JP5334488B2 - Work support member and work support pin position adjusting method using the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a work support member that is arranged above a plate-like heat source in a heat treatment apparatus and configured to support a work to be heat-treated from below, and a work support pin position adjusting method using the work support member.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, proximity pins that support a workpiece to be heat-treated are widely used in heat treatment apparatuses such as a vacuum drying apparatus. For example, in the manufacturing process of a liquid crystal substrate, proximity pins are used to hold the liquid crystal substrate on a plate heater in a vacuum drying apparatus.

  One problem with using proximity pins to support the workpiece is that the workpiece and the proximity pin may come into contact with each other during the heat treatment, causing the workpiece to be marked with proximity pins. . For this reason, when the panel pattern region in the workpiece to be heat-treated is supported by the proximity pins, the end product may be defective due to the marks of the proximity pins.

In order to avoid such an inconvenience, conventionally, various devices for adjusting the position of the proximity pin have been performed in order to bring the proximity pin into contact with an area other than the panel pattern area of the work (for example, Patent Documents). See 1 and 2.).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-241702 JP 2004-140163 A

  However, there are many cases where the panel pattern is diverse, and there are many cases where the support position of the proximity pin needs to be changed. Further, with the recent increase in the size of workpieces such as liquid crystal substrates, the position changing operation of proximity pins has become increasingly difficult. Even if the techniques according to Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above are used, proximity pins are still used. In some cases, the position change operation cannot be performed efficiently and quickly.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a workpiece support member and a workpiece support pin position adjusting method that enable the proximity pin position changing operation to be performed efficiently and quickly in accordance with the panel pattern.

Work supporting member according to the present invention is disposed on the plate-shaped heat source in the heat treatment apparatus is thermally processed, unused arranged in a band shape was in the form regions other than the panel pattern of straight panels pattern A workpiece having a region is supported from below in a non-use region other than the panel pattern . Examples of the heat treatment apparatus include a vacuum drying apparatus, but are not limited thereto.

  The work support member includes a plurality of work support pins, a plurality of pin support members, and a frame member. The workpiece support pin is configured to support the workpiece during the heat treatment. An example of the work support pin is a proximity pin.

  Each pin support member is configured to support a plurality of work support pins. As a configuration example of the pin support member, a rod-shaped member that supports a plurality of work support pins along the longitudinal direction can be given.

Each of the two frame members can be detachably supported at both ends in the longitudinal direction of a plurality of pin support members, and can be slidably changed in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and can be transported by a transport robot. It is comprised by this, and the rod shape arrange | positioned in the direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction is exhibited. An example of a configuration that can be transported by the transport robot includes a configuration that includes a plurality of portions extending in a direction orthogonal to the arm of the transport robot. The frame member is configured to support both ends of the pin support member in the longitudinal direction, and the position of the pin support member can be adjusted even when the workpiece support member increases in size as the workpiece increases in size. Easy to do.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to change the proximity pin position at a place with good workability outside the chamber, and then carry the workpiece support member into the chamber while maintaining the position of the proximity pin. Usually, the chamber of the heat treatment apparatus is designed to make the volume as small as possible and the size of the workpiece is large, so it is difficult to change the position of the proximity pin in the chamber. However, if this invention is used, it is difficult to be affected by the reduction in the volume of the chamber and the increase in the size of the workpiece.

  When using the workpiece support member according to the present invention, it is preferable to adjust the workpiece support pin position in the following procedure. First, outside the heat treatment apparatus, the mounting position of the pin support member with respect to the frame member is adjusted according to the configuration of the workpiece, then the pin support member is fixed to the frame member, and then the pin support member is fixed. The frame member is introduced into the heat treatment apparatus by a transfer robot.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to perform the position change operation | work of a proximity pin efficiently and rapidly according to a panel pattern.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a reduced-pressure drying apparatus 10 in which a substrate support member 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention is used. In this embodiment, the vacuum drying apparatus 10 will be described as an example of the heat treatment apparatus, but the type of the heat treatment apparatus to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to the vacuum drying apparatus.

  The vacuum drying apparatus 10 includes a chamber 12. A heater 18 having a plate shape is provided in the chamber 12. On the heater 18, a substrate support member 20 configured to support the glass substrate 16 as a workpiece from below during heat treatment is placed. A lifter pin 14 configured to support the glass substrate 16 carried into or out of the chamber 12 from below so as to penetrate the heater 18 is disposed. The lifter pin 14 is supported by a lifter pin driving device 142 having a drive unit such as a motor so as to be movable up and down.

  FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the substrate support member 20. The substrate support member 20 includes a plurality of proximity pins 26, a plurality of bars 24, and two frame members 22 that support both ends of the bars 24. A plurality of proximity pins 26 are attached to one bar 24, and are configured to support the glass substrate 16 from below during heat treatment. The bar 24 is supported by the frame member 22 so as to be detachable and changeable in position. In this embodiment, the bar 24 is configured to be slidable in the longitudinal direction of the frame member 22. The frame member 22 has a large number of screw holes (not shown) in its longitudinal direction, and the bar 24 can be fixed to a desired position in the frame member 22 via bolts. However, the method of attaching the bar 24 to the frame member 22 is not limited to this method, and other methods can be adopted.

  FIG. 2B schematically shows the bottom surface of the glass substrate 16 supported by the substrate support member 20. In the figure, a circle 17 indicates a contact location with the proximity pin 26 on the bottom surface of the glass substrate 16. Sixteen panel patterns 160 are arranged on the bottom surface of the glass substrate 16, but it is easy for the proximity pins 26 to contact the panel pattern 160 by adjusting the mounting position of the bar 24 with respect to the frame member 22. Can be avoided. Furthermore, when the number of panel patterns 160 increases, such as 25 or 36, the number of bars 24 attached to the frame member 22 may be increased as appropriate.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3B, when a glass substrate 162 having nine panel patterns 160 (the same applies when the number of panel patterns 160 is four or one) is used, As shown in FIG. 3A, the layout of the substrate support member 20 may be changed by appropriately removing the bar 24 from the frame member 22 or the like.

  When the substrate support member 20 is used, the position of the bar 24 relative to the frame member 22 is changed at a location outside the chamber 12 where workability is good. After the positioning of the bar 24 with respect to the frame member 22 is completed outside the chamber 12, the substrate support member 20 is carried into the chamber 12 by the transfer robot 30 as shown in FIG. 4. At this time, since the bar 24 is positioned with respect to the frame member 22, it is possible to carry the substrate support member 20 into the chamber 12 while maintaining the arrangement state of the proximity pins 26 in a desired state. Further, even when the glass substrate 16 is transferred, the position of the proximity pin 26 of the substrate support member 20 is not shifted by an external force.

  According to the above configuration, it is possible to change the position of the proximity pin 26 in a place with good workability outside the chamber 12. Therefore, even if the volume of the chamber 12 is small, the position change of the proximity pin 26 is possible. The work will not be hindered. As a result, the position changing operation of the proximity pin 26 can be quickly and effectively performed in accordance with the change in the arrangement of the panel pattern 160 on the glass substrate 16.

  In addition, in order to drive the proximity pin 26, it is not necessary to change the configuration of providing a through-hole at a predetermined position of the chamber 12 and installing an air cylinder, and it is easy to reduce the pressure in the chamber 12.

  Further, because of the structure of the frame member 22 and the bar 24, the heat from the heater 18 is not blocked by the substrate support member 20, and the heat capacity of the substrate support member 20 itself is small. The pattern 160 can be effectively heated.

  In the above-described embodiment, since the non-use area other than the panel pattern 160 in the glass substrate 16 is arranged in a straight strip as a rule, the position of the proximity pin 26 is fixed on the bar 24. Although no problem occurs, the position of the proximity pin 26 with respect to the bar 24 may be configured to be changeable as necessary.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which a large number of screw holes are provided in the longitudinal direction of the frame member 22 has been described. However, elongated holes may be provided along the longitudinal direction of the frame member 22. In this case, in order to make it easy to determine the position of the bar 24 with respect to the frame member 22, a plurality of lines and inscriptions indicating the proper position of the bar 24 may be provided on the surface of the frame member 22.

  Further, although the example in which the frame member 22 is configured by two rod-shaped members extending in a direction orthogonal to the arm of the transfer robot 30 has been described, the configuration of the frame member 22 is not limited to this. For example, a configuration including three or more rod-shaped members extending in a direction orthogonal to the arm of the transfer robot 30 or a configuration including a rectangular frame member may be employed as the configuration of the frame member 22.

  The above description of the embodiment is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above embodiments but by the claims. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of a reduced pressure drying apparatus. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of a board | substrate support member. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of a board | substrate support member. It is a figure which shows the state which carries in a board | substrate support member in a chamber with the robot for conveyance.

Explanation of symbols

10-Vacuum dryer 12-Chamber 14-Lifter pin 16-Glass substrate 18-Heater 20-Substrate support member 22-Frame 24-Bar 26-Proximity pin

Claims (2)

Are arranged on a plate-shaped heat source in the heat treatment apparatus is thermally processed, the work panel pattern having an unused region disposed in a band shape of a straight line A is formed regions of the panel pattern other than the panel pattern A workpiece support member configured to support from below in a non-use area other than
A plurality of workpiece support pins configured to support the workpiece during heat treatment;
A plurality of pin support members each having a rod shape configured to support the plurality of work support pins;
Each of the plurality of pin support members is detachably supported at both ends in the longitudinal direction and slidably change the position in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and can be transported by a transport robot; and Two frame members exhibiting a rod shape arranged in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;
Work support member provided with A work support pin position adjusting method using the work support member according to claim 1,
Adjusting the position in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the pin support member relative to the two frame members outside the heat treatment apparatus according to the panel pattern in the workpiece;
Fixing the pin support member to the frame member;
Introducing the frame member to which the pin support member is fixed into the heat treatment apparatus by a transfer robot;
Workpiece support pin position adjustment method including

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