffer for the work 6 at the entrance side or the exit side of the processing device 42.
The work 6 from the station 46 is similarly temporarily stored by the forward / reverse device 50 above the work 6. When the work 6 is moved from the forward / reverse device 50 to the station 44, the overhead traveling vehicle 2 is moved up and down by the forward / reverse device 5
After receiving the work 6 from 0 and returning the forward / backward movement device 50, the work 6 may be further lowered to pass the work 6 to the station 44. Similarly, when the work 6 is transferred from the station 46 to the forward / reverse device 50 above the station 46,
The work 6 may be gripped by the lift 5 to raise the lift 5, and then the forward and backward moving device 50 may be moved forward to unload the work 6. In this way, the overhead traveling vehicle 2 is located at the same position, and the work 6 between the stations 44 and 46 and the forward / reverse device 50 is
Can be delivered.

FIG. 8 shows an arrangement of the overhead traveling vehicle system. An overhead traveling vehicle 2 travels along a rail 1 installed in a clean room, and a processing device 42 runs along the rail 1.
a to 42f are arranged, and a pair of forward and backward moving devices 50 are supported on the upper surface of each processing device 42, respectively. The forward / reverse device 50 can transfer the work 6 at a position directly above the stations 44 and 46 during forward movement.

FIG. 9 shows the control of the forward / reverse device 50. For example, when there is a storage command from the host computer 48,
The controller 52 checks whether the forward / reverse device 50 is full, and if so, reports this to the host computer 48. In other cases, the forward / reverse device 50 advances so that the vacant position on the upper surface thereof appears right above the stations 44 and 46, and after confirming that the work 6 has been received from the overhead traveling vehicle 2, returns to the original position. Return. The controller 52 manages the work 6 in a list format, for example, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 9, records the address of the upper surface of the forward / reverse device 50 at each position of the list, and stores the address of the work 6 received first in the list. At the beginning, the address of the work 6 received last is recorded at the end of the list. Therefore, when there is warehousing,
At the end of the list, the address of the incoming work 6 on the forward / reverse device 50 is added.

Upon receipt of the command for unloading, the forward / reverse device 50 moves forward so that the work 6 at the top of the list is directly above the stations 44 and 46, and a chuck for confirming that the work 6 has been gripped by the elevating platform 5. Wait for a signal and move back to the original position, and delete the first address in the list. In this way, the work 6 can be processed in a first-in first-out manner by the forward-reverse device 50, and the old work 6 does not remain in the forward-reverse device 50.

In the embodiment, since the forward / reverse device 50 is installed by using the upper surface of the processing device 42, an empty space in the clean room can be effectively used, and the installation of the forward / backward device 50 is simple. Delivery of the work 6 between the forward and backward moving device 50 and the overhead traveling vehicle 2 is performed by the stations 44 and 4 of the processing device 42.
6, the stop control of the overhead traveling vehicle 2 is facilitated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an overhead traveling vehicle according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a main part of a bogie of the overhead traveling vehicle according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a main part of the bogie of the overhead traveling vehicle according to the embodiment in a vertical plane.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a processing device and a forward / reverse device in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing connections between an overhead traveling vehicle, a forward / reverse device, and a host computer in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the forward and backward moving device at the time of stop in the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the operation of the forward / reverse device in the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an arrangement of an overhead traveling vehicle system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an operation flowchart of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 traveling rail 2 overhead traveling vehicle 3 carriage 4 hoisting unit 5 elevating platform 6 work 10 traveling motor 12 gear 14 traveling wheel 16 guide roller 18 pivot shaft 20 rail support member 22 bolt 24 cover 26 ceiling 32 overhead wire 34 collecting electron 36 communication cable 38 Mark 40 read sensor 42 processing device 44, 46 station 48 host computer 50 forward and backward moving device 52 controller 54 motor 56 base 58 slide 60 rack 62 slide 64 chain belt 66 gear 68 screw

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An overhead traveling vehicle system in which a workpiece processing device is arranged along a traveling rail of an overhead traveling vehicle provided near a ceiling of a building, wherein the workpiece is placed on an upper portion of the processing device to move forward and backward. A forward / backward moving means, and projecting the forward / backward moving means directly below the traveling rail by forward / backward traveling, so that a workpiece can be transferred between the overhead traveling vehicle and the forward / backward traveling means. An overhead traveling vehicle system, characterized in that: 2. The delivery of a workpiece between the overhead traveling vehicle and the forward / reverse means is performed immediately above a workpiece delivery station of the processing device.
Overhead traveling vehicle system. 3. The overhead traveling vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the overhead traveling vehicle system is provided in a clean room, and the forward / backward traveling means is supported on an upper surface of the processing device.