JPH11322072A - Conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stably convey and store a conveyed object in a storage section by utilizing a stream. SOLUTION: A substrate 1 is horizontally installed between a feed section and a storage section of a conveyed object. A groove 2 is bored on the upper face of the substrate 1, and a conveyance path 3 is formed by the groove 2. Staircase-like sections 6 each aligned with multiple step sections 7 in a line toward the conveying direction are provided in two lines. Each step section 7 of each staircase-like section 6 is provided with an inclined face 8 made higher in the conveying direction and a vertical face 9 continued to it. A water spout hole 10 is provided on each vertical face 9. When water is spouted from the water spout holes 10, a stream is formed diagonally upward along the inclined faces 8 of the step sections 7 in addition to the horizontal stream in the conveyance path 3. A conveyed object 15 conveyed in the conveyance path 3 is pushed up in the floating direction by this stream, and it is held on the surface of the stream and conveyed and stored to the storage box of the storage section.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transfer device for transferring a transferred object, and more particularly to a transfer device for transferring a transferred object, for example, a wafer such as a silicon wafer (hereinafter, referred to as a "wafer") using a water flow. The present invention relates to a simple transfer device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a plurality of wafers are stored in a storage box of a storage section without being in contact with each other. Then, a storage box containing a plurality of wafers is set as a unit in a processing machine such as a polishing machine, and the processing machine such as a polishing machine is operated.
The surface of each wafer of the unit can be polished to a predetermined surface roughness.

In order to store a plurality of wafers in a storage box set in a processing machine such as a polishing machine, conventionally,
The operator held the wafers one by one by hand.
For this reason, dirt, scratches, and the like are attached to the surface of the wafer, which affects the polishing operation and the like.

In order to cope with such a problem that dirt, scratches and the like adhere, a method of transporting and storing a wafer in a storage box of a storage unit using a water flow has been proposed in recent years. One example is described in JP-A-4-120754.

In this storing method (a method for storing a wafer in a cassette and a storing apparatus), a wafer is supplied to a shooter by a belt conveyor, the surface of the shooter is slid and dropped into a storage tank, and the liquid in the storage tank is discharged. It is configured to be sunk and stored in a cassette in a storage tank.

However, in such a storing method,
The setting of the tilt angle of the shooter is troublesome, and the setting of the tilt angle of the cassette in accordance with the tilt angle of the shooter is also troublesome.
Therefore, the device must be capable of adjusting these angles, and the structure of the device becomes complicated.

On the other hand, in order to cope with such a problem that the apparatus becomes complicated, a water flow in a horizontal direction is formed in a transfer path having a simple structure, and a wafer is stored in a storage box of a storage section by using the water flow. A method configured to transport and store has been proposed.

However, in such a method, the height of the wafer being transferred in the transfer path becomes unstable due to the effect of the waves generated in the water flow in the transfer path. Cannot be conveyed and stored at a predetermined position. In this case, a guide may be used to stabilize the height of the wafer in the transfer path. However, the contact with the guide may cause a scratch on the polished surface of the wafer.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. In the case where a conveyed object such as a wafer is conveyed and stored in a storage box of a storage section using a water flow, the water flow is reduced. Even if a wave is generated, a transport device that can maintain a constant height of a transported article in a transport path and can reliably transport and store the transported article at a predetermined position in a storage box of a storage section. It is intended to provide. Also,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a transport device that does not cause a scratch on the surface of a transported object due to contact with a guide or the like during transport. Further, it is another object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive transport device that is easy to maintain by simplifying the structure.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention forms a water flow in a horizontal direction in a conveyance path, and conveys a conveyed product supplied to an upstream side of the water flow by the water flow. A transport device for transporting and storing in a storage portion located downstream of the water flow, wherein at least one step-like portion in which a plurality of steps are arranged in a row in a transport direction is provided on a bottom surface of the transport path. And means for forming a flow of water that pushes up the conveyed product in a part of the flow of water in a direction in which the conveyed material floats by each step of the stepped portion. In addition, each step of the stair-like portion has an inclined surface that becomes higher in the transport direction, and a vertical surface that is continuous with the inclined surface, and the inclined surface allows the transported object to be part of the water flow. It employs a means for forming a flow of water that is pushed up in the direction in which it floats. Further, a means is provided in which water outlets for discharging water along the respective inclined surfaces of the respective steps are provided on the respective vertical surfaces of the respective steps of the stepped portion.

[0011]

According to the present invention, by employing the above-described means, the conveyed article is conveyed in the conveying path in the horizontal direction by the water flow, and is formed by each step of the stepped portion during the convey. It will be pushed up by the flow of water. Therefore, the conveyed article is reliably conveyed and stored at a predetermined position of the storage box of the storage section located on the downstream side of the water flow while being held on the surface of the water flow.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention shown in the drawings will be described below. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of a transfer device according to the present invention. The transfer device is used when a transfer object 15 such as a wafer is transferred using a water flow. In addition, a transport path 3 for forming a water flow for transporting the transported object 15 is provided.

The transport path 3 is installed horizontally, for example, between a supply section (not shown) and a storage section (not shown) of the transported object 15, and is provided for the flat substrate 1. It is formed on the upper surface side by machining.

That is, the transfer path 3 is formed by forming a semi-elliptical groove 2 facing the transfer direction on the upper surface side of the flat substrate 1, and a plurality of step portions are formed on the bottom surface 4. 7, 7 ...
Are provided in two rows. The side surfaces 5, 5 of the transport path 3 are formed as guides for preventing the transported object 15 from jumping out.

The stepped portion 6 may be formed integrally with the bottom surface 4 of the transport path 3 by machining, or a plate formed separately may be integrally formed with the bottom surface 4 of the transport path 3 by welding or the like. You may make it attach.

Each step 7 of each stepped portion 6 has an inclined surface 8 which becomes gradually higher in the transport direction, and has a vertical surface 9 which is continuous with the inclined surface 8 of the adjacent step 7. .
Among the plurality of steps 7, the step 7 located at the rear end in the transport direction has a vertical surface 9 that is continuous with the upper surface of the substrate 1.

The slope 8 of each step 7 is set in the range of 5 to 30 degrees. Since this range varies depending on the shape, size, weight, and the like of the transported object 15, it is not necessary to limit to the above range depending on the type of the transported object 15. The point is that it is only necessary to set the flow rate to a range where a flow of water that pushes up the transported object 15 in a part of the water flow can be formed.

A water outlet 10 is formed in each vertical surface 9. Then, by blowing water from the water outlet 10 onto the inclined surface 8 of each step 7, it is possible to form an obliquely upward water flow along the inclined surface 8 of each step 7. The conveyed object 15 can be pushed up in a direction in which the conveyed object 15 floats by the flow of water. The water outlets 10 need not be provided on all the vertical surfaces 9, but are provided on at least the vertical surface 9 that is continuous from the inclined surface 8 of the step 7 located at the rear end in the transport direction to the upper surface side of the substrate 1. It is good.

Then, the transport device configured as described above is installed horizontally, for example, between a supply section (not shown) and a storage section (not shown) of the transported object, and each water outlet 10 is provided. When water is blown out onto the inclined surface 8 of each step 7, a water flow in the horizontal direction is formed in the transport path 3, and a part of the water flow is obliquely upward along the inclined surface 8 of each step 7. A stream of water is formed that faces the water.

In this state, when the disk-shaped transfer object 15 is supplied from the supply unit of the transfer object 15 into the transfer path 3, the transfer object 15 is horizontally moved in the transfer path 3 by the water flow in the transfer path 3. While being conveyed, during the conveyance, the water is pushed up in the direction in which it floats by the flow of water directed obliquely upward along the inclined surface 8 of each step portion 7, and is conveyed while being held on the surface of the water flow. .

Therefore, even if a wave is generated in the water flow in the conveyance path 3 during conveyance, the height of the article 15 in the conveyance path 3 does not change due to the wave.
The transported object 15 is stably transported on the surface of the water stream, and is transported and stored at a predetermined position of the storage box of the storage unit. In addition, since the transported object 15 is held on the surface side of the water flow, the surface does not come into contact with the inner surface of the transport path 3 or the like, and the occurrence of scratches due to the contact can be reliably prevented. . Furthermore, since it has a simple structure in which the stepped portion 6 composed of the plurality of steps 7 is provided on the bottom surface 4 of the transport path 3, the structure of the entire apparatus can be simplified, and maintenance can be performed. It ’s easy,
Inexpensive things can be provided.

In the above description, the steps 7 are provided in two rows on the bottom surface 4 of the transport path 3. However, the steps 7 may be provided in two or more rows, or wide ones may be provided in one row. is there.

[0023]

According to the present invention, as described above, at least one stair-like portion in which a plurality of steps are arranged in a line in the conveying direction is provided on the bottom surface of the conveying path, so that each By the step portion, it is possible to form a flow of water that pushes up the conveyed material in a part of the water flow in a direction in which the conveyed material floats. Therefore, even if a wave is generated in the water flow in the transport path, the height of the transported object in the transport path does not become unstable due to the wave, and the transported object is held on the surface of the water flow. In this state, the sheet is conveyed and stored at a predetermined position in the storage section, so that the transfer efficiency can be greatly improved. In addition, since the transported object is transported in the transport path while being held on the surface side of the water flow, there is no possibility that the surface will be scratched by contacting the inner surface of the transport path, etc. Transported and stored in the storage unit.
And since it is a simple structure which provided only the stair-like part which consists of several steps in the bottom of a conveyance path, the structure of the whole apparatus can be simplified, and maintenance becomes easy and it is inexpensive. Can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an entire embodiment of a transfer device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Substrate 2 ... Groove 3 ... Conveying path 4 ... Bottom surface 5 ... Side surface 6 ... Stepped part 7 ... Stepped part 8 ... Sloped surface 9 ... Vertical surface 10 ... Water outlet 15 …… Conveyed goods

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A horizontal water flow is formed in a transport path,
A transport device for transporting and transporting a conveyed material supplied to an upstream side of the water flow to a storage section located downstream of the water flow by the water flow, wherein a plurality of transport objects are provided on a bottom surface of the transport path in a transport direction. Are provided in at least one row, and a flow of water that pushes up the conveyed product in a part of the water flow is formed by each step of the step. Transfer device. 2. Each step of the step-like portion has an inclined surface that becomes higher in the transport direction and a vertical surface that is continuous with the inclined surface. 2. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein a flow of water that pushes up the transfer object in a floating direction is formed. 3. The transport device according to claim 2, wherein a water outlet for blowing water along each inclined surface of each step is provided on each vertical surface of each step of the step-like portion.