JPH11264404A - Air bearing cylinder, rod for air bearing cylinder and manifold cylinder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air bearing cylinder which uses a slim cylinder block. SOLUTION: A cylinder chamber 12 and an inserting hole 13 is provided in a cylinder block 11, wherein a rod 8 which is driven by fluid supplying and draining is inserted into the cylinder chamber 12 and the inserting hole 13 to be gotten in and out along its axis direction. Air injection members 22 and 25 which inject pressurized air to an inside wall surface are provided in a peripheral surface of the rod 8 which corresponds with the inside wall surface of the cylinder chamber 12 and the inserting hole 13, resulting in supporting the rod 8 with non-contact.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air bearing cylinder, a manifold cylinder using the same, and a rod for the air bearing cylinder.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, air bearing cylinders as shown in FIG. 7 are sometimes used for various devices used in a semiconductor manufacturing process, for example.

The air bearing cylinder 61 has a cylinder block 62, in which a cylinder chamber 63 and a rod insertion hole 64 inserted therethrough are formed. And the cross-sectional shape of the cylinder chamber 63 is
It is formed larger than that of the rod insertion hole 64.
The rod 65 is inserted into the rod insertion hole 64, and a tip of the rod 65 projects outside from the rod insertion hole 64. The base end of the rod 65 is disposed in the cylinder chamber 63, and a stopper 66 having a larger diameter than the rod insertion hole 64 is fixed therein. A pair of cushions 67 are provided on the head-side inner wall surface and the rod-side inner wall surface of the cylinder chamber 63. Therefore, the rod 65 can be moved in the longitudinal direction within a range where the stopper 66 comes into contact with the pair of cushions 67. A thrust port 6 for supplying control air to the cylinder chamber 63 is provided in the cylinder block 62.
8 are formed. The control air supplied to the thrust port 68 acts on the outer surface of the stopper 66, and generates a differential pressure for advancing the entire rod 65 toward the rod-side end surface of the cylinder block 62.

An annular bearing member 69 made of a porous material is provided on the inner wall surface of the rod insertion hole 64. An air pocket 70 is also provided in the cylinder block 62 along the outer peripheral surface of the bearing member 69 in an annular shape. Further, on one side surface of the cylinder block 62, an air supply port 71 which communicates with the air pocket 70 and supplies pressurized air to the air pocket 70 is provided. Therefore, pressurized air supplied from the air supply port 71 is blown out from the entire inner peripheral surface of the bearing member 69, and
5 is supported by the bearing member 69 in a non-contact manner.
In addition, the evacuation port 72 is provided for discharging pressurized air ejected from the bearing member 69 to the outside.

Therefore, the above-mentioned air bearing cylinder 6
According to 1, when the control air supplied to the thrust port 68 acts on the outer surface of the stopper 66, the entire rod 65 moves forward until the stopper 66 comes into contact with the cushion 67 on the side surface of the head. At this time, the rod 65 is supported in a non-contact manner by a bearing member 69 from which pressurized air is jetted. Then, by the rod 65 which has been advanced and protruded, desired operations such as pressing and suction are performed.

[0006]

When the above-described air bearing cylinder 61 is used, for example, in a semiconductor manufacturing process, a very small chip such as a chip obtained by cutting a wafer is to be worked. Become. In view of the fact that such a very small object is to be worked, there is an increasing demand for a reduction in the size of the air bearing cylinder 61 itself, in particular, a reduction in size in the width direction (that is, slimming).

However, since the diameter of the rod 65 is usually determined by the required thrust, it is not appropriate to make the rod 65 slimmer by reducing the diameter. Further, the cylinder block 61 requires a space for providing a bearing member 69 and an air pocket 70 surrounding the outer peripheral side thereof. Therefore, it is not possible to make the cylinder block 61 slimmer by forming the cylinder block 61 thin.
In addition, in FIG. 7, when it is assumed that a bearing member 69 is provided on the inner wall surface P1 of the cylinder chamber 63 facing the outer peripheral surface of the stopper 66, it is expected that it becomes more difficult to reduce the overall size of the apparatus. .

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air bearing cylinder capable of reducing the size of a cylinder block.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an air bearing cylinder capable of reducing the overall size of the apparatus in conjunction with the reduction in the size of the cylinder block.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a rod for an air bearing cylinder, which can contribute to slimming of a cylinder block.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a manifold cylinder constituted by the air bearing cylinder described above, which is effective for a plurality of work objects arranged in parallel and facilitates piping work for an air supply port. Is to provide.

[0011]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a rod insertion hole is provided in a cylinder block, and a rod driven by supply and discharge of fluid is provided in the rod insertion hole. The rod is inserted so as to be able to protrude and retract along its own axial direction, and the outer surface of the rod corresponding to the inner wall surface of the rod insertion hole is blown with pressurized air against the inner wall surface of the rod insertion hole. An air ejection portion for non-contact support is provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the air bearing cylinder according to the first aspect, a passage formed inside the rod is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rod at a position different from a portion provided with an air ejection portion. The cylinder block is provided with an opening communicating with the air ejection portion, and the cylinder block is provided with an opening at a position corresponding to the opening, and an air supply port for supplying pressurized air to the opening.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the air bearing cylinder according to the first or second aspect, the air ejection portion is an air ejection member, and the air ejection member is provided in a circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the rod. Is provided in the provided accommodation recess.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the cylinder block and the insertion hole are provided in the cylinder block, and the rod driven by the supply and discharge of the fluid is inserted into the insertion hole so as to be able to protrude and retract along its own axial direction. Forming a cross-sectional shape of the insertion hole smaller than a cross-sectional shape of the cylinder chamber, and forming the rod into a first rod portion having a smaller diameter than the cylinder chamber and a larger diameter than the insertion hole; And a second rod portion integrally formed on the distal end side of the second rod portion and having a diameter smaller than the insertion hole and smaller than the first rod portion, and provided on at least one outer peripheral surface of the first rod portion and the second rod portion. An accommodating recess is provided, and an air ejecting member for ejecting pressurized air to the inner wall surface of the cylinder chamber or the insertion hole to support the first rod portion or the second rod portion in a non-contact manner is provided in the accommodating recess. And then An opening communicating with the inner peripheral side of the air ejecting member is provided at a position different from the portion provided with the air ejecting member on the outer peripheral surface of the rod through a passage formed inside the rod, and the cylinder block is provided with an opening. An opening was provided at a position corresponding to the opening, and an air supply port for supplying pressurized air to the opening was provided.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the air bearing cylinder according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the air ejection portion or the air ejection member extends over the entire outer peripheral surface of the rod in the circumferential direction. It is arranged.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the air bearing cylinder according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, the portion provided with the opening of the rod extends over the entire outer circumferential surface of the rod in the circumferential direction. Thus, the diameter is slightly smaller than the rod insertion hole or the cylinder chamber and the insertion hole.

According to the invention described in claim 7, the rod is inserted through the rod insertion hole provided in the cylinder block so as to be able to protrude and retract along the axis direction of the rod itself, and is supplied in a non-contact manner by the supply of pressurized air from the cylinder block side. An air ejection portion provided at a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface, an opening provided at a different position from the air ejection portion on the outer peripheral surface, and the opening portion And a passage communicating with the air ejection portion.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the air bearing cylinder according to any one of the first to sixth aspects is provided with:
A plurality of manifold cylinders were juxtaposed such that each rod protruded in the same direction.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the air bearing cylinder according to any one of the first to sixth aspects is provided on the mounting surface of the base block having the common air supply port and the communication passage communicating therewith. A plurality of rods are juxtaposed so as to protrude in the same direction, and a manifold cylinder in which pressurized air is supplied to the air supply port of each air bearing cylinder via the common air supply port and the communication passage. did.

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention,
When the pressurized air is ejected from the air ejection portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rod to the inner wall surface of the rod insertion hole, the rod is supported on the inner wall surface of the rod insertion hole in a non-contact manner. Thus, since the air ejection portion is provided on the rod side, there is no need to provide a bearing member or the like on the cylinder block side. In other words, there is no need to secure an installation space for the bearing member and the like on the cylinder block side. Therefore, the cylinder block can be formed thin, and the cylinder block can be relatively easily made slimmer.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when pressurized air is supplied to the air supply port, the pressurized air flows through the opening provided in the rod and the passage provided in the rod. It is supplied to the spout. For this reason, it is not necessary to form a passage for supplying the pressurized air supplied to the air supply port to the air ejection portion in the cylinder block, which can contribute to slimming of the cylinder block.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the inner surface side of the air ejecting member is embedded in the outer peripheral surface of the rod by an amount corresponding to the accommodation recess. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the amount by which the air ejection member projects from the outer peripheral surface of the rod, or to prevent the air ejection member from projecting from the outer peripheral surface of the rod. Therefore, the air bearing cylinder as a whole can be made slim in combination with the slimness of the cylinder block.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the air ejecting member is provided in the accommodation recess provided on at least one of the first rod portion and the second rod portion, and the air ejecting member receives the air from the cylinder chamber and / or the cylinder. And pressurized air is blown to the inner wall surface of the insertion hole, and the first rod portion and / or the second rod portion are supported in a non-contact manner. For this reason, the same operation as the operation described in claims 1 to 3 can be obtained.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the pressurized air is jetted uniformly over the entire circumferential direction of the rod. For this reason, the entire outer periphery of the rod at the portion where the air ejection member is provided is supported in a non-contact manner. Therefore, the rod can be reliably supported.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the portion of the rod provided with the opening is slightly smaller in diameter than the rod insertion hole or the cylinder chamber and the insertion hole, so that the pressurized air supplied to the air supply port can be supplied. It can be supplied to the passage with little leakage.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, when the pressurized air is supplied to the opening, the pressurized air can be guided to the air ejection portion through the passage and ejected to the outside. When such a rod is inserted into the rod insertion hole of the cylinder block, pressurized air is ejected to the inner wall surface of the rod insertion hole, and the rod is supported on the inner wall surface in a non-contact manner. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the bearing member on the cylinder block side, and it is not necessary to secure an installation space for the bearing member and the like on the cylinder block side. Therefore, the cylinder block can be formed to be thin, which can contribute to the slimming of the cylinder block relatively easily. Further, since the passage is formed inside the rod, the weight of the rod can be reduced accordingly.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the rods of each air bearing cylinder constituting the manifold cylinder project in the same direction, it is effective for a plurality of work objects arranged in parallel. It is.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, an eighth aspect is provided.
In addition to the effect of the invention described in the above, the air supply port of each air bearing cylinder is communicated via a communication passage formed in the base block, and this communication passage is communicated with the common air supply port. Therefore, when the pressurized air is supplied to the common air supply port, the pressurized air is supplied to each air supply port via the communication passage. That is, the piping work for the air supply port is facilitated, and it is possible to reduce the situation where the piping for the manifold cylinder gathers and gets stuck.

[0029]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 schematically shows a chip polishing apparatus 1 used in a step of polishing chips obtained by cutting a wafer in a semiconductor manufacturing process. The chip polishing apparatus 1 includes a jig 3 provided rotatably about a rotation shaft 2 and a manifold cylinder 6 for pressing a chip 5 fixed to a tip of the jig 3 via a polishing film 4. ing. FIG. 3 shows the manifold cylinder 6
It is a perspective view which shows a part of. Each cylinder constituting the manifold cylinder 6 includes an air bearing cylinder 7
And the rods 8 are connected so as to project in the same direction. In FIG. 2, a plurality of jigs 3 are provided corresponding to the rods 8 of the respective air bearing cylinders 7.

The operation of the chip polishing apparatus 1 will be briefly described. The jig 3 is rotated while the chip 5 is fixed to the tip of the jig 3. Then, the rod 8 of each air bearing cylinder 7 constituting the manifold cylinder 6 is protruded toward the chip 5, and the chip 5 is pressed at a predetermined bonding pressure via the polishing film 4 which is sequentially fed at a predetermined speed.
Thereby, the plurality of chips 5 are polished at the same time.

Next, the air bearing cylinder 7 constituting the manifold cylinder 6 and its cylinder system will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a metal cylinder block 11 constituting the air bearing cylinder 7 is formed with a cylinder chamber 12 and an insertion hole 13 as rod insertion holes. Cylinder chamber 12 and insertion hole 1
3 are communicated with each other inside the cylinder block 11. The cylinder chamber 12 includes a first cylinder chamber 12a and a second cylinder chamber 12b. The first cylinder chamber 12a has a diameter larger than that of the
Is in communication with The second cylinder chamber 12b has a larger diameter than the first cylinder chamber 12a and communicates with the first cylinder chamber 12a. The cylinder block 11 is configured by integrating a plurality of cylinder block components (not shown). In FIG. 1, these are illustrated as an integrated body for convenience.

The rod 8 is inserted through the insertion hole 13. The distal end of the rod 8 protrudes outward, and the proximal end thereof is disposed in the cylinder chamber 12. Specifically, the rod 8 includes a first rod portion 14 and a second rod portion 15.
And The first rod portion 14 has a smaller diameter than the first cylinder chamber 12a. 2nd rod part 15
Is formed integrally with the distal end side of the first rod portion 14 and has a smaller diameter than the insertion hole 13. And
The first rod portion 14 is housed in the cylinder chamber 12 and
The rod part 15 is inserted through the insertion hole 13. More specifically, the first rod portion 14 is formed integrally with a large-diameter portion 14a slightly smaller in diameter than the first cylinder chamber 12a and on the base end side of the large-diameter portion 14a and has a smaller diameter than the large-diameter portion 14a. And a small-diameter portion 14b. The first rod portion 14 has a smaller diameter than the small diameter portion 14b. Therefore, the rod 8 can move forward and backward along its longitudinal direction, whereby the tip of the rod 8 protrudes and retracts from the distal end face of the cylinder block 11. Since the rod 8 is also inserted into the cylinder chamber 12, the cylinder chamber 12 can be regarded as a rod insertion hole.

An axially extending screw hole 16 is formed in the proximal end surface of the rod 8 (the proximal end surface of the small diameter portion 14b). A stopper 17 is provided on the base end face of the screw hole 16.
Are integrally provided by a screw member 18 screwed into
It is arranged in the second cylinder chamber 12b. The stopper 17 has a larger diameter than the first cylinder chamber 12a and a smaller diameter than the second cylinder chamber 12b. Hereinafter, the stopper 17 is also regarded as a part of the rod 8, and the base end surface of the stopper 17 is described as the base end surface of the rod 8. Of the inner wall surfaces of the second cylinder chamber 12b, a cushion 19 is fixed to a proximal inner wall surface, and a cushion 20 is fixed to a distal inner wall surface. For this reason, the movement of the rod 8 in the longitudinal direction is restricted within a certain range where the rod 8 comes into contact with the cushions 19 and 20. The certain range is a range between a position where the stopper 17 contacts the cushion 19 as shown in FIG. 1 and a position where the stopper 17 contacts the cushion 20 as shown in FIG.

The first cylinder chamber 12a of the first rod portion 14
An air ejection member 22 as an air ejection portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface corresponding to the above. Specifically, the housing recess 21 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first rod portion 14, more specifically, on the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 14b of the first rod portion 14 in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface. An air ejection member 22 is provided in the accommodation recess 21. In the present embodiment, the air ejection member 22 is made of a porous material, specifically, a porous sintered body having a solid lubrication function. Housing recess 21
Is formed over the entire outer circumferential surface in the circumferential direction. The outer peripheral surface of the air ejection member 22 is formed to be flush with the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 14a. For this reason, the air ejection member 22
Protrudes slightly from the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 14b.

On the outer peripheral surface corresponding to the insertion hole 13 of the second rod portion 15, an air ejection member 25 as an air ejection portion is provided.
Is provided. Specifically, a housing recess 24 is formed in the outer circumferential surface of the second rod portion 15 in the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface, and an air ejection member 25 is provided in the housing recess 24. In the present embodiment, the air ejection member 25 is made of a porous material, specifically, a porous sintered body having a solid lubrication function. The accommodation recess 24 is formed over the entire outer peripheral surface of the second rod portion 15 in the circumferential direction, and the air ejection member 25 is disposed in the accommodation recess 24. The outer diameter of the portion where the air ejection member 25 is provided is formed to be slightly smaller than the insertion hole 13. Therefore, the air ejection member 25 slightly protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the second rod portion 15. In the present embodiment, the air ejection members 22 provided on the first rod portion 14 and the second rod portion 15, respectively,
25 is provided in an annular shape.

A passage communicating between the inner peripheral surface of the air ejecting member 22 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first rod portion 14 and the inner peripheral surface of the air ejecting member 25 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the second rod portion 15. 26 is formed inside the rod 8. This passage 26
Is formed so as to extend in the axial direction, and the base end side communicates with the screw hole 16. Therefore, when the stopper 17 is provided at the base end of the rod 8, the screw member 18 is screwed into the screw hole 16 so that the base end side of the passage 26 is sealed. The base end side of the passage 26 is branched into a plurality of portions and communicates with the inner peripheral surface of the air ejection member 22 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 14b. On the other hand, the distal end side of the passage 26 is branched into a plurality of portions and communicates with the inner peripheral surface of the air ejection member 25 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the second rod portion 15. Each accommodating recess 21, which is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of each of the air ejection members 22, 25,
An air pocket 27 is formed on the wall surface of 24.
The passage 26 opens into the air pocket 27 and communicates with the inner peripheral surfaces of the air ejection members 22 and 25.

The passage 26 is branched at an intermediate portion of the rod 8 so as to open on the outer peripheral surface of the rod 8. That is, the opening 28 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rod 8 at a position different from the air ejection members 22 and 25. Specifically, an opening 28 is provided at a position corresponding to the large diameter portion 14a of the first rod portion 14. On one side surface of the cylinder block 11, an air supply port 29 that opens at a position corresponding to the opening 28 is formed. Cylinder block 1
In 1, an air pocket 30 is formed in an opening of the air supply port 29 on the opening 28 side. The air supply port 29 and the passage 26 communicate with each other through the air pocket 30. The air pocket 30 is formed to have at least the same length as the moving range of the rod 8 in the axial direction so as to always maintain the communication between the opening 28 and the air supply port 29 when the rod 8 moves. In addition, air pocket 30
Is formed so as to surround the rod 8 so as to always maintain the state of communication between the air supply port 29 and the passage 26 even when the rod 8 rotates about the central axis.

The air supply port 29 is connected to an air supply source P via a pipe L1. When the pressurized air is supplied to the air supply port 29, the pressurized air is supplied to the air ejection members 22 and 25 via the passage 26. Accordingly, pressurized air that is ejected from the air ejection member 22 toward the first cylinder chamber 12a, and the insertion hole 13 that is
The rod 8 is supported in a non-contact manner by the pressurized air ejected toward.

In the first rod portion 14, a space formed by the step between the air ejection member 22 and the small diameter portion 14b, the small diameter portion 14b, and the step between the large diameter portion 14a and the small diameter portion 14b is formed as an air collecting space 31. We use as. Air gathering space 3
1 is connected to an exhaust port 32 formed on one side surface of the cylinder block 11. This exhaust port 32 is connected to a pipe L2 open to the atmosphere. Therefore,
The pressurized air jetted from the air jetting member 22 and the pressurized air leaked when the pressurized air is supplied from the air supply port 29 to the passage 26 are first collected in the air collecting space 31. Thereafter, the pressurized air is discharged into the atmosphere via the exhaust port 32 and the pipe L2. In the cylinder block 11, the distal end side of the air ejection member 25 of the second rod portion 15 is inserted into the insertion hole 13.
An opening 33 having a larger diameter than that of the opening 33 and communicating with the outside is formed. For this reason, the pressurized air jetted from the air jetting member 25 is discharged into the atmosphere through the opening 33.

The second side of the cylinder block 11
The first thrust port 34 communicating with the cylinder chamber 12b and the second thrust port 3 communicating with the first cylinder chamber 12a
5 are formed. Of these, the second thrust port 35 is at the position where the rod 8 shown in FIG.
The rod 8 is opened on the distal end side of the stepped portion 36 between the first rod portion 14 and the second rod portion 15.

The control air supplied from the first thrust port 34 acts on the proximal end surface of the rod 8 and produces a thrust for causing the rod 8 to protrude from the cylinder block 11. That is, the area corresponding to the cross-sectional area S1 of the small diameter portion 14b of the base end surface of the rod 8 is the effective pressure receiving area. Further, the control air supplied from the second thrust port 35 acts on the step 36 of the rod 8 to move the rod 8 to the cylinder block 11.
Thrust to retreat from the position protruding from That is, the area obtained by subtracting the cross-sectional area S2 of the second rod portion 15 from the cross-sectional area S1 of the small diameter portion 14b is the effective pressure receiving area.
The effective pressure receiving area of the base end face of the rod 8 is set to be larger than the effective pressure receiving area of the stepped portion 36.
When the control air of the same pressure is supplied from 35, the rod 8 is protruded by the thrust based on the area obtained by subtracting the effective pressure receiving area of the stepped portion 36 from the effective pressure receiving area of the rod 8 base end face. When designing the air bearing cylinder 7, the diameters of the first rod portion 14 and the second rod portion 15 are set according to the thrust required when the rod 8 projects and when the rod 8 retreats. You.

The pipe L connected to the first thrust port 34
The pipe L4 connected to the third and second thrust ports 35 is connected to a pipe L5 common to them. This pipe L5
Is connected to an air supply source P. First thrust port 3
A regulator R1 for adjusting the pressure of the pressurized air from the air supply source P to a predetermined pressure is connected to a pipe L5 common to the fourth thrust port 35 and the downstream side thereof. An electropneumatic regulator R2 for reducing the pressure air to control air with reduced pressure is connected. Therefore, control air of the same pressure is supplied to the first thrust port 34 and the second thrust port 35 via the pipes L3 and L4, respectively. The set pressure of the regulator R1 can be appropriately adjusted manually, and the set pressure of the electropneumatic regulator R2 can be appropriately adjusted by an external controller (not shown).

In the pipe L3 on the first thrust port 34 side,
An electromagnetic switching valve B capable of switching between a position where the pipe L3 is opened and a position where the pipe L3 is closed is connected. Therefore, the supply or cutoff of the control air to the first thrust port 34 can be switched based on the switching of the electromagnetic switching valve B. The electromagnetic switching valve B is connected to the controller and is automatically switched by the controller.

Therefore, as shown in FIG.
Is closed, the supply of the control air to the first thrust port 34 is shut off, and the control air is supplied only to the second thrust port 35. The control air acts on the stepped portion 36 to retract the rod 8 from a position protruding from the cylinder block 11.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, when the electromagnetic switching valve B opens the pipe L3, control air of the same pressure is supplied to the first thrust port 34 and the second thrust port 35, respectively. Supplied. The control air acts on the base end surface of the rod 8 and also acts on the stepped portion 36. As described above, the effective pressure receiving area of the base end surface of the rod 8 is set to be larger than the effective pressure receiving area of the stepped portion 36. The rod 8 is protruded by the thrust based on.

Next, the operation of the air bearing cylinder 7 and the cylinder system configured as described above will be described. Pressurized air supplied from the air supply source P is always supplied to the air supply port 29. Therefore, the pressurized air is always supplied to the air ejection member 2 through the passage 26 inside the rod 8.
2,25. Therefore, the air ejection member 22
The rod 8 is supported in a non-contact manner by the pressure of the pressurized air jetted out of the first cylinder chamber 12a to the first cylinder chamber 12a and the pressure of the pressurized air jetted from the air jetting member 25 to the insertion hole 13. The pressurized air jetted from the air jetting member 22 is collected in the air collecting space 31 and then discharged to the outside via the exhaust port 32 and the pipe L2. The pressurized air jetted from the air jetting member 25 is discharged to the outside through the opening 33.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electromagnetic switching valve B is connected to the pipe L
When the valve 3 is closed, the supply of control air to the first thrust port 34 is shut off, and the control air is supplied only to the second thrust port 35. The control air acts on the stepped portion 36 to retract the rod 8 from a position protruding from the cylinder block 11.

When the rod 8 is to be protruded from the retracted state, as shown in FIG. 4, the controller switches the electromagnetic switching valve B to open the pipe L3. Then, control air of the same pressure is supplied to the first thrust port 34 and the second thrust port 35, respectively. Thus, the control air acts on the base end surface of the rod 8 and also acts on the stepped portion 36. As described above, the effective pressure receiving area of the base end surface of the rod 8 is set to be larger than the effective pressure receiving area of the stepped portion 36, and thus the area obtained by subtracting the effective pressure receiving area of the stepped portion 36 from the effective pressure receiving area of the rod 8 base end surface. The rod 8 is protruded by the thrust based on.

Here, how the pressurized air jetted from the air jetting members 22 and 25 and the pressurized air leaked when the pressurized air is supplied from the air supply port 29 to the passage 26 are discharged. Will be described in detail.

The pressurized air jetted from the air jetting member 22 also flows into the second cylinder chamber 12b via a gap between the first cylinder chamber 12a and the first rod portion 14 (small diameter portion 14b). When the electromagnetic switching valve B closes the pipe L3, the pressurized air is discharged to the atmosphere via the first thrust port 34. On the other hand, when the electromagnetic switching valve B opens the pipe L3, pressurized air is applied to the control air supplied to the first thrust port 34 via the pipe L3. For this reason, the pressures of the pipes L3, L4 and the common pipe L5 increase.
The pressure of the control air is kept constant since the air is discharged from the second exhaust port.

The pressurized air jetted from the air jetting member 25 also flows into a space corresponding to the opening of the second thrust port 35 through a gap between the insertion hole 3 and the second rod portion 15. . The pressurized air leaked when the pressurized air is supplied from the air supply port 29 to the passage 26 also flows into this space. Therefore, pressurized air is added to the control air supplied to the second thrust port 35 via the pipe L4, and the pressure in the pipes L3, L4 and the common pipe L5 increases. Since the pressure increase is discharged from the exhaust port of the electropneumatic regulator R2, the pressure of the control air is kept constant.

Next, a description will be given of a case where the manifold cylinder 6 as shown in FIG. 3 is formed by using the air bearing cylinder 7 having the above configuration and operation. As shown in FIG. 1, one side surface of the cylinder block 11 is mounted on the mounting surface 42 of the base block 41. That is, the plurality of air bearing cylinders 7 are arranged such that one side surface of the cylinder block 11 in which all the ports 29, 32, 34, 35 are formed is the mounting surface 4 of the base block 41.
2 and are juxtaposed so that the rods 8 project in the same direction. When the air bearing cylinder 7 is mounted on the base block 41, the positioning of the air bearing cylinder 7 is performed by a positioning member (not shown). The base block 41 is provided with a communication passage 43 communicating with each air supply port 29 of each air bearing cylinder 7 mounted on the base block 41.
The communication passage 43 opens at an end surface of the base block 41 in the direction in which the air bearing cylinders 7 are arranged, and the opening forms a common air supply port 44 (see FIG. 3).
Therefore, the pipe L1 is connected to the common air supply port 44, and each air supply port 29 is connected to the communication passage 43, the common air supply port 4
4 and a pipe L1 to the air supply source P. Therefore, when pressurized air is supplied from the air supply source P to the common air supply port 44 via the pipe L <b> 1, the pressurized air is supplied to each air supply port 29 via the communication passage 43. Thereby, the rods 8 of all the air bearing cylinders 7 constituting the manifold cylinder 6 are supported in a non-contact manner.

Further, the communication passage 4 is provided in the base block 41.
Exhaust port 3 of each air bearing cylinder 7
2 is provided with a communication passage 45 communicating the two. The communication passage 45 opens at an end face of the base block 41 in the direction in which the air bearing cylinders 7 are arranged, and the opening forms a common exhaust port 46 (see FIG. 3). Therefore, the pipe L2 is connected to the common exhaust port 46, and each exhaust port 32 is connected to the communication passage 45, the common exhaust port 4
6 is connected to a pipe L2 open to the atmosphere. Therefore, the pressurized air collected in the air collecting space 31 is discharged from each exhaust port 32 to the communication path 45, and further discharged from the communication path 45 to the atmosphere through the common exhaust port 46 and the pipe L2.

Further, a first supply port 47 communicating with the first thrust port 34 and a second supply port 47 are connected to the cylinder block 11.
A second supply port 48 communicating with the thrust port 35 is formed corresponding to each air bearing cylinder 7. Therefore, control air is supplied to the first thrust port 34 from the first supply port 47 corresponding to the air bearing cylinder 7. Further, control air is supplied to the second thrust port 35 from a second supply port 48 corresponding to the air bearing cylinder 7.

Hereinafter, the characteristic operation and effect of the above embodiment will be described. (1) Rod 8 (first rod portion 14, second rod portion 1)
5) When pressurized air is ejected from the air ejection members 22 and 25 as air ejection portions provided on the outer peripheral surface to the cylinder chamber 12 and the insertion hole 13 as rod insertion holes, respectively.
The rod 8 is supported in a non-contact manner. Thus, since the air ejection members 22 and 25 are provided on the rod 8, it is not necessary to provide a bearing member or the like on the cylinder block 11. In other words, there is no need to secure an installation space for the bearing member and the like in the cylinder block 11. Therefore, the cylinder block 11 can be formed thin, and the cylinder block 11 can be relatively easily slimmed.

(2) When pressurized air is supplied to the air supply port 29, the pressurized air is supplied to the opening 28 provided in the rod 8.
The air is supplied to air ejection members 22 and 25 as air ejection portions via a passage 26 provided inside the rod 8. Therefore, it is not necessary to form a passage for supplying the pressurized air supplied to the air supply port 29 to the air ejection members 22 and 25 in the cylinder block 11, which can contribute to the slimming of the cylinder block 11. .

(3) The portion of the rod 8 where the opening 28 is provided has a slightly smaller diameter than the cylinder chamber 12 as the rod insertion hole, that is, the first cylinder chamber 12a. Therefore, the pressurized air supplied to the air supply port 29 can be supplied to the passage 26 with almost no leakage.

(4) Air ejecting portions for ejecting pressurized air to the cylinder chamber 12 and the insertion hole 13 to support the rod 8 in a non-contact manner are air ejecting members 22 and 25, respectively.
The air ejection members 22 and 25 are arranged in accommodation recesses 21 and 24 provided in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the rod 8. As a result, the air ejection members 22 and 2 correspond to the housing recesses 21 and 24.
5 is embedded in the outer peripheral surface of the rod 8. For this reason, the amount by which the air ejection members 22 and 25 protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the rod 8 can be reduced, or can be prevented from protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the rod 8. Therefore, together with the slimness of the cylinder block 11, the entire air bearing cylinder 7 can be slimmed.

(5) Since the air ejection members 22 and 25 are formed of a porous body having a large number of fine holes,
The pressurized air is uniformly and uniformly jetted from the inner surfaces of the air jetting members 22 and 25 to the cylinder chamber 12 and the insertion hole 13 respectively. Therefore, the clearance between the air ejection member 22 and the cylinder chamber 12 and the air ejection member 25 and the insertion hole 1
Even if the clearance with the cylinder 3 is small, the possibility that the rod 8 slides on the cylinder chamber 12 and the insertion hole 13 is low. Further, the eccentricity of the rod 8 can be suppressed.

(6) Since the porous body forming the air ejection members 22 and 25 is a porous sintered body having a solid lubrication function, the cylinder chamber 12 and the insertion hole 13 formed in the metal cylinder block 11 are formed. And air ejection members 22, 25
May be in contact with the air ejection member 2
The inner wall surfaces of the cylinder block forming the cylinder chamber 12 and the insertion hole 13 are not shaved by the holes 2 and 25. Therefore, no shavings or the like are generated in the cylinder chamber 12 and the insertion hole 13, and even if the rod 8 is moved, the movement of the rod 8 is not hindered by the shavings or the like.

(7) The air ejection member 2 is inserted into the accommodation recesses 21 and 24 formed over the entire outer circumferential surface of the rod 8 in the circumferential direction.
The pressurized air is evenly blown over the entire circumferential direction of the rod 8 because the rods 2 and 25 are disposed over the entire circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the rod 8. Therefore, the entire outer periphery of the rod 8 at the portion where the air ejection members 22 and 25 are provided is supported in a non-contact manner. Therefore, the rod 8 can be reliably supported. In this embodiment, since the air ejection members 22 and 25 provided on the rod 8 are formed in an annular shape, the rod 8 can be supported more reliably.

(8) Since the air ejection member 22 provided on the first rod portion 14 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 14b, the air ejection member 22 projects from the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 14b. The outer diameter of the portion of the second rod portion 15 where the air ejection member 25 is provided is formed to be slightly smaller than the insertion hole 13. That is, the air ejection members 22 and 25 provided over the entire outer circumferential surface of the rod 8 are made to protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the rod 8. For this reason, the rod 8 in the portion where the air ejection members 22 and 25 are provided is supported only by the air ejection members 22 and 25, and the eccentricity of the rod 8 can be suppressed as much as possible.

(9) In the first rod portion 14, an air ejection member 22 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 14b so as to protrude from the outer peripheral surface.
The space formed by the step with b, the small diameter part 14b, and the step with the large diameter part 14a and the small diameter part 14b is used as the air collecting space 31. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a groove for forming the air collecting space 31 on the cylinder block 11 side, and the cylinder block 11 can be easily manufactured.

(10) An opening 28 formed inside the rod 8 and provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rod 8 and the air ejection members 22,
A passage 26 communicating with the rod 25 is formed so as to extend in the axial direction of the rod 8, and communicates with a screw hole 16 formed in the base end surface of the rod 8 so as to extend in the axial direction. That is, the passage 26 is formed using the screw hole 16. For this reason, when forming the passage 26, the passage 26 is formed from the base end surface of the rod 8 together with the formation of the screw hole 16.
Can be formed. Therefore, the passage 26 can be easily formed.

(11) All ports 29, 32, 34,
Since 35 is concentrated on one side surface of the cylinder block 11, concentrated piping can be performed on the air bearing cylinder 7. For this reason, the piping work is facilitated, the pipes can be prevented from gathering and jamming, and the space can be further reduced. Further, the manifold cylinder 6 can be configured by arranging a plurality of air bearing cylinders 7 in parallel so that the projecting directions of the rods 8 are the same.

(12) When pressurized air is supplied to the opening 28 of the rod 8, the pressurized air can be guided to the air jetting members 22 and 25 through the passage 26 and jetted out therefrom. . Such a rod 8 is inserted into the cylinder chamber 12 and the insertion hole 13 of the cylinder block 11. Therefore, pressurized air is blown to the inner wall surface of the cylinder block 11 forming the cylinder chamber 12 and the insertion hole 13, and the rod 8 is supported in a non-contact manner with respect to the inner wall surface. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the bearing member on the cylinder block 11 side, and it is not necessary to secure an installation space for the bearing member and the like on the cylinder block 11 side. Therefore, it is possible to form the cylinder block 11 thin, and it is possible to contribute to the slimming of the cylinder block 11 relatively easily. Also, rod 8
Since the passage 26 is formed inside, the rod 8
Can be reduced in weight. Thereby, the rod 8 is easily controlled, and highly accurate control can be performed. Therefore, in the manifold cylinder 6, the rod 8 of each air bearing cylinder 7 can be controlled uniformly.

(13) According to the manifold cylinder 6 in which a plurality of air bearing cylinders 7 are juxtaposed so that each rod 8 projects in the same direction, for example, it is effective for a plurality of juxtaposed work objects. In particular, it is suitable for a case where it is desired to press the chips 5 fixed to the tips of a plurality of jigs 3 arranged in parallel via the polishing film 4 in FIG. If control is performed so that each rod 8 is simultaneously projected, a plurality of work objects can be simultaneously worked, and efficient work can be performed.

(14) The air supply port 29 of each air bearing cylinder 7 is communicated through a communication passage 43 formed in the base block 41, and this communication passage 43 is communicated with a common air supply port 44. Therefore, the common air supply port 44
Is supplied to each air supply port 29 through the communication passage 43. That is, the piping work for the air supply port 29 is facilitated, and it is possible to reduce a situation in which the piping for the manifold cylinder 6 gathers and gets together.

(15) Since the air ejection members 22 and 25 are provided on the rod 8, when machining the inner surface of the cylinder block 11, only the metal material forming the cylinder block 11 is machined. Usually, the inner surface processing of the cylinder block 11 is performed by lathe processing. The shank used at this time may be φ6 mm or less depending on the inner diameter of the cylinder block 11. Such a shank having a small diameter can be easily machined if the object to be machined is only the metal material forming the cylinder block 11. On the other hand, when the bearing member is provided on the inner surface of the cylinder block 11, the machining is difficult due to the difference in mechanical strength between the cylinder block 11 and the bearing member, and the machining is difficult due to the low rigidity of the shank. Can not do. This problem becomes significant when a porous body made of a material harder than the material forming the cylinder block 11 is used as the bearing member. Therefore, by providing the air ejection members 22 and 25 on the rod 8, machining of the cylinder block 11 can be performed more easily than when the bearing member is provided on the inner surface of the cylinder block 11.

Further, even if the air ejection members 22 and 25 are provided on the rod 8, the rod 8 and the air ejection members 22 and 25 are provided.
Since the processing of No. 25 is an outer surface processing, the processing hardly becomes difficult. Therefore, the air ejection members 22 and 2
By providing the rod 5 on the rod 8, the entire air bearing cylinder 7 can be easily processed.

The above embodiments can be modified, for example, as follows. ◎ The air ejection member 25 provided on the second rod 15 is
As shown in FIG. 5, it may be provided on the inner wall surface side of the insertion hole 13. In this case, an air supply port 51 for supplying pressurized air to the air ejection member 25 may be provided on one side surface of the cylinder block 11. Also in this case, it is preferable that the air ejection member 25 is protruded from the inner wall surface of the insertion hole 13. By the way, the reason why the air ejection member 25 provided on the second rod portion 15 may be provided on the inner wall surface side of the cylinder block 11 is as follows. That is, since the insertion hole 13 has a smaller diameter than the cylinder chamber 12, the portion of the cylinder block 11 where the insertion hole 13 is formed is thicker than the portion corresponding to the cylinder chamber 12. Therefore, the cylinder block 11 can be made slimmer than when the air ejection member 22 provided on the first rod portion 14 corresponding to the cylinder chamber 12 is provided on the cylinder block 11 side. . In addition, the air supply port 29 is branched inside the cylinder block 11,
Pressurized air may be supplied to the air ejection member 25.

The inside of the rod 8 includes not only a passage 26 for supplying pressurized air to the air ejection members 22 and 25, but also
For example, as shown in FIG. 6, an evacuation passage 52 may be formed at the tip of the rod 8 to adsorb the object to be adsorbed. In the case of this configuration, the large diameter portion 1 of the cylinder block 11
A port 53 for evacuation is formed in a portion corresponding to 4a, and an opening 54 is provided in the large diameter portion 14a so as to correspond to the port 53. The opening 54 is formed wide to accommodate the movement of the rod 8. In addition,
Preferably, the rod 8 in this configuration has a non-circular cross section in the circumferential direction, such as an ellipse or a square. The rod 8 shown in FIG. 6 has a different cross section in the axial direction from the cross section shown in FIGS.

In the above embodiment, the so-called reciprocating air bearing cylinder 7 capable of controlling the reciprocating movement of the rod 8 has been described as an example. However, it may be embodied as a so-called single acting type.

Although the cross section of the rod 8 in the circumferential direction has been described assuming a circular shape, the present invention is not limited to the circular shape.
It may have a square shape or the like. Thus, in the case of a non-circular shape, the rotation of the rod 8 in the circumferential direction is restricted.

Although the air ejection members 22 and 25 are provided so as to protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the rod 8, they may be provided so as to be flush with the outer peripheral surface of the rod 8. In the case of such a configuration, the first rod portion 14 is composed of only a rod having the same outer diameter as the large diameter portion 14a, and the outer diameter of the second rod portion 15 is slightly smaller than that of the insertion hole 13. Preferably, the diameter is small.

The air ejection members 22 and 25 provided in the accommodation recesses 21 and 24 have been described as the air ejection portions.
The air ejection section may have another configuration. For example, when the entire rod 8 is formed of a porous body and a part is masked except for a part, the part can be an air ejection part.

◎ Air ejection members 22 and 2 made of porous material
Although a porous sintered body having a solid lubricating function is exemplified as the material of No. 5, a porous body made of a material such as resin, metal, and ceramics may be used. Further, it is also possible to use a member having a plurality of through holes, for example, instead of a porous body.

Although the construction of the manifold cylinder 6 with the air bearing cylinder 7 has been described, the air bearing cylinder 7 may be used alone as a matter of course. Also, a plurality of air bearing cylinders 7
In the semiconductor manufacturing process, the use of the manifold cylinder 6 formed by pressing the tip 5 fixed to the tip of the jig 3 via the polishing film 4 has been described, but various other use forms are possible. It is. Of course, it is not used only in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

Although the stopper 17 is provided on the base end surface of the rod 8, the stopper 17 may be formed integrally with the rod 8. As a result, the screw member 18 is not required, and the number of components can be reduced.

Although the air ejection members 22 and 25 are provided in an annular shape, they need not necessarily be provided in an annular shape. For example, a plurality of air ejection members may be provided in the circumferential direction at predetermined intervals.

In the base block 41, the first supply port 4 communicating with the first thrust port 34 and the second thrust port 35 of each air bearing cylinder 7 respectively.
Although the seventh and second supply ports 48 are provided, the supply ports may be shared in each case.

The air circuit connected to the first thrust port 34, the second thrust port 35 and the air supply port 29, for example, only supplies pressurized air supplied to the air supply port 29 from another pressure supply source. Other circuit configurations, such as a configuration for supplying, may be used.

Next, technical ideas other than the claims that can be understood from the above embodiments will be described together with their effects. In claim 2, a screw hole is formed in the base end surface of the rod along the axial direction of the rod, and a stopper for restricting the longitudinal movement of the rod by screwing a screw member into the screw hole is provided. The passage was formed using the screw hole. According to this configuration, when a passage connecting the air ejection portion and the opening is formed inside the rod, the passage can be easily formed.

According to claim 3, the rod has a large-diameter portion and a small-diameter portion smaller in diameter than the large-diameter portion, and a housing recess is formed in the small-diameter portion, and the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter portion is formed in the housing recess. The air ejection member is disposed so as to protrude from the air ejection member, and a space formed by a step portion between the air ejection member and the small diameter portion, a small diameter portion, and a step portion between the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion is used as an air collection space. . This configuration is also effective when applied to the first rod portion in claim 4. With such a configuration,
Since an air collecting space for collecting pressurized air jetted from the air jetting member is formed, it is not necessary to provide a groove on the cylinder block side, and the cylinder block can be easily manufactured.

According to claim 5, the air ejection member is provided so as to protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the rod. With this configuration, the rod in the portion where the air ejection member is provided
Since it is supported only by the air ejection member, the eccentricity of the rod can be suppressed as much as possible.

[0086] The rod according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the rod is provided so as to be movable within a predetermined range, and the rod is provided around either the opening or the inner wall surface of the cylinder block corresponding to the air supply port. On the other hand, an air pocket having at least the same length as the moving range of the rod in the axial direction is provided so as to always maintain the communication between the opening and the air supply port when the rod moves. According to this configuration, even if the rod moves, the communication between the opening and the air supply port is maintained, so that pressurized air can always be supplied to the air ejection unit or the air ejection member.

In any one of the first to sixth aspects, the air ejection portion or the air ejection member is annular. According to this configuration, the rod can be more reliably supported.

[0088] In any one of claims 1 to 7, an open passage opening at the tip of the rod is formed inside the rod, and an exhaust port is provided at a position different from the air supply port of the cylinder block. And the exhaust port communicated with the open passage. According to this configuration, the to-be-adsorbed object can be adsorbed to the distal end portion of the rod in which the open passage opens. Further, the weight of the rod can be reduced.

In the fourth aspect, the air ejection members are provided on both the first rod portion and the second rod portion, and both the air ejection members are provided in a state separated from each other through the opening. According to this configuration, since the rod is supported at the separated position, the rod can be more reliably supported.

[0090]

As described in detail above, according to the first to sixth aspects of the present invention, the cylinder block can be formed thin, and the cylinder block can be relatively easily made slimmer. it can.

In particular, according to the second aspect of the present invention, it is not necessary to form a passage for supplying the pressurized air supplied to the air supply port to the air ejection portion in the cylinder block.
This can contribute to a slim cylinder block.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the entire air bearing cylinder can be made slim in conjunction with the slimness of the cylinder block. According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the same effects as those of the second and third aspects can be obtained.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the entire outer periphery of the rod at the portion where the air ejection member is provided is supported in a non-contact manner, so that the rod can be reliably supported.

According to the invention described in claim 6, the pressurized air supplied to the air supply port can be supplied to the passage with almost no leakage. According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, when the cylinder block is inserted into the rod insertion hole formed in the cylinder block, the cylinder block can be formed to be thin, and the cylinder block can be relatively thinned. Can be. Further, the weight can be reduced.

Further, according to the inventions described in claims 8 and 9, it is effective for a plurality of work objects arranged in parallel. In particular, according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the piping work for the air supply port is facilitated, and it is possible to reduce a situation in which the piping for the manifold cylinder gathers and jams.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an air bearing cylinder of the present embodiment and a manifold cylinder using the air bearing cylinder.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a chip polishing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a manifold cylinder.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an air bearing cylinder of the present embodiment and a manifold cylinder using the air bearing cylinder.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing another example of the air bearing cylinder.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing another example of the air bearing cylinder.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a conventional air bearing cylinder.

[Explanation of symbols]

8: rod, 11: cylinder block, 12: cylinder chamber as rod insertion hole, 13: insertion hole as rod insertion hole, 14: first rod part, 15: second rod part, 2
1, 24: accommodation recess, 22, 25: air ejection member as air ejection section, 26: passage, 28: opening, 29: air supply port, 41: base block, 42: mounting surface, 43 ...
Communication passage, 44: Common air supply port.

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A rod insertion hole is provided in a cylinder block, and a rod driven by supply and discharge of fluid is inserted into the rod insertion hole so as to be able to protrude and retract along an axis direction of the rod, and an inner wall surface of the rod insertion hole is provided. An air bearing cylinder provided with an air ejection portion for supporting the rod in a non-contact manner by ejecting pressurized air to an inner wall surface of the rod insertion hole on an outer peripheral surface of the rod corresponding to the above. 2. An outer peripheral surface of the rod is provided with an opening communicating with the air ejecting portion through a passage formed in the rod at a position different from a portion provided with the air ejecting portion. Open at the position corresponding to the opening,
The air bearing cylinder according to claim 1, wherein an air supply port for supplying pressurized air is provided in the opening. 3. The air ejection section is an air ejection member,
The air bearing cylinder according to claim 1, wherein the air ejection member is provided in a housing recess provided in a circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the rod. 4. A cross-sectional shape of the cylinder chamber, wherein a cylinder chamber and an insertion hole are provided in the cylinder block, and a rod driven by supply and discharge of fluid is inserted into the insertion hole so as to be able to protrude and retract along its own axis. The cross-sectional shape of the insertion hole is formed smaller than that of the insertion hole, and the rod is formed integrally with a first rod portion having a smaller diameter than the cylinder chamber and a larger diameter than the insertion hole, and a distal end side of the first rod portion. A second rod portion smaller in diameter than the insertion hole and smaller in diameter than the first rod portion, and a receiving recess is provided on at least one outer peripheral surface of the first rod portion and the second rod portion; An air ejecting member for non-contactly supporting the first rod portion or the second rod portion by ejecting pressurized air to the inner wall surface of the cylinder chamber or the insertion hole in the concave portion; On the outer surface of (A) An opening communicating with the inner peripheral side of the air ejecting member through a passage formed inside the rod is provided at a position different from the portion where the ejection member is provided, and the cylinder block is provided at a position corresponding to the opening. An air bearing cylinder that is open and has an air supply port that supplies pressurized air to the opening. 5. The air bearing cylinder according to claim 1, wherein the air ejection portion or the air ejection member is disposed over the entire outer circumferential surface of the rod in the circumferential direction. 6. The rod provided with the opening portion has a diameter slightly smaller than the rod insertion hole or the cylinder chamber and the insertion hole over the entire circumferential direction of the rod outer peripheral surface.
An air bearing cylinder according to any one of claims 1 to 5. 7. An air bearing cylinder which is inserted into a rod insertion hole provided in a cylinder block so as to be able to protrude and retract along its own axial direction, and is supported in a non-contact manner by supply of pressurized air from the cylinder block side. An air ejection portion provided at a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface, an opening provided at a position different from the air ejection portion on the outer peripheral surface, and the opening and the air ejection portion. A rod for an air bearing cylinder having a communicating passage. 8. A manifold cylinder in which a plurality of the air bearing cylinders according to claim 1 are juxtaposed such that each rod projects in the same direction. 9. The mounting surface of a base block having a common air supply port and a communication passage communicating with the common air supply port, wherein
A plurality of the air bearing cylinders according to any one of the above are arranged in parallel such that each rod projects in the same direction, and the air supply port of each of the air bearing cylinders is provided through the common air supply port and the communication passage. Manifold cylinder to which pressurized air is supplied.