JP4290966B2 - Large thin plate material conveying apparatus and conveying method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To remarkably increase a conveying efficiency by increasing the number of sheets of large-sized sheet materials transportable at a time while holding the cleanliness thereof. <P>SOLUTION: In this conveying apparatus 1 for the large-sized sheet materials having a plurality of racks 2 arranged in the casing thereof for storing the large-sized sheet materials 3 between the racks 2, a large number of air jetting holes are provided in the upper surfaces of the racks 2, and air is fed into air flow passages for conducting air to the air jetting holes to float the thin sheet materials by the air so that the thin sheet materials can be retrieved from and stored into the casing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a conveying device and a conveying method for a large thin plate material for efficiently conveying a plurality of large thin plate materials, and in particular, a metal, rare metal, silicon, and planar type that require a high degree of cleanliness. It is an object of the present invention to provide a conveying device and a conveying method that are optimal for conveying large thin plate materials such as glass for display.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, materials such as thin metal, rare metal, silicon, glass, etc. used in the high-tech industry have been accelerating in size and shape as required due to significant progress in production technology. It is thin from millimeter to micron.
[0003]
For example, a thin glass material is used for a flat display such as a liquid crystal display or a plasma display, and the shape of the thin plate material has recently increased to a size exceeding 2 m as the display becomes larger. .
[0004]
Further, such a large-sized thin plate material requires high quality on its surface, and in particular, the flatness is required to be a mirror surface or the like, and the cleanliness is also required to have very strict management. Naturally, even when special processing is applied to such a material, it is required that no flaws or foreign matter in micron or submicron units are attached.
[0005]
It has been extremely difficult to efficiently convey the material while preventing such contamination while maintaining such cleanliness.
[0006]
As a method for conveying such a large thin plate material, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3, a protective film such as a film is laminated on the large thin plate material 3, and a slip sheet is used as a cushioning material between the large thin plate materials with the protective film. 10 is alternately stacked and conveyed by a large pallet or the like.
[0007]
In this method, a large amount of film is required, and a dedicated device for attaching or peeling the film on a large thin plate material is required, which raises a problem of increasing the conveyance cost. Moreover, in the case of mass production, there are many costs in terms of film treatment, etc., and if the film material cannot be reused, it must be discarded, resulting in waste of resources and environmental problems. The
[0008]
Moreover, in the method shown in FIG. 3, since a film is affixed on the surface of a large-sized thin plate material, the malfunction that the clean state of an advanced surface cannot be maintained also arises.
[0009]
In order to eliminate this drawback, as shown in FIG. 4, it is also known that a large thin plate material 3 and a frame-like interval holding material 11 as a cushioning material are alternately laminated and the laminate is packaged and packaged. Yes.
[0010]
Although this method has the advantage of eliminating the problems related to protective films such as films, it is a point that the material is contaminated at the frame, and in the case of easily damaged materials such as glass, it is subjected to local stress during transportation and cracks. There are disadvantages such as the risk of cracks and cracks. For this reason, it is necessary to add an extra length to the large-sized thin plate material in advance, resulting in a loss of material and a costly waste such as a re-cutting process.
[0011]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, when strict control of cleanliness is required (for example, when dew condensation due to dust, dust, dust or moisture during transportation or storage is not allowed), Thin glass plates 31 are accommodated at intervals of several tens of millimeters in a special case 30 made of a chemical substance such as polypropylene, which is very expensive, and its transportation and transportation costs are very high. In addition, since the special case 30 is formed of an organic substance, it is mechanically contaminated or damaged, and has a short period of use, such as a mechanical period. From the viewpoint of strength, for example, it is difficult to increase the size of the case so that a large-sized thin plate material having a side of 2 m or more can be accommodated.
[0012]
Furthermore, in the conventional thin plate material, the required size was mainly 1 m x 1 m or less, but recently, due to the dramatic technological innovation of the display, the size of the thin plate material used has been reduced to 1 m x 1 m. Beyond that, 2m x 2m class is required. Moreover, the demands for thin plate materials of 2 mm, 1 mm, 700 μm, 400 μm, and even 100 μm or less are being realized.
[0013]
In general, when the area is four times and the thickness is halved, most of the thin plate material has a large deflection due to its own weight, and it is necessary to secure a space of several centimeters between the thin plate materials during conveyance of the large thin plate material, The number of sheets that can be accommodated in a transfer device such as a transfer container cannot be increased, and efficient transfer has been difficult.
[0014]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-310145
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, in current conveyance of large thin plate materials, many proposals have been made at present to solve the above-mentioned situation, but the problem has not yet been largely solved. In other words, the half-finished method is partially optimal because it requires additional materials every time a measure is taken, special equipment is required, or man-hours are required. However, as a whole, the process is complicated, and high-cost automation and a robot system are required, so that the problems related to conveyance are slowing down the technology promotion of enlargement and thinning.
[0016]
The present invention solves the above-described various problems, maintains cleanliness for large thin plate materials, increases the number of sheets that can be conveyed at one time, and provides a conveying device and a conveying method for large thin plate materials with high conveyance efficiency. It is intended to provide.
[0017]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The large thin plate material conveying device of the present invention is a large thin plate material conveying device that accommodates and conveys a large thin plate material between a plurality of shelves arranged in a housing.
The shelf has a large number of air ejection holes formed on at least the upper surface and the lower surface of the shelf, and an air flow path that conducts air to the air ejection holes,
An air supply means for feeding air into the air flow path is provided.
[0018]
The large thin sheet material conveying device of the present invention can keep the large thin sheet material levitated on the shelf by the air ejected from the shelf, and the shelf and the large thin sheet material do not come into contact with each other. High cleanliness can always be maintained. In addition, since a conventional protective film such as a film is not used, it is possible to realize transportation that is low in cost and friendly to the environment.
[0019]
Furthermore, since the large thin plate material is levitated at a distance of about several millimeters from the shelf, it is possible to make the interval between the shelves closer to 10 mm or less, and more large thin plates can be obtained with one transport device. The material can be stored, and the conveyance efficiency can be greatly improved.
[0020]
Note that the air supply means can be detachably attached to the transport apparatus main body including the casing as necessary.
[0021]
Further, the air supply means may be operated so as to selectively send air into only an air flow path that is connected to an air ejection hole of a shelf for taking in and out a large thin plate material from a housing among a plurality of shelves. Good. By doing so, it is possible to effectively use the air and efficiently float the large thin plate material.
[0022]
It is desirable that the average number per unit area of the large number of air ejection holes formed on the upper surface and the lower surface of the shelf is such that the upper surface is larger than the lower surface.
[0023]
Thereby, the large thin plate material accommodated in the transfer device receives the levitation force by the air from the lower shelf and the pressing force by the air from the upper shelf that is weaker than the levitation force. The position in the vertical direction is stable, and safer transport is possible.
[0024]
Moreover, you may further provide the transfer means to move the large-sized thin plate material which can be accommodated between each said shelf in parallel with the upper surface of this shelf.
[0025]
If the transport means is provided, even when a large number of large thin plate materials are accommodated close to each other in the transport device, the transport device itself has a transport means for moving the large thin plate material in parallel to the upper surface of the shelf. It is very easy to store and carry out the large thin plate material from the transport device.
[0026]
Further, in the case of including a transfer means, the transfer mechanism includes a mechanism for inclining the housing, a mechanism for directly pressing the peripheral edge of the large thin plate material, a mechanism for injecting air inclined with respect to the normal direction of the surface of the shelf, And at least one of the mechanisms for moving the front large thin plate material using electromagnetic force.
[0027]
As a result, the large thin plate material can be moved in parallel to the upper surface of the shelf by only non-contact or minimal contact with the large thin plate material. Storage and unloading are also possible.
[0028]
Moreover, the said large sized sheet material conveying apparatus WHEREIN: You may further provide the holding means for suppressing the movement of the said large sized sheet material accommodated between each said shelf.
[0029]
By adding a holding means for suppressing the movement of the large thin plate material accommodated between the shelves, it is possible to perform more stable conveyance even with respect to a large impact during conveyance.
[0030]
In addition, when the large thin plate material containing the holding mechanism is selectively configured to perform holding / release operation as needed, for example, when taking out the large thin plate material from the transfer device, By releasing only the large thin plate material holding means, it is possible to prevent an unexpected situation in which another large thin plate material slides out of the conveying device.
[0031]
The air supply member is preferably either an air cylinder filled with compressed air or an air pump for supplying compressed air.
[0032]
Even when a large thin plate material is accommodated in the transfer device and transported, if an air supply member that can be incorporated in the transfer device, such as an air cylinder or an air pump, is provided, appropriate air ejection is always performed. And the effect of maintaining cleanliness can be further enhanced.
[0033]
In addition, when an air cylinder is used, a mechanical drive member is not required and the configuration becomes simple, and filling clean air contributes to maintenance of cleanliness.
[0034]
When an air pump is used, there is no need to worry about a drop in jetting air pressure due to a decrease in filling air unlike an air cylinder, and stable conveyance is always possible. In addition, only the air in the sealed transfer device is circulated and used by the air pump, thereby preventing the entry of external dust and dust and contributing to the maintenance of cleanliness.
[0035]
The method for conveying a large thin plate material according to the present invention uses the large thin sheet material conveying device according to the present invention and an auxiliary device for taking in and out the large thin sheet material into the conveying device. It is characterized by storing or carrying out.
[0036]
In this way, by using the auxiliary device for taking in and out the large thin plate material into and out of the transfer device, the cleanliness is a feature of the above-described transfer device for the large thin plate material of the present invention by performing the transfer without human resources. High maintenance power and high transport efficiency due to high-density transport are not impaired.
[0037]
In the method for transporting a large thin plate material, the auxiliary device preferably includes a levitation unit that floats air on the auxiliary device and a transfer unit that transports air in a substantially horizontal direction. Thereby, since a large-sized thin plate material is levitated and conveyed similarly to a conveyance apparatus main body, it becomes possible to maintain a high cleanliness.
[0038]
In addition, as a method for transporting the floated large thin plate material, the casing is tilted, the peripheral portion of the large thin plate material is directly pressed, and the air is ejected while tilting with respect to the normal direction of the shelf surface. Various methods that apply a load in the horizontal direction, such as moving the large thin plate material using electromagnetic force, can be employed.
[0039]
Another method for conveying a large thin plate material according to the present invention is to operate the air supply member when moving the large thin sheet material in a state in which the large thin sheet material is accommodated in the large thin sheet material conveying device according to the present invention. The large thin plate material is always kept in a state of being levitated from the shelf.
[0040]
As a result, the large thin plate material accommodated in the transfer device is always kept in a levitated state even during the transfer of the device, so that the cleanliness can be maintained and the mechanical impact is directly transmitted to the large thin plate material. There is no risk of damage.
[0041]
Further, another large thin plate material conveying method of the present invention is a large thin sheet material and a shelf when the large thin plate material conveying device of the present invention is moved while the large thin plate material is accommodated. And a large-sized thin plate material is placed on the buffer material and moved.
[0042]
Thus, even when clean pressure air is not supplied due to malfunction of the air supply member, for example, by placing the cushioning material in the minimum necessary place, such as only the peripheral edge of the large thin plate material In the worst case, the risk of breakage can be avoided.
[0043]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.
[0044]
In the transport apparatus and the transport method of the present invention, a plurality of shelves are provided in a vertical container constituting the transport apparatus main body (for example, a shelf of about 100 stages is provided in a container having a height of 2 m), and each shelf. An air ejection hole is provided on the surface of the surface for floating the material using air pressure. The large thin plate material is levitated by sending air having a predetermined pressure from the air ejection holes. You may make it send air only about the shelf which floats a large sized sheet material. It is only necessary to provide an appropriate number of air ejection holes having an appropriate diameter in proportion to the specific gravity and area of the large thin plate material. For example, in the case of a glass material of 2 m × 2 m × 0.5 mm, a range of 100 mm × 100 mm of the material is defined as one section, and the same range is defined as a shelf, and a vertical and horizontal pitch of 20 mm is arranged in one section of the shelf. If it is assumed that a total of 16 holes with a diameter of 1 mm are provided, the air pressure p ejected from the holes is uniquely determined.
[0045]
If all the hole diameters and air pressures are the same, the large sheet material floats vertically to a predetermined position in the air and stops. If blowing continues, it stops at a certain position and floats.
[0046]
In the present invention, since the pressure of the air ejected from the upper shelf acts on the upper surface of the large thin plate material, it is possible to set the optimum air pressure and the diameter and number of holes in consideration of the pressure. desirable.
[0047]
When the shelf is provided with a gradient in the state of being levitated in the air as described above, the large thin plate material is affected by gravity and starts to move naturally toward the lower gradient. If this principle is utilized, the moving direction of the material can be controlled without contacting any material. The speed of movement can be controlled by the magnitude of the gradient.
[0048]
In addition, instead of providing a gradient, air can be blown from the direction opposite to the direction in which movement is desired, so that movement can be controlled at a predetermined direction and speed without contacting any of the materials.
[0049]
Furthermore, it is also possible to control the moving direction and speed more accurately by applying a mechanical load to the peripheral edge of the material, for example, by a pusher or the like from the reverse direction in which the large thin plate material is desired to move.
[0050]
In addition, when the large thin plate material is a metal or the like, it can be moved by using an electromagnetic attractive force.
[0051]
Next, as described above, the container according to the present embodiment is also intended to increase the conveyance efficiency by providing, for example, a 100-stage shelf in a container having a height of 2 m.
[0052]
As a result, the interval between the shelves needs to be 20 mm or less. Further, since the interval (span) for holding the shelves reaches 2 m, deflection occurs due to the weight of the shelves and the load of the large thin plate material. In order to minimize this deflection, it is necessary to increase the thickness of the shelf.
[0053]
For this reason, the space comprised by the lower surface of an upper shelf and the upper surface of a lower shelf, ie, the space which can be utilized for accommodating or taking out a large sized sheet material, is few.
[0054]
In such a situation where only a very small interval can be taken, the amount of bending becomes very large due to the large size of the thin plate material, so that the large thin plate material is handled without contact and with the surface kept normal, i.e. inside the container. It is very difficult to store or take out the product.
[0055]
The present invention has been developed in consideration of these points, and realizes that a large, easily deformable large thin plate material having a length of 2 m passes through a small opening without contact.
[0056]
In the present invention, in order to prevent such large plates and thin plates from being bent, non-contact with the thin plate material is realized in all cases during storage or removal, the frictional resistance generated during the conveyance of the material is minimized, and scratches are generated. Specifically, air blow holes are provided on the surface of each member facing the large thin plate material and air is blown (using air pressure). After floating a large thin plate material in the air, for example, by slightly tilting the member or changing the direction of the air when hitting the thin plate material, the conveyance direction without contacting any work such as a workbench It is possible to control the speed.
[0057]
The movement direction of the thin plate material can be controlled by the inclination direction to be given or the direction of the air. For example, the speed of movement can be controlled by the magnitude of the given angle or the pressure of the air, the given range and angle. Needless to say, the direction and speed can be controlled by mechanical force, but there is a drawback that the mechanism becomes complicated.
[0058]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an entire transport system for a transport apparatus according to the present invention.
[0059]
A shelf 2 is provided in a container 1 for conveyance such as a thin plate or a large plate, and a large thin plate material 3 such as a thin plate or a large plate is stored on the shelf 2. A lifter 4 is used when the material 3 is stored and taken out. The lifter 4 is provided with a number of ejection holes 6 (not shown) for supplying air so that the material 5 taken out from the container 1 floats on the lifter 4. For example, the lifter 4 moves up and down so as to stop at the position of each of the 100 shelves 2 provided in the vertical direction in the container 1. The floor is provided with a pedestal 7 for imparting a gradient to the shelf 2 in order to move the floated material 3 in a predetermined direction by gravity and for determining the exact position of the container 1. A conveyor 8 is provided to connect the production line for the material 3 and the lifter 4 for storing and taking out the material.
[0060]
FIG. 2A shows a detailed portion of the “A” portion of the container shown in FIG. The material 3 is accommodated in the container 1 by the container column 21, the wall 22 for keeping the inside of the container 1 normal, the shelf 23 a for accommodating the large thin plate material 3, and the upper shelf 23 b. FIG. 2B is for explaining the structural dimensions in the container. The thickness of the shelf is t, and the interval between the upper and lower shelves is d. If 100 shelves are provided in a container with a height of 2 m, the thickness D of the shelves per stage and the space D when a space for handling the material is provided must be 20 mm or less. The interval d at which can be inserted is as follows.
[0061]
d (mm) = 2000 (mm) / 100 (sheets) −D (mm) = 20 (mm) −D (mm)
On the other hand, a thin plate and a material having a large size that are the subject of the present invention are greatly deflected by their own weight when the supporting fulcrum distance is increased. For example, if a 1 mm steel plate is supported at an interval of 2 meters, the steel plate will be greatly bent and cannot be supported.
[0062]
Therefore, it is first required to prevent such bending due to its own weight.
[0063]
To solve this problem, air pressure is distributed equally from the lower part of the material, that is, the upper part of the shelf, and the material is prevented from being bent. It becomes possible to maintain a horizontal state without touching anything in the air.
[0064]
FIG. 2 (c) shows the upper surface of the shelves 23a and 23b, and FIG. 2 (d) shows an example of the arrangement of the holes on the lower surface.
[0065]
Needless to say, the above principle is not limited to the inside of the container, and the same effect can be achieved by a lifter for storing or taking out the material.
[0066]
An air supply member such as an air cylinder or an air pump may be disposed in the container 1 constituting the transport device so that air can always be ejected even if the transport device is moved alone.
[0067]
Moreover, when securing the air flow path in the container 1, in order to incorporate piping and the like in a compact manner, it is possible to use a cavity inside the skeleton member of the container constituting the housing as an air flow path.
[0068]
Furthermore, in order to suppress unnecessary movement of the large thin plate material, a holding mechanism that mechanically presses a part of the peripheral portion of the material can be provided in the container. Further, by selectively driving them, it is possible to place only a predetermined large thin plate material in a movable or fixed state.
[0069]
The present invention is basically characterized in that a large thin plate material is held in a floating state, but a buffer member such as a slip sheet is attached to a thin plate and a shelf so as to withstand a large impact during transportation. It is also possible to arrange between them. However, it is desirable to consider the arrangement of the buffer members so that the cleanliness of the thin plate material is not impaired as much as possible.
[0070]
In addition, the shape of the shelf member may be a shape in which the surface or the lower surface is curved in the same direction as the material in consideration that the large thin plate material is bent to some extent. Thereby, there is also an advantage that the air pressure works uniformly along the bent state of the accommodated large thin plate material, and the position of the material in the accommodated state is stabilized.
[0071]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, a complex mechanical device, a wasted film, or a jig for supporting handling is required by making maximum use of the physical phenomenon of floating a large thin plate material with air. Therefore, it is possible to realize a highly effective transport apparatus and transport method that can handle a large-sized material of a thin plate cleanly and without touching anywhere.
[0072]
In addition, it is possible to eliminate the need for a robot required for storing and taking out a large thin plate material and a dedicated large handling device.
[0073]
In addition, since the material can be handled in a non-contact manner, it is possible to prevent the generation of scratches and contamination on the surface of micron units, which is important in maintaining quality.
[0074]
In addition, the conveyance efficiency is much higher than that of the currently used method, so that the cost can be greatly reduced and the practical advantages are immeasurable.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a transport system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of a container and a diagram showing the front and back surfaces of a shelf. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a transport method using a protective film such as a film. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a transport method using a frame-type cushioning material. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a transport method using a specific case.
1 Container 2, 23a Shelf 3, 5, 24 Large sheet material 4 Lifter 6 Ejection hole 7 Base 8 Conveyor
10 Interleaving paper 11 Spacing material 21 Container support 22 Wall 23b for keeping the inside of the container normal Upper shelf

Claims (11)

In a large thin sheet material transporting device that accommodates and transports a large thin sheet material between a plurality of shelves arranged in a housing,
A pedestal for providing a gradient to the shelf is provided on the lower side of the housing,
The shelf has a number of air ejection holes formed on at least the upper surface of the upper and lower surfaces of the shelf, and an air passage for conducting air to the air ejection hole,
An apparatus for conveying a large thin plate material, comprising air supply means for feeding air into the air flow path.   The air supply means operates so as to selectively feed air only to the air flow path which is conducted to the air ejection hole of the shelf where the large thin plate material is taken in and out of the housing among the plurality of shelves. The apparatus for conveying a large thin plate material according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of air ejection hole, wherein are formed on the upper surface and the lower surface of the shelf, the average number per unit area of the air ejection hole, towards the upper surface is formed to be larger than the lower surface 2. The apparatus for conveying a large thin plate material according to claim 1.   4. The apparatus for transporting a large thin plate material according to claim 1, further comprising transfer means for moving the large thin plate material that can be accommodated between the shelves in parallel with the upper surface of the shelf.   A mechanism for inclining the housing; a mechanism for directly pressing a peripheral edge of the large thin plate material; a mechanism for injecting air inclined with respect to a normal direction of the surface of the shelf; and the large thin plate 5. The apparatus for transporting a large thin plate material according to claim 4, comprising at least one of mechanisms for moving the material using electromagnetic force.   6. The apparatus for conveying a large thin plate material according to claim 1, further comprising holding means for suppressing movement of the large thin plate material accommodated between the shelves.   The apparatus for conveying a large thin plate material according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the air supply means is either an air cylinder filled with compressed air or an air pump for supplying compressed air. A conveying device for large sheet material according to any one of claims 1 to 7, with an auxiliary device for loading and unloading the large thin sheet material to the conveying device, receiving to the transfer device of the large thin sheet material Alternatively, a method for conveying a large-sized thin plate material, which is carried out. Said auxiliary device, method for transporting large thin sheet material according to claim 8, wherein the said large sheet material comprising a buoyant hand stage levitating air over the auxiliary device.   The large thin sheet material is always operated by operating the air supply member when the large thin sheet material is transferred to the large thin sheet material conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7. A method for conveying a large thin plate material, wherein the material is held in a state of being levitated from the shelf.   A shock absorber between the large thin plate material and the shelf when the large thin plate material is transferred to the large thin plate material transfer device according to claim 1. The large thin sheet material is placed and moved on the cushioning material, and the large thin sheet material is transported.

Images