CN1810608A - Substrate transferring apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a substrate transferring apparatus. The apparatus comprises air injection modules, which serve to float a substrate, and can be independently attached to or detached from the substrate transferring apparatus. Thus, even if any one of the air injection modules is damaged, the substrate is prevented from falling because other air injection modules serve to continuously float the substrate. Furthermore, with such a construction, the air injection modules have an advantage in view of maintenance.

Description

Substrate transferring apparatus

Technical field

The present invention relates to a kind of substrate transferring apparatus that is used to transmit platy substrate.

Background technology

The recent development of information techenology has caused the widespread use of device for display of message, and to its demand also sustainable growth.Existing multiple device for display of message in the prior art, its scope from traditional CRT monitoring device to flat-panel monitor, such as Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) (LCD), Plasmia indicating panel (PDP) and light-emitting diode (OLED) etc.Especially LCD, thus because of its practical importance of using growing.Especially, because volume is little, light weight, advantage such as low in energy consumption, the application of LCD is growing, can overcome the shortcoming of traditional monitor such as CRT monitoring device and as the substitute of traditional monitor.

In the production process of this type of flat panel display equipment, process the thin substrate of glass that a thickness is about 0.7mm.Especially, when a thin and wide substrate of glass is sent to respective handling during the stage, carry out different processing.Simultaneously, because flat panel display equipment needs quite high precision, even a small flaw also can have a strong impact on the quality of flat panel display equipment.Like this, when producing flat panel display equipment, its quality management is extremely important, to prevent damaging substrate surface in other operation that transmits substrate and manufacturing flat-panel devices.

On this meaning, for the substrate transferring apparatus that is used for the flat-panel devices production process, researched and developed substantially not with the substrate surface direct contact to avoid damaging the substrate transferring apparatus of substrate.Especially, prior art mainly uses a kind of being designed to transmit the substrate transferring apparatus that is in the floating condition substrate with air.More particularly, described substrate transferring apparatus so moves: the roller of substrate transferring apparatus contacts with its very narrow part in the substrate both sides, and rotate to transmit substrate, simultaneously air-injection nozzle perpendicular to substrate comprise middle section on interior quite big surface and injection air so that substrate float, thereby allow stably to transmit wide substrate.

Yet, owing to needing a pump, this type of air floating type substrate transferring apparatus provide high pressure air that substrate is floated, and also need conduit that pump is connected to the body of substrate transferring apparatus, so this substrate transferring apparatus complex structure causes manufacturing cost to increase.Especially, because the face area of flat panel display equipment increases recently, also need more high-capacity pump, this also makes more difficult to the management of conduit.

In addition, prior art is badly in need of a kind of substrate transferring apparatus, thereby this equipment can be common to the substrate that transmits different size by according to size of foundation base this equipment being carried out suitable adjusting.

Summary of the invention

The present invention is used to address the above problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a kind of substrate transferring apparatus that is suitable for transmitting effectively large-area substrates.

According to an aspect of the present invention, above-mentioned and other purpose can reach by a kind of substrate transferring apparatus is provided, described substrate transferring apparatus is used for along continuous straight runs and transmits the substrate that is placed on it, this equipment comprises: a pair of delivery roller device, a described roller devices preset distance parallel to each other and spaced apart, and move in the horizontal direction substrate to rotate with the mode that the substrate both sides all contact; A plurality of air injection modules, described each air injection modules is placed between the described a pair of delivery roller device and the preset distance that is spaced apart from each other, be suitable for upwards towards the middle section injection air of substrate and substrate is floated, each air injection modules is detachably connected on the substrate transferring apparatus, and its position can be moved.

According to a further aspect in the invention, a kind of substrate transferring apparatus is provided, described substrate transferring apparatus is used for along continuous straight runs and transmits the substrate that remains on heeling condition, this equipment comprises: a substrate moving-member, and these parts can rotate and along continuous straight runs moves this substrate with the following end in contact of described sloping base; And a plurality of air injection modules, described each air injection modules be in tilted layout with respect to the substrate moving-member and towards the substrate injection air to float the substrate that is in heeling condition.

Description of drawings

From detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings hereinafter, will more be expressly understood above-mentioned and other purpose and feature of the present invention, in described accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a block diagram, shows the substrate transferring apparatus according to first embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a viewgraph of cross-section, shows the structure according to the air injection modules of the substrate transferring apparatus of first embodiment;

Fig. 3 shows one and is used for substrate is loaded in according to the operation on the substrate transferring apparatus of first embodiment;

Fig. 4 shows the buffer component according to the substrate transferring apparatus of first embodiment;

Fig. 5 shows the operation according to a pair of delivery roller equipment in the substrate transferring apparatus of first embodiment;

Fig. 6 is a viewgraph of cross-section, shows the substrate transferring apparatus according to second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation, shows by the substrate that substrate transferring apparatus transmitted according to second embodiment; And

Fig. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view, shows the substrate transferring apparatus according to second embodiment.

The specific embodiment

Describe preferred implementation of the present invention below with reference to the accompanying drawings in detail.

Embodiment 1

As shown in Figure 1, the substrate transferring apparatus 1 according to first embodiment comprises a pair ofdelivery roller device 10, a plurality ofair injection modules 20, reaches a plurality of substrate loading and unloading passages 30.

The two ends direct contact of described a pair ofdelivery roller device 10 and substrate S, thereby and rotation along continuous straight runs transmission substrate S.For substrate is transmitted by described a pair ofdelivery roller device 10 under the very narrow part in substrate both sides and described a pair ofdelivery roller device 10 contacted situations,delivery roller device 10 is spaced apart as far as possible far in the horizontal direction.At this moment,delivery roller device 10 is rotated by the driver element of keeping apart (figure does not show).Here, to keep apart be in order to prevent that issuable particulate is towards substrate diffusion and stained substrate indelivery roller device 10 rotates for described driver element and described a pair of delivery roller device 10.Particularly, as shown in Figure 1, each driver element is arranged in the enclosure space of external box ofmicrovave 12, and keeps apart with thedelivery roller device 10 that is associated, contact substrate S.Can be formed with breather port (figure does not show) on the external box ofmicrovave 12, can aspirate the in-to-in air and it is discharged to the outside by this breather port.

Air injection modules 20 be used for perpendicular to by the middle section injection air of substrate transferring apparatus 1 substrate that transmits so that substrate float.As shown in Figure 2, eachair injection modules 20 comprises a plurality ofair blowers 22, afilter element 24, abreaker plate 26 and a cushion space 28.Air blower 22 is used for blowing perpendicular to substrate S.Eachair injection modules 20 comprises theair blower 22 of a plurality of spaced apart with a preset distance each other therein and horizontal positioned.Preferably, eachair blower 22 is from the middle body ofair blower 22 injection air that makes progress, and fromair blower 22 peripheries injection air obliquely, makes air to be ejected in the substrate equably from the various piece of eachair injection modules 20.

Filter element 24 be used for filtering byair blower 22 upwards the impurity of institute's blow out air to purify air.Thereby,filter element 24 be placed onair blower 22 tops and structure that it had fully the airborne impurity of filtering guarantee that simultaneously enough air by-pass passages are not can reduce the air pressure thatair blower 22 is produced.Preferably,filter element 24 is compared the cross-sectional plane that a broad is arranged with eachair blower 22, and is arranged to the whole surface over againstair injection modules 20.

Breaker plate 26 makes the air that passfilter element 24 injection that can make progress equably.As shown in Figure 2,breaker plate 26 is one to have the plate of many through holes on it, and wherein said through hole is spaced apart with a preset distance each other.At this, through-hole diameter is very little, preferably, forms through hole as much as possible so that air can be ejected into the whole surface of substrate equably on described plate.

Cushion space 28 makes the air thatpass filter element 24 can stop a preset time therein, with in the whole lower face ofair injection modules 20 air distribution equably, thereby make air with a predetermined pressure fromair injection modules 20 ejections.Promptly, when air enterscushion space 28 with high pressure conditions byfilter element 24 byair blower 22,cushion space 28 is used for making air can rest oncushion space 28 with a set pressure before ejecting bybreaker plate 26, thereby described air is rectangular distribution incushion space 28, sprays with a set pressure then.If substrate transferring apparatus does not comprise this type ofcushion space 28, air will directly blow to substrate fromair injection modules 20, make high pressure air blow to the middle section of substrate and low-pressure air blows to other zone of substrate, some part that causes substrate is floated higherly relatively and other parts are relatively low.This makes substrate bending when transmitting substrate.Therefore,cushion space 28 volumes are determined it is very important.If the volume ofcushion space 28 is excessive, then make to produce eddy current in the cushion space 28.On the contrary, ifcushion space 28 volumes are too small, then air can not spread fully.

Substrate transferring apparatus 1 according to present embodiment comprises a plurality of air injection modules 20.In other words, as shown in Figure 1, between a pair of delivery roller device, a plurality ofair injection modules 20 are spaced apart with a preset distance each other.Say that on this meaning the larger area substrate will causeair injection modules 20 numbers to increase, and will causeair injection modules 20 decreased number than the substrate of small size.And according to present embodiment, when substrate transferring apparatus 1 comprised a plurality ofair injection modules 20,air injection modules 20 was spaced apart with a preset distance each other.Thereby, between twoair injection modules 20, formed predetermined space.According to present embodiment, these spaces are as substrate load/unload passage 30, and this substrate load/unload passage 30 is used for being loaded into substrate on the substrate transferring apparatus or unloading the substrate that is positioned on the substrate transferring apparatus 1.As shown in Figure 3, the manipulator A that each substrate load/unload passage 30 makes the substrate outside being placed in transmit automation (figure does not show) can enter described space, and rises or the reduction manipulator in this space when substrate being loaded on the substrate transferring apparatus 1 or unloading the substrate that is arranged on the substrate transferring apparatus 1.That is to say that after the manipulator A that is placed with substrate S thereon entered relevant substrate load/unload passage 30, manipulator A reduced therein, and substrate S is placed on thedelivery roller device 10, then manipulator A returns to its initial position.To carry out aforesaid operations by reverse procedure during by manipulator A unloading substrate S.

According to present embodiment, substrate transferring apparatus also comprises a buffer component 40 that is arranged in each load/unload passage 30.Buffer component 40 is used for that the lower surface by support base S prevents substrate collisionair injection modules 20 when the substrate S that floated byair injection modules 20 falls.Thereby, can rise or reduce buffer component 40 and interfere with manipulator A avoiding.In the process that transmits substrate S, the height of buffer component 40 is between the lower surface of the upper surface ofair injection modules 20 and the substrate of floating.

Say that on this meaning according to present embodiment, buffer component 40 comprises a substrate contact portion 42, an impact absorbing section 44 and a lifting element.Substrate contact portion 42 has constituted the top of buffer component 40, and with the lower surface direct contact of substrate S.Substrate contact portion 42 is spherical so that the area of contact minimum of itself and substrate S.Because substrate contact portion 42 is spherical, substrate contact portion 42 contacts with substrate S point, thereby an advantage is provided: with the area of contact minimum of substrate S.Preferably, substrate contact portion 42 is made by extensible material, be used for absorb the impact that is applied to substrate S when substrate S contacts.

Lifting element is used for rising or reducing substrate contact portion 42.Based on this purpose, lifting element is connected to the bottom of substrate contact portion 42 to rise or reduction substrate contact portion 42.

Impact absorbing section 44 is inserted to an adapter shaft, and this adapter shaft connects substrate contact portion 42 and lifting element, and is used to absorb the impact that is applied to substrate contact portion 42.That is to say that as shown in Figure 4, impact absorbing section 44 forms an elastic element that is inserted to adapter shaft, wherein adapter shaft between substrate contact portion 42 and lifting element, thereby substrate contact portion 42 is remained on a predetermined altitude.

Simultaneously, preferably, eachair injection modules 20 is detachably connected to substrate transferring apparatus 1, and its position-movable in substrate transferring apparatus.This class formation makesair injection modules 20 to pull down or to be connected to substrate transferring apparatus 1 from substrate transferring apparatus 1 independently, and substrate transferring apparatus has the advantage that can adjustair injection modules 20 numbers according to the size of substrate S.

In addition, preferably, the distance between thedelivery roller device 10 is adjustable.Structure thus, when anair injection modules 20 when this equipment is pulled down, adelivery roller device 10 moves towards anotherdelivery roller device 10, as shown in Figure 5, thereby reduces distance between the delivery roller device 10.The feasible distance that can adjust between the describeddelivery roller device 10 of this class formation, substrate transferring apparatus can have adjustment according to the size of its substrate that transmits, thereby, can be common to substrate according to equipment of the present invention with different size.

Embodiment 2

As shown in Figure 6, thesubstrate transferring apparatus 100 according to second embodiment comprises a substratemovable part 110 and a plurality of air injection modules 120.According to second embodiment, substrate transmits with heeling condition rather than horizontality, to reduce the floor area of substrate transferring apparatus 100.At this, substrate with a predetermined angle tilt and is transmitted rather than upright transmission, thereby has higher stability when guaranteeing to transmit substrate.When transmitting substrate with a predetermined angle incline ground, substrate is supported by a plurality ofair injection modules 120 that are positioned at the one side.This makes substrate stably to transmit and can not fall, and reduce the space thatsubstrate transferring apparatus 100 occupies in the clean room.

Substrate moving-member 110 is used for that along continuous straight runs moves substrate when substrate is remained on obliquity.According to second embodiment, substrate moving-member 110 comprises a plurality of rollers, the following side contacts of these rollers and tilted-putted substrate S, and mobile substrate S.At this, as shown in Figure 6, according to second embodiment, for the downside that prevents substrate S breaks away from contact surface with roller, the periphery of roller stretches out.

Next, as shown in Figure 6, along arrangingair injection modules 120 with respect to substrate moving-member 110 bevelled directions, and keep substrate S bevelled simultaneously on even keel guide this substrate.In other words,air injection modules 120 is used for: keeping substrate S to be in respect to vertical direction slight bevelled state with when avoiding falling, on even keel guides this substrate.At this moment, according to second embodiment, eachjet module 120 also is detachably connected tosubstrate transferring apparatus 100, and its position can be moved.Air injection modules 120 in second embodiment and the air injection modules in first embodiment have same configuration, and its repeating part is no longer described at this.

Substrate transferring apparatus 100 according to present embodiment comprises a plurality of air injection modules 120.In other words, as shown in Figure 6, a plurality ofair injection modules 120 are spaced apart with a preset distance each other on respect to substrate moving-member 110 bevelled directions.At this moment, the larger area substrate will cause the increase ofair injection modules 120 line numbers, and will cause the minimizing ofair injection modules 120 line numbers than the substrate of small size.In addition, spaced apart with a preset distance each other between row and the row when onsubstrate transferring apparatus 100, arranging multirowair injection modules 120 according to present embodiment, thus between each row, form a default passage 130.At first, this default passage 130 can be as substrate being loaded on thesubstrate transferring apparatus 100 or unloading the load/unload passage that is positioned at the substrate on thesubstrate transferring apparatus 100.

In addition, as shown in Figure 8, each default passage 130 can be used as the space of placing buffer component 140.In other words, buffer component 140 is arranged in each default passage 130, and buffer component 140 can rise or reduction with respect to substrate when substrate support is on air injection modules 120.Buffer component 140 is used for: when the substrate S that floated byair injection modules 120 fell, the lower surface by support base S prevented substrate collision air injection modules 120.Thereby, can rise or reduce buffer component 140 with respect to substrate and can be used for other device so that preset passage 130, and when default passage 130 is used for other device, buffer component 140 is in a height between the lower surface of the upper surface ofair injection modules 120 and the substrate of floating, and suspends herein.

Simultaneously, construct, no longer it is repeated in this description at this because the buffer component 140 in second embodiment has identical volume with buffer component 140 in first embodiment.

Simultaneously, preferably, eachair injection modules 120 of foundation second embodiment is detachably connected to substrate transferring apparatus 100.This class formation makesair injection modules 120 to pull down or to be connected tosubstrate transferring apparatus 100 fromsubstrate transferring apparatus 100 independently, and this has the advantage that can adjust the air injection modules number according to the size of substrate.

Very clear from the above description, a favourable aspect of the present invention is that it can transmit large-area substrate and compressing pump or conduit that need not be extra, and can not damage substrate.

And, according to the present invention,, substrate transferring apparatus is common to various substrates with different size thereby can changing its structure by the size according to the transmission substrate.

In addition, according to the present invention, air injection modules can be detachably connected on the substrate transferring apparatus, thereby, even any one air injection modules is damaged, can prevent that still substrate from falling, because other air injection modules continues to make this substrate to float.And this class formation makes air injection modules have advantage aspect safeguarding.

In addition, substrate transferring apparatus can stably transmit stably to transmit in by blast injection method support base and be under the heeling condition a little but not the vertically substrate under the state, thereby prevents that substrate from suffering damage in the process that transmits.

It will be appreciated that, be exemplary to the description of described embodiment and accompanying drawing, and the present invention is limited by incidental claim.And those of ordinary skill in the art can be understood that under the situation that does not depart from the illustrated scope of the invention of subsidiary claim and spirit, various modifications, increase or alternative to be arranged.

Claims (16)

1. a substrate transferring apparatus is used for along continuous straight runs and transmits substrate mounted thereto, and this equipment comprises:

The delivery roller device of a pair of parallel to each other and preset distance of being separated by, this delivery roller device is to rotate and mobile in the horizontal direction substrate with the mode that the both sides of substrate all contact;

A plurality of air injection modules, described air injection modules is arranged between the described a pair of delivery roller device and the preset distance that is spaced apart from each other, described air injection modules is suitable for upwards towards the middle section injection air of substrate and substrate is floated, each air injection modules is detachably connected on the substrate transferring apparatus, and its position can be moved.

2. equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein each air injection modules comprises:

One is used for upwards the air blower of blowing towards substrate;

One filter element, this filter element are arranged on the air blower top to filter the impurity in the air blower institute blow out air;

One breaker plate, this breaker plate are positioned at described filter element top and are spaced from a preset distance, the injection thereby the feasible air that passes filter element can make progress equably; With

One cushion space, this cushion space is enclosed between filter element and the breaker plate, passes the air of filter element thereby scatter.

3. equipment as claimed in claim 1, further comprise: be arranged on the buffer component between the air injection modules, described buffer component also can rise between jet module or descend therebetween, thereby the buffer component rise is higher than air injection modules and support base when substrate is fallen.

4. equipment as claimed in claim 3, wherein each described buffer component comprises a substrate contact portion that contacts with substrate and an impact absorbing section, and this impact absorbing section is connected to the bottom of substrate contact portion and absorbs the impact that is applied on the substrate contact portion.

5. equipment as claimed in claim 4, wherein said substrate contact portion is made by extensible material.

6. equipment as claimed in claim 5, wherein said substrate contact portion are spherical.

7. equipment as claimed in claim 6, wherein the distance between the delivery roller device is adjustable.

8. substrate transferring apparatus, this equipment are used for along continuous straight runs and transmit a substrate that remains on heeling condition, and this equipment comprises:

One rotatable substrate moving-member, it contacts the downside of described sloping base and along continuous straight runs moves described substrate; With

A plurality of air injection modules, it is placed with a direction of tilt with respect to described substrate moving-member and towards the substrate injection air and the substrate that is under the heeling condition is floated.

9. equipment as claimed in claim 8, wherein said substrate moving-member comprises the roller of a plurality of preset space lengths that are spaced apart from each other.

10. equipment as claimed in claim 9, wherein each described air injection modules is detachably connected to substrate transferring apparatus, and its position can be moved.

11. equipment as claimed in claim 10, wherein each described air injection modules comprises:

One is used for upwards the air blower of blowing towards substrate;

One filter element, its top that is arranged on air blower is to filter the impurity in the air blower institute blow out air;

One breaker plate, this breaker plate are positioned at the top of described filter element and are spaced from a preset distance, the injection thereby the feasible air that passes filter element can make progress equably; With

One cushion space, this cushion space is enclosed between filter element and the breaker plate, passes the air of filter element thereby scatter.

12. equipment as claimed in claim 11, wherein said air injection modules are arranged to the row of a plurality of preset distances that are spaced apart from each other, thereby form default passage between each row.

13. equipment as claimed in claim 12, also comprise: be arranged on the buffer component between the air injection modules, described buffer component rises with respect to the substrate that is arranged in each default passage or descends, thereby the buffer component rise is higher than air injection modules and support base when substrate is fallen.

14. equipment as claimed in claim 13, wherein each described buffer component comprises: a substrate contact portion that contacts with substrate; One impact absorbing section, this impact absorbing section is connected to the bottom of substrate contact portion and absorbs the impact that is applied on the substrate contact portion; And one be connected to the bottom of impact absorbing section and rise or reduce the lifting element of substrate contact portion and impact absorbing section.

15. equipment as claimed in claim 14, wherein said substrate contact portion is made by extensible material.

16. equipment as claimed in claim 15, wherein said substrate contact portion are spherical.

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