Material box system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a material box system (1) for a production line of planar substrates, in particular wafers, solar cells or printed circuit boards, comprising at least one substrate material box (2), the substrate material box having two side walls (3, 4) arranged opposite to each other and oriented vertically, and a plurality of compartments (10) between the side walls (3, 4) into which one or more substrates can be inserted, each compartment having two guide rails (11), the two guide rails being arranged on the side parts (3, 4) at intervals and parallel to each other. The material box system (1) has at least one adapter plate (12, 13) for each side wall (3, 4), the corresponding adapter plate (12, 13) having a fastening mechanism for detachably fastening to one of the side walls (3, 4), the adapter plates (12, 13) each having one or more support rails (18) on one side, the support rails jointly forming respective support members (20) for substrate stacking when fastened to the side walls (3, 4).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a material box system for a production line for planar substrates, in particular wafers, solar cells or printed circuit boards, comprising at least one substrate material box having two side walls arranged opposite to each other and oriented vertically and a plurality of compartments between the side walls into which one or more substrates can be inserted, wherein each compartment has two guide rails, which are arranged on the side at intervals and parallel to each other. Background Art

[0002] The above-mentioned type of magazine system has been disclosed in the prior art. In the production of wafers, solar cells, printed circuit boards or other planar substrates, substrates are often placed in substrate magazines for temporary storage or transportation. In this case, the substrate magazine is initially manufactured in such a way that a plurality of guide rails arranged in parallel with each other are arranged on two opposite side walls, and these guide rails are spaced apart from each other in height, and two corresponding guide rails located at one height are arranged on opposite side walls to form a compartment for the substrate. It is easy to insert the substrate into the substrate magazine on the guide rail, and it can be taken out of the substrate magazine again by sliding. Patent application DE102019211603 (not yet published) also discloses a substrate magazine, in which a plurality of substrates can be advantageously placed in a compartment with each other. For this purpose, the guide rails are each associated with a locking mechanism, which is located in the movement path of the substrate along the guide rail, and the substrate can be moved out of the movement path under elastic deformation by the substrate. The substrate can slide on the guide rail, and the locking element can be overcome by applying a corresponding thrust. The locking element can ensure that the substrate will not slide along the guide rail accidentally. This prevents, in particular, adjacent substrates from being inadvertently pushed onto one another, for example during transport of a substrate magazine. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to propose an improved magazine system which allows a higher flexibility and usability of the magazine system.

[0004] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the advantage of the present invention is that the above-mentioned magazine system can be adapted so that the magazine system can be used not only as a storage position for flat substrates, but also as a storage position for substrate stacks, that is, a large number of substrates stacked on each other. Through the magazine system according to the present invention, it is realized that the existing substrate magazine can be easily and simply adapted, that is, it can be switched between the operation of receiving a single substrate and the operation of receiving a substrate stack. According to the present invention, the magazine system has at least one adapter plate for each side wall, wherein the corresponding adapter plate has a fastening mechanism for being detachably fastened to one of the side walls, wherein the adapter plate has one or more support rails on one side, and these support rails jointly form each support for substrate stacking in the state of being fastened to the side wall. The side wall can be adapted to receive the substrate stacking by the adapter plate. For this purpose, the adapter plate can be detachably fastened to the side wall and has a support rail. In the assembled state of the adapter plate, these support rails are at the same height on the side wall relative to each other, so that they jointly form a support for the substrate stacking. This allows the substrate magazine to adapt to a single substrate or a substrate stack, with only a few auxiliary tools and a few steps.

[0005] According to a preferred improvement of the present invention, each adapter plate has at least one assembly hook for hanging on the corresponding side wall. Hanging the corresponding adapter plate allows easy assembly on the side wall and stable holding. In addition, hanging also allows easy removal of the adapter plate by unhooking the assembly hook from the corresponding side wall. According to a certain embodiment, an additional fastening mechanism is omitted.

[0006] According to another embodiment of the invention, in addition to or instead of the above-mentioned assembly hook, each adapter plate has at least one elastically displaceable latching element for locking on the side wall in a form-fitting manner. The latching element can reliably prevent accidental loosening from the corresponding side wall. In contrast to hooking, the use of the latching element also allows a simple translational assembly engagement or assembly movement, while hooking requires a pivoting of the adapter plate. Depending on the structural space or configuration of the substrate magazine, a purely translational assembly movement may be more advantageous.

[0007] Particularly preferably, each adapter plate has at least one assembly hook at a first end and at least one latching element at a second end facing away from the first end. The respective adapter plate can be suspended on the respective side wall at one end and locked on the side wall by a latching element in a form-fitting manner at the other end. This reliably prevents the printed circuit board from accidentally loosening. In addition, such an attachment can also prevent rattling noises or adapter plate movements when the substrate magazine is moved. Optionally, the assembly hook and / or the respective latching element are associated with an elastic damping mechanism, which acts between the adapter plate and the respective side wall to prevent rattling noises and adapter plate movements. Optionally, when the adapter plate is arranged on the side wall as expected, the damping element is elastically deformed or prestressed, thereby ensuring that the respective adapter plate is arranged particularly firmly on the respective side wall.

[0008] According to an advantageous development of the invention, a plurality of mutually parallel support rails are arranged on each adapter plate, wherein the spacing between adjacent support rails of the respective adapter plate is greater than the spacing between adjacent guide rails. Such an increased spacing allows for the accommodation of substrate stacks. The presence of a plurality of support rails ensures that a plurality of substrate stacks can be accommodated in the substrate magazine with the aid of the adapter plate. The "spacing between adjacent support rails or guide rails" refers to the spacing in height between the rails when the adapter plate is arranged as intended on the respective side wall.

[0009] According to a preferred improvement of the present invention, the adapter plate arranged on the substrate magazine forms at least two load-bearing compartments arranged one above the other. The at least two adapter plates of the magazine system each have two support rails, which are opposite to each other at the same height when used as intended, thereby generating two load-bearing compartments.

[0010] Also preferably, the corresponding adapter plate is configured as an adapter metal plate, and the corresponding support rail is configured as a metal plate tongue that is released and bent out in the adapter metal plate. Since the corresponding adapter plate is configured as an adapter metal plate, it is ensured that the adapter plate can be simple in structure and low in cost. In addition, since the support rail is bent out to form a metal plate tongue, the number of individual parts in the material box system can be minimized. Optionally, the support rail itself can be detachably retained on the corresponding adapter plate. In this way, the load-bearing compartment of the adapter plate can be adapted to the expected substrate stacking. For example, the height spacing of the support rails on the adapter plate can be selected in multiple stages to prepare the substrate material box for receiving substrate stacking of a specific size.

[0011] Also preferably, the respective support rail is associated with an elastically displaceable, in particular elastically deformable, constraint mechanism for the substrate stack. The constraint mechanism is located in the substrate stack in the respective substrate magazine and can be deformed or displaced to a release position by applying a sufficient thrust to the respective substrate stack. The constraint mechanism is, for example, an elastic latching lug, which is located in the movement path of the substrate stack along the respective support rail in an unloaded state. In particular, each load-bearing compartment is associated with a plurality of constraint mechanisms, so that two or more substrate stacks can also be spaced apart and juxtaposed in the respective load-bearing compartment and kept at a certain distance from each other by the constraint mechanism.

[0012] It is also preferred that at least one side wall of the substrate magazine is displaceably arranged so that the clear width between the side walls is variable. This also enables the clear width between adapter plates optionally arranged on the side walls to be adjusted. This ensures that the substrate stack and the individual substrates of the substrate stack can be reliably received and transported in the same substrate magazine.

[0013] Each side wall preferably has at least one opening or socket for at least one assembly hook. The corresponding assembly hook can be inserted and hooked into the corresponding opening. The provided opening or socket avoids incorrect assembly of the adapter plate to the corresponding side wall.

[0014] Each side wall particularly preferably has at least one matching latching element for interacting with the latching element of the adapter plate. For example, the latching element is an elastically displaceable latching protrusion or a latching protrusion socket, and the matching latching element is a latching protrusion socket or an elastically deformable or displaceable latching protrusion, wherein the latching protrusion and the latching protrusion socket are configured to be detachably buckled and connected in a form-fitting manner.

[0015] Also preferably, at least one latching element of the adapter plate is integrally formed with the adapter plate. In this way, the latching element is particularly configured as a further bent metal sheet tongue of the adapter plate, thereby further minimizing the number of parts and ensuring simple assembly of the corresponding adapter plate.

[0016] In particular, at least one assembly hook is also formed integrally with the corresponding adapter plate, so that the cartridge system is simple to assemble and manufacture overall. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0018] Figure 1A and Figure 1B Shows different states of a favorable substrate magazine system;

[0019] Figure 2 A perspective view showing an adapter plate of a cartridge system;

[0020] Figure 3 A perspective top view of the two adapter plates of a magazine system is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Figure 1A and Figure 1BAn advantageous magazine system 1 for flat substrates is shown respectively, which can be processed individually or as a stack of substrates. The magazine system 1 has a substrate magazine 2, which has two side walls 3, 4 arranged opposite to each other, which are arranged vertically in a frame 5 parallel to each other. According to the present exemplary embodiment, the side wall 3 is fixedly arranged in the frame 5, while the opposite side wall 4 can be held in the frame 5 by a track system 6 in a transversely displaceable manner, so that the side wall 4 can slide according to the arrow 7, thereby changing the clear width between the side walls 3, 4. A plurality of compartments 10 arranged up and down are formed between the side walls, and the width of the compartment 10 can be changed by sliding the side wall 4. The compartment 10 is formed by guide rails 11 arranged on the corresponding side walls 3, 4, which are equally spaced in height and aligned parallel to each other, wherein the two guide rails 11 on the side walls 3, 4 are located at the same height so that they together form a sliding support for a single planar substrate (e.g. a printed circuit board, a wafer or a solar cell). The corresponding upper rails 11 limit the loading space height of the lower sliding receiving portion, and thus form a compartment 10 with the lower rails 11 .

[0022] Figure 1B The magazine system 1 is shown in another state. The substrate magazine 2 is arranged with two adapter plates 12, 13, which are used to adapt the substrate magazine 2 to receive a substrate stack of flat substrates. A substrate stack refers to a large number of individual substrates, which are stacked directly on top of each other and processed together. In particular, the individual substrates are oriented flush with each other in the substrate stack, so that the outer contour of the substrate stack corresponds to the outer contour of the individual substrates, wherein the number of individual substrates arranged one above the other determines the height of the substrate stack.

[0023] The adapter plates 12 and 13 are particularly of the same construction, preferably of an identical construction. Figure 2 1 shows a perspective view of the adapter plate 12. The adapter plate 12 is configured as an adapter metal plate 14, whose height H corresponds at least substantially to the height of the respective side wall 3, 4, and whose depth T corresponds at least substantially to the depth of the side wall 3, 4. The adapter plate 12 has two juxtaposed assembly hooks 16 at its first end 15, which serve as fastening means for fastening to the respective side wall 3, 4. Figure 1B As shown, the assembly hook 16 is configured to undercut the upper edge 17 of the side wall 3 so that the adapter plate 12 can be hooked onto the side wall 3 .

[0024] Furthermore, the adapter plate 12 has a plurality of support rails 18 arranged parallel to one another. The support rails 18 extend over the thickness of the adapter plate 12 and are spaced apart from one another at a greater distance than the distance between adjacent guide rails 11 of the side walls 3, 4 in the height H direction. In particular, the spacing between adjacent support rails 18 can be selected so that each support rail 18 provides a carrying compartment 19 for receiving a substrate stack having a predetermined maximum number of individual substrates.

[0025] Figure 3 A perspective top view of the two adapter plates 12, 13 is shown. Due to the identical configuration of the adapter plates 12, 13, the support rails 18 are at the same height when assembled to the substrate magazine 2 as intended, so that the two opposing support rails 18 form respective receiving portions 20 for respective substrate stacks.

[0026] According to the present exemplary embodiment, the support rail 18 does not extend continuously on the corresponding adapter plate, but is configured to be interrupted in its longitudinal extension. In particular, the support rail 18 is each formed by a plurality of sheet metal tongues 21 released (especially punched) and bent out from the adapter metal plate.

[0027] Preferably, the assembly hook 16 is also constructed as a bent metal plate section of the corresponding adapter plate 12, so that the adapter plate 12 is integrally formed as a whole, thereby minimizing the number of individual parts, reducing manufacturing costs, and reducing assembly workload.

[0028] The corresponding adapter plates 12, 13 can be assembled to the corresponding side walls 3 or 4 through the corresponding assembly hooks 16. Figure 1B As shown, the supporting rails 18 of the adapter plates 12 and 13 facing each other are at the same height and form corresponding supporting compartments 19 or corresponding receiving portions 20 for substrate stacking. The number of supporting rails 18 is significantly less than the number of guide rails 11, as described above, so that the height spacing between adjacent supporting rails 18 is increased, which is advantageously suitable for receiving printed circuit board stacking or substrate stacking.

[0029] Since the side wall 4 is arranged displaceably, the clear width between the adapter plates 12, 13 can also be adjusted. In this way, it is possible to use the same substrate magazine 2 both to accommodate individual substrates in the compartments 10, which are reliably supported in their lateral edge regions by the guide rails 11, and to accommodate substrate stacks of identical substrates, which can then be arranged on the support rails 18. For this purpose, the side wall 4 is only slightly away from the side wall 3, so that the clear width between the carrier walls 12, 13 corresponds to the previous clear width between the side walls 3, 4.

[0030] Optionally, the support rail 18 is associated with a restraining mechanism 22, such as Figure 1B The restraining means 22 of one of the support rails 18 are shown, which are located in the sliding path of the substrate stack along the support rail 18 in a relaxed state. The restraining means 22 are, for example, configured as elastically displaceable locking lugs, which can be pressed out of the movement path under elastic deformation due to the substrate stack if a sufficiently high thrust is applied. The restraining means 22 fixes the corresponding substrate stack in the substrate magazine 2 to prevent unintentional slippage or displacement. In particular, the guide rails 10 are also each associated with at least one, preferably a plurality of such restraining means, allowing a plurality of substrates to be held side by side in the compartment 10, thereby preventing the substrates from sliding or sliding relative to each other when the substrate magazine 2 is moved.

[0031] Optionally, the adapter plates 12, 13 also have one or more elastically deformable locking elements 24 in the form of locking hooks, especially at their second ends 23 facing away from the assembly hooks 16, which can be inserted into the locking holes of the corresponding side walls 3, 4 under elastic deformation, so that they are buckled in a form-fitting manner on the corresponding side walls 3, 4 in the assembled state. In this way, the adapter plates 12, 13 can be fastened to the side walls 3, 4 particularly reliably.

[0032] The magazine system 1 preferably has a large number of pairs of adapter plates 12, 13, which are different in, for example, the number and spacing of the support rails 18. In this way, the substrate magazine 2 can accommodate substrate stacks of different heights.

Claims

1. A magazine system (1) for a production line for planar substrates, comprising at least one substrate magazine (2), the substrate magazine (2) having two side walls (3, 4) arranged opposite to each other and oriented vertically, and a plurality of compartments (10) formed between the side walls (3, 4), each of the compartments (10) being capable of being slidably inserted with at least one substrate, wherein: Each compartment has two guide rails (11), which are arranged on the side walls (3, 4) at intervals and parallel to each other. It is characterized in that The material box system (1) has at least one adapter plate (12, 13) for each of the side walls (3, 4), wherein the corresponding adapter plate (12, 13) has a fastening mechanism for being detachably fastened to one of the side walls (3, 4), wherein the adapter plates (12, 13) each have one or more supporting rails (18) on one side, and when the adapter plates (12, 13) are respectively fastened to the side walls (3, 4), the supporting rails (18) jointly form a receiving portion (20) for substrate stacking.

2. The material box system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each adapter plate (12, 13) has at least one assembly hook (16) for hanging on the corresponding side wall (3, 4).

3. The cartridge system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that Each adapter plate (12, 13) has at least one elastically displaceable locking element (24) for being locked on the corresponding side wall (3, 4) in a form-fitting manner.

4. The material box system according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each adapter plate (12, 13) has at least one assembly hook (16) at a first end (15) and at least one locking element (24) at a second end (23) facing away from the first end (15).

5. The material box system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of mutually parallel support rails (18) are arranged on each adapter plate (12, 13), wherein the spacing between adjacent support rails (18) is greater than the spacing between adjacent guide rails (11).

6. The material box system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adapter plates (12, 13) arranged at the substrate material box (2) form at least two upper and lower carrying compartments (19) for stacking the substrates.

7. The material box system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The corresponding adapter plates (12, 13) are constructed as adapter metal plates, and the corresponding support rail (18) is constructed as at least one of the adapter metal plates releasing a bent metal plate tongue (21).

8. The material box system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The respective support rails (18) are detachably fastened to the respective adapter plates (12, 13).

9. The material box system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The respective support rail (18) is associated with at least one elastically displaceable restraining mechanism (22) for the substrate stack.

10. The material box system according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one side wall (4) of the substrate magazine is displaceably arranged so that the clear width between the side walls (3, 4) is variable.

11. The material box system according to claim 4, characterized in that: Each side wall (3, 4) has at least one opening or receptacle for at least one assembly hook (16).

12. The cartridge system according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each side wall (3, 4) has at least one matching latching element for interacting with the latching element (24) of the adapter plate (12, 13).

13. The cartridge system according to claim 3, characterized in that: At least one locking element (24) of the adapter plate (12, 13) is integrally formed with the adapter plate (12, 13).

14. The cartridge system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The at least one assembly hook (16) is integrally formed with the adapter plates (12, 13).

15. The cartridge system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The at least one restraining mechanism (22) is elastically deformable.

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