JP5799059B2 - Thin plate transfer device and thin plate cleaning system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a thin plate transfer device and a thin plate cleaning system.

  An optical coating or the like is formed on the front and back surfaces of a thin plate such as glass used in a liquid crystal display device or the like. If the thin plate is dirty, an optical coating or the like may not be formed properly. Therefore, a system for cleaning the thin plate is required.

  A cleaning device has been proposed in which a thin plate is placed on a clean cloth laid on a belt conveyor and the entire upper surface of the thin plate is wiped off with a dust-free cloth sprinkled with alcohol (Chinese Patent Application No. 1) 102698988). In such a configuration, the surface of the thin plate can be cleaned regardless of the size of the thin plate. However, this apparatus can clean only one side of a thin plate. For this reason, after cleaning one side of the thin plate, it is necessary to turn it over and clean the other side with this cleaning device.

  Here, FIG. 10 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-89910 describes a configuration for holding both ends and inverting the thin plate and a configuration for cleaning one surface of the thin plate. In this configuration, after cleaning one surface of the thin plate, the thin plate is inverted and the other surface is cleaned.

Chinese Patent Application No. 102688988 JP-A-8-89910

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 10 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-89910, since the motor or the like is disposed outside the chuck, the chuck cannot be opened beyond the motor or the like. Therefore, it cannot respond to a large-sized thin plate. Moreover, in this structure, in order to hold | grip both ends of a thin plate, a part of chuck | zipper for holding to the already cleaned location contacts. For this reason, it is difficult to completely clean both ends of the thin plate.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a thin plate transfer device capable of reversing a thin plate efficiently and a reversible thin plate transfer device, and a thin plate cleaning system capable of efficiently and reliably cleaning both surfaces of a thin plate by including this thin plate transfer device. To do.

  The invention made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems is characterized in that an adsorption part that adsorbs one surface of a thin plate in a predetermined first delivery area and releases the thin plate in a predetermined second delivery area, and this adsorption part is on one end side An arm attached to the arm, and a rotating part that supports the other end of the arm and is rotatable about a rotation axis located on a plane parallel to the thin plate when adsorbed to the adsorbing part. It is a thin plate transfer apparatus provided.

  The thin plate transfer device sucks one surface of a thin plate by a suction portion provided on the tip side of an arm extending from the rotation portion, and centers on a rotation axis substantially parallel to the thin plate sucked by the suction portion. By rotating the rotating part, the arm is swung vertically to move the thin plate so as to draw an arc and to invert one surface and the other surface of the thin plate. Thereby, a thin plate can be transferred and reversed without touching the other surface of the thin plate.

  In the thin plate transfer device, the plurality of suction portions and the arms are disposed substantially symmetrically about the rotating portion, and the first delivery region and the second delivery region are substantially centered on the rotation axis. It should be located symmetrically. According to this configuration, when one suction part sucks the thin plate in the first delivery area, the other suction part is arranged in the second delivery area. Therefore, the second delivery is performed simultaneously with the thin plate suction in the first delivery area. The release of thin plates in the area is possible. For this reason, the said thin plate transfer apparatus can transfer a thin plate efficiently.

  The thin plate transfer device includes a projecting mechanism that is provided between the rotating unit and the arm, and projects or retracts the arm in the suction direction of the adsorbing unit with respect to the rotating unit. In the first delivery area, the projecting mechanism retracts below the thin plate by retracting the arm, and the projecting mechanism raises the thin plate by projecting the arm. According to this configuration, the thin plate can be lifted up by the suction portion by causing the protruding mechanism to protrude the arm without rotating the rotating body. For this reason, since adsorption | suction of the thin plate in a 1st delivery area | region and release | release of a thin plate in a 2nd delivery area | region can be performed without synchronizing, there is little possibility of waiting the apparatus of front and back. Further, with this configuration, even when a conveyance speed delay or a trouble during conveyance occurs, it can be flexibly dealt with.

  The thin plate transfer device includes a control device that controls the operation of the suction portion and the rotating body, and the suction device is in the state where the thin plate is moving in the first delivery region. An adsorption control element that controls to adsorb the sheet, a release control element that controls the adsorption unit to release the thin plate in response to a confirmation signal in the second delivery area, and an adsorption of the thin board in the first delivery area And a rotation control element for controlling the rotating portion to rotate after the release of the thin plate in the second delivery area is completed. Thus, by having the suction control element, the release control element, and the rotation control element, the thin plate suction in the first delivery region, the thin plate release in the second delivery region, and the first delivery region to the second delivery region. The thin plate can be transferred efficiently.

  In the thin plate transfer device, the suction control element may control the suction portion to suck the thin plate in the first delivery region simultaneously with the release of the thin plate in the second delivery region. If the timing of thin plate adsorption in the first delivery region is the same as the timing of thin plate release in the second delivery region, the thin plate transfer cycle can be shortened.

  Here, in the case of a thin plate transfer device provided with an arm that cannot be expanded and contracted, the rotating portion rotates to transfer the thin plate when the thin plate moves on the suction portion, regardless of the size of the thin plate. However, in such a configuration, there is a case where it is not efficient depending on the size of the thin plate. For example, when the arm is set to be long in accordance with the conveyance of a small thin plate, a large space is required because the large thin plate rotates around the rotating portion when conveying a large thin plate. . On the other hand, when the short arm is set in accordance with the conveyance of the large thin plate, a mechanism for conveying the thin plate to the position where the suction part of the arm is located is necessary when conveying the small thin plate.

  The said thin plate transfer apparatus WHEREIN: It is good for the said arm to be able to expand-contract in the direction which goes to the said one end from the said other end. The said thin plate transfer apparatus can adsorb | suck and hold the thin plate of the supplied instant firmly by extending | stretching an arm according to the size of a thin plate. Thereby, thin plates of various sizes can be transferred while being reliably reversed. Also, for example, in the case of a thin plate of a small size, the arm is contracted by the suction unit adsorbing the thin plate with the arm extended, and the rotating unit rotating with the arm extended. The transport distance of the thin plate is shorter than when the thin plate is adsorbed, and the thin plate can be transported far by the rotation of the rotating unit. On the other hand, in the case of a thin plate having a large size, it may be difficult to suck if the thin plate on the suction portion moves while the arm is extended. For example, if a large part of the thin plate remains in the thin plate transport mechanism and a large force is required for suction, or if it is difficult to secure a space to rotate the thin plate by extending the arm, extend the arm. It is difficult to rotate the rotating part in this state. In this case, the thin plate can be transported while being reversed without any problem even if it is a large-sized thin plate by the sucking unit sucking the thin plate with the arm contracted and the rotating unit rotating.

  In the thin plate conveying apparatus, the arm is provided with a fixing member fixed to the rotating portion and the suction portion and is slidable in the direction from the other end to the one end with respect to the fixing member. It is good to have a slide member. By adopting a simple configuration in which the arm is extended and contracted by sliding, the thin plate conveying device is not excessively complicated.

  The thin plate conveying device includes an upstream sensor that detects the presence or absence of the thin plate in the vicinity of the suction portion when the arm is extended in the first delivery region, and an arm when the arm is contracted in the first delivery region. It is good to provide the downstream sensor which detects the presence or absence of the said thin plate in the vicinity of the said other end. The upstream sensor detects that the thin plate is separated from the supply system and can be held by the suction portion, and the downstream sensor detects that the thin plate is about to pass through a range where the thin plate can be held by the suction portion. Thus, by using two sensors, the thin plate can be reliably adsorbed by simple control.

  The thin plate conveying device includes a control device that controls operations of the suction unit, the arm, and the rotating unit, and the control device is configured such that the length of the thin plate in the expansion and contraction direction of the arm is equal to or less than a predetermined reference length. In some cases, when the upstream sensor stops detecting the thin plate with the arm extended, the suction unit controls the suction of the thin plate, and the length of the thin plate in the expansion and contraction direction of the arm. Is more than the reference length, it may be controlled so that the suction portion sucks the thin plate when the downstream sensor detects the thin plate with the arm contracted. Only the upstream sensor is used when the arm is extended to adsorb a short thin plate, and only the downstream sensor is used when the arm is contracted to adsorb a long thin plate. Can be reliably adsorbed.

  The thin plate conveying device can support the one surface of the thin plate supplied to the first delivery region, and a plurality of disposed in the first delivery region so that the suction portion can pass between them. The provisional receiving member may be provided. Since the thin plate is once supported by the provisional receiving member, the thin plate can be reliably adsorbed without the influence of the supply system.

  In the thin plate conveying device, the control unit releases the thin plate with the arm extended in the second delivery area, and after the thin plate is released and before the rotating unit rotates. It is preferable to have a release control element for controlling the arm to contract. Extending the arm and delivering the thin plate to the downstream device at a position away from the rotation center of the rotating unit, and contracting the arm prevents the arm from interfering with the downstream device and the thin plate held by the downstream device when the rotating unit rotates. You can For this reason, a rotation part can rotate irrespective of the state of a downstream apparatus.

  Another invention made to solve the above-mentioned problems is the thin plate transfer device, a first cleaning device for cleaning the other surface of the thin plate and supplying the thin plate to the thin plate transfer device, and one of the thin plates. A thin plate cleaning system comprising: a second cleaning device having a second cleaning unit for cleaning a surface and supplying a thin plate from the thin plate transfer device.

  Since the thin plate transfer device can transfer and invert thin plates of various sizes without touching the other surface of the thin plate, the thin plate cleaning system can easily and reliably clean both surfaces of thin plates of various sizes.

  In the thin plate transfer device of the present invention, the suction portion can reliably suck thin plates of various sizes by the expansion and contraction of the arm, and can be reversed while the thin plate is being transferred by the rotation of the rotating portion. Further, in the thin plate cleaning system of the present invention provided with the thin plate transfer device, the arm or the like does not come into contact with the cleaned surface when inverting the thin plate, so that both surfaces of various sizes of thin plates can be easily and reliably cleaned. it can.

It is a typical side view which shows the thin plate cleaning system of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a typical top view which shows the thin plate transfer apparatus of the thin plate cleaning system of FIG. It is a typical side view of the thin plate transfer apparatus of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a thin plate transfer apparatus. It is a typical side view which illustrates the standby state of the thin plate transfer apparatus in the case of transferring a short thin plate. It is a typical side view which illustrates the thin plate transfer apparatus in the next state of FIG. It is a typical side view which illustrates the thin plate transfer apparatus in the next state of FIG. It is a typical side view which illustrates the thin plate transfer apparatus in the next state of FIG. It is a typical side view which illustrates the standby state of the thin plate transfer apparatus in the case of transferring a long thin plate. It is a typical side view which illustrates the thin plate transfer apparatus in the next state of FIG. It is a typical side view which illustrates the standby state of the thin plate transport apparatus in the next state of FIG. It is a typical top view of the thin plate transfer apparatus which concerns on the thin plate cleaning system of embodiment different from FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. First, a thin plate cleaning system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.

[First embodiment]
A thin plate cleaning system 1 in FIG. 1 supports a first surface (first surface) of a transparent thin plate P and cleans the other surface (second surface), and a second surface of the thin plate P. And a second cleaning device 20 for cleaning the first surface and a thin plate transfer device 30 for transferring the thin plate P from the first cleaning device 10 to the second cleaning device 20. Here, the thin plate P includes, for example, a glass or resin substrate used in a liquid crystal display device or the like.

<First cleaning device>
The first cleaning device 10 includes a first transport unit 11 and a first cleaning unit 12. The first transport unit 11 transfers the thin plate P from the thin plate supply region A1 where the thin plate P is placed so that the first surface is in contact via the first cleaning region A2 where the thin plate P is cleaned. It consists of a belt conveyor that conveys the thin plate P to the first delivery area A3. The first cleaning unit 12 cleans the second surface of the thin plate P placed on the first transport unit 11 in the first cleaning region A2.

  The 1st cleaning part 12 is constituted so that the dirt adhering to the 2nd surface of thin plate P may be wiped off as follows. First, alcohol is sprayed on a clean long cloth 13 formed so as not to generate dust by a spraying device (not shown). Then, the long cloth 13 is pressed against the thin plate P placed on the first transport unit 11 by the disk 14 rotating around the vertical eccentric shaft. Thereby, the long cloth 13 is moved to draw a circle on the thin plate P, and wipes off the dirt on the second surface of the thin plate P.

<Second cleaning device>
The second cleaning device 20 includes a second transport unit 21 and a second cleaning unit 22. The second transport unit 21 transports the thin plate P from the second delivery region A4 that receives the thin plate P from the thin plate transfer device 30 to the thin plate discharge region A6 that discharges the thin plate P through the second cleaning region A5 where the thin plate P is cleaned. To do. The second cleaning unit 22 cleans the first surface of the thin plate P in the second cleaning region A5.

  The second transport unit 21 includes a belt conveyor 23 and a clean long elongate cloth 24 that is supplied onto the belt conveyor 23 and moves at the same speed as the belt conveyor 23. The thin plate P is placed on the long fabric 24 for placement that is always newly supplied so that the second surface cleaned by the first cleaning device 10 is in contact therewith. In addition, the height at which the second transport unit 21 of the second cleaning device 20 contacts the thin plate P is less than the height at which the first transport unit 11 of the first cleaning device 10 contacts the thin plate P.

  The 2nd cleaning part 22 is constituted so that the dirt on the 2nd surface of thin plate P may be wiped off as follows. First, alcohol is sprayed on a clean long cloth 25 formed so as not to generate dust by a spraying device (not shown). Then, the long cloth 25 is pressed against the thin plate P placed on the second transport unit 21 by the disk 26 rotating around the vertical eccentric shaft. Thereby, the long cloth 25 is moved to draw a circle on the thin plate P, and wipes off the dirt on the first surface of the thin plate P.

<Thin plate transfer device>
FIG. 2 illustrates the plane of the thin plate transfer device 30, and FIG. 3 illustrates the plane of the thin plate transfer device 30. As shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3, the thin plate transfer device 30 includes a provisional receiving member 31, a suction portion 32, an arm 33, a protruding mechanism 34, and a rotating portion 35. The temporary receiving member 31 temporarily supports the first surface of the thin plate P discharged from the first cleaning device 10 (see FIG. 1) in the first delivery area A3. The suction part 32 sucks the first surface of the thin plate P supported by the temporary receiving member 31. The arm 33 is provided with a suction portion 32 on one end side, and can extend and contract in a direction from the other end toward the one end. The protruding mechanism 34 is composed of an air cylinder that supports the other end of the arm 33. The rotation unit 35 is substantially parallel to the thin plate P to which the protrusion mechanism 34 is fixed and is sucked by the suction unit 32 (perpendicular to the suction direction of the suction unit 32, and perpendicular to the direction in which the first transport unit 11 transports the thin plate P. And a rotation axis extending in a horizontal direction). Two sets of the suction portion 32, the arm 33, and the protrusion mechanism 34 are arranged symmetrically about the rotation axis of the rotation portion 35.

  The temporary receiving member 31 includes a plurality of rows of pulleys arranged side by side in the transport direction of the first transport unit 11. The provisional receiving members 31 are arranged on the upstream side (the first cleaning device 10 side in FIG. 1) at smaller intervals in the transport direction of the first transport unit 11 than on the downstream side. Further, the provisional receiving members 31 are arranged at intervals wider than the width of the arms 33 in the transverse direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the first conveying unit 11 so that the arms 33 can pass through. The provisional receiving members 31 are arranged at small intervals in the transverse direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the first conveying unit 11 so that the thin plate P having a small width can be supported on the upstream side, and the thin plate P having a large width on the downstream side. They are arranged at large intervals in the transverse direction so that they can be supported.

  The suction part 32 has a plurality of vacuum pads 36 attached to the arm 33. The arm 33 is formed with a plurality of suction holes 37 that communicate with a flow path connected to a vacuum source (not shown) and to which a vacuum pad 36 can be attached. The vacuum pad 36 sucks and supports the thin plate P. These vacuum pads 36 are attached at appropriate positions according to the size of the thin plate P to be sucked. The suction hole 37 to which the vacuum pad 36 is not attached is sealed with a plug.

  The arm 33 is in a direction perpendicular to the suction direction of the suction portion 32 (a direction parallel to the thin plate P sucked by the suction portion 32 as shown in FIG. 3), and the suction portion 32 is arranged in the first delivery area A3. Sometimes it can extend and contract in the horizontal direction parallel to the transport direction D of the first transport unit 11. Therefore, the arm 33 includes a fixing member 38 supported by the protruding mechanism 34 and a slide member 39 provided so as to be slidable with respect to the fixing member 38. More specifically, the fixing member 38 includes a slide tube 38a of a rodless cylinder and a housing 38b. The slide member 39 includes a slide table 39a of the rodless cylinder and an operation direction of the rodless cylinder from the slide table 39a. It includes an elongated plate-like member 39b that extends and is provided with a suction portion 32 on the opposite side to the slide table 39a.

  The protrusion mechanism 34 causes the arm 33 to protrude (separate from the rotating part 35) or retreat (approach to the rotating part 35) in parallel with the suction direction of the suction part 32. In a state where the arm 33 is horizontally disposed so as to support the suction portion 32 in the first delivery area A3, when the protruding mechanism 34 moves the arm 33 backward, the temporary receiving member 31 is below the height at which the thin plate P is supported. When the entire vacuum pad 36 of the suction portion 32 is positioned and the protruding mechanism 34 protrudes the arm 33, the suction surface of the vacuum pad 36 is positioned above the height at which the temporary receiving member 31 supports the thin plate P.

  The rotating unit 35 is rotated around the rotation axis by the motor 40. The rotating shaft of the rotating unit 35 is disposed at a height between a portion where the first transport unit 11 contacts the thin plate P and a portion where the second transport unit 21 contacts the thin plate P. When the rotating part 35 rotates, the arm 33 moves so as to turn between the provisional receiving members 31.

  The thin plate transfer device 30 includes an upstream sensor 41, a downstream sensor 42, and a release sensor 43. The upstream sensor 41 detects the presence or absence of the thin plate P in the vicinity of the suction portion 32 when the arm 33 is extended in the first delivery area A3 and on the extension side (upstream side) of the suction portion 32. The downstream sensor 42 detects the presence or absence of the thin plate P in the vicinity of the suction portion 32 when the arm 33 is contracted in the first delivery area A3 and on the contraction side (downstream side) of the suction portion 32. The release side sensor 43 detects the presence or absence of the thin plate P in the vicinity of the suction part 32 when the arm 33 is extended in the second delivery area A4 and on the extension side (downstream side) of the suction part 32. The upstream sensor 41, the downstream sensor 42, and the release sensor 43 are preferably non-contact type sensors such as photoelectric sensors, and are fixed at positions that do not interfere with other components by the rotation of the rotating unit 35.

  Further, the thin plate transfer device 30 includes a control device 44 that controls the operation of each of the above-described components. The control device 44 is preferably constituted by a programmable microcomputer or the like.

  The block diagram of FIG. 4 shows the relationship among the components related to the control of the thin plate transfer device 30. Condition settings such as the size of the thin plate P to be transferred are input in advance to the control device 44 via the setting input unit 45. In addition, detection signals from the upstream sensor 41, the downstream sensor 42, and the release sensor 43 are input to the control device 44. Based on these inputs, the control device 44 controls the suction operation of the suction portion 32, the expansion / contraction operation of the arm 33, the protrusion / retraction operation of the protrusion mechanism 34, and the rotation operation of the rotation portion 35. In the thin plate transfer device 30, two sets of suction portions 32, arms 33, and protruding mechanisms 34 are arranged symmetrically about the rotation axis of the rotation portion 35. Since each component is individually controlled, the components are distinguished from each other by adding a “first” or “second” number as necessary.

  The control device 44 includes an adsorption control element 46, a release control element 47, and a rotation control element 48. The adsorption control element 46 controls the operation for the adsorption unit 32 to adsorb the thin plate P in the first delivery area A3. The release control element 47 controls the operation for the suction part 32 to release the thin plate P and deliver it to the second cleaning device 20 in the second delivery area A4. The rotation control element 48 controls an operation for rotating the rotating unit 35 to transfer the thin plate P from the first delivery area A3 to the second delivery area A4. The suction control element 46, the release control element 47, and the rotation control element 48 are part of the circuit or program of the control device 44, and can be configured to be distinguishable from other parts such as a circuit module or a subroutine. preferable.

  When the length of the arm 33 of the thin plate P in the expansion / contraction direction (conveying direction D of the first conveying unit 11) set in advance in the setting input unit 45 is equal to or less than a predetermined reference length L, the suction control element 46 In the first delivery area A3, the arm 33 extends and the projection mechanism 34 stands by with the arm 33 retracted downward, and when the upstream sensor 41 stops detecting the thin plate P, the projection mechanism 34 33 is controlled to protrude upward and the suction part 32 sucks the thin plate P. When the set length of the thin plate P exceeds the reference length L, the suction control element 46 stands by with the arm 33 contracted in the first delivery area A3, and the downstream sensor 42 detects the thin plate P. In this case, the protrusion mechanism 34 controls the arm 33 to protrude upward and the suction portion 32 sucks the thin plate P.

  In the second delivery area A4, the release control element 47 stands by in a state where the protruding mechanism 34 protrudes the arm 33 downward, and sucks the suction portion 32 according to the detection signal (confirmation signal) of the release side sensor 43. The thin plate P stopped and released is released, and the suction unit 32 is controlled to place the thin plate P on the second transport unit 21 of the second cleaning device 20. More specifically, the control element 47, when the suction part 32 releases the thin plate P in the previous control cycle, once the release side sensor 43 detects the thin plate P and then no longer detects the thin plate P, The thin plate P is transferred from the second delivery region A4 to the second cleaning region A5, and it is determined that there is no thin plate P in the second delivery region A4. In addition, after the suction part 32 releases the thin plate P, the release control element 47 retracts the arm 33 upward by the protruding mechanism 34 on the second delivery area A4 side and contracts the arm 33 on the second delivery area A4 side. Let

  The rotation control element 48 controls the rotation unit 35 to rotate after the adsorption of the thin plate P in the first delivery area A3 and the release of the thin plate P in the second delivery area A4 and the contraction of the arm 33 are completed. .

<Operation>
Hereafter, the operation of the thin plate cleaning system will be described step by step with reference to FIGS. 5 to 11 showing the state changes of the thin plate transfer device 30 in order.

  Before the thin plate cleaning system starts operation, the user inputs the size of the glass plate in advance on the operation panel. As described above, the first cleaning device 10 (see FIG. 1) places the thin plate P on the first transport unit 11 and transports it on the first transport unit 11 by the first cleaning unit 12. The second surface of the placed thin plate P is cleaned. And as shown in FIG. 5, the 1st conveyance part 11 discharges | emits the thin plate P on the temporary receiving member 31 of the thin plate transfer apparatus 30 in 1st delivery area | region A3.

  At this time, in the thin plate transfer device 30, the thin plate P is supplied onto the temporary receiving member 31 in a state in which the arm 33 is moved backward by the protruding mechanism 34 and the suction portion 32 is retracted below the temporary receiving member 31. Wait for. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the length in the transport direction of the thin plate P is equal to or less than the reference length L and the supply of the thin plate P is waited with the arm 33 extended.

  When the thin plate P starts to be carried into the first delivery area A3 by the first transport unit 11, the upstream sensor 41 detects the thin plate P. Immediately after the entire thin plate P is transferred from the first transport unit 11 to the temporary receiving member 31, the rear edge of the thin plate P passes through the upstream sensor 41, so the upstream sensor 41 detects the thin plate P again. become unable. At this moment, as shown in FIG. 6, the protrusion mechanism 34 on the first delivery area A <b> 3 side causes the arm 33 to protrude and causes the vacuum pad 36 of the suction portion 32 to protrude above the temporary receiving member 31. At the same time, the suction part 32 in the first delivery area A3 is connected to a vacuum source to generate a suction force. Thereby, the adsorption | suction part 32 in 1st delivery area | region A3 adsorb | sucks and hold | maintains a 1st surface simultaneously with lifting the thin plate P from the provisional receiving member 31. FIG. Here, immediately before the vacuum pad 36 adsorbs the thin plate P, the thin plate P has moved. For this reason, the vacuum pad 36 is attracted to the thin plate P while the thin plate P is moving.

  After the holding part 32 sucks and holds the thin plate P in the first delivery area A3, the rotating part 35 rotates 180 ° counterclockwise in FIG. 7 as shown in FIG. That is, the rotating unit 35 rotates so that the upstream tip of the arm 33 on the first delivery region A3 side moves upward and the downstream tip of the arm 33 on the second delivery region A4 side moves downward.

  After the rotation unit 35 is rotated, as shown in FIG. 7, the thin plate P held by the arm 33 is disposed on the second transport unit 21 of the second cleaning device 20. For this reason, the arm 33 is in a state in which the thin plate P can be immediately placed on the second transport unit 21 if there is a request from the second cleaning device 20. On the other hand, the arm 33 on the first delivery area A3 side is extended so that the thin plate P can be adsorbed in the first delivery area A3 as described with reference to FIG.

  In this state, when the next thin plate P is first supplied to the first delivery area A3, as shown in FIG. 8, the protrusion mechanism 34 on the first delivery area A3 side causes the arm 33 to protrude and the suction portion 32 The thin plate P is adsorbed. And the arm 33 by the side of 2nd delivery area | region A4 maintains the state which can mount the thin plate P on the 2nd conveyance part 21, with extending | stretching.

  When the release side sensor 43 has confirmed that the second transport unit 21 has transferred the thin plate P supplied to the second delivery area A4 in the previous control cycle to the second cleaning unit A5, in other words, the second supply When the thin plate P can be supplied to the region A4, the suction portion 32 on the second delivery region A4 side is isolated from the vacuum source, and the thin plate P is released by losing the suction force. After the suction part 32 on the second delivery area A4 side releases the thin plate P, the protruding mechanism 34 on the second delivery area A4 side retracts the arm 33, and the arm 33 contracts to rotate the rotating part 35. So as not to interfere with the second transport unit 21.

  In the state of FIG. 7, when the release side sensor 43 confirms that there is no thin plate P in the second delivery area A4 before the next thin plate P is supplied to the first delivery area A3, the second delivery area is immediately The suction part 32 on the A4 side releases the thin plate P, and the arm 33 on the second delivery area A4 side contracts and retreats (rises) by the projecting mechanism 34. In the state shown in FIG. 5, the first delivery area A3 Wait for the thin plate P to be supplied. When there is no trouble in cleaning, transporting, etc. of the thin plate P that is performed after the power is turned on, the thin plate P is adsorbed in the first delivery area A3 and the thin plate P is released in the second delivery area at the same time. Has been.

  As described above, the rotation of the rotating unit 35 is performed after the adsorption of the thin plate P in the first delivery region A3, the release of the thin plate P in the second delivery region A4, and the contraction of the arm 33 are completed.

  5 to 8 described above is a case where the length of the thin plate P is equal to or less than the reference length L. When the length of the thin plate P exceeds the reference length L, the operation is as shown in FIGS.

  When the length of the thin plate P exceeds the reference length L, the adsorption of the thin plate P in the first delivery area A3 waits for the supply of the thin plate P with the arm 33 contracted as shown in FIG. When the sensor 42 detects the front edge of the thin plate P, the arm 33 is protruded upward and the thin plate P is sucked by the suction portion 32. Here, immediately before the vacuum pad 36 adsorbs the thin plate P, the thin plate P has moved. For this reason, the vacuum pad 36 is attracted to the thin plate P while the thin plate P is moving.

  In the thin plate transfer device 30, when the thin plate P is long, the thin plate P is sucked and held in a state of protruding from the suction portion 32 to the upstream side. Assuming that the long thin plate P is sucked by the suction portion 32 with the arm 33 extended, the thin plate P is removed by the suction portion 32 while the upstream portion of the thin plate P is still positioned on the first transport portion 11. Need to lift. However, since the contact area between the first transport unit 11 and the thin plate P is large, when the thin plate P on the first transport unit 11 is lifted perpendicularly to the surface, the first transport unit 11 and the thin plate P are disposed between the first transport unit 11 and the thin plate P. A vacuum (atmospheric pressure drop) is generated and the resistance becomes large. Therefore, by setting the arm 33 in the contracted state, the suction unit 32 can lift and suck the thin plate P after the thin plate P is completely detached from the first transport unit 11.

  After the suction part 32 sucks the thin plate P, the rotating part 35 rotates as shown in FIG. Thereafter, the protruding mechanism 34 retracts the arm 33. And as shown in FIG. 11, the arm 33 expand | extends and the thin plate P is arrange | positioned in 2nd delivery area | region A4. Thereafter, when it is confirmed by the release side sensor 43 that there is no thin plate P in the second delivery area A4, the suction unit 32 releases the thin plate P. Thereafter, after the arm 32 contracts, the rotating unit 35 rotates.

<Advantages>
In the thin plate cleaning system, the first cleaning device 10 cleans the entire second surface of the thin plate P, the thin plate transfer device 30 transfers and inverts the thin plate P without touching the second surface, and the second cleaning device 20 performs the thin plate cleaning. Clean the entire first surface of P. For this reason, the said thin plate cleaning system can clean both surfaces of the thin plate P easily and reliably in a short time, without a person intervening.

  In the thin plate cleaning system, the thin plate transfer device 30 is configured such that, when the suction portion 32 attached to one arm 33 in the first delivery region A3 sucks the thin plate P, the other is arranged in a symmetrical position around the rotation axis. The suction part 32 attached to the arm 33 is arranged in the second delivery area A4. For this reason, it is possible to release the thin plate P in the second delivery region A4 simultaneously with the adsorption of the thin plate P in the first delivery region A3. Therefore, the efficiency is better than when the adsorption timing of the thin plate P in the first delivery area A3 and the release timing of the thin plate P in the second delivery area A4 are different.

  In the thin plate cleaning system, when the thin plate transfer device 30 sucks the thin plate P by the suction portion 32, the thin plate P is lifted by protruding the arm 33 using the protruding mechanism 34 without rotating the rotating portion 35. Therefore, the reception of the thin plate P from the first cleaning device 10 in the first delivery region A3 and the delivery of the thin plate P to the second cleaning device 20 in the second delivery region A4 can be performed at different timings without synchronization. That is, the thin plate cleaning system has a high processing capability because the first cleaning device 10 and the second cleaning device 20 can operate independently without waiting for each other's operation.

  In the thin plate cleaning system, the height position at which the first transport unit 11 is in contact with the thin plate P is equal to or higher than the height of the rotating unit 35, and the height position at which the second transport unit 21 is in contact with the thin plate P is at the rotating unit 35. Below the height. Thereby, since the thin plate transfer apparatus 30 can hold | maintain the thin plate P so that it may overlap with the rotation part 35 by planar view, the 1st delivery area | region A3 and 2nd delivery area | region A4 can be set closely, and the exclusive area of the said thin plate cleaning system Can be reduced.

  In the thin plate transfer device 30, the release control element 47 of the control device 44 contracts the arm 33 after the suction portion 32 releases the thin plate P in the second delivery area A4. Thus, the arm 33 does not interfere with the second transport unit 21 when the rotating unit 35 rotates.

  In the thin plate transfer device 30, when the thin plate P is long in the transport direction, the thin plate P is received with the arm 33 contracted, so that the thin plate P is lifted by the suction unit 32 after completely separating from the first transport unit 11. It is adsorbed while. Thereby, the suction load of the adsorption | suction part 32 can be reduced compared with the case where the thin board P is lifted in the state which the 1st conveyance part 11 and the thin board P contacted. For this reason, in the thin plate transfer apparatus 30, the thin plate P of various sizes can be reversed while being reliably conveyed. Furthermore, in order to release the thin plate P by receiving and rotating the thin plate P with the arm 33 contracted in the first delivery region A3, the arm 33 is extended in the first delivery region A3. Compared to the case of receiving the thin plate A3, the thin plate A3 can be transported to a position close to the second cleaning region. For this reason, the conveyance speed can be increased.

  In the thin plate transfer device 30, the arm 33 includes a fixing member 38 and a slide member 39, and expands and contracts in parallel with the thin plate P to which the suction portion 32 is sucked. For this reason, in the 2nd delivery area A4, the position which releases thin plate P on the 2nd conveyance part 21 can be chosen.

  In the thin plate transfer device 30, the suction control element 46 of the control device 44 determines the suction timing of the thin plate P in the first delivery area, and the upstream sensor 41 when the transport direction length of the thin plate P exceeds the reference length L. Only when the transport direction length of the thin plate P is equal to or less than the reference length L, it is determined only by the downstream sensor 42. Therefore, thin plates P of various sizes can be adsorbed with simple control.

  Since the thin plate transfer device 30 includes the provisional receiving member 31, it can support the thin plate P until it is completely separated from the first transport unit 11. That is, it is not necessary to forcibly peel the thin plate P from the first transport unit 11 when the protrusion mechanism 34 protrudes the arm 33 in order to suck the thin plate P by the suction unit 32. For this reason, the adsorption | suction part 32 is not overloaded, and the thin plate P can be reliably adsorbed.

[Second Embodiment]
The thin plate cleaning system of the second embodiment of the present invention includes the first cleaning device 10 and the second cleaning device 20 that are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the thin plate transfer device 30a shown in FIG. About this embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same component as 1st embodiment, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the thin plate cleaning system of FIG. 12, the first cleaning device 10 and the second cleaning device 20 are arranged in parallel in a plan view. Specifically, the first cleaning device 10 and the second cleaning device 20 are configured so that the thin plate P is transported in the transport direction D1 of the thin plate P by the first transport unit 11 of the first cleaning device 10 and the second transport unit 21 of the second cleaning device 20. It arrange | positions so that the conveyance direction D2 may become the opposite direction.

<Thin plate transfer device>
The thin plate transfer device 30 a includes a rotation unit 35 a that rotates about a rotation axis that is horizontal and parallel to the conveyance direction D 1 of the first conveyance unit 11 and the conveyance direction D 2 of the second conveyance unit 21. The rotation shaft of the rotation unit 35 a is disposed between the first cleaning device 10 and the second cleaning device 20. The rotating portion 35a is an arm-like member extending perpendicularly to the rotation axis, and is downstream from the first delivery area A3 in the transport direction D1 of the first transport section 11 and second from the second delivery area A4. It arrange | positions in the upstream of the conveyance direction D2 of the conveyance part 21. FIG. The rotating portion 35a supports the protruding mechanism 34 on the side of the first cleaning device 10 and the second cleaning device 20 on both ends.

  Since the thin plate cleaning system having such a configuration has a short overall length, it is easy to secure an installation place.

[Other Embodiments]
The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment described above, but is defined by the scope of the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims (substitutions, additions, and Deletion) is intended to be included.

  For example, the adsorption control element and the release control element may not contract the arm, and the rotation control element may contract the arm before the rotation unit rotates. In the present invention, the arm 33 is not necessarily configured to be extendable and contractible.

  Further, if another mechanism for delivering the thin plate is provided in the second delivery area, for example, if the second transport unit is a slide edge type conveyor, the thin plate transfer device performs the second cleaning of the thin plate with the arm contracted. Can be handed over to the device.

  In the above embodiment, the first cleaning device 10 and the second cleaning device 20 have been described as having the first cleaning unit 12 and the second cleaning unit 22, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, The 1 cleaning device 10 may include two first cleaning units 12 and the second cleaning device 20 may include two second cleaning units 22. Moreover, the apparatus provided with the cleaning mechanism different from the 1st cleaning part 12 or the 2nd cleaning part 22 may be sufficient.

  In the above embodiment, the arm 33 is protruded or retracted by the protrusion mechanism 34. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the structure without the protrusion mechanism 34 may be used.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the arm 33 can change only in two states of extension and contraction has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the arm 33 includes an arm that can change in three or more stages. It may be a configuration. In this case, it can respond to the thin plate of various sizes further than said embodiment.

  In the above embodiment, the first cleaning device 10 is not provided with a configuration corresponding to the placing long cloth 24 of the second cleaning device 20, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the first cleaning device is not limited thereto. 10 may be provided with a configuration corresponding to the placing long cloth 24 of the second cleaning device 20.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the thin plate P is held by being sucked by the suction portion 32 is used. There may be.

  Further, as a confirmation signal for determining the release timing of the thin plate P in the second delivery area, an external signal input to the thin plate transfer device 30 in order to obtain supply of the thin plate P from the second cleaning device 20 may be used.

  In the second embodiment, the rotator 35a supports the arm 33 in parallel with the rotation axis. However, by supporting the arm 33 at a different angle, the first transport unit 11 of the first cleaning device 10 performs the operation. It can arrange | position so that the conveyance direction D1 of the thin plate P and the conveyance direction D2 of the thin plate P by the 2nd conveyance part 21 of the 2nd cleaning apparatus 20 may become a desired angle.

  In the above embodiment, the thin plate transfer device 30 is used to transfer the thin plate P from the first cleaning device 10 to the second cleaning device 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. An apparatus provided with an arm having a suction portion attached to one end and a rotating portion attached to the other end of the arm can also be used to supply the thin plate P to the first cleaning device. It can also be used for transferring the cleaned thin plate P to the storage box.

  In said embodiment, although the thin plate conveying apparatus 30 is provided with the two arms 33, this invention is not limited to this. It may be a thin plate transfer device having two or more, for example, four arms.

  The thin plate cleaning system of the present invention can be suitably used for cleaning thin plates such as glass substrates used in display devices of portable devices.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 1st cleaning apparatus 11 1st conveyance part 12 1st cleaning part 20 2nd cleaning apparatus 21 2nd conveyance part 22 2nd cleaning part 23 Belt conveyor 30 Thin plate transfer apparatus 31 Temporary receiving member 32 Adsorption part 33 Arm 34 Projection mechanism 35 Rotating unit 38 Fixed member 39 Slide member 41 Upstream sensor 42 Downstream sensor 43 Release side sensor 44 Control device 46 Adsorption control element 47 Release control element 48 Rotation control element A3 First delivery area A4 Second delivery area P Thin plate

Claims (15)

An adsorbing portion that adsorbs a lower surface of the thin plate in a predetermined first delivery region and releases the thin plate in a predetermined second delivery region;
An arm having this suction portion attached to one end;
The other end of the arm support, e Bei a 360 ° rotatable rotary unit about an axis of rotation located on the thin plate parallel to plane when being adsorbed on the adsorption unit,
The plurality of suction portions and the arms are arranged substantially symmetrically about the rotating portion,
The first delivery area and the second delivery area are located approximately symmetrically about the rotation axis;
A protrusion mechanism provided between the rotating portion and the arm, and protruding or retracting the arm in the suction direction of the suction portion with respect to the rotating portion;
A thin plate transfer device in which the suction portion retreats below the thin plate by retracting the arm in the first delivery region, and the protruding mechanism lifts the thin plate by projecting the arm. . The thin plate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control device that controls operations of the suction unit, the arm, and the rotating unit. An adsorbing portion that adsorbs a lower surface of the thin plate in a predetermined first delivery region and releases the thin plate in a predetermined second delivery region;
An arm having this suction portion attached to one end;
The other end side of this arm is supported, and a flat surface parallel to the thin plate when being adsorbed by the adsorbing portion.
A rotating part capable of rotating 360 ° around a rotation axis located on the surface;
With
The arm is extendable in the direction from the other end to the one end;
A control device for controlling the arm to contract after the suction portion releases the thin plate with the arm extended in the second delivery area and before the rotating portion rotates after releasing the thin plate. A thin plate transfer device. The plurality of suction portions and the arms are arranged substantially symmetrically about the rotating portion,
The thin plate transfer device according to claim 3, wherein the first delivery area and the second delivery area are positioned substantially symmetrically about the rotation axis. Above Symbol control device,
An adsorption control element that controls the adsorption unit to adsorb the thin plate while the thin plate is moving in the first delivery area;
A release control element that controls the suction portion to release the thin plate in response to a confirmation signal in the second delivery area;
And adsorption of the thin plate in the first transfer area, after the above-described and release of the sheet in the second transfer region has been completed together claim 2 and a rotation control element for controlling such that the rotating unit rotates, claim The thin plate transfer apparatus according to claim 3 or 4 . The control device is
An adsorption control element that controls the adsorption unit to adsorb the thin plate while the thin plate is moving in the first delivery area;
A release control element that controls the suction portion to release the thin plate in response to a confirmation signal in the second delivery area;
A rotation control element for controlling the rotating portion to rotate after the adsorption of the thin plate in the first delivery region and the release of the thin plate in the second delivery region are both completed;
The thin plate transfer device according to claim 2 or 4, wherein the suction control element controls the suction portion to suck the thin plate in the first delivery region simultaneously with the release of the thin plate in the second delivery region. . The thin plate transfer device according to claim 2 , wherein the arm can be expanded and contracted in a direction from the other end toward the one end. A fixing member fixed to the rotating part; a sliding member provided with the suction part and slidable in the direction from the other end to the one end with respect to the fixing member; The thin plate transfer apparatus according to claim 3, 4 or 7 . An upstream sensor that detects the presence or absence of the thin plate in the vicinity of the suction portion when the arm is extended in the first delivery area, and in the vicinity of the other end when the arm is contracted in the first delivery area. The thin plate transfer apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a downstream sensor that detects the presence or absence of the thin plate. When the length of the thin plate in the extending / contracting direction of the arm is equal to or less than a predetermined reference length, the control device detects that the upstream sensor no longer detects the thin plate with the arm extended. When the suction portion controls the thin plate so that the length of the thin plate in the expansion and contraction direction of the arm exceeds the reference length, the downstream sensor causes the thin plate to be in a state where the arm is contracted. The thin plate transfer apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a suction control element that controls the suction portion to suck the thin plate when detected. A plurality of temporary receiving members disposed in the first delivery area so that the lower surface of the thin plate supplied to the first delivery area can be supported and the suction portion can pass between them. The thin plate transfer apparatus according to any one of claims 3, 4, and 7 to 10 . The controller releases the thin plate with the arm extended in the second delivery area, and the arm contracts after the thin plate is released and before the rotating unit rotates. The thin plate transfer apparatus according to any one of claims 3, 4, and 7 to 11, further comprising a release control element for controlling the release. A thin plate transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 12 ,
A first cleaning device for cleaning the upper surface of the thin plate and supplying the thin plate to the thin plate transfer device;
A thin plate cleaning system comprising: a second cleaning device having a second cleaning unit that is supplied by inverting the thin plate from the thin plate transfer device and cleaning an upper surface of the thin plate. An adsorbing portion that adsorbs a lower surface of the thin plate in a predetermined first delivery region and releases the thin plate in a predetermined second delivery region;
An arm having this suction portion attached to one end;
The other end side of this arm is supported, and a flat surface parallel to the thin plate when being adsorbed by the adsorbing portion.
A rotating part capable of rotating 360 ° around a rotation axis located on the surface;
An upstream sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the thin plate in the vicinity of the suction portion when the arm is extended in the first delivery region;
A downstream sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the thin plate in the vicinity of the other end when the arm is contracted in the first delivery region;
With
A thin plate transfer device in which the arm can extend and contract in a direction from the other end toward the one end. An adsorbing portion that adsorbs a lower surface of the thin plate in a predetermined first delivery region and releases the thin plate in a predetermined second delivery region;
An arm having this suction portion attached to one end;
A rotating part that supports the other end of the arm and can rotate 360 ° around a rotation axis located on a plane parallel to the thin plate when being adsorbed by the adsorbing part;
A plurality of temporary receiving members arranged in the first delivery area so that the lower surface of the thin plate supplied to the first delivery area can be supported and the suction portion can pass between them; With
A thin plate transfer device in which the arm can extend and contract in a direction from the other end toward the one end.

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