JP2004238191A - Ceiling travel vehicle system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To directly transfer a cassette between a ceiling travel vehicle and an elevating base and to save a space. <P>SOLUTION: An elevation space 8 and a storage space 10 are arranged in a stocker 2 and an opening 32 is provided in a ceiling part in the elevation space to transfer the cassette 14 between the ceiling travel vehicle and it. In the elevation space 8, the elevating base 12 provided with a transfer means and a guide member of the cassette is elevated and lowered to load the cassette in the storage space 10. The stocker 2 is arranged in such a way that the elevation space 8 is positioned in a lower part of a traveling rail at a right angle to the running rail of the ceiling travel vehicle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
Field of application of the invention
The present invention relates to an overhead traveling vehicle system in which a stocker for temporarily storing articles and an overhead traveling vehicle are combined.
[0002]
[Prior art]
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 30676656 Patent Document 1 discloses that articles are temporarily stored by suspending a rack from a traveling rail of an overhead traveling vehicle. However, it is difficult to store a large number of articles on a rack suspended on running rails. Incidentally, after the overhead traveling vehicle system is installed, the production capacity may be increased by increasing production facilities or increasing the operation rate of the facilities. In such a case, it is necessary to increase the storage capacity of the articles. However, in many cases, the space left for the enhancement of the production facilities is taken up, and there is often no room for adding stockers. Therefore, it is conceivable to introduce a rack suspended on the traveling rail, but the problem is that the capacity is small.
[0003]
[Problems of the Invention]
A basic object of the present invention is to improve the article storage capacity of an overhead traveling vehicle system by using a stocker that can transfer articles to and from an overhead traveling vehicle and that can store a large number of articles in a narrow space. (Claims 1 to 3).
(Claims 1 to 3).
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a specific configuration for improving the production efficiency of articles.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a specific structure for disposing a stocker in a narrow space.
[0004]
Configuration of the Invention
An overhead traveling vehicle system according to the present invention is directed to a system in which an overhead traveling vehicle travels along a traveling rail to convey articles between processing apparatuses. A stocker provided with a storage space formed of shelves for individual storage is disposed so as to be orthogonal to the traveling rail and to be able to transfer articles to and from an overhead traveling vehicle (claim 1). .
[0005]
Preferably, the stocker is provided for a processing apparatus having a relatively short processing time in a processing apparatus to which articles are transported (claim 2). Preferably, a stocker is provided upstream of the processing apparatus having a relatively short processing time.
[0006]
Particularly preferably, the stocker is disposed between processing devices (claim 3).
Preferably, the stocker is provided with wheels or the like at the bottom so as to be movable, so that the stocker can be appropriately installed at a position where the storage capacity of articles is insufficient.
[0007]
Function and Effect of the Invention
According to the present invention, since the length direction of the stocker is orthogonal to the traveling rail and the number of articles stored per stocker is large, a large number of articles can be stored in a small space below the traveling rail. For this reason, for example, when the production capacity of the article to be conveyed is improved, for example, the article storage capacity of the existing overhead traveling vehicle system can be improved, and the transport capacity and the article production capacity of the overhead traveling vehicle system can be improved. (Claim 1).
[0008]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the storage capacity of articles can be improved for a processing apparatus having a relatively short processing time, so that the throughput of such a processing apparatus can be increased.
[0009]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the stocker is provided in the gap between the processing apparatuses, the stocker is provided in a small gap to increase the processing apparatus, change the layout of the processing apparatus, and determine the production plan. In the case of a change or the like, the stocker can be flexibly arranged to improve the storage capacity.
[0010]
【Example】
1 to 7 show an embodiment and a modification thereof, and FIGS. 1 to 5 show a stocker 2 used in an overhead traveling vehicle system. FIG. 6 shows a layout of the overhead traveling vehicle system 102, and FIG. 7 shows a stocker 2 'of a modified example. In these figures, reference numeral 3 denotes a frame of the stocker 2, and reference numerals 4, 5, and 6 denote supports, which are provided, for example, in pairs on each of right and left sides. Reference numeral 8 denotes a lifting space, 10 denotes a storage space, and a plurality of shelves are vertically arranged in one row. The elevating space 8 is provided along the storage space 10 and moves the elevating table 12 up and down along the storage space 10. Reference numeral 14 denotes a cassette, which is a cassette accommodating a semiconductor substrate or the like, and is an example of articles stored in the stocker 2. The stocker 2 is disposed, for example, in a clean room, and is used as a buffer for storing articles in the overhead traveling vehicle system. At four corners or three corners of the lift 12, for example, an end of a suspending material 16 such as a belt or a rope is fixed, and the suspending material 16 is guided by rollers 17, 18, and 19. By taking up the drum 20 provided, the elevator 12 is moved up and down. Among them, the roller 19 is a roller for making the winding angle of the hanging material 16 around the drum 20 equal between the hanging material 16 near the support 4 and the hanging material 16 near the support 5. Reference numeral 22 denotes a lifting motor for rotating the drum 20, which is a motor common to, for example, four hanging members (FIG. 2).
[0011]
In this specification, the left-right direction in FIG. 1 may be referred to as a front-rear direction, and in particular, the lifting space 8 may be referred to as a front side, and the storage space 10 may be referred to as a rear side. The left-right direction in FIG. 2 is simply referred to as the left-right direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the stocker 2 in a horizontal plane. The hanging members 16 attached to the four corners of the elevating table 12 are wound up by a pair of left and right drums 20, 20, and as shown in FIG. Take up. The lifting motor 22 for driving the drums 20, 20 is a single motor. The rotation speed of the left and right drums 20, 20 is determined by the rotation speed of the common lifting motor 22, and is common. 16 are wound on the same drum 20 at a common winding angle. For this reason, all four hanging members 16 have the same winding length and unwinding length, and the timing at which the winding state changes from the first to the second is the same. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the elevator 12 from tilting forward, backward, left and right by a mechanical mechanism.
[0012]
As shown in FIG. 4, guide rollers 24 are provided at, for example, four corners of the lift table 12, and the horizontal position of the lift table 12 is regulated by using the columns 4, 5 and the like as guide rails. When it is necessary to precisely regulate the position in the front-rear direction of the lift 12, for example, the guide rollers may be brought into contact with the other surfaces of the columns 4 and 5 by contacting the guide rollers from the lift 12. Reference numerals 26, 26 denote guide members provided on the left and right sides of the elevating table 12, and are preferably made of lubricating resin such as Duracon, polyurethane or Teflon (registered trademark). Reference numeral 28 denotes a guide roller, which is a driven roller here, but may be a power roller, and is arranged in a row on the inner side surface of the guide member 26. Reference numeral 30 denotes a support on the storage space 10 side, which is supported by the columns 5 and 6, is disposed on the left and right of one shelf position, and driven rollers 29 are similarly arranged in a line on the inner side surface of each support 30. .
[0013]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an opening 32 as a transfer port is provided above the lift space 8 so that articles can be transferred directly between the overhead traveling vehicle and the lift 12. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 40 denotes a chuck on the side of the overhead traveling vehicle, and reference numeral 42 denotes an elevator supporting the chuck 40. As described above, in the stocker 2, the upper part of the elevating space 8 is opened to form the opening 32, and the ceiling of the storage space 10 is, for example, covered. Further, for example, caster wheels 34 are provided at the bottom of the stocker 2 so that the stocker 2 can be moved to an appropriate position. Therefore, the stocker 2 can be appropriately moved and arranged in a place where the storage capacity of the articles is insufficient. In this case, the space of the stocker 2 is reduced as a whole, and the stocker 2 can be installed in a limited narrow space such as a lower portion of a traveling rail of an overhead traveling vehicle in a gap between the processing devices.
[0014]
FIG. 3 shows the bottom surface of the cassette 14. For example, three recesses 44 to 46 are provided on the bottom of the cassette 14, and 48 is a pair of left and right ridges, and a lid 50 that can be opened and closed is provided on the front of the cassette 14. In the embodiment, the engaging projection provided on the transfer means is engaged with the hollow 44 at the center in the left-right direction of the cassette 14, and the flat portions on both outer sides of the ridges 48, 48 are fixed to the roller 28 of the elevating table 12 and the shelf. It is supported by the driven roller 29 on the side. Therefore, the weight of the cassette 14 is mostly supported by the rollers 28 on the elevating table 12, and is supported by the driven rollers 29 in the storage space 10. Since the transfer means on the lifting platform is provided separately from the roller 28, the transfer means does not need to support the weight of the cassette 14, and the weight of the transfer means can be reduced.
[0015]
When loading and unloading the cassette 14 from the overhead traveling vehicle, the guide member 26 on both sides of the elevator 12 guides the cassette 14 in the left-right direction and engages the recess 44 with the engaging projection on the transfer means side. By doing so, left and right positioning is performed. The ridge 48 of the cassette 14 projects below the inside of the roller 28, the left and right ends of the cassette 14 are regulated by the guide member 26, and the ridge 48 is provided inside the roller 28. It is supported stably. This point is the same on the support 30 side of the shelf. The height of the support 30 is slightly higher than the upper surface of the driven roller 29, and the protrusion 14 of the support 30 and the cassette 14 prevents the cassette 14 from dropping off. To prevent.
[0016]
4 and 5 show the transfer means 51 provided on the lift 12. A linear guide (linear motion guide) 52 is fixed to a floor plate, a frame, or the like of the lift 12. A separate linear guide 54 is disposed on the linear guide 52 so as to overlap vertically, and the lower linear guide 52 guides the forward / backward movement of the upper linear guide 54. A transfer motor 56 drives a timing belt 58, and the upper linear guide 54 is fixed to the timing belt 58 by a mounting plate 60. When the motor 56 is driven as described above, the linear guide 54 moves forward and backward on the linear guide 52.
[0017]
Pulleys 62 and 64 are attached to both ends of the upper linear guide 54, a timing belt 66 is guided by the pulley 62, and a timing belt 68 is guided by the pulley 64. The ends of the timing belts 66 and 68 are connected to the floor plate of the elevating table 12. And fixed to the frame or the like by the fixing portions 70 and 72. The other ends of the timing belts 66 and 68 are fixed to a mounting plate 74 connected to the transfer unit 80. An engagement protrusion 82 is provided on the upper surface of the transfer unit 80 at a position vertically overlapping the two rear guides 52 and 54, and is engaged with the recess 44 on the bottom surface of the cassette 14. 5, 84 and 86 are guided portions which are guided by the linear guides 52 and 54 and move linearly. The upper linear guide 54 is guided by the guided portion 84, and the transfer portion 80 is guided by the guided portion 86. invite. A chain may be used instead of the timing belts 58, 66, 68, but it is not preferable because dust generation increases.
[0018]
The transfer unit 80 positions the cassette 14 unloaded from the overhead traveling vehicle in the left-right direction with the engagement protrusion 82 and moves the cassette 14 back and forth when the timing belts 58, 66, 68 are operated to transfer the cassette 14. It just needs to be able to advance. The load from the cassette 14 is supported by the rollers 28 and 29. For this reason, the motor 56 may be a low-output motor, and the linear guides 52 and 54 need not have rigidity enough to withstand the unbalanced load when the cassette 14 is transferred. Further, since the cassette 14 is not placed on the transfer unit 80 so as not to be tilted, the transfer unit 80 may be smaller than the bottom surface of the cassette 14. It can be 1/3 or less of the length or width. Since it is not necessary to consider the moment of the lateral force applied from the cassette 14 to the transfer unit 80, the linear guides 52 and 54 may also have narrow left and right widths. For these reasons, the weight of the transfer means 51 can be reduced. The timing belt 58 is parallel to the linear guides 52 and 54, and the timing belts 66 and 68 are parallel to the linear guide 54.
[0019]
When the cassette 14 is loaded and unloaded from the overhead traveling vehicle on the lift 12, the guide member 26 guides the cassette 14 to regulate the position in the left-right direction, and the engagement protrusion 82 is engaged with the recess 44 on the bottom surface of the cassette 14. Position. The weight of the cassette 14 is supported by the rollers 28. When transferring articles, the elevator 12 is moved up and down to a desired position. Here, the four suspension members 16 are wound up by the drums 20 and 20 by the common elevating motor 22 and at the same winding angle. In this way, the elevator 12 is prevented from tilting left and right or back and forth.
[0020]
When the elevating table 12 moves up and down to a desired position, the timing belt 58 is driven by the motor 56, whereby the upper linear guide 54 moves forward and backward with respect to the lower linear guide 52. One end of each of the timing belts 66 and 68 is fixed to the elevating platform 12 by the fixing portions 70 and 72, and the intermediate portion is guided by pulleys 62 and 64 attached to the linear guide 54. Go forward and backward. The ratio of the stroke of the linear guide 54 to the stroke of the transfer unit 80 is, for example, 1: 2. Then, the transfer unit 80 is advanced by the pulley 62 and the timing belt 66, and the transfer unit 80 is retracted by the pulley 64 and the timing belt 68. Since the load at the time of transfer is supported by the rollers 28 and 29, an unbalanced load is applied to the transfer means, and the elevator 12 does not tilt back and forth, so that the guide of the elevator 12 in the front-rear direction can be easily performed. . Instead of the transfer means 51 of the embodiment, a normal slide fork or the like may be driven by a timing belt or a chain.
[0021]
The operation of the stocker 2 will be described. Since the stocker 2 is provided with the caster wheels 34, it can be arranged at an appropriate position below the traveling rail of the overhead traveling vehicle to increase the storage capacity of the articles. The transfer of articles to and from the overhead traveling vehicle is performed using the opening 32 at the upper part of the lift space 8, and there is no station protruding from the stocker 2, which saves more space. Further, in the stocker 2, since the lifting table 12 and the transfer means on the lifting table are moved instead of moving the entire shelf like a circulation shelf or the like, the number of mechanical parts is small, and the size, weight and space can be reduced. Here, the single lifting motor 22 is used to wind or unwind, for example, four hanging members 16 to prevent the lifting table 12 from tilting forward, backward, left and right. For these reasons, the lifting mechanism of the lifting table 12 can be simplified.
[0022]
When unloading the cassette 14 from the overhead traveling vehicle, the article is smoothly guided by the guide member 26, and the engaging projection 82 is engaged with the recess 44 to be positioned. Since the load of the cassette 14 is supported by the roller 28 and is supported by the driven roller 29 in the storage space 10, it is sufficient that the engaging projection 82 can transmit a force enough to move the cassette 14 forward and backward. It can be lightweight. In particular, an unbalanced load during transfer is not applied to the lift 12. For these reasons, the lifting platform 12 can be reduced in weight and can be easily raised and lowered. In order to further reduce the generation of dust from the transfer means 51, the timing belts 58, 66, 68 are covered with an appropriate cover so that the connecting plates 60, 74 move along slits provided on the side surfaces of the cover. do it. Further, the linear guide 54 and the transfer unit 80 may be moved forward and backward by a ball screw or the like.
[0023]
FIG. 6 shows a layout of the overhead traveling vehicle system 102. The overhead traveling vehicle system 102 is provided in a clean room such as a semiconductor factory, a liquid crystal display factory, and a chemical factory, etc., 104 is a main route serving as a backbone, and 106 is a bay route branched from the main route 104 by a branching device 108. Reference numeral 109 denotes a bypass route. Each of the routes 104, 106, and 109 is composed of a traveling rail attached to a ceiling of a clean room or the like. The main route serves as a trunk line and connects the plurality of bay routes 106. The bay route 106 is, for example, a route for transporting articles in one process. The routes 104, 106, and 109 are one-way.
[0024]
When the arrangement of the processing apparatus and the stocker 2 in each Beirut 106 is shown in the Beirut 106 ′, 111 to 114 are processing apparatuses, 111 is a processing apparatus having a standard processing time, and 112 is a processing apparatus having a short processing time. , 114 indicate processing units having a long processing time. The stocker 2 is disposed below the route such as the bay route 106 so that the lift space 8 is located immediately below the route 106 and the like. The row including the lift space 8 and the storage space 10 is orthogonal to the route 106 and the like. To be arranged. A preferred arrangement position of the stocker 2 is a gap between the processing devices. Since the stocker 2 can be moved by the caster wheels 34 or the like, installation and removal are easy.
[0025]
The stocker 2 is used to increase the storage capacity of in-process articles when the production capacity is increased by, for example, adding or remodeling a processing device or changing a production plan. For this reason, it is important to be able to be disposed in the gap between the processing devices. In many cases, the stocker 2 is installed after the overhead traveling vehicle system 102 is introduced. Therefore, it is important that the stocker 2 can be easily installed and removed. In order to increase the production capacity, the stocker 2 is preferentially installed in the processing device 112, which is likely to be a bottleneck in production if the processing time is relatively short and articles cannot be supplied promptly, and particularly, the stocker 2 is installed upstream thereof. . This also has the advantage that the overhead traveling vehicle 10 can quickly unload the article and execute the next transport instruction. In addition, in the processing apparatus 114 having a relatively long processing time, the number of articles to be processed at one time is often large, and it is difficult to increase the number of articles with valuable resources in terms of facilities. In many cases, it is preferable to arrange the stockers 2 preferentially. Also in this case, it is preferable to dispose the stocker 2 on the upstream side of the processing device 114 where the processing time is relatively long.
[0026]
Reference numeral 116 in FIG. 6 denotes an overhead traveling vehicle controller, which sends station information such as the position and height of a station to the overhead traveling vehicle 110. Reference numeral 118 denotes a map which stores the position and height of a station, and 120 denotes input and output. Since the stocker 2 is appropriately installed and removed as needed, when installing the stocker 2, for example, one overhead traveling vehicle 110 is used to manually teach transfer to and from the elevator 12, and as a result, The obtained transfer conditions (the transfer position and height) are registered in the map 118. The position of the stocker 2 and the height of transfer may be registered in the map 118 without teaching. At the time of removal, the data related to the stocker 2 is deleted from the map 118. In this way, it is possible to transfer articles between the appropriately installed stocker 2 and the overhead traveling vehicle 110.
[0027]
In the embodiment, the stocker 2 can be disposed in a gap between the processing apparatuses, which remains when the processing apparatuses are added in a clean room or the like. Further, a plurality of articles can be stored in one stocker 2, and the installation and removal of the stocker 2 is easy. The stocker 2 is provided on the upstream side of the processing device 112 or the processing device 114 whose processing time is relatively short to prevent these processing devices from becoming a bottleneck in production.
[0028]
FIG. 7 shows a stocker 2 ′ of a modified example. In this stocker 2 ′, a transfer station 122 between the overhead traveling vehicle 110 and the overhead traveling vehicle 110 is provided on the opposite side of the storage space 10 when viewed from the lift space 8. A transfer means such as a SCARA arm or a slide fork is arranged on the elevator so that the articles can be transferred in both front and rear directions, and between the transfer of the articles between the station 122 and the storage space 10. Perform transfer. In other respects, it is the same as the stocker 2 in FIGS.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of a stocker used in an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of the stocker used in an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a cassette. FIG. 4 is a plan view of an elevator with the stocker used in the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing a transfer means in the stocker used in the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a layout of an overhead traveling vehicle system in the embodiment. FIG. 7 shows a stocker in a modified example. Side view [Description of symbols]
2, 2 'Stocker 3 Frame 4, 5, 6 Support column 8 Elevating space 10 Storage space 12 Elevating table 14 Cassette 16 Hanging material 17, 18 Roller 19 Roller 20 Drum 22 Elevating motor 24 Guide roller 26 Guide member 28 Roller 29 Follower roller Reference Signs List 30 support 32 opening 34 caster wheel 40 chuck 42 elevating table 44-46 recess 48 ridge 50 lid 51 transfer means 52, 54 linear guide 56 transfer motor 58 timing belt 60, 74 mounting plates 62, 64 pulley 66 , 68 Timing belt 70, 72 Fixing part 80 Transfer part 82 Engagement projection 84, 86 Guided part 102 Overhead traveling vehicle system 104 Main route 106 Bay route 108 Turnout 109 Bypass route 110 Overhead traveling vehicles 111 to 114 Processing device 116 Ceiling Traveling vehicle controller 18 Map 120 O 122 station

Claims (3)

In a system in which an overhead traveling vehicle travels along a traveling rail to convey articles between processing devices,
A stocker provided with a space for elevating and lowering the transfer device and a storage space composed of shelves for storing a plurality of articles in a vertical direction, can freely transfer articles between the traveling rail and the overhead traveling vehicle. An overhead traveling vehicle system, wherein the overhead traveling vehicle system is disposed. 2. The overhead traveling vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the stocker is disposed in a processing device, which is a destination of the article, and has a relatively short processing time. 3. The overhead traveling vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the stocker is disposed between processing devices.

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