HK1185051B - Non-contact transfer apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Non-contact conveying device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a non-contact transport apparatus, and more particularly to a non-contact transport apparatus used in the production of FPDs (flat panel displays) such as large-sized Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) and/or Plasma Display Panels (PDPs), and/or solar panels (solar panels).

Background

Conventionally, in the production of FDPs, solar panels, and the like, a method of increasing the production efficiency by increasing the size of one panel has been employed. For example, in the case of a liquid crystal panel, the tenth generation has a size of 2850 × 3050 × 0.7 mm. Therefore, if the liquid crystal glass is loaded on a plurality of rollers arranged in a rolling manner as in the conventional art, strong force is locally applied to the liquid crystal glass due to the bending of the shaft of the support roller and/or dimensional fluctuation of the roller height, and there is a possibility that the liquid crystal glass is damaged.

The rolling transport device formed by the above rollers cannot be used in a process step of, for example, an FPD which requires the device and a panel to be in non-contact, and in recent years, an air floating transport device has been used. As a non-contact transport device, there is a device that uses a porous material (porous sintered metal or the like) in a part of a plate-shaped transport rail, supplies air by communicating with an air supply path, and transports the FPD by ejecting the air. However, if this non-contact transfer device is used, the FPD floats while moving in the vertical direction, and therefore, although this non-contact transfer device can be used in a transfer step, it cannot be used in a process step requiring a high floating height of 30 to 50 μm, for example.

Further, when the plate-like conveyance rail using the porous material is provided with holes for vacuum evacuation for the purpose of maintaining the floating height with high accuracy, the structure of the apparatus becomes complicated and the apparatus itself becomes expensive, and when the supply air pressure is increased for maintaining the floating height with high accuracy, self-excited vibration occurs in association with compressibility of high-rigidity air, and there is a problem that the floating height cannot be maintained with high accuracy.

Further, although there is also a device in which instead of the porous material, an orifice (a small-diameter hole) is bored so as to intersect with the hole for evacuation, there is a problem that the strong ejected air from the orifice generates static electricity or disturbs the environment of the clean room, and the consumption current increases, thereby increasing the running cost.

In view of the above, patent document 1 proposes the following non-contact transport device as a non-contact transport device which is small in fluid flow rate and energy consumption amount and can maintain the floating height with high accuracy: the conveying surface of the conveying rail is provided with two or more swirl flow-forming bodies which generate a swirl flow on the front surface side of the annular member in a direction away from the front surface side by ejecting the fluid from the fluid ejection port and generate a fluid flow in the rear surface direction in the vicinity of the opening on the front surface side of the annular member.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: international patent application publication No. 2009/119377.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

Although the non-contact conveying apparatus described in patent document 1 is an apparatus that generates a swirling flow in a direction away from a surface side of an annular member to float a conveyed object (such as a panel), the non-contact conveying apparatus has an effect that a negative pressure is generated in a center portion of the swirling flow and excessive floating of the conveyed object can be prevented. On the other hand, there have been found a disadvantage that the amplitude of the end portion of the transported object increases, and a disadvantage that if the negative pressure generated by the swirling flow in the processing step and the vacuum-pumping negative pressure overlap each other, the floating function generated by the swirling flow disappears and the transported object partially comes into contact with the transportation track.

Further, it has been found that a problem is that a change in vacuum pressure and a change in the floating amount of the transported object increase by connecting the evacuation holes to one continuous suction path and opening and closing one vacuum suction port connected to the suction path.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a non-contact transport apparatus capable of preventing the generation of negative pressure, reducing the amplitude of the end portion of the transported object, increasing the levitation amount, and reducing the variation in the levitation amount of the transported object as much as possible by opening and closing the vacuum suction port.

Means for solving the problems

In order to achieve the above object, a non-contact transport apparatus according to the present invention includes a transport rail including an upper plate, a middle plate, and a lower plate, the upper plate including a plurality of storage holes and suction holes arranged alternately in a longitudinal direction and a width direction, and an upward flow forming body, the storage holes including: a cylindrical wall surface portion having an opening portion which is opened on the upper surface and is circular in plan view; and an enlarged diameter cylindrical wall surface portion which is enlarged in diameter from the cylindrical wall surface portion via an annular shoulder portion and is opened on a lower surface, wherein the suction hole is bored adjacent to the housing hole portion and is opened on upper and lower surfaces, and the intermediate plate includes: a continuous air supply path which is opened on the upper surface and communicated with each containing hole part of the upper plate; a communication hole having one end opened to the air supply path and the other end opened to a lower surface; and a through hole adjacent to the communication hole, one end portion of which communicates with the suction hole of the upper plate and the other end portion of which is open on the lower surface, the lower plate having: an air supply port coupled to the communication hole of the middle plate; an air suction path opened at an upper surface and communicating with the through-hole of the middle plate; and a vacuum suction port coupled to the air suction path, wherein the upward flow forming body is attached to a receiving hole portion of an upper plate of the conveying rail, the air suction path formed in the lower plate is divided into at least two or more block portions in a longitudinal direction, and one vacuum suction port is coupled to each of the air suction paths of the block portions.

According to the non-contact transport apparatus of the present invention, the air suction path for evacuation is divided into at least two or more blocks in the longitudinal direction (transport mode of the transported object), and one vacuum suction port is connected to each air suction path of the blocks, so that the opening and closing operation of the vacuum suction port is not performed for each block in the transport direction by fully opening or fully closing the air suction path by the opening and closing operation of the vacuum suction port, and therefore, the variation in the floating amount of the transported object can be reduced as much as possible.

The non-contact transport apparatus according to the present invention that exhibits the above-described effects may be configured to include a transport rail including an upper plate, a middle plate, and a lower plate, the upper plate including a plurality of storage holes and suction holes arranged alternately in a longitudinal direction and a width direction, the storage holes including: a cylindrical wall surface portion having an opening portion which is opened on the upper surface and is circular in plan view; and an enlarged diameter cylindrical wall surface portion which is enlarged in diameter from the cylindrical wall surface portion via an annular shoulder portion and is opened on a lower surface, wherein the suction hole is bored adjacent to the housing hole portion and is opened on upper and lower surfaces, and the intermediate plate includes: a continuous air supply path which is opened on the upper surface and communicated with the containing hole part of the upper plate; one communication hole having one end opened to the air supply path and the other end opened to a lower surface; and a through hole having one end opened to the suction hole of the upper plate and the other end opened to an air suction path opened to a lower surface, the lower plate including an air supply port communicating with the through hole of the middle plate and a vacuum suction port coupled to the air suction path of the middle plate, the upward flow forming body being attached to the housing hole portion of the upper plate, the air suction path formed in the middle plate being divided into at least two or more pieces in a longitudinal direction, and one vacuum suction port being coupled to each of the air suction paths of the pieces.

In the non-contact conveying device of the present invention, the conveying rail has a three-layer structure of the upper plate, the middle plate, and the lower plate, and the air supply path and the air suction path are provided on the upper surface of the middle plate and the upper surface of the lower plate, or the air supply path and the air suction path are provided on the upper surface and the lower surface of the middle plate, so that the air supply path and the air suction path can be easily manufactured, and the manufacturing cost can be further reduced. The non-contact transfer device having the above-described configuration is particularly suitable for a process step requiring a high-precision flatness of the transfer step.

The upward flow forming body mounted in the receiving hole of the upper plate of the non-contact conveying device includes: a bottomed cylindrical base portion having a cylindrical inner wall surface on an inner surface thereof; an annular flange portion that extends radially outward from a peripheral edge of the opening portion of the cylindrical base portion; a plurality of engaging hanging portions extending downward in a radial direction relatively along a circumferential direction of an outer peripheral edge of the annular flange portion; an engaging protrusion protruding outward from a lower end of the engaging hanging portion; and at least one fluid discharge hole that opens from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical base portion to the cylindrical inner wall surface and has a tip portion facing the center of the cylindrical base portion, wherein the ascending flow forming member is attached to the housing hole portion of the upper plate of the conveying rail by press-fitting the outer peripheral surface of the annular protrusion into the cylindrical wall surface portion of the housing hole portion and engaging the engaging protrusion of the engaging suspended portion with the annular shoulder portion.

Since the upward flow is formed by dispersing the air ejected from the upward flow forming member in a spray form, the amplitude of the object to be conveyed (such as a panel) can be reduced without applying stress to the object to be conveyed, and since a negative pressure is not generated, the floating amount of the object to be conveyed can be increased.

The upward flow forming body is preferably formed by injection molding a thermoplastic synthetic resin, and the thermoplastic synthetic resin may be polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resin.

Effects of the invention

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a non-contact transport device capable of increasing the floating amount of a transported object because the amplitude of the transported object can be reduced without applying stress to the transported object and a negative pressure is not generated.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing one embodiment of a non-contact conveying apparatus according to the present invention, and is a plan view showing an entire configuration including a conveying step and a processing step.

Fig. 2 is a view showing a non-contact conveying apparatus for the conveying step of fig. 1, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a sectional view taken along line a-a of (a).

Fig. 3 is a view showing the upper plate of fig. 2 (b), wherein (a) is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the upflow forming body is not attached, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the upflow forming body is attached.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the middle plate of fig. 2 (B), and is a sectional view taken along line B-B of fig. 7.

Fig. 5 is a view showing the lower plate of fig. 2 (b), and is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of fig. 8.

Fig. 6 is a view showing the lower plate of fig. 2 (b), and is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of fig. 8.

Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the middle plate of fig. 2 (b).

Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the lower plate of fig. 2 (b).

Fig. 9 is a view showing an upward flow forming body used in the non-contact conveying device of the present invention, wherein (a) is a front view, (b) is a plan view, (c) is a bottom view, and (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of (c).

Fig. 10 is an explanatory view of upward flow formation by upward dispersion of upward-flow-forming body air in a spray pattern, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing floating conveyance of glass in a non-contact conveyance device for a conveyance step.

Fig. 12 is a view showing an upward flow forming body according to another embodiment used in the non-contact conveying device of the present invention, in which (a) is a bottom view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F of (a).

Fig. 13 is an explanatory view of upward flow formed by upward dispersion of upward flow forming body air in a spray form according to another embodiment, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view.

Fig. 14 is a view showing another non-contact conveying apparatus in the conveying step of fig. 1, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a sectional view taken along line G-G of (a).

Fig. 15 is a view showing the upper plate of fig. 14 (b), (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the upper plate in a state where the upward flow forming body is not attached, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the upper plate in a state where the upward flow forming body is attached.

Fig. 16 is a sectional view showing the middle plate of fig. 14 (b), (a) is a sectional view taken along line H-H of fig. 17, and (b) is a sectional view taken along line I-I of fig. 17.

Fig. 17 is a plan view of the middle plate of fig. 14 (b).

Fig. 18 is a bottom view of the middle plate of fig. 14 (b).

Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view showing floating conveyance of glass in a non-contact conveyance device according to another embodiment of the conveyance step shown in fig. 14.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, a case where air is used as a fluid for conveyance and liquid crystal glass (hereinafter, simply referred to as "glass") is used as an object to be conveyed will be described as an example.

As shown in fig. 1, a noncontact conveyance device 1 is used for conveying glass G in a noncontact manner, and the noncontact conveyance device 1 includes: two non-contact conveying devices 2a and 3a for conveying the steps 2 and 3; and a non-contact transfer device 4a for the processing step 4 located between the transfer steps 2 and 3.

The non-contact transport devices 2a and 3a for the transport steps 2 and 3 are configured such that ascending current forming bodies 6, which will be described later, are arranged in two rows in the vertical direction on the paper surface of fig. 1 on the transport rail 5, and in the transport steps 2 and 3 of fig. 1, three non-contact transport devices 2a and 3a are arranged in parallel, respectively.

As shown in fig. 2 (a) and (b), the non-contact conveyor 4a for the processing step 4 of the non-contact conveyor 1 is formed by arranging a plurality of upward flow forming members 6 for generating an upward flow of air and suction holes 7 having a diameter of about 1 to 2mm for vacuum suction of the sucked air alternately in the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the conveyor rail 8.

As shown in fig. 2 (b), the conveying rail 8 has a three-layer structure including an upper plate 9, an intermediate plate 10, and a lower plate 11.

As shown in fig. 3 (a), the upper plate 9 includes a plurality of storage hole portions 9g and suction holes 7 alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction X and the width direction Y of the upper plate 9 as shown in fig. 2, and the storage hole portions 9g include: a cylindrical inner wall surface portion 9c having an opening 9b which is formed in a circular shape in a plan view, is inserted through an upper surface 9a which is a conveying surface, and is opened to the upper surface 9 a; and an enlarged diameter cylindrical inner wall surface portion 9f which is enlarged in diameter from the cylindrical inner wall surface portion 9c via an annular shoulder portion 9d and opens to the lower surface 9e of the upper plate 9, and the suction hole 7 is formed to penetrate from the upper surface 9a to the lower surface 9e of the upper plate 9 adjacent to the housing hole portion 9 g.

Returning to fig. 3, the upward flow forming member 6 made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) is attached to the receiving hole 9g of the upper plate 9. As shown in fig. 9 (a) to (d), the upward flow forming body 6 includes: a bottomed cylindrical base portion 6c having an opening portion 6a opened on the upper surface and having a circular shape in plan view, and having a cylindrical inner wall surface 6b communicating with the opening portion 6 a; an annular flange portion 6d extending radially outward from the periphery of the opening portion 6a of the cylindrical base portion 6 c; a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) engaging hanging portions 6f extending downward in a radial direction along the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface 6e of the annular flange portion 6d on the outer peripheral surface 6 e; an engaging protrusion 6g protruding outward from the lower end of the engaging hanging portion 6 f; and at least one (one in the present embodiment) fluid discharge hole 6j that opens from the outer peripheral surface 6h of the cylindrical base portion 6c to the cylindrical inner wall surface 6b and has a tip portion 6i facing the center O of the cylindrical base portion 6 c.

As shown in fig. 3 (b), the upward flow forming member 6 is attached to the housing hole 9g by press-fitting the outer peripheral surface 6e of the annular flange 6d into the cylindrical inner wall surface portion 9c of the housing hole 9g of the upper plate 9, engaging the engaging protrusion 6g of the engaging suspended portion 6f into the annular shoulder 9d of the housing hole 9g, and making the upper surface 6k of the annular flange 6d flush with the upper surface 9a of the upper plate 9.

As shown in fig. 10 (a) and (b), the upward flow forming member 6 causes the air jetted from the fluid jetting holes 6j to collide with the cylindrical inner wall surface 6b of the cylindrical base member 6c, and generates upward flows (arrows in fig. 10 (a) and (b)) dispersed in a spray pattern above the opening 6a of the cylindrical inner wall surface 6b in the air, and the glass G is conveyed by the upward flows in a non-contact manner,

since the negative pressure is not generated in the upflow forming body 6, the floating amount of the glass G as the object to be conveyed during conveyance can be increased, and the air ejected from the fluid ejection holes 6j collides with the cylindrical inner wall surface 6b of the cylindrical base portion 6c, so that the ejection speed of the air is lowered and the air becomes an upward flow dispersed in a spray form, and thus the application of stress to the glass G can be suppressed as much as possible.

As shown in fig. 4 and 7, the midplane 10 includes: an air supply groove 10b as an air supply path, which is continuous and semicircular in cross section and communicates with the plurality of receiving hole portions 9g formed in the upper plate 9 at the upper surface 10a of the intermediate plate 10; one communication hole 10d having one end opened to the air supply groove 10b and the other end opened to the lower surface 10c of the intermediate plate 10; and a plurality of through holes 10e having one end opened to the suction holes 7 formed in the upper plate 9 and the other end opened to the lower surface 10c of the middle plate 10.

As shown in fig. 5, 6, and 8, the lower plate 11 includes: four continuous air suction grooves 11c1, 11c2, 11c3 and 11c4 as air suction paths having semicircular cross sections, which divide the opening on the lower surface 10c side of the intermediate plate 10 of the plurality of through holes 10e · 10e formed in the intermediate plate 10 into four block portions 11b1, 11b2, 11b3 and 11b4 (see fig. 7 and 8) in the longitudinal direction, and communicate with the openings of the through holes 10e1, 10e2, 10e3 and 10e4 of the divided block portions 11b1, 11b2, 11b3 and 11b4, respectively, on the upper surface 11a of the lower plate; vacuum suction ports 11d1, 11d2, 11d3 and 11d4 coupled to the air suction grooves 11c1, 11c2, 11c3 and 11c4 of the respective block portions 11b1, 11b2, 11b3 and 11b4, respectively; and an air supply port 11e coupled to one of the communication holes 10d formed in the middle plate 10.

As shown in fig. 2 (b), the plurality of storage hole portions 9g formed in the upper plate 9 are connected to one continuous air supply groove 10b having a semicircular cross section and opened in the upper surface 10a of the intermediate plate 10, the plurality of suction holes 7 are connected to the plurality of through holes 10e opened in the upper surface 10a of the intermediate plate 10, the upper plate 9 is positioned on the upper surface 10a of the intermediate plate 10, the air supply port 11e provided in the lower plate 11 is connected to the communication hole 10d opened in the lower surface 10c of the intermediate plate 10, the air suction grooves 11c1, 11c2, 11c3, and 11c4 having a semicircular cross section are connected to the through holes 10e1, 10e2, 10e3, and 10e2 of the block portions 11b1, 11b2, 11b3, and 11b4 opened in the lower surface 10c of the intermediate plate 10, and the vacuum suction ports 638, 11d3, 11d 638, 11d 6311 d 11c, 3511 c 11c, 3527, and 3611 c 1c 3611 c 73711 c 73727, and the middle plate 10 is positioned on the upper surface 11a of the lower plate 11, thereby forming the conveying rail 8. The conveying rail 8 is formed by fastening and fixing the upper plate 9, the middle plate 10, and the lower plate 11 by fixing members such as bolts.

In fig. 11 showing the non-contact transfer device 4a for the process step 4 having the above-described configuration, the compressed air supplied to the air supply port 11e of the transfer rail 8 is supplied to one continuous air supply groove 10b formed in the upper surface 10a of the intermediate plate 10 of the transfer rail 8 through the communication hole 10d communicating with the air supply port 11 e. The compressed air supplied to the air supply groove 10b is supplied to a plurality of storage hole portions 9G formed in the upper plate 9 of the conveying rail 8, is discharged from the fluid discharge holes 6j of the upward flow forming body 6 attached to the storage hole portions 9G, collides with the cylindrical inner wall surface 6b of the cylindrical base portion 6c (see fig. 3 (b)), becomes upward flows dispersed in a spray form above the opening portion 6a of the cylindrical inner wall surface 6b, and floats the glass G by the upward flows, and in the suction holes 7 opened in the upper surface 9a of the upper plate 9 of the conveying rail 8, as shown in fig. 8, suction from the vacuum suction ports 11d1, 11d2, 11d3, and 11d4 coupled to the air supply suction grooves 11c1, 11c2, 11c3, and 11c4 of the respective block portions 11b1, 11b2, 11b3, and 11b4 is performed, and the suction force generated by the upward flows is balanced with the suction force generated by the floating flows, the glass G is conveyed in a non-contact manner with high flatness.

As described above, in the non-contact transport apparatus 4a, the air suction groove 11c as the air suction path is divided into four block portions, i.e., the block portions 11b1, 11b2, 11b3 and 11b4, in the longitudinal direction X, and one vacuum suction port 11d1, 11d2, 11d3 and 11d4 is connected to each of the air suction grooves 11c1, 11c2, 11c3 and 11c4 of the block portions 11b1, 11b2, 11b3 and 11b4, respectively, so that the opening and closing operations of the vacuum suction ports 11d1, 11d2, 11d3 and 11d4 are performed for each of the air suction grooves 11c1, 11c2, 11c3 and 11c4, and the vacuum suction force is not lowered for each of the block portions 1, 11d2, 11d3 and 11d1, and the float glass amount of the reduction capability of the lift amount of the glass 4 is reduced for each of the vacuum suction port 11c1, 11c 3942, 11c2, 11c3 and 11c 4.

Further, since no negative pressure is generated in the upward flow forming member 6 of the non-contact conveying device 4a, the floating amount during the conveyance of the glass G can be increased, and since the air ejected from the fluid ejection holes 6j collides with the cylindrical inner wall surface 6b of the cylindrical base portion 6c, the ejection speed of the air is decreased, and the air is formed into an upward flow dispersed in a spray form, it is possible to suppress the application of stress to the glass G as much as possible.

Fig. 12 (a) and (b) show another embodiment of the upward flow forming element 6, and the upward flow forming element 60 includes: a bottomed cylindrical base portion 60c having an opening 60a opened on the upper surface and having a circular shape in plan view, and having a cylindrical inner wall surface 60b communicating with the opening 60 a; an annular flange portion 60d extending radially outward from the periphery of the opening portion 60a of the cylindrical base portion 60 c; a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) engaging hanging portions 60f extending downward in a radial direction relatively along the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface 60e of the annular flange portion 60d on the outer peripheral surface 60 e; an engaging protrusion 60g protruding outward from the lower end of the engaging hanging portion 60 f; and two fluid discharge holes 60j and 60j that are open from the outer peripheral surface 60h of the cylindrical base portion 60c to the cylindrical inner wall surface 60b and that have tip portions 60i facing each other toward the center O of the cylindrical base portion 60 c.

Although not shown, similarly to the installation of the upward flow forming member 6 shown in fig. 2 (b) or fig. (b) to the housing hole 9g, the upward flow forming member 60 is installed to the housing hole 9g by press-fitting the outer peripheral surface 60e of the annular flange portion 60d to the cylindrical inner wall surface portion 9c of the housing hole 9g, engaging the engaging protrusion 60g of the engaging suspended portion 60f to the annular shoulder portion 9d of the housing hole 9g, and making the upper surface 60k of the annular flange portion 60d flush with the upper surface 9a of the upper plate 9.

As shown in fig. 12 and fig. 13 (a) and (b), the upward flow forming member 60 causes the air ejected from the fluid ejection holes 7j and 7j to collide with each other, generates an upward flow in the air dispersed in a spray pattern above the opening 60a of the cylindrical inner wall surface 60b, and conveys the glass G in a non-contact manner by the upward flow, and the fluid ejection holes 60j and 60j are opened from the outer peripheral surface 60h of the cylindrical base portion 60c to the cylindrical inner wall surface 60b and the tip portion 60i is opposed to each other toward the center O of the cylindrical base portion 60 c.

In the upward flow forming member 60, since negative pressure is not generated as in the above-described upward flow forming member 6, the amount of floating of the glass G during conveyance can be increased, and since the air ejected from the fluid ejection holes 60j, 60j collides with each other by the air, the ejection speed of the air is decreased and the air becomes an upward flow dispersed in a spray form, and thus, the application of stress to the glass G can be suppressed as much as possible.

Fig. 14 (a) and (b) show another embodiment of the conveying rail 8 in the non-contact conveying device 4a for the processing step 4 of the non-contact conveying device 1 shown in fig. 1, and the conveying rail 80 has a three-layer structure including an upper plate 90, an intermediate plate 100, and a lower plate 110, similarly to the conveying rail 8.

As shown in fig. 15 (a) and (b), similarly to the upper plate 9 of the conveying rail 8, the upper plate 90 of the conveying rail 80 includes a plurality of storage holes 90g and suction holes 70 alternately in the longitudinal direction X and the width direction Y as shown in fig. 14, and the storage holes 90g include: a cylindrical inner wall surface portion 90c having an opening 90b which is formed in a circular shape in a plan view, is inserted into an upper surface 90a serving as a conveying surface, and is opened to the upper surface 90 a; and an enlarged diameter cylindrical inner wall surface portion 90f which is enlarged in diameter from the cylindrical inner wall surface portion 90c via an annular shoulder portion 90d and is opened to the lower surface 90e of the upper plate 90, and the suction hole 70 is formed adjacent to the housing hole portion 90g so as to penetrate from the upper surface 90a to the lower surface 90e of the upper plate 90.

In the housing hole 90g of the upper plate 90, the upward flow forming member 6 is attached to the housing hole 90g by press-fitting the outer peripheral surface 6e of the annular flange 6d into the cylindrical inner wall surface portion 90c of the housing hole 90g, engaging the engaging protrusion 6g of the engaging suspended portion 6f into the annular shoulder 90d of the housing hole 90g, and making the upper surface 6k of the annular flange 6d flush with the upper surface 90a of the upper plate 90.

As shown in fig. 16 (a) and (b), the midplane 100 includes: an air supply groove 100b as an air supply path having a semicircular cross section and opening upward formed on the upper surface 100a of the middle plate 100; and an air suction groove 100d as an air suction path formed in the lower surface 100c of the middle plate 100 and having a semicircular cross section and opening downward.

As shown in fig. 17, the air supply grooves 100b are formed in a rhombic lattice shape in a plan view in accordance with the arrangement of the upward flow forming body 6 (see fig. 14 a). At the bottom of the air supply groove 100b, as shown in fig. 16 (b), communication holes 100e opening at the lower surface 100c of the middle plate 100 are provided in communication, and as shown in fig. 17, only one of the communication holes 100e is provided through the entire middle plate 100. As shown in fig. 14 (b), the air supply grooves 100b communicate with the respective storage holes 90g of the upper plate 90 when the upper plate 90, the intermediate plate 100, and the lower plate 110 are laminated.

As shown in fig. 14 (a), 16 (a), (b), 17 and 18, the air suction grooves 100d1, 100d2 are formed by dividing the openings at the other ends of the plurality of communication holes 100f, one ends of which are formed by opening the upper surface 100a of the intermediate plate 100, into two blocks 100g, 100h along the longitudinal direction of the intermediate plate 100, and by connecting the openings of the plurality of communication holes 100f1 · 100f1, · · 100f2, respectively, in the divided blocks 100g, 100h, in the same diameter as the suction holes 70 formed in the upper plate 90.

As shown in fig. 14 (b), the lower plate 110 includes: one air supply port 110c opened at the lower surface 110a of the lower plate 110 and opened at the communication hole 100e communicating with the air supply groove 100b of the middle plate 100, and opened at the lower surface 110b of the lower plate 110; and vacuum suction ports 110d1 (not shown) and 110d2 which are opened in the upper surface 110a of the lower plate 110, communicate with the air suction grooves 100d1 and 100d2 of the respective blocks 100g and 100h opened in the lower surface 100c of the intermediate plate 100, and are opened in the lower surface 110b of the lower plate 110.

As shown in fig. 14 (b), a continuous single air supply groove 100b opened in the upper surface 100a of the intermediate plate 100 is communicated with each of the plurality of storage hole portions 90g formed in the upper plate 90 in the longitudinal direction X and the width direction Y of the upper plate 90, the suction hole 70 is communicated with the plurality of communication holes 100f opened in the upper surface 100a of the intermediate plate 100 so that the upper plate 90 is positioned on the upper surface 100a of the intermediate plate 100, the air supply port 110c formed in the lower plate 110 is connected to a single communication hole 100e opened in the lower surface 100c of the intermediate plate 100 and communicated with the air supply groove 100b formed in the intermediate plate 100, and the vacuum suction port 110d formed in the lower plate 110 is connected to the communication hole 100f1 g/100 h positioned in each of the air suction grooves 100d 1/100 d 2/100 h formed by the two divided blocks 100 g/100 h on the lower surface 100c of the intermediate plate 100, 100f2 so that the middle plate 100 is positioned on the upper surface 110a of the lower plate 110 to form the conveying rail 80. The conveying rail 80 is formed by fastening and fixing the upper plate 90, the middle plate 100, and the lower plate 110 by fixing means such as bolts.

In fig. 19 showing the non-contact transfer device 4a for the process step 4 having the above-described configuration, the compressed air supplied to the air supply port 110c provided in the lower plate 110 of the transfer rail 80 is supplied to the air supply groove 100b having a semicircular cross section as one continuous air supply path formed in the upper surface 100a of the intermediate plate 100 of the transfer rail 80 through the communication hole 100e communicating with the air supply port 110 c. The compressed air supplied to the air supply grooves 100b is supplied to a plurality of storage holes 90G formed in the upper plate 90 of the conveying rail 80, is discharged from the fluid discharge holes 6j of the upward flow forming body 6 attached to the storage holes 90G, and the air discharged from the fluid discharge holes 6j collides with the cylindrical inner wall surface 6b of the cylindrical base body 6c as shown in fig. 10 to generate an upward flow dispersed in a spray form above the opening 6a of the cylindrical inner wall surface 6b, and as shown in fig. 18, the glass G is floated by the upward flow and is sucked from the vacuum suction ports 110d1 (not shown) and 110d2 connected to the air suction grooves 100d1 and 100d2 of the respective blocks 100G and 100h formed in the lower surface 100c of the intermediate plate 100 of the conveying rail 80 in the suction holes 70 opened in the upper surface 90a of the upper plate 90 of the conveying rail 80, the gas G is transported in a non-contact manner with a high degree of flatness by a balance between a floating force generated by the rising flow generated in the rising flow forming body 6 and a suction force at the suction hole.

In the non-contact conveying device 4a, the air suction groove 100d is divided into two block portions 100G and 100h in the longitudinal direction X, and the vacuum suction ports 110d1 and 110d2 are connected to the air suction grooves 100d1 and 100d2 of the respective block portions 100G and 100h, respectively, so that the vacuum suction ports 110d1 and 110d2 are opened and closed for each of the air suction grooves 110d1 and 110d2, and therefore the vacuum suction force is not lowered and the opening and closing operations of the vacuum suction ports 100d1 and 100d2 are performed for each of the block portions in the conveying direction, and thus the variation in the floating amount of the glass G can be minimized.

Further, since no negative pressure is generated in the upward flow forming member 6 of the non-contact conveying device 4a, the floating amount during the conveyance of the glass G can be increased, and since the air ejected from the fluid ejection holes 6j collides with the cylindrical inner wall surface 6b of the cylindrical base portion 6c, the ejection speed of the air is decreased, and the air is formed into an upward flow dispersed in a spray form, it is possible to suppress the application of stress to the glass G as much as possible. Further, the same operational effects can be obtained even when the upward flow forming element 60 is used as the upward flow forming element 6.

The glass G conveyed to the processing step 4 is floated by upward currents generated by the upward current forming bodies 6 or 60 and dispersed upward in a spray pattern, and the surrounding air is evacuated by suction holes 7 or 70 located between the upward current forming bodies 6 or 60, whereby the floating height is controlled to be 30 to 50 μm with high accuracy. In this processing step 4, various inspections and/or processing of the glass G are performed. The glass G after the inspection and/or processing is conveyed to the conveying step 3, and then conveyed to the next step in a floating state.

As described above, the non-contact transport apparatus of the present invention includes: a plurality of upward flow forming bodies and suction holes provided alternately in a longitudinal direction and a width direction of the conveying rail on a conveying surface of the conveying rail; one continuous air supply groove as an air supply path communicating with each upward flow forming body and an air supply port coupled to the air supply groove; an air supply groove as an air supply path and a vacuum suction port connected to the air suction groove, the opening of the other end of the suction hole opened in the conveying surface being divided into at least two blocks in the longitudinal direction of the conveying rail and being continuous with the openings of the suction holes in the divided blocks, respectively, compressed air supplied from the air supply port being supplied to the upward flow forming body through the air supply groove, an ascending flow is generated in the ascending flow forming body and dispersed in a spray form above the opening of the ascending flow forming body, and the object to be conveyed is floated by the ascending flow, the object to be conveyed is conveyed in a non-contact manner with high flatness by balancing the floating force generated in the ascending flow forming body and the suction force at the suction hole.

According to the non-contact transport apparatus of the present invention having the above configuration, since the air suction groove is divided into at least two block portions in the longitudinal direction and one vacuum suction port is connected to each air suction groove of the block portions, the vacuum suction port is opened and closed for each air suction groove, and thus the change in the floating amount of the transported object can be suppressed as much as possible without lowering the vacuum suction force.

Further, in the upward flow forming body of the non-contact transport device, since negative pressure is not generated, the floating amount at the time of transport of the transported object can be increased, and since the air ejected from the fluid ejection holes lowers the ejection speed of the air and becomes an upward flow dispersed in a spray form, application of stress to the transported object can be suppressed as much as possible.

Description of reference numerals:

1 non-contact conveying device 2, 3 conveying step 4 treatment step

4a non-contact conveying device 6, 60 rising flow forming body for processing step

7. 70 suction holes 8, 80 conveying track 9, 90 upper plate

10. 100 middle plate 11, 110 lower plate 10b, 100b air supply groove

10e through-holes 11c1, 11c2, 11c3, 11c4 air suction grooves

Claims (5)

1. A non-contact conveying device is characterized by comprising a conveying track and an ascending flow forming body, wherein the conveying track is provided with:

an upper plate having a plurality of storage holes and suction holes arranged alternately in a longitudinal direction and a width direction, the storage holes having: a cylindrical wall surface portion having an opening portion which is opened on the upper surface and is circular in plan view; and an enlarged diameter cylindrical wall surface portion which is enlarged in diameter from the cylindrical wall surface portion via an annular shoulder portion and is opened on a lower surface, the suction hole being bored adjacent to the housing hole portion and being opened on upper and lower surfaces;

a middle plate, comprising: a continuous air supply path which is opened on the upper surface and communicated with each containing hole part of the upper plate; a communication hole having one end opened to the air supply path and the other end opened to a lower surface; and a through hole adjacent to the communication hole, one end portion of which communicates with the suction hole of the upper plate and the other end portion of which is open on the lower surface; and

a lower plate provided with: an air supply port coupled to the communication hole of the middle plate; an air suction path opened at an upper surface and communicating with the through-hole of the middle plate; and a vacuum suction port coupled to the air suction path;

the upward flow forming body is mounted on the receiving hole of the upper plate of the conveying track,

the air suction path formed on the lower plate is divided into at least two block parts along the length direction, the air suction path of each block part is respectively combined with a vacuum suction port,

the upward flow forming body is provided with:

a bottomed cylindrical base portion having a cylindrical inner wall surface on an inner surface thereof;

an annular flange portion that extends radially outward from a peripheral edge of the opening portion of the cylindrical base portion;

a plurality of engaging hanging portions extending downward in a radial direction relatively along a circumferential direction of an outer peripheral edge of the annular flange portion;

an engaging protrusion protruding outward from a lower end of the engaging hanging portion; and

at least one fluid discharge hole which is open from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical base body portion to the cylindrical inner wall surface and has a tip end portion directed toward the center of the cylindrical base body portion,

the ascending flow forming member is attached to the receiving hole of the upper plate of the conveying rail by press-fitting the outer peripheral surface of the annular flange portion into the cylindrical wall surface portion of the receiving hole, and engaging the engaging projection portion of the engaging suspended portion with the annular shoulder portion.

2. A non-contact conveying device is characterized by comprising a conveying track and an ascending flow forming body,

the conveying track comprises:

an upper plate having a plurality of storage holes and suction holes arranged alternately in a longitudinal direction and a width direction, the storage holes having: a cylindrical wall surface portion having an opening portion which is opened on the upper surface and is circular in plan view; and an enlarged diameter cylindrical wall surface portion which is enlarged in diameter from the cylindrical wall surface portion via an annular shoulder portion and is opened on a lower surface, the suction hole being bored adjacent to the housing hole portion and being opened on upper and lower surfaces;

a middle plate, comprising: a continuous air supply path which is opened on the upper surface and communicated with the containing hole part of the upper plate; one communicating hole having one end opened to the air supply path and the other end opened to a lower surface; and a communication hole having one end opened to the suction hole of the upper plate and the other end opened to an air suction path opened on a lower surface; and

a lower plate having an air supply port opening to the communication hole of the middle plate and a vacuum suction port coupled to the air suction path of the middle plate;

the upward flow forming body is mounted in the receiving hole of the upper plate,

the air suction path formed on the middle plate is divided into at least two blocks along the length direction, the air suction path of each block is respectively combined with a vacuum suction port,

the upward flow forming body is provided with:

a bottomed cylindrical base portion having a cylindrical inner wall surface on an inner surface thereof;

an annular flange portion that extends radially outward from a peripheral edge of the opening portion of the cylindrical base portion;

a plurality of engaging hanging portions extending downward in a radial direction relatively along a circumferential direction of an outer peripheral edge of the annular flange portion;

an engaging protrusion protruding outward from a lower end of the engaging hanging portion; and

at least one fluid discharge hole which is open from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical base body portion to the cylindrical inner wall surface and has a tip end portion directed toward the center of the cylindrical base body portion,

the ascending flow forming member is attached to the receiving hole of the upper plate of the conveying rail by press-fitting the outer peripheral surface of the annular flange portion into the cylindrical wall surface portion of the receiving hole, and engaging the engaging projection portion of the engaging suspended portion with the annular shoulder portion.

3. The non-contact transport apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

the fluid jet device is provided with one fluid jet hole, and the fluid jetted from the fluid jet hole collides with the cylindrical inner peripheral wall of the cylindrical base part, and is dispersed upward in a spray form to form an upward flow.

4. The non-contact transport apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

the two fluid discharge holes are provided so as to open from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical base body portion to the inner cylindrical wall surface and so as to face each other with the tip end portion facing the center of the cylindrical base body portion, and the fluids discharged from the two fluid discharge holes collide with each other and are dispersed upward in a spray pattern to form an upward flow.

5. The non-contact transport apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

the ascending flow forming body is formed of a thermoplastic synthetic resin.