TW201609512A - Conveyance rail and flotation conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

The purpose of the invention is to stabilize with high precision the floating distance on a virtual high-precision flotation line of an object to be conveyed. A flotation conveying device (1) comprises a conveyance rail (2) on which an object to be conveyed is conveyed without contacting same in a conveyance direction (X). The conveyance rail (2) comprises a conveyance face (20) on which a plurality of hole arrays (21) are disposed in the conveyance direction (X), wherein the hole arrays have air supply holes (22) that eject a gas and vacuum holes (23) that suck in the gas alternately arranged at a fixed interval in a direction that is perpendicular to the conveyance direction (X). A virtual high-precision flotation line (L) that is set in a vertical direction with respect to the conveyance direction (X) is positioned above the space between a prescribed adjacent hole array (21a) and hole array (21b) from among the plurality of hole arrays (21) arranged in the conveyance direction (X), and these air supply holes (22) and vacuum holes (23) that constitute the hole arrays (21a, 21b) at least are disposed to be linearly symmetrical with respect to the virtual high-precision flotation line (L).

Description

Transport rail and floating handling device

The present invention relates to a floating transport technique in which a transport object is floated and transported in a non-contact manner.

In a manufacturing line or the like, a floating conveying device that floats a conveying object from a conveying surface of a conveying rail and conveys it in a non-contact manner is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an optical inspection device for a glass substrate used in a flat display panel such as a liquid crystal display panel, a plasma display panel, or an organic EL panel, and includes a transport rail for floating the glass substrate. (Floating platform) and a floating transport device for transporting a glass substrate that floats on a transport rail. In the conveyance rail of the floating conveyance device, the air supply hole (discharge hole) for discharging the gas and the vacuum suction hole (suction hole) for sucking the gas are zigzag, that is, in the conveyance direction and the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, respectively. Alternately arranged at regular intervals. As described above, the air supply hole and the vacuum suction hole are equally disposed, and the gas is ejected and sucked simultaneously from the conveyance surface of the conveyance rail, whereby the object to be conveyed from the conveyance surface of the conveyance rail can be maintained at a constant floating height.

[Previous Technical Literature] [Patent Document]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-281651

[Summary of the Invention]

The optical inspection position of the optical inspection apparatus, the resist application position of the resist coating apparatus, and the like are set in a predetermined line along the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the conveyance object on the conveyance rail. When there is a high-precision request for floating from the conveyance rail of the object to be transported (hereinafter, this line is assumed to be a high-precision floating line). However, in the conventional conveyance rail in which the air supply hole and the vacuum suction hole are arranged in a zigzag manner, it is difficult to accurately estimate the amount of floating of the object to be transported by the high-precision floating line.

In the case where the high-precision floating line is set on the air supply hole and the vacuum suction hole (hereinafter referred to as the hole array) which are alternately arranged at regular intervals in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the object to be transported, the object to be transported is transported. When a high-precision floating line is assumed, it is not affected by the influence of the compressed gas ejected from the air supply hole of the hole array immediately below the high-precision floating line and the gas sucked by the vacuum suction hole of the hole array. The amount of floating of the object to be transported from the conveyance rail is stabilized.

Further, when a high-precision floating line is set between the adjacent hole arrays, the arrangement order of the air supply holes and the vacuum suction holes in which the high-precision floating lines are adjacent to each other is assumed to be different from each other. Therefore, the object to be transported is different. The object enters the gas assumed to be high-precision on the floating line before the moment The flow of the gas is different from the flow of the gas to be carried by the object to be conveyed from the assumption of the high-precision floating line. In this manner, similarly to the case where a high-precision floating line is set on the array hole, the amount of floating of the object to be transported from the transport rail can be maintained and stably maintained.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a transport rail and a floating transport device that can accurately maintain and stabilize the floating amount of a transport object in a high-precision floating line.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is to set a high-precision floating line above a predetermined adjacent array hole and a hole array, and to inhale each of the air supply holes and vacuum suction at least adjacent to each other with a high-precision floating line. The order in which the holes are arranged is in the order in which the air supply holes and the vacuum suction holes are opposed to each other with assuming a high-precision floating line.

For example, the transport rail of the present invention is a transport rail that is transported by a gas to be transported in a non-contact manner in the transport direction, and includes a transport surface that is arranged in a plurality of rows in the transport direction. The air supply hole and the vacuum suction hole that attracts the gas are arranged in a plurality of holes arranged alternately at a predetermined interval in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, and the high-precision floating line is set in a plurality of directions along a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. The hole array in the conveyance direction is located above a predetermined hole array and a hole array adjacent to each other in the conveyance direction, and constitutes at least one of the adjacent predetermined hole arrays. The hole is opposed to the air supply hole constituting the other side, and the vacuum suction hole constituting one of the adjacent predetermined hole arrays is disposed so as to sandwich the vacuum suction hole constituting the other one. The above assumption assumes that the high-precision floating lines are in opposite positions.

Here, the air supply holes and the vacuum suction holes constituting the adjacent predetermined hole arrays may be disposed at positions that are line-symmetric with respect to the above-described assumed high-precision floating line. In addition, the plurality of aperture arrays arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction and the plurality of aperture arrays arranged on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the assumed high-precision floating line may be respectively transported in the above-described manner. Air supply holes and vacuum suction holes constituting each hole array are alternately arranged at regular intervals.

In addition, the floating conveyance device of the present invention is a floating conveyance device that conveys the object to be conveyed by gas and is conveyed in a non-contact manner in the conveyance direction, and includes the conveyance rail; and the conveyance surface of the conveyance rail is supplied An air supply pump for compressing gas that is ejected from the air supply hole; and a suction pump for sucking gas in the vacuum suction hole of the transport surface of the transport rail.

According to the present invention, it is assumed that the high-precision floating line is positioned above the adjacent hole array and the hole array. Therefore, when the object to be transported passes the assumed high-precision floating line, there is no assumption that the high-precision floating line does not exist below. The array of holes is therefore not affected by the gas drawn from the compressed gas and the vacuum suction holes. Further, at least the arrangement order of the air supply holes and the vacuum suction holes constituting the array of holes adjacent to each other with the high-precision floating line is assumed as the order in which the high-precision floating lines are placed between the air supply holes and the vacuum suction holes. Therefore, the flow of the gas to be carried by the object to be conveyed immediately before the assumption of the high-precision floating line is the same as the flow of the gas to be carried by the object to be transported from the assumption of the high-precision floating line. As a result, it is possible to make the variation of the gas flow of the high-precision floating line small, and it is possible to accurately maintain and stabilize the floating amount of the object to be transported by the high-precision floating line.

1‧‧‧Upper handling device

2‧‧‧Transportation track

3‧‧‧ gas supply pump

4‧‧‧Gas supply hose

5‧‧‧Attraction pump

6‧‧‧Attraction hose

7‧‧‧Transporting objects

20‧‧‧Transport surface

21, 21a, 21b‧‧‧ hole array

22‧‧‧ Air supply holes

23‧‧‧Vacuum suction hole

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a floating transport device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion A of the floating conveyance device 1 shown in Fig. 1.

3(A) is a view for explaining a state in which the object to be transported 7 is assumed to be at a point B of the high-precision floating line L, and FIG. 3(B) is a view for explaining that the object to be transported 7 passes through a high-precision floating line L. A diagram for the state at point C.

FIG. 4(A) is a diagram for explaining a state in which the object to be transported 7 is set at a point D in the line M on the hole array 21 other than the hole arrays 21a and 21b adjacent to the assumed high-precision floating line L. , Figure 4(B) The state in which the object to be transported 7 is set to the E point in the line N between the adjacent hole array 21 and the hole array 21 other than the hole arrays 21a and 21b adjacent to each other with the high-precision upper floating line L interposed therebetween is described. Figure.

Fig. 5 is a view showing measurement results of the amount of floating of the object 7 to be transported from the transport surface 20 of the transport rail 2 in the floating transport apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the floating transport device 1 according to the embodiment. Moreover, Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion A of the floating transport device 1 shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in the figure, the floating transport apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a transport object 7 such as a glass substrate that is used for non-contact transport of a flat display panel such as a liquid crystal display panel, a plasma display panel, or an organic EL panel (see the third item). The transport rail 2 for the transport surface 20; the air supply pump 3; the air supply hose 4 for connecting the air supply pump 3 to the air supply pump port (not shown) of the transport rail 2; the suction pump 5; The suction pump 5 is connected to the suction hose 6 for the suction pump port (not shown) of the conveyance rail 2.

On the transport surface 20 of the transport rail 2, a hole array 21 that is arranged at a constant interval P1 in the transport direction X of the transport object 7 is formed. Each hole array 21 is fixed in the vertical direction Y with respect to the conveyance direction X. The air supply hole 22 through which the compressed gas is discharged and the vacuum suction hole 23 that sucks the gas are alternately arranged at the interval P2 (for example, P2 = P1). Further, in order to simplify the illustration, only a part of the air supply hole 22 and the vacuum suction hole 23 are given symbols.

The plurality of hole arrays 21 arranged in the transport direction X are plural, and a hypothetical high-precision floating line L is set in a direction Y perpendicular to the transport direction X above the predetermined adjacent hole arrays 21a and 21b. It is assumed that the high-precision floating line L is a line indicating a high-precision position for floating the object to be transported from the transport rail 2, and corresponds to an optical inspection position of the optical inspection apparatus and a resist coating of the resist coating apparatus. Place the position and so on.

The hole arrays 21a and 21b in which the high-precision floating line L is adjacent to each other with respect to the conveyance direction X are arranged such that the air supply holes 22 and the vacuum suction holes 23 constituting the hole arrays 21a and 21b are respectively arranged with respect to the assumed high-precision floating line L. Line symmetrical. In addition, the air supply hole 22 and the vacuum suction hole 23 of the plurality of hole arrays 21 arranged on the upstream side 24a of the conveyance direction X are alternately arranged in the conveyance direction X at a constant interval P1 with respect to the high-precision floating line L. Similarly, the air supply hole 22 and the vacuum suction hole 23 which constitute the plurality of hole arrays 21 disposed on the downstream side 24b of the conveyance direction X with respect to the high-precision floating line L are alternately arranged in the conveyance direction X at a constant interval P1.

An air supply air supply passage (not shown) that connects the air supply pump port to the air supply hole 22 of each hole array 21 and a vacuum suction hole 23 that connects the suction pump port to each hole array 21 are formed inside the conveyance rail 2 . Air supply passage for vacuum suction (not shown).

Fig. 3(A) is a view showing that the object to be transported 7 is assumed to be high The figure for the state at the time of the accuracy of the point B in the floating line L (see Fig. 2), and the figure (3) of Fig. 3 is a point C for explaining the high-precision floating line L of the object to be transported 7 shown in Fig. 2 (see Figure 2 shows the state of the state. Further, in the fourth (A) diagram, the D point in the line M on the hole array 21 other than the hole arrays 21a and 21b adjacent to the assumed high-precision floating line L is placed (see the second point). FIG. 4(B) is a view showing the adjacent hole array 21 and the hole array which are disposed outside the hole arrays 21a and 21b which are adjacent to each other with the high-precision floating line L interposed therebetween. A diagram for the state at the point E of the line N above the 21 lines (see Fig. 2).

As shown in Fig. 4(A), when the object M is set to the line M on the hole array 21 other than the hole arrays 21a and 21b, the air supply hole 22 of the hole array 21 positioned directly below the assumed high-precision floating line is received. The influence of the gas to be sucked by the compressed gas and the vacuum suction hole 23 of the hole array 21 does not maintain and stabilize the amount of floating of the object 7 to be transported from the transport rail 2 by the line M.

Further, as shown in Fig. 4(B), when the object 7 to be transported passes through the line N disposed between the adjacent hole array 21 and the hole array 21 other than the hole arrays 21a and 21b, the line N is adjacent to the hole. Since the arrangement order of the air supply holes 22 and the vacuum suction holes 23 in the array 21 is different from each other, the flow of the gas that is carried by the object 7 before entering the line N instantaneously and the flow of the gas after the transfer object 7 is separated from the line N instantaneously different. Specifically, the flow of the gas that is carried by the object to be transported 7 before entering the line N and the flow of the gas that the object 7 is subjected to after being separated from the line N instantaneously The flow of the compressed gas ejected from the air supply hole 22 is the flow of the gas sucked by the vacuum suction hole 23. Therefore, the amount of floating of the object 7 to be transported from the transport rail 2 cannot be maintained and stabilized with high precision.

However, in the floating transport apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the assumed high-precision floating line L is set between the adjacent hole array 21a and the hole array 21b, and therefore, as shown in the third (A) and third (B) drawings, When the object 7 to be conveyed passes the assumed high-precision floating line L, the air supply hole 22 and the vacuum suction hole 23 are not present immediately below the high-precision floating line L, so that the compressed air and vacuum suction are not received by the air supply hole. The effect of the gas attracted by the hole.

Further, the air supply holes 22 and the vacuum suction holes 23, which are formed so as to form the high-precision floating lines L in the adjacent hole arrays 21a and 21b, are arranged in line symmetry with respect to the assumed high-precision floating line L. Therefore, the object 7 to be transported enters the assumption. The flow of the gas that is received before the high-precision floating line L instantaneously is the same as the flow of the gas to be carried by the object 7 to be transported from the assumption of the high-precision floating line L. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3(A), the flow of the compressed gas ejected from the air supply hole 22 together or the flow of the gas sucked by the vacuum suction hole 23 is shown together as shown in Fig. 3(B). Therefore, it is possible to obtain a fluctuation in the gas flow of the high-precision floating line L with a small assumption, and it is possible to accurately maintain and stabilize the floating amount of the object 7 to be transported on the high-precision floating line L.

Fig. 5 is a view showing a conveyance surface of the conveyance object 7 from the conveyance rail 2 in the floating conveyance device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. A graph of the measurement results of the float above 20.

Here, the graph 80 of the solid line is a graph showing the measurement result of the point B in the assumed high-precision floating line L shown in FIG. 2, and the graph 81 of the dotted line indicates the point D in the line M shown in FIG. A graph of the measurement result, a dotted line 82 is a graph showing the measurement result of the point E in the line N shown in FIG.

In addition, the vertical axis represents the amount of floating (μm) of the object 7 to be transported from the transport surface 20, and the horizontal axis represents each measurement point from the transport direction X of the distal end portion of the transport target 7 (chart 80 is point B, chart 81). The moving distance (mm) of point D and chart 82 is point E. Further, the object to be transported 7 is a glass substrate having a length of 200 mm.

When the object to be transported 7 passes through the line M set on the hole array 21 other than the hole arrays 21a and 21b, the object to be transported 7 enters the line M at the front end portion of the object 7 (region F) and the object to be transported. When the rear end portion of the object 7 is separated from the line M (area G), there is a large fluctuation in the amount of floating. Further, as shown in the graph 82, when the object 7 to be conveyed passes through the line N set between the adjacent hole array 21 and the hole array 21 other than the hole arrays 21a and 21b, the object 7 is also at the front end portion of the object 7 to be transported. When entering the line N (area F) and when the rear end portion of the object 7 is separated from the line N (area G), the amount of floating has a large fluctuation.

On the other hand, when the high-precision floating line L is assumed, the object to be transported 7 enters the hypothetical high-precision floating line L (region F) and the object to be transported 7 when the object to be transported 7 enters the hypothetical high-precision floating line L. The rear end portion is above the assumed high-precision floating line L (region G) The fluctuation of the floating amount is relatively small when the object to be transported 7 passes through the line M (chart 81) and when the object 7 to be transported passes through the line N (chart 82), which means that the high-precision floating line L can be maintained and stabilized with high precision. The amount of floating of the object 7 to be transported.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the air supply holes 22 and the vacuum suction holes 23 that constitute the hole arrays 21a and 21b adjacent to each other with the high-precision floating line L interposed therebetween in the conveyance direction X are disposed on the assumption high-precision floating line L. Line symmetrical position. However, the invention is not limited thereto. At least the air supply holes 22 and the vacuum suction holes 23 may be opposed to each other with the high-precision floating line L interposed therebetween, and the air supply holes 22 and the vacuum suction holes 23 constituting the hole arrays 21a and 21b may be disposed. In this case, the same effects as those of the above embodiment can be expected.

Further, in the floating transport device 1 according to the above-described embodiment, a plurality of transport rails may be disposed in the transport direction X of the transport object 7. In this case, only the transport rails for which the high-precision floating line L is assumed to be used are used, and the transport rails for which the high-precision floating lines L are not set are not provided, and the conventional transport rails may be used. The air supply hole and the vacuum suction hole are transport rails which are alternately arranged at regular intervals in each of the conveyance direction X and the direction Y perpendicular to the conveyance direction.

In the above-described embodiment, the object to be transported 7 such as a glass substrate of a flat display panel such as a liquid crystal display panel or a plasma display panel is used as a transport target. However, the present invention is exemplified. A floating conveyance device that transports a sheet-like object to be conveyed that is easily deflected is widely used.

1‧‧‧Upper handling device

2‧‧‧Transportation track

3‧‧‧ gas supply pump

4‧‧‧Gas supply hose

5‧‧‧Attraction pump

6‧‧‧Attraction hose

20‧‧‧Transport surface

21, 21a, 21b‧‧‧ hole array

22‧‧‧ Air supply holes

23‧‧‧Vacuum suction hole

24a‧‧‧ upstream side

24b‧‧‧ downstream side

L‧‧‧High precision floating line

M, N‧‧‧ line

P1, P2‧‧‧ interval

Claims (5)

A transport rail that transports an object to be transported by a gas and transports it in a non-contact manner in a transport direction, and is characterized in that it includes a transport surface that is arranged in a plurality of rows in the transport direction. The air supply hole and the vacuum suction hole that attracts the gas are arranged in a plurality of arrays of holes arranged at regular intervals in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, and the high-precision floating line is set in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. The hole array in the conveyance direction is located above the predetermined hole array and the hole array adjacent to each other in the conveyance direction, and constitutes at least one of the adjacent predetermined hole arrays The other air supply hole is opposed to the above-mentioned hypothetical high-precision floating line, and the vacuum suction hole constituting one of the adjacent predetermined hole arrays is disposed between the vacuum suction holes constituting the other side and the above-mentioned high precision. The upper floating line is in an opposite position. The conveyance rail according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the air supply holes and the vacuum suction holes constituting the adjacent predetermined hole arrays are disposed at positions symmetrical with respect to the assumed high-precision floating line. The carrier rail according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the plurality of aperture arrays arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction and the assumed high-precision floating line are disposed in the transport direction with respect to the assumed high-precision floating line The plurality of hole arrays on the downstream side are air supply holes and vacuums constituting each hole array alternately arranged at regular intervals in the conveyance direction. Suction hole. The transport rail according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein the plurality of high-precision floating lines are arranged on the upstream side of the transport direction and the plurality of high-precision floating lines are arranged in the transport direction. In the plurality of hole arrays on the downstream side, air supply holes and vacuum suction holes constituting each hole array are alternately arranged at regular intervals in the conveyance direction. A floating conveyance device is a floating conveyance device that uses a gas to move a conveyance object and is conveyed in a non-contact manner in a conveyance direction, and is characterized in that the conveyance rail according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is provided. An air supply pump for supplying compressed gas to be discharged from the air supply hole of the transport surface of the transport rail; and a suction pump for sucking gas in the vacuum suction hole of the transport surface of the transport rail.