KR20060029067A - Stocker having rack master - Google Patents

Abstract

The stocker having a rack master for transporting the cassette of the present invention simplifies the power transmission path and adopts a wheel driving method through a direct connection of a reducer and a shaft coupler using a driving motor as a power source. It is to prevent the particles (particle) caused by friction, the box-shaped body having a passage of a predetermined space; A plurality of shelves installed at the side of the passage to accommodate a cassette; And a motor, a speed reducer for slowing the rotation of the motor, a first shaft coupler for transmitting power output through the speed reducer, a torque transmission shaft for transmitting motor torque to the wheel, a wheel rotating through the torque transmission shaft, and the wheel. And a rack master installed in the passage for putting the cassette into the shelf or out of the shelf through a driving unit configured to have a wheel shaft.

Stalker, Rack Master, Shaft Coupler

Description

Stocker with rack master {STOCKER HAVING RACK MASTER}

1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a typical stocker.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a driving unit of the rack master in the stocker shown in FIG. 1; FIG.

3 is a view schematically showing a method of driving a general rack master.

4A and 4B are perspective views schematically showing a driving unit of the rack master according to the embodiment of the present invention.

5 is an exemplary view schematically showing a method of driving a rack master according to an embodiment of the present invention.

** Description of symbols for the main parts of the drawing **

140: rack master driving unit 141: motor

142: reducer 146: wheel

147A, 147B: Shaft 148: Bearing

180A, 180B: Shaft Coupler

The present invention relates to a stocker, and more particularly to a stocker with a rack master that simplifies the power transmission path and prevents particle generation due to progressive friction.

Recently, with increasing interest in information display and increasing demand for using a portable information carrier, a lightweight flat panel display (FPD), which replaces a conventional display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT), is used. The research and commercialization of Korea is focused on. In particular, the liquid crystal display (LCD) of the flat panel display device is an image representing the image using the optical anisotropy of the liquid crystal, is excellent in resolution, color display and image quality, and is actively applied to notebooks or desktop monitors have.

Hereinafter, the liquid crystal display device will be described in detail.

A general liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel including a driving circuit unit, a backlight unit disposed under the liquid crystal display panel to emit light to the liquid crystal display panel, and the backlight unit and the liquid crystal display panel. It consists of a mold frame (case) and the case (bond) to be bonded.

The liquid crystal display panel is largely composed of a color filter substrate and an array substrate, and a liquid crystal layer formed between the color filter substrate and the array substrate.

In this case, the color filter substrate is composed of a sub-color filter of red, green, and blue to distinguish between a color filter that implements color and the sub-color filter, and a black matrix to block light passing through the liquid crystal layer. And a transparent common electrode applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer.

In addition, the array substrate is a thin film transistor (TFT) which is a switching element formed in a cross region of the gate line and the data line, the plurality of gate lines and data lines arranged vertically and horizontally on the substrate to define a plurality of pixel areas. ) And a pixel electrode formed on the pixel region.

The array substrate and the color filter substrate configured as described above are joined to face each other by sealants formed on the outer side of the image display area to form a liquid crystal display panel, and the bonding of the two substrates is formed on the array substrate or the color filter substrate. Is done through the key.

The manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display panel can be largely divided into an array process of forming a switching element on an array substrate, a substrate manufacturing process of a color filter process of forming a color filter on a color filter substrate, a cell manufacturing process, and a module process. In this case, the place where the liquid crystal display panel is manufactured should be kept in a very clean state. To this end, the substrates for manufacturing the liquid crystal display panel are stored in a cassette, and the stocker for inter-process or temporary storage is stored. stored inside the stocker).

As described above, the substrate manufacturing process is divided into an array process and a color filter process for manufacturing a switching element and a color filter, respectively, using the cleaned glass substrate. In addition, the cell manufacturing process includes the lower substrate and the color filter process in which the array process is completed. The process of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel cell by forming a spacer and bonding and injecting a liquid crystal so as to maintain a constant gap between the two substrates of the upper substrate is completed, the module process is to manufacture a circuit portion for signal processing and the liquid crystal display panel Is a process of manufacturing a module by connecting the signal processing circuit unit with the

As described above, the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display device must be conveyed or transferred sequentially or in group form to the manufacturing equipment used in each process in order to go through the above-described substrate manufacturing process, cell manufacturing process, and module process. In addition, there is a need for a method of temporarily storing the substrate since it is not possible to stop all manufacturing process lines for failure or repair of some manufacturing apparatuses in the manufacturing process.

Accordingly, a plurality of the substrates can be stored and transported using a cassette, and when the quantity of the substrate increases and the manufacturing process of the substrate is repeatedly performed, a stocker for moving and storing the cassette is required. .

The stocker is a place where the glass substrate waits before proceeding to the next process. The stocker is provided with a plurality of shelves for storing the cassettes, and is multi-layered in a cell structure so that the cassettes are individually stored for each shelf.

Entry and exit of the cassette is automatically performed as the operator enters the stocker controller. At this time, the rack master is used as a means for loading and unloading the cassette. The rack master is a mobile device that can be lifted and driven, and performs a process of shipping the cassette in order to store the conveyed cassette in each shelf or to proceed to the next process.

Hereinafter, the above stocker will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.                         

1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a general stocker.

As shown in the drawing, the stocker 10 has a box-shaped stocker body 15 having a passage 25 in a predetermined space in the front and rear directions of the stocker 10, and is provided at both sides of the passage 25. A plurality of shelves 16 are provided in which cassettes 30 containing substrates are accommodated.

In this case, a rack master 20 equipment is located in the passage 25 so that the cassette 30 may be worn by the shelf 16 or the cassette 30 stored in the shelf 16 may be shipped out. It is. The rack master 20 includes driving units 21 and 40 for driving the rack master 20 itself and transferring the cassette 30.

A plurality of fan filter units (FFUs) 50 for purifying air and supplying the inside of the stocker main body 15 to the upper ceiling of the stocker main body 15 including the passage 25. Is installed, the rear of the shelf 16 is provided with an air inlet control shutter 60 for adjusting the amount of air introduced.

Reference numeral 70 in the drawing indicates an access floor of a clean room in which the stocker 10 is installed.

The inside of the stocker 20 in which the cassette 30 is temporarily stored should be kept extremely clean so that the substrate is not contaminated by particles such as fine dust or particles. The rack master 20 has a general structure. In this case, there was a problem that particles are generated in the driving unit 40 according to the driving of the rack master 20. Hereinafter, the driving unit 40 of the general rack master 20 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.                         

FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a driving unit of the rack master in the stocker shown in FIG. 1, and partially shows a driving unit for running the rack master itself.

As shown in the figure, the drive unit 40 of the rack master is largely a power transmission source motor 41, a reducer (reducer 42) for reducing the rotation of the motor 41, coming out through the reducer 42 A motor pulley 43 for transmitting power, a timing belt 44 for restraining the motor pulley 43, and a wheel pulley for receiving torque through the timing belt 44 45, a drive wheel 46A that rotates through the torque of the wheel pulley 45, and a shaft 47 that fixes the drive wheel 46A.

The torque transmitted to the driving wheel (hereinafter referred to as the first wheel) 46A is transmitted to the other wheel (hereinafter referred to as the second wheel) 46B via the shaft 47.

The pulleys 43 and 45 are devices for changing the direction of the force or expanding the effect of the force by hanging a string, belt or chain on the wheel, and reference numeral 48 denotes a bearing.

At this time, the size of the equipment is increased due to the increase in the size of the substrate for the manufacture of the large-screen liquid crystal display panel. Accordingly, high torque is required for power transmission, and thus power due to slip generation is generated due to the power transmission characteristics of the pulley and the timing belt. The pulley and the timing belt are not used due to the decrease in the transfer efficiency and the impossibility of carrying the fixed position.

For this reason, a sprocket is used instead of the pulley and a chain device is used instead of the timing belt. However, the sprocket and the chain are made of a metal material of ferrous or nonferrous metal. There is a problem that a large amount of metallic particles are generated by the contact of the chain.

In addition, the driving of the general rack master configured as described above has a problem that the driving efficiency is lowered because power is transmitted through a plurality of mechanical elements, which will be described in detail through the driving method of the rack master.

3 is a view schematically showing a general rack master driving method.

As shown in the figure, the torque generated by the motor (M) 41 through the controller (not shown) is sequentially reduced to the reducer R, the motor sprocket 43, the chain 44, The wheel sprocket 45 and the first wheel 46A are delivered in the order of the rack master to move forward and backward on a moving rail (not shown) by the rotation of the first wheel 46A.

The sprockets 43 and 45 are also referred to as chain gears, and the chain 44 is engaged with each hole formed in the sprockets 43 and 45 so that power is transmitted. As described above, the sprockets 43 and 45 and the chain ( 44) are all made of metal of ferrous or nonferrous metal, and metallic particles are generated by friction during driving.

As described above, the conventional rack master driving is performed by using the motor 41 as the power source, the speed reducer 42, the motor pulley (or motor sprocket) 43, the timing belt (or chain) 44 and the wheel pulley (or wheel sprocket). Adopting a method of indirectly driving the wheel 46A through 45 has a problem that the power transmission path is complicated and the efficiency is lowered.

In addition, the motor torque transmission is different between the first wheel 46A that receives torque directly through the chain 44 and the second wheel (not shown) that receives power through the shaft 47. In this case, there is a problem that a position error occurs due to the difference between the start point and the end point between the first wheel 46A and the second wheel.

An object of the present invention is to provide a stocker having a rack master, which prevents the generation of metallic particles due to progressive contact.

In addition, another object of the present invention to provide a stocker having a rack master that maximizes the power transmission efficiency by simplifying the torque transmission path.

Further objects and features of the present invention will be described in the configuration and claims of the invention which will be described later.

In order to achieve the above object, a stocker having a rack master of the present invention is a box-shaped body having a passage of a predetermined space, a plurality of self and motor installed on the side of the passage to accommodate the cassette, the rotation of the motor It consists of a speed reducer, a first shaft coupler for transmitting power from the reducer, a torque transmission shaft for transmitting the motor torque to the wheel, a wheel that rotates through the torque transmission shaft and a wheel shaft for fixing the wheel And a rack master installed in the passage for putting the cassette into the shelf or leaving the shelf through a drive unit.

In addition, the other stocker having a rack master of the present invention is a box-shaped body having a passage of a predetermined space, the motor and the wheel directly connected to the shaft through a plurality of self and shaft couplers and shafts installed on the side of the passage to accommodate the cassette And a rack master having a driving unit configured to drive the cassette and putting the cassette into a shelf or leaving the shelf.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail a preferred embodiment of a stocker having a rack master according to the present invention.

4A and 4B are perspective views schematically illustrating a driving unit of a rack master according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the driving unit for driving the rack master is partially cut and shown.

As shown in the figure, the drive unit 140 of the rack master of the present embodiment is largely the power transmission source motor 141, the speed reducer 142 for reducing the rotation of the motor 141, coming out through the speed reducer 142 Shaft couplers 180A and 180B that transmit power and maintain coaxiality between the reducer 142 and the drive wheel 146, and a torque transfer shaft 147A that transmits motor torque to the drive wheel 146. And a drive wheel 146 rotating through the torque transfer shaft 147A and a drive wheel shaft 147B for fixing the drive wheel 146.

The shafts 147A and 147B are rod-shaped mechanical parts that transmit power and serve to transfer the power away from each other by a rotational or linear reciprocating motion, and the driving wheel 146 and the driving wheel shaft 147B. A bearing 148 is provided in between.

For reference, the bearing 164 is a mechanical element that serves to rotate the shaft while fixing the shaft (회전) of the rotating machine at a fixed position and supporting the weight of the shaft and the load applied to the shaft.

As such, power transmission from the motor 141 to the driving wheel 146 is performed directly through the shaft couplers 180A and 180B and the shafts 147A and 147B without using a conventional metal chain and sprocket. It is possible to prevent the generation of metallic particles due to the progressive friction due to.

That is, the shaft couplers 180A and 180B are directly connected to both ends of the torque transmission shaft 147A, which is a torque transfer medium of the motor 141, and the shaft couplers 180A and 180B are hubs of a non-metallic material such as urethane. It is surrounded by a hub so that it is possible to fundamentally eliminate the generation of metallic particles due to progressive contact.

In addition, the reduction gear 142 according to the present embodiment is configured in a T-shape to transfer the torque transmitted from the motor 141 to the torque transmission shaft 147A through the first shaft coupler 180A located at both ends. Thereafter, the torque transmission shaft 147A is connected to the drive wheel shaft 147B through the second shaft coupler 180B to directly transfer the torque received from the first shaft coupler 180A to the driving wheels 146 on both sides. Will be delivered.

As described above, in the present invention, the power transmission path is simplified by adopting the direct driving method through the reduction gear 142 and the shafts 147A and 147B using the motor 141 as a power source, which will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5.

5 is an exemplary view schematically showing a method of driving a rack master according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the torque generated from the motor 141 through the controller (not shown) in order of the reducer 142, the shaft coupler 180A, 180B, the shaft 147A, 147B, and the driving wheel 146 in order. In this case, the rack master is moved forward and backward on a moving lane (not shown) by the rotation of the driving wheel 146.

This simplification of the torque transmission system allows for maximum power transmission efficiency compared to conventional rack masters.

In addition, even if the height deviation occurs between the wheels of both ends there is an advantage that can be corrected by the adoption of the shaft coupler.

Many details are set forth in the foregoing description but should be construed as illustrative of preferred embodiments rather than to limit the scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention should not be defined by the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims and their equivalents.

As described above, the stocker provided with the rack master according to the present invention can prevent the generation of metallic particles due to the progressive contact by driving the shaft coupler and the shaft directly connected instead of using a metal chain and sprocket. do. Accordingly, the contamination by the metallic particles in the stocker is minimized, thereby improving the quality of the liquid crystal display panel and increasing the yield.

In addition, the stocker having the rack master of the present invention provides the effect of maximizing the power transmission efficiency according to the simplification of the power transmission path, thereby reducing the maintenance cost.

Claims (9)

A box-shaped body having a passage of a predetermined space; A plurality of shelves installed at the side of the passage to accommodate a cassette; And A motor, a speed reducer for slowing down the rotation of the motor, a first shaft coupler for transmitting power from the speed reducer, a torque transmission shaft for transmitting motor torque to the wheel, a wheel for rotating through the torque transmission shaft, and the wheel And a rack master installed in the aisle for putting the cassette into the shelf or out of the shelf through a drive unit configured to secure a wheel shaft. The stocker of claim 1, wherein the first shaft coupler maintains coaxiality of the reducer and the wheel. The stocker of claim 1, wherein the reducer is configured in a T-shape to transfer the torque transmitted from the motor to the torque transmission shaft through the first shaft coupler located at both ends. The stocker of claim 1, wherein the torque transmission shaft transfers the torque transmitted through the first shaft coupler to the wheel via the second shaft coupler and the wheel shaft connected to the other end. The stocker of claim 1, wherein a portion of the shaft coupler connected to the torque transmission shaft and the wheel shaft is surrounded by a non-metallic hub. 6. The stocker according to claim 5, wherein the hub is made of urethane. A box-shaped body having a passage of a predetermined space; A plurality of shelves installed at the side of the passage to accommodate a cassette; And And a rack master having a drive unit for driving the motor and the wheel through the shaft coupler and the shaft to directly connect the rack to the self-loading cassette or to the self-loading cassette. The stocker of claim 7, wherein the shaft coupler is surrounded by a non-metallic hub at a portion connected to the shaft. 8. The stocker of claim 7, wherein the hub is made of urethane.

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