JP5081567B2 - Robot hand - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a robot hand.

  Conventionally, a transfer robot has been used to transfer a transfer object such as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal panel, and an example of such a transfer robot is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below.

  The transport robot disclosed in the following Patent Document 1 has a robot hand that moves two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally, to which a fork is attached, and the fork extends so as to protrude from an attachment part to the hand. ing. This transport robot inserts the fork between transported objects placed in multiple stages in a storage rack, then lifts the fork to place the transported object, and moves the hand in that state to move the transported object. Take it out.

The robot hand is provided with tip position adjusting means for correcting that the fork is bent by its own weight when the fork has a long length and the tip portion hangs down. The tip position adjusting means is configured to lift the tip portion of the fork and correct its sag by pushing up the portion slightly closer to the tip portion from the base end portion of the fork.
JP 2006-110661 A

  By the way, recently, the size of the conveyed product has increased, and the weight of the conveyed product has increased accordingly. For this reason, the fork tends to bend due to the weight of the conveyed object in addition to the bend due to its own weight.

  In this case, according to the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the tip position of the fork is further lifted by the tip position adjusting means in order to correct the drooping of the tip of the fork that increases due to an increase in the weight of the conveyed product. It is necessary to increase the upward angle of the fork.

  However, in this case, although the drooping of the front end of the fork when the transported object is placed is corrected, the difference between the bending of the fork when the transported object is placed and when it is not placed increases. Inconvenience occurs when placing or taking out the conveyed product from the storage rack.

  In other words, when the transported object placed on the fork is placed on each stage of the storage rack, after the transported object is placed on the rack, the bending of the fork is restored and turned upward at a large angle. In order to avoid hitting the lower surface of the conveyed product placed on the fork, it is necessary to greatly lower the fork. In this case, there is a possibility that the fork hits the conveyed product placed on the next lower stage. On the other hand, in order to avoid the fork from hitting the lower transported object, there is a possibility that the fork must be pulled out with the tip of the fork restored upward being rubbed against the lower surface of the transported object described above. . Also, when taking out the transported goods placed on each stage of the storage rack, when the fork is inserted under the transported goods to be taken out, the tip of the fork facing upward at a large angle hits the transported goods. In order to avoid this, if the fork is lowered and inserted, the base end side of the fork may hit the lower conveyance.

  In order to solve such problems, it is conceivable to increase the interval between the storage racks. In this case, however, the height of the storage rack must be increased to secure the storage amount. Accordingly, there arises another problem such as an increase in the ceiling height of the storage rack installation site and an increase in the arrival height of the transfer robot.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fork for a transported article at each stage of the storage rack without increasing the height of the storage rack for storing the transported goods in multiple stages. It is an object of the present invention to provide a robot hand capable of placing or removing a conveyed product while avoiding unintentional contact.

In order to achieve the above object, a robot hand according to the present invention includes a fork arranged so as to extend obliquely upward toward a tip end portion, and a robot hand for carrying a transported object on the fork. The fork is provided with a weight member that is movable to at least a first position and a second position closer to the tip than the first position, and the weight member is disposed on the fork. The tip of the fork is bent downward by being arranged at the second position when the conveyed product is not placed .

  In this robot hand, the weight member is arranged at the first position when the transported object is placed on the fork to cause the fork to bend due to the weight of the transported object. On the other hand, the load member is not mounted on the fork. It is possible to cause the fork to bend due to the weight of the weight member by moving it to the second position closer to the tip than the first position. Thereby, the difference of the bending of the fork when the conveyed product is placed and when it is not placed can be reduced. Further, in this robot hand, since the fork is arranged so as to incline and extend upward toward the tip, when the fork is bent due to the weight of the conveyed product or the weight of the weight member due to the inclination of the fork, The drooping of the fork tip is offset. Therefore, in this robot hand, an unintentional contact between the transported object at each stage of the storage rack and the fork at the time of loading or unloading the transported object with respect to the storage rack without increasing the spacing between the stages of the storage rack. As a result, it is possible to place or take out the transported object while avoiding unintentional contact of the fork with the transported object at each stage of the storage rack without increasing the height of the storage rack. it can.

  In the robot hand, it is preferable that the fork has a moving space in which the weight member is movably accommodated between the first position and the second position.

  If comprised in this way, even if abrasion powder arises from a weighting member or the part holding it with the movement of a weighting member, the abrasion powder can be hold | maintained in the movement space inside a fork. For this reason, unlike the configuration in which the weight member is attached to the outside of the fork and moved between the base end side and the tip end side, the wear powder can be prevented from being generated outside the fork. It is possible to prevent the conveyed product from being attached to the conveyed product and becoming dirty.

  In the robot hand, a holding member that holds the weight member movably between the first position and the second position may be attached to the fork.

  If comprised in this way, the structure which can move a weighting member to a 1st position and a 2nd position can be comprised, simplifying the structure inside a fork.

  In this case, it is preferable that the holding member has a movement space in which the weight member is movably accommodated between the first position and the second position.

  If comprised in this way, even if abrasion powder arises from a weight member or a holding member with the movement of a weight member, the abrasion powder can be hold | maintained in the movement space inside a holding member. For this reason, it can prevent that the said abrasion powder generate | occur | produces outside a fork and a holding member, and can prevent that abrasion powder adheres to a conveyed product, and a conveyed product becomes dirty.

  The robot hand preferably includes a moving mechanism that moves the weight member between the first position and the second position.

  If comprised in this way, since a weight member can be moved between the 1st position and the 2nd position by a movement mechanism, compared with the case where a user moves a weight member manually, a user's work burden Can be reduced.

  In this case, the moving mechanism includes a driving unit that moves the weight member, a moving direction of the weight member by the driving unit from the first position to the second position, and the second position from the second position. It is preferable to include a moving direction switching unit that switches between the direction toward one position.

  If comprised in this way, both the movement from the 1st position to the 2nd position of a weighting member and the movement from a 2nd position to a 1st position can be performed by one drive part by switching operation by a movement direction switching part. Therefore, the configuration of the moving mechanism can be simplified as compared with the case where the driving unit that moves the weight member from the first position to the second position and the driving unit that moves the weight member from the second position to the first position are provided separately. it can.

  As a specific configuration for moving the weight member between the first position and the second position in the movement space, a drive unit that moves the weight member, and the movement of the weight member by the drive unit A moving direction switching unit that switches a direction from the first position toward the second position and a direction from the second position toward the first position; and the driving unit moves into the moving space. A supply unit for supplying a fluid; and a discharge unit for discharging the fluid from the moving space, wherein the moving direction switching unit is configured to transfer the fluid from the supply unit to the weight member in the moving space. The fluid is introduced into the space on the base end side with respect to the weight member in the moving space, and the fluid is discharged from the space on the tip end side to the discharge portion, so that the weight member is removed from the first position. Move to the second position A first state to be introduced, and the fluid from the supply unit is introduced into the space on the distal end side with respect to the weight member in the moving space and the base end side with respect to the weight member in the moving space A fluid supply / discharge switching unit that switches between a second state in which fluid is discharged from the space to the discharge unit and the weight member is moved from the second position to the first position.

  In the robot hand, the weight member is configured to bend substantially the same as when the transported object is placed on the fork when the fork on which the transported object is not placed is disposed at the second position. It is preferable to have a large weight.

  If comprised in this way, if a weighting member is arrange | positioned in the said 2nd position when the conveyed product is not mounted on the fork, the bending of the fork is substantially the same as the bending when the conveyed product is mounted on the fork. Can be equal. Thereby, the difference in the bending of the fork when the conveyed product is placed and when it is not placed can be almost eliminated.

  In the robot hand, a plurality of the weight members may be provided on the fork, and each of the weight members may be provided so as to be individually movable at least between the first position and the second position.

  According to this structure, when each transported object having a different weight is placed on the fork and transported, the tip of the fork is not placed due to the way the weighting members are arranged in the second position. The load to be applied to can be adjusted in accordance with the weight of the conveyed product. For this reason, the bending of the fork when the conveyed product is not placed can be adjusted so as to match the bending of the fork when the conveyed product of each weight is placed. Thereby, even when each transported object having a different weight is placed on the fork and transported, the difference in fork deflection between when the transported object is placed and when it is not placed can be reduced.

  In this case, it is preferable to provide a moving mechanism that moves a predetermined number of weight members among the plurality of weight members to the second position and moves a predetermined number of weight members to the first position.

  If comprised in this way, when the conveyed product is not mounted on the fork, the weight member according to the weight of the conveyed product which should be mounted on the fork by a moving mechanism can be arrange | positioned in a 2nd position. Thereby, a user's work burden can be reduced compared with the case where a user moves each such weight member manually.

  As described above, according to the robot hand of the present invention, an unintentional contact of the fork with the transported article at each stage of the storage rack can be achieved without increasing the height of the storage rack for storing the transported goods in multiple stages. It is possible to place or take out the transported object while avoiding it.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic overall configuration of a transfer robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state when the glass substrate 100 is loaded into or taken out from the storage rack 110 by the transfer robot shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a top view of one fork 10 constituting the robot hand 6, and FIG. 4 is a view of the fork 10 viewed from the front end side. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV of the fork 10 shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of the fork 10 shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the deflection of the fork 10 on which the glass substrate 100 is placed, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the deflection due to the weight member 13 of the fork 10 when the glass substrate 100 is not placed. First, with reference to FIGS. 1-8, the structure of the robot hand 6 by one Embodiment of this invention and the conveyance robot provided with the same is demonstrated.

  The transport robot according to the present embodiment transports a liquid crystal panel glass substrate 100 as a transported object on a fork 10 described later. As shown in FIG. 2, the transfer robot places the glass substrate 100 on each stage of the multistage storage rack 110 or takes out the glass substrate 100 placed on each stage of the storage rack 110. As shown in FIG. 1, this transfer robot includes a base portion 2, an arm portion 4, and a robot hand 6.

  The base portion 2 is a portion that serves as a base of the transfer robot, and the arm portion 4 is mounted on the base portion 2.

  The arm part 4 includes a first support part 4a, a second support part 4b, a first joint part 4c, a second joint part 4d, and a third joint part 4e.

  The first support portion 4a is a rod-like member that linearly extends in a predetermined direction, and is attached to the base portion 2 via the first joint portion 4c. Thereby, the 1st support part 4a is comprised so that a joint drive may be carried out with respect to the base part 2 by the 1st joint part 4c.

  The second support portion 4b is a rod-like member that extends linearly like the first support portion 4a. The second support portion 4b is connected to the distal end portion of the first support portion 4a via the second joint portion 4d. Thereby, the 2nd support part 4b is comprised so that a joint drive may be carried out with respect to the 1st support part 4a by the 2nd joint part 4d.

  The third joint portion 4e connects the distal end portion of the second support portion 4b and a hand base 8 (to be described later) of the robot hand 6, and the robot joint 6 is secondly connected by the third joint portion 4e. The support portion 4b is configured to be joint-driven. The robot hand 6 can be moved in each of three-dimensional directions by joint driving at the joint portions 4c, 4d, and 4e of the arm portion 4.

  The robot hand 6 is for placing and supporting the glass substrate 100 when the glass substrate 100 is transported. The robot hand 6 includes a hand base 8, a plurality of forks 10, a first detector 11a (see FIG. 3), a second detector 11b, a plurality of suction pads 12, and a weight member 13 (FIG. 5). Reference), a moving mechanism 14, and a suction mechanism 16.

  The hand base 8 is connected to the third joint portion 4e of the arm portion 6 as described above. The plurality of forks 10 are attached to the upper surface of the hand base 8.

  The plurality of forks 10 are for placing the glass substrate 100 thereon. Each fork 10 is provided so as to protrude from the hand base 8 and is arranged in parallel with each other at an interval. Each fork 10 is formed of a linearly extending rectangular bar member formed of CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) or the like. In the present embodiment, when the glass substrate 100 is transported, the robot joint 6 is held in an upwardly inclined posture by the third joint portion 4e, whereby each fork 10 is inclined upward toward the tip portion. Arranged to extend.

  Each fork 10 is bent by the weight of the glass substrate 100 by placing the glass substrate 100 thereon, and the tip of the fork 10 tends to sag. However, the upward tilt of the fork 10 cancels the sag of the tip. Then, the position of the glass substrate 100 placed near the tip of the fork 10 and on the fork 10 is held substantially horizontally.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a moving space 10 a, a first supply / discharge path 10 b, a second supply / discharge path 10 c, and a suction path 10 d are formed inside each fork 10.

  The moving space 10a extends in the length direction from the proximal end portion of the fork 10 to the distal end portion, and the weight member 13 is located at the proximal end portion of the fork 10 and on the hand base 8. It is accommodated so as to be movable between the position P1 and the second position P2 located at the tip of the fork 10.

  The first supply / exhaust path 10b is a path for supplying / exhausting air to / from the space on the base end side with respect to the weight member 13 in the moving space 10a. The first supply / discharge path 10b extends from an end surface of the fork 10 on the base end side to penetrate to one end of the moving space 10a.

  The second supply / discharge path 10c is a path for supplying / exhausting air to / from the space on the tip end side with respect to the weight member 13 in the moving space 10a. The second supply / discharge passage 10c extends from the end surface on the proximal end side of the fork 10 to the distal end along the moving space 10a, bends at the distal end, and is connected to the other end of the moving space 10a. .

  The suction path 10d is a path for vacuum suction when the suction mechanism 16 sucks the glass substrate 100 onto the suction pad 12. The suction path 10d extends in the length direction of the fork 10 from the end face on the base end side of the fork 10 to the tip end. The suction path 10d is provided with a plurality of suction holes 10e extending to the upper surface of the fork 10 at locations corresponding to the suction pads 12.

  The moving space 10a, the first supply / exhaust passage 10b, the second supply / exhaust passage 10c, and the suction passage 10d described above are laid out in the horizontal direction in the fork 10 and when they are laid out in the thickness direction of the fork 10. In comparison, an increase in the thickness of the fork 10 is suppressed.

  Further, a through hole 10f that penetrates the inside and outside of the side wall and communicates with the moving space 10a is provided at a location corresponding to the first position P1 on the side wall of the fork 10, and the second position P2 on the side wall is provided. A similar through hole 10g is provided at a location corresponding to.

  The first detection unit 11a detects that the weight member 13 is disposed at the first position P1. The first detection unit 11a is attached to a position corresponding to the through hole 10f on the first position P1 side on the outer surface of the side wall of the fork 10, and the weight member 13 in the moving space 10a is disposed at the first position P1. When this is done, this is detected through the through hole 10f. As the first detection unit 11a, a photoelectric sensor, an electromagnetic induction type proximity sensor, a magnetic force type cylinder switch, or the like is used.

  The second detector 11b detects that the weight member 13 is disposed at the second position P2. The second detector 11b is attached to the outer surface of the side wall of the fork 10 at a position corresponding to the through hole 10g on the second position P2 side, and the weight member 13 in the moving space 10a is disposed at the second position P2. When this is done, this is detected through the through hole 10g. As this 2nd detection part 11b, the thing similar to the said 1st detection part 11a is used.

  The plurality of suction pads 12 are used to suck and stably hold the glass substrate 100 when the glass substrate 100 is placed on the fork 10. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each suction pad 12 is installed at a position corresponding to each suction hole 10 e on the upper surface of the fork 10, and from the distal end portion of the fork 10 toward the proximal end portion. They are arranged at intervals. A hole 12a (see FIG. 6) penetrating vertically is formed in the central portion of the suction pad 12, and the suction pad 12 is disposed so that the position of the hole 12a and the position of the suction hole 10e are aligned. The hole 12a and the suction hole 10e communicate with each other.

  The weight member 13 causes a bend substantially equal to that when the glass substrate 100 is placed on the fork 10 when the glass substrate 100 is not placed on the fork 10.

  Specifically, the weight member 13 is formed in a rectangular shape that fits the moving space 10a inside the fork 10, and is movably accommodated in the moving space 10a, whereby the first position P1. And the second position P2. The weight member 13 has such a weight that when it is disposed at the second position P2 in the fork 10 on which the glass substrate 100 is not placed, it causes a bending that is substantially equal to that when the glass substrate 100 is placed on the fork 10. ing.

  When the glass substrate 100 is placed on the fork 10, the weight member 13 is disposed at the first position P 1 as shown in FIG. 7 so that the fork 10 does not bend due to the weight of the weight member 13. On the other hand, when the glass substrate 100 is not placed on the fork 10, as shown in FIG. 8, the glass substrate 100 is placed at the second position P <b> 2 and the weight of the weight member 13 is applied to the tip of the fork 10. The fork 10 is caused to bend substantially the same as when it is placed.

  The weight member 13 is made of stainless steel or tungsten alloy. When a material having a large specific gravity such as a tungsten alloy is used for the weight member 13, it is possible to reduce the size.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the moving mechanism 14 moves the weight member 13 between the first position P1 and the second position P2. In the present embodiment, the load member 13 is moved by compressed air. It has become. The compressed air is included in the concept of fluid of the present invention. The moving mechanism 14 includes a driving unit 20 and a moving direction switching unit 22.

  The drive unit 20 supplies and discharges air into the moving space 10a in order to move the weight member 13 in the moving space 10a, and a supply unit 20a for supplying compressed air to the moving space 10a; And a discharge pipe 20b for discharging air from the moving space 10a.

  The supply unit 20a includes a compressor 20c for sending compressed air, and a supply pipe 20d for supplying the compressed air from the compressor 20c to the first supply / discharge passage 10b or the second supply / discharge passage 10c. Yes. The supply pipe 20d connects the compressor 20c and a switching valve 22c, which will be described later, of the moving direction switching unit 22, and a pressure reducing valve 20e for adjusting the pressure of the compressed air to be supplied is provided in the supply pipe 20d. ing. A speed controller that adjusts the flow rate of the compressed air may be provided instead of the pressure reducing valve 20e.

  The exhaust pipe 20b is connected to a switching valve 22c, which will be described later, of the moving direction switching unit 22, and the air in the moving space 10a is exhausted through the exhaust pipe 20b. The discharge pipe 20b is included in the concept of the discharge unit of the present invention.

  The moving direction switching unit 22 switches the moving direction of the weight member 13 by the driving unit 20 from the first position P1 to the second position P2 by switching the direction in which air is supplied to and discharged from the moving space 10a. The direction is switched to the direction from the second position P2 toward the first position P1. The moving direction switching unit 22 includes a first connecting pipe 22a, a second connecting pipe 22b, and a switching valve 22c.

  The first connection pipe 22a has one end connected to the first supply / discharge path 10b and the other end connected to the supply pipe 20d and the discharge pipe 20b via the switching valve 22c. . The first connection pipe 22a causes the compressed air supplied through the supply pipe 20d to flow to the first supply / discharge path 10b, or the air in the moving space 10a discharged through the first supply / discharge path 10b to the discharge pipe. 20b.

  The second connection pipe 22b has one end connected to the second supply / discharge path 10c and the other end connected to the supply pipe 20d and the discharge pipe 20b via the switching valve 22c. . The second connection pipe 22b allows the compressed air supplied through the supply pipe 20d to flow to the second supply / discharge path 10c, or the air in the moving space 10a discharged through the second supply / discharge path 10c to the discharge pipe. 20b.

  The switching valve 22c is connected between the supply pipe 20d and the discharge pipe 20b and the first connection pipe 22a and the second connection pipe 22b, and is used for switching the air flow path between them. Is. This switching valve 22c is included in the concept of the fluid supply / discharge switching unit of the present invention.

  Specifically, the switching valve 22c has a first state in which the weight member 13 in the moving space 10a is moved from the first position P1 to the second position P2 by the compressed air, and the weight member 13 is moved from the second position P2 to the first position. The second state to be moved to P1 can be switched between each other.

  In the first state, the switching valve 22c causes the compressed air from the supply pipe 20d of the supply unit 20a to flow through the first connection pipe 22a and the first supply / discharge path 10b to the weight member 13 in the moving space 10a. By introducing into the space on the base end side, the weight member 13 is moved from the first position P1 to the second position P2 by the compressed air, while the space on the tip end side with respect to the weight member 13 in the moving space 10a. The air pushed out by the weight member 13 is discharged to the discharge pipe 20b through the second supply / discharge path 10c and the second connection pipe 22b.

  On the other hand, in the second state, the switching valve 22c causes the compressed air from the supply pipe 20d of the supply unit 20a to be applied to the weight member 13 in the moving space 10a through the second connection pipe 22b and the second supply / discharge path 10c. On the other hand, by introducing into the space on the distal end side, the weighted member 13 is moved from the second position P2 to the first position P1 by the compressed air, while the proximal end side with respect to the weighted member 13 in the moving space 10a. The air pushed out from the space by the weight member 13 is discharged to the discharge pipe 20b through the first supply / discharge path 10b and the first connection pipe 22a.

  The suction mechanism 16 is for sucking the glass substrate 100 placed on the fork 10 to the suction pad 12 by vacuum suction. The suction mechanism 16 includes a suction device 16a, a suction pipe 16b, a speed controller 16c, and an electromagnetic valve 16d.

  The suction device 16a performs vacuum suction, and the suction device 16a and the suction path 10d of the fork 10 are connected via the suction pipe 16b. Thereby, the vacuum suction of the suction device 16a is exerted on the lower surface of the glass substrate 100 placed on the suction pad 12 through the suction tube 16b, the suction path 10d, the suction hole 10e, and the hole portion 12a of the suction pad 12, and the glass substrate 100 The lower surface of the liquid crystal is sucked by the suction pad 12.

  The speed controller 16c is provided in the middle of the suction pipe 16b and is for adjusting the amount of suction by the suction device 16a.

  The electromagnetic valve 16d is provided closer to the suction path 10d than the speed controller 16c in the suction pipe 16b. By opening / closing the electromagnetic valve 16d, it is controlled whether or not the suction device 16a is subjected to vacuum suction to the suction pad 12, thereby switching between suction and release of the glass substrate 100 to the suction pad 12. Yes.

  9 to 11 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the transfer robot according to the present embodiment. Next, the operation of the transport robot according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, in the operation for taking out the glass substrates 100 placed in multiple stages on the storage rack 110, the weight member 13 is arranged at the second position P2 at the tip of the fork 10 to bend the fork 10 and to use the robot hand 6. Is tilted upward by a predetermined angle so that the tip of the bent fork 10 is arranged substantially horizontally.

  At this time, a switching operation of the switching valve 22c is performed in the moving mechanism 14 (see FIG. 5) in response to a user operating a controller (not shown), and compressed air supplied from the compressor 20c is supplied to the supply pipe 20d and the second one. The load member 13 is introduced into the moving space 10a from the base end side through the one connection pipe 22a and the first supply / discharge passage 10b, and the weight member 13 moves to the second position P2 by the pressure of the compressed air. The fact that the weight member 13 has been moved and disposed at the second position P2 is detected and confirmed by the second detector 11b. As the weight member 13 moves, air is pushed out from the distal end side of the moving space 10a, and the air is exhausted through the second supply / discharge passage 10c, the second connection pipe 22b, and the discharge pipe 20b.

  Note that the switching operation of the switching valve 22c may be performed by automatic switching based on a control signal from the previous process of transporting the glass substrate 100 by the transport robot or information on the glass substrate 100 from the host program.

  Next, in the above state, the fork 10 is inserted under the glass substrate 100 to be taken out as shown in FIG. At this time, since the fork 10 is bent as described above, even if the interval of each stage of the storage rack 110 is not so large, the tip of the fork 10 hits the glass substrate 100 to be taken out and a robot is used to avoid it. It is possible to prevent a problem that the hand 6 is lowered too much and the base end side of the fork 10 hits the lower glass substrate 100.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the robot hand 6 is raised by the arm portion 4, and the weight member 13 is moved from the second position P <b> 2 to the first end on the base end side of the fork 10 by the moving mechanism 14 (see FIG. 5). Move to position P1.

  At this time, by the switching operation of the switching valve 22c in the moving mechanism 14, the compressed air supplied from the compressor 20c is introduced into the moving space 10a from the front end side through the supply pipe 20d, the second connection pipe 22b, and the second supply / discharge path 10c. Then, the weight member 13 is moved to the first position P1 by the pressure of the compressed air. It is detected and confirmed by the first detector 11a that the weight member 13 is moved and disposed at the first position P1. As the weight member 13 moves, air is pushed out from the base end side of the moving space 10a, and the air is exhausted through the first supply / discharge passage 10b, the first connection pipe 22a, and the discharge pipe 20b.

  When the weight member 13 moves to the first position P1, the fork 10 is not bent due to the weight of the weight member 13, but at the same time, the glass substrate 100 is placed on the fork 10 as shown in FIG. The fork 10 is bent by the weight of the fork 10. The bending of the fork 10 by the glass substrate 100 is substantially equal to the bending of the fork 10 by the weight member 13.

  Further, when the glass substrate 100 is placed on the fork 10, the glass substrate 100 is attracted to the suction pad 12 (see FIG. 3) by the suction mechanism 16.

  Specifically, by opening the electromagnetic valve 16d of the suction mechanism 16, the vacuum suction by the suction device 16a is applied to each suction pad 12 from each suction hole 10e of the suction path 10d (see FIG. 5), and the suction is performed. The lower surface of the glass substrate 100 is attracted to each suction pad 12 by force. As a result, the glass substrate 100 is stably held on the fork 10. Then, with the glass substrate 100 placed on the fork 10, the robot hand 6 is retracted horizontally, and the fork 10 and the glass substrate 100 are extracted from the storage rack 110 to carry out the glass substrate 100.

  On the other hand, in the operation of placing the glass substrate 100 on each stage of the storage rack 110, the operation opposite to that when the glass substrate 100 is taken out is performed.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the robot hand 6 is held in an upwardly inclined posture, the weight member 13 is disposed at the first position P1, and the glass substrate 100 is placed on the fork 10 of the robot hand 6 in this state. The fork 10 and the glass substrate 100 are horizontally inserted into the upper position of the stage where the storage rack 110 is to be placed.

  Thereafter, the robot hand 6 is lowered to place the glass substrate 100 on the stage, and the weight member 13 is moved from the first position P1 to the second position P2.

  At this time, by the switching operation of the switching valve 22c, the compressed air from the compressor 20c is introduced into the moving space 10a from the base end side in the same manner as described above, and the weight member 13 is moved from the first position P1 by the pressure of the compressed air. Move to the second position P2.

  When the glass substrate 100 on the fork 10 is placed on the step, the fork 10 is not bent due to the weight of the glass substrate 100, but at the same time, the weight member 13 moves to the second position P2 so that the weight member Deflection due to the weight of 13 occurs in the fork 10. This bending is substantially equal to the bending of the fork 10 when the glass substrate 100 is placed.

  Further, when the glass substrate 100 is placed on the stage, the suction of the glass substrate 100 to the suction pad 12 (see FIG. 3) by the suction mechanism 16 is released.

  Specifically, by closing the electromagnetic valve 16d of the suction mechanism 16 so that the vacuum suction of the suction device 16a is not applied to each suction pad 12, the suction action of the glass substrate 100 to the suction pad 12 is thereby prevented. To release. Thereby, the glass substrate 100 leaves | separates from the fork 10, and is mounted on the said stage. Then, after placing the glass substrate 100, the robot hand 6 is retracted horizontally to pull out the fork 10 from the storage rack 110.

  At this time, since the fork 10 is bent as described above due to the weight of the weight member 13, the fork 10 is pulled out while rubbing against the lower surface of the glass substrate 100 on which the fork 10 is placed. In addition, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience that the robot hand 6 is lowered too much and the base end side of the fork 10 hits the lower glass substrate 100.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the glass substrate 100 is placed on the fork 10, the weight member 13 is disposed at the first position P <b> 1 on the base end side of the fork 10, and the fork 10 depends on the weight of the glass substrate 100. On the other hand, when the glass substrate 100 is not placed on the fork 10, the weight member 13 is moved to the second position P <b> 2 on the front end side of the fork 10 to cause the fork 10 to bend due to the weight of the weight member 13. be able to. Then, the weight member 13 has a weight that causes a bend substantially equal to that when the glass substrate 100 is placed on the fork 10 when the weight member 13 is disposed at the second position P2 in the fork 10 on which the glass substrate 100 is not placed. Thus, the difference in bending of the fork 10 when the glass substrate 100 is placed and when it is not placed can be almost eliminated. Further, in the present embodiment, the fork 10 is disposed so as to be inclined upwardly toward the tip portion, so that the fork 10 is bent by the weight of the glass substrate 100 or the weight member 13 due to the inclination of the fork 10. The drooping of the front end portion of the fork 10 when this occurs is offset. Therefore, in the present embodiment, even when the interval between the stages of the storage rack 110 is not increased, the glass substrate 100 and the fork 10 of each stage of the storage rack 110 are placed when the glass substrate 100 is placed on or removed from the storage rack 110. Unintentional contact can be avoided, and as a result, the glass substrate can be avoided while avoiding unintentional contact of the fork 10 with the glass substrate 100 at each stage of the storage rack 110 without increasing the height of the storage rack 110. 100 can be placed or taken out.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, since the fork 10 has the movement space 10a which accommodates the weight member 13 so that a movement between the 1st position P1 and the 2nd position P2 is possible inside, it is weighted with the movement of the weight member 13. Even if wear powder is generated from the part 13 or the portion of the fork 10 that holds the weight member 13, the wear powder can be held in the moving space 10 a inside the fork 10. For this reason, unlike the configuration in which the weight member 13 is attached to the outside of the fork 10 and moved between the proximal end side and the distal end side, the abrasion powder adheres to the glass substrate 100 and prevents the glass substrate 100 from becoming dirty. be able to.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, since the moving mechanism 14 which moves the weight member 13 between the 1st position P1 and the 2nd position P2 is provided, compared with the case where a user moves the weight member 13 manually, it is a user. Work burden can be reduced.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the moving mechanism 14 changes the moving direction of the weight member 13 by the drive part 20 including the supply part 20a which moves the weight member 13 with the pressure of compressed air, and the drive part 20 from the 1st position P1. Since there is a moving direction switching unit 22 including a switching valve 22c that switches between the direction toward the second position P2 and the direction from the second position P2 toward the first position P1, the switching valve 22c of the movement direction switching unit 22 By the switching operation, the movement of the weight member 13 from the first position P1 to the second position P2 and the movement from the second position P2 to the first position P1 can be performed by one driving unit 20. For this reason, the structure of the moving mechanism 14 compared with the case where the drive part which moves the weight member 13 from the 1st position P1 to the 2nd position P2, and the drive part which moves the 2nd position P2 to the 1st position P1 are provided separately. Can be simplified.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description of the embodiments but by the scope of claims for patent, and further includes meanings equivalent to the scope of claims for patent and all modifications within the scope.

  For example, as in the first modification of the above embodiment shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the fork 10 is provided with two weight members 13 having different weights, and the weight members 13 are individually connected to the first position P1 and the first position P1. By providing the moving mechanism 14 that moves between the two positions P2, when the glass substrates 100 having different weights are placed on the fork 10 and transported, the bending of the forks 10 due to the weight of each glass substrate 100 is accommodated. An amount of bending may be caused in the fork 10 when the glass substrate 100 is not placed.

  Specifically, in the first modified example, two moving spaces 10a and 10a are provided in the fork 10, and the weight member 13 is in the first position on the base end side in each moving space 10a. It is movably accommodated between P1 and the second position P2 on the tip side. Each weight member 13 has a different weight, and the weight member 13 is arranged at the second position P <b> 2 with a deflection that is substantially equal to the deflection generated in the fork 10 by the glass substrate 100 having a different weight to be transported. When this is done, the weight is such that it can be generated in the fork 10 on which the glass substrate 100 is not placed.

  Inside the fork 10, a first supply / discharge passage 10b and a second supply / discharge passage 10c connected to each moving space 10a are individually provided, and are provided on the outer surface of each side wall corresponding to each moving space 10a of the fork 10. Are provided with a first detector 11a and a second detector 11b, respectively. That is, in the first modification, the fork 10 includes two sets of the moving space 10a, the first supply / exhaust path 10b, the second supply / exhaust path 10c, the first detection unit 11a, and the second detection unit 11b similar to the above embodiment. Is provided. Each set is arranged side by side in the width direction of the fork 10, and a suction path 10 d having a suction hole 10 e is provided between the sets at the center position in the width direction of the fork 10.

  The moving mechanism 14 of the first modification has two moving direction switching units 22. The first connection pipe 22a and the second connection pipe 22b of each moving direction switching unit 22 are connected to the corresponding first supply / discharge path 10b and second supply / discharge path 10c. And in this 1st modification, while the supply pipe | tube 20d has branched into two on the way, each branched end part is connected to each switching valve 22c of the two moving direction switching parts 22, respectively, One end on the opposite side is connected to the compressor 20c. Thereby, the compressed air supplied from the compressor 20c can be introduced into the two moving spaces 10a and 10a, respectively.

  Similarly to the supply pipe 20d, the discharge pipe 20b is branched into two in the middle, and the branched ends are connected to the switching valves 22c of the two moving direction switching sections 22, respectively. As a result, the air discharged from the two moving spaces 10a, 10a flows in from the branched ends of the discharge pipe 20b and is exhausted from one end on the opposite side.

  In the first modification, one of the two weighting members 13 is moved to the second position P2 by the switching operation of the switching valves 22c of the two moving direction switching units 22 in the moving mechanism 14, and the other is moved to the first position. Move to position P1.

  Specifically, the switching operation of one switching valve 22c causes compressed air from the compressor 20c to flow to the first connection pipe 22a connected to the switching valve 22c and the discharge pipe from the second connection pipe 22b connected to the switching valve 22c. By allowing air to flow to 20b, compressed air is introduced into the space on the proximal end side with respect to the weight member 13 in one moving space 10a and the distal end with respect to the weight member 13 in the moving space 10a Air is discharged from the space on the part side, and the weight member 13 is moved to the second position P2 by the pressure of the compressed air. At the same time, by the switching operation of the other switching valve 22c, compressed air from the compressor 20c is caused to flow to the second connection pipe 22b connected to the switching valve 22c, and air is supplied from the first connection pipe 22a connected to the switching valve 22c to the discharge pipe 20b. By setting the flowable state, compressed air is introduced into the space on the distal end side with respect to the weight member 13 in the other moving space 10a and the space on the proximal end side with respect to the weight member 13 in the moving space 10a. The air is discharged from the air and the weight member 13 is moved to the first position P1 by the pressure of the compressed air.

  By controlling the two switching valves 22c as described above, one of the two weight members 13 and 13 having a weight corresponding to the glass substrate 100 placed on the fork 10 is disposed at the second position P1 and the other. The weight member 13 is arranged at the first position P1. As a result, when the glass substrate 100 is not placed on the fork 10, the fork 10 is caused to bend substantially the same as when the glass substrate 100 is placed. For this reason, the difference in bending when the glass substrate 100 is placed on the fork 10 and when the glass substrate 100 is not placed can be almost eliminated regardless of which of the two glass substrates 100 having different weights is transported.

  The switching operation of the two switching valves 22c may be executed in response to the user performing a switching operation with a controller (not shown). In this case, the user determines the type of the glass substrate 100, places the weighting member 13 corresponding to the glass substrate 100 at the second position P2, and places the glass on the fork 10 on which the glass substrate 100 is not placed. It is possible to cause a deflection that is substantially the same as when the substrate 100 is placed.

  The switching operation of the switching valve 22c is executed by automatic switching according to the control signal from the previous process of transporting the glass substrate 100 by the transport robot or the information of the glass substrate 100 from the upper program. Also good. In this case, the weight of the glass substrate 100 is instructed from the previous process or the host program, and the weight member 13 corresponding to the weight is arranged at the second position P2 by automatic switching of the switching valve 22c.

  Configurations and operations other than those described above according to the first modification are the same as those in the above embodiment.

  In the first modified example, the two weight members 13, 13 have different weights and are provided on the fork 10 so as to be individually arranged at the first position P1 and the second position P2. When the glass substrate 100 is placed on the fork 10 and transported, the load applied to the tip of the fork 10 when the glass substrate 100 is not placed is determined by the manner in which each weight member 13 is arranged at the second position P2. It can be adjusted according to the weight of the substrate 100. For this reason, the bending of the fork 10 when the glass substrate 100 is not mounted can be adjusted so as to match the bending of the fork 10 when the glass substrate 100 of each weight is mounted. Thereby, even when each glass substrate 100 having a different weight is placed on the fork 10 and transported, the difference in bending of the fork 10 between when the glass substrate 100 is placed and when it is not placed can be almost eliminated. .

  Further, in the first modification example, since the moving mechanism 14 for moving one of the two weight members 13 to the second position P2 and the other to the first position P1 is provided, the glass substrate is placed on the fork 10. Only one weight member 13 having a weight corresponding to the glass substrate 100 to be placed on the fork 10 by the moving mechanism 14 when the 100 is not placed can be disposed at the second position P2. Thereby, a user's work burden can be reduced compared with the case where a user moves each such weighting member 13 manually.

  The effects of the first modification other than those described above are the same as the effects of the above embodiment.

  In the first modification, the case where the two weight members 13 are provided on the fork 10 has been described. However, more weight members 13 having different weights can be disposed on the fork 10 at the first position P1 and the second position P2. May be provided. In this case, it is possible to eliminate the difference in bending of the fork 10 when the glass substrate 100 is loaded and when the glass substrate 100 is not loaded.

  Further, as in the second modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 15, the weight member 13 can be arranged outside the fork 10 at the first position P1 on the base end side and the second position P2 on the front end side. It may be provided.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, a holding member 30 is attached to the outside of the fork 10, and the weight member 13 is held by the holding member 30 so as to be movable between the first position P1 and the second position P2. May be. In this case, it is preferable to provide a moving space 10a in which the weight member 13 is movably accommodated between the first position P1 and the second position P2 inside the holding member 30, and the suction path 10d is provided inside the fork 10. Only the suction hole 10e is formed.

  According to the configuration of the second modification, it is possible to configure a structure in which the weight member 13 can be moved between the first position P1 and the second position P2 while simplifying the structure inside the fork 10.

  Further, in the configuration of the second modification, even if wear powder is generated from the weight member 13 or the holding member 30 as the load member 13 moves, the wear powder is held in the moving space 10 a inside the holding member 30. Can do. For this reason, it can prevent that the said abrasion powder generate | occur | produces outside the fork 10 and the holding member 30, and can prevent that abrasion powder adheres to the glass substrate 100, and the glass substrate 100 becomes dirty.

  The holding member is a member that supports the weight member movably between the first position and the second position on the outside, such as a rail-like member that supports the weight member movably. Also good.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment and modification, when the glass substrate 100 which should be conveyed is changed and the weight changes, you may replace | exchange the weight member 13 to a thing with a different weight according to it. Thereby, it can respond to the glass substrate 100 of much different weight.

  In the embodiment and the modification, the weight member 13 has a weight substantially equal to the weight of the glass substrate 100 to be transported, but a weight member having a weight different from the weight of the glass substrate 100 may be used. In this case, the amount of bending that occurs in the fork 10 due to the weight of the glass substrate 100 when the glass substrate 100 is placed, and the amount of bending of the fork that is imparted due to the weight of the weighting member when the glass substrate 100 is not placed. Although it is different, the difference between the bending of the fork 10 when the glass substrate 100 is placed and when the glass substrate 100 is not placed is compared with the configuration in which the weight member is not used and the fork 10 is not imparted when the glass substrate 100 is not placed. It is possible to make it smaller.

  In addition, the fork 10 is provided with a plurality of weight members, and the amount of bending to be applied to the fork 10 when the glass substrate 100 is not placed by a combination in which the weight members are arranged at the second position P2 and the first position P1. You may adjust so that it may become substantially equal to the amount of bending when the glass substrate 100 is mounted on the fork 10.

  Specifically, by placing a predetermined number of weighting members having a weight substantially equal to the glass substrate 100 in total among the plurality of weighting members at the second position P2 and placing the remaining weighting members at the first position P1. The fork 10 on which the glass substrate 100 is not placed is imparted with a deflection that is substantially the same as when the glass substrate 100 is placed. In this case, each weight member may have a different weight or an equal weight.

  Even in such a configuration, when each glass substrate 100 having a different weight is placed on the fork 10 and transported, the glass substrate 100 is placed so as to match the bending of the fork 10 when each weight glass substrate 100 is placed. The deflection of the fork 10 when not loaded can be adjusted, and the difference in the deflection of the fork 10 when the glass substrate 100 of each weight is placed and when it is not placed can be reduced.

  Moreover, you may arrange | position a weight member in positions other than the 1st position P1 and the 2nd position P2 which were shown by the said embodiment. For example, a structure that can arbitrarily adjust the position of the weight member in the length direction of the fork 10 may be configured.

  According to this configuration, the distance from the fulcrum of the fork 10 to the position of the weight member can be arbitrarily adjusted, and thereby the amount of bending imparted to the fork 10 by the weight member can be arbitrarily adjusted. In this case, by adjusting the position of the weight member in the length direction of the fork 10, the amount of bending of the fork 10 when the glass substrate 100 is not placed according to the weight of the glass substrate 100 placed on the fork 10 is adjusted. The amount of bending of the fork 10 when the glass substrate 100 is placed can be adjusted to be substantially equal.

  In addition, as the conveyed product, a material other than the glass substrate 100 described above can be applied.

  Moreover, you may use types of fluid other than the above-mentioned as a fluid which moves the weight member 13 in the movement space 10a. For example, liquids such as various gases other than air and oil may be used as the fluid for moving the weight member 13.

  Further, the moving mechanism for moving the weight member 13 between the first position P1 and the second position P2 is not limited to the form using compressed air as described above. For example, the weight member may be moved between the first position P1 and the second position P2 by a moving mechanism using mechanical means such as a ball screw, a chain, a wire, and a pulley.

  Moreover, when the fork 10 is provided with a plurality of weight members, a plurality of drive units for moving the weight members may be provided. That is, the drive part which moves each weight member may be provided individually.

  Further, as the weight member, it is possible to use a member other than the solid weight as described above. For example, a liquid having a predetermined weight may be used as the weight member. In this case, when the fork on which the object to be transported is not placed, the fork is provided with a liquid weighting member for a weight that causes a bend substantially equal to that when the object to be transported is placed on the fork. It is preferable to provide a moving device that can be moved between the first position on the proximal end side and the second position on the distal end side.

1 is a side view showing a schematic overall configuration of a transfer robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the perspective view which showed the state at the time of loading or taking out a glass substrate to a storage rack with the robot for conveyance shown in FIG. It is a top view of one fork which constitutes a robot hand. It is the figure which looked at the fork of Drawing 3 from the tip side. It is sectional drawing along the VV line of the fork shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing along the VI-VI line of the fork shown in FIG. It is the figure which showed the bending of the fork which mounted the glass substrate. It is the figure which showed the bending by the weight member of the fork when the glass substrate is not mounted. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the robot for conveyance by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the robot for conveyance by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the robot for conveyance by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view corresponding to Drawing 3 of a fork by the 1st modification of one embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the horizontal direction of the fork shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing along the XIV-XIV line | wire of the fork shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the horizontal direction of the fork by the 2nd modification of one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

6 Robot Hand 10 Fork 10a Moving Space 14 Moving Mechanism 20 Drive Unit 20a Supply Unit 20b Discharge Pipe (Discharge Unit)
22 Movement direction switching part 22c Switching valve (fluid supply / discharge switching part)
30 Holding member 100 Glass substrate (conveyed object)
P1 1st position P2 2nd position

Claims (10)

A robot hand that includes a fork arranged to extend upwardly toward the tip, and carries a transported object on the fork,
The fork is provided with a weight member that can move to at least a first position and a second position closer to the tip than the first position ,
The weighting member is a robot hand that bends the front end of the fork downward by being disposed at the second position when the transported object is not placed on the fork .
  2. The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein the fork includes a movement space in which the weight member is movably accommodated between the first position and the second position.   The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein a holding member that holds the weight member movably between the first position and the second position is attached to the fork.   4. The robot hand according to claim 3, wherein the holding member includes a movement space in which the weight member is movably accommodated between the first position and the second position.   The robot hand according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a moving mechanism that moves the weight member between the first position and the second position.   The moving mechanism moves a weighting member, and moves the weighting member by the driving portion in a direction from the first position toward the second position and from the second position toward the first position. The robot hand according to claim 5, further comprising a movement direction switching unit that switches between directions. A drive unit for moving the weight member;
A moving direction switching unit that switches a moving direction of the weight member by the driving unit between a direction from the first position toward the second position and a direction from the second position toward the first position;
The drive unit includes a supply unit for supplying fluid into the moving space, and a discharge unit for discharging fluid from the moving space,
The moving direction switching unit introduces the fluid from the supply unit into the space on the base end side with respect to the weighting member in the moving space and the tip portion with respect to the weighting member in the moving space. A first state in which the fluid is discharged from the space on the side to the discharge portion and the weight member is moved from the first position to the second position; and the fluid from the supply portion is transferred to the load member in the movement space. In contrast, the fluid is introduced into the space on the distal end side and discharged from the space on the base end side to the discharge portion with respect to the weight member in the moving space, so that the weight member is moved from the second position to the discharge portion. 5. The robot hand according to claim 2, further comprising a fluid supply / discharge switching unit that switches between a second state to be moved to the first position. 6.   The weighting member has a weight that causes a bend substantially equal to that when the conveyed product is placed on the fork when the weighted member is disposed at the second position in the fork on which the conveyed product is not placed. Item 8. The robot hand according to any one of Items 1 to 7.   A plurality of the weight members are provided on the fork, and each of the weight members is provided so as to be individually movable at least between the first position and the second position. The robot hand described in 1.   10. The robot hand according to claim 9, further comprising: a moving mechanism that moves a predetermined number of weight members among the plurality of weight members to the second position and moves a predetermined number of weight members to the first position.

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