TW201505950A - transfer device and transfer method - Google Patents

Abstract

A transfer device includes a driving machine and an adjusting machine. The driving machine drives a material move along a transfer direction. The adjusting machine adjusts the moving velocity of the material, and while the material is suffering an instantaneous tension the adjusting machine produces a buffering force to balance the instantaneous tension. A transfer method provides a driving machine to drives a material move along a transfer direction, and provides an adjusting machine to detect and adjust the moving velocity of the material.

Description

Transmission device and transmission method

The invention relates to a device and a method for transporting a substrate, and more particularly to a transport device and a transport method for transporting a substrate and capable of adjusting the tension of the substrate.

In the processing of a film substrate, it is often required to continuously transport the substrate. Conventional substrate transfer methods generally involve contacting the surface of the substrate with at least two rollers, and by dragging and pulling the substrate to drive the substrate to move in a transport direction. Typically, the two rollers rotate at different speeds, thereby creating a force on the substrate in the direction of transport to drive the substrate. In order to maintain a constant tension of the substrate to ensure the stability of its transmission operation, an idler is generally provided, and the idler is pulled by gravity (weight) against the surface of the substrate, when the weight is gravity and the substrate When the tension is balanced, the idler will remain in a fixed position. When the position of the idler is changed, that is, the tension of the substrate is changed, the tension of the substrate can be adjusted by adjusting the rotation speed of the roller to change the rotation speed of the two rollers.

A disadvantage of the prior art is that since the gravity can only be directed in a single direction, the arrangement of the idler is limited. Moreover, the moment when the speed of the roller is adjusted, an instantaneous tension is generated, and the instantaneous tension may cause damage to the substrate or affect the stability of the process.

In view of the above, the inventors of the present invention have made great efforts to solve the above problems in view of the above-mentioned prior art, and have made great efforts to solve the above problems, which has become the object of improvement of the present inventors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A primary object of the present invention is to provide a transport apparatus and a transport method for transporting a substrate and capable of adjusting the tension of the substrate.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a transport device for transporting a substrate, comprising a drive mechanism and a calibration mechanism. The drive mechanism is configured to drive the substrate to move in a direction of transport and to continuously provide a force to the substrate during movement of the substrate. The calibration mechanism includes a floating roller, a fluid buffer component, a control unit and a position detecting unit. The floating roller is for the substrate to abut and span and has a buffer displacement path. When the substrate is subjected to a momentary tension, the floating roller is adjusted at a position on the buffer displacement path, and the fluid buffer assembly is connected to the floating roller, and the body pressure inside the fluid buffer assembly The floating roller is used to apply force to the substrate, and the control unit is electrically connected to the position detecting unit and the driving mechanism and can adjust the speed of the driving mechanism to move the substrate. The position detecting unit is configured to face the floating roller to detect the position of the floating roller and Transfer the position of the floating roller to the control unit.

When the substrate is subjected to instantaneous tension, the adjusting mechanism generates a buffering force against the instantaneous tension by the frictional force generated by the positional change of the floating roller on the buffer displacement path and the fluid pressure inside the fluid buffering assembly, and the control unit is based on the floating roller. The position on the buffer displacement path adjusts the speed at which the drive mechanism moves the substrate.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention further provides a transfer method for transporting a substrate and adjusting the tension of the substrate. The transmission method of the present invention includes the steps as follows.

A driving mechanism and a tuning mechanism are provided. The tuning mechanism comprises a floating roller, a fluid buffering component and a position detecting unit. The substrate is driven to move in a transport direction by a drive mechanism. Abutting the floating roller to the substrate, the floating roller has a buffer displacement path and the floating roller provides a substrate span. The fluid buffer assembly is applied to the floating roller, and the fluid buffer assembly is coupled to the floating roller. The fluid inside the fluid buffer assembly generates a fluid pressure, and the fluid pressure inside the fluid buffer assembly is applied to the substrate by the floating roller. Adjust the position of the floating roller on the buffer displacement path when the substrate is subjected to a momentary tension. The position detecting unit detects the position of the floating roller, and the position detecting unit is configured toward the floating roller. The position of the floating roller is used to generate a movement data and a fluid pressure adjustment data. The speed at which the drive mechanism moves the substrate is adjusted according to the movement data. The fluid pressure inside the fluid buffer assembly is adjusted based on the fluid pressure adjustment data.

The damping force generated by the positional change of the floating roller on the buffer displacement path and the fluid pressure inside the fluid buffer assembly generate a cushioning force against the instantaneous tension.

10‧‧‧Substrate

100‧‧‧ drive mechanism

110/120‧‧‧dynamic wheel

111/121‧‧‧ Wheel body

112/122‧‧‧Drive motor

130‧‧‧ Idler

200‧‧‧Revising institution

210‧‧‧rails

220‧‧‧Floating wheel

230/240‧‧‧ fluid buffer assembly

231‧‧‧Cylinder

232‧‧‧Piston

233‧‧‧ Connecting rod

250‧‧‧ fluid

260‧‧‧pressure source

270‧‧‧Control unit

281/282‧‧‧Location detection unit

1 is a perspective view of a transmission device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a schematic diagram of a transmission device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic view showing one of the adjustment mechanisms in the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is another schematic view of the adjustment mechanism in the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a schematic view of a tuning mechanism in a second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a transmission device in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a transmission method according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a transmission method according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a first embodiment of the present invention provides a transport device for transporting a substrate 10. In the embodiment, the transmission device of the present invention comprises a driving mechanism 100 and a calibration mechanism 200.

The driving mechanism includes at least one moving wheel to drive the substrate 10 to move. The invention does not limit the form of the driving mechanism. For example, the driving mechanism may be a direct drive roller or a winder. In this embodiment, the driving mechanism includes two moving wheels 110/120, and each of the moving wheels 110/120 includes a wheel body 111 (121) and a driving motor 112 (122) connected to the wheel body 111 (121). The two wheel bodies 111/121 are respectively used for the substrate 10 to straddle, and one of the wheel bodies 111 is preferably provided for the substrate to be wound thereon. Each of the drive motors 112 (122) drives the respective wheel bodies 111 (121) to rotate to drive the substrate 10 to move in a transport direction. Preferably, each of the driving motors 112 (122) drives the two-wheel body 111 (121) at different rotational speeds, and the moving speed of each part of the substrate 10 is uneven due to the difference in rotational speed between the two wheel bodies 111/121. The substrate 10 is continuously provided with a force during the movement of the substrate 10.

The calibration mechanism 200 includes a set of slide rails 210, a floating roller 220, two fluid buffer assemblies 230/240, a control unit 270, and two position detecting units 281/282.

In the present embodiment, the slide rails 210 are preferably a pair of parallel spaced apart rod bodies, but the invention does not limit the form of the slide rails 210.

The floating roller 220 is for the substrate 10 to abut and span. The floating roller 220 may be in the form of active rotation or in the form of an idler, and the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present embodiment, the floating roller 220 is spanned between the two rods of the slide rail 210, thereby being able to slide along the two rods. Therefore, the floating roller 220 is restricted by the slide rail 211 to slide on a buffer displacement path.

Referring to FIG. 2 to FIG. 4, the two fluid buffer assemblies 230/240 are respectively connected to the two ends of the floating roller 220. The two fluid buffer assemblies 230/240 are identical in construction, and only one representative of them is described herein. The fluid buffer assembly 230 preferably includes a cylinder 231, a piston 232, and a link 233. The cylinder 231 is filled with a fluid 250, and the cylinder 231 is connected to a pressure source 260 to provide pressure to the fluid 250 in the cylinder 231. In the present embodiment, the fluid 250 is preferably air, and the pressure source 260 may be an air compressor. The cylinder 231 is blown by an air compressor to supply a positive pressure air source to the fluid 250 (air) in the cylinder 231. The piston 232 is disposed in the cylinder 231. The aforementioned positive pressure air supply is provided on one side of the piston 232 such that a pressure difference is generated on both sides of the piston 232, and the pressure difference is used to drive the piston 232 to move within the cylinder 231. There is a gap between the piston 232 and the inner wall of the cylinder 231, and the pressure difference on both sides of the piston 232 drives the fluid 250 to continue to flow through the gap, thereby reducing the friction between the piston 232 and the inner wall of the cylinder 231. The two ends of the connecting rod 233 are respectively connected to the piston 232 and the floating roller 220, so that the floating roller 220 can be moved on the buffer displacement path by the pressure change of the fluid 250. When the pressure of the fluid 250 inside the fluid buffer assembly 230 changes, it can apply force to the substrate 10 by moving the floating roller 220 by the mechanism described above.

The present invention does not limit the form of the fluid buffer assembly 230. For example, it may be a hydraulic pressure cylinder, a gas-oil mixing cylinder, a steam-electric mixing cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder, and the like, and a corresponding pressure source 260 and fluid 250 (for example, air, oil or Water).

The control unit 270 is electrically connected to the position detecting unit 281 / 282, the driving mechanism 100 and the pressure source 260. In this embodiment, the control unit 270 is electrically connected to the at least one driving motor 112. The control unit 260 is capable of controlling the drive motor 112 to change the rotational speed difference between the two wheel bodies 111/121, thereby adjusting the speed at which the drive mechanism 100 moves the substrate 10 to thereby change the tension on the substrate 10. Furthermore, the control unit 270 can also control the output intensity of the pressure source 260 to change the pressure of the fluid 250 inside the cushioning assembly 230, thereby adjusting the position of the floating roller 200 to adjust the tension on the substrate.

In this embodiment, each position detecting unit 281/282 is an ultrasonic sensor, but the invention does not limit the form of the position detecting unit 281/282. The position detecting unit 281/282 can also be other instruments capable of detecting the position or distance of the object, such as a position detector, a resistance ruler, a reed position sensor, a laser sensor, a photoinductor or a rotating shaft. Type displacement detector, etc. The two position detecting units respectively correspond to the two-end configuration of the floating roller, and the position detecting units 281/282 are vertically oriented toward the floating roller 220 to sense the distance between the floating roller 220 and the detecting unit 281/282 (ultrasonic sensor). . Thereby, the position of the floating roller 220 on the buffer displacement path is obtained, and the position of the floating roller 220 is transmitted to the control unit 270. The control unit 270 can also adjust the speed at which the drive mechanism 100 moves the substrate 10 according to the position of the floating roller 220 on the buffer displacement path.

When the differential speed of the second moving wheel 110/120 of the drive mechanism 100 changes, an instantaneous change in tension on the substrate 10 causes an instantaneous tension on the substrate 10 along the transport direction. The pulling of the substrate 10 by the momentary tension causes the position of the floating roller 220 to change in the buffer displacement path. The positional change of the floating roller 220 on the buffer displacement path generates a frictional force (for example, the friction between the floating roller 220 and the substrate 10 or the friction between the floating roller 220 and the slide rail 210), and the position of the floating roller 220 changes. The piston 232 is caused to cause a change in the pressure of the fluid 236 inside the fluid cushioning assembly 230. A cushioning force is generated by the frictional force of the fluid 250 and the frictional force generated by the positional change of the floating roller 220 on the buffer displacement path against the instantaneous tension. Therefore, while the substrate 10 is subjected to an instantaneous tension, the fluid buffer assembly 230 can instantly generate a cushioning force to balance the instantaneous tension.

Referring to FIG. 5, a second embodiment of the present invention provides a transmission device including a driving mechanism 100 and a calibration mechanism 200. The structure is substantially the same as the first embodiment described above, and the details of the embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment will be described in detail later.

In the present embodiment, the fluid buffer assembly 230 preferably includes a cylinder 231, a piston 232, and a connecting rod 233 and a pressure source 260. The cylinder 231 is filled with a fluid 250, and the cylinder 231 is connected to a pressure source 260 to provide pressure to the fluid 250. In the present embodiment, the fluid 250 is preferably air, and the pressure source 260 can be a vacuum pump. The vacuum pump is pumped from the cylinder 231 to provide a negative pressure air supply to the air in the cylinder 231. The piston 232 is disposed in the cylinder 231, and the aforementioned negative pressure air source is provided on one side of the piston 232. The negative pressure air source causes a pressure difference on both sides of the piston 232, thereby driving a pressure difference on both sides of the piston 232 to drive The piston 232 moves within the cylinder 231. There is a gap between the piston 232 and the inner wall of the cylinder 231, and the pressure difference on both sides of the piston 232 drives the fluid 250 to continue to flow through the gap, thereby reducing the friction between the piston 232 and the inner wall of the cylinder 231. The two ends of the connecting rod 233 are respectively connected to the piston 232 and the floating roller 220, so that the floating roller 220 can move on the buffer displacement path by the pressure change of the fluid 250. When the pressure of the fluid 250 inside the fluid buffer assembly 230 changes, it can apply force to the substrate 10 by moving the floating roller 220 by the mechanism described above.

Referring to Figure 6, a third embodiment of the present invention provides a transport device for transporting a substrate 10. In the embodiment, the transmission device of the present invention comprises a driving mechanism 100 and a calibration mechanism 200. The structure is substantially the same as the first embodiment described above, and the details of the embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment will be described in detail later.

The driving mechanism includes a moving wheel 110 and an idler wheel 130. The moving wheel 110 includes a wheel body 111 and a driving motor 112 connected to the wheel body 111. The wheel body 111 is used to wind the substrate 10 thereon. The drive motor 112 drives the respective wheel bodies 111 to rotate to drive the substrate 10 to move in a transport direction. The idler 130 is used to feed the substrate 10. When the moving wheel 110 drives the substrate 10 to move, the substrate 10 drives the idler 130 to rotate by the friction between it and the idler 130. Therefore, the rotational speed of the movable wheel 110 is preferably slightly faster than that of the idler gear 130. The difference in the rotational speed of the movable wheel 110 and the idler gear 130 causes the moving speed of each portion of the substrate 10 to be uneven and continues during the period in which the substrate 10 is moved. The substrate 10 is provided with a force.

Referring to Figures 2, 4 and 7, a fourth embodiment of the present invention provides a method of transporting a substrate 10 and simultaneously adjusting the tension of the substrate 10. The transmission method of the present invention comprises the following steps:

A driving mechanism 100 and a calibration mechanism 200 are provided. The calibration mechanism 200 includes a floating roller 220, a two-fluid buffer assembly 230/240 connected to the floating roller 220, and a two-position detecting unit 281/282 disposed toward the floating roller. The floating roller 220 is capable of sliding along a buffer displacement path. The drive mechanism 100 includes two sets of moving wheels 110/120. The two fluid buffer assemblies 230/240 have the same structure. As will be described hereinafter, the fluid buffer assembly 230 includes a cylinder 231 filled with a fluid 250 and a piston 232 disposed in the cylinder 231, and the cylinder 231 is connected to a pneumatic pressure. Source 260. The structure is the same as the first embodiment described above, and the same portions are not described herein again.

The substrates 10 are respectively contacted by the second moving wheels 110/120, and the two moving wheels 110/120 are each rotated to pull the substrate 10, thereby driving the substrate 10 to move in a transport direction. Moreover, the two moving wheels 110/120 are preferably rotated at different rotational speeds, and a force is generated on the substrate 10 along the conveying direction by the difference in rotational speed between the two moving wheels 110/120 to stabilize the conveying action of the substrate 10.

The floating roller 200 is abutted against the surface of the substrate 10 and is traversed by the substrate 10, so that the floating roller 200 and the substrate 10 can be driven together.

A fluid 250 pressure is generated inside the fluid buffer assembly 230/240 by the pressure source 260, and then applied to the floating roller 220 by the fluid 250 pressure. Thereby, the pressure of the fluid 236 inside the fluid buffer assembly 230 is applied to the substrate 10 in the transport direction by the floating roller 220.

When the substrate 10 is subjected to a momentary tension, the substrate 10 is pushed against the floating roller 220 to cause the floating roller 220 to change position on the buffer displacement path. The change in position of the floating roller 220 on the buffer displacement path causes the fluid 250 pressure inside the fluid buffer assembly 230/240 to change to counteract the instantaneous tension.

The position detecting unit 281 / 282 emits an energy wave (for example, infrared rays, a laser or an ultrasonic wave, etc.) toward the floating roller 220, and receives the energy wave reflected by the floating roller 220 by the position detecting unit 281 / 282. The energy wave changes to detect the position of the floating roller 220. And according to the position of the floating roller 220 to generate a movement data and a fluid pressure adjustment data.

The movement data and the fluid pressure adjustment data can be interpreted by a control unit 270, and the rotation speed of the moving wheel 110 can be adjusted according to the movement data through the control unit 270, and an appropriate amount of the fluid 250 is injected into the buffer assembly 230/240 according to the fluid pressure adjustment data, thereby adjusting The fluid 250 pressure inside the fluid buffer assembly 230. Wherein, adjusting the rotational speed of the moving wheel 110 and adjusting the pressure of the fluid 250 may be performed simultaneously or sequentially. The at least one moving wheel 110 is adjusted to rotate the two moving wheels 110/120 at unequal rotational speeds, thereby adjusting the speed at which the driving mechanism 100 moves the substrate 10, thereby adjusting the tension of the substrate 10. The pressure of the fluid 250 inside the cylinder 231 can be changed by the displacement of the floating roller 220 to drive the piston 232.

Referring to Figures 2, 5 and 8, a fifth embodiment of the present invention provides a method of transporting a substrate 10 and simultaneously adjusting the tension of the substrate 10. The steps are substantially the same as the fourth embodiment described above, and the details of the embodiment are the same as those of the fourth embodiment. This embodiment differs from the fourth embodiment in that it extracts an appropriate amount of fluid 250 from the buffer assembly 230/240 in accordance with the fluid pressure adjustment data to thereby adjust the pressure of the fluid 250 inside the fluid buffer assembly 230/240.

The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, and other equivalent variations of the patent spirit of the present invention are all within the scope of the invention.

10‧‧‧Substrate

110/120‧‧‧dynamic wheel

111/121‧‧‧ Wheel body

200‧‧‧Revising institution

210‧‧‧rails

220‧‧‧Floating wheel

230/240‧‧‧ fluid buffer assembly

281/282‧‧‧Location detection unit

Claims (12)

A transport device for transporting a substrate, the transport device comprising:
a driving mechanism for driving the substrate to move in a transport direction and continuously providing a force to the substrate while the substrate is being moved; and a tuning mechanism including a floating roller and a fluid buffer a component, a control unit and a position detecting unit, the floating roller is configured to abut and straddle the substrate and has a buffer displacement path, and the floating roller adjusts the buffer displacement path when the substrate is subjected to an instantaneous tension In the upper position, the fluid buffering component is connected to the floating roller, and the fluid pressure inside the fluid buffering component is applied to the substrate by the floating roller, and the control unit is electrically connected to the position detecting unit and the driving mechanism. Adjusting the speed at which the driving mechanism moves the substrate, the position detecting unit is configured to detect the position of the floating roller and transmit the position of the floating roller to the control unit;
Wherein, when the substrate is subjected to the instantaneous tension, the adjusting mechanism generates a buffering force against the frictional force generated by the positional change of the floating roller on the buffer displacement path and the fluid pressure inside the fluid buffering component to counteract the The instantaneous tension adjusts the speed at which the driving mechanism moves the substrate according to the position of the floating roller on the buffer displacement path. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the driving mechanism comprises a moving wheel for the substrate to traverse, and the moving wheel rotates to drive the substrate to move in the conveying direction, the control unit is electrically The driving unit is connected to the moving wheel, and the control unit adjusts the rotating speed of the moving wheel according to the position of the floating roller. The transmission device of claim 2, wherein the moving wheel comprises a wheel body and a driving motor, wherein the wheel body is used for the substrate to straddle, and the driving motor is coupled to the wheel body to drive the wheel body to rotate. The control unit is electrically connected to the driving motor to control the rotation speed of the driving motor, thereby adjusting the rotation speed of the moving wheel connected to the driving motor. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a slide rail for defining the buffer displacement path, and the floating roller is disposed on the slide rail to be slipped on the buffer displacement path by the slide rail. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the fluid buffer assembly comprises a cylinder, a piston and a connecting rod, the cylinder is filled with a fluid, the piston is disposed in the cylinder, and the piston and the inner wall of the cylinder Having a gap therebetween, the piston is movable in the cylinder as the pressure of the fluid changes, and the two ends of the connecting rod respectively connect the piston and the floating roller, wherein the floating roller is driven by the pressure change of the fluid. Move on the buffer displacement path. The transfer device of claim 1, wherein the cylinder is connected to a pressure source to provide pressure within the fluid within the cylinder. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the position detecting unit is an ultrasonic sensor for sensing a distance between the floating roller and the ultrasonic sensor to obtain the floating displacement path of the floating roller. The location on the top. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the floating roller is an idler. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism is a coiler. A transmission method for transporting a substrate and adjusting the tension of the substrate, including the following steps:
Providing a driving mechanism and a tuning mechanism, the tuning mechanism comprising a floating roller, a fluid buffer component and a position detecting unit;
Driving the substrate in a transport direction by the driving mechanism;
Resisting the floating roller to the substrate, wherein the floating roller has a buffer displacement path and the floating roller provides the substrate to traverse;
The fluid buffer assembly is biased to the floating roller, wherein the fluid buffer assembly is coupled to the floating roller, the fluid inside the fluid buffer assembly is capable of generating a fluid pressure, and the fluid pressure inside the fluid buffer assembly is applied to the fluid by the floating roller On the substrate;
Adjusting the position of the floating roller on the buffer displacement path when the substrate is subjected to a momentary tension;
Detecting, by the position detecting unit, a position of the floating roller, wherein the position detecting unit is configured toward the floating roller;
Depending on the position of the floating roller to generate a movement data and a fluid pressure adjustment data;
Adjusting a speed at which the driving mechanism moves the substrate according to the movement data;
Adjusting a fluid pressure inside the fluid buffer assembly according to the fluid pressure adjustment data;
The buffering force is generated by the positional change of the floating roller on the buffer displacement path and the fluid pressure inside the fluid buffer assembly to counter the instantaneous tension. The transfer method of claim 10, wherein the fluid is injected into the buffer assembly according to the fluid pressure adjustment data to adjust the fluid pressure inside the fluid buffer assembly. The transfer method of claim 10, wherein the fluid is withdrawn from the buffer assembly in accordance with the fluid pressure adjustment data to adjust the fluid pressure within the fluid buffer assembly.