KR101127830B1 - Automatic guided vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

 The present invention relates to an LCD manufacturing equipment, and more particularly to a grounding means of AGV for conveying a cassette on which a substrate used in LCD manufacturing.

 The present invention comprises a main body for driving a predetermined route under the control of the controller; A mounting part provided at one side of the main body and on which a cassette containing a plurality of substrates is seated; Provided on one side of the main body is provided with an automatic conveying device comprising a grounding means: grounded to the ground in the form of a wheel.

In addition, the grounding means and the leg is provided with a substantially circular cross section on one side of the main body; A wheel that is pivotally coupled to an end of the leg to be grounded to a bottom surface, the leg receiving portion being formed in a substantially circular shape to receive the leg inside the body; It is provided in the leg receiving portion is characterized in that it comprises a spring for applying an elastic force to the leg in the up / down direction.

Therefore, according to the automatic conveying apparatus of the present invention, since the durability of the grounding means is semi-permanent, productivity is improved and maintenance requirements are reduced.

LCD, Automatic Carrier, AGV, Ground, Wheel

Description

Automatic conveying device

1 is a schematic diagram for explaining a typical cassette conveyance system

2 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional access floor.

3 is a perspective view showing a conventional grounding means.

4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a cassette conveyance system according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating the automatic conveyance device of FIG. 4. FIG.

6 is a cross-sectional view showing the grounding means of the automatic conveying apparatus according to the present invention;

7 is a side view of FIG. 6;

* Explanation of Signs of Major Parts of Drawings *

101: first host 102: second host

103: third host 104: fourth host

105: fifth host 150: cassette

151: ID display unit 200: equipment

300: AGV 310: main body

320: mounting portion 330: robot arm

360: Grounding means 362: Wheel

364 Leg 365: Flange

366: leg receiving portion 367: stopper

368: spring 380: bottom

400: Stocker 410: Input port

420: output port 430: reader

The present invention relates to an LCD manufacturing equipment, and more particularly to a grounding means of AGV for conveying a cassette on which a substrate used in LCD manufacturing.

 In recent years, there has been a demand for a display device in accordance with the development of an information society, and in recent years, a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display panel (PDP), an electro luminescent display (ELD), a vacuum fluorescent display ) Have been studied, and some of them have already been used as display devices in various devices.

Among them, the LCD is the most widely used in place of a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) for the purpose of a portable image display device because of its excellent image quality, light weight, thinness and low power consumption. A television for receiving and displaying a broadcast signal, and a monitor for a computer.

The LCD includes a liquid crystal substrate and a driving circuit for driving the liquid crystal substrate, and as shown in FIG. 1, to transport the substrate to equipment 20a and 20b for performing each process. A cassette transfer vehicle (CTV) is used.

In this case, in order to increase the conveyance efficiency of the cassette conveying apparatus 30, the cassette conveying apparatus 30 conveys the cassette 10 after storing the plurality of substrates in the cassette 10. .

Accordingly, the cassette conveying apparatus 30 may move the cassette 10 to the stocker 40 while reciprocating between the stocker 40 in which the cassette 10 is temporarily stored and the equipment 20a and 20b for performing each process. To each of the equipment (20a, 20b) and from each of the equipment (20a, 20b) to the stocker 40, respectively.

Also, in recent years, the cassette conveying apparatus 30 has been applied with an AGV (Auto Guided Vehicle) which loads a package at a designated position along a guide line embedded in the floor.

To this end, a conveying line 11 is provided at the bottom of the production line to guide the AGV 30 to move along a predetermined path.

Therefore, the induction apparatus which can guide the path | route of the AGV 30 is provided in the said conveyance line 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, a magnetic spot mark 60 embedded in an access floor 50, which is a space in which the AGV 30 moves, is mainly used.

In the access floor 50, a plurality of holes 55 are formed, and the magnetic spot mark 60 corresponds to the conveying line 11 of the cassette conveying device 30 of the access floor 50. It is inserted in the hole 55 of the place, and comprises the conveyance line 11. As shown in FIG.

Therefore, the cassette conveying apparatus 30 is provided with a sensor (not shown) capable of recognizing the magnetic spot mark 60 and moves while recognizing the conveying line 11 through the magnetic spot mark 60.

In addition, an electronic device for various controls is mounted inside the AGV. In order to prevent the electronic device from being damaged by unexpected static electricity, the AGV is provided with a grounding means for grounding the ground.

3 is a view showing the grounding means.

The grounding means is in the form of a conductive brush extended in the lower part of the AGV (30). Hereinafter, the brush-type grounding means will be referred to as a grounding brush 36.

The ground brush 36 is manufactured in the form of a plurality of strands extending like threads to be in contact with the access floor 50, so that the ground brush 36 is grounded with the ground through the access floor 50.

In addition, since the ground brush 36 is soft as a thread, the AGV 30 maintains contact with the access floor 50 even when the traveling direction such as forward and backward or left / right switching is changed.

 However, the conventional brush-type grounding means as described above has the following problems.

First, the grounding brush is attracted to the access floor according to the movement of the AGV, which causes friction and wears the grounding brush, or the grounding brush is entangled with each other due to the change of direction of the AGV. .

Second, periodic inspection and replacement of the grounding brush is necessary in order to prevent the grounding state defect due to wear and entanglement of the grounding brush. In addition to the deterioration in productivity, there is a problem in that monetary loss due to replacement parts occurs when the grounding brush is replaced.

The present invention is to solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an AGV improved the wear resistance and deformation resistance of the grounding means.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a main body for driving a predetermined path under the control of the controller; A mounting part provided at one side of the main body and on which a cassette containing a plurality of substrates is seated; Provided on one side of the main body is provided with an automatic conveying device comprising a grounding means: grounded to the ground in the form of a wheel.

In addition, the grounding means is characterized in that the left / right rotation and up / down movement with respect to the main body.

In addition, the grounding means and the leg is provided with a substantially circular cross section on one side of the main body; A wheel that is pivotally coupled to an end of the leg to be grounded to a bottom surface, the leg receiving portion being formed in a substantially circular shape to receive the leg inside the body; A stopper extending a predetermined length inward at one end of the leg receiving portion; One end of the leg is connected to the stopper and the flange extends a predetermined length radially outward so that the leg is not detached from the leg receiving portion; It is provided in the leg receiving portion is characterized in that it comprises a spring for applying an elastic force to the leg in the up / down direction.

Therefore, according to the automatic conveying apparatus of the present invention, since the durability of the grounding means is semi-permanent, productivity is improved and maintenance requirements are reduced.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a preferred embodiment according to the automatic conveying apparatus of the present invention that can specifically realize the above object will be described.

Here, the same components as in the prior art are given the same names and the same reference numerals for convenience of description, and description thereof will be omitted.

First, the automatic conveying apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

 The first host 101 is an uppermost host that receives from the operator a conveyance command for moving the cassette 150. When a worker inputs a return command to the first host 101, the first host 101 transmits the return command to the second host 102 and the third host 103.

The second host 102 communicates with the first host 101 and the third host 103 and controls the equipment 200 to perform any process. The return command sent from the first host 101 to the second host 102 is transmitted to the equipment 200.

The third host 103 communicates with the first host 101 and the second host 102 and controls the fourth host 104 and the fifth host 105. The return command transmitted from the first host 101 to the third host 103 is transmitted to the fourth host 104 and the fifth host 105.

The fourth host 104 communicates with the third host 103 and controls the operation of an AGV 300 (automatic guided vehicle). Of course, the conveying command received by the fourth host 104 is transmitted to the automatic conveying apparatus (hereinafter referred to as AGV 300).

The fifth host 105 communicates with the third host 103 and controls a stocker 400 that stores a plurality of cassettes 150 on which a plurality of glasses are mounted. Of course, the return command received at the fifth host 105 is transmitted to the stocker 400.

Meanwhile, before the stocker 400 supplies the cassettes 150 on which the substrates of which process is completed to other equipment that performs the next process, the substrate processing capability and the processing time of the equipments that perform each process. In order to solve the buffering (buffering) problem caused by the difference of the, is a facility for temporarily storing the cassette 150. Therefore, the cassettes 150 on which substrates which have been finished in a certain process are mounted are temporarily stored in the stocker 400 and then supplied to other equipment which performs another process.

The stocker 400, which performs the above functions, includes an input port 410 on which a cassette 150 on which substrates of any process are completed is received, and a plurality of shelves storing the cassettes 150. (Not shown), the output port 420 from which the cassette 150 is shipped, and the stocker while moving between the input port 410 and the shelf and between the shelf and the output port 420. And a stacker robot (not shown) that carries the cassette 150 within 400.

Meanwhile, in order to process the plurality of cassettes 150 without errors as described above, each cassette 150 has unique ID information, and the stocker 400 checks each ID information of each cassette 150. Stored on the shelf.

To this end, the input port 410 of the stocker 400 is provided with a reader 430 that can check the ID information of the cassette 150. In addition, an ID display unit 151 in which ID information of the cassette 150 is recorded is provided on at least one of an upper side and a lower side of the cassette 150. In the present invention, as an example of the ID display unit 151, a bar code is presented.

With the above structure, the reader 430 reads the ID display unit 151 so that the stocker 400 can check the ID information of the cassette 150. When the cassette 150 is shipped, the storage port of the cassette 150 having the ID information corresponding to the conveying information received by the stocker 400 is checked, and then the output port 420 from the shelf using the stacker robot. The cassette 150 is transported.

The AGV 300, on the other hand, controls the cassette 150 from the equipment 200 to the input port 410 of the stocker 400 and the stocker 400 under the control of the fourth host 104. Return from the output port 420 to the other equipment (200). Here, the fourth host 104 controls at least one AGV 300, and each AGV 300 controls each component of the AGV 300 according to the command of the fourth host 104. A control unit (not shown) is provided.

The AGV 300 is provided on a main body 310 for driving a predetermined section under the control of the controller 115, and on one side of the main body 310, for example, the upper portion of the main body 310, and the cassette 150 is placed thereon. Loss includes a mounting portion (320).

Here, a plurality of wheels 311 are provided at the bottom of the main body 310 as shown in FIG. 5, and the wheels 311 are driven by a traveling motor (not shown) controlled by a controller (not shown). Driven.

 Meanwhile, the AGV 300 may further include a robot arm 330 for loading the cassette 150 into the mounting unit 320 or unloading from the mounting unit 320. .

 When the robot arm 330 is provided in the AGV 300 as described above, the AGV 300 includes the cassette 200 in the input port 410 and the output port 420 of the apparatus 200 and the stocker 400. 150 may be directly loaded onto the mount 320, or the cassette 150 loaded on the mount 320 may be unloaded onto the equipment 200 and the stocker 400.

However, the robot arm 330 is not provided in the AGV 300, and a separate robot arm for loading or unloading the cassette 150 is provided near the stocker 400 and the equipment 200. It will be alright.

 The cassette conveying system according to the present invention having the structure as described above conveys the cassette 150 to the stocker 400 or the equipment 200 through the following process.

First, when an operator confirms the ID of the cassette 150 to be conveyed and then inputs a conveyance command of the cassette 150 to the first host 101, the first host 101 transmits the second host. The transfer command is issued to 102 and the third host 103.

The second host 102 having received the return command forwards it to the equipment 200, and the third host 103 forwards it to the fourth host 104 and the fifth host 105. In addition, the fourth host 104 transmits the transfer command to the AGV 300, and the fifth host 105 transmits the stocker 400 to the stocker 400.

The stocker 400 receiving the transfer command controls the stacker robot and transports the cassette 150 to the output port 420. Then, the AGV 300 receiving the transfer command moves in front of the stocker 400 and loads the cassette 150 placed at the output port 420 on the mounting unit 320.

The AGV 300 loaded with the cassette 150 moves to the equipment 200. The AGV 300, located precisely in front of the device 200 with the aid of the first sensor 340, correctly unloads the cassette 150 into the device 200 with the help of the second sensor 350.

When the cassette 150 is completely unloaded into the equipment 200, the equipment 200 reads the ID display unit 151 of the cassette 150 using the reader 210. The ID information of the cassette 150 read by the reader 210 of the device 200 is transmitted to the second host 102, and the second host 102 receives the information from the first host 101. The transport information transmitted to the equipment 200 is compared with the ID information of the cassette 150.

As a result of comparison, when the conveyed information transmitted to the equipment 200 and the ID information of the cassette 150 match, the equipment 200 takes out the substrates mounted on the cassette 150 and performs a predetermined process.

However, since the equipment 200 and the stocker 400 are controlled by different hosts, when any one of the control lines causes a malfunction, the conveyance information and the cassette ( ID information of 150 may be inconsistent. Therefore, when the comparison results, the conveying information transmitted to the equipment 200 and the ID information of the cassette 150 is inconsistent, the conveying system generates an alarm sound, and the AGV 300 freezes the equipment 200. The loaded cassette 150 is loaded on the mounting unit 320 again.

The AGV 300 reloading the cassette 150 unloads the cassette 150 back to the stocker 400 and then unloads the input port 410 of the stocker 400. When the operator finds a control line in which an error occurs and solves the problem, the operator inputs a transfer command to the first host 101 again, and the transfer procedure of the cassette 150 of the above process is performed again.

Meanwhile, a plurality of electronic components (not shown) are mounted in the AGV 300 for sensing and control, and the electronic components are grounded and grounded to prevent unexpected damage due to static electricity. The grounding means 360 is provided on one side of the main body 310 for such grounding.

Here, the grounding means 360 is preferably grounded with the bottom surface 380 in a rolling manner rather than a friction method for durability.

For the grounding of the rolling method, the grounding means in this embodiment is a leg 364 extending downward on one side of the main body 310, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and the leg 364 It is preferably made to include a wheel 362 is axially coupled to the bottom surface 380 to rotate.

Accordingly, the wheel 362 is connected to the bottom surface 380 such as an access floor and rotated in accordance with the movement of the AGV 300 to be connected to the bottom surface 380 in a rolling manner.

Here, the leg 364 and the wheel 362 is naturally connected to the electronic components inside the AGV 300 for grounding.

In addition, since the AGV 300 is not only linear movement but moves in various directions, the grounding means 360 may rotate left or right to correspond to the change of direction of the AGV 300. desirable.

In addition, the bottom surface 380 to which the AGV 300 is moved may not be flat but may have some up / down bending. In this case, the grounding means 360 may not lose contact with the bottom surface 380. The grounding means 360 is preferably provided to be able to move up / down elastically.

To this end, the grounding means 360 is preferably a circular cross section of the leg 364, the leg receiving portion 366 for accommodating the leg 364 inside the body 310 is provided.

Here, the leg receiving portion 366 is formed into the body 310 of a predetermined depth in a substantially circular cross section so as to correspond to the cross section of the leg 364.

Thus, the leg 364 is located in the leg receiving portion 366 of the body 310, the radius at the upper end of the leg 364 so that the leg 364 is not removed from the leg receiving portion 366 A flange 365 extending a predetermined length outwardly in a direction is formed, and a stopper 367 is formed by extending a predetermined length radially inward at a lower end of the leg receiving portion 366.

That is, when the leg 364 is lowered to the bottom end, the flange 365 of the leg 364 is connected to the stopper 367 so that the leg 364 is not removed from the leg receiving portion 366.

In addition, it is preferable that a spring 368 is provided in the leg receiving portion 366 to apply elastic pressure to the leg 364 in the bottom direction so that the leg 364 is in close contact with the bottom surface 380. Do.

Therefore, when the AGV 300 changes direction, the leg 364 of the circular cross section rotates in the leg receiving portion 366 so that the direction of the wheel 362 is the direction of the AGV 300. To match.

In addition, since the spring 368 always pushes the leg 364 downward, when the bending occurs on the bottom surface of the AGV 300, the leg 364 moves up / down elastically. By maintaining the ground with the bottom surface 380 at all times to ensure the safety of the embedded electronic components.

Therefore, according to the automatic conveying apparatus of the present invention, since the grounding means is in contact with the bottom surface in a rolling manner rather than a friction type, there is an effect of having a semi-permanent life without a problem due to wear or the like.

According to the automatic conveyance apparatus of the present invention described above has the following advantages.

First, since the grounding means is in contact with the floor in a rolling manner rather than a friction method, there is no effect due to abrasion, and thus has a semi-permanent lifespan.

Second, since the grounding means has a semi-permanent lifespan, there is no time for stopping the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal substrate by the maintenance and repair of the grounding means, thereby improving productivity.

Third, since the grounding means has a semi-permanent life, there is an effect that the cost required for maintenance and repair of the grounding means is saved.

Claims (6)

A main body driving a predetermined route under the control of the controller; A mounting part provided at one side of the main body and on which a cassette containing a plurality of substrates is mounted; And And a grounding means provided on one side of the main body and including a wheel provided on one side of the main body so as to be grounded to the ground in the form of a wheel, and a wheel which is pivotally coupled to the end of the leg to be grounded. and; The leg and the wheel is an automatic conveying device, characterized in that electrically connected with the electronic components inside the body. delete The method of claim 1, And the leg is provided to be rotatable left / right with respect to the main body. The method of claim 3, The leg is provided with an automatic conveying device characterized in that it is provided to be movable elastically up and down with respect to the main body. The method of claim 4, wherein The leg is formed in a circular cross section; A leg receiving portion formed in a circular shape to receive the leg inside the main body; And a spring provided inside the leg receiving portion to apply an elastic force to the leg in an up / down direction. The method of claim 5, A stopper extending a predetermined length radially inward at one end of the leg receiving portion; And a flange extending a predetermined length radially outward so as to be connected to the stopper at one end of the leg so that the leg is not detached from the leg receiving portion.

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