KR20080016546A - Board conveying apparatus and conveying method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate conveying apparatus having a good workability that can convey a substrate without dragging the vacuum pump and the power cord of the vacuum pump during transportation. In the conveyance apparatus of the board | substrate which hold | maintains and conveys the board | substrate by attaching a some adsorption pad to a main body, and vacuum-adsorbing a board | substrate with these adsorption pads, The said suction pad is provided with the vacuum chamber through a 1st valve, And the vacuum chamber is detachably mounted to the vacuum pump via the second valve and the connecting portion.

Description

Board conveying apparatus and conveying method {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRANSFERRING SUBSTRATE}

This invention relates to the conveyance apparatus of the board | substrate for conveying thin glass substrates, such as for flat panel displays by an operator, and a conveyance method of a board | substrate.

As one of the manufacturing methods of the thin glass substrate for flat panel displays, such as a liquid crystal display, the manufacturing method using the shaping | molding method called a float method is known. This manufacturing method forms the molten glass into a plate shape by the said float method, and makes a thin plate shape with a thickness of 0.5-1.1 mm by grind | polishing and removing the fine unevenness | corrugation and the wave of the surface of a glass plate with a grinding | polishing apparatus after that. to be.

The glass substrates tend to be enlarged in size due to the large screen of recent displays. Therefore, when a worker grips and conveys a large thin glass substrate (for example, one side exceeding 1500 mm) in a glass substrate manufacturing plant or a liquid crystal display assembly plant, the glass substrate is heavy, and an unnecessary external force is applied. It was difficult because the thin glass substrate was easily broken. Then, as a conveyance apparatus of the board | substrate which conveys a thin glass substrate, the apparatus shown by patent document 1 is known, for example.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a substrate transfer arm used for a transfer robot, and a plurality of vacuum adsorption units are provided at the tip of the substrate transfer arm. According to this conveyance robot, a board | substrate conveyance arm is moved to the receiving position of a board | substrate, and a vacuum adsorption | suction is carried out and hold | maintains a board | substrate here by a vacuum adsorption part. Thereafter, the substrate transport arm is moved along a predetermined trajectory, and the substrate is transported to the delivery position.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-133694

Disclosure of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

Although the conveyance of a board | substrate by a vacuum adsorption part is suitable for conveyance of a large sized board | substrate from the point which can be conveyed without applying unnecessary external force to a board | substrate, since the trajectory is restrict | limited in the conveying apparatus by the robot of patent document 1, a board | substrate is appropriately prescribed | regulated. There was a drawback that it was not suitable for conveyance to the position of.

On the other hand, a conveying apparatus in which a plurality of suction pads are provided on a frame with a handle and these suction pads are connected to a vacuum pump via a hose is known. This conveying apparatus has the advantage that it can convey the board | substrate vacuum-adsorbed to the adsorption pad to the predetermined position suitably by the worker holding the handle, but since it is necessary to pull the power cord of a hose and a vacuum pump at the time of conveyance, In addition, the conveyance range was limited and workability was bad.

This invention is made | formed in view of such a situation, and an object of this invention is to provide the conveying apparatus and conveyance method for conveying a board | substrate with favorable workability.

Means to solve the problem

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a substrate transfer apparatus for transporting a substrate by mounting a plurality of adsorption pads on a main body and vacuum adsorbing the substrate by the adsorption pads. A vacuum chamber is provided through one valve, and the vacuum chamber provides a transfer device for a substrate, wherein the vacuum pump is detachably mounted via the second valve and the connecting portion.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the substrate conveying apparatus is used in which the vacuum pump is separated from the vacuum chamber at the connecting portion.

Moreover, this invention is a conveyance method of the board | substrate which conveys the board | substrate by carrying out the vacuum adsorption | suction of a board | substrate by these adsorption pads, and a some adsorption pad is attached to a main body, The said suction pad is a vacuum chamber via a 1st valve. The vacuum pump is detachably mounted to the vacuum chamber via the second valve and the connecting portion. First, the second valve is opened while closing the first valve before adsorption of the substrate, and the vacuum chamber is connected to the vacuum pump. To the vacuum state, the second valve is then closed, the vacuum pump is disconnected from the vacuum chamber at the connecting portion, the adsorption pad of the conveying device is brought into contact with the substrate, and the adsorption pad is positioned with respect to the substrate. After the determination, the first valve is opened, the substrate is vacuum-adsorbed with an adsorption pad, and then the substrate is returned to the predetermined position by conveying the conveying device to the predetermined position. It provides a transport method of the substrate characterized in that.

According to the present invention described above, the second valve is opened while the first valve is closed before adsorption of the substrate, and the vacuum chamber is brought into a vacuum state by a vacuum pump. After that, the second valve is closed, and the vacuum pump is disconnected from the vacuum chamber at the connecting portion. Next, after the adsorption pad of the conveying apparatus is brought into contact with the substrate, the adsorption pad is positioned with respect to the substrate, the first valve is opened, and the substrate is vacuum adsorbed by the adsorption pad. By the above, a board | substrate is hold | maintained in the conveyance apparatus of a board | substrate. After that, the operator transports the conveying apparatus to appropriately convey the substrate held in the conveying apparatus to a predetermined position. Therefore, since a board | substrate can be conveyed without dragging a vacuum pump, the hose of a vacuum pump, and the power cord of a vacuum pump, the workability of board | substrate conveyance improves significantly.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the main body is constituted by a plurality of frames, and these frames have a hollow frame, and the hollow frame is also used as the vacuum chamber.

Thus, since at least one part of the frame which comprises a main body was made into the hollow frame, and this hollow frame was also used as a vacuum chamber, component number can be reduced. For example, the frame of the main body connects commercially available high-strength aluminum pipes in a lattice shape, attaches suction pads thereto, and crosses the hollow angled pipe at an angle to the lattice-shaped frame. It is comprised by providing in one shape. And by using each hollow pipe as a vacuum chamber, the conveyance apparatus with a high rigidity of components can be provided at least.

In another preferable embodiment of this invention, the said vacuum chamber has the volume from which the vacuum which can hold | maintain the said board | substrate repeatedly by the said adsorption pad is obtained.

Since the vacuum chamber has a volume capable of securing a vacuum capable of repeatedly holding the substrate several times, it is not necessary to evacuate the vacuum chamber with a vacuum pump for each transfer. Thereby, since the frequency | count of the vacuum suction in a vacuum pump can be reduced, workability further improves.

Effects of the Invention

According to the conveyance apparatus of the board | substrate which concerns on this invention, and its conveyance method, a vacuum chamber can be formed in the adsorption pad provided in the main body through a 1st valve, and a vacuum pump can be attached or detached to this vacuum chamber via a 2nd valve and a connection part. In this case, the vacuum pump can be separated from the vacuum chamber at the connecting portion at the time of conveyance of the substrate, and the substrate can be conveyed without dragging the vacuum pump, the hose of the vacuum pump, and the power cord of the vacuum pump. Therefore, the workability of board | substrate conveyance can be improved significantly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a perspective view which shows the example of use of the conveyance apparatus of the board | substrate of this invention.

It is a top view which shows the whole structure of the conveyance apparatus of the board | substrate of FIG.

3 is a side view of the conveying apparatus for the substrate of FIG. 2.

It is a side view of the conveying apparatus in the state which removed the vacuum pump from the vacuum chamber.

It is a side view of the conveying apparatus in the state which removed the conveying apparatus from the thin glass substrate.

Explanation of the sign

G: thin glass substrate

10: conveying apparatus of substrate

12: frame

14: main body

16: adsorption pad

18: vacuum chamber (each pipe in hollow)

20: worker

22: handle

24: hose

26: 3 port valve (equivalent to the first valve)

28: on-off valve (equivalent to the second valve)

30: Coupler (equivalent to the connection)

32: Coupler (equivalent to the connection)

34: hose

36: vacuum pump

38: power cord

40: pressure gauge

42: hose

44: pressure gauge

Implement the invention  Best form for

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, according to an accompanying drawing, preferable embodiment of the conveyance apparatus of the board | substrate which concerns on this invention, and its conveyance method is demonstrated in detail.

FIG. 1: is a perspective view which showed the example of use of the conveying apparatus 10 which conveys the thin glass substrate G used for a liquid crystal display. This thin glass substrate G is a large one in which one side manufactured by grinding | polishing removal of the minute unevenness | corrugation and a wave | surface of the surface by the grinding | polishing apparatus the float plate glass shape | molded at the plate thickness of about 0.5-1.1 mm is larger than 1500 mm. Although this invention is suitable for conveyance of such a thin large sized board | substrate, the magnitude | size and thickness of a board | substrate are not limited. In addition, the board | substrate applied to this invention is not limited to the thin glass substrate G for liquid crystal displays, The glass substrate used for a plasma display may be sufficient, and the glass substrate etc. used for a solar cell may be sufficient.

The conveying apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 has predetermined | prescribed in the whole body 14 and the main body 14 comprised by assembling and mounting commercially available high rigidity aluminum pipes 12 and 12 in a grid | lattice form. It consists of the rubber adsorption pads 16, 16 ... provided in large intervals, and each hollow pipe 18,18 etc. provided in the shape which obliquely crossed to the main body 14. As shown in FIG. Each of these pipes 18 and 18 constitutes a part of the main body 14, but the conveying apparatus of the present invention uses the internal space of each of the pipes 18 and 18 as a vacuum chamber. That is, each pipe 18 and 18 is used as a vacuum chamber. In the conveyance apparatus 10, the aluminum pipes 12 and 12 ... may be solid, and frame materials other than aluminum can also be used. If the hollow pipes 18 and 18 are also hollow frames, their shapes can be determined appropriately. Hereinafter, each pipe 18 is replaced with the vacuum chamber 18 and demonstrated.

In the conveying apparatus 10, the handles 22, 22 held by the workers 20, 20 are provided to protrude laterally from the end of the frame 12 on the left and right sides of the main body 14, This handle 22 may be provided not only on two sides of the main body 14 but also on four sides. In addition, although not shown in figure, the leg part for placing the main body 14 in the state which stood up on the floor surface etc. may be provided in the side in which the handles 22 and 22 of the main body 14 are not provided.

The suction pads 16 and 16 ... of the conveying device 10 are communicated through the hoses 24 branched by the number of suction pads 16 as shown in FIG. It is connected to the vacuum chamber 18 via the port valve (corresponding to the 1st valve) 26. In addition, the vacuum chamber 18 is connected to the coupler (corresponding to the connecting portion) 30 via an on / off valve (corresponding to the second valve) 28, and the coupler 30 (corresponding to the connecting portion) 32 is connected to the coupler 30. Is detachably connected. The coupler 32 is connected to a vacuum pump 36 via a hose 34. Therefore, the vacuum pump 36 is attachable to and detachable from the vacuum chamber 18 via the couplers 30 and 32. The three-port valve 26, the open / close valve 28, and the coupler 30 are mounted to the main body 14, and are manually operated and detached by the operator 20.

In addition, 38 in FIG. 2 is a power supply cord of the vacuum pump 36. As shown in FIG. In the conveying apparatus 10 of this invention, since it is not necessary to carry around the power cord 38 during conveyance, the power cord 38 is not the long wound around a reel, but the short thing of about several meters is used. In FIG. 3, the code | symbol 40 is a pressure gauge which measures the vacuum degree of the vacuum chamber 18, and is provided in the hose 42 which connects the vacuum chamber 18 and the 3-port valve 26. In FIG. Reference numeral 44 is a pressure gauge for measuring the vacuum degree of the hose 24, that is, the vacuum degree of each suction pad 12. The operator 20 can grasp | ascertain the present vacuum degree of the conveying apparatus 10, the leak at the time of adsorption, etc. by visually confirming the decompression degree displayed on these pressure gauges 40 and 44. FIG. Thereby, the large thin glass substrate G can be conveyed with high safety.

Next, the effect | action of the conveyance apparatus 10 of the board | substrate comprised as mentioned above is demonstrated with reference to drawings.

As shown in FIG. 3, before the adsorption of the thin glass substrate G, the 3 port valve 26 is switched to the closed port 26A, the 3 port valve 26 is closed, and the opening / closing valve 28 is opened. do. Next, the coupler 30, 32 is connected, and the vacuum chamber 18 and the vacuum pump 36 are connected. Next, the vacuum pump 36 is driven, and after confirming by the measurement gauge 40 that the vacuum chamber 18 reached the vacuum state, the vacuum pump 36 is stopped. Thereby, preparation of the adsorption holding of the thin glass substrate G by the conveying apparatus 10 is completed.

Next, after closing the opening / closing valve 28 and shutting off the vacuum chamber 18 and the vacuum pump 36, the vacuum is removed from the vacuum chamber 18 by removing the coupler 32 from the coupler 30 as shown in FIG. Disconnect the pump 36.

Next, after the operator 20 moves the conveying apparatus 10 to the receiving position of the thin glass substrate G, the adsorption pads 16 and 16 of the conveying apparatus 10 are performed by the operator 20. Is brought into contact with the thin glass substrate (G). And after positioning the adsorption pads 16 and 16 ... with respect to the thin glass substrate G, the 3-port valve 26 is switched to the open port 26B, and the 3-port valve 26 is opened, The thin glass substrate G is vacuum-adsorbed by the adsorption pads 16 and 16... The thin glass substrate G is hold | maintained by the conveying apparatus 10 by the above operation.

Thereafter, the thin glass substrate G held by the conveying apparatus 10 as shown in FIG. 1 is appropriately conveyed to a predetermined delivery position by the operator 20, 20 transporting the main body 14. Therefore, during this conveyance, the thin glass substrate G can be conveyed without dragging the vacuum pump 36, the hose 34 of the vacuum pump 36, and the power cord 38 of the vacuum pump 36. As a result, the workability of substrate transfer is greatly improved. And when the thin glass substrate G is conveyed to the water supply position, the three-port valve 26 is switched to the closed port 26A as shown in FIG. 5, and the adsorption pads 16 and 16 are provided through the closed port 26A. ·) Open to the atmosphere. Thereby, since the adsorption force of the adsorption pad 16, 16 ... is lost, the main body 14 of the conveying apparatus 10 can be isolate | separated from the thin glass substrate G. As shown in FIG.

Subsequently, when conveying the 2nd thin glass substrate G, as shown in FIG. 4, after moving the main body 14 to the receiving position of the thin glass substrate G, the adsorption pad 16, The 16 -...) abuts on the thin glass substrate G, the 3 port valve 26 is opened, and the thin glass substrate G is vacuum-suctioned to the adsorption pads 16 and 16 .... After that, what is necessary is just to convey thin glass substrate G using the conveying apparatus 10 as mentioned above.

In the conveying apparatus 10 of this example, since the pipes 18 and 18 which comprise the hollow frame among the pipes which comprise the main body 14 are also used as the vacuum chamber 18 as mentioned above, the number of parts is reduced. can do. That is, since each pipe 18 and 18 functions as a structural member of the main body 14, the structural member of the main body 14 can be reduced by that much, and since each pipe 18 and 18 also serves as a vacuum chamber, Therefore, a great advantage can be obtained that the vacuum channels do not need to be formed separately.

Moreover, in the said conveying apparatus 10, the vacuum chamber 18 hold | maintains the inside of an adsorption pad system at the reduced pressure which can hold | maintain the thin glass substrate G, and is a thin glass substrate (with a suction pad 16, 16 ...). It has a volume from which a vacuum capable of repeatedly holding G) several times (for example, five times) is obtained. For this reason, it is not necessary to vacuum suck the vacuum chamber 18 by the vacuum pump 28 for every one conveyance, and the frequency | count of the vacuum suction by the vacuum pump 28 can be reduced. This also improves workability.

Hereinafter, thin plate glass substrate (G), the volume V _2, the suction pad of the total volume V _1, the suction pad 16 of the vacuum chamber 18. System for holding several adsorption without vacuum suction by the suction pad 16 The relationship between the minimum holding pressure _Pmin of (16) is demonstrated.

The volume of the vacuum chamber 18 system (the system from the 3-port valve 26 to the inside of the vacuum chamber 18) is changed to V ₁ , the adsorption pad 16 system (the entire adsorption pad 16 from the 3-port valve 26). Volume of the gas present in the system V ₂ , the volume of the entire system (the vacuum chamber 18 system and the adsorption pad 16 system) is V ₁ + V ₂ , and the vacuum chamber 18 system. Unit: mole is n ₁ , the amount of gaseous substance (unit: mole) present in the adsorption pad 16 system is n ₂ , the gas constant is R, the thermodynamic temperature (unit: K) is T, and the vacuum chamber 18 is When the initial internal pressure is P ₁ and the initial internal pressure of the suction pad 16 is P ₂ ,

P ₁ V ₁ = n ₁ RT, P ₂ V ₂ = n ₂ RT

Where the initial value of P ₂ is atmospheric pressure.

For example, if P ₁ = 0 kPa under absolute pressure,

P ₁ = 0,

P ₂ V ₂ = n ₂ RT... (I).

Then, when the three-port valve 26 is switched to the open port 26B and the thin glass substrate G is adsorbed by the adsorption pad 16, the internal pressure P ₁ ′ of the vacuum chamber 18 is P ₁ ′ ( V ₁ + V ₂ ) = n ₂ RT = P ₂ V ₂ (P ₁ ′ is the internal pressure of the vacuum chamber 18 after the thin glass substrate G is adsorbed by the adsorption pad 16).

Therefore, P ₁ '= P ₂ V ₂ / (V ₁ + V ₂ ). At this time, gas of substance amount n ₂ (mol) exists in the entire system (vacuum chamber 18 system and adsorption pad 16 system) having a volume of V ₁ + V ₂ .

Next, when the three-port valve 26 is switched to the closed port 26A, the suction pads 16 and 16 are opened to the air, and the pressure of the suction pad 16 system reaches atmospheric pressure.

P ₁ 'V ₁ = {n ₂ V ₁ / (V ₁ + V ₂ )} RT

Becomes In addition, when the 3-port valve 26 is switched back to the opening port 26B and the thin glass substrate G is resorbed by the suction pad 16, the internal pressure P ₁ ″ of the vacuum chamber 18 is

P ₁ '' (V ₁ + V ₂ ) = [n ₂ + {n ₂ V ₁ / (V ₁ + V ₂ )} RT

(P ₁ '' is opened once after the thin glass substrate G is adsorbed by the adsorption pad 16, and the thin glass substrate G is adsorbed by the adsorption pad 16 again. Internal pressure of the vacuum chamber 18). in short,

P ₁ '' = [n ₂ + {n ₂ V ₁ / (V ₁ + V ₂ )}] RT / (V ₁ + V ₂ )

= (n ₂ / (V ₁ + V ₂ ) + n ₂ V ₁ / (V ₁ + V ₂ ) ² } RT

Becomes

On the other hand, since the equation (I) is RT = P ₂ V ₂ / n ₂ , and assuming that the adiabatic change is simplified, the equation (II) is

P ₁ '' = (n ₂ / (V ₁ + V ₂ ) + n ₂ V ₁ / (V ₁ + V ₂ ) ² } P ₂ V ₂ / n ₂ ... (III)

Where (III) is

P ₁ '' = (1 / (V ₁ + V ₂ ) + V ₁ / (V ₁ + V ₂ ) ² } P ₂ V ₂ ...

Where P ₂ is atmospheric pressure.

As described above, the conveying apparatus of the present invention is thin as long as the volumes V ₁ and V ₂ are determined and the minimum holding pressure P _min of the suction pad 16 is maintained to maintain the relationship of P ₁ ″ <P _min . The glass substrate G can be adsorb | sucked and opened many times.

In addition, in the conveying apparatus 10 of this example, although each pipe 18 and 18 which comprise a part of a main body also serves as a vacuum chamber, you may install a vacuum chamber separately in a main body only for the purpose of a vacuum chamber.

This invention is thin like a board | substrate for flat panel displays, such as a liquid crystal display, and is useful for conveyance of a large glass substrate.

In addition, all the content of the JP Patent application 2005-200051, the claim, drawing, and the abstract for which it applied on July 8, 2005 is referred here, and it introduces as an indication of the specification of this invention.

Claims (7)

In the conveyance apparatus of the board | substrate which conveys the board | substrate by attaching a some adsorption pad to a main body, and vacuum-suctioning a board | substrate with these adsorption pads, The suction pad is provided with a vacuum chamber via a first valve, and the vacuum chamber is detachably mounted with a vacuum pump through a connection portion with a second valve. The method of claim 1, The conveying apparatus of the said board | substrate is a board | substrate conveying apparatus with which the said vacuum pump is isolate | separated from the said vacuum chamber in the said connection part. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The main body is constituted by a plurality of frames, and these frames have a hollow frame, and the hollow frame is also used as the vacuum chamber. The method of claim 3, wherein The main body is configured by assembling and mounting a plurality of pipes in a lattice shape, further providing a hollow pipe in an oblique cross shape, wherein the hollow pipe is also used as the vacuum chamber. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, And said vacuum chamber has a volume from which a vacuum capable of repeatedly holding said substrate several times by said suction pad is obtained. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, And a pressure gauge for measuring the vacuum degree of the vacuum chamber and a pressure gauge for measuring the vacuum degree of the suction pad in the main body. As a conveyance method of the board | substrate which conveys the board | substrate by attaching several adsorption pads to a main body, and vacuum-suctioning a board | substrate with these adsorption pads, The suction pad is connected to the vacuum chamber via the first valve, and the vacuum pump is detachably mounted to the vacuum chamber via the second valve and the connecting portion. Firstly, the second valve is opened while the first valve is closed before adsorption of the substrate, and the vacuum chamber is brought into a vacuum state by a vacuum pump, Next, while closing the second valve, the vacuum pump is disconnected from the vacuum chamber in the connecting portion, Next, the adsorption pad of the conveying apparatus is brought into contact with the substrate, the adsorption pad is positioned with respect to the substrate, the first valve is opened, and the substrate is vacuum adsorbed by the adsorption pad, Thereafter, the substrate is conveyed to a predetermined position by conveying the conveying apparatus.

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