TWI689028B - Handling device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a conveying device that can ensure high cleanliness without allowing foreign substances such as dust to flow into a storage container for substrate storage, and can also be constructed at a low cost without requiring a highly flexible cable or the like. While the storage container 20 is being transferred between the transfer trolley 50 and the storage rack 13, the container pad 28 for the non-contact power supply of the FFU 24 that blows air into the storage container 20 is away from the transfer trolley pad 58 and storage The shelf pad 18 stops the air supply, but during the air supply stop, the internal pressure in the storage container 20 increased by the FFU 24 until the start of the transfer prevents external dust from flowing in, thereby ensuring the storage container 20 Cleanliness within.

Description

Handling device

The present invention relates to an apparatus for transporting containers for storing articles, and particularly to a transport apparatus for transporting containers for storing articles requiring high cleanliness, such as glass substrates and semiconductor substrates.

In order to improve the yield in the manufacture of precision devices such as flat panel displays or semiconductor devices, when the glass substrate used in the process of manufacturing a flat panel display or the process of manufacturing a semiconductor device is used in a manufacturing device When processing material substrates such as semiconductor substrates (silicon wafers, etc.), it is required to ensure high cleanliness of the substrates to prevent dust and other undesired foreign substances from adhering to the substrates.

Therefore, when these substrates are transported in an apparatus such as a manufacturing plant, the following method is sometimes used: as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a rectangular storage container capable of arranging a plurality of substrates in an up-down direction is used. A fan filter unit (FFU) (air supply filter device) is attached to one of the openings formed at both ends of the rectangular storage container. According to this method, the FFU continuously sends the air purified by the filter into the storage container, thereby continuously ensuring the cleanliness of the storage container.

However, in order for the FFU to continuously blow air into the storage container, it is necessary to supply electric power for driving the fan to the FFU. Therefore, the conveying device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a power receiving unit of a non-contact power supply device in the storage container. The power receiving unit of the electric device is used to supply power to the FFU in a non-contact manner. Furthermore, a power supply unit of a non-contact power supply device is provided in the storage compartment for storing the storage container. In the state of the storage compartment, power is supplied from the power supply unit of the storage compartment to the power receiving unit of the storage container in a non-contact manner, thereby ensuring the driving power of the FFU.

Here, in order to continue the power supply in the non-contact mode, it is necessary to keep the power supply unit (power transmission unit) of the non-contact power supply device close to the power receiving unit, and the transfer device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used to move in the device The stacker crane is used to transport the storage container. Therefore, while the stacker crane is used to transport the storage container, the power supply unit and the power receiving unit are separated. Therefore, Patent Literature 1 includes a battery that stores power supplied to the storage container, and uses the power stored in the battery to drive the FFU while the power supply unit and the power receiving unit are separated.

However, if batteries are installed one by one in a large number of storage containers used in the device, the construction cost of the device will increase, and in the long run, the battery will have a reduced function due to the lifespan, so the man-hours for battery replacement are required, and the device operates The cost also becomes higher.

Therefore, there is a method in which, as shown in FIG. 8( a ), a fork 85 that moves from the main body of the stacker crane 80 toward the storage compartment 81 is provided with a power transmission pad ( pad) 89b (power transmitter). During the transfer, as long as power is supplied from the power transmission pad 89b on the fork 85 to the power receiving pad 89a (receiver) of the storage container 82, the FFU 84 may continue to be driven during the transfer. If this method is adopted, there is no need to install batteries in each storage container 82, so the device can be constructed at a much lower cost than when the battery is used, and there is no need for man-hours such as battery replacement, and the device operating cost Can also be reduced.

Existing technical literature

Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-91270

However, during the transfer operation of the storage container 82, when the fork 85 is closest to the storage compartment 81 (when the fork 85 moves further toward the storage compartment 81 than the position shown in FIG. 8(a)), in order to avoid the fork 85 The power transmission pad 89b on the side collides with the power transmission pad 88b on the storage compartment 81 side, and the position of the power transmission pad 89b on the fork 85 side when the fork 85 is closest to the storage compartment 81 and the position of the power transmission pad 88b on the storage compartment 81 side different.

Therefore, the following countermeasures are sometimes adopted: in the storage container 82, in addition to the power receiving pad 89a for receiving power supply on the fork 85, a power receiving pad 88a for receiving power supply in the storage compartment 81 is also installed, The two power receiving pads 88a and 89a are provided at spaced apart positions. In particular, if the power receiving pad 88a and the power receiving pad 89a are spaced apart in the width direction of the fork 85 as shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), the storage compartment 81 for supplying power to them respectively The power transmission pad 88b on the side and the power transmission pad 89b on the fork 85 side will also be arranged at positions different from each other in the width direction. Therefore, during the transfer operation of the storage container 82, the power transmission pad 89b on the fork 85 side will not be different from the storage compartment 81 The power transmission pad 88b on the side collides.

In this way, as shown in FIG. 8( a ), when the storage container 82 is positioned on the fork 85, it proceeds from the power transmission pad 89 b on the fork 85 side to the power receiving pad 89 a for the fork 85. As shown in FIG. 8(b), when the storage container 82 is located in the storage compartment 81, power is supplied from the power transmission pad 88b on the storage compartment 81 side to the power receiving pad 88a for the storage compartment 81, thereby Uninterrupted power supply to the FFU 84.

However, although the battery is not installed in order to reduce the cost consumed by each storage container 82, in this structure, two power receiving pads 88a and 89a are required for one storage container 82, so that each storage container 82 is ultimately consumed The cost becomes higher.

In addition, when a power transmission pad 89b is provided on the fork 85 that moves between the body portion of the stacker crane 80 and the storage compartment 81 during the transfer operation, the cable for supplying power to the power transmission pad 89b must be able to Following the movement of the fork 85, it is necessary to wind an expensive cable with high flexibility over a long distance, and the cost of the cable wiring becomes high.

In this way, in the conventional method, in order to ensure high cleanliness in the storage container 82, there is a problem that the cost of the device construction of the transport device becomes high.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a conveying device that can ensure high cleanliness in a storage container for storing articles such as substrates and can be constructed at a low cost.

In order to solve the above problems, the transport device of the present invention transports a storage container for storing articles. The transport device is characterized in that a transport member that transports the storage container and a storage unit that stores the storage container are provided. The transport member has a transfer device that transfers the place between the transport member and the storage unit The storage container includes an air blowing device that sends cleaned air into the storage container, and a power transmission member is provided in the conveying member and the storage unit, respectively. During the period during which the transport member transports the storage container and the period during which the storage container is stored by the storage unit, the electric power is supplied from the transport member or the storage unit to the blower device, and the storage While the container is being transferred between the conveying member and the storage section by the transfer device, the internal pressure can be maintained by the air blowing by the air blowing device until the transfer starts The state is higher than the surrounding environment, thereby preventing the inflow of foreign substances from the surrounding environment during the period of being transferred.

More specifically, the transport device of the present invention is characterized by providing a transport member that transports a storage container, and a storage unit that stores the storage container, the storage container having a container body and a storage capable of storing articles inside A space; a blower device that sends cleaned air to the storage space; and a container receiver for receiving the operating power of the blower device supplied by a non-contact method, the conveying member has: support A section for supporting the storage container; a transfer member for moving the support section between the transfer position on the side of the transfer member and the storage position on the side of the storage section; The component power transmitter transmits power to the container receiver of the storage container supported by the support part at the transport position in a non-contact manner, and the storage part includes a storage rack for storage The storage container; and a storage unit power transmitter, which transmits power to the container receiver of the storage container stored in the storage rack in a non-contact manner, and the transfer member supports The support portion in the state of the storage container By moving between the transport position and the storage position, the storage container can be transferred between the transport member and the storage unit, and the storage container is moved by the transfer member During the movement between the conveying position and the storage position, the state of the internal pressure being higher than the surrounding environment can be maintained by the air blowing performed by the air blowing device until the start of the movement, whereby the period of movement can be maintained Prevent the inflow of foreign substances from the surrounding environment.

According to this structure, during the transfer of the storage container, the internal pressure in the storage space is used to prevent the inflow of foreign substances such as dust. Therefore, even if the air supply device such as FFU is stopped without power supply during the transfer, the storage space can be ensured High cleanliness inside.

Furthermore, in addition to the above-described structure, the conveying device of the present invention may form a first opening portion connected to the storage space on the first surface of the outer surface of the container body, and the first opening facing the first surface On the second surface, a second opening facing the first opening is formed. By attaching and detaching the cover to the first surface, the first opening can be opened or closed, and the air blowing device is mounted on In the second surface, the air blowing device blows air from the second opening toward the first opening closed by the lid, thereby increasing the internal pressure of the storage space to be higher than the surrounding environment.

According to this configuration, the air sent from the air blowing device is sent to the first opening at a position facing the air blowing device, but the first opening is closed by the lid, so it cannot flow out from the storage space. The air sent to the first opening cannot flow out of the outside. On the other hand, the air is continuously sent from the second opening by the air blowing device, so the air density in the storage space becomes higher than the surrounding environment. In this way, the internal pressure in the storage space is reliably increased. Moreover, the outflow of air in the storage space toward the surrounding environment is blocked by the cover Therefore, even if the air supply of the air supply device stops, the internal pressure will not drop immediately.

Furthermore, in addition to the above-described structure, the conveying device of the present invention may include a rotating table that rotates the support portion and the transfer member in a horizontal plane. An extension frame in which the transfer member extends in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the support portion, and the conveyance member power transmitter is attached to the extension frame.

According to this structure, the conveying member power transmitter can be provided on the outer side of the turntable, or even on the outer side of the support portion. Therefore, even when the support portion is used to support the storage container, the arrangement of the container power receiver is located outside the support portion, the power supply to the container power receiver can be carried out from the transport member power supply without any problem outside the support portion. Furthermore, the extension direction of the extension frame is opposite to the moving direction of the support portion, so the extension frame does not hinder the movement of the support portion.

Furthermore, in addition to the above-described structure, the conveying device of the present invention may be configured such that the container receiver, the storage unit power transmitter, and the transport member power transmitter may be configured such that the storage unit power transmitter is relative to the container receiver of the storage container held by the storage unit The relative position of is the same as the relative position of the container receiver of the transporting part power transmitter with respect to the storage container supported by the supporting part of the transporting part at the transporting position.

According to this structure, the positional relationship between the power transmitter and the power receiver for non-contact power supply is the same regardless of whether the storage container is stored in the storage unit or in the state transported by the transport member, so it can be stored in the storage unit The non-contact power supply in the case is consistent with the non-contact power supply in the handling part to make the electromagnetic conditions consistent. Therefore, the operation of the air blowing device can be kept fixed except during the transfer operation, so that the storage space can be ensured. The internal pressure and thus the cleanliness are fixed.

According to the present invention, even if the air blowing device is stopped during the transfer of the storage container, high cleanliness in the storage container can be ensured, so it is not necessary to provide a delivery section in the support portion that moves in the transfer direction while supporting the storage container during the transfer Electrical appliances. Therefore, it is not necessary to route a highly flexible cable that can follow the movement of the support portion over a long distance, and the wiring cost can be suppressed low.

In addition, if the power transmitter is not provided on the support portion that moves between the conveying member and the storage portion during the transfer operation, it may not be considered that the power transmitter on the support portion side collides with the power transmitter on the storage portion side during the transfer operation Possibility, therefore, the conveyance member power transmitter and the storage unit power transmitter can be arranged at the same widthwise position. If this configuration is adopted, the air supply device can receive power supply from the same container receiver regardless of whether it is transported by the transport member or stored by the storage unit, so the power receiver installed in the storage container It is sufficient for only one container to receive electrical appliances. That is, it is no longer necessary to install two power receivers in the storage container, so the cost of each storage container can be kept low. Therefore, the transport device can be constructed at low cost.

10: Handling device

11: Shelf

13: storage rack

16: column

17: Shelf board

18: storage rack pad

20, 82: storage container

21: Bezel

21a, 22a: snap-in part

22: FFU mounting plate

24, 84: FFU

25: container body

25a: the first opening

25b: Second opening

26a, 26b: locking part

27: substrate storage space

27a: Substrate mounting compartment

28: container pad

50: handling trolley

51: mast

52: Flex arm

53: Rotating table

55, 85: fork

55a: handling position

55b: Storage location

58: Carriage Mat

59: Extended framework

80: Stacker crane

81: storage compartment

88a, 89a: receiving pad

88b, 89b: power transmission pad

H: vertical direction

W: Transport direction

Y: Transfer direction

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of an embodiment of the conveying device of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of the conveying device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a storage container used in the conveying device of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which the transport trolley is located before the storage unit in the transport device of the embodiment.

Fig. 5 is an arrow view of A-A in Fig. 4.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing the extended state of the flexion-extension arm of the transfer trolley shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 7 is a B-B arrow view of FIG. 6.

8(a) and 8(b) are schematic plan views showing the power supply to the FFU of the storage container in the prior art, and FIG. 8(a) is a view showing a state where the storage container is transferred while being supported by a fork 8(b) shows a state where the storage container is placed in the storage compartment.

An example of the embodiment of the conveying device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

(Handling device)

In the conveying device 10 schematically shown in FIG. 1, flat articles such as glass substrates are conveyed while being stored in the storage container 20. A transport trolley 50 (stacker crane) as a transport member for transporting the storage container 20 moves along the transport path extending in the transport direction W in the transport device 10. A rack 11 as a storage section for storing the storage container 20 is arranged on the side of the transfer direction Y that crosses the transfer direction W at a right angle to the transfer path of the transfer trolley 50.

In addition, in the drawings, in order to facilitate understanding of the positional relationship between the components, the storage container 20 and the components attached to the storage container 20 may be indicated by imaginary lines.

(Storage Department)

In the conveying device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, two racks 11 (racks) as storage sections are provided to face each other with a conveying path of the conveying trolley 50 therebetween. In other words, when moving from the conveyance trolley 50 to the conveyance direction W along the conveyance path, shelves 11 are provided on the left and right sides, and the travel path of the conveyance trolley 50 is set between these left and right shelves 11.

In the shelf 11, a plurality of storage racks 13 (shelf) are provided so as to line up along the conveying direction W, and the storage racks 13 can store the storage containers 20 respectively. Moreover, as shown in the schematic side view of FIG. 2, in the vertical direction H, the storage racks 13 in the upper and lower stages are also provided so as to overlap. The shelf 11 has a plurality of columns 16 extending in the vertical direction H. As shown in FIG. 1, each storage rack 13 is divided by the columns 16 with respect to the transport direction W. Furthermore, a shelf plate 17 is provided so as to be erected between the two columns 16 arranged along the transfer direction Y, and as shown in FIG. 2, the vertical direction H is divided by the shelf plate 17出 Various storage racks 13.

As shown in FIG. 1, the shelf plate 17 does not greatly expand in the conveying direction W, but only extends to the end of the conveying direction W (shelf post) formed in the space between the columns 16 arranged in the conveying direction W 16 nearby). Thereby, one storage shelf 13 includes two shelf plates 17 which are the left shelf plate 17 and the right shelf plate 17 when the transfer trolley 50 is viewed in the transfer direction Y, and the two shelves The plates 17 are spaced apart from each other. When the transfer direction Y is viewed from the transfer trolley 50, the distance between the left and right two columns 16 is larger than the width of the storage container 20, and the interval between the shelf plates 17 is smaller than the width of the storage container 20. Therefore, the storage container 20 is stored in the storage rack 13 At this time, only two ends in the width direction are supported by the two shelf plates 17 respectively.

Furthermore, one side of the two shelf plates 17 included in one storage shelf 13 (here, the right side when moving from the transport trolley 50 toward the transfer direction Y) is closer to the transport path of the transport trolley 50 (from At the end of the transport trolley 50 when viewed from the front), a storage rack pad 18 for non-contact power supply is provided as a storage unit power transmitter (power transmission member). The storage rack pad 18 is formed of a plate in which a coil is embedded, and the coil generates a magnetic flux by flowing a current from an external power source.

(Storage container)

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the storage container 20 that is a transfer target in the transfer device 10.

The storage container 20 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped container body 25 that is open on two opposite sides, and inside the container body 25, a substrate storage space 27 that serves as a storage space for storing items can be oriented in the vertical direction H. A plurality of substrate mounting compartments 27a that can support the substrate in a mounted state are provided up and down in such a manner that a plurality of flat articles (not shown) such as glass substrates are accommodated in a line up and down.

A shutter 21 as a lid and a FFU 24 (fan filter unit) as a blower are attached to the two sides of the container body 25, that is, the first opening 25a and the second opening 25b.

The substrate to be accommodated enters and exits the substrate storage space 27 from the first opening 25 a. In addition, the first opening 25a is closed by the shutter 21 during the period other than the operation of inserting and removing the substrate.

The FFU 24 is attached to the FFU mounting plate 22 that can cover the second opening 25b. When the FFU mounting plate 22 is used to cover the second opening 25b, the FFU 24 goes from the second opening 25b toward the first The opening 25a performs the air blowing posture. Further, on the FFU mounting plate 22, a container mat 28 is mounted as a container power receiver, and this container mat 28 receives driving power for the fan of the FFU 24 from the outside by a non-contact power supply method. The container pad 28 is formed of a plate in which a coil is embedded, and the coil generates an electric current in response to fluctuation of external magnetic flux.

The baffle 21 and the FFU mounting plate 22 are provided with a plurality of engaging portions 21a, 22a, respectively, and the engaging portions 21a, 22a are hooked by lowering the baffle 21 and the FFU mounting plate 22 downward in the vertical direction H The first opening 25a and the second opening 25b are closed by the shutter 21 and the FFU mounting plate 22 by hooking to the locking portions 26a and 26b provided on the side surface of the container body 25, respectively.

(Handling trolley)

The transfer trolley 50 as a transfer member shown in FIG. 1 is a transfer device such as a stacker crane that can move in the transfer direction W on a rail laid along a predetermined transfer path in the transfer device 10. The transport trolley 50 includes a fork 55 as a support portion for supporting the storage container 20, and the transport trolley 50 is moved on the track with the storage container 20 supported on the fork 55, thereby carrying out Transportation of the storage container 20. In addition, the transport trolley 50 has two masts 51 arranged in the transport direction W, and the mast 51 extends in the vertical direction H as shown in FIG. 2. The fork 55 can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction H along the mast 51, and the transport trolley 50 is oriented in the vertical direction H by holding the fork 55 in a state where the storage container 20 is supported By raising and lowering, the position of the storage container 20 in the vertical direction H can be aligned with each of the storage racks 13 in the upper and lower stages. In addition, while the fork 55 is raised and lowered in the vertical direction H or during the rotation described below, the movement of the transport trolley 50 along the transport direction W may be temporarily stopped, but this temporary stop state is also reached as a destination In the present embodiment, it is considered that not only the period during which the transport trolley 50 moves in the transport direction W, but also the period during which it is lifted/rotated, in addition to supporting on the fork 55 in this embodiment There may be cases where the storage container 20 is being transported by the transport trolley 50 except during the transfer operation described later in the state of the storage container 20.

(Rotating table)

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the transport trolley 50 has a turntable 53 between the masts 51, and the fork 55 is attached to the turntable 53 via a flexing and extending arm 52 as a transfer member. The flexing arm 52 and the fork 55 constitute a transfer device. The rotating table 53 rotates the flexion-extension arm 52 and the fork 55 in a horizontal plane, whereby the postures of the flexion-extension arm 52 and the fork 55 can be changed. In addition, the rotary table 53, the flexion-extension arm 52, and the fork 55 are mounted on the elevating table 57, and as a whole move up and down in the vertical direction H. By rotating the fork 55 and the flexing and extending arm 52 by the rotating table 53, it is possible to switch which of the racks 11 provided on the left and right sides of the conveying direction W is transferred.

In FIG. 1, the fork 55 is in a posture in which the longitudinal direction coincides with the transport direction W, but in FIG. 4, after the fork 55 is rotated by 90° from the posture in FIG. The posture that the loading direction Y is consistent.

(cross)

The fork 55 includes a substantially rectangular plate whose short-side dimension is smaller than the interval between the two shelf plates 17 of the storage shelf 13.

The fork 55 can move in the horizontal direction by flexing and extending the flexing and extending arm 52. In particular, if the flexion-extension arm 52 is flexed and extended in the posture in which the longitudinal direction of the fork 55 shown in FIG. 4 coincides with the transfer direction Y, the fork 55 will move in the transfer direction Y. When the fork 55 is moved in the transfer direction Y by the flexion and extension of the flexion-and-extension arm 52, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the fork 55 is on the transfer position 55a on the turntable 53 (on the transport member side) and the storage rack 13 The storage position 55b inside (the storage part side) moves between.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the fork 55 supporting the storage container 20 is rotated to a posture in which the longitudinal direction coincides with the transfer direction Y, and then the fork 55 is moved from the transport position 55a to the storage position 55b, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the fork 55 is inserted between the shelf plates 17 so that the storage container 20 can be fed into the storage shelf 13.

(Extended framework)

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, an extension frame 59 is attached to the turntable 53 in addition to the flexing and extending arm 52. As shown in FIG. 6, the expansion frame 59 has a T-shape in plan view, and the front end of the T-shaped vertical side portion is attached to the turntable 53. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the T-shaped longitudinal side portion extends to the opposite side from the direction in which the flexing and extending arm 52 extends, and is bent upward in an L-shape in side view to be connected to the T-shaped lateral side portion. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, on one end side of the T-shaped lateral portion, as a conveying member power transmitter (power transmitting member), a conveying cart pad 58 for non-contact power supply is provided. The transfer trolley pad 58 is formed of a plate in which a coil is embedded, and the coil generates a magnetic flux by flowing a current from an external power source.

(Transfer action)

Here, the transfer operation when transferring the storage container 20 transferred by the transfer trolley 50 to the storage rack 13 will be described. First, the fork 55 in the state where the storage container 20 is supported is raised in the vertical direction H to a position slightly above the shelf plate 17 and rotated so that the long side direction of the fork 55 coincides with the transfer direction Y, Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the storage container 20 faces the entrance of the storage rack 13. Subsequently, when the extension arm 52 is extended to move the fork 55 from the transport position 55a to the storage position 55b, and then the fork 55 is lowered to the lower side than the shelf plate 17, the shelf plates 17 The interval is larger than the short-side dimension of the fork 55 and shorter than the width of the storage container 20. Therefore, the fork 55 passes between the shelf plates 17 and the storage container 20 is placed on the shelf plate 17 as shown in FIG. 7 The state shown. In this way, the storage container 20 supported on the fork 55 is transferred to the shelf plate 17 as shown in FIG. 7. The transfer of the storage container 20 is completed by itself, but the flexing and extending arm 52 is retracted to return the fork 55 to the transport position 55a, and then the fork 55 and the flexing and extending arm 52 are rotated by the rotary table 53 to restore to the fork 55 The posture in which the longitudinal direction coincides with the transport direction W so that the transport trolley 50 can turn to the next operation.

In addition, in order to take out the storage container 20 stored in the storage rack 13 and transfer it to the transport trolley 50, the fork 55 is inserted in the vertical direction H slightly below the shelf plate 17 and the shelf plates 17 are inserted into each other. After that (the state in FIG. 7 ), the fork 55 is raised, whereby the storage container 20 can be transferred from the shelf plate 17 to the fork 55. Subsequently, the flexion-extension arm 52 is retracted to pull the fork 55 in a state where the storage container 20 is supported at the storage position 55b into the transfer position 55a on the side of the transfer trolley 50 (state in FIG. 5). Here, the storage container 20 is transferred from the storage rack 13 to the transfer trolley 50.

(Before the transfer begins)

The case where the storage container 20 is transferred from the transfer trolley 50 to the storage rack 13 in the substrate storage space 27 will be described.

Before the start of the transfer, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, since the transfer trolley pad 58 on the power transmitting side and the container pad 28 on the power receiving side are kept close to each other, the FFU is supplied to the FFU by non-contact power supply. 24 Continuous supply of driving power. Therefore, the fan of the FFU 24 continuously sends the air purified through the filter into the substrate storage space 27. In this state, by using the FFU 24 to send air into the substrate storage space 27, the internal pressure of the storage container 20 is higher than the surrounding environment, and foreign substances such as dust cannot enter the substrate storage space 27 from the surrounding environment. Therefore, high cleanliness in the substrate storage space 27 is ensured, and dust or the like does not adhere to the substrate stored in the storage container 20.

(Transferring)

While the fork 55 is moved from the transfer position 55a to the storage position 55b for transfer, the container pad 28 installed in the storage container 20 on the fork 55 will be far away from the transfer trolley pad 58, so the FFU 24 is no longer subject to driving power Supply, the supply air of FFU 24 will stop.

However, as shown in FIG. 3, the storage container 20 has the first opening 25a and the second opening 25b connected to the substrate storage space 27 closed by the shutter 21 and the FFU mounting plate 22 to form a sealed structure, so the substrate storage space The air in 27 cannot escape to the outside. Therefore, until the transfer starts, the fork at the transport position 55a In 55, the internal pressure of the substrate storage space 27 increased by the air supply by the FFU 24 remains higher than the surrounding environment.

Since the internal pressure of the substrate storage space 27 is still higher than the surrounding environment, even if the air supply of the FFU 24 is stopped during the transfer, external substances cannot enter the substrate storage space 27 from the surrounding environment, thereby ensuring high cleanliness of the substrate storage space 27 Sex.

(After the transfer is completed)

After the transfer is completed and the storage container 20 is supported by the shelf plate 17 in the storage rack 13 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the storage rack pad 18 on the power transmission side that becomes the non-contact power supply approaches the container pad 28, Therefore, the driving power is supplied to the FFU 24 again. Therefore, after the transfer is completed, the FFU 24 restarts the air supply to the substrate storage space 27, so the substrate storage space 27 continues to maintain a high internal pressure, thereby ensuring the cleanliness of the substrate storage space 27.

As described above, in the conveying apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, although there is a period during which the air supply of the FFU 24 is interrupted during the transfer, the height in the substrate storage space 27 can be ensured from before the start of the transfer until after the transfer is completed Cleanliness.

(Advantages of this embodiment)

In the conveying device 10 of the present embodiment, even if the FFU 24 is stopped during the transfer, the cleanliness in the substrate storage space 27 can be ensured, so there is no need to continuously supply power to the FFU 24 during the transfer. Therefore, the transfer trolley pad 58 on the extension frame 59 does not need to follow the movement of the fork 55 during the transfer in the transfer direction Y. Therefore, it is not necessary to use cables with high flexibility for wiring, and the transport device 10 can be constructed at low cost.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is installed in The pad for non-contact power supply in the storage container 20 only needs to be one container pad 28, and it is not necessary to provide two power receiving pads 88a, 89a as in the prior art shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b). Therefore, the cost required for preparing each storage container 20 can be kept low.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first opening 25a and the second opening 25b connected to the substrate storage space 27 are closed, and the storage container 20 is in a sealed state. Therefore, once the FFU 24 blows air, the substrate storage space 27 is closed. If the internal pressure is increased, it is difficult for the internal pressure to decrease even if the air supply is stopped. Therefore, even if it takes a little time to transfer, during this period, there is no possibility that the internal pressure drops and the external substance flows into the substrate storage space 27.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the transfer trolley pad 58 is provided on the expansion frame 59 attached to the turntable 53. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the transfer trolley pad 58 can be provided outside the fork 55. Therefore, the position of the transfer trolley pad 58 can be adjusted by appropriately designing the shape of the expansion frame 59 so that, as shown in FIG. 4, the container pad 28 is located outside the fork 55 even when the storage container 20 is supported on the fork 55 It is also possible to perform contactless power supply to the container pad 28 at a position outside the fork 55. Furthermore, the expansion frame 59 extends in the opposite direction to the flexion-extension direction of the flexion-extension arm 52, that is, the moving direction of the fork 55. Therefore, the expansion frame 59 does not hinder the flexion-extension of the flexion-extension arm 52 and the movement of the fork 55. In addition, since the extension frame 59 and the transfer trolley pad 58 rotate together with the fork 55, power supply to the container pad 28 can be continued until the transfer operation is started by the flexion and extension of the flexion-extension arm 52.

Furthermore, as long as the shape of the expansion frame 59 is appropriate, the storage container 20 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 can be transported in a state where it is supported on the fork 55 at the transport position 55a. The positional relationship between the trolley pad 58 and the container pad 28 is the same as the positional relationship between the storage rack pad 18 and the container pad 28 in a state where the storage container 20 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is stored in the storage rack 13. Therefore, regardless of whether the storage container 20 is stored in the storage rack 13 or the state transported by the transport trolley 50, the electromagnetic conditions of the non-contact power supply can be set to be the same. Therefore, except during transfer, The operation of the FFU 24 can be fixed, so that the internal pressure and cleanliness in the substrate storage space 27 can be stably maintained.

(Modification)

In addition, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the FFU 24 blows air from the second opening 25b that faces the first opening 25a that serves as the substrate entrance/exit, but the air blowing direction is not limited to this, as long as the air can be blown It is sufficient to increase the internal pressure in the substrate storage space 27. For example, air may be sent from the upper surface side of the storage container 20. In addition, in this embodiment, both the FFU 24 and the container pad 28 are attached to the second opening 25b side, but as long as the FFU 24 and the container pad 28 are connected by a cable, the FFU 24 may be attached to a different container pad 28 Surface (eg upper surface).

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the FFU 24 is attached to the FFU mounting plate 22, and the FFU mounting plate 22 is detachable with respect to the second opening 25b, whereby the second opening 25b can be opened or closed, However, the surface on the side where the FFU 24 is installed in the storage container 20 may always be closed. That is, a structure may be adopted in which the FFU mounting plate 22 forms one side of the container body 25 and the FFU 24 is mounted on the FFU mounting plate 22 integrated with the container body 25.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, whether it is in the storage rack 13 or in On the fork 55 of the transport position 55a, the positional relationship between the power transmitting side and the power receiving side of the non-contact power supply are the same, but they may not be arranged in a strictly same manner in these relative positions, as long as they are arranged as a power transmission side pad (storage rack pad 18. The transportation trolley pad 58) is in a state sufficiently close to the pad on the power receiving side (container pad 28) so that the non-contact power supply to the FFU 24 can be performed during a period other than during the transfer operation (the period of extension and contraction of the flexing and extending arm 52). .

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the transfer trolley pad 58 is attached to the turntable 53 via the extension frame 59, but it is not necessary to provide the extension frame 59, and the structure of the transfer trolley 50, the storage container 20, the storage rack 13, etc. may be changed, in particular The arrangement of the transfer trolley pad 58 is changed according to the arrangement of the container pad 28 and the storage rack pad 18. For example, if the turntable 53 has a shape that expands outside the fork 55 in a plan view, the transfer table pad 58 may be directly attached to the turntable 53 that becomes the outside of the fork 55.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the container pad 28, the storage rack pad 18, and the transport trolley pad 58 are set to perform power transmission/receiving by a non-contact power supply method. However, if dust or sparks accompanying mechanical contact are generated, Countermeasures and measures for accurate alignment, the pads can also be configured as a contact power supply method, that is, for example, a method of supplying power by making the metal terminal lands that expand into a planar shape contact each other .

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the transport trolley 50 that travels on the track laid along the transport path is used as the transport member to transport the storage container 20, but the transport member is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a slave device. A top transport vehicle or the like that transports the storage container 20 while being suspended on the top side. Moreover, the storage unit is not limited to the storage rack 13 of the present embodiment, for example, The storage container 20 is placed on the pallet of the electric device for storage. Moreover, it is not necessary to constitute a storage unit by a plurality of storage racks 13 as in the present embodiment, but may be constituted by a single storage rack.

10‧‧‧Handling device

11‧‧‧Shelf

13‧‧‧Storage rack

16‧‧‧pillar

17‧‧‧Shelf board

18‧‧‧ Storage shelf pad

20‧‧‧Storage container

24‧‧‧FFU

28‧‧‧Container pad

50‧‧‧carrying trolley

51‧‧‧Mast

52‧‧‧flexion arm

53‧‧‧rotating table

55‧‧‧ fork

58‧‧‧Carriage Mat

59‧‧‧Extended Frame

W‧‧‧Handling direction

Y‧‧‧ Transfer direction

Claims (5)

A transport device that transports a storage container for storing articles is provided with a transport member that transports the storage container and a storage unit that stores the storage container, the transport member having a transfer device , The transfer device transfers the storage container between the conveying member and the storage unit, the storage container having an air blowing device that sends cleaned air into the storage container. The conveying member and the storage section are provided with power transmission members, respectively, during the period when the storage container is conveyed by the conveying member and the storage container is stored by the storage section, from The conveying member or the storage section supplies operating power to the blower device, and the storage container can be transferred between the conveying member and the storage section by the transfer device during the period of time. By the air blowing performed by the air blowing device until the transfer is started, the internal pressure is maintained at a higher state than the surrounding environment, thereby preventing the inflow of external substances from the surrounding environment during the period of being transferred. The conveying device according to item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the storage container further includes: a container body having a storage space capable of storing articles inside; and a container receiver for receiving the non-contact supply Operating power of the air blowing device, the transfer device has: a supporting portion for supporting the storage container; and A transfer member that moves the support portion between a transfer position on the transfer member side and a storage position on the storage section side, the transfer member has a transfer member power transmitter, and the transfer member power transmitter The container receiver of the storage container supported by the support portion at the transportation position transmits power in a non-contact manner, and the storage portion includes: a storage rack for storing the storage container; and The storage unit power transmitter transmits power to the container receiver of the storage container stored in the storage rack by a non-contact method, and the transfer member supports the storage container The supporting portion in the state is moved between the transport position and the storage position, so that the storage container can be transferred between the transport member and the storage portion. During the movement of the transfer member between the conveyance position and the storage position, the state in which the internal pressure is higher than the surrounding environment can be maintained by the air blowing performed by the air blowing device until the movement starts, This can prevent the inflow of foreign substances from the surrounding environment during the period of movement. The conveying device according to item 2 of the scope of the patent application, wherein a first opening portion connected to the storage space is formed on the first surface of the outer surface of the container body, and the first opening facing the first surface is formed on the first surface. On the two surfaces, a second opening facing the first opening is formed, and by attaching and detaching the cover to the first surface, the first opening can be opened or closed, and the air blowing device is installed On the second surface, the air blowing device 2 The opening portion blows air toward the first opening portion closed by the lid body, thereby making the internal pressure of the storage space higher than the surrounding environment. The conveying device according to item 2 of the patent application scope, wherein the conveying member has a rotary table that rotates the support portion and the transfer member in a horizontal plane, and the rotary table is provided with An extension frame in which the transfer member extends in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the support portion, and the conveyance member power transmitter is attached to the extension frame. The conveying device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the container receiver, the storage unit power transmitter, and the conveying member power transmitter are configured such that the storage unit sends The relative position of the electric appliance with respect to the container receiver of the storage container held by the storage section, and the support section of the transport member with respect to the transport position of the transport member power transmitter with respect to the transport position The relative positions of the container receivers of the supported storage containers are the same.

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