KR20190080444A - Transferring unit, transferring system having the same and method for operating transferring system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a transfer unit, a transfer system having the same, and an operation method of the transfer system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a transfer unit for holding and transferring a transfer object, a transfer system having the same, and an operation method of the transfer system. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transfer unit comprises: a body part connected to a transfer unit guide rail for holding and transferring a transfer object and movable along the guide rail; a plurality of head parts spaced apart from each other and installed to hold the transfer object; and a plurality of lifting parts connected to the plurality of head parts, respectively, for lifting the plurality of head parts.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transferring unit, a transferring system including the transferring unit,

The present invention relates to a transfer unit, a transfer system including the transfer unit, and a method of operating the transfer system, and more particularly, to a transfer unit for holding and transferring a transfer object, a transfer system including the transfer unit, and a method of operating the transfer system.

The Overhead Hoist Transport (OHT) system is installed in large hospitals and semiconductor manufacturing plants where there are many transport objects to be transported. The OHT runs along a rail installed on the ceiling, and includes a vehicle for transporting the object to be transported, and a rail for guiding the truck. The OHT is integrated and controlled by OCS (OHT Control System) which commands the transfer command.

When a ceiling trolley system is installed in a semiconductor production line, a rail is disposed by using a ceiling space in a clean room. A railcar which is driven on a rail carries a transportation object such as a wafer carrier, Between the conveying ports of the conveying unit.

The running rail is supported by a support or the like from a ceiling of a clean room, and is composed of a running rail main body and a power feeding rail. The bogie is provided with a traveling drive unit and can travel in the traveling rail main body, and receives signals from the power feeding rail by the power receiver to communicate with the OCS.

In the ceiling trolley system, a plurality of trucks travel on an orbit to transport a conveying object. The trajectory has a branching section for branching so that the bogie can move to another orbit while traveling on a straight line, and a joining section for entering the traversing vehicle moving on the branching section to another track. The bogie is branched to various places and travels on a connected orbit, thereby transferring the object to be transported to a desired position.

The conventional bogie has only one head for handling the conveying object, so that one conveying object can be conveyed at a time, and thus the conveying amount per unit time is very limited. Therefore, it is necessary to install additional bogies in order to increase the amount of logistics moving in the places where there is a lot of traffic such as semiconductor production lines. However, due to the high cost of installing a limited space and a bogie, the capacity increase due to the movement of the logistics is insufficient. In addition, even if additional bogies are installed, in the case where the cargo volume per unit time is large, the number of cargoes is large, and the operation speed is long and the operation is impossible due to the car stagnation.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2006-0064298

The present invention provides a transfer unit capable of gripping and transferring a plurality of transfer objects at the same time, a transfer system including the same, and a method of operating the transfer system.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transfer unit comprising: a body connected to a guide rail and movable along the guide rail; A plurality of head portions spaced apart from each other on the body portion and gripping the objects to be transported; And a plurality of elevating portions connected to the plurality of head portions, respectively, for elevating and lowering the plurality of head portions, respectively.

And a gap adjusting unit provided on the body and connected to the plurality of heads to adjust the gap between the plurality of heads.

And an interval measuring unit provided in the plurality of heads and measuring an interval between the plurality of heads, wherein the interval measuring unit measures the interval before the falling of the plurality of heads and the interval after the falling of the plurality of heads, And the gap adjusting unit may correct the gap between the plurality of head portions by reflecting a difference in gap between the plurality of head portions before and after the falling of the plurality of head portions.

The gap adjusting unit is disposed between the plurality of elevating units and the body unit, and can move the plurality of elevating units to adjust the gap between the plurality of heads.

The gap adjusting unit may include a linear guide member connected to the plurality of elevating portions and guiding the movement of the plurality of elevating portions in the extending direction of the guide rails.

A position measuring unit provided on the plurality of heads to measure a position of the conveying object; And a position correcting part connected to the plurality of head parts and correcting the position of each of the head parts in a direction crossing the extending direction of the guide rails.

The plurality of heads may be disposed along the guide rails, and may be spaced apart from the guide rails.

The plurality of head portions may include a gripper that includes a plurality of grip members provided on both sides in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rails and grips the conveyed object by adjusting an interval of the plurality of grip members have.

The plurality of heads may include a plurality of alignment bars provided on both sides of the extending direction of the guide rail, and may further include an alignment member for aligning the conveyance object.

Wherein the plurality of head portions include a plurality of guide shafts provided on both sides in the extending direction of the guide rails and a contact plate that can be elevated along the plurality of guide shafts and the upper surface of the conveyed object And may include a pressing member for pressing.

At least one of a position sensor provided on the body portion and detecting the position of the body portion on the guide rail and a sensor provided on each of the elevation portions and detecting presence or absence of the object to be conveyed .

A transfer system according to another embodiment of the present invention comprises a transfer unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; A guide rail for guiding the movement of the body part, the rail part being installed on the ceiling; And a cradle in which the transported objects are aligned and supported.

The rail unit further includes an identification tag installed on the guide rail, and the transfer unit further includes a tag recognition unit for recognizing the identification information of the identification tag, and the identification information of the identification tag includes a position of the cradle .

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a transport system, the method comprising: measuring a gap between a plurality of head portions spaced apart from each other on a body portion; Lowering the plurality of head portions and measuring an interval between the plurality of head portions; And correcting the gap between the plurality of head portions by reflecting a difference in gap between the plurality of head portions before and after the falling of the plurality of head portions.

And moving the body along the guide rails to a position of the object to be transported after the gap between the plurality of heads is corrected.

Lowering the plurality of head portions; And aligning at least one of the plurality of heads with the object to be transported.

The step of aligning the at least one head with the conveying object includes moving the at least one head in the extending direction of the guide rail; And moving the at least one head portion in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rail, wherein the step of moving the at least one head portion in an extending direction of the guide rail or the moving in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rail The at least one head portion can be moved while maintaining the corrected spacing of the plurality of head portions.

The conveying unit according to the embodiment of the present invention can include a plurality of heads and can grasp a plurality of conveying objects at the same time and can increase the processing speed of one conveying unit and increase the conveying amount per unit time, Can be improved. Accordingly, the number of transfer units in the transfer system can be reduced to eliminate the transfer unit, and the investment cost for the additional transfer unit can be reduced.

Further, it is possible to measure the gap before and after the falling of the plurality of head portions through the gap measuring portion, and to compensate for the gap difference between before and after the falling of the plurality of head portions through the gap adjusting portion. Accordingly, when a plurality of conveying objects are arranged at regular intervals, if the intervals after the descending of the plurality of head portions are set at regular intervals, the plurality of conveying objects and the plurality of conveying objects Lt; / RTI > Therefore, the aligning process is not required for each head part for aligning the respective head parts, and the time for aligning the plurality of head parts with the conveying object can be shortened.

Then, the position of the object to be transported is measured through the position measuring unit, and the position of the head unit is corrected through the gap adjusting unit and the position correcting unit, so that the head unit and the object to be transported can be aligned easily.

1 is a perspective view of a transfer unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a front view of a transfer unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a schematic view illustrating a lifting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining interval correction of a plurality of head portions according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a perspective view of a transfer system according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a transport system in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, It is provided to let you know. In the description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the drawings are partially exaggerated in size to accurately describe the embodiments of the present invention, and the same reference numerals denote the same elements in the drawings.

1 is a perspective view showing a transfer unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 (a) is an overall view, FIG. 1 (b) is a partial enlarged view, Fig.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a transfer unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a body 110 connected to a guide rail 211 and movable along the guide rail 211; A plurality of head portions 120 spaced from each other on the body portion 110 and gripping the transported object 10; And a plurality of lifting portions 130 connected to the plurality of head portions 120 and lifting the plurality of head portions 120, respectively.

The body 110 may be connected to the guide rail 211 and may move along the guide rail 211. A plurality of head portions 120, elevating portions 130, and the like may be connected to and supported by the body portion 110. Here, the body part 110 may have a strength not to be distorted depending on the weight deviation of each head part 120 depending on whether the object to be transported is gripped or not, and the shape and the material are not particularly limited .

For example, the body 110 may include a support plate 111 to which a plurality of heads 120, a lift 130, etc. are connected and supported, The side wall 112 may be formed of a metal. At this time, the support plate 111 may extend in the extending direction of the guide rails 211, and the side walls 112 may be provided on both sides of the support plate 111 in the extending direction of the guide rails 211. In this case, the body 110 can be stably coupled to the guide rail 211 and supported.

The plurality of head portions 120 may be installed on the body 110 so as to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of extension of the guide rails 211 and may grip the transported objects 10, respectively. At this time, the plurality of head portions 120 may be mounted on the lower surface (or lower portion) of the body portion 110.

Here, the plurality of head portions 120 may be disposed along the guide rail 211, and may be spaced apart in the extending direction of the guide rail 211. The body part 110 travels (or moves) along the guide rails 211 in the direction of extension of the guide rails 211 so that a plurality of the transfer units 100 successively grasp the transfer object 10 A plurality of the conveyed objects 10 can be arranged in the extending direction of the guide rails 211 (or in the running direction of the body portion). A plurality of head portions 120 can be installed on the body portion 110 in the extending direction of the guide rails 211 in accordance with the plurality of conveyed objects 10 arranged in the extending direction of the guide rails 211, Can be spaced apart from one another to avoid interference.

The plurality of head units 120 can hold the transported object 10 and can be manufactured to have various shapes and components corresponding to the weight and size of the transported object 10. The plurality of head portions 120 may be capable of stably gripping the conveyed object 10 to be conveyed during the elevation or while the body portion 110 is traveling along the guide rails 211, The connection relationship between the component and the component is not particularly limited. Accordingly, the transfer unit 100 of the present invention has a plurality of head portions 120 capable of holding the transfer object 10, respectively, so that the volume of the transfer can be increased more than twice as much as the conventional transfer unit.

The plurality of lifting and lowering portions 130 can be connected to the plurality of head portions 120, respectively, and the plurality of head portions 120 can be lifted and lowered, respectively. The plurality of lifting and lowering portions 130 may be connected between the body portion 110 and the plurality of head portions 120 and may include a plurality of head portions 120 depending on the situation of the respective head portions 120. [ Respectively. Here, the state of the head part 120 may be a failure of the head part 120, the presence or absence of the conveyed object 10 at a position corresponding to each head part 120, and the like.

3 (b) is an enlarged view of the belt portion, and Fig. 3 (c) is an enlarged view of the winding portion of the winding member. Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a lifting portion according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig.

Referring to FIG. 3, the lifting unit 130 may include a plurality of belt units 135 connected to the plurality of heads 120, respectively. The plurality of belt portions 135 may be connected to the plurality of head portions 120, respectively, and the respective head portions 120 may be individually (or independently) raised and lowered.

The belt portion 135 includes a plurality of belt members 131 connected to the upper portion of the head portion 120, respectively. And a winding member 132 for winding a plurality of belt members 131. The plurality of belt members 131 are connected to the upper portion of the head portion 120 so that the head portion 120 can be lifted and lowered while keeping the head portion 120 horizontal. (For example, four corners) of the head 120 in order to raise and lower the head 120 gripped by the head 120. On the other hand, the plurality of belt members 131 can support the load of the conveyed object 10 held by the head part 120 and the head part 120 firmly, and are not particularly limited.

The winding member 132 can wind a plurality of belt members 131 and can lift and lower the head unit 120 by winding and / or unwinding a plurality of belt members 131. The winding member 132 is rotated by the drive shaft 132a and is connected to the drive pulley 132b through a drive pulley 132b and a belt member 131 on which the belt member 131 is wound, And an idle pulley 132c that rotates along the belt 132b to guide the winding of the belt member 131. [ The driven pulley 132c is connected to the belt member (not shown) connected to the head unit 120. The driven pulley 132c is connected to a drive unit (not shown) such as a motor, 131 of the belt member 131 and guide the winding of the belt member 131 at the connecting position of each belt member 131 so that the head part 120 can be stably .

On the other hand, the drive shaft 132a can be extended in the extending direction of the guide rail 211. In this case, the drive shaft 132a extends to the longitudinal axis of the support plate 110 of the body 110, and the lift unit 130 can be stably supported by the body 110. The body 110 is supported by the guide 110, And can be stably supported on the rail 211.

The transfer unit 100 according to the present invention includes a gap adjusting unit 140 provided on the body 110 and connected to the plurality of heads 120 to adjust the gap between the plurality of heads 120, . The gap adjusting unit 140 may be provided on the body 110 and may be connected to the plurality of heads 120 to adjust the spacing of the plurality of heads 120. For example, the gap adjusting unit 140 may be installed on the lower surface of the body 110.

The characteristics (e.g., elasticity, rigidity, etc.) of the respective belt members 131 may differ when the plurality of belt members 131 are wound and the head portion 120 is lifted and lowered. For example, even if a plurality of belt members 131 made of the same material are used, the component content of each belt member 131 may be slightly different, and the characteristics of the belt member 131 such as elasticity may be different . When the head part 120 is lowered, the head part 120 can not be vertically and vertically lowered, and can be lowered toward one side. When the head part 120 is lowered, The horizontal position of the head unit 120 may be changed. When the plurality of head parts 120 are lowered in a state of being spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, the intervals of the plurality of head parts 120 can not be maintained at the predetermined intervals, (Or become narrowed).

Therefore, even when a plurality of conveying objects 10 are arranged at regular intervals, each of the head portions 120 must be aligned with the corresponding conveying object 10. Accordingly, the alignment time of the plurality of head parts 120 with the object to be transferred 10 is long, and the improvement of the transfer efficiency of the object 10 due to the plurality of head parts 120 may be insignificant.

Thus, the transfer unit 100 of the present invention can adjust the spacing of the plurality of heads 120 through the gap adjusting unit 140, so that the spacing of the plurality of the head units 120 after the fall can be made constant. When the plurality of conveying objects 10 are arranged at regular intervals, the spacing of the plurality of head portions 120 after the falling of the plurality of conveying objects 10 can be adjusted at regular intervals, The plurality of head portions 120 can be aligned with the plurality of the conveying objects 10 at one time only by alignment of the plurality of conveying objects 10. Therefore, the aligning process is not required for each of the head units 120 in order to align the respective head units 120, and the time for aligning the plurality of head units 120 with the object to be transported 10 is shortened And the conveying efficiency of the conveying object 10 can be further improved.

The spacing adjusting unit 140 may be disposed between the plurality of elevating units 130 and the body unit 110 to move the plurality of elevating units 130 to separate the plurality of head units 120 Can be adjusted. That is, the interval adjusting unit 140 can adjust the interval between the plurality of elevating units 130 (or the interval between the belt units). At this time, the gap adjusting unit 140 may be positioned between the plurality of elevating units 130 and the support plate 111. Since the respective head portions 120 are connected to the plurality of elevating portions 130, the intervals between the plurality of head portions 120 can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the plurality of elevating portions 130. [ In such a case, the plurality of head portions 120 can be stably moved in a state in which they are held horizontally, so that the interval can be adjusted.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining interval correction of a plurality of head portions according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 (a) shows the interval before correction, and FIG. 4 (b) shows the interval after correction.

4, the transfer unit 100 according to the present invention may further include an interval measuring unit 150 provided in the plurality of heads 120 for measuring an interval between the plurality of heads 120 And the interval measuring unit 150 can measure the interval before the falling of the plurality of the head units 120 and the interval after the falling of the plurality of the head units 120. The interval adjusting unit 140 includes a plurality of head units The gap between the plurality of head portions 120 can be corrected by reflecting the gap difference before and after the fall of the head portion 120. [ The gap measuring unit 150 may be provided on the plurality of head units 120 and may measure the distance between the plurality of head units 120. [ For example, the gap measuring unit 150 may be constituted by a plurality of sensors, and a plurality of sensors may be installed in the respective head units 120, and a plurality of heads 120 ) Can be measured. Here, the interval measuring unit 150 can measure the interval before the falling of the plurality of heads 120 and the interval after the falling of the plurality of the heads 120.

The interval adjusting unit 140 may correct the interval between the plurality of head units 120 by reflecting the gap difference between before and after the plurality of head units 120 are lowered. The intervals before and after the falling of the plurality of heads 120 can be measured through the gap measuring unit 150 and the intervals before the falling of the plurality of heads 120 and after the falling of the plurality of the heads 120 are measured The gap between the plurality of head portions 120 can be corrected by reflecting the gap difference between before and after the plurality of head portions 120 are lowered. For example, after a plurality of head portions 120 are lowered in a state in which a plurality of head portions 120 are spaced apart from each other at an interval equal to the interval between the plurality of conveying objects 10, The interval between the plurality of head units 120 can be corrected so that the interval thereafter becomes equal to the interval between the plurality of conveyed objects 10. [ Thus, the plurality of head portions 120 can be raised and lowered without moving the additional body portion 110, respectively, so that the transported objects 10 can be respectively gripped.

Further, the interval adjusting unit 140 may include a power source (not shown) for generating power; A plurality of moving bodies (not shown) linearly moving by the power and a motion converting member (not shown) connected to the plurality of elevating portions 130 and converting the rotational force of the power source (not shown) into a linear motion . A power source (not shown) can generate power and generate, for example, a rotational force.

A plurality of moving bodies (not shown) may be connected to the plurality of lifting units 130, respectively, and may be linearly moved by the power by being connected to a power source (not shown) by a shaft or the like. The plurality of lifting portions 130 can be moved in the extending direction of the guide rails 211 according to the linear movement of the moving body (not shown), and the distance between the plurality of head portions 120 can be adjusted through this.

The motion converting member (not shown) can be connected to a power source (not shown), and can convert the rotational force of a power source (not shown) into a linear motion. For example, the motion converting member (not shown) may include a ball screw composed of a screw shaft and a ball nut, and the screw shaft is rotated by a rotational force of a power source And the ball nut coupled to the screw shaft can linearly move along a threaded hole (or thread) of the screw shaft by rotation of the screw shaft. Here, the ball nut may be a moving body (not shown).

The gap adjusting unit 140 further includes a linear guide member (not shown) connected to the plurality of elevating units 130 and guiding the movement of the plurality of elevating units 130 in the extending direction of the guide rails 211 can do. The linear guide member (not shown) may be connected to the plurality of lifting portions 130 and connected to the head portion 120 and / or the moving body (not shown), and the linear movement of the lifting portion 130 by the power Guide the movement of the plurality of lift portions 130 in the extending direction of the guide rails 211. The plurality of lifting portions 130 can be linearly moved in the extending direction of the guide rails 211 through the linear guide members (not shown), and the plurality of head portions 120 can be stably guided along the guide rails 211 In the direction of the extension of the frame.

A transfer unit (100) according to the present invention includes a position measuring unit (160) provided on a plurality of heads (120) to measure a position of a transfer object (10); And a position correcting part 170 connected to the plurality of head parts 120 and correcting the positions of the respective head parts 120 in a direction crossing the extending direction of the guide rails 211 have. The position correcting unit 170 may be connected to the plurality of head units 120 and may move the respective head units 120 in a direction crossing the extending direction of the guide rails 211, Can be corrected. At this time, the position correcting unit 170 may be connected to each of the plurality of elevating units 130 to be connected to the plurality of heads 120, respectively, and may be connected to the belt units 135 of the plurality of elevating units 130 Can be connected. The position correcting unit 170 may include a sliding module that moves the head unit 120 in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rail 211. [ For example, the sliding module may be mounted on the lower surface of the gap adjusting unit 140. The position correcting unit 170 may be manufactured to have various shapes and components corresponding to the weight and the size of the head 120 and / or the conveying object 10. The position correcting unit 170 may be capable of correcting the position of the head unit 120 so that the position of the head unit 120 can be stably gripped by the head unit 120 even during the lifting and / The connection relationship between the constituent elements and the constituent elements of the position correcting section 170 is not particularly limited.

Meanwhile, the position correcting unit 170 may include a rotate module. For example, the rotatable module may be mounted on a lower surface of the sliding module. The rotation module can rotate the head 120 and correct the angle of the head 120 according to the angle at which the object 10 to be gripped is placed. At this time, the angles of the respective head parts 120 can be corrected so that the plurality of head parts 120 are aligned with each other, and the plurality of head parts 120 can be arranged in parallel (or parallel) to each other. In this case, a plurality of the conveying objects 10 arranged in parallel to one another can be lifted and held by the plurality of head portions 120 without further alignment through one alignment.

The position measuring unit 160 may be provided to the plurality of heads 120 and may measure the position of the corresponding conveying object 10, respectively. The plurality of head portions 120 and the plurality of conveyed objects 10 can be aligned by correcting the positions of the respective head portions 120 in accordance with the positions of the corresponding conveyed objects 10 respectively. For example, the position of the object to be transported 10 is measured through the position measuring unit 160, and the position of the object to be transported 10 is measured through the gap adjusting unit 140 in the extending direction of the guide rail 211 It is possible to correct the position of the head part 120 of the guide rail 211 and correct the position of the head part 120 in the direction crossing the extending direction of the guide rail 211 through the position correcting part 170. [ Accordingly, the head part 120 and the object to be transported 10 can be aligned easily.

Here, one head 120 may be aligned with the conveying object 10, and the remaining head 120 may be corrected in position so that the gap with the one head 120 and alignment are maintained. In this case, a plurality of head portions 120 and a plurality of transported objects 10 can be aligned through one alignment using one head portion 120, respectively.

The plurality of head portions 120 include a plurality of grip members 121a provided on both sides in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rails 211. The distance between the grip members 121a is adjusted, And a gripper 121 for holding the gripper 10. The gripper 121 may include a plurality of grip members 121a provided on both sides in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rails 211. The gap between the grip members 121a may be adjusted, 10). The plurality of grip members 121a may be provided on both sides in the direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rails 211, and the distance between them may be adjusted. When a plurality of grip members 121a are provided on both sides in the extending direction of the guide rail 211, a plurality of grip members 121a are arranged adjacent to each other from the adjacent head part 120 and / It is possible to interfere with the conveyed object 10 having a plurality of gripping members 121 and sufficient space can not be provided so that the distance between the gripping members 121a can be adjusted.

However, if a plurality of grip members 121a are disposed on both sides in the direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rails 211, as in the present invention, a plurality of grip members 121a may be provided on adjacent head portions 120 and / There is no fear of interfering with the transported object 10 disposed adjacent from the transported object 10 to be gripped, thereby providing sufficient space for adjusting the distance of the plurality of gripping members 121a, (10) can be stably gripped. The gripper 121 can grip the conveyed object 10 stably by adjusting the intervals of the plurality of grip members 121a provided on both sides in the direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rail 211. [

The plurality of head portions 120 include a plurality of alignment bars 122a provided on both sides in the extending direction of the guide rail 211 and further include an alignment member 122 for aligning the conveying object 10 can do. The alignment member 122 may include a plurality of alignment bars 122a provided on both sides in the extending direction of the guide rail 211 and may align the conveying object 10. [ The plurality of alignment bars 122a can be provided on both sides of the extending direction of the guide rail 211 to prevent the conveyed object 10 from being biased to one side of the extending direction of the guide rail 211, So that the object to be transferred 10 can be stably gripped by the gripper 121. [ Here, the plurality of alignment bars 122a may be configured to be spaced apart as a plurality of grip members 121a, and by adjusting the distance between the plurality of alignment bars 122a to contact the side surface of the conveyance object 10 , The object 10 to be conveyed is also supported by the plurality of alignment bars 122a, so that the object 10 can be gripped more stably. At this time, since the adjustment of the spacing of the plurality of alignment bars 122a is performed in addition to the gripping by the grippers 121, the width of the adjustment of the spacing of the plurality of alignment bars 122a is adjusted by adjusting the spacing of the plurality of grip members 121a And the plurality of alignment bars 122a may not interfere with the adjacent conveyed object 10 from the head portion 120 and / or the conveyed object 10 to be held.

The plurality of head portions 120 include a plurality of guide shafts 123a provided on both sides in the extending direction of the guide rails 211 and contact plates 123b capable of elevating along the plurality of guide shafts 123a, And a pusher 123 for pressing the upper surface of the object 10 with the load of the contact plate 123b. The pressing member 123 may include a plurality of guide shafts 123a provided on both sides in the extending direction of the guide rails 211 and a contact plate 123b capable of elevating along the plurality of guide shafts 123a, The upper surface of the object to be transported 10 can be pushed by the load of the plate. A plurality of guide shafts 123a can be provided on both sides in the extending direction of the guide rails 211 to guide the lifting and lowering of the contact plates 123b and to move the guide rails 211 in the extending direction of the guide rails 211 10 from being released.

The contact plate 123b is connected to the plurality of guide shafts 123a so that the lower surface of the contact plate 123b can be moved up and down along the plurality of guide shafts 123a by the force of being pushed up. 123b abut on the upper surface of the object to be transferred 10 so that the contact plate 123b can be placed on the upper side of the object 10 to be transported. When the head 120 further descends, the other components of the head 120 are lowered, but the contact plate 123b can not descend further due to the conveyance object 10, and the plurality of guide shafts 123a The height of the object to be transported 10 is relatively higher than that of other components of the head 120. When the head unit 120 grasps the object 10, the contact plate 123b can be placed on the upper part of the object 10 to push the upper surface of the object 10 with the load.

The pressing member 123 can press the upper surface of the conveyed object 10 by the load of the contact plate 123b so that the conveyed object 10 can be held so as not to be detached. Here, the pressing member 123 can grip the conveyed object 10 together with the gripper 121, and the gripper 121 presses the lower surface of the conveyed object 10 and the pressing member 123 presses the conveyed object 10 So that the conveying object 10 can be prevented from being separated from the conveying object 10 by stably supporting the conveying object 10 between the gripper 121 and the pressing member 123.

The transfer unit 100 according to the present invention is provided with a position sensor (not shown) provided in the body part 110 and detecting the position of the body part 110 in the guide rail 211 and a position sensor And a sensor 191 for sensing the presence or absence of the object to be transferred 10 on the lower portion of each head 120. A position sensor (not shown) may be provided in the body 110 to detect the position of the body 110 in the guide rail 211. For example, a position sensor (not shown) can detect the position of the body 110 in the guide rail 211 by reading a bar code or the like displayed on the guide rail 211, and can detect the position of the body 110 The body part 110 can be moved to the position of the conveying object 10 (or the position of the cradle on which the conveying object is supported).

The sensing sensor 191 may be provided to each of the elevating and lowering units 130 and may detect the presence or absence of the object 10 to be conveyed under the respective head units 120. For example, when the head part 120 grips the transported object 10, if the transported object 10 is present on the lower platform 220, the head part 120 moves the transported object 10 to the lower cradle 220, (220), but can be placed on another stand (220) without the conveying object (10). Thus, the objects to be transferred 10 can be prevented from overlapping with one cradle 220. If the head part 120 does not grip the transported object 10 and the transported object 10 does not exist on the lower platform 220, the transported object 10 The head part 120 can be lowered from the other stand 220 to grip the object 10 to be transported.

It is possible to accurately convey the gripping position and the mounting position (or the transporting position) of the transporting object 10, thereby transferring the transporting object 10, thereby efficiently transporting the transporting object 10.

The transfer unit 100 of the present invention is provided in the body part 110 and includes a drop prevention part for supporting the lower part of the transported object 10 gripped by the head part 120 to prevent the transported object 10 from falling 180) < / RTI > The fall preventing portion 180 may be provided on the side wall 112 of the body portion 110 and may include a plurality of drop prevention portions 180 extending inward from the side wall 112 of the body portion 110, Can be supported. For example, the drop prevention portions 180 may be disposed symmetrically with the respective side walls 112 of the body portion 110. The fall preventing unit 180 may be configured to be folded or rotated in the horizontal direction so as not to interfere with the lifting and lowering of the head unit 120. When the head unit 120 is lifted or lowered, 120 are held by the conveying object 10 and rise, they can be spread toward the lower side of the conveying object 10 to support the lower part of the conveying object 10. [ Therefore, it is possible to prevent the conveying object 10 from dropping stably during the conveyance of the conveying object 10 by using the fall preventing unit 180. [

The transport unit 100 of the present invention may further include a traveling unit 190 connecting the body 110 and the guide rail 211 and traveling along the guide rail 211. The travel unit 190 can connect the body 110 and the guide rail 211 and can travel along the guide rail 211 (or along a predetermined route). To this end, the running unit 190 can be fastened to the guide rail 211 so as to be able to run along the guide rails 211 installed on the ceiling of the workplace, and includes a body, a plurality of wheels and a wheel driving motor . The traveling unit 190 may be manufactured to have various connection elements and components in correspondence with the weight and size of the object 10 to be transported. That is, the running unit 190 can be mounted on the guide rail 211 and run along the guide rail 211, and the connecting relationship between the constituent elements and the constituent elements of the running unit 190 is not particularly limited.

For example, the driving unit 190 may be disposed on the upper portion of the support plate 111 of the body 110 in a direction in which the guide rails 211 extend, thereby balancing the body 110 So that the body portion 110 can be stably supported on the guide rail 211 through the driving portion 190. [

5 is a perspective view illustrating a transfer system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the transport system according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail. However, duplicate elements of the transport unit according to the embodiment of the present invention will be omitted.

The transfer system 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention comprises a transfer unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention; And a guide rail (211) guiding movement of the body part (110), the rail part (210) being installed on a ceiling; And a cradle 220 in which the transported objects 10 are aligned and supported.

The transfer unit 100 may be a transfer unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention and may include a plurality of the head units 120 and may adjust the spacing of the plurality of the head units 120. The transfer unit 100 holds the object 10 to be transferred to the head unit 120 and moves along the guide rail 211 to be placed on the holder 220 at a designated position or place or placed on the holder 220 The conveying object 10 is conveyed in such a manner that the conveying object 10 is pulled up (or held and elevated), the guide rail 211 is moved to another specified position, (Or returned).

The rail part 210 may include a guide rail 211 for guiding movement of the body part 110, and may be installed on the ceiling. The guide rail 211 can guide the movement of the body 110 and provide a traveling path (orbit) of the body 110. The rail part 210 may be installed on the ceiling, for example, on the ceiling side of a building such as a large hospital or a semiconductor manufacturing factory.

The transfer process of the transfer object 10 in the transfer system 200 will be described below.

The transport system 200 can move the transported object 10 gripped by the head unit 120 onto the platform 220 at each designated position by moving the transport unit 100 from the guide rail 211. [ In this state, the plurality of head parts 120 can be aligned with the position of the cradle 220 by correcting their positions with respect to the body part 110 based on preset values.

The head part 120 can be lowered to a position where the conveying object 10 on the cradle 220 can be gripped by pulling a plurality of belt members 131 from the elevating part 130. [ The gripper 121 grips the conveyed object 10 and winds up (or winds up) the plurality of belt members 131 at the elevation portion 130 to grip the conveyed object 10 in a suspended state .

Through this process, the plurality of head portions 120 can grip the transported object 10, respectively.

The conveying unit 100 moves the conveying object 10 along the guide rail 211 after grasping the conveying object 10 in a suspended state on the plurality of head portions 120, ). ≪ / RTI > The plurality of belt members 131 are pulled out from the elevation portion 130 after the head portions 120 are aligned with the positions of the respective holders 220 by the movement of the plurality of head portions 120, The object to be transported 10 can be lowered on the platform 220 of the position. In this state, the head unit 120 can be shifted to the conveying state by placing the conveying object 10 on the cradle 220 and winding up the plurality of belt members 131 again by the elevating unit 130.

Since the transfer unit 100 of the transfer system 200 of the present invention can move two or more transfer objects 10 at a time, the transfer amount per unit time can be increased more than twice as compared with the conventional transfer unit And it is possible to shorten the transfer time.

The holder 220 can support the conveying object 10, and a plurality of the conveying objects 10 can be arranged and arranged. At this time, the plurality of conveyed objects 10 may be arranged side by side in the direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rails 211, and may be arranged in a line along the extending direction of the guide rails 211.

The rail unit 210 may further include an identification tag (not shown) provided on the guide rail 211. The transfer unit 100 includes a tag recognition unit (not shown) for recognizing identification information of an identification tag And the identification information of the identification tag (not shown) may include the position (or position information) of the cradle 220. The transfer unit 100 can recognize identification information of an identification tag (not shown) by scanning an identification tag (not shown) provided on the guide rail 211 through a tag recognition unit (not shown) 100) can be confirmed. Here, the identification tag (not shown) may be a bar code or the like. The identification information of the identification tag (not shown) may include the position of the holder 220 as well as the position information of the transfer unit 100 in the guide rail 211. That is, the identification information of the identification tag (not shown) can be used to check whether the transfer unit 100 is located at the position of the mount 220, and the transfer unit 100 can be stopped at the position of the mount 220.

The interval of the plurality of head portions 120 after descending may be the same as the interval of the conveyed objects 10 supported by the cradle 220. In this case, a plurality of heads 120 and a plurality of conveyed objects 10 can be aligned by one alignment using one head 120, and a plurality of conveyed objects 10 Can be lifted and gripped by a plurality of heads 120 without further alignment through one alignment.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a transport system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, a method of operating a transfer system according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. In connection with a transfer unit according to an embodiment of the present invention and a transfer system according to another embodiment of the present invention, The overlap with the explanations is omitted.

In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a transport system, including: measuring a gap between a plurality of head units spaced apart from each other in a body part; A step (S200) of lowering the plurality of head portions and measuring the interval between the plurality of head portions; A step (S300) of correcting the gap between the plurality of head portions by reflecting a gap difference between before and after the plurality of head portions are lowered; And moving the body part to a position of the object to be transported (S400).

First, intervals between a plurality of head portions spaced apart from each other in a body portion are measured (S100). Here, the interval before the falling of the plurality of head portions can be measured. At this time, the interval between the plurality of heads can be measured through the interval measuring unit, or the interval between the plurality of heads can be measured through the interval of the plurality of moving bodies connected to the plurality of heads, respectively. Meanwhile, the body part can move along the guide rails, and the plurality of head parts can be spaced apart in the extending direction of the guide rails.

Next, the plurality of head portions are lowered and the interval between the plurality of head portions is measured again (S200). Here, the interval after the fall of the plurality of head portions 120 can be measured. At this time, the gap before the falling of the plurality of head portions and the gap after the falling of the plurality of the head portions may be different due to the characteristics (for example, elasticity, rigidity, etc.) of the plurality of belt members lowering the head portion, And the distance between the plurality of head portions can be measured through the measurement portion.

Then, the gap between the plurality of head portions is corrected by reflecting the gap difference between before and after the plurality of head portions are lowered (S300). The plurality of head portions may be spaced before and after the falling portion, and the gap between the plurality of head portions may be corrected by reflecting the difference between the intervals before and after the falling of the plurality of head portions measured through the gap measuring portion. Whereby the plurality of head portions can be lifted and lowered without further movement of the body portion, thereby gripping the transported objects, respectively.

In the step S300 of correcting the gap between the plurality of heads, the gap between the plurality of heads may be corrected so that the distance after the falling of the plurality of heads is equal to the gap between the plurality of objects to be conveyed arranged at the bottom . For example, after the plurality of head portions are lowered in a state in which the gaps of the plurality of head portions are aligned at the same intervals as the gaps of the plurality of the conveyed objects, the interval after the fall of the plurality of head portions becomes shorter than the interval of the plurality of the conveyed objects The distance between the plurality of head portions can be corrected so as to be the same. In this case, it is possible to arrange the plurality of head parts and the plurality of the conveying objects respectively by one alignment using one head part, and to arrange a plurality of the conveying objects arranged in parallel to one another, So that the plurality of head portions can be lifted and gripped.

The method of operating the transfer system according to the present invention may further include a step (S400) of moving the body along the guide rail to the position of the object to be transferred after the step of correcting the gap between the plurality of heads (S300) .

After the step S300 of correcting the gap between the plurality of heads, the body may be moved along the guide rail to the position of the object to be transported (S400). It is possible to grip each of the transported objects by moving the body part to the position of the transported object and lowering the plurality of headed parts, respectively. And when the interval between the plurality of head portions is corrected, the plurality of head portions can be respectively lifted and lowered to grip the conveyed objects without moving the body portion.

The method of operating a transport system according to the present invention may further comprise: a step of lowering the plurality of head units (S500); And aligning at least one head portion of the plurality of head portions with the conveying object (S600).

Then, the plurality of head portions can be lowered (S500). At this time, the plurality of head portions can be lowered in a state in which the corrected intervals of the plurality of head portions are maintained. And when the calibrated interval of the plurality of head portions is equal to the interval of the conveying object, the plurality of head portions can be respectively lowered to grip the conveying object without further movement of the body portion.

At least one of the plurality of head portions may be aligned with the conveying object (S600). When the head part and the conveying object are not aligned, the head part can be aligned with the conveying object. Here, if the spacing of the plurality of head portions is corrected and all of the plurality of head portions are equal to each other when they are lowered, when a plurality of the conveyed objects are arranged in the same pattern (or at the same interval) All of the head portions can be aligned through alignment.

The step S600 of aligning the at least one head with the object to be conveyed may include moving at least one of the at least one head in the extending direction of the at least one guide rail (S610); And a step (S620) of moving the at least one head portion in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rail. In the step (S610) of moving the guide rail in the extending direction (S610) (S620), the at least one head portion can be moved while maintaining the corrected intervals of the plurality of head portions.

The at least one head portion may be moved in the extending direction of the guide rail (S610). The position of the guide rail in the extending direction can be corrected by moving the at least one head portion in the extending direction of the guide rail.

The at least one head portion may be moved in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rail (S620). The at least one head portion may be moved in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rails to correct a position in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rails.

In a step S610 of moving the guide rail in an extending direction or a step of moving the guide rail in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rail S620, Can be moved. The plurality of head portions and the plurality of conveying objects can be aligned through one alignment using the at least one head portion, and the plurality of conveying objects arranged in parallel to one another can be aligned The plurality of head portions can be lifted and held without alignment.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to simultaneously hold a plurality of conveying objects including a plurality of heads, to increase the processing speed of one conveying unit, and to increase the conveying amount per unit time to improve the conveying efficiency of the conveying object . Accordingly, the number of transfer units in the transfer system can be reduced to eliminate the transfer unit, and the investment cost for the additional transfer unit can be reduced. Further, it is possible to measure the gap before and after the falling of the plurality of head portions through the gap measuring portion, and to compensate for the gap difference between before and after the falling of the plurality of head portions through the gap adjusting portion. Accordingly, when a plurality of conveying objects are arranged at regular intervals, if the intervals after the descending of the plurality of head portions are set at regular intervals, the plurality of conveying objects and the plurality of conveying objects Lt; / RTI > Therefore, the aligning process is not required for each head part for aligning the respective head parts, and the time for aligning the plurality of head parts with the conveying object can be shortened. Then, the position of the object to be transported is measured through the position measuring unit, and the position of the head unit is corrected through the gap adjusting unit and the position correcting unit, so that the head unit and the object to be transported can be aligned easily.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and equivalent embodiments may be possible. Accordingly, the technical scope of the present invention should be defined by the following claims.

10: conveying object 100: conveying unit
110: body part 111: support plate
112: side wall 120:
121: gripper 121a: grip member
122: alignment member 122a: alignment bar
123: pressing member 123a: guide shaft
123b: contact plate 130:
131: Belt member 132: Winding member
132a: drive shaft 132b: drive pulley
132c: driven pulley 135: belt portion
140: interval adjusting unit 150: interval measuring unit
160: position measuring unit 170: position correcting unit
180: drop prevention unit 190:
191: Detection sensor 200: Transport system
210: rail part 211: guide rail
220: Cradle

Claims (17)

A body connected to the guide rail and movable along the guide rail;
A plurality of head portions spaced apart from each other on the body portion and gripping the objects to be transported; And
And a plurality of lift portions connected to the plurality of head portions, respectively, for lifting and lowering the plurality of head portions. The method according to claim 1,
And a gap adjusting unit that is provided on the body and is connected to the plurality of heads to adjust an interval between the plurality of heads. The method of claim 2,
And an interval measuring unit provided in the plurality of heads to measure an interval between the plurality of heads,
Wherein the gap measuring unit measures an interval before falling of the plurality of head portions and an interval after falling of the plurality of head portions,
Wherein the gap adjusting unit corrects the gap between the plurality of head portions by reflecting a gap difference between before and after the falling of the plurality of head portions. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the gap adjusting unit is located between the plurality of elevating units and the body unit and moves the plurality of elevating units to adjust the gap between the plurality of heads. The method of claim 4,
Wherein,
And a linear guide member connected to the plurality of elevating portions and guiding the movement of the plurality of elevating portions in the extending direction of the guide rails. The method according to claim 1,
A position measuring unit provided on the plurality of heads to measure a position of the conveying object; And
And a position correcting unit connected to each of the plurality of head portions and correcting the position of each of the head portions in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rails. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plurality of heads are disposed along the guide rails and are spaced apart from each other in the direction of extension of the guide rails. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plurality of heads comprises:
And a gripper including a plurality of grip members provided on both sides in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rails and gripping the conveyance object by adjusting an interval of the plurality of grip members. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plurality of heads comprises:
And a plurality of alignment bars provided on both sides in the extending direction of the guide rail, wherein the aligning member aligns the conveying object. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plurality of heads comprises:
A plurality of guide shafts provided on both sides of the guide rail in the direction of extension of the guide rails and a contact plate capable of elevating along the plurality of guide shafts and including a pressing member for pressing the upper surface of the object to be conveyed by the load of the contact plate The transfer unit. The method according to claim 1,
At least one of a position sensor provided on the body portion and detecting the position of the body portion on the guide rail and a sensor provided on each of the elevation portions and detecting presence or absence of the object to be conveyed Included conveying unit. A transfer unit according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
A guide rail for guiding the movement of the body part, the rail part being installed on the ceiling; And
And a cradle in which the transported objects are aligned and supported. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the rail portion further includes an identification tag provided on the guide rail,
Wherein the transfer unit further comprises a tag recognizing unit for recognizing the identification information of the identification tag,
Wherein identification information of the identification tag includes a position of the cradle. Measuring a distance between a plurality of head portions spaced apart from each other in a body portion;
Lowering the plurality of head portions and measuring an interval between the plurality of head portions; And
And correcting an interval of the plurality of head portions by reflecting a gap difference between before and after the plurality of head portions are lowered. 15. The method of claim 14,
And moving the body along a guide rail to a position of a conveying object after a process of correcting the gap between the plurality of heads. 16. The method of claim 15,
Lowering the plurality of head portions; And
And aligning at least one head portion of the plurality of head portions with the conveying object. 18. The method of claim 16,
The process of aligning the transfer object with the transfer object comprises:
Moving the at least one head portion in an extending direction of the guide rail; And
And moving the at least one head portion in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the guide rail,
Wherein the at least one head unit is moved while maintaining a corrected gap between the plurality of head units in a process of moving the guide rail in a direction in which the guide rail extends or in a direction crossing the extending direction of the guide rail. Way.

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