JP2006192521A - Clamping device and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clamping device which surely fixes a workpiece having such a thickness as to generate warpage on a stage, is attachable/detachable to/from the stage, and changes its position according to the size of a workpiece, and also to provide an image forming device provided with the clamping device. <P>SOLUTION: The clamping device 30 for clamping the workpiece 100 is provided with: a driving part having a first link mechanism, which is provided to the stage 20, and an operating member 60, which is pivotally supported and connected to the first link mechanism, has a slit bored in the transfer direction of the stage 20, and is moved by the first link mechanism; and a clamp part having a clamp claw 80 for pressing the edge end part of the workpiece 100, a second link mechanism for turning the clamp claw 80 to a clamping posture or an unclamping posture, and an operated member 72 which is provided with an engaging projection 68 movably inserted into the slit 62 of the operating member 60 and operates the second link mechanism by the operation of the engaging projection 68 with the movement of the operating member 60. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a clamping device that clamps a workpiece such as a printed wiring board placed on a stage, and further, a workpiece such as a printed wiring board clamped by a light beam modulated based on image information. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image by exposing a drawing area.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a laser exposure apparatus as an image forming apparatus that forms a wiring pattern on a printed wiring board (hereinafter also referred to as “substrate” or “substrate material”). This laser exposure apparatus is provided with a stage member on which a printed wiring board to be subjected to image exposure is placed (loaded), and the stage member is moved along a predetermined conveyance path.

  More specifically, first, the printed wiring board is positioned and placed in a state of being sucked onto the stage member by sucking air from a large number of holes provided on the upper surface of the stage member. The stage member positioned and mounted on the stage member and attracted / held moves in the sub-scanning direction at a predetermined speed, and at a predetermined measurement position, an alignment hole (hereinafter referred to as “alignment” provided in the printed wiring board). The image is referred to as “mark”) by the CCD camera. Then, the alignment process for the image information is executed by coordinate-transforming the drawing target area in the drawing coordinate system in accordance with the position of the printed wiring board obtained by the imaging.

  After execution of the alignment process, the printed circuit board on the stage member is modulated on the basis of image information at a predetermined exposure position and is formed on the upper surface by a laser beam deflected in the main scanning direction by a polygon mirror. The photosensitive coating film is scanned and exposed. Thereby, an image (latent image) based on the image information (corresponding to the wiring pattern) is formed in a predetermined area (drawing area) on the printed wiring board.

The printed wiring board on which the image (latent image) is formed is removed (unloaded) from the stage member after the stage member returns to the initial position, and the stage member from which the printed wiring board has been removed is It shifts to the process of exposing the printed wiring board of (refer patent document 1).
JP 2000-338432 A

  However, when the thickness of the printed wiring board is as thin as 1 mm, for example, the board can be sufficiently adsorbed and held on the stage member by the suction force of air, but when the thickness is as thick as 3 mm, for example, Since warpage may occur in itself, there is a problem that it is difficult to sufficiently suck and hold (fix) the substrate on the stage member only by air suction force.

  Therefore, there is a need for a clamping device that can clamp the substrate supplementarily. However, since the printed wiring board has a different thickness as described above, the clamping device does not always have to be attached to the stage member. It is desirable that the clamping device be detachable from the stage member. At that time, it is preferable that the position can be arbitrarily changed according to the size of the substrate.

  Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, the present invention can be securely fixed on the stage even when the workpiece has a thickness that causes warping, and can be attached to and detached from the stage. In addition, it is an object of the present invention to obtain a clamp device that can change its position and an image forming apparatus that includes the clamp device.

  In order to achieve the above object, a clamping device according to claim 1 according to the present invention is a clamping device for clamping a workpiece placed on a stage, and is provided on the stage and operated by a driving source. A drive unit having a first link mechanism that is pivotally connected to the first link mechanism, a slit is formed in the transport direction of the stage, and the operation member is moved by the first link mechanism; There are provided a clamp claw for holding the edge of the workpiece, a second link mechanism for rotating the clamp claw to a clamp posture and a clamp release posture, and an engagement protrusion that is movably inserted into the slit of the operation member. And a clamp member having an operated member that operates the second link mechanism by operating the engaging projection by movement of the operating member. It is characterized in that.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, even a workpiece having a thickness that causes warping can be reliably fixed on the stage. Further, since the engagement protrusion of the operated member provided in the clamp part is movably inserted into the slit of the operation member provided in the drive part, the clamp part can be placed at any position within the range of the slit. Can be installed. That is, the position of the clamp portion can be changed according to the size of the workpiece.

  The clamp device according to claim 2 is the clamp device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the engagement protrusions can be inserted into the slit, and a plurality of the clamp portions can be attached to the drive portion. It is characterized by that.

  According to invention of Claim 2, it becomes possible to clamp the several location of a workpiece | work.

  A clamp device according to a third aspect is the clamp device according to the first or second aspect, wherein a rail having a concave portion is provided on a side wall of the stage, and the clamp portion is provided with the concave portion. It is characterized in that a convex portion that is detachably fitted is provided.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the clamp portion can be positioned and installed with respect to the stage by fitting the convex portion into the concave portion. That is, if a plurality of concave portions are formed, the clamp portion can be positioned and installed at an arbitrary position with respect to the stage.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus that conveys a stage, to which the clamp device according to any one of the first to third aspects is attached, along a predetermined conveyance path. A mechanism, a measurement unit that detects an alignment mark of the workpiece on the stage conveyed by the conveyance mechanism, and a drawing unit that forms an image on the workpiece after alignment based on the detection result of the measurement unit It is characterized by.

  Still further, in an image forming apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a stage on which the clamp device according to any one of the first to third aspects is detachably attached is provided along a predetermined conveyance path. A measurement mechanism for detecting an alignment mark of a workpiece on a stage conveyed by the conveyance mechanism, and a drawing area of the workpiece after alignment based on the detection result of the measurement unit is modulated based on image information And an exposure unit that forms an image in the drawing region.

  According to the invention described in claim 4 or claim 5, even a workpiece having such a thickness that warps can be reliably fixed on the stage. Therefore, an image can be suitably formed on the work.

  As described above, according to the present invention, even a workpiece having a thickness that causes warping can be securely fixed on the stage, can be attached to and detached from the stage, and the size of the workpiece can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to provide a clamp device capable of changing the position thereof and an image forming apparatus including the clamp device.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below in detail based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a laser exposure apparatus 10 showing an example of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, FIGS. 2 to 5 and 9 are schematic perspective views of a clamp apparatus, and FIGS. 6 to 8 are clamp apparatuses. FIG. 1 and 2, the arrow H is the width direction, the arrow F is the transport direction, and the direction opposite to the arrow F is the scanning direction.

[Configuration of laser exposure system]
First, the laser exposure apparatus 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the laser exposure apparatus 10 includes a rectangular thick plate-shaped installation base 14 supported by six legs 12. Two guide rails 16 are disposed along the longitudinal direction (conveying direction) on the upper surface of the installation table 14. A rectangular flat plate shape is provided on the two guide rails 16 via a guide portion 19. Stage member 20 is provided.

  The stage member 20 is disposed so that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the extending direction (conveying direction) of the guide rail 16, and is supported by the guide rail 16 and the guide portion 19 so as to be capable of reciprocating on the installation table 14. That is, it is configured to reciprocate at a predetermined speed along the guide rail 16 by a transport mechanism such as a motor 18 and a ball screw 22.

  On the upper surface of the stage member 20, a rectangular flat substrate material 100 as an exposure object is placed in a state of being positioned at a predetermined position by a positioning means (not shown). A plurality of holes (not shown) are formed in the upper surface of the stage member 20, and the inside of the stage member 20 is made negative pressure by a negative pressure supply source (not shown), whereby the holes are formed. The air is sucked from the substrate, and the substrate material 100 is sucked and held on the upper surface of the stage member 20 by the suction force.

  In addition, when the substrate material 100 is warped at a predetermined thickness or more, it cannot be sufficiently adsorbed and held only by the air suction force (because it is difficult to securely fix), A clamping device 30 to be described later is attached on the stage member 20, thereby clamping the edge portion 100 </ b> A on the conveyance direction side and the scanning direction side of the substrate material 100, and the substrate material 100 is securely fixed to the upper surface of the stage member 20. To help.

  Further, the substrate material 100 is provided with a plurality of alignment marks (not shown) indicating the reference of the exposure position in the drawing region on the exposed surface. The alignment marks are constituted by circular through holes, for example, and four alignment marks are arranged in the vicinity of the four corners of the substrate material 100, one in total.

  A substantially “U” -shaped gate 24 is provided at the center of the installation table 14 so as to straddle the movement path of the stage member 20. Both ends of the gate 24 are fixed to the installation table 14, and an exposure head 28 as an exposure unit (drawing unit) for exposing the substrate material 100 is provided on one side across the gate 24, and the other side. On the side, a plurality of (for example, four) CCD cameras 26 are provided as measurement units for photographing the alignment marks provided on the substrate material 100.

  Therefore, when the substrate material 100 passes below the CCD camera 26 as the stage member 20 moves, the alignment mark is measured by the CCD camera 26. That is, each CCD camera 26 emits a strobe light source at the timing when the alignment mark of the substrate material 100 reaches a predetermined photographing position, and reflects the reflected light on the upper surface of the substrate material 100 of the strobe light irradiated to the substrate material 100. The alignment mark is photographed by inputting to the camera body through the lens.

  Further, a transport mechanism (motor 18 and ball screw 22) for moving the stage member 20, a CCD camera 26, an exposure head 28, and the like are connected to a controller (not shown) for controlling them. By this controller, the stage member 20 is controlled to move at a predetermined speed, the CCD camera 26 is controlled to take an alignment mark of the substrate material 100 at a predetermined timing, and the exposure head 28 is a substrate at a predetermined timing. The material 100 is controlled to be exposed.

  The exposure heads 28 are arranged in an approximate matrix of m rows and n columns (for example, 2 rows and 4 columns). As shown in FIG. 13, the exposure area 28 </ b> A by the exposure head 28 is configured in a rectangular shape having a short side in the transport direction (scanning direction), for example. Accordingly, a strip-shaped exposed region 102 is formed in the scanning direction for each exposure head 28 in the substrate material 100 in accordance with the movement operation in the transport direction.

  Further, each of the exposure heads 28 in each row arranged in a line is arranged at a predetermined interval (exposure area) in the arrangement direction so that the strip-shaped exposed regions 102 are arranged without gaps in the width direction orthogonal to the transport direction (scanning direction). 28A is a natural number times the long side). For this reason, for example, a portion that cannot be exposed between the exposure area 28A of the first row and the exposure area 28A of the second row can be exposed by the exposure area 28A of the second row.

  Each exposure head 28 includes a digital micromirror device (DMD) (not shown) as a spatial light modulation element that modulates an incident laser beam for each pixel in accordance with image data. The DMD is connected to the controller having a data processing unit and a mirror drive control unit.

  The data processing unit of the controller generates a control signal for driving and controlling each micromirror in the region to be controlled by the DMD for each exposure head 28 based on the input image data. The mirror drive control unit controls the angle of the reflection surface of each micromirror in the DMD for each exposure head 28 based on the control signal generated by the data processing unit.

  A bundle-shaped optical fiber drawn from an illumination device that emits a multi-beam as a laser beam is connected to the light incident side of the DMD in each exposure head 28. The illuminating device is provided with a plurality of multiplexing modules that multiplex laser beams emitted from a plurality of semiconductor laser chips and input them to an optical fiber. The optical fiber extending from each multiplexing module is a combined optical fiber that propagates the combined laser beam, and a plurality of optical fibers are bundled into one to form a bundle-shaped optical fiber.

[Operation of laser exposure equipment]
Next, the operation of the laser exposure apparatus 10 configured as described above will be described. The substrate material 100 for image exposure by the laser exposure apparatus 10 is a substrate as a material for forming a pattern (image exposure) such as a printed wiring board or a liquid crystal display element, or a photosensitive epoxy resin on the surface of a glass plate or the like. In the case of a dry film, a laminated film is applied.

  First, when the substrate material 100 is placed on the upper surface of the stage member 20 by a loader (not shown) and positioned by a positioning means (not shown), the substrate material 100 is placed on the upper surface of the stage member 20 by suction of air from the hole. Adsorbed and retained.

  At this time, if the substrate material 100 is a thick substrate of about 3 mm, for example, and warping has occurred, it cannot be sufficiently adsorbed and held only by the air suction force (because it is difficult to securely fix it). ), A clamping device 30 to be described later is attached to the stage member 20, the substrate material 100 is positioned by a positioning member 96 provided in the clamping device 30, and the edge portion 100A on the conveyance direction side and the scanning direction side is supplemented. Clamp to

  When the substrate material 100 is sucked and held (fixed) on the upper surface of the stage member 20 in this way, the stage member 20 starts to move in the transport direction, and the substrate material 100 goes to the alignment detection process by the CCD camera 26 and the exposure process by the exposure head 28. It is conveyed. That is, the exposure operation of the laser exposure apparatus 10 is started by the operator performing an exposure start input operation from the instruction input means of the controller.

  First, the transport mechanism (the motor 18 and the ball screw 22) is controlled by the controller, and the stage member 20 that sucks and holds the substrate material 100 on the upper surface starts to move along the guide rail 16 at a constant speed in the transport direction. In synchronism with the start of movement of the stage member 20 or at a timing just before the tip of the substrate material 100 reaches just below each CCD camera 26, each CCD camera 26 is controlled by the controller and starts operating.

  That is, for example, when two alignment marks provided near the corner on the downstream side (front end side) in the movement direction of the substrate material 100 reach the optical axis of the lens in each CCD camera 26 (below the CCD camera 26). Each CCD camera 26 emits a strobe light source at a predetermined timing and photographs each alignment mark. The captured image data (reference position data) is output to the data processing unit of the controller.

  The data processing unit includes the position of the alignment mark in the image determined from the input image data (reference position data) of each alignment mark, the pitch between the alignment marks, and the like of the stage member 20 when the alignment mark is photographed. From the position and the position of the CCD camera 26, the position deviation of the substrate material 100 on the stage member 20, the inclination with respect to the moving direction, the dimensional accuracy error, etc. are grasped by arithmetic processing, and the appropriate exposure position of the substrate material 100 with respect to the exposed surface. Is calculated.

  Here, the image data corresponding to the exposure pattern is temporarily stored in a memory in the controller. Therefore, correction control (alignment) is performed in which image exposure is performed by aligning the control signal generated based on the image data of the exposure pattern stored in the memory at the appropriate exposure position when the image is exposed by the exposure head 28. Execute. This image data is data representing the density of each pixel constituting the image in binary (whether or not dots are recorded).

  Thus, when the alignment mark measurement (photographing) by each CCD camera 26 is completed, the stage member 20 is moved to the exposure position along the guide rail 16 by driving the transport mechanism (the motor 18 and the ball screw 22). Then, as the stage member 20 moves, the substrate material 100 moves below the exposure head 28 toward the downstream side in the transport direction. When the drawing area on the exposed surface reaches the exposure start position, each exposure head 28 emits a laser beam. Irradiation starts image exposure on the exposed surface (drawing region) of the substrate material 100.

  That is, the image data stored in the memory of the controller is sequentially read out for a plurality of lines, and a control signal is generated for each exposure head 28 based on the image data read out by the data processing unit. This control signal is subjected to correction of the exposure position deviation with respect to the substrate material 100 subjected to the alignment measurement by correction control (alignment). Then, the mirror drive control unit controls each of the DMD micromirrors for each exposure head 28 based on the generated and corrected control signals.

  When the DMD is irradiated with laser light emitted from the optical fiber of the illumination device, the laser light reflected when the micromirror of the DMD is turned on is imaged on the exposed surface of the substrate material 100 by the lens system. The Thus, the laser light emitted from the illumination device is turned on / off for each pixel, and the substrate material 100 is exposed in pixel units (exposure area 28A) of approximately the same number as the number of used pixels of the DMD.

  Then, the substrate material 100 is moved together with the stage member 20 at a constant speed, so that the substrate material 100 is exposed by the exposure head 28 in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the stage member 20, that is, the scanning direction. A strip-shaped exposed region 102 is formed (see FIG. 13A). When the image exposure onto the substrate material 100 by the exposure head 28 is completed, the stage member 20 is moved in the direction (scanning direction) opposite to the conveyance direction by the conveyance mechanism (the motor 18 and the ball screw 22), and the substrate material 100 is loaded. Return to the initial position.

  When the stage member 20 returns to the initial position, the suction by air suction and the clamp by the clamp device 30 are released, and the substrate material 100 is removed from the upper surface of the stage member 20 by an unloader (not shown). Then, the substrate material 100 removed from the upper surface of the stage member 20 is transported to a transport conveyor (not shown) and transported to the next process.

[Configuration of clamping device]
Next, the clamp device 30 used in the image forming apparatus such as the laser exposure apparatus 10 as described above will be described in detail. The clamp device 30 includes a drive motor 40 as a drive source provided on the stage member 20 side, a first link mechanism 50 that operates by the drive motor 40, and an operation member 60 that moves up and down by the first link mechanism 50. The drive part 32, the clamp claw 80 that holds the edge 100A of the substrate material 100, the second link mechanism 70 that rotates the clamp claw 80, and the operation member 60 are detachably engaged with each other. The clamp unit 34 includes an operated member 72 that is operated by movement and activates the second link mechanism 70, and the clamp unit 34 is detachable from the drive unit 32.

  First, the drive unit 32 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, two rails 36 and 38 are arranged on the upper and lower sides on both side walls 20 </ b> A on the direction side orthogonal to the conveying direction (scanning direction) of the stage member 20. . A midway portion of the upper rail 36 is cut to form a predetermined gap S so that a convex portion 94 of the clamp portion 34 described later can be inserted. The two rails 36 and 38 are formed with a plurality of concave portions 36A and 38A that are substantially semicircular when viewed from the side. The positions of the recesses 36 </ b> A and 38 </ b> A are previously formed at appropriate positions according to the size of the substrate material 100 to be handled.

  In addition, a drive motor 40 is disposed on the lower surface side of the stage member 20 and on the upstream side in the transport direction (scanning direction side), and the rotational driving force by the drive motor 40 passes through a plurality of gear groups 42. Then, it is transmitted to the drive shaft 44. The drive shaft 44 is installed between the side walls 20A on the lower surface side of the stage member 20 and on the upstream side in the transport direction, and protrudes outward through the side walls 20A. A cam disk 46 is fixed to the tip of the drive shaft 44 that protrudes outward of the side walls 20A.

  One end portion of the first link arm 52 constituting the first link mechanism 50 is pivotally connected to a predetermined position on the outer surface of the cam disk 46 and deviated from the rotation center, and the second link arm is connected to the other end portion. One end of 54 is pivotally connected. The second link arm 54 is bent in a generally “<” shape when viewed from the side, and the bent middle portion is pivotally supported by a pivot member 48 projecting from the side wall 20 </ b> A of the stage member 20. The other end of the two-link arm 54 is pivotally connected to the lower end of the operation member 60 that operates the second link mechanism 70 of the clamp portion 34 on the upstream side in the transport direction.

  The operation member 60 is configured so that rigidity is secured by bending an elongated plate extending in the conveying direction of the stage member 20 into a substantially inverted “L” shape in cross-section. A slit 62 is perforated by a predetermined length along the conveying direction of the stage member 20 (along the longitudinal direction of the side wall 20A) on the surface facing the side wall 20A. A cutout portion 60 </ b> A is formed in the middle of the upper end of the operation member 60 so that an engagement protrusion 68 projecting from an operated member 72 described later can be inserted into the slit 62.

  Further, the middle part of the lower end of the operation member 60 and the lower end part on the downstream side in the transport direction are supported by the third link arm 56 and the fourth link arm 58, respectively. That is, one end portions of the third link arm 56 and the fourth link arm 58 are pivotally connected to the shaft support member 48 projecting from the side wall 20A, and the other ends of the third link arm 56 and the fourth link arm 58 are connected. The parts are pivotally connected to the middle part of the lower end of the operation member 60 and the lower end part on the downstream side in the transport direction.

  Therefore, when the cam disk 46 is rotated by the rotational driving force from the drive shaft 44, the operation member 60 is supported by the third link arm 56 and the fourth link arm 58, and the first link arm 52 and the second link arm 58. The first link mechanism 50 including the link arm 54 moves up and down. Needless to say, one end of the first link arm 52 is positioned at a predetermined position on the outer surface of the cam disk 46 so that the operation member 60 provided on both side walls 20A of the stage member 20 moves up and down in synchronization. , Each is attached.

  Next, the clamp part 34 is demonstrated. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the clamp portion 34 includes a main frame 64 that is laid in the width direction of the stage member 20, and subframes 66 that are suspended from both lower surfaces of the main frame 64. The interval between the sub-frames 66 is substantially equal to the width of the stage member 20. Further, the subframe 66 is provided with an operated member 72 having a substantially triangular shape in side view with an engaging protrusion 68 protruding, a second link mechanism 70 that is pivotally connected to the operated member 72, and the like. .

  A columnar engagement protrusion 68 that is movably inserted into the slit 62 of the operation member 60 is projected on the outer surface of one apex portion of the operated member 72 having a substantially triangular shape in side view. Among the remaining vertices, the middle portion of the fifth link arm 74 constituting the second link mechanism 70 is pivotally connected to one vertex portion, and the second link mechanism 70 is constituted to the other vertex portion. One end of the sixth link arm 76 is pivotally connected.

  Further, one end of the fifth link arm 74 is pivotally connected to the subframe 66, and a locking projection 78 projects from the outer surface of the other end so as to be close to the main frame 64 of the subframe 66. A tension coil spring 90 is stretched between the locking projection 88 projecting from the outer surface of the upper end.

  Further, one end portion of the operation shaft 84 is pivotally connected to the other end portion of the sixth link arm 76, and the other end portion of the operation shaft 84 extends to both ends of the clamp claw 80. It is fixed to the lower end of the. Further, a rotation shaft 86 projects from an outer surface of a middle portion of the support portion 82 (between the operation shaft 84 and the tip portion 80A in a side view), and the rotation shaft 86 is pivoted to the subframe 66. It is supported. Therefore, when the operated member 72 is rotated around the middle portion pivotally connected to the fifth link arm 74, the operation shaft 84 is operated via the sixth link arm 76, and the clamp pawl 80 is rotated. This is a configuration that rotates around a shaft 86.

  The clamp claw 80 is adjacent to the main frame 64 in the width direction of the stage member 20 so as to clamp the edge portion 100A on the conveyance direction side or the scanning direction side of the substrate material 100 placed on the stage member 20. 80A of the front-end | tip part protrudes in cross-sectional view substantially arc shape. The clamping force of the clamp pawl 80 is determined by the spring force (biasing force) of the coil spring 90.

  That is, at the time of clamping, as shown in FIG. 9, the engaging protrusion 68 is operated by the raising of the operating member 60 to rotate the operated member 72 and pivotally connected to the operating shaft 84 of the sixth link arm 76. The other end of the substrate material is brought close to the main frame 64, whereby the clamp pawl 80 is rotated to clamp the edge 100 </ b> A of the substrate material 100. That is, the force that pushes the other end of the sixth link arm 76 pivotally connected to the operation shaft 84 so as to approach the main frame 64 is configured as a clamping force.

  On the other hand, since the other end of the operated member 72 is pushed up by the biasing force of the coil spring 90 around the one end of the fifth link arm 74, the operated member 72 is moved upward by the biasing force of the coil spring 90. It is set as the structure pushed up toward. Therefore, the other end portion of the sixth link arm 76 and one end portion pivotally connected to the operated member 72 and the midway portion pivotally connected to the fifth link arm 74 of the operated member 72 are substantially straight. When arranged on a line (see FIG. 11), the maximum clamping force that can clamp the edge 100A most strongly is obtained. Incidentally, the length ratio of each part is determined so that the illustrated one can be clamped with a force five times the spring force of the coil spring 90.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, on the inner surface of the sub-frame 66, approximately cylindrical convex portions 92 and 94 are provided so as to protrude one on the upper side and two on the lower side, respectively. These three convex portions 92 and 94 are configured to fit into the concave portions 36A and 38A of the rails 36 and 38 provided on the stage member 20, respectively. That is, the upper one convex portion 92 is fitted into the concave portion 36A of the upper rail 36, and the lower two convex portions 94 are fitted into the concave portion 38A of the lower rail 38. A gap S is formed in the upper rail 36 in order to fit the lower convex portion 94 into the concave portion 38 </ b> A of the lower rail 38.

  And by such a structure, the clamp part 34 can be installed in the state positioned with respect to the stage member 20 (drive part 32). That is, the recesses 36 </ b> A and 38 </ b> A of the rails 36 and 38 are formed in advance according to the size of the substrate material 100, and a plurality of the recesses 36 </ b> A and 38 </ b> A are formed according to the size of the substrate material 100. The position of can be changed. Incidentally, although the thing of illustration can respond to four types of sizes, it is not limited to this.

  A position detection sensor 98 that detects the position of the clamp portion 34 is provided below the lower rail 38 at a position corresponding to each of the recesses 36A and 38A. That is, a tongue portion 66A is provided at the lower end portion of the sub-frame 66 of the clamp portion 34, and the tongue portion 66A is inserted into the position detection sensor 98, whereby the position of the clamp portion 34 is adjusted to the controller described above. Have come to be recognized. Thus, the controller can automatically determine the size of the substrate material 100 placed on the stage member 20 without the operator performing an input operation.

  Further, the main frame 64 of the clamp portion 34 attached to the stage member 20 in the conveyance direction side is positioned in a substantially “L” shape in plan view for positioning the substrate material 100 placed on the upper surface of the stage member 20. A member 96 is provided. The positioning member 96 may be used as the above positioning means.

  Next, a procedure for attaching / detaching the clamp part 34 to / from the drive part 32 in the drive part 32 and the clamp part 34 as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. When attaching the clamp part 34 to the stage member 20 (drive part 32), first, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the clamp part 34 is brought to substantially the center of the conveying direction of the stage member 20, and formed there. The engaging protrusion 68 is inserted into the slit 62 from the notch 60A of the operating member 60, and the lower convex portion 94 protruding from the inner surface of the subframe 66 is inserted from the gap S of the upper rail 36. To do.

  Then, with the engagement protrusion 68 inserted in the slit 62, the clamp part 34 is moved to the scanning direction side and moved to a desired position, and then the clamp part 34 is lowered. At this time, the convex portion 94 protruding from the inner surface of the sub-frame 66 is fitted into the concave portion 38A of the rail 38, and the convex portion 92 is fitted into the concave portion 36A of the rail 36. Thereby, the clamp part 34 can be mounted (installed) while being positioned with respect to the stage member 20 (drive part 32).

  It should be noted that at least two clamp portions 34 are provided for the stage member 20 (drive portion 32) so that the scanning direction side edge portion 100A and the conveyance direction side edge portion 100A of the substrate material 100 can be clamped. That is, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the clamp portion 34 is similarly provided on the conveyance direction side. Further, as shown in the figure, since the engaging protrusion 68 can be operated at any position in the slit 62, the installation position of the clamp portion 34 (the formation position of the recesses 36A and 38A) can be arbitrarily set.

  On the other hand, when removing the clamp part 34 from the stage member 20 (drive part 32), first, the clamp part 34 is raised, and the convex parts 92 and 94 projecting from the inner surface of the subframe 66 are provided on the rails 36 and 38, respectively. The recesses 36A and 38A are extracted, and the engaging projections 68 are inserted into the slits 62 and moved to the center of the stage member 20 in the transport direction.

  Then, the engaging protrusion 68 in the slit 62 is removed from the notch 60A, and the lower convex portion 94 is taken out from the gap S of the rail 36, whereby the clamp portion 34 is moved to the stage member 20 (drive portion 32). Can be easily removed. That is, the attaching / detaching operation of the clamp part 34 with respect to the stage member 20 (drive part 32) can be performed very easily because the clamp part 34 is not provided with electric parts such as the drive motor 40, wiring, and the like.

[Operation of clamping device]
Next, the operation when the clamping device 30 as described above clamps the edge portion 100A of the substrate material 100 will be described with reference mainly to FIGS. FIG. 10 shows a state when the substrate material 100 is not clamped, FIG. 11 shows a state when the thin substrate material 100 is clamped, and FIG. 12 shows a state when the thick substrate material 100 is clamped. It is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 10, when the substrate material 100 is not clamped, the energization to the drive motor 40 is cut off, and the operation member 60 is held at the lower position by its own weight. At this time, since the engaging protrusion 68 is inserted and engaged with the slit 62 of the operating member 60, the engaging protrusion 68 is pulled downward, and the operated member 72 is interposed via the operated member 72. The sixth link arm 76 is pulled in the direction of arrow A. Then, since the support portion 82 is pulled in the direction of arrow A via the operation shaft 84, the clamp pawl 80 rotates in the direction of arrow B about the rotation shaft 86, thereby receiving the substrate material 100. It becomes a state.

  Next, a case where a thin substrate material 100 having a thickness of about 2 mm is clamped will be described. If the substrate material 100 has a thickness of about 1 mm, the clamping device 30 is not necessary as described above. At this time, the clamp portion 34 is disposed in a predetermined position in advance in accordance with the size of the substrate material 100 in the transport direction (scanning direction). The position is detected by the position detection sensor 98 and recognized by the controller.

  When the thin substrate material 100 is placed on the stage member 20, first, the positioning member 96 is positioned together with the placement, and the air is sucked and held to some extent by sucking air from the hole. The suction / holding by air suction may be performed after clamping depending on how the substrate material 100 is warped.

  When the substrate material 100 is placed on the stage member 20, the drive motor 40 is energized to rotate the cam disk 46, and as shown in FIG. 11, the operation member 60 is raised via the first link mechanism 50. . Then, the engaging projection 68 inserted into the slit 62 is rotated to the raised position, and the operated member 72 is centered on the middle portion pivotally connected to the fifth link arm 74 as shown in FIG. , The sixth link arm 76 is raised in the direction of arrow C.

  As a result, the lower end portion of the support portion 82 rises in the direction of arrow C via the operation shaft 84, so the clamp pawl 80 rotates in the direction of arrow D about the rotation shaft 86, and the scanning direction of the substrate material 100 The side edge end portion 100A is clamped from above. In addition, although not shown in figure, the conveyance direction side edge part 100A of the board | substrate material 100 is also clamped synchronizing with this.

  At this time, the other end portion pivotally connected to the support portion 82 (operation shaft 84) of the sixth link arm 76, one end portion pivotally connected to the operated member 72, and the fifth link arm 74. As shown by the imaginary line K2, the midway part that is pivotally connected to the structure is arranged on a substantially straight line in a side view. Therefore, the urging force of the coil spring 90 acts to the maximum, and the edge portion 100A of the substrate material 100 can be clamped with the maximum clamping force.

  At this time, the rotation center of the cam disk 46, one end of the first link arm 52 pivotally connected to the cam disk 46, and the other end pivotally connected to the second link arm 54 are As shown by an imaginary line K1, they are arranged on a straight line in a side view. According to this, the force applied by the weight of the operation member 60 can be received by the drive shaft 44 via the second link arm 54, the first link arm 52, and the cam disk 46. Even when the energization is cut off, the first link mechanism 50 can hold the operation member 60 at the illustrated position.

  Therefore, power can be saved, and adverse effects on each part due to heat generated by the drive motor 40 can be avoided. The rotation angle of the cam disk 46 is detected by an angle detection sensor (not shown) and recognized by the controller. Thereby, it is the structure by which the timing which cuts electricity with respect to the drive motor 40 is controlled.

  Next, a case where a thick substrate material 100 having a thickness of about 3 mm is clamped will be described. At this time as well, the clamp portion 34 is disposed at a predetermined position in advance in accordance with the size of the substrate material 100 in the transport direction (scanning direction), as in the case of clamping the thin substrate material 100. The position is detected by the position detection sensor 98 and recognized by the controller.

  When the thick substrate material 100 is placed on the stage member 20, first, the positioning member 96 is positioned together with the placement, and the air is sucked and held to some extent by sucking air from the hole. It is to be noted that the suction / holding by air suction may be performed after clamping depending on how the substrate material 100 is warped, as described above.

  When the substrate material 100 is placed on the stage member 20, the drive motor 40 is energized to rotate the cam disk 46, and as shown in FIG. 12, the operation member 60 is raised via the first link mechanism 50. . Then, the engaging projection 68 inserted into the slit 62 is rotated to the raised position, and the operated member 72 is centered on the middle part pivotally connected to the fifth link arm 74 as shown in FIG. , The sixth link arm 76 is raised in the direction of arrow C.

  As a result, the lower end portion of the support portion 82 rises in the direction of arrow C via the operation shaft 84, so the clamp pawl 80 rotates in the direction of arrow D about the rotation shaft 86, and the scanning direction of the substrate material 100 The side edge end portion 100A is clamped from above. In addition, although not shown in figure, the conveyance direction side edge part 100A of the board | substrate material 100 is also clamped synchronizing with this.

  At this time, the other end portion pivotally connected to the support portion 82 (operation shaft 84) of the sixth link arm 76, one end portion pivotally connected to the operated member 72, and the fifth link arm 74. The fifth link arm 74 is centered on one end portion pivotally connected to the subframe 66 so that the midway portion pivotally connected to the subframe 66 is arranged in a substantially straight line in a side view. Rotate downward).

  In other words, the operated member 72 is pushed downward (in the direction of arrow E) via the sixth link arm 76 depending on the thickness of the substrate material 100. In this case, the other end of the fifth link arm 74 is coiled. The spring 90 moves in the direction of arrow E (downward) against the urging force of the spring 90. Accordingly, the other end portion pivotally connected to the support portion 82 (operation shaft 84) of the sixth link arm 76, the one end portion pivotally connected to the operated member 72, and the fifth link arm 74 are pivoted. The midway portions that are connected to each other are arranged in a substantially straight line in a side view, and the urging force of the coil spring 90 is applied to the maximum extent (clamped with the maximum clamping force).

  At this time, the rotation center of the cam disk 46, one end of the first link arm 52 pivotally connected to the cam disk 46, and the other end pivotally connected to the second link arm 54 are As shown by an imaginary line K1, they are arranged on a straight line in a side view. According to this, as described above, the force applied by the weight of the operation member 60 can be received by the drive shaft 44 via the second link arm 54, the first link arm 52, and the cam disk 46. Even when the drive motor 40 is de-energized, the first link mechanism 50 can hold the operation member 60 at the illustrated position.

  Therefore, power can be saved, and adverse effects on each part due to heat generated by the drive motor 40 can be avoided. Similarly to the above, the rotation angle of the cam disk 46 is detected by an angle detection sensor (not shown) and recognized by the controller. Thereby, it is the structure by which the timing which cuts electricity with respect to the drive motor 40 is controlled.

  As described above, according to the clamping device 30 according to the present invention, even the substrate material 100 having such a thickness that warps can be reliably fixed on the stage member 20. Therefore, the alignment process by the CCD camera 26 can be suitably executed, and the exposure process by the exposure head 28 can also be suitably executed. That is, an accurate image can be reliably formed even with the substrate material 100 having such a thickness that warpage occurs.

  Further, the clamping device 30 is configured such that the engagement protrusion 68 of the operated member 72 is inserted into the slit 62 of the operating member 60 and the operated member 72 is operated by the vertical movement of the operating member 60, thereby The edge 100A of the material 100 is clamped. That is, the engagement protrusion 68 of the operated member 72 can be operated at any position within the slit 62, and thus the clamp portion 34 can be freely moved within the range of the slit 62. Therefore, the clamp part 34 can be installed in an arbitrary position with respect to the stage member 20 (drive part 32).

  In addition, the side wall 20A of the stage member 20 is provided with rails 36 and 38 having a plurality of recesses 36A and 38A formed thereon, and the clamp part 34 has protrusions 92 and 94 that fit into the recesses 36A and 38A. Therefore, the clamp part 34 can be positioned and installed with respect to the stage member 20 (drive part 32). That is, in the rails 36 and 38, if a plurality of the recesses 36 </ b> A and 38 </ b> A are formed at appropriate positions, the clamp part 34 can be installed in an arbitrary position according to the size of the substrate material 100.

Schematic perspective view showing a laser exposure apparatus Schematic perspective view showing stage member and clamping device Schematic perspective view showing the drive unit of the clamping device The schematic perspective view which shows the outer side of the clamp part of a clamp apparatus Schematic perspective view showing the inside of the clamp part and the rail of the clamp device Schematic side view showing how the clamp is installed on the stage member Schematic side view showing how the clamp is installed on the stage member Schematic side view showing how the clamp is installed on the stage member The schematic perspective view which shows the clamp apparatus attached to the stage member Schematic side view showing the clamping device when the substrate material is not clamped Schematic side view showing the clamping device when clamping thin substrate material Schematic side view showing clamping device when clamping thick substrate material (A) Schematic plan view showing exposure area by exposure head, (B) Schematic plan view showing arrangement pattern of exposure heads

Explanation of symbols

10 Laser exposure equipment (image forming equipment)
18 Motor (conveyance mechanism)
20 Stage member (stage)
22 Ball screw (conveyance mechanism)
26 CCD camera (measurement unit)
28 Exposure head (exposure unit, drawing unit)
30 Clamping Device 32 Drive Unit 34 Clamp Unit 36 Rail 38 Rail 40 Drive Motor (Drive Source)
44 Drive shaft 46 Cam disc 50 First link mechanism 52 First link arm 54 Second link arm 56 Third link arm 58 Fourth link arm 60 Operating member 62 Slit 64 Main frame 66 Sub frame 68 Engaging protrusion 70 Second Link mechanism 72 Operated member 74 Fifth link arm 76 Sixth link arm 78 Locking projection 80 Clamp claw 82 Support portion 84 Operation shaft 86 Turning shaft 88 Locking projection 90 Coil spring 92 Convex portion 94 Convex portion 96 Positioning member 98 Position detection sensor 100 Substrate material (workpiece)
100A edge

Claims (5)

A clamping device for clamping a workpiece placed on a stage,
A first link mechanism provided on the stage and operated by a drive source;
An operation member that is pivotally connected to the first link mechanism, a slit is formed in the transport direction of the stage, and is moved by the first link mechanism;
A drive unit having
A clamp claw for holding the edge of the workpiece;
A second link mechanism for rotating the clamp pawl to a clamp posture and a clamp release posture;
An engagement member that is movably inserted into the slit of the operation member is provided, and an operation member that operates the second link mechanism by operating the engagement projection by movement of the operation member;
A clamp part having
A clamping device comprising:   The clamp device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the engagement protrusions can be inserted into the slit, and a plurality of the clamp portions can be attached to the drive portion.   3. The rail according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a rail having a concave portion is provided on a side wall of the stage, and a convex portion that is detachably fitted to the concave portion is provided on the clamp portion. The clamping device as described. A transport mechanism that transports the stage to which the clamp device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is attached along a predetermined transport path;
A measurement unit for detecting an alignment mark of a workpiece on a stage conveyed by the conveyance mechanism;
A drawing unit that forms an image on the workpiece after alignment based on the detection result of the measurement unit;
An image forming apparatus comprising: A transport mechanism for transporting a stage, to which the clamp device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is detachably attached, along a predetermined transport path;
A measurement unit for detecting an alignment mark of a workpiece on a stage conveyed by the conveyance mechanism;
An exposure unit that exposes a drawing region of the workpiece after alignment based on the detection result of the measurement unit with a light beam modulated based on image information, and forms an image in the drawing region;
An image forming apparatus comprising:

Images