JP5471604B2 - Levitation transfer device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a levitation conveyance apparatus that levitates and conveys a substrate such as a glass substrate.

  In recent years, various developments have been made on levitation transport devices in the field of clean transport. The levitation transport apparatus requires a mechanism for moving the substrate in the transport direction when the substrate is floated and transported. As this mechanism, a unit having a transport roller that contacts the substrate surface is known. This unit may be installed so that the transport roller is always in contact with the substrate surface, but may be installed so that the transport roller can selectively contact or non-contact the substrate. For example, in the case of a direction changing unit that changes the substrate transfer direction from the first direction to the second direction, the direction changing unit includes a first transfer roller that moves the substrate in the first direction and a second direction that moves the substrate in the second direction. And a conveyance roller. When the substrate is received from the first direction to the direction changing unit, only the first transport roller is brought into contact with the substrate and the substrate is received in the direction changing unit. When the substrate is sent out from the direction changing portion in the second direction, only the second transport roller is brought into contact with the substrate and the substrate is sent out from the direction changing portion.

  FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a unit 157 of a conventional levitation transport apparatus. In the unit 157, the contact / non-contact of the transport roller 163 with the substrate W is performed by moving the case 181 of the unit 157 up and down. The lifting mechanism for the case 181 is not shown. When the entire case 181 is raised, the transport roller 163 can be brought into contact with the substrate W, and when the entire case 181 is lowered, the transport roller 163 can be detached from the substrate W. The unit 157 will be described in detail.

  On the levitation transport path, levitation gas (compressed air) is jetted from below in order to keep the substrate W in a levitated state. For this reason, when the substrate W is moved by the transport roller 163, a mechanism for sucking the substrate W and bringing it into contact with the transport roller 163 is incorporated in order to maintain the thrust transmission to the substrate W by the transport roller 163. Specifically, as a mechanism for generating a thrust, a case 181 includes a motor 182 that rotationally drives the conveyance roller 163, a pair of pulleys 186 and 187 that transmit the output of the motor 182 to the conveyance roller 163, and an endless belt. 188. A fan unit 190 is also attached to the case 181 as a mechanism for sucking the substrate W.

  The motor 182 is fixed to the case 181. One pulley 186 is attached to the output shaft 182 a of the motor 182. The other pulley 187 is integrated with the transport roller 163 and rotates together about the rotation shaft 189. The endless belt 188 is stretched between a pair of pulleys 186 and 187, and transmits the rotation of one pulley 186 to the conveying roller 163 via the other pulley 187. The upper portion of the transport roller 163 is exposed upward from a slit provided in the upper portion of the case 181. The fan unit 190 is provided in the lower part of the case 181 and discharges the gas in the case 181 to the outside of the case 181 with an internal fan. As a result, gas is sucked from the slit where the conveying roller 163 is exposed upward, and a suction force is generated. When the entire case 181 is raised, the substrate W is sucked by this suction force and brought into contact with the transport roller 163, and thrust is applied to the substrate W by the transport roller 163.

  Further, as a conveyance direction changing device of a levitation conveyance device, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, a device that changes the direction of a conveyance roller is also known. In this apparatus, the unit itself is fixed, but when changing the direction of the transport roller, the transport roller is once lowered and changed in direction inside the case of the unit, and then raised again. In this apparatus, the substrate is also sucked by the unit.

JP 2008-254918 A

  However, in the conventional levitation conveyance apparatus shown in FIG. 6, since the entire unit 157 including the drive mechanism for the conveyance roller 163 is moved up and down, there is a problem that the mechanism becomes complicated or the unit 157 is enlarged. In addition, the substrate W that is levitated and conveyed may be a glass substrate of 1 mm or less, and the substrate W may be damaged if the ascending position is shifted when the conveying roller 163 is raised. For this reason, if the part to be moved up and down becomes large and heavy, there is a limit to the speeding up of the lifting operation, which may be an obstacle to shortening the transport tact. Further, since the entire large and heavy unit 157 is moved up and down, more power is required, and improvement is desired from the viewpoint of energy efficiency. In addition, since the unit 157 itself moves up and down, it is necessary to consider power supply (wiring) to the internal motor 182 serving as a movable part.

  On the other hand, although the unit itself is fixed in the thing of the said patent document 1, a conveyance roller is raised / lowered by the raising / lowering mechanism with the rotation drive mechanism inside the case. Since the rotation driving mechanism of the transport roller is also lifted and lowered, the part to be lifted and lowered becomes large and heavy, and there is a limit to speeding up the lifting operation, which may be an obstacle to shortening the transport tact. In addition, since the rotational drive mechanism of the transport roller is also raised and lowered, a large amount of power is required, and improvement is desired from the viewpoint of energy efficiency. Furthermore, since the rotation driving mechanism of the transport roller moves up and down, it is necessary to consider power supply (wiring) to the rotation driving mechanism serving as a movable part.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a levitating and conveying apparatus having a novel configuration capable of simplifying the mechanism and moving a substrate in the conveying direction with small power.

  The levitation transport apparatus of the present invention includes a transport unit that applies thrust in the transport direction to a substrate when the substrate is lifted and transported. The transport unit accommodates a fixedly installed unit case, a drive actuator fixed in the unit case, a drive pulley attached to the drive output shaft of the drive actuator, and a drive pulley, and swings around the drive output shaft. A movable swing frame, a swing actuator fixed in the unit case and swinging the swing frame, and rotatably mounted in the swing frame. A movable pulley that can be changed, an endless belt that is installed between the drive pulley and the movable pulley, and that transmits the rotation of the drive pulley to the movable pulley, and is provided in the unit case. A transport roller whose vertical position can be changed as the moving frame swings, and a unit mounted on the unit case, And a fan unit for discharging. When the transport roller is raised by the swing of the swing frame, and the gas in the unit case is discharged by the fan unit and the substrate is sucked, the transport roller comes into contact with the substrate and gives thrust to the substrate. . On the other hand, when the transport roller is lowered by the swing of the swing frame, the transport roller is detached from the substrate and no thrust is applied to the substrate.

  Here, “provided” includes not only the case of being provided directly but also the case of being provided indirectly via an intervening member such as a bracket. “Floating gas” includes, for example, compressed air, argon gas, nitrogen gas, and the like.

  According to the present invention, it is not necessary to raise and lower the drive actuator of the conveyance roller when raising and lowering the conveyance roller in the conveyance unit that applies thrust to the substrate that is levitated and conveyed, and the structure can be simplified and the power can be reduced. Can be reduced. In addition, both the drive actuator and the swinging actuator that raises and lowers the transport roller are fixed to the unit case that does not move, the position of the transport roller can be controlled with high accuracy, and the contact state between the substrate and the transport roller (i.e., The thrust acting on the substrate can be accurately controlled. Furthermore, since there is no heavy part like a drive actuator in the movable part accompanying raising / lowering of a conveyance roller, raising / lowering of a conveyance roller can be performed quickly and conveyance efficiency can be improved.

It is a top view of one embodiment of the levitation conveyance device of the present invention. It is sectional drawing along the II-II line in FIG. It is sectional drawing along the III-III line in FIG. It is sectional drawing along the IV-IV line in FIG. It is sectional drawing along the VV line in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the conveyance unit of the conventional levitation conveyance apparatus.

  An embodiment in which the levitation transport apparatus of the present invention is applied to a direction changing portion will be described. In the drawings, “FF” indicates the forward direction, “FR” indicates the backward direction, “L” indicates the left direction, and “R” indicates the right direction. These directions are only used for convenience of explanation, and do not define the installation direction of the apparatus. Further, the curvature and range of the curved state of the substrate W in the drawing are merely expressed in an easy-to-understand manner, and do not accurately reflect the curvature and range of the actual curved state.

  1 is used in the field of clean conveyance, and floats and conveys a substrate W such as a glass substrate in the first conveyance direction D1 (left and right direction in the present embodiment). After that, it is levitated and conveyed in a second conveyance direction D2 (in this embodiment, the front-rear direction) orthogonal to the first conveyance direction D1.

  The levitation transport apparatus 1 includes a first direction transport unit 3 that floats and transports a substrate W in a first transport direction D1, a second direction transport unit 5 that floats and transports a substrate W in a second transport direction D2, and a first direction transport. A transport direction changing unit 7 provided between the unit 3 and the second direction transport unit 5 is provided. The mechanism that is a feature of the present embodiment is applied to the transport direction changing unit 7. The transport direction changing unit 7 is disposed in a relay region (intermediate region) between the downstream side (carrying out side) of the first direction transport unit 3 and the upstream side (carrying side) of the second direction transport unit 5. The transport direction changing unit 7 changes the transport direction of the substrate W from the first transport direction D1 to the second transport direction D2 when receiving the substrate W from the first direction transport unit 3 and sending it out to the second direction transport unit 5. . Hereinafter, each device will be described in the order of the first direction transport unit 3, the second direction transport unit 5, and the transport direction changing unit 7.

  First, a specific configuration of the first direction transport unit 3 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the first direction transport unit 3 includes a first transport unit main body 9 extending in the first transport direction D1. The first transport unit main body 9 is provided with a plurality of chambers 11 for storing compressed air (floating gas) in a row (four rows in this embodiment) along the first transport direction D1. (Only the four most downstream chambers 11 are shown in FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 2, a supply fan 13 (a fan filter unit in the present embodiment) that supplies compressed air into the chamber 11 is provided on the lower surface of each chamber 11.

  On the upper surface of each chamber 11, there is provided a hollow floating unit 15 that floats the substrate W to a reference flying height position LP (see FIG. 2) using the pressure of compressed air. That is, the plurality of floating units 15 are provided in the first transport unit main body 9 via the plurality of chambers 11. Here, the interior of each levitation unit 15 communicates with the chamber 11. Each floating unit 15 is connected to a supply fan 13 through a chamber 11. A slit-like nozzle 15 n that ejects compressed air is formed on the upper surface of each floating unit 15 according to the planar view shape of the floating unit 15. Each nozzle 15n is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-182563 in order to generate a pressure reservoir layer (air reservoir layer) T having a substantially uniform pressure between the upper surface of each floating unit 15 and the rear surface of the substrate W. Thus, it inclines toward the center side (unit center side) of each floating unit 15 toward the vertical direction (direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the floating unit 15).

  The nozzle 15n is formed by arranging a plurality of square holes or round holes according to the plan view shape of the levitation unit 15 instead of being formed as a frame-like slit according to the plan view shape of the levitation unit 15. It may be formed. Further, it may be formed in a round shape instead of a square shape in plan view.

  In the first transport unit main body 9, a plurality of first transport units 17 that transport the substrates W in the first transport direction D1 are arranged in a row (in this embodiment, two rows) along the first transport direction D1. (In FIG. 1, only the two most downstream first transport units 17 are shown). A specific configuration of each first transport unit 17 will be described. As will be apparent from the description of the specific configuration below, the first transport roller 23 of the first transport unit 17 is not lifted up and down.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first transport unit main body 9 is provided with a first transport roller case 19. The upper side of the first conveying roller case 19 is opened (opened), and a first suction hole 19 h is formed on the lower surface of the first conveying roller case 19. A first suction fan 21 that sucks air in the first transport roller case 19 from the first suction hole 19 h is provided on the lower surface of the first transport roller case 19. By operating or stopping the first suction fan 21, the inside of the first transport roller case 19 can be switched between a negative pressure state and a normal pressure state.

  A first transport roller 23 that directly supports the back surface of the substrate W is provided in the first transport roller case 19 so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the second transport direction D2. Here, the first transport roller 23 protrudes upward from the top of the first transport roller case 19. The height position SP (see FIG. 2) of the first conveying roller 23 is at a position lower than the standard flying height position LP. A first transport motor (first transport actuator) 25 that rotates the first transport roller 23 around an axis parallel to the second transport direction D2 is provided at an appropriate position of the first transport roller case 19. . The output shaft of the first transport motor 25 is linked and connected to the rotation shaft of the first transport roller 23 through a first transport mechanism 27 including a pair of pulleys and a timing belt.

  The height position SP of the first conveying roller 23 may be set to the same height as the flying height position LP without being made lower than the flying height position LP. Further, another first transport motor that rotates the plurality of first transport rollers 23 to an appropriate position of the first transport unit main body 9 by omitting the first transport motor 25 constituting a part of the first transport unit 17. Etc. may be provided.

  Next, a specific configuration of the second direction transport unit 5 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the second direction transport unit 5 includes a second transport unit main body 29 extending in the second transport direction D2. In the second transport unit main body 29, a plurality of chambers 31 for storing compressed air are arranged in a row (four rows in this embodiment) along the second transport direction D2 (see FIG. 1). Only the four chambers 31 on the most upstream side are shown). As shown in FIG. 3, a supply fan 33 (a fan filter unit in the present embodiment) that supplies compressed air into the chamber 31 is provided on the lower surface of each chamber 31.

  On the upper surface of each chamber 31, there is provided a hollow floating unit 35 that floats the substrate W to a reference flying height position LP (see FIG. 3) using the pressure of compressed air. That is, a plurality of floating units 35 are provided in the second transport unit main body 29 via a plurality of chambers 31. Here, the interior of each levitation unit 35 communicates with the chamber 31. Each floating unit 35 is connected to a supply fan 33 through a chamber 31. A slit-like nozzle 35 n that ejects compressed air is formed on the upper surface of each floating unit 35 according to the planar view shape of the floating unit 35. Since the nozzle 35n of each floating unit 35 has the same configuration as each nozzle 15n of the floating unit 15, its detailed description is omitted.

  In the second transport unit main body 29, a plurality of second transport units 37 that transport the substrates W in the second transport direction D2 are arranged in a row (two rows in the present embodiment) along the second transport direction D2. (In FIG. 1, only the two most upstream second transport units 37 are shown). A specific configuration of each second transport unit 37 will be described. As will be apparent from the description of the specific configuration below, the second transport roller 43 of the second transport unit 37 is not lifted up and down.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the second transport unit main body 29 is provided with a second transport roller case 39. The upper side of the second transport roller case 39 is opened (opened), and a second suction hole 39 h is formed on the lower surface of the second transport roller case 39. A second suction fan 41 that sucks the air in the second transport roller case 39 from the second suction holes 39h is provided on the lower surface of the second transport roller case 39. By operating or stopping the second suction fan 41, the inside of the second conveyance roller case 39 can be switched between a negative pressure state and a normal pressure state.

  A second transport roller 43 that directly supports the back surface of the substrate W is provided in the second transport roller case 39 so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the first transport direction D1. Here, the second transport roller 43 protrudes upward from the top of the second transport roller case 39. The height position SP (see FIG. 3) of the second transport roller 43 is the same as the height position SP of the first transport roller 23, and is lower than the reference flying height position LP. A second transport motor (second transport actuator) 45 that rotates the second transport roller 43 around an axis parallel to the first transport direction D1 is provided at an appropriate position of the second transport roller case 39. . The output shaft of the second transport motor 45 is linked and connected to the rotation shaft of the second transport roller 43 through a second transport mechanism 47 including a pair of pulleys and a timing belt.

  The height position SP of the second transport roller 43 may be set to the same height as the flying height position LP without being made lower than the flying height position LP. Further, another second transport motor that rotates the plurality of second transport rollers 43 to an appropriate position of the second transport unit main body 29 by omitting the second transport motor 45 constituting a part of the second transport unit 37. Etc. may be provided.

  Next, a specific configuration of the transport direction changing unit (direction changing unit) 7 having a mechanism that is a feature of the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a transfer direction changing unit 7 is disposed in a relay area between the first direction transfer unit 3 and the second direction transfer unit 5. In addition, a plurality of chambers 51 (4 rows × 4 columns in total 16 in this embodiment) for accommodating compressed air are disposed substantially uniformly in the transport direction changing unit 7. On the lower surface of each chamber 51, a supply fan (in this embodiment, a fan filter unit) that supplies compressed air into the chamber 51 is provided. Since this supply fan is the same as the supply fan 13 (see FIG. 2) of the first transport unit body 9 and the supply fan 33 (see FIG. 3) of the second transport unit body 9, illustration thereof is omitted.

  On the upper surface of each chamber 51, there is provided a hollow floating unit 55 that floats the substrate W to the above-described reference flying height position LP using the pressure of compressed air. That is, a plurality of floating units 55 are provided in the lower main body of the transport direction changing unit 7 via the plurality of chambers 51. Here, the interior of each floating unit 55 communicates with the chamber 51. Each floating unit 55 is connected to the supply fan described above via the chamber 51. A slit-like nozzle 55 n that ejects compressed air is formed on the upper surface of each floating unit 55 according to the planar view shape of the floating unit 55. Since the nozzle 55n of each floating unit 55 has the same configuration as each nozzle 15n (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of the floating unit 15 of the first transport unit main body 9, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In the transport direction changing unit 7, a plurality of first movable transport units 57 (first transport unit groups) that receive the substrates W from the first direction transport unit 3 are arranged in a row (first embodiment) along the first transport direction D1. In two rows). In the present embodiment, three are arranged for each row in the upstream in the first transport direction D1. Hereinafter, a specific configuration of each first movable transfer unit 57 will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the transport direction changing unit 7 is provided with a unit case 81 fixed to the main body frame of the transport direction changing unit 7. The upper side of the unit case 81 is opened (opened) around rollers 63a to 63c described later. On the lower surface of the unit case 81, a fan unit 90 (in this embodiment, a fan filter unit) that discharges the air in the unit case 81 to the outside is provided. By operating or stopping the fan unit 90, the inside of the unit case 81 can be switched between a negative pressure state and a normal pressure state. When the inside of the unit case 81 is in a negative pressure state, external gas is sucked from the peripheral openings of the rollers 63a to 63c described above, and the substrate W is brought into contact with the rollers 63a to 63c by this suction force.

  In the unit case 81, there are a drive motor (actuator) 82, a drive pulley 86, a swing frame 84, a swing motor (actuator) 83, a movable pulley 87, an endless belt 88, and a first movable transport roller. 63a is accommodated. The drive motor 82 is fixed in the unit case 81. The drive pulley 86 is attached to a drive output shaft 82 a of a drive motor 82 inserted in the swing frame 84. That is, the swing frame 84 accommodates the drive pulley 86 in the lower part thereof. As shown in FIG. 4, the swing frame 84 can swing about the drive output shaft 82a. It should be noted that the swing frame 84 may be a case where the inside is not sealed, but the inside is sealed.

  A swing motor (actuator) 83 that swings the swing frame 84 is also fixed in the unit case 81. The swing output shaft 83 a of the swing motor 83 is located on the same axis as the drive output shaft 82 a of the drive motor 82. A swing frame 84 is fixed to the swing output shaft 83a via a fixing member 85. The movable pulley 87 is rotatably attached to the swing frame 84 via the rotation shaft 89. As shown in FIG. 4, the movable pulley 87 can change its vertical position as the swing frame 84 swings.

  The endless belt 88 is installed between the drive pulley 86 and the movable pulley 87, and transmits the rotation of the drive pulley 86 to the movable pulley 87. The first movable conveyance roller 63 a is provided outside the swing frame 84 in the unit case 81. When the first movable conveyance roller 63a is provided outside the swing frame 84, there is no obstacle around the first movable conveyance roller 63a, particularly below, and external gas is sucked from the opening around the first movable conveyance roller 63a. It is preferable because it flows smoothly. The first movable conveyance roller 63 a is integrally fixed to the rotation shaft 89 and rotates integrally with the movable pulley 87. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the first movable conveyance roller 63 a can also change its vertical position as the swing frame 84 swings.

  Free rollers 63b and 63c are provided on the downstream side and the upstream side in the transport direction of the first movable transport roller 63a, respectively. The periphery of the free rollers 63b and 63c is also opened, and the contact between the free rollers 63b and 63c and the substrate W is maintained by the action of the suction force. When the first movable transport roller 63a is lowered, the suction by the fan unit 90 is stopped, and a gap is formed between the free rollers 63b and 63c and the substrate W. By providing the free rollers 63b and 63c, the contact state between the first movable conveyance roller 63a and the substrate W is stabilized, so that the thrust by the first movable conveyance roller 63a is stabilized.

  The first movable transport roller 63a that directly supports the back surface of the substrate W when it is raised is provided to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the second transport direction D2. As described above, the first movable conveyance roller 63a protrudes upward from the uppermost portion of the unit case 81 when ascending. The height position SP when the first movable conveyance roller 63a is raised is the same as the height position SP of the first conveyance roller 23, and is lower than the reference flying height position LP. In this embodiment, a servo motor capable of controlling the rotational position is used as the swing motor 83 in order to maintain the first movable transport roller 63a at the height position SP when it is raised.

  In the present embodiment, the thrust applied to the substrate W by the first movable transport roller 63a is in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. The drive motor 82 rotates the drive output shaft 82a so as to generate thrust in this direction. In addition, if the rotational drive direction of the drive output shaft 82a is reversed, the direction in which the thrust is applied can be reversed. However, the state of FIG. 4 is preferable for stably transporting the substrate W because the torque direction for swinging the swing frame 84 and the torque direction for rotationally driving the first movable transport roller 63a coincide.

  The transport direction changing unit 7 includes a plurality of second movable transport units 69 (second transport unit groups) that send the substrates W to the second direction transport unit 5 in a row (second book) along the second transport direction D2. In the embodiment, they are arranged in two rows. In the present embodiment, three are arranged for each row by moving toward the downstream side in the second transport direction D2. The specific configuration of each second movable transport unit 69 is basically the same as each first movable transport unit 57 described above. The first movable conveyance roller 63a and the second movable conveyance roller 75a correspond to each other, and the pair of free rollers 63b and 63c correspond to the free rollers 75b and 75c. For this reason, description of the concrete structure of each 2nd movable conveyance unit 69 is abbreviate | omitted.

  A reflective photoelectric sensor 80 (see FIG. 1) is provided at an appropriate position on the right side of the transport direction changing unit 7. The reflection type photoelectric sensor 80 monitors the reflection of the projected signal light to detect that the plurality of first movable transfer units 57 have received the substrate W from the first direction transfer unit 3. The reflective photoelectric sensor 80 is electrically connected to a controller (not shown) that controls the fan unit 90, the drive motor 82, the swing motor 83, and the like.

  Then, the effect | action and effect of this embodiment are demonstrated.

  Each supply fan 13 of the 1st direction conveyance unit 3 is operated, and compressed air is ejected from the nozzle 15n of each floating unit 15. FIG. Further, each first suction fan 21 is operated, and the inside of each first transport roller case 19 is appropriately switched from the normal pressure state to the negative pressure state, and each first transport motor 25 is driven, so that each first transport fan case 19 is driven. The transport roller 23 is rotated around an axis parallel to the second transport direction D2. As a result, the substrate W is floated and transported in the first transport direction D1 while a sufficient contact pressure between the back surface of the substrate W and the plurality of first transport rollers 23 is ensured.

  Before the substrate W passes through a predetermined position on the downstream side of the first direction transport unit 3, each first movable transport unit of the transport direction changing unit 7 is maintained in a normal pressure state inside each second unit case 71. 57 fan units 90 are operated, and the inside of each unit case 81 is switched from the normal pressure state to the negative pressure state. And the supply fan (equivalent to the supply fans 13 and 33) of the conveyance direction change unit 7 is operated, and compressed air is ejected from the nozzle 55n of each floating unit 55. At the same time, the swing motor 83 of the first movable conveyance unit 57 is rotationally driven to raise the first movable conveyance roller 63a, and the drive motor 82 is driven so that the first movable conveyance roller 63a is parallel to the second conveyance direction D2. It is rotated around the center axis.

  At this time, the second movable conveyance roller 75a of the second movable conveyance unit 69 is lowered, and a gap is secured between the back surface of the substrate W and the second movable conveyance roller 75a. In addition, the fan unit 90 of the first movable transport unit 57 is driven and the inside of the unit case 81 is in a negative pressure state, and the contact pressure between the back surface of the substrate W and the first movable transport roller 63a is sufficiently secured, The plurality of first movable transfer units 57 receive the substrate W from the first direction transfer unit 3.

  After the substrate W is received by the plurality of first movable transfer units 57 (that is, when a detection signal is output from the reflective photoelectric sensor 80), the swing motor 83 of the first unit 57 rotates in the reverse direction to the previous one. It is driven to lower the first movable conveying roller 63a, and the drive motor 82 is stopped. The fan unit 90 of the first movable transfer unit 57 is also stopped, and the inside of each unit case 81 of the first movable transfer unit 57 is switched from the negative pressure state to the normal pressure state.

  At substantially the same time, while the compressed air is being ejected from the nozzles 55n of the floating units 55, the swing motor 83 of the second movable transport unit 69 is driven to rotate and the second movable transport roller 75a is raised and driven. The motor 82 is driven to rotate the second movable conveyance roller 75a around an axis parallel to the first conveyance direction D1. At this time, the first movable conveyance roller 63a of the first movable conveyance unit 57 is lowered, and a gap is secured between the back surface of the substrate W and the first movable conveyance roller 63a.

  Moreover, each fan unit 90 of the 2nd movable conveyance unit 69 is operated, and the inside of each unit case 81 is switched from a normal pressure state to a negative pressure state. As a result, a gap is secured between the back surface of the substrate W and the first movable transport roller 63a, and the contact pressure between the back surface of the substrate W and the second movable transport roller 75a is sufficiently secured, while the substrate W The transport direction is changed from the first transport direction D1 to the second transport direction D2, and the plurality of second movable transport units 69 send out the substrate W to the second direction transport unit 5.

  Before or when the substrate W is sent out to the second direction transport unit 5 by the plurality of second movable transport units 69, each supply fan 33 of the second direction transport unit 5 is operated, and the nozzle 35n of each floating unit 35 is operated. Compressed air is ejected from In addition, each second suction fan 41 is operated, the inside of each second transport roller case 39 is appropriately switched from the normal pressure state to the negative pressure state, and each second transport motor 45 is driven, so that each second The transport roller 43 is rotated around an axis parallel to the first transport direction D1. As a result, the substrate W is levitated and conveyed in the second conveyance direction D2 while a sufficient contact pressure between the back surface of the substrate W and the plurality of second conveyance rollers 43 is ensured.

  In short, the first movable conveyance roller 63a that can rotate around the axis parallel to the second conveyance direction D2 is provided in each unit case 81 of the first movable conveyance unit 57, and the axis is parallel to the first conveyance direction D1. A second movable conveyance roller 75a that can rotate around the center is provided in each unit case 81 of the second movable conveyance unit 69, and the height position of each first movable conveyance roller 63a and each second movable conveyance roller 75a is set. It is set lower than the reference flying height position LP. Therefore, the first movable conveyance roller 63a and the second movable conveyance roller 75a are changed in height position, and the first movable conveyance roller 63a and the second movable conveyance roller 75a are not changed in posture. The substrate W can be received from the direction transport unit 3 and the received substrate can be sent out to the second direction transport unit 5.

  Therefore, according to this embodiment, when the movable transport rollers 63a and 75a are moved up and down in the movable transport units 57 and 69 that apply thrust to the substrate W that is transported by floating, the drive motor that drives the movable transport rollers 63a and 75a. (Actuator) 82 need not be raised and lowered, the structure can be simplified, and the power required for conveyance can be reduced. The drive motor (actuator) 82 and the swing motor (actuator) 83 that moves the movable transport rollers 63a and 75a up and down are both fixed to the non-movable unit case 81, and the positions of the movable transport rollers 63a and 75a are determined with accuracy. The contact state between the substrate W and the movable transport rollers 63a and 75a (that is, the thrust acting on the substrate W) can be controlled with high accuracy. Further, since there is no heavy portion such as the drive motor (actuator) 82 in the movable part accompanying the raising and lowering of the movable conveyance rollers 63a and 75a, the movable conveyance rollers 63a and 75a can be quickly raised and lowered, and the conveyance efficiency can be improved. .

  In addition, motors 82 and 83 having output rotation shafts were used as drive actuators that rotationally drive the movable transport rollers 63a and 75a and swing actuators that move the movable transport rollers 63a and 75a up and down. By using the drive motor 82 that outputs a rotational force, the output rotation can be transmitted as it is to the movable conveying rollers 63a and 75a through a simple mechanism of a pair of pulleys 86 and 87 and an endless belt 88. In other words, a configuration preferable for simplifying the structure can be constructed. Further, by using the swing motor 83 that outputs a rotational force, the swing frame 84 is swung by the output rotation, so that the movable transport rollers 63a and 75a located away from the rotation shaft can be quickly moved up and down. it can.

  In addition, when the present embodiment is applied to the direction changing section, preparation and retreating of the first transport unit group and the second transport unit group can be performed at the same time, so the transport direction after the substrate W is floated and transported in the first transport direction D1. Can be instantaneously changed to float and transport in the second transport direction D2, and the work efficiency related to the floating transport of the substrate W can be sufficiently increased by shortening the transport time.

  In addition, this invention is not restricted to description of the said embodiment, It can implement in a various aspect. Further, the scope of rights encompassed by the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the said embodiment, although the levitation conveyance apparatus of this invention was applied to the direction change part 7, it is not restricted to the strength to a direction change part. For example, when it is desired to variably control the thrust applied to the substrate, or when it is desired to change the thrust according to the type of the substrate, it can be applied to a transport path without changing the direction.

  In the above embodiment, the swing motor 83 is used as the swing actuator to swing the swing frame 84. However, the swing frame 84 may be swung by a plunger or the like. Alternatively, in order to use the swing motor 83 to define the swing position of the swing frame 84 (the vertical position of the movable transport rollers 63a and 75a), a stopper that regulates the swing position may be used. At this time, in order to maintain the swinging position of the swinging frame 84 (the vertical position of the movable transport rollers 63a and 75a), a member whose rotation is slid after the swinging restriction by the stopper may be used as the fixed member 85. In this case, when the movable transport rollers 63a and 75a are raised, the swing motor 83 continues to rotate, and the rotation continues to slide on the fixed member 85 due to the restriction by the stopper, so that the vertical positions of the movable transport rollers 63a and 75a are maintained. When the rotation of the dynamic motor 83 is stopped, the swing frame 84 is lowered by its own weight. Alternatively, a clutch may be built in the fixed member 85 to hold the swing position of the swing frame 84. In these cases, the swing motor 83 may not be a servo motor.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Levitation conveyance apparatus 3 1st direction conveyance unit 5 2nd direction conveyance unit 7 conveyance direction change unit 9 1st conveyance unit main body 11,31 Chamber 13,33 Supply fan 15,35,55 Levitation unit 15n, 35n, 55n Nozzle 17 First transport unit 19 First transport roller case 19h First suction hole 21 First suction fan 23 First transport roller 25 First transport motor 27 First transport mechanism 29 Transport unit main body 37 Second transport unit 39 Second transport roller case 39h Second suction hole 41 Second suction fan 43 Second transport roller 45 Second transport motor 47 Second transport mechanism 51 Chamber 57 First movable transport unit 63a First movable transport roller 63b, 63c, 75b, 75c Free roller 69 First Two movable transport unit 75a Second movable transport roller 80 Reflective photoelectric cell Sensor 81 unit case 82 drive motor 82a drive output shaft 83 swing motor 83a swing output shaft 84 swing frame 85 fixing member 86 drive pulley 87 movable pulley 88 endless belt 89 rotating shaft 90 fan unit D1 first transport direction D2 second Transport direction W Substrate

Claims (3)

In the transfer direction changing device equipped with a transfer unit that gives thrust in the transfer direction to the substrate when the substrate is levitated and transferred,
The transport unit is
A fixedly installed unit case;
A drive actuator fixed in the unit case;
A drive pulley attached to the drive output shaft of the drive actuator;
A swing frame that houses the drive pulley and is swingable about the drive output shaft;
A swing actuator fixed in the unit case and swinging the swing frame;
A movable pulley that is rotatably mounted in the swing frame and is capable of changing a vertical position in accordance with the swing of the swing frame;
An endless belt which is installed between the drive pulley and the movable pulley and transmits the rotation of the drive pulley to the movable pulley;
A conveyance roller that is provided in the unit case, rotates integrally with the movable pulley, and can change a vertical position with the swing of the swing frame;
A fan unit attached to the unit case and exhausting the gas in the unit case;
When the transport roller is raised by the swing of the swing frame and the gas in the unit case is discharged by the fan unit and the substrate is sucked, the transport roller comes into contact with the substrate. When the transport roller is lowered by the swing of the swing frame, the transport roller is separated from the substrate and does not apply the thrust to the substrate. A floating transportation apparatus characterized by the above.   The levitation conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the drive actuator and the swing actuator is a motor, and a swing output shaft of the swing actuator is disposed on an extension line of the drive output shaft. While installing the plurality of transport units that transport the substrate in the first direction as a first transport unit group in a direction changing unit that switches the transport direction of the substrate,
A plurality of transport units that transport the substrate in a second direction different from the first direction are installed in the direction changing section as a second transport unit group,
In the first transport unit group, the plurality of transport rollers are raised, the gas in the unit case is discharged by the fan unit, and the substrate is sucked to change the direction of the substrate along the first transport direction. To the department,
The plurality of transport rollers in the first transport unit group are lowered, and the plurality of transport rollers are lifted in the second transport unit group, and the gas in the unit case is discharged by the fan unit to the substrate. The levitation conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the levitation conveyance apparatus is configured to suck out the substrate and carry the substrate out of the direction changing unit along a second conveyance direction.

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