KR19990075002A - Transfer facility with branch track - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to, for example, a conveying facility having a branching track applied to a clean room for semiconductor manufacturing.

In order to drive the transport cart to the branch side without switching the track side, the transport facility of the present invention includes a transport cart, a propulsion means for the transport cart, a main track for guiding the transport cart and a branch branched from the main track. A track selection mechanism mounted on the transport cart and selecting a track on which the transport cart should travel at a branch point of the main track and the branch track, and leading the transport cart to the selected track, and laying in connection with the main track. The main track side feed line, the branch track side feed line laid in connection with the branch track, the branch feed line line attached to the branch point, and the feeder for the branch point that is in charge of the transfer range between the main track side feed line and the branch track side feed line; It is provided with a plurality of pick-up coil (Pick-up coil) which is mounted on the trolley and extracts electrical energy in a non-contact from the feed line.

Therefore, the amount of conveyance per unit time is greatly increased, there is no possibility that the conveyance trolley is derailed, the track structure is simple, light weight and low cost, and no special consideration for the suspension load capacity is required, and it meets the high air clean demand. can do.

Description

Transfer facility with branch track

The present invention relates to, for example, a conveying facility having a branching track applied to a clean room for semiconductor manufacturing.

As the demand for electronic devices increases, the manufacture of semiconductor devices and wafers has become active. Production of these semiconductor devices and wafers is performed in a clean room. In this clean room, an orbital conveyance facility is mainly used to transport these semiconductor devices and wafers to each process site.

In recent years, in this kind of clean room, there is an increasing demand for increasing the amount of conveying per unit time of the conveying facilities in order to increase production efficiency and reduce manufacturing costs with limited equipment.

Usually, in this kind of conveying equipment, the conveyance trajectory is in the form of a loop, and a plurality of conveyance trolleys travel on the trajectory. By the way, a significant increase in the conveyed amount is not desired in a single loop, so that the enemy's branch track is installed on the main track (main track), so that it is possible to overtake the transport cart.

In the conventional conveying equipment, shift tracks are shifted to the main side or the branch side by shifting the track side by installing a shifter, a turn table, and the like at the branch points of the track.

By the way, the conventional method of switching the track side has the following problem.

(1) Since the operation time is required for the changeover of the trajectory, the conveying time becomes longer as a result, and the amount of conveyance per unit time does not increase because the passage of the subsequent truck is restricted.

(2) Before the transfer is complete If the transfer cart enters the switching track on the shifter and turntable, there is a risk of derailment.

(3) Since the track side needs to move, the structure of the track side becomes complicated, the weight and size of the branch portion increase, and in particular, when the track is installed on the ceiling, construction is difficult in terms of load capacity.

(4) Dust may be generated by the orbital switching operation, and a mechanism for sucking it must be installed separately.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a conveying facility having a branching track capable of traveling the conveying bogie to a branching side without switching the track side in view of the above circumstances.

1 is a general overview of a conveying equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a detailed perspective view showing the main part of an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a bottom view of FIG. 2;

4 is a plan view showing the relationship between the transport cart and the track;

Fig. 5 is a partial configuration diagram of another embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a plan view showing a relationship between a transport cart and a track, and (b) is a plan view showing a rough configuration of the transport cart.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

1. Transfer facility 2. Main track

3. Branch track 4. Carriage trolley

12. Main orbit side feed line 13. Branch orbit side feed line

13a. Feed line 22, 23. Pick-up coil

24. Driving wheel 30. Steering mechanism (orbit selection means)

40. Transfer cart 41. Guide roller mechanism (orbit selection means)

42. Magnetic Roller (Guide) 43. Arm

P. Junction

The conveying equipment of the invention of claim 1 includes a conveying bogie, a propulsion means for the conveying bogie, a main trajectory for guiding the conveying bogie, a branching trajectory branched from the main trajectory, and a main trajectory and a branch mounted on the conveying bogie. A track selector which selects a track to be carried by the transport cart at the branch point of the track, and guides the transport cart to the selected track, a main track side feeder laid in connection with the main track, and the branch track Branch feed line laid at the branch track, a feeder for branch point attached to the branch point to cover the transfer range between the main track side feed line and the branch track feed line, and is mounted on the conveying bogie to be electrically contacted from the feed line It is characterized by including a plurality of pick-up coil (Pick-up coil) for taking out the energy.

In this case, at least two peak up coils to be carried on the transport cart are required for the main track side feeder and for the branch feeder, and the peak up coils for the branch track feeder are the two peak up coils. One of them is enough. In addition, depending on which peak up the branch track wire is, the peak up coil for the main track side feed line also applies to the branch track wire. The branch feed line is the same side as the main track side feed line. In the same location as seen in the case) will be installed. Therefore, it is provided separately from the branch feeder and the branch track wire that need to be installed at a position opposite to the main track side wire (another position when viewed from the transport cart). In other words, it is difficult to integrate the branch feeder and the branch track wire.

On the other hand, in the case of the peak up coil for the branch feeder, the branch track wire is also provided on the same side as the branch feeder (the same position as seen from the transport cart). Therefore, the branch feed wire and the branch track wire can be integrally installed at the same position. That is, the branch feed wire and the branch track wire can be installed continuously.

The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the transport cart comprises a wheel that can be steered, and the track selection mechanism is a steering mechanism that changes the direction of the wheel.

The invention according to claim 3, further comprising: a guide member according to the guide according to claim 1, wherein at least said guide point is provided at the branch point and a guide light at the branch track, and the track selection mechanism is connected to the transport cart. It is characterized in that it consists of a dedicated mechanism for either one of the guide member for exclusive use (가이드 用).

As for the conveyance equipment of Claim 4, the said guide becomes a guide roller of a magnetic body, The said guide member becomes a magnetic roller which adsorb | sucks to the said guide rail, The said special mechanism is a magnetic roller at the front end. It is characterized by the fact that the base consists of an arm connected to the conveyance trolley by the oscillation restraint, and the drive means which transfers this arm to any guide rail.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiment of this invention is described based on drawing.

1 is an overall schematic view of a conveyance facility 1 which is an embodiment of the present invention. This conveying facility 1 is disposed in a clean room, and is capable of freely conveying a cassette W containing a semiconductor wafer or the like among cassette stockers 5 (including Cassette Stocker and stations) provided for each process.

This conveying facility 1 has a main track 2 formed in a loop shape as a whole, and a branch track 3 provided corresponding to each cassette stocker 5. The branch track 3 branches from the main track 2 and joins the main track 3. These tracks 2 and 3 are for guiding the conveyance trolley 4 on which the cassettes W are mounted, and are installed on the ceiling of a clean room, for example.

FIG. 2 shows the relationship between the portion where the branch track 3 is provided and the conveyance trolley 4 in detail. Each of the tracks 2 and 3 is made of aluminum, and the cross section having the bottom wall 6a, the side walls 6b and 6c in the left and right direction, and the upper wall 6d is formed in a quadrangle, and the width direction of the upper wall 6d is formed. It extends in the longitudinal direction at the center and has the slits 6e.

The main track 2 is provided with a main track side feed line 12 for feeding the transport trolley 4 in a non-contact manner to the side wall 6b of the outer side (the opposite side to the branch track 3). In addition, the branch track 3 is provided with a branch track side feed line 13 for feeding the conveyance trolley 4 in a non-contact manner to the side wall 6c of the outer side (the opposite side to the main track 2). The branch orbital side feed line 13 extends to the branch point (which may be a joining point) P, and is continuous with the branch point feed line 13a at that portion. The branch point feed line 13a is for covering the transfer range between the main orbit side feed line 12 and the branch orbit side feed line 13. These feed lines 12 and 13 are connected to a high frequency power supply.

On the other hand, the conveyance trolley 4 is a self-propelled thing and has the vehicle body 21 equipped with the rotary motor which is a propulsion means. The vehicle body 21 is configured to travel in a state accommodated in the inner space of the tracks 2 and 3, and a strut 27 installed thereon extends upward from the slits 6e of the tracks 2 and 3, The lower base 28 (荷 臺) which mounts the cassette W on the upper end of the support 27 is provided.

In addition, the vehicle body 21 is provided with a peak up coil 22 for extracting (receiving) electric energy from the main track side feed line 12 in a non-contact manner on the right side of the traveling direction, and on the left side of the branch track side feed line 13. And a peak up coil 23 for taking out (receiving) electrical energy in a non-contact manner from the feed point 13a for branch points. In addition, four traveling wheels 24 that travel on the bottom wall 6a of the tracks 2 and 3 are provided below the vehicle body 21. These traveling wheels 24 support the vertical load of the conveyance trolley 4, and are comprised so that steering is possible by the steering mechanism 30 as a track | orbit selection mechanism mentioned later. In addition, part or all of the travel wheels 24 are connected to a drive motor for driving and serve as drive wheels. In addition, front, rear, left, and right sides of the vehicle body 21 are provided with side wheels 25 protruding in the left and right directions. These side wheels 25 support the horizontal loads (left and right loads) applied to the transport trolley 4 by rolling the side walls 6b and 6c of the tracks 2 and 3. In addition, even when the driving wheels 24 are the driving wheels, the steering system as shown in the figure can be used.

In addition, the conveyance trolley 4 is equipped with the traveling control apparatus, control signal receiving apparatus 26, the communication apparatus 29 with a station, the collision prevention sensor (not shown), etc. which are not shown in figure.

3 is a bottom view of the transport cart 4. The axle 38 of the traveling wheel 24 is rotatably supported at the pivot point 37 in the left and right directions, and a steering mechanism 30 is provided as a mechanism for changing the direction of the axle 38. In this case, the steering mechanism 30 includes a steering motor 31, a gear 32 fixed to the rotary shaft thereof, a geared rotary plate 33 engaged with the gear 32, a rotary plate 33 and an axle ( It is comprised by the ring 34 which connects 38 and changes the direction of the axle 38 by the rotation of the rotating plate 33.

When the conveyance trolley 4 is made to travel, the trajectory 4 to which the conveyance trolley 4 should travel is selected immediately before the branch point P of the main track 2 and the branch track 3. And the steering wheel 4 can be guided to the main track 2 or the branch track 3 by steering the traveling wheel 24 toward the selected track.

For example, in the case shown in Fig. 4, the conveyance trolley 4 receives and runs on the main track side feed line 12 on the left side, but to reach the branch point P, the steering mechanism of the traveling wheel 24 is turned to the right. It starts to enter the branch track 3. At this time, the pick-up coil that has been received so far is out of the main orbit-side feed line 12, but the pick-up coil on the opposite side can receive power from the feeder line 13a for the branch point, so that it can continue running as it is. That is, at the branch point P, the conveyance trolley 4 selects and runs the feeder line (the branch feeder line 13a for branch) at least once. In order to enter a branch track, it can be received by the continuous feeder 13 of a branch track side as it is.

Further, at this time, the branch orbit side feed line 13 may be short-circuited with the branch point feed line 13a and provided on the opposite side (same side as the main orbit side feed line 12 as seen from the transport cart 4). In this case, the peak up coil is switched to the same side as in the case of the main track 2 immediately after entering the branch track 3.

Thus, since the steering mechanism 30 for trajectory selection by the side of the conveyance trolley | bogie 4 was provided, it is not necessary to provide a switching mechanism on the track side, and the conventional problem can be solved.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In this conveying facility, the guide rail 47 of the magnetic system is connected to the main track 2 at least in the vicinity of the branch point P, and the guide rail 48 of the magnetic system is connected to the branch track 3. Each of the guide rails 47 and 48 is made of a steel strip or the like, and is connected to the outer sidewalls 6b and 6c. At the front end of the conveyance trolley 40, a guide roller mechanism 41 is provided as a track selection mechanism. The guide roller mechanism 41 has a magnet roller 42 which is attracted to the guide rails 47 and 48 and a base end which supports the magnet roller 42 at its tip is left and right on the shaft 44 provided in the transport cart 40. Arm 43 connected to rocking motion in the direction, and drive means (not shown) for transferring the arm 43 to any of the guide rails 47 and 48.

In this case, when the guiding magnet roller 42 is diverted to the right immediately before the branch point P, the conveyance trolley 40 travels along the right wall by the force of the magnet at the point where the branch point P entered. It enters the branch track 3.

Furthermore, even if the magnetic roller 42 and the magnetic guide rails 47 and 48 are not used, the guides are provided in the tracks 2 and 3, respectively, and the guide members according to these guides in the transport cart 40, The same effect can be obtained by providing a dedicated mechanism for guiding the guide member to either guide.

In addition, since the operation at the confluence point (the branch point from the opposite side) is different from the branch, there is no need for orbit selection. However, when the traveling direction of the conveyance trolley is not limited, it is desirable to make the confluence point the same structure.

Moreover, the method of applying the driving force to the chassis is not limited to the method of driving all or a part of the driving wheels and functioning them as the propulsion means according to the embodiment, and the driving wheels have only a function as a simple load supporting means. Separately from the vehicle, the primary side of the linear motor is provided on the undercarriage side, and the linear induction motor which obtains the propulsion force between the secondary conductor of the so-called aluminum conductor on the track side is installed as a propulsion means, or the NS pole on the track side. It is of course possible to install a linear direct current motor as a propulsion means, which alternately obtains a propulsion force between the permanent magnets arranged in series.

As described above, according to the invention of claim 1, since the track selection mechanism of the transport cart is mounted, it is not necessary to switch on the track side. Therefore, it has the following effect.

① Since the time for track switching is unnecessary, the amount of conveyance per unit time is greatly increased.

(2) There are no switching tracks (for example, tracks on the shifter and turntable), and because the tracks are continuous, there is no possibility that the transport cart derails from the branch.

③ Because there is no need to move the track side, the structure of the track is simple and light, and the cost can be lowered. In addition, since the load is small, the construction of the ceiling is easy and no special consideration is required for the suspension load capacity.

④ The track side does not move, so there is little dust, so it can meet the high air cleaning requirements.

According to the invention of claim 2, since only the steering mechanism is provided in the traveling wheel, the structure is simple and the operation is easy to perform. According to the invention of claim 3, since only the guide, the guide member, and the dedicated mechanism are provided, the structure is simple and the operation is easy. In particular, in the invention of claim 4, the guide member is a magnetic roller so as to be attracted to the guide rail of the magnetic body, so that the structure is simple and can be guided reliably.

Claims (4)

A return truck, The propulsion means for this conveyance trolley; A main track for inducing the transport cart and a branch orbit branching from the main track, A track selection mechanism mounted on the transport trolley to select a track to be traveled by the transport trolley at the branch points of the main track and the branch track, and to guide the transport trolley to the selected track; A main track side feed line laid in connection with the main track, A branch track side feed line laid in connection with the branch track, A feed point line for the branch point, which is attached to the branch point and covers the moving range between the main orbit side feed line and the branch orbit side feed line; And a plurality of pick-up coils mounted on said conveyance trolley for extracting electrical energy from said feed line in a non-contact manner. The method of claim 1, The transport cart is provided with steering wheels, And the trajectory selection mechanism is a steering mechanism for changing the direction of the wheel. The method of claim 1, At least the guide point is provided with a light guide on the main track and a light guide on the branch track, The trajectory selection mechanism, A guide member according to the guide connected to the transport cart, A conveying facility with a branching track, characterized in that the guide member is made of a dedicated mechanism for exclusively using one guide. The method of claim 3, The guide is a guide rail of the magnetic material, The guide member is a magnetic roller that is adsorbed to the guide rail, The dedicated mechanism, A conveying facility comprising a branch track having the magnetic roll at its tip, the base being composed of an arm connected to the conveyance trolley with a rocking restraint, and a driving means for directing the arm to any guide rail.