Direction change device

Abstract

A direction change device includes first and second transport passage 3, 4, in which one of the transport passages is disposed at the same vertical position as that of the first transport rail 16, the other is disposed below the one, a rotating unit 22 rotating the transport passages 3, 4 about their central points, a lift unit 23 lifting the transport passages 3, 4 in a vertical direction and a control unit 21. The control unit 21 controls such that when the FOUP 5 is carried out from the transport rail 16 to the transport passage disposed at the same vertical position as that of the transport rail 16, rotating the transport passages 3, 4 by about 90°, carrying out the FOUP 5 from one of the transport passages, and exchanging the respective vertical positions of the first and second transport passages 3, 4.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The invention relates to a direction change device which changes a transporting direction of an article.[0003]2. Description of Related Art[0004]As a changing means used in semiconductor manufacturing, liquid crystal manufacturing, factory automation (FA), and the like, a transport system disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication JF-T-2003-506289 is exemplified. In the transport system disclosed in JP-T-2003-506289, rotating wheels are provided so as to be projected from upper surfaces of a pair of rails, and an article placed on the wheels is transported along the rails by rotation of the wheels. Additionally, in JP-T-2003-506289, in a rail provided so as to be perpendicular to each other, a director drive rail which changes direction of the article is provided. The director drive rail is provided so as to rotate between two rails perpendicularly disposed to each other and can change the direction of the arti...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The invention provides a direction change device that can shorten the time it takes to change the direction of a workpiece. This is achieved by using two straight-line transport passages that intersect with a right angle, a rotating unit to change the position of the passages, and a control unit to manage the movement of the workpiece. The device also includes rollers along the sides of the transport passages to allow for smooth transport without interrupting the workpiece's movement. This invention allows for quicker and more efficient direction changes of workpieces."

Problems solved by technology

As a result, since the director drive rail is required to come back the initial location at each time of the direction change, the article cannot be transported while the waiting time.

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