KR100654772B1 - Apparatus for trasferring panel - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for carrying panels is provided to confirm the state of panels stacked in a panel cassette to carry the panels easily and rapidly. An apparatus for transferring panels(20) includes a panel cassette(30) for accommodating a plurality of panels. The panel cassette includes supports(33), a panel cassette main body(31), a door(40), and a sensing unit(50). The supports are vertically arranged at a predetermined interval inside the panel cassette main body and support the panels. The panel cassette main body has an opening(37) at one side thereof. The door is combined with the panel cassette main body such that the panels are loaded and unloaded through the opening. The sensing unit is set at the door in order to confirm the state of the panels stacked in the panel cassette when the door is open. The sensing unit includes a sensor having a transmitter and a receiver.

Description

Panel transfer unit {APPARATUS FOR TRASFERRING PANEL}

1 is a schematic diagram of a panel transfer apparatus according to the present invention;

2 is a partially exploded perspective view showing a panel cassette;

3 is a partial side cross-sectional view showing a panel cassette;

4A to 4C are schematic views showing the operation of the door and the detection unit.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

10 panel feeder 20 panel

30 panel cassette 31 panel cassette body

33: support portion 35: sensor through portion

37: opening

40: door 41: door driver

50: detection unit 51: sensor

53: sensor drive unit 60: stocker

65: transfer chamber 70: load lock chamber

75: process chamber 80: index

85: FFU

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a panel transfer apparatus, and more particularly, to a panel transfer apparatus capable of easily checking the state of stacking a panel in a panel cassette.

Panels used in LCD TVs undergo various processes such as cleaning, resist coating, and inspection to form electrical signals on a substrate. These processes usually take place at different workstations. In the panel manufacturing process, a panel conveying device is provided for conveying panels between respective work stations. Such a panel conveying apparatus generally includes a panel cassette for accommodating a plurality of panels, a stocker for accommodating and transferring the panel cassette to a predetermined position, loading and unloading the panel cassette, and supporting the panel cassette. A transfer chamber provided for loading and unloading one by one, a process chamber for performing a predetermined process, a loadlock chamber for forming a predetermined atmosphere to supply a panel to the process chamber, And an indexer for loading and unloading the panel between the transfer chamber and the load lock chamber. In addition, the manufacturing process of the panel is generally performed in a clean room where a certain degree of cleanliness is maintained.

A system for conveying and transferring a semiconductor or liquid crystal wafer one by one through a process similar to a panel is disclosed in International Publication No. PCT WO03 / 000472 A1 (2003.03.01). The prior art is equipped with an equipment front end module (EFEM) for each process to perform various processes, a cassette for accommodating a wafer, etc., loaded and unloaded into an EFEM, a conveyor for transferring a wafer between processes, and a wafer. It has a robot that picks up and moves to a predetermined position. With this arrangement, in the prior art, the wafer can be quickly moved between conveyors by each process.

However, in the prior art, it is not possible to know whether the wafer is poorly loaded in the cassette, such as a missing loading, double stacking, etc., and thus, unnecessary transfer process is performed, and thus a subsequent process is performed with a large amount of time or a poor loading. There is concern. In addition, to keep the cassette open and contaminate the wafer or to prevent contamination, the cleanliness must be maintained over a relatively large space, and during the transfer, it is difficult to move at high speed and rotation, so that the transfer time may be relatively high or the space utilization may be reduced. There is.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a panel transfer apparatus which can relatively easily and quickly move a panel.

The object is, according to the present invention, in a panel conveying apparatus comprising a panel cassette for accommodating a plurality of panels, the panel cassette, the support portion spaced at predetermined intervals so as to support and stack the panels, and an opening on one side Panel cassette body having a; A door coupled to the panel cassette body to be lifted and lowered to allow the panels to enter and exit the opening; And a detection unit provided in the door to check the stacking state of the panels when the door is opened.

Here, the detection unit may include a sensor having a transmitter and a receiver in the horizontal direction of the up and down direction of the door so as to detect the laminated state of the panels supported on the support.

In addition, the detection unit may include a sensor driver provided to move the sensor between the detection position protruding toward the support from the plate surface of the door and the receiving position accommodated in the door plate surface.

In addition, the sensor may have a sensor penetrating portion formed through the support so as to move up and down.

A stocker configured to accommodate the panel cassette and move to a predetermined position and to allow the panel cassette to enter and exit; A transfer chamber for supporting the panel cassette; A process chamber for performing a predetermined process; A loadlock chamber forming a predetermined process atmosphere to allow the panel to enter and exit the process chamber; And an indexer for loading and unloading the panels between the transfer chamber and the load lock chamber.

Hereinafter, a panel transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Panel transfer apparatus 10 according to the present invention, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, includes a panel cassette 30 for receiving a plurality of panels 20, the panel cassette 30 is a panel 20 A panel cassette body 31 having support portions 33 spaced at predetermined intervals to support and stack the layers) and an opening portion 37 at one side thereof; A door 40 which is accessible to the panel 20 in the opening 37 and which is coupled to the panel cassette body 31 to be elevated; It has a detection unit 50 provided in the door 40 so as to confirm the lamination state of the panels 20 at the time of opening the door 40. In addition, the panel conveying apparatus 10 includes a stocker 60 which accommodates the panel cassette 30 and moves to a predetermined position, and the panel cassette 30 is accessible. A transfer chamber 65 supporting the panel cassette 30; A process chamber 75 for performing a predetermined process; A load lock chamber 70 forming a predetermined process atmosphere to allow the panel 20 to enter and exit the process chamber 75, and the panel 20 between the transfer chamber 65 and the load lock chamber 70. Have an indexer 80 to load and unload them. In addition, the panel transport apparatus 10 may include a FFU (Fan filter unit) 85 in a space for receiving the transfer chamber 65 and the index 80, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the panel 20 is used in an LCD TV and the like and undergoes various processes such as cleaning, resist coating, and inspection to form an electrical signal on a substrate combined with glass. These processes usually take place at different workstations. In addition, in the embodiment, the shape of the panel 20 is shown as a square, but may be formed in various shapes such as a circle as necessary. In addition, the manufacturing process of the panel 20 is generally performed in a clean room in which a predetermined cleanliness level (eg, cleanliness level 10) is maintained. In addition, the panel 20 is accommodated in the panel cassette 30 and transported to a predetermined position.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the panel cassette 30 accommodates a plurality of panels 20, and supports 33 spaced at predetermined intervals to support and stack the panels 20, and one side thereof. A panel cassette body (31) having an opening (37) in it; The panel 20 is accessible to the opening 37 and has a door 40 which is coupled to the panel cassette body 31 and provided to be elevated. In addition, the panel cassette 30 has a detection unit 50 provided in the door 40 to check the stacking state of the panels 20 when the door 40 is opened. In addition, the panel cassette 30 is accommodated in the stocker 60, is transferred to a predetermined position, and loaded and unloaded.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the panel cassette body 31 has support portions 33 spaced at predetermined intervals so as to support and stack the panels 20, and an opening 37 at one side thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the support part 33 is spaced apart at predetermined intervals on the side surface of the panel cassette body 31 so as to support and stack the panels 20. In addition, the support part 33 has a sensor through part 35 formed to penetrate the sensor 51. In addition, a central region is formed in the support portion 33 so that an arm (not shown) of the index 80 can enter and exit the panel 20 when loading and unloading the panel 20.

As shown in FIG. 2, the sensor through part 35 penetrates up and down corresponding to the position of the sensor 51 so that the sensor 51 can check the stacked state of the panel 20 on both sides of the support part 33. It is formed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the opening 37 is formed at one side of the panel cassette body 31 to allow the panel 20 to enter and exit, and a door 40 capable of opening and closing the opening 37 is formed. have.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the door 40 has a panel cassette main body so that the panel cassette main body 31 can be lifted and lowered so that the panels 20 enter and exit the opening 37 of the panel cassette 30. 31). In addition, the detection unit 50 is formed in the door 40 to check the stacking state of the panels 20 of the panel cassette 30. In addition, the door 40 has a door driving portion 41 that allows the door 40 to be elevated.

The door driving part 41 is provided in the door 40, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, so that the door 40 can be elevated. In addition, the door driving unit 41 may selectively employ various known means such as a drive motor and a ball screw, a drive motor and an LM guide. The door driving part 41 starts to descend after the sensor 51 is located at the detection position before the door 40 is opened. When the sensor 51 passes through the lowermost support part 33, the lowering of the door 40 is stopped. If the sensor 51 is located in the receiving position may be included in the control unit (not shown) to complete the lowering to control to come to the open position.

Thus, the door 40 is provided in the panel cassette 30, which is advantageous for maintaining cleanliness, so that high cleanliness does not have to be maintained in a space moving between the work stations. For example, the cleanliness of the panel cassette body 31 and the work station in which the process is performed should be maintained at 10, but the cleanliness of the space in which the panel cassette 30 is moved can be maintained at 1000. In addition, it is possible to move and rotate at a high speed so that the transfer of the panel 20 can be quickly and efficiently utilized.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the detection unit 50 of the door 40 has a panel 20 therebetween so as to detect a stacked state of the panels 20 supported by the support 33. It has the sensor 51 which has a transmitter and a receiver in the horizontal direction of the up-down lifting direction. In addition, the detection unit 50 includes a sensor driver 53 for moving the sensor 51 between the detection position protruding from the plate surface of the door 40 toward the support 33 and the receiving position accommodated in the plate surface of the door 40. Has In addition, the detection unit 50 includes a controller (not shown) that can determine whether the panel 20 is loaded or not, based on the lifting speed of the door 40, the signal detected by the sensor 51, and the like. May be included. In addition, in the panel transfer apparatus 10, the loading and unloading of the panel 20 is omitted or a warning sound sounds according to the detection result of the detection unit 50, the double stacking, or the like. can do.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sensor 51 may vertically move up and down the door 40 with the panel 20 therebetween so as to detect a stacked state of the panels 20 supported by the support 33. It has a transmitter and a receiver in the horizontal direction of the lifting direction. In addition, the sensor 51 may include an optical sensor having a transmitter and a receiver. In addition, the sensor 51 confirms the stacked state of the panel 20 while passing through the sensor through part 35 of the support part 33 when the door 40 descends.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sensor driver 53 accommodates the sensor 51 at the detection position protruding from the plate surface of the door 40 toward the support portion 33 and the plate surface of the door 40. Allow to move between locations. In addition, the sensor driver 53 may selectively employ various known means such as a motor, a gear, an air cylinder, and the like.

Accordingly, the detection unit 50 is provided in the panel cassette 30 to grasp the stacking state of the panel 20 in which the process proceeds and reflect the detection result in advance so that the panel 20 can be transferred to reduce the unnecessary process. Not only can it speed up the process, but it can reduce product defects by identifying loading defects in advance.

The stocker 60, as shown in FIG. 1, receives the panel cassette 30 and moves to a predetermined work station, and loads and unloads the panel cassette 30. In addition, the stocker 60 has a door 40 formed in the panel cassette 30, so that high-speed transfer or rotation is easy, thereby reducing the time required to move between work stations and transporting in a small space.

As shown in FIG. 1, the transfer chamber 65 receives the panel cassette 30 by loading and unloading the panel cassette 30 in the stocker 60. In addition, the transfer chamber 65 may include a door (not shown) in which the panel cassette 30 is opened and closed. In addition, in the transfer chamber 65, the door 40 is opened so that the panel 20 in the panel cassette 30 is loaded and unloaded by the index 80. In addition, the transfer chamber 65 may be provided with an FFU 85 to be described later to maintain a predetermined cleanliness.

As shown in FIG. 1, the load lock chamber 70 forms a predetermined process atmosphere to transfer the panel 20 to the process chamber 75. In the load lock chamber 70, the panel 20 is transferred by the index 80 in the transfer chamber 65.

In the process chamber 75, as shown in FIG. 1, the panel 20 performs a predetermined process. In addition, in the process chamber 75, a predetermined vacuum pressure and temperature may be maintained in order to proceed with such a process.

The index 80, as shown in FIG. 1, draws the panel 20 from the transfer chamber 65 and transfers it to the load lock chamber 70, from the load lock chamber 70 to the process chamber 75. The panel 20 is transferred, and the panel 20 having completed the process is transferred to the transfer chamber 65. In addition, the index 80 allows the panel 20 to be accurately positioned in the process chamber 75. In addition, the space in which the index 80 is accommodated may include an FFU 85 to maintain a predetermined cleanliness.

As shown in FIG. 1, the FFU 85 is provided in a space that accommodates the transfer chamber 65 and the index 80 to maintain a predetermined cleanliness level.

With this configuration, the transfer process of the panel transfer apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4.

First, referring to FIG. 1, the panel transfer process is as follows. The panel 20 goes through various manufacturing processes, and these processes are performed by different work stations. One of the workstations is schematically shown as shown in FIG. The panel cassette 30 in which the plurality of panels 20 are stacked is accommodated in the stocker 60 and transferred to a predetermined work station. The stocker 60 seats the panel cassette 30 in the transfer chamber 65. In the panel cassette 30 seated on the transfer chamber 65, when the door 40 is lowered, the detection unit 50 checks the stacking state of the panel 20, and a detailed detection process will be described later. The index 80 that receives the stacked state of the panel cassette 30 transfers the panel 20 supported by the support 33 to the load lock chamber 70 one by one. The index 80 transfers the panel 20 from the load lock chamber 70 to the process chamber 75 when a predetermined process atmosphere is formed in the load lock chamber 70. The panel 20 having a predetermined process is transferred from the process chamber 75 to the panel cassette 30 by the index 80. This process is repeated repeatedly until the panels 20 of the panel cassette 30 have completed a predetermined process. The panel cassette 30 in which the completed panels 20 are stacked is received by the stocker 60 in the transfer chamber 65 and transported by the stocker 60 to a work station that performs the next process.

Next, referring to FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C, the process of checking the stacked state of the panel 20 in the panel cassette 30 is as follows. As shown in Fig. 4A, before the door 40 is opened, the sensor driver 53 moves the sensor 51 at the receiving position toward the support 33 to be at the detection position. Therefore, the sensor 51 is located on the extension line of the sensor through part 35 of the support part 33. When the sensor 51 is located at the detection position, the door driver 41 is operated to open the door 40 by starting to descend. As shown in FIG. 4B, the sensor 51 may determine whether the panel 20 supported by each support unit 33 is stacked or not, based on the result of the signal sent from the transmitter and the signal received from the receiver. Can be. The control unit (not shown) stops the lowering of the door 40 by operating the door driver 41 when the door 40 passes the support part 33 at the lowermost end, and moves the sensor 51 from the detection position to the accommodation position. The sensor driving unit 53 can be controlled to operate. As shown in FIG. 4C, the control unit controls the door driver 41 to operate when the sensor 51 is positioned at the receiving position, and stops the operation of the door driver 41 when the door 40 reaches the open position. Can be controlled. Thus, as described above, the index 80 which has received the stacked state of the panel 20 draws the panels 20 from the panel cassette 30 one by one and transfers them to the load lock chamber 70. When the panel 20 having completed the process is laminated on the panel cassette 30, the door driving part 41 is operated to move the door 40 from the open position to the closed position.

Therefore, according to the present invention, a detection unit for checking the panel stacking state of the panel cassette is provided so that the panel can be checked for missing stacks, double stacks, etc., so that the panel can be moved relatively easily and quickly, thereby reducing the transfer time. have. In addition, the panel cassette is sealed by the door to maintain the cleanliness of the panel, so there is no need to maintain unnecessary cleanliness in a large space, and it is easy to move and rotate at a high speed during the transfer, and thus the utilization of space can be improved. .

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a panel transport apparatus which can make the panel transport relatively simple and quick by checking the laminated state of the panels.

Claims (5)

In the panel conveying apparatus comprising a panel cassette for receiving a plurality of panels, The panel cassette, A panel cassette body having support portions spaced at predetermined intervals to support and stack the panels, and openings at one side thereof; A door coupled to the panel cassette body to be lifted and lowered to allow the panels to enter and exit the opening; And a detection unit provided in the door to check the stacking state of the panels when the door is opened. The method of claim 1, The detecting unit includes a sensor having a transmitter and a receiver in a transverse direction in the vertical direction of the door with the panel interposed therebetween so as to detect the stacked state of the panels supported on the support unit. Conveying device. The method of claim 2, And the detection unit includes a sensor driver configured to move the sensor between a detection position protruding from the plate surface of the door toward the support portion and an accommodation position accommodated on the door plate surface. The method of claim 2, And a sensor through portion formed through the support portion to allow the sensor to move upward and downward. The method of claim 1, A stocker configured to receive the panel cassette and move to a predetermined position and to allow the panel cassette to enter and exit; A transfer chamber for supporting the panel cassette; A process chamber for performing a predetermined process; A loadlock chamber forming a predetermined process atmosphere to allow the panel to enter and exit the process chamber; And an indexer for loading and unloading the panels between the transfer chamber and the load lock chamber.

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