TWI483883B - Handling device - Google Patents

Description

Handling device

The present invention relates to a conveying device that transports a substrate such as thin glass and transports it.

In the manufacture of a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display, in order to transport a substrate such as thin glass without damage, it is a transport device that transports the substrate by floating it. Such a conveying device usually includes a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor for discharging a compressed air floating device and having a driving force in contact with the floating substrate.

The surface of the dust and the adhesion of the dust on the glass substrate will have a significant impact on the quality of the display. One of the main causes of dust adhesion and surface scratches is that the glass substrate is in contact with a conveying device or the like. On the other hand, the glass substrate has flexibility because it has a thickness of, for example, 0.7 mm or less, and it is important to convey the substrate in a flat manner in order to prevent contact during transportation. In recent years, thinner glass has been demanded, and it has become increasingly difficult to carry it flat.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique including a conveying device of a belt conveyor. According to this technique, the belt body is provided with protrusions arranged at equal intervals by making the protrusions It is conveyed by contact with the floating glass substrate.

Patent Document 2 discloses a technique including a conveying device of a roller conveyor. According to Patent Document 2, the technical problem recognized is that "the central portion of the passage of the glass substrate floats upward and hangs down to make the bending become remarkable." In order to solve this problem, the bending of the glass substrate is suppressed by adjusting the air supply amount of the air stage unit located at the center in the width direction.

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-066661

[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-260591

The above technique maintains the glass substrate substantially flat. However, in the conveyance direction, there is still a technical problem with respect to local bending of the front end bending or the like. That is, when the glass substrate is moved from one roller to the next, or when moving from one carrier to the next, since the member supporting the front end is not provided, the front end is bent downward due to its own weight. . There is a problem that the front end easily collides with the roller or the conveying device.

The present invention has been developed in view of the above problems. In contrast to the above-mentioned technical knowledge, the inventors of the present invention completed the present invention by simply supporting both ends in the width direction of the glass substrate and slightly bending the central portion of the glass substrate to suppress the bending of the tip end.

According to an aspect of the invention, the gas is used to float the object to the first The transport device for transporting in one direction includes a floating portion, a transport portion, a cover, and a suction portion, and the floating portion applies a positive pressure to the object by ejecting the gas to float the object; and the transport portion has a belt body And at least one of the plurality of rollers is configured to be driven in the first direction in contact with the object, and the belt is an endless belt extending in the first direction, and has a protrusion for contacting the object a plurality of protrusions, wherein the plurality of rollers are rotatable in the first direction and arranged along the first direction; and the cover covers the transport portion to allow only the upper ends of the plurality of protrusions or the plurality of rollers The upper end protrudes; the suction portion applies a negative pressure to the inside of the outer cover to bring the object into contact with the conveying portion.

The front end of the substrate can be prevented from being bent, and the substrate can be prevented from colliding with the conveying device or the like.

100‧‧‧Transportation device

120, 120A, 120B‧‧‧Transportation Department

128,412a‧‧‧Attraction

114‧‧‧Protrusion

116‧‧‧Upper

118‧‧‧Support table

314, 414‧‧‧ Roller

X‧‧‧Transportation direction

W‧‧‧Workpiece

G, G’‧‧‧ gas

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The second (a) to (c) drawings are three sides of the conveying device of the present embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the conveying unit and the suction unit of the embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a conveying portion and a suction portion of another embodiment.

The fifth (a) to (c) are a perspective view and a plan view of the suction portion and the transport portion of still another embodiment.

Several illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawings.

The conveying device according to the embodiment of the present invention is suitable for conveying a thin object such as a glass substrate in, for example, a clean room. In the case of a glass substrate, it is not only about a thickness of about 0.7 mm, but also an extremely thin one having a thickness of about 0.1 to 0.3 mm.

Referring to Fig. 1, a conveying device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a floating portion 116 that floats a workpiece W (object), and a conveying portion 120 that drives the workpiece W in a direction X (first direction). The floating portion 116 is provided with an opening 116a for ejecting a gas, and the ejected gas applies a positive pressure to the workpiece W to float the workpiece W. The conveyance unit 120 has a plurality of projections 114 that are driven in the direction X by a motor or the like, and conveys the workpiece W by bringing the projections 114 into contact with the workpiece W. The details of the conveyance unit 120 will be described later in detail, and the suction portion 128 is provided to attract the gas around the projections 114 to bring the workpiece W into contact with the projections 114. The workpiece W may be supported and transported only by the transport unit 120 without using the floating portion 116.

Refer to Figure 2 for a more detailed explanation. Fig. 2(a) is a plan view showing a conveying device provided with a cover, and Figs. 2(b) and 2(c) are a front view and a side view of the conveying device in a state in which the cover is removed.

Both the belt body 112 and the upper floating portion 116 are supported by a support base 118 which is disposed on the floor or grille of the clean room through the support feet 118a. The floating portion 116 is arranged on the support table 118, for example, a plurality of floating portions 116 are arranged in the direction X, and in a direction orthogonal to the direction X (width) A plurality of floating portions 116 are also arranged. The number of arrays can be freely selected, and thus the configuration of the device can be arbitrarily changed corresponding to the size of the object. The transport unit 120 is usually disposed at both ends in the width direction of the plurality of floating portions 116, but other arrangements are also possible.

The upper floating portion 116 has a box shape as a whole, and its upper surface is substantially flat. The upper surface has an opening 116a that opens upward, and the opening 116a penetrates the upper surface to communicate with the inner space. The opening 116a is formed into a circular slit, for example, in the first and second drawings, and various shapes such as a rectangular shape, a plurality of slits, or a plurality of small holes may be employed. Further, the opening 116a can penetrate vertically upward, and can also be inclined with respect to the upper surface. Alternatively, a part or the entire upper portion of the floating portion 116 may be a gas-permeable mesh body or a porous body.

A gas supply device is provided outside the opening 116a, and a gas G such as air or nitrogen gas is supplied and ejected from the opening 116a. The gas supply device is a pump or a compressor that pressurizes the gas G to be supplied to the floating portion 116.

A gas supply device may be coupled to one of the upper floating portions 116, or a single gas supply device may be coupled to the plurality of floating portions 116. Further, a chamber in which a certain amount of compressed gas can be stored may be interposed between the gas supply device and the floating portion 116.

The gas G ejected from the opening 116a generates a pressurizing space P between the workpiece W and the floating portion 116, thereby applying a positive pressure to the workpiece W to impart a buoyancy. At this time, in addition to the force generated by the ejected gas G colliding with the workpiece W, the static pressure generated during the process in which the collided gas G is dispersed toward the periphery also becomes a source of buoyancy. Therefore, a large buoyancy can be obtained with a slight pressing force, and the energy efficiency is excellent.

The belt body 112 is substantially an endless belt that is wound between two or more runners 110, and the entire conveying portion 120 is a belt conveyor. Each of the runners 110 is supported by a frame 102. As described above, the conveyance unit 120 is disposed at both ends in the width direction of the plurality of floating portions 116, and the belt body 112 extends in the direction X.

The main shaft 110a is coupled to the reel 110, and the main shaft 110a is pivotally supported by the support hole 102a of the frame 102, whereby the reel 110 can be rotated around it. The main shaft 110a is coupled to the gear 110b to be integrally rotatable. In the case of bonding, for example, a combination of a key and a key groove which are fitted to each other can be employed, and a structure in which the fitting is integrated instead of the fitting can be employed.

The conveying device 100 further has a driving device 110c such as an electric motor. The driving device 110c has a gear 110d that meshes with the gear 110b. The driving of the driving device 110c causes the rotating wheel 110 to rotate, and the belt 112 is rotated around the rotating wheel 110. Alternatively, the drive unit can also directly drive the wheel or further provide a suitable gear and pinion device.

The belt body 112 has a plurality of protrusions 114 that protrude outward. A plurality of protrusions 114 are arranged along the direction X. The protrusions 114 may be formed integrally with the belt body 112 or may be formed separately to be engaged with the belt body. The protrusions 114 are formed to be slightly higher than the floating height of the workpiece W as will be described later. The shape may be a cylinder, a rectangular parallelepiped, a cone or any other shape. Further, the front end thereof may be formed to be flat or formed in a spherical shape or a conical shape in order to reduce the contact area with the workpiece W. In addition, the front end can also have a lowered inclination toward the upper floating portion 116. This aspect will be explained later.

Referring to FIG. 3, the belt body 112 and the protrusion 114 are covered by the outer cover 126. . The upper end 126b of the outer cover 126 is provided with an opening 126a, and the projection 114 has only its upper end projecting upward from the opening 126a. As can be understood from Fig. 1, the opening 126a is a slit extending in the direction X, and the projection 114 can be moved in the direction X in a state where the upper end thereof protrudes.

The conveyance unit 120 includes a suction portion 128 inside the outer cover 126 or a suction portion 128 that communicates with the inside of the outer cover 126. The suction unit 128 is an air suction means such as a fan, a blower, or a pump, and the inside of the outer cover 126 is a negative pressure. The inner passage opening 126a of the outer cover 126 communicates with the space around the upper end of the projection 114, and sucks the gas G' in the space to cause the negative pressure NP to act on the workpiece W. The gas G' may be the same as the aforementioned gas G or may be other gases.

Further, for example, the lower end 126c of the outer cover 126 is provided with an opening 126d for exhausting the gas G' from the opening 126d to the outside. Preferably, the opening 126d has an air cleaner. Rotating bodies such as belt conveyors, fans or blowers often become the main source of dust in the clean room. By providing an air filter here, it is advantageous to maintain the cleanliness of the clean room.

Further, the opening 126d can be connected to the gas supply means for supplying the gas to the floating portion 116, and the gas G can be circulated. These constitute a loop. As far as the gas supply device is concerned, it is advantageous to save energy based on the energy efficiency of the inflow and outflow balance. In this case, one of the air suction means and the gas supply means may be omitted, and the other side may serve as means for sucking the gas and means for pressurizing the gas.

According to the present embodiment, the suction portion 128 applies the negative pressure NP to the workpiece W through the opening 126a, and the end portion of the workpiece W comes into contact with the projection 114. Workpiece The end of the W is carried along with the protrusion 114 and travels therewith, thereby carrying it. The opening 126a surrounds the protrusion 114, and a symmetrical negative pressure NP is generated around it to ensure the flatness of the end portion of the workpiece W. Further, since the opening 126a extends in the direction X, the end of the workpiece W can be kept flat in a wide range along the direction X.

The conveyance unit may have a structure of the conveyance unit 120A shown in Fig. 4 . That is, similarly to the above-described embodiment, the belt body 112 and the projections 114 are covered by the outer cover 226, and the front end of the projection 114 protrudes upward from the opening 226a, and the upper end 226b is flat and substantially parallel to the lower surface of the workpiece W. In order to ensure parallel, a separately formed member 228 may be provided. Not only the negative pressure NP is generated directly above the opening 226a, but also the same degree of negative pressure NP is generated in the entire range in which the lower surface of the workpiece W and the upper end 226b (or the member 228) are parallel. Since the negative pressure NP can be imparted to the workpiece W over a wider range, the flatness of the end portion of the workpiece W can be increased to cause greater attraction.

Further, in the transport portion 120A shown in Fig. 4, instead of sucking the gas G' from the opening 226a, the gas G' may be ejected. At a gap between the lower surface of the workpiece W and the upper end 226b (or member 228), the gas G' is allowed to flow at a relatively high flow rate. At this time, if the gap becomes large, the flow velocity will change, and a negative pressure will be generated based on the Bernoulli principle. As long as the gap and the flow rate are in a specific relationship, a negative pressure sufficient to attract the workpiece W can be generated. That is, the conveyance unit 120A functions as a so-called Bernoulli chuck, and applies a negative pressure NP to the workpiece W.

The ends of the workpiece W are supported by a plurality of protrusions 114 arranged in a row, and move therewith, maintaining a flat shape like a ceiling supported by a beam and column. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the workpiece W is lowered toward the left. The end of the piece W is supported flat, and on the other hand, the vicinity of the center of the workpiece W is slightly bent by its own weight. That is, when viewed in the direction X, the workpiece W has a concave shape. Alternatively, a deformation means for bending the vicinity of the center of the workpiece W may be provided.

One of the deformation means is a gas supply device that produces a specific floating height. The pressurized gas supplied from the gas supply means can be adjusted by the pressing force so that the floating height on the floating portion 116 can be made lower than the height of the workpiece W on the projection 114. Alternatively, among the plurality of floating portions 116 arranged in the width direction, only the buoyancy above the center floating portion 116 may be reduced. Alternatively, an appropriate pressure drop means or flow rate adjusting means may be provided in the gas supply means or the floating portion 116 to reduce the buoyancy in the vicinity of the center. The deformation of the workpiece W can be made into a concave shape by this deformation means. Alternatively, the workpiece W may have a convex shape by enhancing the buoyancy generated by the floating portion 116.

Another example of the deformation means is that the projection 114 is configured to bend the workpiece W. The workpiece W has an inherent floating height H on the floating portion 116 depending on the weight of the workpiece W and the buoyancy force generated by the floating portion 116. The workpiece W is supported at a height that is not curved with respect to the projections 114. As long as the projections 114 are formed to support the workpiece W to a higher height, the workpiece W can be made concave.

In another example of the deformation means, each of the front ends of the projections 114 has a downward inclination toward the floating portion 116. By tilting the projections 114, the vicinity of the center of the workpiece W can be caused to bend downward.

The above embodiment can have various modifications. Following, especially for handling The section and the attraction section illustrate several variant embodiments.

It can also replace the belt conveyor, as shown in Figure 5(a). The conveyance unit 120B includes a plurality of rollers 314 instead of the belt body 112 including the plurality of protrusions 114. The plurality of rollers 314 are covered by a single outer cover 126, and the upper ends of the rollers 314 protrude upward from the opening 126a of the outer cover 126, respectively. Similarly to the above embodiment, the gas G' is sucked through the opening 126a, and the negative pressure NP is applied to the workpiece W. The end of the workpiece W is brought into contact with the roller 314 by the negative pressure NP, and the roller 314 is driven to carry the workpiece W in the direction X. The openings 126a surround the respective rollers 314, respectively, creating a symmetrical negative pressure NP therearound, and the openings 126a extend along the direction X, thereby maintaining the flatness of the ends of the workpiece W over a wide range.

In the case of a roller conveyor, as shown in Fig. 5(b), it is also possible to adopt a state in which no cover is provided. Each of the suction portions 412a includes a cylindrical member, and the gas G' is sucked from the opening at the upper end thereof. The attraction portion 412a and the roller 414 are alternately arranged along the frame 402. The attraction portion 412a and the roller 414 are alternately arranged on the same straight line. This line must be parallel to the direction X. The same line here means that the two do not have to be closely arranged on a single straight line, and may deviate from the straight line to a degree not exceeding a certain width. For example, when the width of the roller 414 is 20 mm, about 20 mm from the center of the roller 414 is an allowable width.

The suction portion 412a is formed to be slightly lower than the upper end of the roller 414, whereby a suitable gap is secured between the suction portion 412a and the workpiece W to attract the gas G'. The end of the workpiece W is brought into contact with the roller 414 by the negative pressure NP, and the roller 414 is driven to carry the workpiece W in the direction X. Due to the roller 414 and attraction The portions 412a are located on the same straight line, and the end portions of the workpiece W can be attracted without being offset to ensure flatness.

In the case of the roller conveyor shown in Figs. 5(a) and (b), the driving device can be used as shown in Fig. 5(c). A plurality of rollers 314 are arranged along the direction X, and are rotatably supported by the frame 302. Each of the main shafts of the roller 314 is coupled to the pulley 310b, and a driving device 310 such as an electric motor is also coupled to the pulley 310b. The pulleys 310b are coupled to each other by the belt body 310e, and all the rollers 314 are rotated in synchronization. The main shaft 310c of the driving device 310 preferably extends to the opposite side end, and rotates the opposite side pulley 310b. Thereby, the rollers 314 at both ends are rotated in synchronization. Alternatively, the drive unit may be configured by a spindle and a gear mechanism without using a belt body.

According to this aspect, both ends in the width direction of the workpiece W can be supported flat, and on the other hand, the vicinity of the center of the workpiece W can be slightly curved. In this way, the workpiece W is formed into a concave (or convex) shape, and the following effects are exhibited.

If the shape of the entire workpiece W is to be kept flat as in the prior art, when the front end of the workpiece W is not supported, the front end is bent downward due to its own weight. This is the state, for example, when the workpiece W moves from one roller to the next, or from one carrier to the next. The workpiece W is easily bent against the roller or the conveying device because it is bent downward. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, both ends in the width direction of the workpiece W are flat along the conveyance direction X, but the vicinity of the center is slightly curved. Since the workpiece W is wavy in the width direction as described above, the workpiece W cannot be freely deformed in the conveyance direction X, and the front end of the workpiece W is slightly It is not supported and will not bend downward. Even when the workpiece W moves from one roller to the next, or when moving from one conveying device to the next, the front end of the workpiece W can be prevented from colliding with the roller or the conveying device.

Although the invention has been described by way of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. In view of the above disclosure, those skilled in the art can change the embodiments and practice the invention.

[Industry Utilization]

A conveying device capable of preventing the front end of the substrate from being bent is provided.

100‧‧‧Transportation device

114‧‧‧Protrusion

116‧‧‧Upper

116a‧‧‧ openings

120‧‧‧Transportation Department

X‧‧‧Transportation direction

W‧‧‧Workpiece

Claims (5)

A transport device that transports an object to the first direction by using a gas, and includes a floating portion, a transport portion, a cover, and a suction portion, and the floating portion applies a positive gas to the object Pressing to raise the object; the transporting portion is provided with a belt, and is configured to be driven in the first direction in contact with the object, and the belt is an endless belt extending in the first direction, and is configured to a plurality of protrusions that are in contact with the object; the cover covers the conveyance portion to protrude only the upper ends of the plurality of protrusions; and the suction portion applies a negative pressure to the inside of the cover to allow the object and the conveyance Contact. The conveying device according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the floating portion or the conveying portion includes a deforming means configured to bend the object in a center in a width direction thereof. The conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the deformation means is a gas supply device or the plurality of protrusions; and the gas supply device is configured to cause the floating portion to generate the object on the plurality of protrusions a height at which the height of the object is lower; and the plurality of protrusions are formed to be higher than a height of the object of the floating portion. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of protrusions has a front end that is lowered toward the floating portion The slope. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the suction portion is a fan, a blower or a pump provided in the outer cover.