JPWO2015052763A1 - Substrate transfer device - Google Patents

Abstract

This board | substrate conveyance apparatus (100) is the 1st guide rail (2) and 2nd guide rail (3) which were provided at intervals in the board | substrate width direction with the conveyor part (1) which conveys a board | substrate (CB) in a conveyance direction. ), The motor (4), and the rail interval to the first interval (D1) to carry the substrate, and based on the detected value of the motor, the rail interval to the second interval (D2) to correct the inclination of the substrate And a control unit (6) configured to perform control to move the first guide rail relative to the second guide rail.

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate transfer device, and more particularly to a substrate transfer device that transfers an electronic circuit board along a guide rail.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a substrate transport apparatus that transports a substrate along a guide rail in an electronic circuit board production line. Such a substrate transfer apparatus is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 5084661.

  Japanese Patent No. 5084661 discloses a substrate provided with a pair of guide rails facing each other in the substrate width direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and a pair of conveyors provided on the pair of guide rails and transporting the substrate in the transport direction. A transport apparatus is disclosed. The pair of guide rails includes a fixed rail and a movable rail, and the movable rail is configured to be moved to the fixed rail side by an air cylinder. As a result, the substrate transfer apparatus disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent No. 5084661 corrects the tilt in the horizontal plane of the substrate and the positional deviation in the substrate width direction by sandwiching the substrate between the movable rail and the fixed rail. It is configured as follows.

  In addition, this substrate transport apparatus is provided with a plurality of air cylinders and a plurality of displacement sensors to enable the movable rail to press the side end surface of the substrate evenly (sandwich the substrate in parallel). The air pressure of each of the plurality of air cylinders is precisely adjusted based on the detection result of the displacement sensor.

Japanese Patent No. 5084661

  However, in the conventional substrate transport apparatus, a configuration in which the distance between the pair of guide rails (and the pair of conveyors) is variable according to the width of the substrate to be transported may be employed. In Japanese Patent No. 5084661, it is necessary to provide a mechanism (such as an air cylinder or a displacement sensor) for moving the movable rail in addition to the mechanism for changing the rail interval, which increases the number of parts and complicates the apparatus configuration. There is a problem of doing. Further, as can be seen from the need to provide a plurality of air cylinders and a plurality of displacement sensors in the substrate transfer apparatus of the above-mentioned Japanese Patent No. 5084661, in the configuration in which the movable rail is moved by air pressure control, the substrates are pressed in parallel. There is also a problem that it is difficult to accurately correct the inclination of the substrate in the horizontal plane.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a substrate that can easily correct the inclination of the substrate without complicating the apparatus configuration. It is to provide a transport device.

  In order to achieve the above object, a substrate transport apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is provided in parallel to each other with a conveyer section that transports a substrate in the transport direction and a substrate width direction orthogonal to the transport direction. A first guide rail and a second guide rail; a motor that translates the first guide rail relative to the second guide rail in the board width direction; and a space between the first guide rail and the second guide rail. The board is conveyed by the conveyor unit with the rail interval set to a first interval larger than the width of the substrate, and the inclination of the substrate is corrected by setting the rail interval to a second interval smaller than the first interval based on the detected value of the motor. And a control unit configured to perform control to move the first guide rail relative to the second guide rail.

  In the substrate transfer apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, as described above, the rail interval between the first guide rail and the second guide rail is set to the first interval larger than the width of the substrate, and the substrate is transferred by the conveyor unit. And controlling the relative movement of the first guide rail with respect to the second guide rail so as to correct the inclination of the board by setting the rail interval to a second interval smaller than the first interval based on the detected value of the motor. By providing a control unit configured to perform the above, the rail interval is set based on the detection value of the motor while the rail interval is set to the first transfer interval corresponding to the width of the substrate to be transferred. The tilt adjustment of the substrate can be carried out by controlling to adjust to the second interval. As a result, a motor (rail interval adjustment motor) and mechanism for adjusting the rail interval in accordance with the substrate width to be conveyed and a motor and mechanism for correcting the inclination of the substrate can be shared. The apparatus configuration is not complicated. Further, according to the present invention in which the rail interval is controlled based on the detected value of the motor, unlike the configuration using the rail moving means in which precise position control such as air pressure is difficult, the board inclination is easily corrected. be able to. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily correct the inclination of the substrate without complicating the apparatus configuration.

  In the substrate transport apparatus according to the above aspect, the motor is preferably a servo motor including an encoder, and the control unit is configured to determine a difference between the width dimension of the substrate and the first interval based on an output value of the encoder of the servo motor. The first guide rail is relatively moved so as to approach the second guide rail by an amount, so that the rail interval is set to the second interval. If comprised in this way, based on the position detection value (encoder output value) of a servomotor, the inclination of a board | substrate can be easily corrected by matching a rail space | interval with the width dimension (2nd space | interval) of a board | substrate. .

  In the substrate transfer apparatus according to the above aspect, the control unit preferably moves the first guide rail relative to the second guide rail so that the motor current value is equal to or greater than the first threshold value. By stopping the relative movement of one guide rail, the rail interval is set to the second interval. Here, if the board is sandwiched between the first guide rail and the second guide rail by relative movement, the first guide rail will not be closer to the second guide rail side, so that a larger torque is generated. The motor current value increases. Therefore, based on the motor current value reaching the first threshold value, it is reliably detected that the board is sandwiched between the first guide rail and the second guide rail (the board tilt has been corrected). can do. Thereby, even when the dimensions of the individual substrates vary due to manufacturing errors, for example, the substrates can be reliably sandwiched between the rails to correct the inclination.

  In the substrate transfer apparatus according to the above aspect, the control unit preferably moves the first guide rail relative to the second guide rail so that the current value of the motor is changed between the first guide rail and the second guide rail. Thus, the substrate is controlled to be fixed by maintaining it in the vicinity of the second threshold for pressing the substrate with a predetermined pressure. If comprised in this way, by not only pinching a board | substrate between rails but performing inclination correction, the electric current value of the motor generate | occur | produced when pressing a board | substrate between rails and fixing a board | substrate is used as a 2nd threshold value. The substrate can be easily fixed. As a result, when various operations (component mounting, appearance inspection, etc.) on the circuit board manufacturing process are performed on the substrate transport device, the fixing mechanism for fixing the substrate is not provided, and the substrate in operation Misalignment can be prevented.

  In the substrate transfer device according to the above aspect, preferably, the substrate transport device further includes a pressure detection unit that is provided on at least one of the first guide rail and the second guide rail and detects a contact pressure with the substrate. The guide rail is moved relative to the second guide rail, and the substrate is pressed and fixed at a predetermined pressure by the first guide rail and the second guide rail based on the detected value of the motor and the detected value of the pressure detecting unit. It is configured to perform control. With this configuration, it is possible to detect and monitor the contact pressure between the board and the rail in addition to the detected value of the motor. For example, even when transporting a thin circuit board or the like, The substrate can be corrected and fixed without bending the substrate sandwiched between the two.

  In the substrate transfer apparatus according to the above aspect, preferably, at least one of the first guide rail and the second guide rail has a rail interval in a predetermined work area in the transfer direction that is smaller than a rail interval outside the work area. And a projecting portion projecting inward in the substrate width direction in the work area. If comprised in this way, the rail space | interval other than a work area | region can be made larger than a 2nd space | interval in the state which corrected the inclination of the board | substrate by making the rail space | interval in a work area | region into a 2nd space | interval. As a result, a sufficient gap can be provided between the substrate and the first guide rail and the second guide rail outside the work area, so that the substrate is corrected in the work area and the subsequent process is performed outside the work area. A board | substrate can be carried in and a preceding board | substrate can be carried out. As a result, even in a configuration in which the inclination of the substrate is corrected by changing the rail interval, the time required for loading and unloading the substrate can be shortened, and so-called tact time can be shortened.

  In this case, preferably, the rail interval in the carry-in region from the substrate carry-in position to the work region and the carry-out region from the work region to the substrate carry-out position is larger than the rail interval in the work region having the protrusions. According to this configuration, it is possible to carry in and wait for a subsequent substrate until just before the work area while correcting the tilt of the substrate in the work area, and to correct the previous board while correcting the tilt of the substrate in the work area. Can be carried out.

  In the configuration in which the protruding portion is provided, the protruding portion is preferably formed so that a boundary with a portion other than the protruding portion is smoothly continuous. If comprised in this way, even when providing a protrusion part in order to make the space | interval of a rail in a work area small, the board | substrate conveyed between rails will not be caught by a protrusion part, and a protrusion part will obstruct board | substrate conveyance. This can be prevented.

  In the substrate transfer apparatus according to the above aspect, the first guide rail preferably includes a predetermined work area in the transfer direction, and has a work rail portion provided separately from a portion other than the work area, and a motor. Are provided respectively on the work rail part and the part other than the work rail part, and are configured to individually move the work rail part and the part other than the work rail part in the board width direction. According to this configuration, the rail interval in the area other than the work area can be made larger than the second distance in a state where the inclination of the substrate is corrected by setting the rail distance in the work area to the second distance. While correcting the inclination of the substrate in the region, it is possible to carry in the subsequent substrate outside the work region and carry out the preceding substrate. As a result, even in a configuration in which the inclination of the substrate is corrected by changing the rail interval, the time required to carry in and out the substrate can be shortened, and so-called tact time can be shortened.

  In this case, preferably, the first guide rail further includes a carry-in rail portion including a carry-in region from the substrate carry-in position to the work region, and a carry-out rail portion including a carry-out region from the work region to the substrate carry-out position. The motor is provided in each of the work rail portion, the carry-in rail portion, and the carry-out rail portion, and moves the work rail portion, the carry-in rail portion, and the carry-out rail portion individually in the board width direction. It is configured. According to this configuration, it is possible to carry in and wait for a subsequent substrate until just before the work area while correcting the tilt of the substrate in the work area, and to correct the previous board while correcting the tilt of the substrate in the work area. Can be carried out.

  According to the present invention, as described above, it is possible to easily correct the inclination of the substrate without complicating the apparatus configuration.

It is the top view which showed roughly the whole structure of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus by 1st and 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is the typical side view which looked at the board | substrate conveyance apparatus by 1st and 2nd embodiment of this invention from the conveyance direction upstream. It is a figure for demonstrating the inclination correction operation | movement of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus by 1st and 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the carrying in / out process of the board | substrate of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the control based on the motor electric current value in the board | substrate conveyance apparatus by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the carrying in / out process of the board | substrate of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view which showed roughly the whole structure of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus by 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the control based on the motor electric current value in the board | substrate conveyance apparatus by 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the carrying in / out process of the board | substrate of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus by 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view which showed roughly the whole structure of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus by 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view which showed roughly the whole structure of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus by 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the inclination correction operation | movement of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus by 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the carrying in / out process of the board | substrate of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus by 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view which showed roughly the whole structure of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus by 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view which showed roughly the whole structure of the external appearance inspection apparatus provided with the board | substrate conveyance apparatus by 7th Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
First, the structure of the substrate transfer apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a substrate transport apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is provided as a part of a substrate manufacturing line, and transports a printed circuit board (hereinafter referred to as “substrate”) CB being manufactured in a substrate manufacturing process. It is.

  As an outline of the substrate manufacturing process, first, solder paste is printed (applied) in a predetermined pattern on a substrate CB on which a wiring pattern is formed by a solder printing apparatus (not shown) (solder printing step). Subsequently, electronic components are mounted (mounted) on the substrate CB after solder printing by a surface mounter (not shown) (mounting process). Thereafter, the mounted substrate CB is transported to a reflow furnace (not shown), and solder is melted and cured (cooled) (reflow process), whereby the terminal portion of the electronic component is connected to the wiring of the substrate CB. Soldered. Thus, the electronic component is fixed on the substrate CB in a state of being electrically connected to the wiring, and the substrate manufacturing is completed. In addition, before and after each of these steps, the substrate CB may be inspected by a substrate inspection apparatus (not shown). For example, the inspection of the printed state of the solder on the substrate after the solder printing process, the inspection of the mounting state of the electronic component after the mounting process, the inspection of the mounting state of the electronic component after the reflow process, and the like.

  The substrate transfer device 100 is incorporated as a substrate transfer unit such as a solder printing device, a surface mounter, and a substrate inspection device in charge of each of the above steps, and carries in / out the substrate CB in each device, as well as work in each step ( It has a function of positioning and holding (fixing) the substrate CB in a predetermined work area when performing solder printing, component mounting, and inspection). That is, in these apparatuses, the substrate transport apparatus 100 sequentially transports the substrates CB supplied to the substrate production line in units of a series of operations including substrate carry-in, substrate holding (work execution by each device), and substrate unload. Fulfills the function.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate transport apparatus 100 includes a conveyor unit 1 that transports a substrate CB in the transport direction X, a pair of guide rails (movable rail 2 and fixed rail 3) that guide the substrate transport, and a transport direction X. The motor 4 and the drive mechanism 5 that move the movable rail 2 in the substrate width direction Y orthogonal to the motor 4 and the control unit 6 that controls each part including the motor 4 are mainly provided. The substrate transport apparatus 100 includes a stopper mechanism 7 that stops the substrate CB in the work area A and a clamp mechanism 8 that fixes the substrate CB disposed in the work area A. Hereinafter, a specific structure of the substrate transfer apparatus 100 will be described. The movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 are examples of the “first guide rail” and the “second guide rail” in the present invention, respectively.

  The conveyor unit 1 is composed of, for example, a motor (not shown) driven belt conveyor, and a pair of conveyor units 1 are provided so as to carry (support) both ends in the Y direction of the substrate CB in the carrying direction X. The pair of conveyor units 1 are provided on the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3, respectively. The conveyor unit 1 receives and carries in the substrate CB from a device on the upstream side of the substrate production line at the carry-in position at the upstream end (end in the X1 direction). And the conveyor part 1 carries out the board | substrate CB from the carrying out position of a downstream end (X2 direction edge part), and delivers the board | substrate CB to the apparatus of the downstream of a board | substrate manufacturing line.

  The movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 constituting the pair of guide rails are provided in parallel to each other with a gap in the substrate width direction Y orthogonal to the transport direction X. Both the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 are formed to extend linearly along the transport direction X. As shown in FIG. 2, the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 include not only a guide portion for guiding the substrate CB but also leg portions provided so as to stand upright with respect to the installation surface. The movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 are provided with the pair of conveyor sections 1 described above.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the movable rail 2 is arranged on one side (Y1 direction side) of the substrate transport apparatus 100 and is configured to be movable in the substrate width direction Y (Y direction). Specifically, the movable rail 2 is installed on a linear motion mechanism (on the slider 22) configured by a slide rail 21 and a slider 22 extending in the Y direction provided on the installation surface. The fixed rail 3 is disposed on the other side (Y2 direction side) of the substrate transport apparatus 100, and is fixedly installed on the installation surface. Each of the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 is provided with a clamp mechanism 8.

  The clamp mechanism 8 includes an elevating unit 81 provided so as to extend along the conveyance direction, and a mechanism provided so as to protrude inward in the Y direction on the upper surface of the guide rail (the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3). And a stop portion 82. The raising / lowering part 81 is comprised so that raising / lowering is possible by an air cylinder (not shown) etc., and it is comprised so that the clamp operation which pushes up the both ends of the Y direction of the board | substrate CB on the conveyor part 1 from the upper part to the upper part may be performed. The substrate CB pushed up by the elevating / lowering part 81 is clamped (fixed) so that the upper surface abuts on the engaging part 82 and is sandwiched between the elevating / lowering part 81 and the engaging part 82 in the vertical direction (Z direction). .

  The fixed rail 3 is provided with a stopper mechanism 7. The stopper mechanism 7 is configured to be moved up and down by an air cylinder (not shown) or the like. The stopper mechanism 7 is not in contact with the substrate CB conveyed on the conveyor unit 1 in the lowered position, and is a substrate conveyed on the conveyor unit 1 in the raised position. It is comprised so that CB may be contacted. Accordingly, when the stopper mechanism 7 is raised, the substrate CB comes into contact with the stopper mechanism 7 at the position on the fixed rail 3 side (Y2 direction side) of the end surface on the X2 direction side, and the position in the transport direction of the substrate CB is the work area A. Positioned within. In the first embodiment, the stopper mechanism 7 is not provided on the movable rail 2 but is provided only on the fixed rail 3.

  The motor 4 has a function of translating the movable rail 2 relative to the fixed rail 3 in the substrate width direction Y. The motor 4 is a servo motor having an encoder 41, and is configured such that position control based on the output value of the encoder 41 is performed by the control unit 6. The drive mechanism 5 includes a belt-pulley mechanism having a belt 51 and a pulley 52.

  Specifically, the output shaft of the motor 4 is coupled to a pair of ball screw shafts 53 via a belt 51 that is stretched between pulleys 52. The pair of ball screw shafts 53 are provided so as to extend in parallel to each other along the Y direction, and are screwed with a ball nut (not shown) fixed to the movable rail 2. Although not shown, the fixed rail 3 is formed so as to allow the ball screw shaft 53 to escape. With such a configuration, the motor 4 rotationally drives the pair of ball screw shafts 53 via the drive mechanism 5 so that the movable rail 2 screwed with the ball screw shaft 53 is translated (linearly moved) in the Y direction. It is configured.

  The control unit 6 is a motor controller unit that performs drive control of the motor, performs drive control of the drive motor (conveyor shaft) of the conveyor unit 1, and drives the movable rail 2, the motor 4 (rail interval adjustment shaft). Has a function of performing drive control. In the present embodiment, the control unit 6 controls the movable rail 2 to move in the Y direction so that the rail interval (interval in the Y direction) corresponds to the width dimension W (Y direction dimension) of the various substrates CB to be loaded. In addition, the movable rail 2 is configured to perform control to correct the inclination in the horizontal plane (in the XY plane) of the substrate CB transferred to the work area A by moving the movable rail 2 in the Y direction. Therefore, the substrate transport apparatus 100 is configured to perform both the rail interval adjustment according to the width dimension W of the substrate CB and the inclination correction of the substrate CB by the common motor 4.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the controller 6 sets the rail interval between the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 to a first interval D1 larger than the width of the substrate CB, and conveys the substrate by the conveyor unit 1. It is comprised so that the movable rail 2 may be moved so that. The first interval D1 is an interval (D1 = W + C) obtained by adding a predetermined amount C set in advance to the width dimension W of the substrate CB to be transferred. This predetermined amount is a gap provided between the substrate CB and the guide rail (the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3) in order to smoothly carry the substrate. For example, about C = 0.5 mm (about 0.25 mm on one side). ). The controller 6 moves the movable rail 2 so that the rail interval becomes the first interval D1 corresponding to the width dimension W to be transferred during substrate transfer. In the drawings, the size of the predetermined amount C is exaggerated for convenience.

  Here, as described above, since the stopper mechanism 7 is provided only on the fixed rail 3 side, when the substrate CB comes into contact with the stopper mechanism 7, the substrate CB rotates in the horizontal plane around the stopper mechanism 7. Tilt (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1). Since the rail interval is the first interval D1 when the substrate is transported and there is a margin in the Y direction, the substrate CB is inclined with respect to the state where it contacts the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 in the state of the first interval D1, respectively. Will be able to.

  Therefore, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 6 sets the inclination of the substrate CB by setting the rail interval to the second interval D2 smaller than the first interval D1, based on the detected value of the motor 4. Control is made to move the movable rail 2 relative to the fixed rail 3 so as to correct. More specifically, in the first embodiment, the control unit 6 determines the difference amount (that is, the predetermined amount C) between the width dimension W of the substrate CB and the first interval D1 based on the output value of the encoder 41 of the motor 4. Only the movable rail 2 is moved closer to the fixed rail 3 so that the rail interval is set to the second interval D2. As a result of narrowing the rail interval until the second interval D2 is substantially coincident with the width dimension W of the substrate CB, the substrate CB is placed between the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 so that the substrate CB is substantially parallel to the rail. The inclination is corrected.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 4, a series of loading / unloading processes including an inclination correction operation of the substrate transfer apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  As shown in step S <b> 1 of FIG. 4, first, the substrate CB is carried into the conveyor unit 1 from the carry-in position at the upstream end in the carrying direction. At this time, the control unit 6 sets the rail interval to the first interval D1 in advance according to the width dimension W of the board CB to be loaded.

  Next, in step S2, the controller 6 transports the substrate CB to the work area A and stops it. That is, the substrate CB is transported until it comes into contact with the stopper mechanism 7 in the raised position. Accordingly, the position in the transport direction of the substrate CB is positioned at a predetermined position in the work area A. Further, the substrate CB is rotated and tilted about the stopper mechanism 7 by the contact with the stopper mechanism 7 (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1).

  In step S3, the controller 6 controls the movable rail 2 in the Y2 direction by a difference amount between the width dimension W of the substrate CB and the first interval D1 (ie, a predetermined amount C) by position control based on the output value of the encoder 41. In addition to the movement, the movable rail 2 is stopped in step S4 after being moved by a predetermined amount C. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the rail interval becomes the second interval D2 substantially equal to the width dimension W of the substrate CB, and the inclination of the substrate CB is corrected.

  Thereafter, in step S5 of FIG. 4, the clamp mechanism 8 is operated and the substrate CB is fixed at a predetermined position in the work area A. In step S6, the control unit 6 determines whether to start unloading. For example, when the substrate transport apparatus 100 is incorporated in a surface mounter or a substrate inspection apparatus, a control signal instructing the start of unloading is output to the control unit 6 after a predetermined operation (component mounting or inspection) is completed. Is done. The control unit 6 waits for a control signal to be input in step S6. When the control signal is received, the control unit 6 determines that unloading is started, and proceeds to the processes in and after step S7.

  In step S7, the fixing (clamping) by the clamp mechanism 8 is released. In step S8, the substrate CB is unloaded from the unloading position at the downstream end in the conveying direction by the conveyor unit 1. As described above, a series of loading / unloading processing of the substrate transfer apparatus 100 is performed.

  In the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  In the first embodiment, as described above, the rail interval between the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 is set to the first interval D1 larger than the width of the substrate CB, and the substrate CB is conveyed by the conveyor unit, and the motor 4 Based on the detected value, control is performed to move the movable rail 2 relative to the fixed rail 3 so as to correct the inclination of the substrate CB by setting the rail interval to the second interval D2 smaller than the first interval D1. By providing the control unit 6 configured as described above, when the substrate is transported, while controlling the motor 4 so that the rail interval corresponds to the width dimension W of the substrate CB to be transported, the motor 4 is controlled. The inclination of the board can be corrected by controlling the rail interval to the second interval D2 based on the detection value of the motor 4. Thus, a motor (rail spacing adjustment motor) and mechanism (drive mechanism 5) for adjusting the rail interval in accordance with the width dimension W of the substrate CB to be conveyed, and a motor and mechanism for correcting the inclination of the substrate. Therefore, the apparatus configuration is not complicated. Moreover, according to the board | substrate conveyance apparatus 100 of 1st Embodiment which controls a rail space | interval based on the detected value of the motor 4, unlike the structure using a rail moving means to which precise position control using air pressure is difficult, The inclination correction of the substrate CB can be easily performed. As described above, in the substrate transfer apparatus 100 of the first embodiment, the inclination of the substrate CB can be easily corrected without complicating the apparatus configuration.

  In the first embodiment, as described above, the servo motor including the encoder 41 constitutes the motor 4, and based on the output value of the encoder 41 of the motor 4, the width dimension W of the substrate CB and the first interval D1 The control unit 6 is configured to set the rail interval to the second interval D2 by moving the movable rail 2 closer to the fixed rail 3 by the difference amount (predetermined amount C). Thereby, based on the position detection value of the (servo) motor 4 (output value of the encoder 41), the rail interval is easily adjusted to the width dimension W (second interval D2) of the substrate CB to correct the inclination of the substrate CB. It can be carried out.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a substrate transfer apparatus 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment configured to change the rail interval to the second interval D2 by moving the movable rail 2 by a predetermined amount C based on the output value of the encoder 41, An example of a substrate transfer apparatus that performs control to change the rail interval to the second interval D2 based on the current value of the motor will be described. In the second embodiment, since the apparatus configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the second embodiment, the control unit 106 (see FIG. 1) of the substrate transport apparatus 200 monitors the current value when the motor 4 is driven, and based on the current value as the detected value of the motor 4, It is configured to control inclination correction. Specifically, the control unit 106 moves the movable rail 2 so as to approach the fixed rail 3 when performing tilt correction, and the movable rail is based on whether the current value of the motor 4 is equal to or greater than the first threshold Th1. By stopping the relative movement of 2, the rail interval is set to the second interval D2.

  The first threshold value Th1 of the current value is when the movable rail 2 is further moved to the fixed rail 3 side in a state where the substrate CB is sandwiched (contacted) between the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3. It is set as a value immediately after the start of rising of the generated current value. The first threshold Th1 will be described using the graph of FIG.

  First, when performing inclination correction, the control unit 106 drives the motor 4 so that the movable rail 2 moves in the Y2 direction at a predetermined constant speed, for example. Since the load on the motor 4 when moving in the substrate width direction Y is substantially constant, the current value becomes substantially constant after reaching a predetermined speed. Thereafter, when the rail interval coincides with the substrate width W due to the movement of the movable rail 2, the substrate CB is sandwiched between the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3, so that the inclination of the substrate CB is completely corrected between the rails. At the same time, the movement of the movable rail 2 in the Y2 direction is hindered by the substrate CB (the load on the motor 4 increases). Thereafter, when the movable rail 2 is further moved in the Y2 direction side, the current value of the motor 4 increases in order to generate a larger driving torque. In the graph of FIG. 5, the dotted line portion after the first threshold Th1 shows the change in the motor current value when the drive of the motor 4 is continued even after the current value reaches the first threshold Th1 as a reference. Yes.

  Therefore, the substrate CB is sandwiched between the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 based on the rise of the current value of the motor 4 after the substrate CB is sandwiched between the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3. It is possible to detect (the substrate tilt has been corrected). The first threshold value Th1 can be determined based on a test result or the like in which this control is actually performed, and is set as a current value that can surely correct the inclination of the substrate. Then, when the current value of the motor 4 becomes equal to or greater than the first threshold Th1, the control unit 106 determines that the rail interval has become the second interval D2, and moves the movable rail 2 (driving the motor 4). Is configured to stop.

  Other configurations of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 6, a series of loading / unloading processes including an inclination correction operation of the substrate transfer apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In FIG. 6, the description of the same processing as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is omitted.

  After carrying in the substrate in step S1 of FIG. 6 and stopping the substrate in step S2, the control unit 106 moves the movable rail 2 to the fixed rail 3 side (Y2 direction) in step S11. In step S12, the control unit 106 monitors the current value of the motor 4 and determines whether or not the current value is equal to or greater than the first threshold value Th1. The control unit 106 continues to move the movable rail 2 until the current value reaches the first threshold value Th1. As described above, when the substrate CB is sandwiched between the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 by the movement of the movable rail 2 in the Y2 direction (the rail interval becomes the second interval D2), the current value of the motor 4 increases. The first threshold Th1 is reached.

  When the current value is equal to or greater than the first threshold Th1, the control unit 106 determines that the rail interval has become the second interval D2, and stops the movable rail 2 in step S13. Thereby, the inclination correction of the substrate CB is completed. The subsequent steps S5 to S8 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  In the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  In the second embodiment, as described above, the movable rail 2 is moved closer to the fixed rail 3, and the movement of the movable rail 2 is stopped based on whether the current value of the motor 4 is equal to or greater than the first threshold Th1. Thus, the control unit 106 is configured to set the rail interval to the second interval D2. This ensures that the substrate CB is sandwiched between the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 (the inclination of the substrate CB is corrected) based on the motor current value reaching the first threshold value Th1. Can be detected. As a result, for example, even when the dimensions of the individual substrates CB vary due to manufacturing errors, the substrate CB can be reliably sandwiched between the rails to correct the inclination.

  Other effects of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a substrate transfer apparatus 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the third embodiment, the second configuration is such that the rail interval is set to the second interval D2 by stopping the movement of the movable rail 2 based on whether the current value of the motor 4 is equal to or greater than the first threshold Th1. Unlike the embodiment, an example of a substrate transfer apparatus that performs control for fixing (clamping) the substrate CB with the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 after the rail interval is set to the second interval D2 will be described. Note that, in the third embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the substrate transport apparatus 300 according to the third embodiment is different from the substrate transport apparatus 100 (200) of the first (second) embodiment in the clamp mechanism 8 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). ) Is not provided. The substrate transport apparatus 300 according to the third embodiment is configured to fix (clamp) the substrate CB by the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 instead of the clamp mechanism 8.

  Specifically, the control unit 206 performs control to fix the substrate CB by maintaining the current value of the motor 4 in the vicinity of the predetermined second threshold Th2 with the rail interval set to the second interval D2. It is configured. That is, the control unit 206 continues driving the movable rail 2 by the motor 4 even after the substrate CB is sandwiched between the rails with the second interval D2 between the rails, and the movable rail 2 moves the substrate CB to the fixed rail 3 side ( Y2 direction) is pressed. Thus, the substrate CB is fixed (clamped) in the work area A by being sandwiched between the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 and pressed in the horizontal direction (Y direction). Therefore, in the third embodiment, clamping is performed by a method (edge clamp) in which the end surface of the substrate CB is sandwiched and clamped in the Y direction.

  The second threshold Th2 is set as a predetermined value that can press the substrate CB with a predetermined pressure by the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3. As shown in FIG. 8, when the current value reaches the first threshold Th1 (when the rail interval becomes the second interval D2), if the movable rail 2 is further moved to the Y2 direction side, the motor 4 As the current value increases (increases in driving torque), the pressing force applied to the substrate CB via the movable rail 2 increases. Therefore, the pressing force can be continuously applied to the substrate CB by maintaining the current value of the motor 4 in the vicinity of the second threshold Th2 (the movable rail 2 is continuously driven in the Y2 direction). It is possible to fix (clamp) the substrate CB by

  The second threshold Th2 can be determined based on a test result or the like in which this control is actually performed, and is set as a current value that can reliably fix (clamp) the substrate. When the current value of the motor 4 reaches the second threshold value Th2, the control unit 206 sets the current value until the second threshold value Th2 until the substrate unloading is started (until the work in the work area A is completed). And the substrate CB is maintained in a fixed state. In FIG. 8, the first threshold value Th1 is shown for explanation. However, in the third embodiment, when the motor current value reaches the second threshold value Th2, the substrate CB is surely placed between the rails. Since it is understood that the substrate CB is in a state where the correction of the inclination of the substrate CB has been completed, it is not necessary to determine whether or not the current value is equal to or greater than the first threshold Th1.

  Other configurations of the third embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  Next, a series of loading / unloading processes including a clamping operation of the substrate transfer apparatus 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 9, the description of the same processing as in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is omitted.

  After carrying in the substrate in step S1 in FIG. 9 and stopping the substrate in step S2, the control unit 206 moves the movable rail 2 to the fixed rail 3 side (Y2 direction) in step S21. In step S22, the control unit 206 monitors the current value of the motor 4 and determines whether or not the current value has reached the second threshold Th2. The control unit 206 continues to move the movable rail 2 until the current value reaches the second threshold Th2. Therefore, after the substrate CB is sandwiched between the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 (the rail interval becomes the second interval D2), the inclination of the substrate CB is corrected, and then a pressing force capable of fixing the substrate CB is applied. When the current value of the motor 4 increases to the second threshold Th2 applied to the substrate CB, the process proceeds to step S23.

  In step S23, the control unit 206 fixes (clamps) the substrate CB by maintaining the current value of the motor 4 in the vicinity of the second threshold Th2 and continuing to drive the movable rail 2 (motor 4). Thereafter, the clamping is continued until it is determined in step S5 that the unloading of the substrate CB is started. When starting to carry out the substrate CB, in step S24, the control unit 206 stops driving the movable rail 2 (motor 4) in the vicinity of the second threshold Th2, and returns the rail interval to the first interval D1, Release the clamp. Thereafter, the substrate CB is unloaded in step S8.

  In the third embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  In the third embodiment, as described above, the movable rail 2 is moved closer to the fixed rail 3, and the current value of the motor 4 is maintained in the vicinity of the second threshold value Th2, thereby performing the control to fix the substrate CB. The control unit 206 is configured as described above. As a result, the current value of the motor 4 generated when the board CB is clamped between the rails and the board CB is pressed (fixed) by clamping the board CB between the rails is set to the second threshold Th2. As a result, the substrate CB can be easily fixed. As a result, in addition to correcting the inclination of the substrate CB, the displacement of the substrate CB during work can be prevented without providing the clamp mechanism 8 (see FIG. 1) for fixing the substrate CB.

  Other effects of the third embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a substrate transfer apparatus 400 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the fourth embodiment, the movable rail 2 is driven on the basis of the current value of the motor, so that the control for fixing (clamping) the substrate CB by the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 is performed. In addition to the configuration, an example of a substrate transfer apparatus that performs control for fixing (clamping) the substrate CB based on the detection value of the pressure detection unit will be described. Note that in the fourth embodiment, identical symbols are used for configurations similar to those in the third embodiment and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 10, in the substrate transport apparatus 400 according to the fourth embodiment, a pressure detection unit 310 is provided on the movable rail 2. The pressure detection unit 310 includes a load cell, a strain sensor, and the like, and a plurality (two in the fourth embodiment) are provided on the movable rail 2 so as to be arranged at intervals along the transport direction X. The pressure detector 310 is provided on the inner side (Y2 direction side) of the movable rail 2 and detects the contact pressure with the substrate CB by contacting the end surface of the substrate CB when the rail interval is set to the second interval D2. Is configured to do. The detection value of the pressure detection unit 310 is output to the control unit 306.

  In the fourth embodiment, the control unit 306 corrects the inclination of the substrate CB based on the detection value of the motor 4 (encoder output value or motor current value), and further based on the detection value of the pressure detection unit 310. It is configured to perform fixing (clamping). That is, the control unit 306 moves the movable rail 2 so as to approach the fixed rail 3, and based on the detection value of the motor 4 and the detection value of the pressure detection unit 310, the substrate CB is moved by the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3. It is configured to perform a control of pressing and fixing at a predetermined pressure.

  In addition, drive control of the movable rail 2 (motor 4) based on the detection value of the pressure detection part 310 can be performed similarly to the said 2nd Embodiment or 3rd Embodiment, for example. That is, when correcting the inclination of the substrate CB, the first threshold value of the pressure detection value corresponding to the first threshold value Th1 of the motor current value is set, taking into consideration whether or not the pressure detection value is equal to or higher than the first threshold value. , Do tilt correction. Further, when clamping the substrate CB, a control is performed to set a second threshold value of the pressure detection value corresponding to the second threshold value Th2 of the motor current value and maintain the pressure detection value in the vicinity of the second threshold value.

  Here, the substrate CB transported by the substrate transport apparatus 400 includes a thin and flexible substrate having a thickness of about 0.5 mm in addition to a relatively hard substrate having a thickness of about 1 mm to 2 mm. Therefore, for example, the thin substrate CB may be bent by the pressing force of the movable rail 2 when the substrate CB is sandwiched by narrowing the rail interval. Therefore, by performing inclination correction and fixing (clamping) based not only on the motor current value but also on the pressure detection value, it is possible to perform inclination correction and fixing (clamping) without bending the substrate CB.

  Other configurations of the fourth embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  In the fourth embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  In the fourth embodiment, as described above, the substrate CB is fixed by the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3 based on the detection value (encoder output value or motor current value) of the motor 4 and the detection value of the pressure detection unit 310. The control unit 306 is configured to perform control. As a result, in addition to the detection value of the motor 4, the contact pressure between the board CB and the rail can be detected and monitored, so that, for example, when a thin circuit board is transported, it is sandwiched between the rails. It is possible to correct and fix the inclination of the substrate CB without bending the substrate CB.

  Other effects of the fourth embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a substrate transfer apparatus 500 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the fifth embodiment, unlike the first embodiment in which linear guide rails (the movable rail 2 and the fixed rail 3) are provided, an example in which a protruding portion that protrudes inward in the substrate width direction Y is provided in the guide rail. Will be described. Note that in the fifth embodiment, identical symbols are used for configurations similar to those in the first embodiment and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the movable rail 402 and the fixed rail 403 of the substrate transport apparatus 500 according to the fifth embodiment are such that the rail interval in the work area A in the transfer direction X is smaller than the rail distance except in the work area A. In the work area A, the protrusion 410 protrudes inward in the substrate width direction Y. In the fifth embodiment, the substrate transport apparatus 500 includes a work area A, a carry-in area En from the carry-in position (X1 direction end) of the substrate CB to the work area A, and a carry-out position (X2) from the work area A. And the carry-out area Ex up to the end in the direction). The movable rail 402 and the fixed rail 403 are formed such that the rail interval between the carry-in area En and the carry-out area Ex is larger than the rail interval in the work area A having the protrusions 410. The movable rail 402 and the fixed rail 403 are examples of the “first guide rail” and the “second guide rail” in the present invention, respectively.

  The protrusion 410 of the movable rail 402 and the fixed rail 403 is formed such that the inner surface of the protrusion 410 protrudes by a predetermined amount with respect to the inner surface 421 (431) other than the protrusion 410. The protruding amount of the protruding portion 410 is equal to a predetermined amount C added to the width dimension W of the substrate CB to be conveyed when the rail width is set to the first interval D1. That is, in the case of the fifth embodiment, the protruding amount of the protruding portion 410 is set so that the total protruding amount of the pair of protruding portions 410 is equal to the predetermined amount C. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 12, when the rail interval in the work area A provided with the protrusions 410 is set to the second interval D2 to coincide with the substrate width W of the substrate CB, the carry-in area En and the carry-out area Ex Then, the rail interval becomes a size (W + C) obtained by adding a predetermined amount C to the substrate width W (second interval D2), and is equal to the first interval D1.

  In addition, the protrusion 410 is formed integrally with the movable rail 402 and the fixed rail 403, and the rail width of the portion other than the protrusion 410 (the width in the Y direction) is the width of the protrusion 410 in terms of structure. It is formed by making it smaller. Moreover, the protrusion part 410 is formed so that a boundary (each boundary between the work area A, the carry-in area En, and the carry-out area Ex) with a part other than the protrusion part 410 is smoothly continuous. Specifically, the protrusion 410 includes an inclined surface 411 that is gently inclined, and the inclined surface 411 smoothly connects boundary portions between the work area A, the carry-in area En, and the carry-out area Ex.

  With the above-described configuration, even when tilt correction or substrate fixing is performed on the substrate CB to be mounted in the work area A, in parallel with these, the board carry-in and carry-out areas to the carry-in area En It is possible to carry out the substrate from Ex. For this reason, in the fifth embodiment, the length of the carry-in area En in the transport direction X is made larger than that of the substrate CB. As a result, the next substrate CB can be transported to the standby position in the carry-in area En and kept waiting until the work for the preceding substrate CB is completed. After the work in the work area A is completed, the next substrate is loaded. Compared with the case where it carries out, it is possible to improve the conveyance efficiency (shortening the time required for conveyance). With the setting of the standby position in the carry-in area En, in the fifth embodiment, one stopper mechanism 7 is arranged at each of the work position and the standby position.

  Other configurations of the fifth embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  Next, a series of loading / unloading processes of the substrate transfer apparatus 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 13, the description of the same processing as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is omitted.

  After carrying in the substrate in step S1 in FIG. 13 and stopping the substrate in the work area A in step S2, the control unit 406 corrects the inclination of the substrate CB in step S31. The inclination correction process may be performed by any of the controls shown in the above embodiments. Thereafter, in step S5, the substrate CB is fixed (clamped). The substrate fixing process may be performed by the control described in each of the third and fourth embodiments, or may be performed by the clamp mechanism 8 described in the first and second embodiments. As a result, the board CB is clamped, and a predetermined operation (component mounting or the like) is performed on the board CB.

  Next, in step S32, as shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 406 drives the conveyor unit 1 to carry in the next substrate CB that follows. Subsequent substrates CB are transported to a predetermined standby position in the carry-in area En by the stopper mechanism 7 in the carry-in area En and stopped. Since the substrate CB in the work area A is locked by the stopper mechanism 7, the subsequent substrate carry-in may be started before the clamping in step S5.

  Thereafter, when it is determined in step S6 in FIG. 13 that the unloading is started, the control unit 406 releases the substrate fixing to the substrate CB in the work area A in step S7, and in step S33, the substrate unloading and the next substrate CB operation are performed. Conveyance to area A is performed simultaneously. As shown in FIG. 11, when the rail interval in the work area A is set to the first interval D1, the rail interval is larger by a predetermined amount C than the first interval D1 in the carry-in area En and the carry-out area Ex. However, since the predetermined amount C is a sufficiently small value (C = about 0.5 mm) necessary to smoothly carry the substrate, there is no problem in carrying the substrate.

  In the fifth embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  In the fifth embodiment, as described above, the movable rail 402 and the fixed rail 403 are each provided with the protruding portions 410 that protrude inward in the substrate width direction Y in the work area A. Thereby, in a state where the inclination of the substrate CB is corrected by setting the rail interval in the work area A to the second interval D2, the rail interval outside the work area A can be made larger than the second interval D2. As a result, in areas other than the work area A, a sufficient gap can be provided between the substrate CB and the movable rail 402 and the fixed rail 403. Therefore, while correcting the inclination of the board CB in the work area A, other than the work area A The subsequent substrate CB can be carried in and the preceding substrate CB can be carried out.

  In the fifth embodiment, as described above, the substrate transport apparatus 500 is configured such that the rail interval in the carry-in area En and the carry-out area Ex is larger than the rail interval in the work area A having the protrusions 410. To do. As a result, while the substrate CB is corrected in the work area A, the subsequent substrate CB can be carried in and kept in the standby position immediately before the work area A, and the substrate CB is corrected in the work area A. It is possible to carry out the preceding substrate CB while performing. As a result, the tact time can be shortened.

  In the fifth embodiment, as described above, the protruding portion 410 is formed so that the boundary with the portion other than the protruding portion 410 is smoothly continuous. Thus, even when the protrusions 410 are provided to reduce the rail interval in the work area A, the substrate CB transported between the rails is not caught by the protrusions 410, and the protrusions 410 hinder the substrate transport. Can be prevented.

  Other effects of the fifth embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

(Sixth embodiment)
Next, with reference to FIG. 14, a substrate transfer apparatus 600 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the sixth embodiment, the protrusion 410 is provided on the guide rail (the movable rail 402 and the fixed rail 403) so that the substrate can be carried in and out during the inclination correction and the substrate fixing. Differently, an example will be described in which the movable rail and the fixed rail are divided so that the substrate can be carried in and out during inclination correction and substrate fixation. Note that in the sixth embodiment, identical symbols are used for configurations similar to those in the first embodiment and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the movable rail 502 and the fixed rail 503 of the substrate transport apparatus 600 according to the sixth embodiment are each divided along the transport direction X. That is, each of the movable rails 502 includes a predetermined work area A in the transport direction X, and has a work rail portion 521 provided separately from parts other than the work area A. More specifically, in the sixth embodiment, the movable rail 502 is divided into a carry-in rail portion 522 including a carry-in region En, a carry-out rail portion 523 including a carry-out region Ex, and a work rail portion 521 including a work region A. It is divided into three parts, and each rail part is provided separately. The fixed rail 503 has a work rail portion 531, a carry-in rail portion 532, and a carry-out rail portion 533 corresponding to the movable rail 502. Stopper mechanisms 7 for stopping the substrate CB at the work position and the standby position are provided on the work rail portion 531 and the carry-in rail portion 532 of the fixed rail 503, respectively. Moreover, the conveyor part 501 is provided in each rail part, respectively, and can be driven individually. The movable rail 502 and the fixed rail 503 are examples of the “first guide rail” and the “second guide rail” in the present invention, respectively.

  Further, the motor is provided in each of the work rail portion 521 and a portion other than the work rail portion, and is configured to individually move the work rail portion 521 and a portion other than the work rail portion in the board width direction Y. Yes. That is, in the sixth embodiment, the motor 541, the motor 542, and the motor 543 are provided corresponding to the work rail portion 521, the carry-in rail portion 522, and the carry-out rail portion 523 of the movable rail 502, respectively. The work rail portion 521, the carry-in rail portion 522, and the carry-out rail portion 523 are configured to be individually moved in the substrate width direction Y. These motors 541 to 543 are individually controlled by the control unit 506.

  With the above configuration, the substrate transfer apparatus 600 is configured to be able to independently change the rail interval in each of the work area A, the carry-in area En, and the carry-out area Ex. Thereby, in the work area A, even when the inclination is corrected and the board is fixed to the board CB to be mounted by setting the rail distance to the second distance D2, the carry-in area En is performed in parallel with these. In the carry-out area Ex, it is possible to carry in and out the substrate with the rail interval set to the first interval D1. Also in the sixth embodiment, similarly to the fifth embodiment, the next substrate CB following the substrate CB placed at the work position may be transported to a standby position in the carry-in area En and kept on standby. Is possible.

  Other configurations of the sixth embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  In the sixth embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  In the sixth embodiment, as described above, the work rail portion 521 including the predetermined work area A in the transport direction X and provided separately from the parts other than the work area A is provided on the movable rail 502. Then, the work rail part 521 and the part other than the work rail part 521 are individually moved in the board width direction Y. As a result, the rail interval in the area other than the work area A can be made larger than the second distance D2 in a state where the inclination of the substrate CB is corrected by setting the rail distance in the work area A to the second distance D2. While correcting the inclination of the substrate CB in the work area A, it is possible to carry in the subsequent substrate CB outside the work area A and carry out the preceding substrate CB.

  Moreover, in 6th Embodiment, the carrying-in rail part 522 and the carrying-out rail part 523 are further provided in the movable rail 502 as mentioned above. Then, the work rail portion 521, the carry-in rail portion 522, and the carry-out rail portion 523 are individually moved in the substrate width direction Y. As a result, the subsequent substrate CB can be brought into standby until just before the work area A while correcting the inclination of the substrate CB in the work area A, and the preceding operation is performed while correcting the inclination of the substrate CB in the work area A. The substrate CB can be carried out. As a result, even in a configuration in which the inclination of the substrate CB is corrected by changing the rail interval, it is possible to reduce the time required for loading and unloading the substrate CB and to reduce the so-called tact time.

  The other effects of the sixth embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

(Seventh embodiment)
Next, an appearance inspection apparatus 700 according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the seventh embodiment, as an application example of the substrate transport apparatus, the substrate transport apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment is provided as a substrate transport section of an appearance inspection apparatus 700 which is a kind of a substrate inspection apparatus that inspects a substrate CB. An example will be described. Note that in the seventh embodiment, identical symbols are used for configurations similar to those in the first embodiment and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the appearance inspection apparatus 700 according to the seventh embodiment performs an image recognition by capturing a top surface image of the substrate CB, thereby inspecting the printed state of solder and the mounting state of electronic components on the substrate CB. In addition, it is an apparatus that performs an appearance inspection such as detection of foreign matters attached to the substrate CB.

  The appearance inspection apparatus 700 includes a substrate transport unit 601 for transporting and holding the substrate CB, and the upper direction (arrow Z1 direction, see FIG. 2) of the substrate transport unit 601 in the XY direction (horizontal direction) and the Z direction (up and down direction). A movable head moving mechanism 602, an imaging head unit 603 held by the head moving mechanism 602, and a control device 604 that controls the appearance inspection device 700.

  The substrate transfer unit 601 includes the substrate transfer apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, and is installed on the base 605 of the appearance inspection apparatus 700.

  The head moving mechanism 602 is provided above the substrate transport unit 601 and is configured by, for example, an orthogonal three-axis (XYZ-axis) robot using a ball screw shaft and a servo motor. Since the configuration of the orthogonal three-axis robot itself is known, detailed description thereof is omitted. The head moving mechanism 602 is configured to move the imaging head unit 603 in the XY direction (horizontal direction) and the Z direction (vertical direction) above the substrate transport unit 601 (substrate CB).

  The imaging head unit 603 includes an imaging unit 631 and an illumination unit (not shown). The imaging head unit 603 is configured to perform imaging for appearance inspection of the substrate CB and electronic components on the substrate CB. Accordingly, when the substrate transport unit 601 fixes (clamps) the substrate CB at a predetermined work position in the work area A, the image pickup operation of the substrate CB by the image pickup head unit 603 is performed as work on the substrate CB.

  The control device 604 performs overall control of the appearance inspection device 700. The control device 604 outputs a control signal to the control unit 6 of the substrate transport unit 601 (substrate transport device 100), thereby causing the substrate transport unit 601 to perform substrate transport and substrate CB inclination correction, and substrate CB fixing (clamping). ) And board unloading.

  Other configurations of the seventh embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  Like this 7th Embodiment, the board | substrate conveyance apparatuses 100-600 by the said 1st-6th embodiment are various board | substrate working apparatuses which comprise a board | substrate manufacturing line (in addition to the visual inspection apparatus 700, surface mounters etc.). Can be suitably used as the substrate transport unit 601 incorporated in the. That is, in the appearance inspection apparatus 700 of the seventh embodiment, when the substrate CB is inclined in the captured image of the substrate CB imaged by the imaging head unit 603, the control device 604 performs data processing for angle correction. Need to run. Therefore, when the substrate CB is tilted, an extra processing time for correcting the tilt angle of the substrate CB is required, and work efficiency is reduced. On the other hand, according to the board | substrate conveyance apparatuses 100-600 by the said 1st-6th embodiment, since the inclination correction of the board | substrate CB can be performed easily, without complicating an apparatus structure, an external appearance inspection apparatus. In 700, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of extra processing time and to improve work efficiency.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description of the embodiments but by the scope of claims for patent, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims for patent.

  For example, in the first to sixth embodiments, the example of the substrate transport apparatus including the movable rail and the fixed rail is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, a movable rail may be provided instead of the fixed rail. In this case, when correcting the inclination of the substrate, both movable rails may be moved simultaneously, or only one movable rail may be moved. In the present invention, it is sufficient that at least one guide rail is a movable rail.

  Moreover, although the example which provided the protrusion part in both the movable rail and the fixed rail was shown in the said 5th Embodiment, this invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the protrusion may be provided on only one of the movable rail and the fixed rail.

  Moreover, although the example which provided the convex protrusion part 410 which protrudes inside was shown in the linear movable rail and fixed rail in the said 5th Embodiment, this invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the protruding portion may be formed by bending the movable rail and the fixed rail inward.

  Moreover, in the said 6th Embodiment, although the fixed rail was also divided into 3 corresponding to having divided the movable rail into 3, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, when the movable rail is divided into three, the fixed rail side may be a single guide rail that is linear.

  Moreover, in the said 6th Embodiment, the motor corresponding to each of the work rail part of a movable rail, a carrying-in rail part, and a carrying-out rail part was provided, and the example which comprised each rail part separately was shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, among the movable rails, the carry-in rail portion and the carry-out rail portion may be driven by a common motor. In this case, the rail interval between the carry-in area and the carry-out area is always the same.

  Moreover, in the said 6th Embodiment, although the example comprised so that a movable rail was divided | segmented into 3 and moved separately was shown, this invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the movable rail may be divided into two parts in a work area and an area other than the work area.

1,501 Conveyor part 2,402,502 Movable rail (first guide rail)
3, 403, 503 Fixed rail (second guide rail)
4, 541, 542, 543 Motor 6, 106, 206, 306, 406, 506 Control unit 41 Encoder 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 Substrate transport device 310 Pressure detection unit 410 Projection unit 521 Work rail unit 522 Carry in Rail section 523 Unloading rail section A Work area CB Substrate D1 First interval D2 Second interval En Loading area Ex Unloading area

[0002]
[0006]
However, in the conventional substrate transport apparatus, a configuration in which the distance between the pair of guide rails (and the pair of conveyors) is variable according to the width of the substrate to be transported may be employed. In Japanese Patent No. 5084661, it is necessary to provide a mechanism (such as an air cylinder or a displacement sensor) for moving the movable rail in addition to the mechanism for changing the rail interval, which increases the number of parts and complicates the apparatus configuration. There is a problem of doing. Further, as can be seen from the need to provide a plurality of air cylinders and a plurality of displacement sensors in the substrate transfer apparatus of the above-mentioned Japanese Patent No. 5084661, in the configuration in which the movable rail is moved by pneumatic control, the substrates are pressed in parallel. There is also a problem that it is difficult to accurately correct the inclination of the substrate in the horizontal plane.
[0007]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a substrate that can easily correct the inclination of the substrate without complicating the apparatus configuration. It is to provide a transport device.
Means for Solving the Problems [0008]
In order to achieve the above object, a substrate transport apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is provided in parallel to each other with a conveyer section that transports a substrate in the transport direction and a substrate width direction orthogonal to the transport direction. A first guide rail and a second guide rail; a motor that translates the first guide rail relative to the second guide rail in the board width direction; and a space between the first guide rail and the second guide rail. The rail interval is set to a first interval larger than the width of the substrate and the substrate is transported to a work position where a predetermined operation is performed by the conveyor unit. The first guide rail is controlled to move relative to the second guide rail so as to correct the inclination of the substrate by setting the interval to a second interval smaller than the first interval. And a control unit.
[0009]
In the substrate transfer apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, as described above, the rail interval between the first guide rail and the second guide rail is set to the first interval larger than the width of the substrate, and the substrate is transferred by the conveyor unit. In addition, based on the detected value of the motor, the rail interval is set to a second interval smaller than the first interval, and the inclination of the substrate is corrected.

In order to achieve the above object, a substrate transport apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is provided in parallel to each other with a conveyer section that transports a substrate in the transport direction and a substrate width direction orthogonal to the transport direction. A first guide rail and a second guide rail; a motor that translates the first guide rail relative to the second guide rail in the board width direction; and a space between the first guide rail and the second guide rail. It performs substrate conveyance by the conveyor section the rail spacing to the working position in the first interval to Jo Tokoro work is performed greater than the width of the substrate, during the work in the work position, on the basis of the detected value of the motor, The first guide rail is controlled to move relative to the second guide rail so as to correct the inclination of the board by setting the rail interval to a second interval smaller than the first interval. And a control unit, at least one of the first guide rail and the second guide rail, so as to be smaller than the rail spacing in the other rail spacing work area in a predetermined work area in the conveying direction, the substrate width direction in the work area that having a projection projecting inwardly.

Claims (10)

A conveyor section (1) for transporting the substrate (CB) in the transport direction;
A first guide rail (2) and a second guide rail (3) provided in parallel to each other at an interval in a substrate width direction orthogonal to the transport direction;
A motor (4) that translates the first guide rail relative to the second guide rail in the substrate width direction;
Based on the detected value of the motor, the substrate is transported by the conveyor unit with a rail interval between the first guide rail and the second guide rail set to a first interval (D1) larger than the width of the substrate. And controlling the relative movement of the first guide rail with respect to the second guide rail so that the inclination of the substrate is corrected by setting the rail interval to a second interval (D2) smaller than the first interval. A substrate transfer device comprising: a control unit (6) configured to perform. The motor is a servo motor including an encoder (41),
The control unit relatively moves the first guide rail closer to the second guide rail by a difference amount between the width dimension of the substrate and the first interval based on an output value of the encoder of the servo motor. The substrate transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate interval is configured to make the rail interval the second interval.   The control unit relatively moves the first guide rail so as to approach the second guide rail, and determines whether the current value of the motor is greater than or equal to a first threshold value (Th1). The board | substrate conveyance apparatus of Claim 1 comprised so that the said rail space | interval may be made into the said 2nd space | interval by stopping a movement.   The control unit relatively moves the first guide rail so as to approach the second guide rail, and causes the current value of the motor to move the substrate at a predetermined pressure by the first guide rail and the second guide rail. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transfer device is configured to perform control for fixing the substrate by maintaining the pressure in the vicinity of a second threshold (Th2) for pressing. A pressure detector (310) provided on at least one of the first guide rail and the second guide rail and detecting a contact pressure with the substrate;
The control unit relatively moves the first guide rail so as to approach the second guide rail, and based on the detection value of the motor and the detection value of the pressure detection unit, the first guide rail and the second guide rail The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transfer device is configured to perform control to press and fix the substrate at a predetermined pressure with a guide rail.   At least one of the first guide rail and the second guide rail has the work area such that the rail distance in the predetermined work area (A) in the transport direction is smaller than the rail distance outside the work area. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a protruding portion that protrudes inward in the substrate width direction.   The rail interval between the carry-in area (En) from the board carry-in position to the work area and the carry-out area (Ex) from the work area to the board carry-out position is determined in the work area having the protrusion. The board | substrate conveyance apparatus of Claim 6 larger than a rail space | interval.   The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the protrusion is formed such that a boundary with a portion other than the protrusion is smoothly continuous. The first guide rail includes a predetermined work area in the transport direction, and has a work rail portion (521) provided separately from a portion other than the work area,
The motor is provided in each of the work rail part and a part other than the work rail part, and is configured to individually move the work rail part and a part other than the work rail part in the substrate width direction. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1. The first guide rail includes a carry-in rail section (522) including a carry-in area from the board carry-in position to the work area, and a carry-out rail section (523) including a carry-out area from the work area to the board carry-out position. ) And
The motors (541, 542, 543) are provided on the work rail portion, the carry-in rail portion, and the carry-out rail portion, respectively, and the work rail portion, the carry-in rail portion, and the carry-out rail portion. The substrate transfer device according to claim 9, wherein the substrate transfer device is individually moved in the substrate width direction.

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