WO2004089792A1

WO2004089792A1 - Conveyor for plate-shaped members

Info

Publication number: WO2004089792A1
Application number: PCT/KR2004/000736
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dong-Heon Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-04-12
Filing date: 2004-03-30
Publication date: 2004-10-21
Anticipated expiration: 2005-10-12
Also published as: KR20040088851A; KR100548944B1

Abstract

This invention is intended to provide a conveying system that can convey thin and large plate-shaped members such as LCD, PDP, and organic EL without generating dust or causing damage to the plate-shaped members, and to improve the performance and expand the usage of the patent of the applicant of this invention, the 'Plate-shaped Member Conveying system' (Korea Patent No. 0422392). Using this invention, it is now possible to convey plate-shaped members efficiently with an extremely small quantity of pressurized fluid. This is done through such means as follows: Install porous material having a flat part on top of the main body into which pressurized fluid is supplied, seal the space among several porous materials with a horizontal plate to form a layer of pressurized fluid erupting through the porous materials and another pressurized fluid layer between the horizontal sealing plate and the plate-shaped member so that the weight of the plate-shaped member can be supported by the pressurized fluid throughout a large area uniformly. Then the plate-shaped member can be conveyed efficiently with extremely little pressurized fluid by making it move on the rollers installed to support the center or both edges of the plate-shaped member that is afloat.

Description

CONVEYOR FOR PLATE-SHAPED MEMBERS

[TECHNICAL FIELD]

[I] This invention pertains to the use of conveying systems for plate-shaped members such as semiconductor wafers, LCD's, PDP's, and glass panels like organic EL, etc.

[BACKGROUNDTECHNOLOGY]

[2] Formerly, conveyors for plate-shaped members used in the manufacturing process of semiconductor wafers and glass LCD panels have been designed to spray cleansing water while supporting the glass panel on the conveyor as indicated in public announcement No. 158866 of the Japanese Patent Information in 1998.

[3] Serious defects are caused when even the slightest of particles becomes attached to the plate- shaped members such as the semiconductor wafers, LCD or glass panels. If dust is present on the conveyor, there is the possibility that dust will attach to the surface of the glass panel because in the past, conveyors for plate-shaped members transported the glass panels using roller conveyors. [4] Furthermore, the edges of the glass panels receive a certain degree of shock while moving from one roller to the next during the conveying of glass panels on the roller conveyor. Therefore, it is not possible to raise the conveying speed of glass panels higher than a certain level, which is a limiting factor of productivity.

[5] In particular, LCD precision is improving annually, and as a result, glass panels are increasingly thinner. However, the thinner the glass panels, the weaker their resistance to shocks. Therefore, damages occur during transportation making it difficult to enhance productivity. [6] Recently, glass panels of 0.4mm~0.7mm in thickness, 2200mm in length and 1850mm in width have been planned for LCD use.

[BRIEF EXPLANATION ON FIGURES]

[7] Fig. 1 is a plan view of example 1 of the conveying system for the plate-shaped members of this invention.

[8] Fig. 2 is a front view of example 1 of the conveying system for the plate-shaped members of this invention.

[9] Fig. 3 is a plan view of example 2 of the conveying system for the plate-shaped members of this invention.

[10] Fig. 4 is a front view of example 2 of the conveying system for the plate-shaped members of this invention.

[II] Fig. 5 is a plan view of example 3 of the conveying system for the plate-shaped members of this invention. 12] Fig. 6 is a front view of example 3 of the conveying system for the plate-shaped members of this invention.

13] Fig. 7 is a plan view of example 4 of the conveying system for the plate-shaped members of this invention.

14] Fig. 8 is a front view of example 4 of the conveying system for the plate-shaped members of this invention.

15] (Explanation of the symbols for the major parts in the figures.)

16] 1: Plate-shaped Member

17] 2, 3: Conveying system

18] 4, 5: Roller

19] 6: Both Edges of Plate-shaped Member

20] 7: Floating Device

21] 8: Unit

22] 9: Main Body

23] 10: Porous Material

24] 11 : Pressurized Fluid Supply Pipe

25] 12: Pressurized Fluid Layer

26] 14: Horizontal Sealing Plate

27] 15, 16: Conveying System

28] 17: Shuttle Type Conveying Device

29] 18: Pusher

30] 19, 20: Conveying Roller

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE

INVENTION]

[31] The purpose of this invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem, and to provide a highly productive conveying system for plate-shaped members that won't allow damage to the members or generation of dust particles. [COMPOSITION OF INVENTION]

[32] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the conveying system for plate-shaped members consists of a pair of conveyor frames (2, 3); rollers (4, 5) rotating in horizontal axis and conveying the plate-shaped members (1) supporting both edges from below; individual units (8) between a pair of conveyor frames (2, 3), and a floating device (7), which is a horizontal plate arranged for sealing the spaces between several individual units (8) that allows the plate-shaped member (1) to float except both edges by ejecting the pressurized fluid from below the plate-shaped member (1).

[33] The invention indicated in claim 1 installs a porous material having at least one flat part, attaches the porous material onto the main body supplying the pressurized fluid with the flat part facing upward, attaches the horizontal sealing plate a little higher than the upper flat part of the porous materials, and ejects pressurized fluid through the porous material and installed rollers thereby driving both edges of the plate-shaped members being conveyed. This invention floats and conveys the plate-shaped members using rollers with a volume of pressurized fluid less than 1/10 of the fluid volume required by the patent of the applicant of this invention, 'Plate-shaped Member Conveying System' (Korean Patent No. 0422392). In the figures, the shape of porous materials is shown to be rectangular only; however, various shapes such as circular, oval, triangle, etc. are applicable in accordance with the necessities. Also, although roller conveyors are used for conveying plate-shaped members in this invention, other conveying methods such as a shuttle device that conveys plate-shaped members using pushers moving vertically and horizontally forward and backward with the aid of an air cylinder and electric motor can be used.

[EFFECTS OF INVENTION] [34] With the afore-mentioned components, high productivity conveying systems for plate-shaped members are created, enabling transportation with minimum power by non-contact lifting of the plate-shaped members without creating dust or causing damage.

[35] Also, it is possible to convey plate-shaped members of different sizes even up to extra large with the same conveying method used in this invention. [OPTIMUM FORM FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INVENTION]

[36] Hereinafter, the execution examples of the conveying system for plate-shaped members of this invention are explained with drawings.

[37] Figure 1 is a plan view of the conveyer for the plate-shaped member in this invention. Part No.

1 in Figure 1 is a plate-shaped member, an object of transportation. Part Nos. 2 and 3 are a pair of conveyor frames where many conveying rollers (4, 5) are installed. And the conveying rollers (4, 5) are installed only to contact with both edges (6) of the plate-shaped member.

[38] Part No. 7 is a floating device consisting of units (8) and a horizontal sealing plate (14).

Between the pair of conveyor frames (2, 3), there are individual units (8) arranged like plovers and the horizontal sealing plate (14), which seals the space among the individual units, (8) installed horizontally a little higher up than the upper surface of the individual units (8). Each unit consists of a cup-shaped main body (9), a pipe (11) supplying the pressurized fluid to the interior of the main body (9), and porous material (10) through which the pressurized fluid supplied through the pipes installed at the opening of the main body (9) is ejected to the main body (9). Porous materials (10) are flat shaped and installed so that the upper surface is horizontal.

[39] Furthermore, the horizontal sealing plate (14) is designed not to cause damage even when in contact with the glass by using plastic or acryl plates with a lesser degree of hardness than the glass, which is the main material of the plate-shaped members.

[40] Air, water or special cleansing fluid can be used as the afore-mentioned pressurized fluid. The fluid is sent to the pressurized fluid supply pipe (11) by a pump (not shown in the figure).

[41] Figure 3 is a plan view of the conveying system conveying extra large plate-shaped members as an application of this invention.

[42] In Figure 1, more than one roller conveyor (15, 16) conveying the plate-shaped members contacting from below are horizontally installed between the two floating devices (7) in a pair of conveying systems (2, 3).

[43] As another application of this invention, Figure 5 shows the plan view of the conveying system that can convey the plate-shaped members of various sizes.

[44] In the conveying system of Figure 3, a pair of conveying systems (2, 3) are removed and more than 2 rows of roller conveyors (15, 16) are installed at the center.

[45] Roller conveyors (2, 3, 15, 16) are used as a conveying method as in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, but more than 2 rows of shuttle conveying systems (17), which can convey the plate-shaped members, are horizontally installed in the direction of transportation below or above the plate-shaped member

(1) in Figure 5.

[46] The conveying system for the plate-shaped member in this invention is composed as described above. The operation method is explained hereafter. [47] First, by supplying pressurized fluid through the pipe (11), the interior of the main body (9) is filled with pressurized fluid. The pressurized fluid then passes through the porous material (10) and is ejected to the bottom of the plate-shaped member (1) from the top of the porous material (10). [48] If a plate-shaped member (1) is located on the porous material at this time, a layer of pressurized fluid (12) is formed between the porous material (10) and horizontal sealing plate (14), and the plate-shaped member (1). That is, the plate-shaped member (1) is floating on the pressurized fluid layer.

[49] Accordingly, the plate-shaped member (1) acquires a frictionless state, floating above the porous ceramic material (10) and horizontal sealing plate (14) without contact. Moreover, at this state if the conveying rollers (4, 5) are made to contact both edges (6) of the plate-shaped member (1), it moves horizontally by the rotating force of the conveying rollers (4, 5). The movement of the plate-shaped member stops when the conveying roller (4, 5) stops rolling.

[50] As the friction of the plate-shaped member (1) is very low during floatation, the plate-shaped member (1) is able to receive sufficient conveying force by slightly contacting with the rollers (4, 5). And, as the plate-shaped member (1) is faintly in contact with the conveying rollers (4, 5), the possibility of generating dust is extremely low compared with the conventional roller conveyors, which are not equipped with any floating device.

Claims

[1] A pair of conveyor frames (2, 3), several conveying rollers (4, 5) conveying plate- shaped members being supported at both edges from below supported by a pair of conveyor frames (2, 3) rotating horizontally, many individual units (8) between the pair of conveyor frames (2, 3), a plate-shaped member conveying system that consists of a floating device that makes the plate-shaped member (1) float by ejecting pressurized fluid upward to the plate-shaped member (1).

[2] A conveying system for the plate-shaped member that consists of more than one row of roller conveyors (15, 16) conveying plate-shaped members in contact with the bottom of the plate-shaped member between two floating devices (7) and the two floating devices (7) between one pair of conveying systems (2, 3) of claim 1. [3] A conveying system for the plate-shaped member that consists of more than two rows of roller conveyors (15, 16) installed horizontally at the center after removing a pair of conveying systems (2,

3).

[4] A conveying system for the plate-shaped member conveying system that consists of more than two rows of shuttle conveying systems (17) as in the claim 2 installed horizontally above or below the plate-shaped member (1).