KR20230007590A - Cassette conveying system - Google Patents

Abstract

A cassette conveying system according to an embodiment includes: a cassette for storing an object to be processed, a shuttle for carrying the cassette, a port for loading the cassette, and a control part for controlling operations of the shuttle and the port. The port includes: a support; and a floating unit located on the support and operating between an open state movable above the support and a locked state fixed to the support. The shuttle is controlled to be movable in a horizontal direction when the floating unit is in the open state.

Description

Cassette Conveying System {CASSETTE CONVEYING SYSTEM}

The present invention relates to a cassette carrying system, and more particularly, to a cassette carrying system for moving a cassette containing an object to be processed such as a substrate or a product between facilities during a manufacturing process of a display device or the like.

A cassette conveying system can be used in moving an object to be processed, for example, between a storage facility and a process facility or between different process facilities in a facility for manufacturing a display device or the like.

Objects to be processed may be loaded in the cassette, and ports in which the cassettes are placed may be disposed in each facility. Cassettes can be transported by shuttles from one port to another, and the cassettes can be positioned over the ports.

As such, process time is consumed in conveying the cassette by the shuttle and positioning it over the port.

Embodiments are intended to provide a cassette conveying system capable of reducing tact time.

Further, embodiments are intended to provide a cassette conveying system capable of increasing the throughput of a facility.

A cassette carrying system according to an embodiment includes a cassette carrying an object to be processed, a shuttle carrying the cassette, a port through which the cassette is loaded, and a control unit controlling operations of the shuttle and the port. The port includes a support and a floating unit located on the support and operating between an open state movable above the support and a locked state fixed to the support. The shuttle is controlled to be movable in a horizontal direction when the floating unit is in an open state.

The cassette conveying system may further include a centering unit in which the port is located on the support and operates to move forward and backward with respect to the cassette. The shuttle may be controlled to be movable in a horizontal direction when the centering unit moves forward and backward.

The shuttle may be controlled to drive into the port when the floating unit is in an open state.

After loading of the cassette, the shuttle may be controlled to move away from the port upon repositioning of the cassette.

Adjusting the position of the cassette may include moving the centering unit forward when the floating unit is in an open state.

The shuttle may include a first shuttle for loading the cassette into the port and a second shuttle for unloading the cassette from the port. The first shuttle and the second shuttle may be controlled to move simultaneously.

When the position of the cassette is adjusted, the first shuttle may be controlled to move away from the port and the second shuttle may be controlled to drive into the port.

After unloading the cassette, the second shuttle may be controlled to move away from the port when returning the floating unit to its original position.

Returning the floating unit to its original position may be performed when the floating unit is in an open state.

The shuttle may drive into the port with the cassette positioned higher than the port, and then lower the cassette to load the cassette into the port.

The shuttle may include a body movable in a horizontal direction and a lift capable of moving vertically from the body. The cassette may be mounted on the lift. The shuttle may travel and enter the body to be located in the port while the lift is raised, and the cassette may be loaded into the port by lowering the lift.

The support may include a first support and a second support located on both sides of the port. The first support and the second support may each include a leg portion extending in a vertical direction. A distance between the leg parts may be wider than a width of the body.

The first support and the second support may include an arm portion extending in a horizontal direction from the leg portion. A distance between the arm parts may be wider than a width of the lift.

According to embodiments, a cassette conveying system capable of reducing process time can be provided. Further, according to embodiments, it may be to provide a cassette conveying system capable of increasing the throughput of a facility. Further, according to the embodiments, there are advantageous effects that can be recognized throughout the specification.

1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a cassette transport system according to an exemplary embodiment.
2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an entry sequence before loading a cassette into a port in a cassette carrying system according to an embodiment.
3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an avoidance sequence after loading a cassette into a port in a cassette transport system according to an embodiment.
4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an entry sequence before unloading a cassette from a port in a cassette carrying system according to an embodiment.
5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an avoidance sequence after unloading a cassette into a port in a cassette carrying system according to an embodiment.
6 is a graph showing process time before and after application of a transfer logic according to an embodiment.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the embodiments will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention.

The size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for convenience of description.

When a part such as a layer, film, region, plate, etc. is said to be “on” or “on” another part, this includes not only the case where it is “directly on” another element, but also the case where there is another element in the middle. Conversely, when a component is said to be "directly on top" of another component, it means that there are no intervening components.

Throughout the specification, it means that a part may further include other elements unless it is stated to the contrary that it "includes" a certain element.

Throughout the specification, "connected" does not mean only when two or more components are directly connected, but when two or more components are indirectly connected through another component, physically connected, or electrically connected. In addition to the case, it may include a case where each part, which is referred to by a different name according to its location or function, but is substantially integral, is connected to each other.

In the drawings, the symbols "x", "y" and "z" are used to indicate directions, where "x" is a first direction, "y" is a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and "z" is It is a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions. The first direction (x), the second direction (y), and the third direction (z) may respectively correspond to a horizontal direction, a vertical direction, and a thickness direction of the display device.

1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a cassette transport system according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a cassette transport system according to an embodiment may include a shuttle 10, a cassette 20, a port 30, and a control unit 40.

The shuttle 10 is movable between a first position and a second position spaced apart horizontally along a travel axis (not shown). The first location and the second location may be locations respectively provided by different facilities, such as a storage facility and a process facility, for example. The first position and the second position may be positions respectively provided by process equipment performing different operations, such as a deposition facility, an etching facility, a cleaning facility, an inspection facility, and a packaging facility. In this specification, the first position and the second position are not determined as specific positions, but may indicate positions at which the shuttle 10 loads and unloads the cassette 20 .

The shuttle 10 may include a body 11 capable of moving in a horizontal direction along a travel axis and a lift 12 coupled to the body 11 so as to be vertically movable. A cassette 20 may be placed on the lift 12 .

Cassette 20 can accommodate the processing object (S) for manufacturing a product in the facility. For example, when the product to be manufactured is a display device, the cassette 20 may load a substrate as the object S to be processed. The treatment object S may be loaded onto or unloaded from the cassette 20 by a robot.

The cassette 20 may include a frame and spaces partitioned by the frame to accommodate a plurality of processing objects. Cassette 20 may be a rectangular parallelepiped as a whole and may have various shapes.

The cassette 20 may be loaded onto the shuttle 10 and transported from the first position to the second position in the horizontal direction. The cassette 20 may be loaded into the port 30 after being conveyed to the second position.

The port 30 may be located at a predetermined location (eg, a first location, a second location, etc.) of each facility to load the cassette 20 . The port 30 may be a standby location for moving goods. The cassette 20 transported by the shuttle 10 and loaded into the port 30 and the object S stored in the cassette 20 are processed by a transfer device such as a robot, a rack master, or a transfer machine. Can be loaded into equipment. Conversely, the cassette 20 and the object S to be treated stored in the cassette 20 may be loaded into the port 30 from the process equipment.

The port 30 may include a support 31 , a floating unit 32 and a centering unit 33 .

The supports 31 may be located on both sides of the port 30, and the supports 31 may be spaced apart so that the body 11 of the shuttle 10 may enter. That is, the support 31 may include a first support 31a located on the left side and a second support 31b located on the right side in FIG. 1, and the first support 31a and the second support 31b may be spaced apart at predetermined intervals. Accordingly, the body 11 of the shuttle 10 may enter the space limited by the support 31 in a horizontal direction (first direction (x) in FIG. 1).

The support 31 may include a leg part 311 extending in a vertical direction and an arm part 312 extending in a horizontal direction. A plurality of leg parts 311 may be provided. For example, each of the first support 31a and the second support 31b may include two leg parts 311 . The distance between the leg portion 311 of the first support member 31a and the leg portion 311 of the second support member 31b so that the shuttle 10 can enter the port 30 without interfering with the support member 31. It may be wider than the width of the body 11 of the shuttle 10. The arm part 312 may be coupled to the leg part 311 or may extend from the leg part 311 . When the body 11 of the shuttle 10 is located within the space limited by the support 31, the lift 12 of the shuttle 10 can move up and down without interference with the arm 312, between the arms 312. The spacing may be wider than the width of the lift 12 . A plurality of arm parts 312 may be provided and may correspond to the number of leg parts 311 .

The floating unit 32 may be fixed to the arm 312 of the support 31 . The floating unit 32 may be positioned between the arm 312 and the cassette 20 . The floating unit 32 is a horizontal movement device for adjusting the position of the cassette 20 so that the cassette 20 can be positioned in the correct position. A plurality of floating units 32 may be provided. For example, the floating units 32 may be positioned to correspond to the four corners of the cassette 20 and restrict the cassette 20 to be horizontally movable or not move between the arm 312 and the cassette 20 . That is, the floating unit 32 can operate between an unlocked state in which it can float on the support 31 and a locked state in which it is fixed to the support 31 without floating. When the floating unit 32 floats, the cassette 20 positioned on the floating unit 32 can flow together, and when the floating unit 32 is fixed, the cassette 20 positioned on the floating unit 32 also does not move. can be fixed unobtrusively. Therefore, horizontal position adjustment of the cassette 20 by the operation of the floating unit 32 may be possible when the floating unit 32 is in an open state.

The centering unit 33 may be fixed to the arm 312 of the support 31 and may be located on the side of the cassette 20 . A plurality of centering units 33 may be provided. For example, the centering unit 33 can be located adjacent to the four corners of the cassette 20, can move forward to push the cassette 20 in a horizontal direction, and can move backward away from the cassette 20. The cassette 20 can be pushed in a specific direction by the forward and backward motions of the centering unit 33, and thus the cassette 20 can be moved to the correct position. The centering unit 33 may operate when the floating unit 32 is in an open state. That is, since the cassette 20 can move when the floating unit 32 is open, the centering unit 33 moves forward or backward to adjust the position of the cassette 20 when the floating unit 32 is open. can

By means of the floating unit 32 and the centering unit 33, the position of the cassette 20, which is a transport object, can be fixed and the position of the fixed cassette 20 can be finely adjusted. The floating unit 32 and the centering unit 33 may be operated by a pneumatic device such as a pneumatic cylinder, and may be referred to as an air unit.

The control unit 40 may be connected to the shuttle 10 and the port 30 . The control unit 40 may control horizontal movement of the body 11 of the shuttle 10 and elevation of the lift 12 of the shuttle 10 in the vertical direction. For the elevation of the lift 12, the shuttle 10 may include a servo motor. The controller 40 may control the operations of the floating unit 32 and the centering unit 33 . For example, the controller 40 may control the floating unit 32 to be in an open state or a locked state, and may control elevation of the floating unit 32 when the floating unit 32 is in an open state. The control unit 40 may control forward and backward operations of the centering unit 33 .

In the shuttle 10 loaded with the cassette 20 to be transported, the body 11 moves into the support 31 of the port 30 in a state where the lift 12 and the cassette 20 are positioned higher than the port 30 (that is, , between the first support 31a and the second support 31b). After the body 11 enters the support 31, when the lift 12 descends, the cassette 20 can be loaded into the port 30, and the floating unit 32 is placed on the arm 312 of the port 30. ) and the centering unit 33 can be positioned so as to be adjustable.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5, the operation of the cassette carrying system according to an embodiment will be described in more detail.

2 is a conceptual diagram showing an entry sequence before loading a cassette into a port in a cassette carrying system according to an embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an avoiding sequence after loading a cassette into a port in a cassette carrying system according to an embodiment. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an entry sequence before unloading a cassette from a port in a cassette carrying system according to an embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an avoidance sequence after unloading a cassette into a port in a cassette carrying system according to an embodiment. to be.

Referring to FIG. 2 , a sequence in which the shuttle 10 carrying the cassette 20 enters the port 30 to load the cassette 20 into the port 30 is shown. The floating unit 32 of the port 30 before loading of the cassette 20 can be opened after unloading of the previously loaded cassette (not shown) and thus the floating unit 32 will return to its original position. can When the floating unit 32 returns to its original position, it may be in a locked state so as not to flow any more.

The shuttle 10 carrying the cassette 20 can move from a first location to a second location where the port 30 is located. The shuttle 10 may drive into the port 30 with the cassette 20 positioned higher than the port 30 . Entry into the port 30 of the shuttle 10 may be performed upon return of the floating unit 32 to its original position. That is, during the operation for returning the floating unit 32 to the original position, the shuttle 10 may enter the port 30 without waiting outside the port 30 . For example, about 6.6 seconds may be required for opening and closing the floating unit 32 to return the floating unit 32 to its original position. Therefore, after confirming the return of the floating unit 32 to the original position, it is possible to shorten the process time by about 6.6 seconds compared to when entering.

Referring to FIG. 3 , after the shuttle 10 enters the port 30 , the cassette 20 may be loaded into the port 30 by lowering the lift 12 . As described above, since the width of the lift 12 is narrower than the spacing on the arm portion 312 of the port 30, the lift 12 moves from the top of the port 30 to the port 30 without interfering with the port 30. can descend into

Upon loading, the cassette 20 may be placed on the floating unit 32 of the port 30 . After loading the cassette 20, as described above, the position of the cassette 20 can be adjusted by moving the centering unit 33 forward while the floating unit 32 is open. After the positioning of the cassette 20 is completed, the floating unit 32 can operate to a locked state in which the cassette 20 is fixed so that it does not float, and the centering unit 33 can move backward.

After loading of the cassette 20, the shuttle 10 can escape from the port 30 and move to another position without the cassette 20 being loaded. The avoidance movement of the shuttle 10 may be performed when adjusting the position of the cassette 20 . For example, the opening operation of the floating unit 32 and the forward operation of the centering unit 33 may take about 7.1 seconds to adjust the position of the cassette 20 . Also, it may take about 2.5 seconds for the locking operation of the floating unit 32 and the backward operation of the centering unit 33 after position adjustment is completed. Therefore, after the loading of the cassette 20 and the completion of the operations of the floating unit 32 and the centering unit 33, the process time can be reduced by about 9.6 seconds compared to the avoidance movement.

In Figures 4 and 5, two shuttles 10a, 10b are shown. For distinction, the shuttle 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is denoted as the first shuttle 10a, and the added shuttle is denoted as the second shuttle 10b.

Referring to FIG. 4 , after confirming that the first shuttle 10a moves away from the port 30, the second shuttle 10b for unloading the cassette 20 may drive into the port 30. . The injection entry of the second shuttle 10b may also be performed when adjusting the position of the cassette 20 described above. For example, even if the avoidance movement of the first shuttle 10a and the driving entry of the second shuttle 10b are performed simultaneously or with a time difference within the period during which the position of the cassette 20 is adjusted, the first shuttle 10a and If the moving directions of the second shuttles 10b are the same, interference may not occur between them. The second shuttle 10b may travel into the port 30 with the lift 12b lowered to avoid interference between the lift 12b and the cassette 20 . On the other hand, if the front material of the second shuttle (10b) is not a shuttle, after confirming the avoidance of the front material, the second shuttle (10b) may drive into the port (30).

Referring to FIG. 5 , when the second shuttle 10b enters the port 30 , the cassette 20 may be unloaded by raising the lift 12b above the port 30 . Since the width of the lift 12b is smaller than the width of the port 30, more precisely, the distance between the arms 312 of the support 31, the lift 12b rises without interference with the port 30, and the cassette ( 20) can be unloaded from the port (30). The unloaded cassette 20 may be loaded on the second shuttle 10b and transported from the second location to the third location.

After unloading of the cassette 20, the floating unit 32 can be operated to be in an open state and then converted to a locked state. When the floating unit 32 is opened while the cassette 20 is unloaded, the floating unit 32 can return to its original position (set position) in the port 30 . Accordingly, the floating unit 32 can be positioned appropriately for loading another cassette 20 .

The return of the floating unit 32 to the original position may be performed when the second shuttle 10b moves to avoid. Opening and closing operations of the floating unit 32 for returning the floating unit 32 to the original position may be performed when the second shuttle 10b moves to avoid. If the return operation to the home position of the floating unit 32 is performed after confirming the avoidance movement of the second shuttle 10b or if the avoidance movement of the second shuttle 10b is performed after confirmation of the return to the home position of the floating unit 32, another cassette ( The entry time of the shuttle 10 for loading of 20) may be delayed by the time during which the returning operation to the home position is performed. Since the avoidance movement of the second shuttle 10b and the return of the floating unit 32 to the original position are performed simultaneously, the process time can be shortened. Referring to FIG. 2 , returning the floating unit 32 to the original position, driving the first shuttle 10a and avoiding the second shuttle 10b may be simultaneously performed.

A program including logic for operating as above may be stored in a memory that may be included in the control unit 40 or the like. Briefly explain the overall logic.

First, it is possible to check whether the cassette 20 is mounted on the first shuttle 10a (first step), and when the cassette 20 is loaded, it is possible to check whether entry into the port 30 is possible (second step). Other cassettes in the port 30 may be in a state in which entry is possible if there is no other logistics. If it is confirmed that entry is possible, the first shuttle 10a enters the port 30 (step 3). The cassette 20 may be loaded into the port 30 by lowering the lift 12a of the first shuttle 10a (fourth step).

The completion of loading, that is, the movement of the lowering position of the lift 12a is confirmed (step 5), and operation and position adjustment of the port 30 for position adjustment of the cassette 20 together with the avoidance movement of the first shuttle 10a. After completion, the operation of the port 30, that is, the opening of the floating unit 32 and the advancement of the centering unit 33, and the locking of the floating unit 32 and the retraction of the centering unit 33 can be performed (Fig. step).

Check the avoidance movement of the first shuttle 10a (whether or not the corresponding logistics in the case of other logistics) is checked (step 7), and the operation of the port 30 for adjusting the position of the cassette 20 and the port after completion of position adjustment While the operation of (30) is being performed, it is possible to enter into the port 30 of the second shuttle 10b (step 8). The operation of the port 30 may continue through the sixth to seventh steps.

It is possible to check whether the floating unit 32 is locked and the centering unit 33 moves backward (9th step), and the cassette 20 can be unloaded by raising the lift 12b of the second shuttle 10b ( Step 10). The second shuttle 10b can be returned to the original position by making the floating unit 32 open and then closed along with the avoidance movement (step 11).

The cassette carrying system according to an embodiment may be controlled so that the movement of the shuttle 10 does not limit the operation of the port 30 or the operation of the port 30 does not restrict the movement of the shuttle 10 . In other words, during operation of the shuttle 10, the operation of the port 30 is not prohibited, or during operation of the port 30, movement of the shuttle 10 into and out of the port 30 is not prohibited, and can be performed simultaneously with each other . Accordingly, waiting time of the shuttle 10 can be shortened, cassette transport can be optimized, and transport time and process time can be shortened.

Meanwhile, when the cassette 20 is unloaded or transferred after being unloaded by a transfer device such as a robot, a rack master, or a transfer device, a forward or backward motion of the centering unit 33 may be performed. Process time can be shortened by controlling the operating time of the centering unit 33 to overlap with the operating time of the conveying device.

6 is a graph showing process time before and after application of a transfer logic according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 6, the results of cassette transport performed in two facilities are shown. In each graph, the line graph represents the delivery time, and the bar graph represents the number of deliveries per hour. A red dotted line indicates a boundary before and after applying the transfer logic according to an exemplary embodiment. In the upper graph, which is data for the first facility, the conveyance time improved by about 17.8% from about 2.8 minutes to about 2.3 minutes. In the lower graph, which is data for the second facility, the conveyance time improved by about 18.5% from about 2.7 minutes to about 2.2 minutes. Considering that the average number of transfers is at the same level before and after applying the logic, it can be confirmed that the overall manufacturing logistics capacity is improved.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims are also included in the scope of the present invention. that fall within the scope of the right.

10, 10a, 10b: shuttle
11: body
12, 12a, 12b: lift
20: cassette
30: port
31, 31a, 31b: support
311: leg part
312: dark part
32: floating unit
33: centering unit
40: control unit

Claims (13)

A cassette containing the object to be treated;
A shuttle for conveying the cassette;
a port into which the cassette is loaded; and
Control unit for controlling the operation of the shuttle and the port
Including,
The port includes a support and a floating unit located on the support and operating between an open state movable above the support and a locked state fixed to the support,
The shuttle is controlled to be movable in a horizontal direction when the floating unit is in an open state. In paragraph 1,
the port further comprises a centering unit positioned above the support and operative to advance and retract relative to the cassette;
The shuttle is controlled to be movable in a horizontal direction when the centering unit moves forward and backward. In paragraph 2,
The shuttle is controlled to drive into the port when the floating unit is in an open state. In paragraph 2,
After loading the cassette, the shuttle is controlled to move away from the port when adjusting the position of the cassette. In paragraph 4,
Adjusting the position of the cassette includes moving the centering unit forward when the floating unit is in an open state. In paragraph 2,
the shuttle includes a first shuttle for loading the cassette into the port and a second shuttle for unloading the cassette from the port;
The first shuttle and the second shuttle are controlled to move simultaneously. In paragraph 6,
When the position of the cassette is adjusted, the first shuttle is controlled to move away from the port and the second shuttle is controlled to drive into the port. In paragraph 2,
the shuttle includes a first shuttle for loading the cassette into the port and a second shuttle for unloading the cassette from the port;
After unloading the cassette, the second shuttle is controlled to move away from the port when returning the floating unit to its original position. In paragraph 8,
The cassette carrying system of claim 1 , wherein the floating unit is returned to its original position when the floating unit is in an open state. In paragraph 1,
The cassette carrying system of claim 1 , wherein the shuttle drives into the port with the cassette positioned higher than the port, and then lowers the cassette to load the cassette into the port. In paragraph 10,
The shuttle includes a body movable in a horizontal direction and a lift movable in a vertical direction from the body,
The cassette is mounted on the lift,
The cassette carrying system of claim 1 , wherein the shuttle travels in such that the body is located in the port while the lift is raised, and the cassette is loaded into the port by lowering the lift. In paragraph 1,
The shuttle includes a body movable in a horizontal direction,
The support includes a first support and a second support located on both sides of the port,
The first support and the second support each include a leg portion extending in a vertical direction,
A cassette carrying system in which a distance between the leg portions is wider than a width of the body. In paragraph 12,
The shuttle further includes a lift capable of moving vertically from the body,
The first support and the second support include an arm portion extending in a horizontal direction from the leg portion,
The cassette transport system of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the arms is wider than a width of the lift.

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