KR20040014199A - Apparatus for floating and loading/unloading objects - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an object levitating device and a load taking device thinly structured, capable of maintaining an object in a levitating state, and reducing costs. CONSTITUTION: The object levitating device 11 is equipped with a base plate 12, and a pair of diaphragms 13 are provided above the base plates 12. A vibration element 14 composing an excitation means is directly mounted on a diaphragm 13 without a horn. On each long diaphragm 13, one vibration element 14 is mounted thereon. The diaphragms 13 are supported in a cantilever state through the vibrating elements 14 to the base plates 12. The diaphragms 13 are composed of a conductor(a metallic plate, for example) and the vibrating elements 14 are fixed to the base plates 12 and to the diaphragms 13 by an electroconductive adhesive. The vibration elements 14 are mounted at a node of a vibration wave, in a state wherein the diaphragms 13 are made to excite to generate a standing wave.

Description

Object flotation device and unloading device {APPARATUS FOR FLOATING AND LOADING / UNLOADING OBJECTS}

The present invention relates to an object flotation device and an unloading device, and more particularly, to an object lifting device and an unloading device for maintaining an object in a floating state by using sound pressure radiation pressure or moving the object in a floating state. will be.

As an object lifting apparatus of this kind, there exist some which were disclosed by Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 7-24415, Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 9-169427, etc., for example. In these devices, the surface facing the surface of the said diaphragm of the object to be supported using a long flat diaphragm is made into a plane. Then, the vibration plate is excited by the excitation means to support the object by the radial pressure of sound waves caused by the vibration of the vibration plate. The phone constituting the excitation means is coupled to the central portion of the diaphragm. Moreover, conveying and conveying an object in the floating state is also disclosed by injecting air to a suspended object or moving a suspended object by generating a traveling wave in the said diaphragm.

In addition, when the object is transported to a predetermined position by carrying an object flotation device in a transport vehicle, or when an object is transported to a predetermined position by an object transport device that transports an object in a flotation state, the object is moved to a predetermined position. Moving and loading work, ie unloading work is required. As an unloading device for carrying out an unloading operation in a state of lifting an object, it is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-97531 with a fork piece provided with a plurality of object lifting devices equipped with a plurality of diaphragms.

However, in the conventional object flotation device, the vibrating plate is connected to the vibrating plate through the phone, and the amplitude of the vibration generated by the vibrator is amplified by the phone. As a result, the distance from the lower end of the vibrator to the upper surface of the diaphragm is increased, and it is difficult to miniaturize the object flotation device. Moreover, in the unloading apparatus, it is necessary to arrange the diaphragm excited by the vibrator below the object held by the other object lifting apparatus at the unloading operation, and the distance from the lower end of the vibrator to the upper surface of the diaphragm is large. It is necessary to enter the unloading device of the car. As a result, for example, it is necessary to secure a large space allowing the entry of the unloading device to the object flotation device. In addition, the unloading device itself has a problem that it is difficult to thin. In addition, the phone is expensive and the manufacturing cost increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a first object thereof is to provide an object lifting device and an unloading device which can keep an object in a floating state in a thin configuration and which can reduce costs. The object is to provide a loading and unloading device capable of moving and loading objects in a floating state in a thin configuration.

Fig.1 (a) is a schematic side view which shows the relationship between the vibration element of 1st Embodiment, and a diaphragm, (b) is the bottom view.

2 is a schematic perspective view of the object flotation device according to the embodiment;

(A) is a schematic side view which shows the relationship between the vibration element of 2nd Embodiment, and a diaphragm, (b) is a bottom view.

4 is a schematic side view illustrating a relationship between a vibrating element and a diaphragm according to another embodiment.

Fig. 5A is a partial schematic side view of an object lifting device according to another embodiment, and Fig. 5B is a schematic perspective view of a vibration element.

6 is a schematic side view of a cargo handling device according to another embodiment.

The partial schematic perspective view of the plate-shaped member storage apparatus of other embodiment.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

W: Oscillation wave Wn: Fracture

11: object flotation device 13: diaphragm

14, 18: vibration element 20: magnetostrictive element as an oscillator element

22: unloading device 23: support

24: moving means 25: oscillator as driving means

In order to achieve the first object, the invention as set forth in claim 1 is an object lifting device for exciting an object from the surface of a diaphragm by exciting the diaphragm with an excitation means and radiating the sound waves of the diaphragm. Without directly attaching the vibration element constituting the excitation means.

In this invention, a diaphragm is excited by a vibrating element, and an object is suspended from the surface of a diaphragm by the radial pressure of the sound wave of a diaphragm. Since the vibrating element is directly attached to the diaphragm rather than through the phone, the distance from the bottom of the vibrating element to the surface of the diaphragm becomes smaller and thinner, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced, compared to the configuration in which the phone exists. have.

In the invention according to claim 2, in the invention according to claim 1, the excitation means excites the diaphragm so that bending vibration occurs. In this invention, a diaphragm vibrates with a big amplitude even if the amplitude of a vibrating element is small.

In invention of Claim 3, in the invention of Claim 1 or 2, the long diaphragm is used as said diaphragm. In this invention, the diaphragm is more efficient and generates sound waves having the radial pressure necessary to support the object.

In the invention according to claim 4, in the invention according to claim 2 or 3, the vibration plate is excited to generate a standing wave. In this invention, the object is supported in a floating state at a predetermined position by the radial compression of sound waves generated from the diaphragm.

In invention of Claim 5, in the invention of Claim 4, the said vibration element is attached in the position which becomes a fracture of a vibration wave in the state in which the said vibration plate was excited. Therefore, in this invention, a vibrating element can excite a diaphragm efficiently.

In order to achieve the second object, the invention according to claim 6 includes a moving means for moving a support, a vibration plate supported through a vibration element with respect to the support, and a drive means for vibrating the vibration element, wherein the vibration The device was directly attached to the diaphragm without passing through the phone. In the present invention, a space for disposing the diaphragm under the skinned object to be unloaded at the time of unloading is different from the conventional unloading device for unloading in a floating state, and there is no pawn between the vibrating element and the diaphragm. It may be small, and the cargo handling apparatus can be made thin (small). In addition, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

<Example>

(1st embodiment)

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the 1st Embodiment which actualized this invention with the object flotation apparatus is demonstrated according to FIG. FIG. 1A is a schematic side view showing a relationship between a diaphragm and a vibrating element, FIG. 1B is a bottom view of FIG. 1A, and FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an object support device.

As shown in FIG. 2, the object lifting device 11 includes a base plate 12, and a pair of diaphragms 13 are provided on the base plate 12. The vibrating plate 13 is directly attached to the vibrating element 14 constituting the excitation means without passing through the phone. In this embodiment, one vibrating element 14 is attached to one diaphragm 13. As the diaphragm 13, a long diaphragm is used, and the diaphragm 13 is supported by the letter plate state through the vibrating element 14 with respect to the base plate l2. The diaphragm 13 is comprised from the conductor (for example, metal plate). The vibrating element 14 is fixed to the vibrating plate 13 by a conductive adhesive.

The diaphragm 13 is formed in rectangular flat plate shape narrower than the width | variety of the plate-shaped member 15 as an object, and the pair of diaphragm 13 can support the plate-shaped member 15 by flotation. As the vibrating element 14, a piezoelectric element (piezoelectric element) formed of a zircon-titanic acid-linked magnetism (PZT) in a predetermined shape (in this embodiment, a rectangular parallelepiped shape) is used. One end of the vibrating element 14 is connected to the oscillator 17 via the wiring 16a, and the ground terminal of the oscillator 17 is connected to the diaphragm 13 via the wiring 16b. Excitation means for exciting the diaphragm 13 by the vibration element 14 and the oscillator 17 is comprised. The excitation means excites the diaphragm 13 to cause bending vibration. The diaphragm 13 is excited to generate a standing wave. As shown in Fig. 2, the vibration element 14 is mounted at a position at which the vibration wave W becomes a fracture Wn in the state where the vibration plate 13 is excited to generate standing waves.

Next, the operation of the apparatus configured as described above will be described.

The object support device 11 is conveyed to the target position by the movement of a conveyance vehicle, for example, keeping the plate-shaped member 15 which is equipped on a conveyance vehicle to carry, in a floating state.

When the oscillation element 14 is excited by a predetermined resonance frequency (for example, around 20 kHz) by the driving of the oscillator 17, the diaphragm l3 flexes and vibrates to generate standing waves. As the diaphragm 13 vibrates, sound waves are radiated from the diaphragm 13. The plate-shaped member 15 is lifted from the surface of the diaphragm 13 by the radial pressure of the sound wave radiated from the diaphragm 13. The floating height is several ten to several hundred micrometers.

Since the vibrating element 14 is directly attached to the diaphragm 13 without passing through the phone, the distance from the bottom of the vibrating element 14 to the surface of the vibrating plate 13 becomes smaller compared to the configuration in which the pawn is present. Thinness is possible.

In this embodiment, the following effects are obtained.

(1) The object supporting apparatus 11 which excites the diaphragm 13 by an excitation means, and supports the object (plate-shaped member 15) from the surface of the diaphragm 13 by the radial pressure of the sound wave of the diaphragm 13. To the diaphragm 13 constituting the diaphragm 13, the vibrating element 14 constituting the excitation means was directly attached without passing through the phone. Therefore, the distance from the bottom of the vibrating element 14 to the surface of the diaphragm 13 becomes small compared with the configuration in which the phone is present, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced at the same time.

(2) The excitation means excites the diaphragm 13 so that bending vibration occurs. Therefore, even if the amplitude of the vibrating element 14 is small, the diaphragm 13 can vibrate with a large amplitude, and can radiate the required sound pressure.

(3) A long diaphragm is used as the diaphragm 13. Therefore, the diaphragm 13 can generate the sound wave which has the radial pressure required to support the plate-shaped member 15 more efficiently.

(4) The diaphragm 13 is excited to generate standing waves. Therefore, the excitation means has a simple configuration as compared with the configuration for generating the traveling wave.

(5) The vibrating element 14 is attached to the position which becomes the fracture | rupture Wn of the vibration wave W in the state in which the diaphragm 13 was excited. Therefore, the vibration element 14 can excite the vibration plate 13 efficiently.

(6) Since the long diaphragm 13 is fixed to the vibrating element 14 at one end, it is easy to generate a standing wave with a large amplitude.

(7) Since the object support device 11 is provided with a plurality of diaphragms 13 arranged in parallel, the object support device 11 can be supported in a stable support state even when the object to be supported (the plate-shaped member 15) is wide. Can be.

(2nd embodiment)

Next, 2nd Embodiment is described according to FIG.3 (a) and (b). This embodiment differs greatly from the above embodiment in that the diaphragm 13 is configured to generate a traveling wave that applies the plate-shaped member 15 to the moving direction. The same parts as in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

An oscillation element 14 for excitation is mounted on the first end side of the diaphragm 13, and an oscillation element 18 for wave propagation (reception) is provided on the second end side of the diaphragm 13. It is installed. The vibration element 14 is connected to the oscillator 17 similarly to the above embodiment. On the other hand, a matching circuit 19 made of a resistor R and a coil L is connected to the vibrating element 18 mounted on the second end side of the diaphragm 13. In the matching circuit l9, one terminal is connected to the vibration element 18 and the other terminal is connected to the vibration plate 13, respectively. As shown in Fig. 3A, the vibration element 14 on the excitation side and the vibration element 18 on the oscillation side (water wave side) have an interval of nλ + 3λ / 4 (λ is a vibration wavelength and n is Natural water). That is, when the fracture Wn of the vibration wave W of the bending vibration generated by the excitation of the vibration element 14 is in a position corresponding to the vibration element 14, the breakage of the vibration wave W is generated. Vibration element 18 is present at a position corresponding to. The interval may be nλ + λ / 4 (λ is a vibration wavelength and n is a natural number).

In this embodiment, the vibration of the diaphragm 13 is transmitted to the vibration element 18 connected to the matching circuit 19, and the energy of the vibration which is mechanical energy by the piezo element which comprises the vibration element 18 is electrical energy. Is converted to. This electrical energy is converted into Joule heat in the resistor R of the matching circuit l9 and dissipated. Therefore, the vibration wave generated in the diaphragm 13 becomes a traveling wave which progresses in one direction (in this embodiment, the traveling wave which advances from the vibration element 14 side to the vibration element 18 side), and the plate-shaped member 15 On the other hand, the thrust toward the other end side from the one end side of the diaphragm 13 is provided.

Therefore, in this embodiment, it has the following effects other than the same effect as (1)-(3) and (5)-(7) of the said embodiment.

(8) The object flotation device of this embodiment is different from the object flotation device having the structure of generating standing waves to support the object, and can convey the object in the flotation state with the object flotation device arranged at a predetermined position. have.

Embodiment is not limited to the above, For example, you may comprise as follows.

In the structure which generate | occur | produces a standing wave in the long diaphragm 13, you may provide the vibration element 14 in several positions. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, three vibration elements 14 are provided in the position of fracture of a standing wave. Each vibrating element 14 is excited to resonate the diaphragm 13. In this case, it becomes easy to generate a vibration wave having a large amplitude.

The vibrating elements 14 and 18 are not limited to those constituted by one block-shaped piezo element. For example, like a langevin type oscillator, a ring-shaped electrode plate is disposed between a pair of ring-shaped piezoelectric elements, and two metals abutting the surfaces on the side opposite to the side on which the two piezoelectric elements are in contact with the electrode plates. You may use the vibrator comprised by fastening and fixing a block with the bolt which is not shown in figure.

A magnetostrictive element may be used without using a piezo element (piezoelectric element) as a vibrating element. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the magnetostrictive element 20 is wound around a coil 20a, one end of which is fixed to the diaphragm 13, and the other end of which is fixed to the base plate 12, which is not shown. do. The coil 20a is connected to the oscillator 21, and the oscillator 21 is driven so that the amount of current supplied to the coil 20a becomes a predetermined value. Then, the diaphragm l3 is excited by the magnetostrictive element 20 excited by the oscillator 21. In this case, the frequency can be adjusted by the current value. Therefore, adjustment of the resonant frequency becomes easy.

○ The object support device of the object conveying apparatus provided with the conveying means which supports and conveys a plate-shaped member by the left and right ends of the conveyance direction, and the object flotation device which gives a floatation force to the plate-shaped member supported by the conveying means, and suppresses the curvature. You may use the structure of each said embodiment for the above. As the conveying means, for example, a belt wound between a driving roller and a driven roller is used, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 9-169427. Moreover, you may use the some roller rotationally driven. In this case, the configuration of the object support device becomes simple in accordance with the configuration in which the phone does not exist, and the object transport device also becomes simple.

The object flotation device 11 may be applied to a cargo handling device. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the unloading apparatus 22 is provided with the support part 23 which can reciprocate linear movement, and the moving means 24 which reciprocally linearly moves the support part 23. As shown in FIG. The support part 23 is integrally formed so that the arms 23a and 23b as a pair of forks extend in parallel, and the tips of the arms 23a and 23b serve as the tips of the support part 23. The long diaphragm 13 is fixed to the support part 23 via the vibrating element 14 so that it may extend along the arms 23a and 23b. The vibrating element 14 is configured similarly to the vibrating element 14 of the object flotation device 11 and is connected to the oscillator 25 as a driving means. The moving means 24 is provided with a well-known scalar-type robot arm provided with a link 24a, and can move up and down at the same time as the support part 23 is reciprocated linearly by a drive mechanism (not shown). It is composed. In this case, unlike the conventional unloading apparatus which unloads in the floating state, since there is no pawn between the vibrating element 14 and the diaphragm 13, the skin quantity which should unload the diaphragm 13 in unloading. Even if the space for arranging underneath an object is small, it may be small, and the cargo handling apparatus can be made thin (small). Moreover, manufacturing cost can be reduced.

The robot arm constituting the moving means 24 for moving the support 23 may be configured such that the link is rotated in the vertical plane instead of the configuration in which the link 24a is rotated in the horizontal plane. For example, after the rotation axis of the link is horizontally positioned so that the link is rotated in the vertical plane, the support is pivotally supported in the vertical plane with respect to the tip of the link, and the diaphragm 13 is disposed in the horizontal state. The linear movement may be performed while maintaining the horizontal state.

A support for movably supporting the lower end of the plate-like member, an object flotation device capable of imparting radial pressure of sound waves of the diaphragm to the plate-shaped member and supporting the plate-like member in a vertical or inclined state in a non-contact state; The object flotation device 11 may be used as the object flotation device of the plate-shaped member conveying apparatus provided with the moving means for moving the plate-shaped member. In this case, the space required for arranging the object support apparatus can be made small, and further, the object conveying apparatus can be miniaturized.

The object flotation device 1l may be applied to a plate-shaped member storage device for storing a plate-like member such as a glass substrate or a semiconductor wafer of a display device. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the object supporting apparatus 11 which arrange | positioned the diaphragm 13 by a pair of predetermined space | interval is arrange | positioned in multiple layers at predetermined intervals in the up-down direction in the housing not shown. Each base plate 12 is supported by a housing, and the diaphragm 13 is fixed to the base plate 12 via the vibration element 14. Then, the vibrating element 14 is driven by an oscillator (not shown), and the diaphragm 13 is excited to generate standing waves, whereby the plate-shaped member is held in a floating state. During storage, the diaphragm 13 is not necessarily vibrated to hold the plate-like member in a non-contact state, and the plate-like member may be stored in contact with the diaphragm 13. Since there is no pawn, the space | interval between the upper and lower object support devices 11 can be narrowed, and the storage efficiency of a plate-shaped member improves.

The mounting of the vibrating elements 14 and 18 on the base plate 12 and the diaphragm 13 is not limited to fixing with an electrically conductive adhesive, and the base plate 12 and the diaphragm 13 are formed using bolts or screws. The vibrating element 14 may be fastened and fixed to the side. For example, the vibrating element 14 is connected to the base plate 12 and the vibrating plate by bolts passing through the base plate 12 and the vibrating plate 13 on both sides of the vibrating element 14, and nuts that are screwed to the bolts. Fasten between 13 and fasten. In addition, an insertion hole may be formed in the vibrating element 14, and the vibrating element 14 may be fastened and fixed between the base plate 12 and the diaphragm 13 using a bolt penetrating the insertion hole.

○ The diaphragm may not necessarily be long, but may be excited to be a flexural vibration by using a plurality of short rectangular diaphragms.

The mounting position of the vibration element 14 with respect to the diaphragm 13 may not be a position of a fracture | rupture at the time of standing wave generation.

The invention (technical idea) grasped | ascertained from the said embodiment is described below.

(1) In the invention according to claim 3, the vibration plate is excited to generate a traveling wave, and the interval between the vibration element on the excitation side and the vibration side on the vibration side of the vibration plate is nλ + λ / 4 or nλ + 3λ / 4 (λ Is a vibration wavelength, n is a natural number).

(2) a conveying means for supporting and conveying the object at the left and right ends in the conveying direction, and an object supporting device for providing a support force to the object supported by the conveying means and suppressing the warp. The object conveying apparatus provided with the object floating apparatus of any one of Claims -5.

(3) A plate-shaped member storage device in which a plurality of object-supporting devices in which a diaphragm according to claim 4 is arranged at a predetermined interval are arranged in a plurality of layers at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction.

(4) a support portion for movably supporting the lower end of the plate-shaped member, an object flotation device for imparting radial pressure of sound waves of the diaphragm to the plate-shaped member and supporting the plate-shaped member in a vertical or inclined state in a non-contact state; And plate-like member conveyance using the object-supporting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and technical idea (1) as an object lifting device of a plate-shaped member conveying apparatus provided with a moving means for moving the plate-shaped member. Device.

(5) In the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and the technical idea (1) to (4), a magnetostrictive element is used as the vibration element.

As mentioned above, according to invention of Claim 1 thru | or Claim 5, an object can be kept in a floating state with a thin structure, and cost reduction is attained. According to the invention as set forth in claim 6, an object can be moved and loaded in a floating state in a thin configuration, and the cost can be reduced.

Claims (6)

An object support device for exciting an object from the surface of a diaphragm by exciting the diaphragm by the excitation means and radiating the sound wave of the diaphragm. And a vibration device directly attaching the vibration element constituting the excitation means to the diaphragm without a phone. The method of claim 1, And said excitation means excites said diaphragm to generate bending vibration. The method according to claim 1 or 2, An object lifting device in which a long diaphragm is used as the diaphragm. The method of claim 2 or 3, The diaphragm is an object lifting device that is excited to generate a standing wave. The method of claim 4, wherein And the vibrating element is mounted at a position at which the vibration wave is broken in the state where the vibrating plate is excited. A moving means for moving the support; A diaphragm supported by the vibrating element with respect to the support; A driving means for vibrating the vibrating element, The device for unloading the vibrating element directly attached to the diaphragm without a phone.