WO2008105152A1

WO2008105152A1 - Plate-like body conveying box

Info

Publication number: WO2008105152A1
Application number: PCT/JP2008/000298
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tetsuzou Yamada
Original assignee: Corning Japan K.K.
Priority date: 2007-02-27
Filing date: 2008-02-21
Publication date: 2008-09-04
Also published as: TWI417231B; TW200916383A; JP2008207853A; JP5175057B2

Abstract

A plate-like body conveying box is disclosed, which helps to reduce strain put on the lower back of an operator when the operator puts plate-like bodies at rear positions of the conveying box, and which can be handled by the single operator. The plate-like body conveying box includes bottom side support groove members to receive bottom sides of plate-like bodies (P) to hold the plate-like bodies in an upright position. The bottom side support groove members are formed by a first bottom side support groove member (17) and second bottom side support groove member (18) spaced apart from each other in a direction in which the bottom sides of the plate-like bodies (P) extend. A standing place (26) for an operator to put the plate-like bodies in the plate-like body conveying box is provided at the space between the first and second bottom side support groove members (17, 18).

Description

Description PLATE-LIKE BODY CONVEYING BOX

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a plate-like body conveying box for conveying multiple plate-like bodies, such as glass substrates, placed therein. Background Art

[0002] During a production process of plate-like bodies made of a brittle material, such as plain glass sheets, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays or glass substrates for plasma displays, some of the plate-like bodies may subject to a special treatment. In such case, the plate-like bodies to be subjected to the special treatment are put in a conveying box for conveying them to the treatment site.

[0003] An example of such a conveying box is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-193912. As shown in Fig. 11, this patent document describes that glass substrates 1 are put in a substrate conveying box 3 by a conveying apparatus 2, which is provided with a vacuum device R for holding each glass substrate 1 on a crane or a special forklift with vacuum. The patent document further describes that the glass substrates 1 are supported by support groove members Y disposed on a bottom plate 4 of the substrate conveying box. Further, a movable side panel with support grooves (not shown), which is movable in the right- left direction, is provided between support grooves G formed in a left side panel and support grooves G formed in a right side panel, so that glass substrates having a different size can be put in the substrate conveying box by changing the position of the movable side panel. Disclosure of Invention

[0004] The above-described conventional conveying box is designed for use with a robot for putting glass substrates in the box. However, in a case of glass substrates to be subjected to a special treatment, for example, the number of the glass substrates is small, and therefore the glass substrates are usually put in a conveying box manually by an operator. Conventional conveying boxes designed for such manual operation by an operator are designed such that the operator stands by the conveying box to put the glass substrates in the box.

[0005] In recent years, the size, and therefore the weight, of glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, in particular, are increasing. Therefore, it is a hard labor for the operator to manually put such glass substrates in the conveying box while standing by the conveying box, and such an operation puts a strain on the lower back of the operator, particularly when the operator puts the glass substrates in the rear part of the box while standing in front of the box. [0006] If this type of conveying box, into which the operator manually puts the glass substrates, is designed such that the operator can stand in the conveying box to put the glass substrates therein, a strain imposed on the operator is significantly reduced. However, no such attempt has been made.

[0007] Further, the conventional conveying box described in the above-mentioned Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-193912 is designed for use with a robot for putting the glass substrates therein, and no consideration is made for manual operation of putting the glass substrates therein. Although the support groove members Y for supporting the bottom sides of the glass substrates are spaced apart from each other, no attempt is made for ensuring enough space and strength for the operator to stand between the groove members to put the glass substrate in the conveying box.

[0008] In view of the above-described circumstances, the present invention is directed to providing a plate-like body conveying box that helps to reduce strain imposed on the operator and can be handled easily.

[0009] In order to solve the above-described problem, an aspect of the plate-like body conveying box as claimed in claim 1 of the invention is a plate-like body conveying box with bottom side support groove members to receive bottom sides of plate-like bodies to hold the plate-like bodies in an upright position, characterized in that the bottom side support groove members comprises a first bottom side support groove member and a second bottom side support groove member spaced apart from each other in a direction in which the bottom sides of the plate-like bodies extend, and a standing place for an operator to put the plate-like bodies in the plate-like body conveying box is provided between the first and second bottom side support groove members.

[0010] According to this aspect, the operator can stand on the standing place to manually put the plate-like body, such as a glass substrate, at the rear part of the plate-like body conveying box, and therefore a strain on the lower back of the operator can be reduced.

[0011] Typical examples of the plate-like bodies include brittle plate-like bodies such as plain glass sheets, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays or glass substrates for plasma displays, however, the plate-like bodies are not limited to brittle plate-like bodies and may be made of any material and have any use as long as they are held and conveyed in the upright state.

[0012] The standing place for an operator to put the plate-like bodies in the plate-like body conveying box refers to a portion of the box that is wide and strong enough for allowing the operator to stand thereon and put the plate-like bodies in the plate-like body conveying box.

[0013] An aspect of the plate-like body conveying box as claimed in claim 2 of the invention further includes a lateral side support groove member to receive lateral sides of the plate-like bodies, wherein the first bottom side support groove member is disposed at a side near the lateral side support groove member and the second bottom side support groove member is movable in the direction in which the bottom sides of the plate-like bodies extend.

[0014] According to this aspect, the plate-like bodies having a different size can be supported by the lateral side support groove member and the bottom side support groove member and can be conveyed in a stable manner.

[0015] An aspect of the plate-like body conveying box as claimed in claim 3 of the invention further includes a height adjusting mechanism to allow height adjustment of the first bottom side support groove member and the second bottom side support groove member.

[0016] According to this aspect, the plate-like bodies having a smaller size can be put in the plate-like body conveying box with upper portions of the plate-like bodies projecting above the plate-like body conveying box to facilitate operation of a robot to hold the upper portion of each plate-like body to take out the plate-like body from the plate-like body conveying box.

[0017] In an aspect of the plate-like body conveying box as claimed in claim 4 of the invention, the height adjusting mechanism includes support shafts each projecting from the first or second bottom side support groove member, bearings including bearing grooves formed at a predefined height to receive the support shafts, each bearing groove extending obliquely and being open at an upper side thereof, and support members having a length corresponding to the height of the bearing grooves, a base end of each support member being rotatably supported, and each support member including a fitting portion at a tip thereof to engage with the first or the second bottom side support groove member.

[0018] According to this aspect, the operator need not support the bottom side support groove members and fasten screws to fix the bottom side support groove members at a desired height, and therefore the operator can easily change the height of the bottom side support groove members by himself or herself. Further, since the support members having a length corresponding to the height of the bearing grooves are provided, the operator can easily change the height of the bottom side support groove members by simply rotating the support members into the upright position and engaging the support members with the bottom side support groove members.

[0019] An aspect of the plate-like body conveying box as claimed in claim 5 of the invention further includes a box body comprising a front panel, a rear panel, a left side panel, a right side panel and a bottom panel, wherein portions of the left and right side panels above shafts disposed at a predetermined height are outwardly foldable about the shafts. [0020] In order to facilitate operation of the robot to hold the upper portion of each plate- like body to take out the plate-like body from the plate-like body conveying box, the plate-like bodies have to project above the plate-like body conveying box. If a deeper lid member were provided for the plate-like body conveying box to accommodate an amount of projection of the plate-like bodies, the size and weight of the lid member are increased and it would be difficult for the operator to remove the lid member by himself or herself. According to this aspect, the upper portions of the side panels are foldable, and therefore it is not necessary to make the plate-like bodies to project from the body of the plate-like body conveying box, and therefore a shallow and light lid member can be used. Thus, the operator can easily remove the lid member by himself or herself.

[0021] In an aspect of the plate-like body conveying box as claimed in claim 6 of the invention, magnets are provided at one of an inner surface of the front panel or sides of the left and right side panels facing the front panel, and attracted portions to be attracted to the magnets are provided at the other of the inner surface of the front panel or the sides of the left and right side panels facing the front panel.

[0022] To attach or remove the front panel to or from the side panels, hook and loop fasteners or metal fasteners have been used and it has been time-consuming for the operator to fasten such fasteners. According to this aspect, for example, the inner surface of the front panel is provided with one of strip-shaped magnets or thin-plate attracted portions (made of a ferromagnetic material) and the sides of the side panels facing the front panel are provided with the other of the strip-shaped magnets or the thin-plate attracted portions to allow easier attachment and removal of the front panel.

[0023] In an aspect of the plate-like body conveying box as claimed in claim 7 of the invention, the box body further includes conveying wheels, and a shock absorber is disposed between each wheel and the box body.

[0024] According to this aspect, vibration and impact applied to a brittle material, such as glass substrates, can be absorbed to safely convey such a material.

[0025] The plate-like body conveying box of the invention allows reduction of strain imposed on the operator during the operation of putting the plate-like bodies in the conveying box and facilitates the operation of putting the plate-like bodies in the conveying box. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [fig.1] Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating main portions of a plate-like body conveying box according to an embodiment of the present invention, [fig.2]Fig. 2 is a view illustrating a front panel viewed from the side of an inner surface thereof, [fig.3]Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a lid member,

[fig.4]Fig. 4 is a front view of the conveying box shown in Fig. 1,

[fig.5]Fig. 5 is a plan view of the conveying box shown in Fig. 1,

[fig.6] Fig. 6 is an enlarged partial front view illustrating a second bottom side support groove member and the vicinity thereof shown in Fig. 4,

[fig.7]Fig. 7 is a right side view illustrating the conveying box shown in Fig. 1 viewed from the right,

[fig.8]Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Fig. 6,

[fig.9]Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a part of a support finger assembly,

[fig.10] Fig. 10 is a view illustrating details of a caster, and

[fig.1 l]Fig. 11 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a conventional plate-like body conveying box.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0027] An embodiment of a plate-like body conveying box of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0028] Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating main portions of the plate-like body conveying box according to the embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 is a view illustrating a front panel viewed from the side of an inner surface thereof, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a lid member, Fig. 4 is a front view of the conveying box shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a plan view of the conveying box shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is an enlarged front view illustrating a second bottom side support groove member and a periphery thereof shown in Fig. 4, Fig. 7 is a right side view illustrating the conveying box shown in Fig. 1 viewed from the right, Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII- VIII in Fig. 6, Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a part of a support finger assembly, and Fig. 10 is a view illustrating details of a caster. It should be noted that the front-back, right-left and up-down directions with respect to the plate-like body conveying box shown in the drawings are as indicated by the arrows at the lower- left portion of Fig. 1.

[0029] First, the overall structure is described with reference to Fig. 1.

[0030] The plate-like body conveying box shown in the drawing is a conveying box that holds plate-like bodies in the upright position, and includes a box body 10 with an open top formed by a front panel 11 (Fig. 1 shows a state where the front panel 11 is removed, and therefore it is not shown in Fig. 1), a rear panel 12, a left side panel 13, a right side panel 14 and a bottom panel 15.

[0031] The box body 10 includes therein a lateral side support groove member 16, a first bottom side support groove member 17, a second bottom side support groove member 18, a pair of first front and back bearings 19, a pair of second front and back bearings 20, a pair of first front and back support members 21, a pair of second front and back support members 22, a support finger assembly 23, a support groove member 24, a support frame 25, a foot support member 26 and a pair of front and back guide rails 27.

[0032] Casters 28 are attached at four corners on the lower surface of the bottom panel 15 of the box body 10. Further, a lid member 29 (see Figs. 3 and 4) can be placed over the upper end portion of the box body 10.

[0033] Next, the respective portions are described in detail.

[0034] The left side panel 13 includes a side panel body 13a, a side panel upper portion 13b above the side panel body 13a, and hinges 13c (see Fig. 4) disposed on the outer surfaces of the side panel body 13a and the side panel upper portion 13b to couple the side panel body 13a and the side panel upper portion 13b with each other. The side panel upper portion 13b is rotatable via the hinges 13c around a rotational axis 13d of the hinges 13c in the direction of arrow A shown in Fig. 4, i.e., is foldable outwardly with respect to the box body 10.

[0035] The right side panel 14 includes a side panel body 14a, a side panel upper portion 14b above the side panel body 14a, and hinges 14c disposed on the outer surfaces of the side panel body 14a and the side panel upper portion 14b to couple the side panel body 14a and the side panel upper portion 14b with each other. The side panel upper portion 14b is rotatable via the hinges 14c around a rotational axis 14d of the hinges 14c in the direction of arrow A shown in Fig. 4, i.e., is foldable outwardly with respect to the box body 10.

[0036] The side panel bodies 13a, 14a and the side panel upper portions 13b, 14b of the left and right side panels and the bottom panel 15 are each formed by a thin resin panel attached to a metal frame for weight saving. The lower ends of the frames of the side panel bodies 13a, 14a of the left and right side panels are welded to the left and right side ends of the frame of the bottom panel 15 to fix the left and right side panels 13, 14 to the bottom panel 15 in a unified manner.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 2, the front panel 11 is formed by a thin resin panel 11a provided with reinforcing ribs 1 Ib, and strip-shaped magnets 1 Ic are adhered to left and right end portions of the inner surface of the front panel 11. The front panel 11 is attachable to the left and right side panels 13, 14 with the left and right magnets l ie being attracted via the magnetic force to the front sides of the metal frames of the left and right side panels 13, 14, and is removable from the left and right side panels 13, 14 by being pulled with a force larger than the magnetic force of the magnets l ie.

[0038] Similarly to the front panel 11, the rear panel 12 is formed by a thin resin panel and reinforcing ribs, and strip-shaped magnets are adhered to left and right end portions of the inner surface of the rear panel 12. The rear panel 12 is removably attached via these magnets to the rear sides of the metal frames of the left and right side panels 13, 14.

[0039] The bottom panel 15 includes a receiving groove 15a provided on the front side of the metal frame thereof for supporting the lower end of the front panel 11 (see Figs. 4, 7 and 8). As the front panel 11 is attached to the left and right side panels 13, 14 via the magnets 1 Ic, the lower end of the front panel 11 is fit in the receiving groove 15a so that the weight of the front panel 11 is supported by the receiving groove 15a to ensure the attachment.

[0040] Similarly, a receiving groove 15a (see Fig. 7) having the same structure is provided on the rear side of the metal frame of the bottom panel 15, so that the lower end of the rear panel 12 attached to the left and right side panels 13, 14 via the magnets is supported by the receiving groove 15a, similarly to the front panel 11.

[0041] The lid member 29 shown in Fig. 3 is placed over the upper end portion of the box body 10 to close the upper opening of the box body 10 (see Fig. 4). The lid member 29 can be attached to (placed over) or removed from the box body manually by an operator.

[0042] The plate-like body conveying box of this embodiment is designed to convey multiple plate-like bodies P held in the upright position in a row in the front-back direction with the bottom sides of the plate-like bodies P extending in the right-left direction.

[0043] The lateral side support groove member 16 supports left lateral sides of the plate-like bodies P, and includes multiple grooves extending in the up-down direction formed in a row in the front-back direction, in which the left lateral sides of the plate-like bodies P are fitted. The lateral side support groove member 16 is fixed to the left side panel 13. Therefore, the lateral side support groove member 16 serves as a fixed lateral side support groove member.

[0044] The first and second bottom side support groove members 17 and 18 support the bottom sides of the plate-like bodies P, and respectively include bottom side support groove bodies 17a, 18a having multiple grooves extending in the right- left direction (in a direction in which the bottom sides of the plate-like bodies P extend) formed in a row in the front-back direction, in which the bottom sides of the plate-like bodies P are fitted, and metal frames 17b, 18b on which the support groove bodies 17a, 18a are mounted. The first bottom side support groove member 17 and the second bottom side support groove member 18 are spaced apart from each other in the right- left direction by a predetermined distance.

[0045] The bottom side support groove bodies 17a, 18a and the frames 17b, 18b may be provided with corresponding convex and concave portions so that the convex portions are fitted in the concave portions to prevent the bottom side support groove bodies 17 a, 18a from falling off from the frames 17b, 18b. The bottom side support groove bodies 17a, 18a are formed by a material, such as foamed polystyrene resin, which does not scratch or contaminate the plate-like bodies P.

[0046] As described above, the bottom sides of the plate-like bodies P are received by the separate first and second bottom side support groove members 17 and 18, and a space is provided between the support groove members 17 and 18. A standing place for the operator during the operation of putting the plate-like bodies P in the conveying box is formed in the space. In this embodiment, the foot support member 26 that withstands the weight of the operator is provided as the standing place. The foot support member 26 may, for example, be formed by a metal (iron) plate which may desirably be provided with a slip resistant pattern. The foot support member 26 may be disposed only on an area corresponding to the space, or the entire bottom panel 15 may be reinforced by the foot support member 26. With this arrangement, the operator can place the large and heavy plate-like bodies P at the rear part of the conveying box, i.e., positions near the rear panel 12, with less strain on his or her lower back.

[0047] It should be noted that the foot support member 26 as described above may not necessarily be provided to form the standing place. If the bottom panel 15 itself has a sufficient strength, an area on the bottom panel 15 corresponding to the space between the first bottom side support groove member 17 and the second side support groove member 18 can be used as the standing place without additional structure.

[0048] The positions of the first bottom side support groove member 17 and the second bottom side support groove member 18 are adjustable so that the plate-like bodies P having a different size can also be held appropriately. Now, this arrangement will be described with reference to Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6.

[0049] The heights of the positions of the first bottom side support groove member 17 and the second side support groove member 18 are adjustable by height adjusting mechanisms between two positions: a lower position corresponding to large-size plate- like bodies Pl (the position indicated by solid lines in Fig. 4) and a higher position corresponding to small-size plate-like bodies P2 (the position indicated by chain double- dashed lines in Fig. 4) so that any of the large-size plate-like bodies Pl or the small- size plate-like bodies P2 can be appropriately held in the conveying box.

[0050] The height adjusting mechanism for the first bottom side support groove member 17 is formed by the pair of front and back bearings 19, the pair of front and back support members 21, and a support shaft 17c provided at the first bottom side support groove member 17.

[0051] Each bearing 19 is formed by a plate-like body extending in the up-down direction, which is joined to the bottom panel 15 and the left side panel 13, and has two bearing grooves 19a formed at positions corresponding to the higher position and the lower position. The bearing grooves 19a are inclined such that the outer sides thereof are lower than the inner sides, and are open at the upper sides thereof.

[0052] Each support member 21 is formed by a lower position support member 21 having a length corresponding to the lower position and a higher position support member 21 having a length corresponding to the higher position, which are rotatably supported at the base ends thereof by a shaft 21b on the bottom panel 15. Each support member 21 has a concave fitting portion 21a formed at the tip thereof, which engages with a lower portion of the first bottom side support groove member 17 at the side near the center in the right-left direction.

[0053] The support shaft 17c is provided at the outer side in the right-left direction of the first bottom side support groove member 17 to project from both the front and back sides of the first bottom side support groove member 17, and is fitted in the bearing grooves 19a of the bearings 19.

[0054] To set the first bottom side support groove member 17 in the lower position, the operator once lifts up the first bottom side support groove member 17, and then lifts down the first bottom side support groove member 17 to fit the support shaft 17c in the bearing grooves 19a of the bearings 19 corresponding to the lower position. Then, the operator sets the lower position support members 21 in the upright position, and engages the concave fitting portions 21 at the tip of the lower position support members 21 with the lower portions of the support groove member 17 at the side near the center in the right- left direction. The engagement between the concave fitting portions 21a and the lower portions of the support groove 17 at the side near the center in the right-left direction is achieved in the same manner as the second bottom side support groove member 18 and concave fitting portions 22a of support members 22 as shown in Fig. 6, which will be described later.

[0055] To set the first bottom side support groove member 17 in the higher position, the operator once lifts up the first bottom side support groove member 17, and then lifts down the first bottom side support groove member 17 to fit the support shaft 17c in the bearing grooves 19a of the bearings corresponding to the higher position. Then, the operator sets the higher position support members 21 in the upright position, and engages the concave fitting portions 21a at the tip of the higher position support members 21 with the lower portions of the support groove 17 at the side near the center in the right-left direction. The engagement between the concave fitting portions 21a and the lower portions of the support groove 17 at the side near the center in the right- left direction is achieved in the same manner as the case of the lower position support members 21.

[0056] The height adjusting mechanism for the second bottom side support groove member 18 is formed by the pair of front and back bearings 20, the pair of front and back support members 22, and a support shaft 18c provided at the second bottom side support groove member 18.

[0057] Each bearing 20 is formed by a plate-like body extending in the up-down direction, which is joined to the support frame 25 and a sliding member 30 joined to the support frame 25, and has two bearing grooves 20a formed at positions corresponding to the higher position and the lower position. The bearing grooves 20a are inclined such that the outer sides thereof are lower than the inner sides, and are open at the upper sides thereof.

[0058] Each support member 22 has a length corresponding to the higher position, and is rotatably supported at the base end thereof by a shaft 22b on the bottom panel 15. Each support member 22 has a concave fitting portion 22a formed at the tip thereof, which engages with a lower portion of the second bottom side support groove member 18 at the side near the center in the right-left direction.

[0059] The support shaft 18c is provided at the outer side in the right- left direction of the second bottom side support groove member 18 to project from both the front and back sides of the second bottom side support groove member 18, and is fitted in the bearing grooves 20a of the bearings 20. The second bottom side support groove member 18 is provided with support members 18d, which project toward the center in the right- left direction and then extend downward. When the bottom side support groove member 18 is set in the lower position, the support members 18d support the bottom side support groove member 18 at positions near the center in the right- left direction. The length of each support member 18d can be adjusted by a screw structure.

[0060] The position of the second bottom side support groove member 18 is adjustable in the right-left direction as well as in the height direction to appropriately support the small size plate-like bodies P2. In order to adjust the position in the right-left direction of the second bottom side support groove member 18, the support frame 25, the bearings 20 and the sliding members 30 are configured to be slidable together in the right-left direction along the guide rails 27. Further, each sliding member 30 includes a retaining screw 35 and each guide rail 27 includes threaded holes 36 in positions correspond to the widths (lengths in the right-left direction) of the large size plate-like body Pl and the small size plate-like body P2 to secure each bearing 20 in the position correspond to the width of the large or small size plate-like bodies Pl or P2.

[0061] To set the second bottom side support groove member 18 in the lower position, the support frame 25 and the bearings 20 are set in the position in the right-left direction corresponding to the width of the large size plate-like bodies Pl (the position indicated by solid lines in Fig. 6), and the retaining screws 35 are screwed in the threaded holes 36 formed in the position corresponding to the width of the large size plate-like bodies Pl. Then, the operator once lifts up the second bottom side support groove member 18, and lifts down the second bottom side support groove member 18 to fit the support shaft 18c in the bearing grooves 20a of the bearings corresponding to the lower position and place the support members 18d provided at the side near the center in the right-left direction of the bottom side support groove member 18 on the guide rails 27.

[0062] To set the second bottom side support groove member 18 in the higher position, the support frame 25 and the bearings 20 are set in the position in the right-left direction corresponding to the width of the small size plate-like bodies P2 (the position indicated by chain double-dashed lines in Fig. 6), and the retaining screws 35 are screwed in the threaded holes 36 formed in the position corresponding to the width of the small size plate-like bodies P2. Then, the operator once lifts up the second bottom side support groove member 18, and lifts down the second bottom side support groove member 18 to fit the support shaft 18c in the bearing grooves 20a of the bearings corresponding to the higher position. Then, the operator set the support members 21 in the upright position, and engages the lower portions at the side near the center in the right-left direction of the support groove member 18 with the concave fitting portions 21a formed at the tips of the support members 21. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, the frame 18b of the second bottom side support groove member 18 is formed by an L- shaped member having an L-shaped cross section, and the lower end portions of a side extending downward of the L-shaped member are fitted in the concave fitting portions 22a of the support members 22 to support the second bottom side support groove member 18.

[0063] Since the above-described height adjusting mechanisms formed by the bearing 19, 20 having the bearing grooves 19a, 20a, the support members 21, 22 and the support shafts 17c, 18c are provided, the operator can easily adjust the height of the first and second bottom side support groove members 17, 18 correspondingly to the height of either of the large or small size plate-like bodies Pl or P2 by himself or herself simply by lifting up the bottom side support groove members 17, 18, lifting down the bottom side support groove members 17, 18 to fit the support shafts 17c, 18c in the bearing grooves 19a, 20a, rotating and setting the support members 21, 22 in the upright position, and fitting the lower portions at the side near the center in the right-left direction of the support groove members 17, 18 in the fitting portions 21a, 22a of the support members 21, 22.

[0064] It should be noted that each sliding member 30 includes a verticality adjusting screw 37. The screw 37 is screwed in a threaded hole formed in the sliding member 30 and the tip of the screw can abut on the upper surface of the guide rail 27. By turning the screw 37 to adjust an amount of projection thereof from the sliding member 30, the verticality of the support frame 25 can be adjusted. By appropriately adjusting the verticality, the bottom sides of the plate-like bodies P can optimally be supported by the second bottom side support groove member 18, and the right lateral sides of the plate- like bodies P can optimally be supported by the support finger assembly 23 and the support groove member 24. It should be noted that the verticality adjusting screw 37 is not illustrated for the case where the second bottom side support groove member 18 is set in the higher position, which is indicated by chain double-dashed lines, in Figs. 4 and 6.

[0065] The support finger assembly 23 is fixed to the upper end of the support frame 25. Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the support finger assembly 23. As shown in the drawing, the support finger assembly 23 includes a shaft 23a extending in the front- back direction, support fingers 23b supported by the shaft 23a to be rotatable in the direction of arrow B, spacers 23c disposed between each adjacent pair of support fingers 23b, a bracket member 23d supporting the shaft 23a at the ends thereof in the front-back direction, and a weight 38 extending in the front-back direction and supported by the shaft 23 via arms 38 a. It should be noted that the weight 38 is not shown in Fig. 1, and the support finger assembly 23 and the support groove member 24, which will be described later, are not shown in Fig. 5.

[0066] The support fingers 23b are made of a resin, and are disposed at the same pitch as the pitch of the grooves of the lateral side support groove member 16 and the bottom side support groove members 17, 18. The thickness of each spacer 23c corresponds to the thickness of each plate-like body P to be placed.

[0067] The support groove member 24 supports the right lateral sides of the plate-like bodies P, and is disposed at the middle in the height direction of the support frame 25, as shown in Fig. 4. Similarly to the lateral side support groove member 16, the support groove member 24 includes a support groove member body 24a having grooves extending in the up-down direction formed in a row in the front-back direction. The support groove member body 24a is supported by pivot bearings 24b disposed at tips of arms extending from the support frame 25 to be rotatable in the direction of arrow C. The support groove member 24 is movable together with the support frame 25 in the right-left direction, and therefore serves as a moveable lateral side support groove member, in contrast to the above-described fixed lateral side support groove member 16.

[0068] As shown in Fig. 10, the casters 28 are shock absorbing-type casters, each including a conveying wheel 28a, a wheel-side bracket 28b to rotatably support the wheel 28a, a box body-side bracket 28c attached to the box body 10, a shaft 28d disposed at the box body-side bracket 28c to rotatably support the wheel-side bracket 28b on the box body- side bracket 28c, and a spring 28e disposed between the brackets 28b and 28c. With this type of caster, the spring 28e serving as a shock absorber absorbs impact during conveyance of the plate-like bodies, thereby preventing the plate-like bodies from being damaged, even if the plate-like bodies being conveyed are made of a brittle material.

[0069] Next, a procedure for putting the plate-like bodies P in the plate-like body conveying box will be described. First, a case of the large size plate-like bodies Pl is described.

[0070] In this case, the support frame 25 is set and fixed in the position indicated by solid lines in Fig. 4 (the position corresponding to the width of the large size plate-like bodies) with the retaining screw 35 screwed in the threaded hole 36 formed in the position corresponding to the width of the large size plate-like bodies. Further, the rearmost (innermost) support finger 23b of the support fingers 23b of the support finger assembly 23 is set in a supporting position, i.e., to extend toward the center in the right-left direction as shown in Fig. 4, and the remaining support fingers 23b are rotated to be set in a retracted position, i.e., the upright position as shown in Fig. 9. At this time, the weight 38 is similarly rotated to be set in a retracted position as shown in Fig. 9. The body 24a of the support groove member 24 is also set in a retracted position, which is the upright position, by being rotated upward about the shaft 24b by 90 degrees from the state shown in Fig. 4. The first and second bottom side support groove members 17, 18 are set in the lower position indicated by solid lines in Fig. 4.

[0071] Thereafter, the operator holding the large size plate-like body Pl stands on the foot support member 26, and fits the left lateral side and the bottom side of the plate-like body Pl in the rearmost (innermost) grooves of the support groove members 16, 17 and 18. Then, the operator makes the upper right portion of the plate-like body Pl to abut on and be supported by the front side of the rearmost support finger 23b set in the supporting position, and rotates the second support finger 23b from the rear into the supporting position so that the upper right portion of the plate-like body Pl is held between these two support fingers 23b.

[0072] Similarly, the subsequent plate-like bodies are put in the conveying box one by one from the rear side of the box, and when a predetermined number of plate-like bodies have been put in the box, the weight 38 is rotated to be placed on the support fingers 23b, as shown in Fig. 4. Then, the support groove member 24 is rotated to be set in the supporting position, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the right lateral sides of the plate-like bodies Pl fit in the corresponding grooves of the support groove member 24 and the support groove member 24 supports the right lateral sides of the plate-like bodies Pl. Finally, the lid member 29 is placed over the box body 10.

[0073] The weight 38 placed on the support fingers 23b prevents the support fingers 23b from being rotated upward due to vibration during conveyance and being unable to support plate-like bodies P.

[0074] In a case where the small size plate-like bodies P2 are put in the conveying box, the support frame 25 is set in the position indicated by chain double-dashed lines in Fig. 4 (the position corresponding to the width of the small size plate-like bodies), and the retaining screw 35 is screwed and fixed in the threaded hole 36 formed in the position corresponding to the width of the small size plate-like bodies. The support fingers 23b of the support finger assembly 23 and the support groove member 24 are set in the same manner as in the case of the large size plate-like body Pl. The first and second bottom side support groove members 17 and 18 are set in the higher position indicated by chain double-dashed lines in Fig. 4.

[0075] The subsequent operations are the same as those in the case of the large size plate- like bodies Pl, and therefore the description thereof is not repeated.

[0076] Next, a procedure for taking out the plate-like bodies P from the conveying box will be described. To take out the plate-like bodies P, first, the operator removes the lid member 29, and then removes the front panel 11 and the rear panel 12. Then, the operator folds the side panel upper portions 13b, 14b of left and right side panels 13, 14 outward by rotating them about the shafts 13d, 14d of the hinges. In this state, a robot holds the upper portion of each plate-like body P and lifts up the plate-like body P to take out the plate-like body P from the conveying box.

[0077] Since the robot holds the upper portion of each plate-like body P between parts thereof to take out the plate-like body P from the conveying box, it is desirable to have the plate-like bodies P project above the box body 10 of the conveying box to provide higher freedom of motion of an arm and plate-like body holding parts of the robot. However, if an arrangement in which the plate-like bodies P are set in advance to project above the box body 10 were employed, the lid member 29 of the conveying box would have to be deeper by an amount of projection of the plate-like bodies P. This would increase the size and the weight of the lid member and make it difficult for the operator to remove the lid member by himself or herself. In contrast, with the above-described mechanism in which the side panel upper portions 13a, 14a of the left and right side panels 13, 14 are foldable outward, the shallow and light lid member can be used and the operator can easily place and remove the lid member by himself or herself.

[0078] In the above-described embodiment, the magnets are provided at the front panel 11 and the rear panel 12 and the attracted portions to be attracted to the magnets (the metal frames of the left and right side panels 13, 14 in the above-described embodiment) are provided at the left and right side panels 13, 14. However, if the left and right side panels 13, 14 do not include the metal frames, attracted portions made of a ferromagnetic material to be attracted to the magnets may be provided at the corresponding portions. Alternatively, the magnets may be provided at the left and right side panels 13 and 14 and the attracted portions formed by the ferromagnetic material may be provided at the front panel 11 and the rear panel 12.

Claims

[1] A plate-like body conveying box with bottom side support groove members (17,

18) to receive bottom sides of plate-like bodies (P) to hold the plate-like bodies in an upright position, characterized in that the bottom side support groove members comprises a first bottom side support groove member (17) and a second bottom side support groove member (18) spaced apart from each other in a direction in which the bottom sides of the plate-like bodies extend, and a standing place (26) for an operator to put the plate-like bodies in the plate-like body conveying box is provided between the first and second bottom side support groove members (17, 18).

[2] The plate-like body conveying box as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a lateral side support groove member (16) to receive lateral sides of the plate-like bodies (P), wherein the first bottom side support groove member (17) is disposed at a side near the lateral side support groove member and the second bottom side support groove member (18) is movable in the direction in which the bottom sides of the plate-like bodies extend.

[3] The plate-like body conveying box as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a height adjusting mechanism to allow height adjustment of the first bottom side support groove member (17) and the second bottom side support groove member (18).

[4] The plate-like body conveying box as claimed in claim 3, wherein the height adjusting mechanism comprises: support shafts (17c, 18c) each projecting from the first or second bottom side support groove member (17, 18); bearings (19, 20) comprising bearing grooves (19a, 20a) formed at a predefined height to receive the support shafts, each bearing groove extending obliquely and being open at an upper side thereof; and support members (21, 22) having a length corresponding to the height of the bearing grooves, a base end of each support member being rotatably supported, and each support member comprising a fitting portion (21a, 22a) at a tip thereof to engage with the first or the second bottom side support groove member.

[5] The plate-like body conveying box as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a box body (10) comprising a front panel (11), a rear panel (12), a left side panel (13), a right side panel (14) and a bottom panel (15), wherein portions (13b, 14b) of the left and right side panels above shafts (13d, 14d) disposed at a predetermined height are outwardly foldable about the shafts.

[6] The plate-like body conveying box as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein magnets (1 Ic) are provided at one of an inner surface of the front panel or sides of the left and right side panels facing the front panel, and attracted portions to be attracted to the magnets are provided at the other of the inner surface of the front panel or the sides of the left and right side panels facing the front panel.

[7] The plate-like body conveying box as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the box body further comprising conveying wheels (28a), and a shock absorber (28e) is disposed between each wheel and the box body.