Glass plate transportation cart

Abstract

To provide a glass plate transportation cart that is used to perform transportation work of a glass plate and can be handled (course change) without the necessity of a fully wide space.SOLUTION: A glass plate transportation cart 1 (101) includes: a placement part 10 (110) on which a glass plate G is placed; a cart part 20 (120) that can retain the placement part 10 (110) and move; a tow part 30 (130) that tows the cart part 20 (120); and variable means (rotation mechanism 22 or plural engaged members 124 and 124) capable of changing a towing direction A of the tow part 30 (130) with respect to the placement part 10 (110).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a glass sheet transport cart. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in a manufacturing process for glass plates used as substrates or cover glasses for displays such as liquid crystal display devices and organic EL display devices, after each process is completed, a number of processed glass plates are extracted at predetermined time intervals or randomly to serve as sample glass plates, and quality inspections are carried out on these sample glass plates in order to improve the quality of the glass plates as final products. Here, various types of transport carts (glass plate transport carts) for transporting the extracted glass plate (sample glass plate) to a predetermined inspection process have been proposed in the past. As one example, Patent Document 1 discloses a glass plate transport pallet that transports a plurality of glass plates stacked in a vertical position by the manual power of an operator.

[0003] On the other hand, the outer size of glass sheets has been increasing in recent years in order to realize higher production efficiency for reasons such as cost reduction, and large sizes, for example 1000 mm×1000 mm or more, have become mainstream. For these reasons, the manual transport of glass sheets using the above-mentioned transport cart places an increasing burden on workers, and there has been a growing demand for improvements in work efficiency. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-315759 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] One idea for improving work efficiency when transporting glass plates using a transport cart is to, for example, use an electric towing vehicle to tow the transport cart in the perpendicular direction to the glass plate placed on the transport cart in a vertical position, thereby reducing the labor required for the transportation work. However, when transporting large glass sheets as described above, a large space is required to maneuver the transport cart (change course), and the work area where the processed glass sheets are removed is generally surrounded by a partition wall, and there is often not enough space at the entrances and exits to the work area, so further improvements were needed to tow the transport cart with an electric towing vehicle.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the current problems described above, and has an objective of providing a glass plate transport cart for transporting glass plates, which can be maneuvered (changed course) without requiring a sufficiently large space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The problem to be solved by the present invention has been described above, and the means for solving this problem will now be described.

[0008] That is, the glass plate transport cart of aspect 1 of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a mounting section on which a glass plate is placed, a cart section that can move while holding the mounting section, a towing section that tows the cart section, and an adjustable means that can change the towing direction of the towing section relative to the mounting section. By having such a configuration, with the glass plate transport cart of the present invention, even when transporting a large-sized glass plate as described above, the traveling direction of the glass plate can be easily changed by changing the pulling direction of the towing part relative to the loading part using the variable means, and the glass plate transport cart can be maneuvered (course changed) in a narrower space without the need to maneuver the cart itself significantly.

[0009] Furthermore, a glass plate transport cart according to aspect 2 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned aspect 1, the variable means comprises a holding section which is provided between the cart section and the placement section and holds the placement section so that it can be rotated horizontally relative to the cart section. With this configuration, the placement section is rotated by the variable means formed of the holding section, so that the traveling direction (pulling direction) of the glass sheet placed on the placement section can be easily changed.

[0010] Furthermore, a glass plate transport cart according to aspect 3 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned aspect 1, the variable means comprises a plurality of connecting parts which are provided at different positions on the cart section and can each be connected to the towing section. With such a configuration, the traveling direction (pulling direction) of the glass plate placed on the placement section can be easily changed by appropriately selecting the connecting section (variable means) to be connected to the pulling section.

[0011] Moreover, the glass plate transport cart according to Aspect 4 of the present invention is any one of Aspects 1 to 3 above, characterized in that the cart section has casters at its bottom section that are capable of changing the direction of movement. With this configuration, when maneuvering (changing course) the glass plate transport cart, the direction of travel of the cart unit can be easily changed via the casters, and it can be ensured to follow the pulling direction of the towing unit.

[0012] Furthermore, a glass plate transport cart according to aspect 5 of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of aspects 1 to 4 above, the placement section has a bottom support section that supports the bottom side of the glass plate and a back support section that supports the back side of the glass plate, and the back support section has a window section that allows the other side to be viewed from one side. With this configuration, for example, when the glass plate transport cart is moved (backed) in the opposite direction to the towing direction, such as when moving the glass plate transport cart to a predetermined collection position for collecting processed glass plates, the glass plate transport cart can be moved reliably while maintaining visibility in the direction of movement through the window portion.

[0013] A glass plate transport cart according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to fifth aspects, characterized in that the placement section holds the glass plate in a vertically placed position and at an inclination. With this configuration, even when transporting large-sized glass plates as described above, the glass plate does not protrude significantly in the planar direction as would occur if the glass plate were placed in a horizontal position, and the glass plate transport cart can be maneuvered (course changed) in a narrower space to transport the glass plate.

[0014] Moreover, the glass plate transport cart according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the towing section has a drive mechanism capable of traveling in the towing direction. By towing the traction unit having such a drive mechanism, it is possible to reduce the labor required for transporting glass sheets, reduce the manual burden on workers, and improve work efficiency.

[0015] A glass plate transport cart according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that it is used for transporting sample glass plates in any one of the first to seventh aspects described above. Here, the work area in which the processed glass sheets are removed is generally surrounded by a partition wall, and in many cases, there is not enough space provided at the entrance to and exit from the work area. Even in the case of sample glass plates that are transported through entrances and exits of work areas where there is not enough space, or other narrow areas in a factory, the glass plate transport cart according to any one of the above aspects 1 to 7 can be used to easily transport the plate by changing the towing direction of the towing part relative to the mounting part.

[0016] In addition, a glass plate transport cart according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the glass plate transport cart according to the eighth aspect, The length of one side of the sample glass plate is characterized by being 1500 mm or more and 2700 mm or less. Even in the case of a large-sized sample glass plate having such an outer dimension, the glass plate transport cart according to the above-mentioned embodiment 8 can change the pulling direction of the towing part relative to the mounting part, making it easy to handle (change course) the glass plate transport cart in a narrower space.

[0017] In addition, a glass plate transport cart according to aspect 10 of the present invention comprises a mounting section on which a glass plate is placed, a cart section capable of moving while holding the mounting section, and a towing section for towing the cart section, wherein the mounting section has a bottom support section for supporting the bottom edge of the glass plate and a back support section for supporting the back surface of the glass plate, and the back support section has a window section through which the other side can be seen from one side. With this configuration, for example, when the glass plate transport cart is moved (backed) in the opposite direction to the towing direction, such as when moving the glass plate transport cart to a predetermined collection position for collecting processed glass plates, the glass plate transport cart can be moved reliably while maintaining visibility in the direction of movement through the window portion. Effect of the Invention

[0018] The present invention has the following advantages. That is, the glass plate transport cart according to the present invention can be maneuvered (changed course) without requiring a sufficiently large space. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the overall configuration of a glass plate transport cart according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a rear view and (b) is a side view. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the adjustable operation of the mounting section in a glass plate transport cart, where (a) is a plan view showing the state in which the mounting section has been displaced to a first adjustable position, and (b) is a plan view showing the state in which the mounting section has been displaced to a second adjustable position. [Diagram 3] This is a diagram to explain a series of operations when using a glass plate transport cart to collect a sample glass plate for measurement, and is a plan view showing the operations from entering the glass plate transport cart into the work chamber to moving it to a predetermined collection position. [Figure 4] This is a diagram to explain a series of operations when using a glass plate transport cart to collect a sample glass plate for measurement, and is a plan view showing the operations from moving the glass plate transport cart from a designated collection position to exiting the work chamber. [Diagram 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the overall configuration of a glass plate transport cart according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a rear view and (b) is a side view. [Figure 6] 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining the variable operation of the loading section in a glass plate transport cart of another embodiment, in which (a) is a plan view showing the state in which the towing section is connected (engaged) to the first engaged member of the cart section, and (b) is a plan view showing the state in which the towing section is connected (engaged) to the second engaged member of the cart section. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Next, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and 6, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction of the glass plate transport cart 1 (or the glass plate transport cart 101) are defined by the directions of arrows in the description. In the following description, the direction of arrow A in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6 is defined as the pulling direction of the pulling portion 30 (or the pulling portion 130).

[0021] [Configuration of glass plate transport cart 1] First, the overall configuration of a glass plate transport cart 1 embodying the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1(a)(b) and 2(a)(b).

[0022] The glass plate transport cart 1 in this embodiment is used to transport processed glass plates G to a desired location, for example, in the manufacturing process of glass plates G, to transport multiple glass plates G·G··· that are extracted at predetermined intervals or randomly as sample glass plates Ga to an inspection process for quality inspection.

[0023] Furthermore, the purpose of using the glass plate transport cart 1 is not limited to transporting a sample glass plate Ga (glass plate G) to an inspection process as in this embodiment, but can also be used to transport a glass plate G to any location. Furthermore, the number of glass plates G transported at one time by the glass plate transport cart 1 is not limited to a plurality of glass plates, and may be one plate.

[0024] In this embodiment, the glass plate G transported by the glass plate transport cart 1 is a rectangular glass plate used, for example, as a substrate or cover glass for a display such as a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL display device, with one side set to 1500 mm or more and 2700 mm or less, and a thickness set to 0.2 mm or more and 1.3 mm or less.

[0025] Even for a large-sized glass plate G having such an outer dimension, the glass plate transport cart 1 in this embodiment can change the pulling direction A of the towing section 30 relative to the loading section 10, as described below, making it easy to handle (change course) the glass plate transport cart 1 in a narrower space.

[0026] The glass plate transport cart 1 is a cart that transports a glass plate G in a vertical position, and as shown in Figures 1(a) and (b), it mainly comprises a mounting section 10 on which the glass plate G is placed, a cart section 20 that can move while holding the mounting section 10, and a towing section 30 that tows the cart section 20.

[0027] In addition, when transporting a glass plate G by the glass plate transport cart 1, the loading posture of the glass plate G is not limited to the vertical posture as in this embodiment, and for example, in the case of a rectangular glass plate G, the glass plate G may be loaded on the loading section 10 in a horizontal posture.

[0028] The mounting section 10 has a mounting table 11 that supports the lower end of the glass plate G, a rear support member 12 that supports the rear surface of the glass plate G (the front surface in FIG. 1), and a reinforcing frame 13 that reinforces the mounting table 11 and the rear support member 12.

[0029] The mounting table 11 is made of a substantially rectangular plate-like member extending horizontally in one direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 1), and is disposed with an upper surface 11a slightly inclined rearward and upward. The upper surface 11a is an example of a bottom support portion according to the present invention, and the glass plate G is placed in a vertical position via the upper surface 11a. In other words, the upper surface 11a supports the bottom of the glass plate G.

[0030] The back surface support member 12 is made of a flat plate-like member, and is provided upright at one end of the mounting table 11 (the front end in FIG. 1). That is, the surface 12a of the back support member 12 on the side of the mounting base 11 (the rear side in Figure 1) is an example of a back support part according to the present invention, and is provided upright at a direction approximately perpendicular to the upper surface 11a of the mounting base 11.

[0031] The glass plate G placed on the upper surface 11a of the mounting table 11 in a vertical position is supported at its back (front) by the surface 12a of the rear support member 12, and is held in a slightly tilted (inclined) position toward the rear support member 12 (the front side in Figure 1). In other words, the placement portion 10 holds the glass plate G in a vertically placed position at an angle.

[0032] With this configuration, even when a large-sized glass plate G as described above is transported by the glass plate transport cart 1, the glass plate G does not protrude significantly in the planar direction as in the case where the glass plate G is placed in a horizontal position, and the glass plate transport cart 1 can be maneuvered (changed course) in a narrower space to transport the glass plate G.

[0033] The rear support member 12 has a rectangular opening 12b formed in the center thereof, the opening 12b extending upward from the lower end. The opening 12b is sealed by a sealing member 2 made of a transparent plate-like material such as polycarbonate, and the sealing member 2, together with the rear support member 12, is supported by a reinforcing frame 13 (more specifically, the rear frame 13d) described later. In other words, a window portion 12c consisting of an opening 12b sealed by the sealing member 2 is provided in the center of the rear support member 12, and the rear support member 12 is configured to be able to be viewed from either one side of the glass plate G side (the rear side in Figure 1) or the opposite side to the glass plate G side (the front side in Figure 1) through the window portion 12c.

[0034] Thus, in this embodiment, the mounting portion 10 has an upper surface (bottom support portion) 11a of the mounting table 11 that supports the bottom edge of the glass plate G, and a rear support member (rear support portion) 12 that supports the rear edge of the glass plate G, and the surface 12a of the rear support member 12 is configured to have a window portion 12c that allows the other side (rear side or front side of the rear support member 12) to be viewed from one side (front side or rear side with respect to the rear support member 12).

[0035] With this configuration, for example, when the glass plate transport cart 1 is moved (backed) in the direction opposite to the towing direction A (forward direction in Figure 1), such as when the glass plate transport cart 1 is moved to a predetermined collection position P0 for collecting a processed glass plate G as a sample glass plate Ga, as described below, the glass plate transport cart 1 can be moved reliably while maintaining visibility in the direction of movement through the window portion 12c.

[0036] The configuration of the window portion 12c is not limited to this embodiment, and for example, it may be configured only by the opening 12b formed in the rear support member 12, without providing the sealing member 2. Moreover, the location where the window frame 12c is provided is not limited to one location as in this embodiment, but may be multiple locations.

[0037] Furthermore, the shape of the opening 12b (or the sealing member 2) is not limited to a rectangular shape as in this embodiment, and may be any shape as long as it is possible to view the other side from either the glass plate G side (rear side) or the opposite side to the glass plate G side (front side) of the rear support member 12. Furthermore, the material forming the sealing member 2 is not limited to a resin material such as polycarbonate as in this embodiment, but may be any transparent material such as a glass plate.

[0038] The reinforcing frame 13 includes, for example, a base frame 13a having a rectangular shape in a plan view extending along the mounting base 11, a plurality of support blocks 13b·13b··· on the upper surface of the base frame 13a that support the mounting base 11 along one side end (rear end in FIG. 1) and a plurality of pillars 13c·13c··· arranged upright along the other side end (front end in FIG. 1), a rear frame 13d having a lattice structure arranged along the back surface 12d on the side opposite to the front surface 12a of the rear support member 12 (front side in FIG. 1), and a plurality of beam members 13e·13e··· that connect the pillars 13c and the rear frame 13d. Moreover, the above-mentioned sealing member 2, together with the rear surface supporting member 12, is supported by the rear surface frame 13d.

[0039] The reinforcing frame 13 is disposed directly above a carriage portion 20, which will be described later, and is held by the carriage portion 20 via a rotation mechanism 22 so as to be rotatable (rotatable) in the horizontal direction.

[0040] The cart section 20 has a cart body 21, a rotation mechanism 22 provided on an upper surface 21a of the cart body 21, and a plurality of casters 23 provided on a lower surface 21b of the cart body 21.

[0041] The carriage body 21 is configured, for example, in a substantially square shape when viewed from above. In addition, it is preferable that the longitudinal dimension La of the trolley body 21 (i.e., the length of one side of the approximately square-shaped trolley body 21 in a plan view) is set to be approximately equal (La ≒ Lb) or slightly larger (La > Lb) than the width dimension Lb along the thickness direction (front-to-back direction in Figure 1) of the glass plate G placed on the mounting section 10.

[0042] With this configuration, for example, when the mounting section 10 is displaced to the second variable position S2 (see Figure 2(b)) described below, the mounting section 10 can be prevented from protruding significantly in the horizontal direction (left and right direction in Figure 2(b)) from the cart section 20, and the glass plate transport cart 1 can be maneuvered (changed course) in a narrower space to transport the glass plate G.

[0043] The rotation mechanism 22 is an example of a holding section according to the present invention, and constitutes a variable means that enables the pulling direction A of the pulling section 30, which pulls the mounting section 10 via the cart section 20, to be changed relative to the mounting section 10. The rotation mechanism 22 has, for example, a rotation shaft 22a that is inserted into the center of the upper surface 21a of the trolley body 21 in a planar view, with the axial direction being the up and down direction, and a bearing member (not shown) that is provided on the trolley body 21 and supports the rotation shaft 22a so that it can rotate (turn) around the axis center Z. In other words, the rotation mechanism 22 is provided between the cart unit 20 and the placement unit 10 .

[0044] The upper end of the rotating shaft 22a is connected to the base frame 13a of the placement unit 10. As a result, the mounting portion 10 is held by the cart portion 20 so as to be rotatable (rotatable) in the horizontal direction about the axis Z via the rotation shaft 22a.

[0045] In addition, a lock mechanism 4 for maintaining the position of the mounting portion 10 relative to the cart portion 20 is provided between the mounting portion 10 and the cart portion 20 .

[0046] The locking mechanism 4 has, for example, a mounting section side protruding piece 41 protruding from the base frame 13a of the mounting section 10 to one horizontal side (rear side in Figure 1), a first cart section side protruding piece 42a and a second cart section side protruding piece 42b which protrude from the cart body 21 of the cart section 20 to one horizontal side (rear side in Figure 1) and the other horizontal side (left side in Figure 1), respectively, and a locking pin 43.

[0047] The placement portion side protruding piece 41 and the first cart portion side protruding piece 42a are each provided with a through hole (not shown) that passes through both members coaxially. Further, the second cart side protruding piece 42b is also provided with a through hole (not shown) that is coaxial with the through hole of the placement unit side protruding piece 41.

[0048] The placement portion 10 is configured to be movable between a first variable position S1 (see FIG. 2(a)) and a second variable position S2 (see FIG. 2(b)) by rotating horizontally relative to the cart portion 20. When the mounting portion 10 is displaced to the first variable position S1, the position of the mounting portion 10 relative to the cart portion 20 is maintained (locked) by simultaneously inserting the lock pin 43 into the mounting portion side protrusion piece 41 and the first cart portion side protrusion piece 42a. In addition, when the mounting portion 10 is displaced to the second variable position S2, the position of the mounting portion 10 relative to the cart portion 20 is maintained (locked) by simultaneously inserting the lock pin 43 into the mounting portion side protrusion piece 41 and the second cart portion side protrusion piece 42b.

[0049] Here, the first variable position S1 is a position of the mounting section 10 relative to the cart section 20 in which the pulling direction A of the pulling section 30 is perpendicular to the glass plate G placed on the mounting section 10 in a planar view, as shown in Figure 2(a). In addition, the second variable position S2 is a position of the mounting unit 10 relative to the cart unit 20 where the pulling direction A of the pulling unit 30 is parallel to the plane of the glass plate G placed on the mounting unit 10, as shown in Figure 2(b). The position of the mounting portion 10 relative to the cart portion 20 can be displaced between a first variable position S1 and a second variable position S2 via the rotation mechanism 22, so that the pulling direction A of the towing portion 30 relative to the mounting portion 10 can be changed.

[0050] Thus, in this embodiment, the cart section 20 has a variable means capable of changing the pulling direction A of the towing section 30 relative to the mounting section 10, and the variable means is provided between the cart section 20 and the mounting section 10 and is configured to consist of a rotation mechanism (holding section) 22 that holds the mounting section 10 from the cart section 20 so that it can rotate horizontally relative to the cart section 20.

[0051] With this configuration, the carrying section 10 can be rotated by an adjustable means consisting of the rotation mechanism (holding section) 22, thereby easily changing the traveling direction (pulling direction A) of the glass plate G placed on the carrying section 10.

[0052] In the present embodiment, the rotation mechanism 22 is configured to be capable of rotating the mounting portion 10 horizontally around the axis Z (see Figures 1(a) and (b)). However, this is not limited to this, and it is sufficient that the rotation mechanism 22 is configured to be capable of rotating the mounting portion 10 back and forth horizontally at least between the first variable position S1 and the second variable position S2.

[0053] The caster 23 is a so-called swivel caster that can rotate about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the wheel. In this embodiment, four casters 23·23·23·23 are provided, for example, as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), and are arranged at the four corners of the lower surface 21b of the cart body 21, respectively.

[0054] The cart section 20 is configured to be movable via these casters 23, and the moving direction (traveling direction) of the cart section 20 can be changed as desired.

[0055] Thus, in this embodiment, the cart section 20 (more specifically, the cart body 21) is configured to have the casters 23, which are capable of changing the direction of movement, on the bottom (lower surface 21b). With this configuration, when the glass plate transport cart 1 is maneuvered (course changed), the direction of travel of the cart section 20 can be easily changed via the casters 23, and it can be reliably made to follow the pulling direction A of the towing section 30.

[0056] The towing unit 30 is constituted by a commercially available towing vehicle, the wheels 32 of which can be driven by an electric drive mechanism 31 . The towing unit 30 is disposed on one side of the cart unit 20 (the front side in FIG. 1) with a predetermined distance therebetween, and is connected to the cart unit 20 via a connecting member 33.

[0057] Here, the separation distance Lc between the cart section 20 and the towing section 30 is set to a distance such that the mounting section 10 does not interfere with the towing section 30 when the mounting section 10 is displaced to the second variable position S2 (see FIG. 2(b)). In other words, in a plan view, the separation distance Lc is larger than the protruding distance Ld of the mounting section 10 protruding from the cart section 20.

[0058] The towing unit 30 is provided with a handle 34 for controlling the direction of travel of the towing unit 30, and the handle 34 is provided with various control switches (not shown) for controlling the drive of the drive mechanism 31.

[0059] Then, while holding the handle 34, the operator operates the various control switches described above to control the drive of the drive mechanism 31 and causes the towing unit 30 to travel in the towing direction A. As a result, the carriage section 20 is pulled in the pulling direction A by the pulling section 30.

[0060] The towing unit 30 can also be caused to travel in the direction opposite to the towing direction A by controlling the various control switches provided on the handle 34.

[0061] As described above, in this embodiment, the towing unit 30 is configured to have a drive mechanism 31 capable of traveling in the towing direction A. By towing the trolley section 20 with the towing section 30 having such a drive mechanism 31, it is possible to reduce the labor required for transporting the glass plate G, thereby reducing the manual burden on the worker and improving work efficiency.

[0062] [Work procedure for collecting sample glass plate Ga using glass plate transport cart 1] Next, as an example of the transporting operation of the glass plate G using the glass plate transport cart 1, a procedure for collecting a sample glass plate Ga will be described with reference to Figs.

[0063] In FIG. 3, the manufacturing process of a glass plate G is generally isolated from the surrounding environment by a partition wall B, and the work of collecting a sample glass plate Ga is carried out in a limited space within a work area surrounded by the partition wall B.

[0064] Within the above-mentioned work area, a conveying device 50 is disposed which chucks (clamps) the upper end of the glass sheet G which has been processed through various processes, and continuously conveys the glass sheet G in a vertical position, for example, toward the final process, which is the packaging process. Further, a partition wall B of the work area, which is located downstream of the conveying device 50 in the conveying direction C, is provided with an entrance / exit B1 for entering and exiting the work area.

[0065] Then, the operator moves the glass plate transport cart 1 to a predetermined collection position P0 and collects a sample glass plate Ga in accordance with the following procedure. The sampling position P0 is located upstream of the conveying device 50 in the conveying direction C, and an operator extracts the glass plate G chucked (clamped) by the conveying device 50 at predetermined time intervals or randomly to obtain a sample glass plate Ga.

[0066] First, the glass plate transport cart 1 is located at an arbitrary first position P1 outside the work area. At the first position P1, the mounting portion 10 is held at the above-mentioned second variable position S2 (see FIG. 2(b)). The mounting portion 10 may be in either a state where no sample glass plate Ga has been placed thereon or a state where several sample glass plates Ga have already been placed thereon.

[0067] When the work of collecting the sample glass plate Ga begins, the worker grasps the handle 34 to drive the towing unit 30, and uses the towing unit 30 to tow the cart unit 20 in the towing direction A (see Figure 1) toward the entrance / exit B1 of the work area.

[0068] Then, with the mounting unit 10 held in the second variable position S2, the worker passes through the entrance B1 toward the work area while towing the cart unit 20 with the towing unit 30. In this case, since the loading section 10 does not protrude significantly from the trolley section 20 in a direction perpendicular to the towing direction A when viewed in a plan view, even if there is not enough space at the entrance / exit B1, the glass plate transport trolley 1 can be easily maneuvered (changed course) and can pass through the entrance / exit B1.

[0069] When the glass plate transport cart 1 passes through the entrance / exit B1 and reaches the second position P2 within the work area, the worker releases the locking state set by the locking mechanism 4 (see Figure 1), displaces the mounting section 10 to the first variable position S1 (see Figure 2(a)), and then locks the locking mechanism 4 again.

[0070] Then, while maneuvering (changing course) the glass plate transport cart 1, the worker tows the cart unit 20 by the towing unit 30 toward a third position P3 located in a corner further inside the work area.

[0071] When the glass plate transport cart 1 reaches the third position P3, the worker positions the glass plate transport cart 1 with the back support member 12 (see FIG. 1) facing the transport device 50.

[0072] Then, the operator moves the towing unit 30 in the direction opposite to the towing direction A, and moves the glass plate transport cart 1 toward the collection position P0 for collecting the sample glass plate Ga (toward the rear in FIG. 1). At this time, as mentioned above, the worker can move the glass plate transport cart 1 while securing visibility in the direction of movement through the window portion 12c (see Figure 1 (b)), and can move the glass plate transport cart 1 toward the collection position P0 (moving it backwards in Figure 1) while checking for the presence of any obstacles in the surrounding area.

[0073] When the glass plate transport cart 1 reaches the collection position P0, an operator extracts several glass plates G that are chucked (clamped) by the conveying device 50 at predetermined time intervals or randomly, and places them in order on the mounting section 10 as sample glass plates Ga.

[0074] Then, when the predetermined number of glass plates G·G··· have been placed on the placement section 10, as shown in Figure 4, the worker moves the towing section 30 in the towing direction A (see Figure 1) and temporarily moves the glass plate transport cart 1 toward the third position P3.

[0075] When the glass plate transport cart 1 reaches the third position P3, the worker uses the towing unit 30 to tow the cart unit 20 toward the second position P2 located near the entrance / exit B1 while maneuvering the glass plate transport cart 1 (changing its course).

[0076] When the glass plate transport cart 1 reaches the second position P2, the worker releases the locking state set by the locking mechanism 4 (see Figure 1), displaces the mounting portion 10 again to the second variable position S2 (see Figure 2 (b)), and then locks the locking mechanism 4.

[0077] Then, with the mounting unit 10 held in the second variable position S2, the worker passes through the entrance B1 toward the outside of the work area while towing the cart unit 20 with the towing unit 30. Even in this case, just as when passing through the entrance / exit B1 toward the interior of the work area described above, the loading section 10 does not protrude significantly from the trolley section 20 in a direction perpendicular to the towing direction A in a plan view, so that even if there is not enough space at the entrance / exit B1, the glass plate transport trolley 1 can be easily maneuvered (changed course) and can pass through the entrance / exit B1.

[0078] Thereafter, the glass plate transport cart 1 passes through the entrance / exit B1 and reaches an arbitrary first position P1 outside the work area, thereby completing the series of work procedures in the collection of sample glass plates Ga using the glass plate transport cart 1.

[0079] [Configuration of glass plate transport cart 101 (another embodiment)] Next, the configuration of a glass plate transport cart 101 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5(a)(b) and 6(a)(b).

[0080] A glass plate transport cart 101 in another embodiment has a configuration substantially equivalent to the glass plate transport cart 1 in the present embodiment described above, but differs from the glass plate transport cart 1 in the configuration of the variable means that can change the pulling direction A of the towing section 130 relative to the mounting section 110. Therefore, in the following description, differences from the glass plate transport cart 1 of this embodiment will be mainly described, and a description of configurations equivalent to those of the glass plate transport cart 1 will be omitted.

[0081] The glass plate transport cart 101 is a cart that transports a glass plate G in a vertical position, and as shown in Figures 5(a) and (b), it mainly comprises a mounting section 110 on which the glass plate G is placed, a cart section 120 that can move while holding the mounting section 110, and a towing section 130 that tows the cart section 120.

[0082] The placement unit 110 has a configuration substantially similar to that of the placement unit 10 of the glass plate transport cart 1 in this embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0083] The cart section 120 has a cart body 121, a holding member 122 that holds the placement section 110 from an upper surface 121a of the cart body 121, and a plurality of casters 123 provided on a lower surface 121b of the cart body 121. The cart section 120 also has a plurality of (two in this embodiment) engaged members 124 provided on the side surface of the cart body 121.

[0084] In addition, the cart body 121 and the caster 123 have substantially the same configuration as the cart body 21 and the caster 23 in this embodiment, respectively, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0085] The holding member 122 is provided, for example, on the upper surface 121a of the dolly body 121 so as to protrude upward from the center in a plan view, and the protruding end of the holding member 122 is connected to the base frame 113a of the mounting unit 110. As a result, the placement portion 110 is held by the cart portion 120 via the holding member 122 .

[0086] The engaged member 124 is an example of a connecting part according to the present invention, and constitutes a variable means that enables the pulling direction A (forward direction in Figure 5) of the pulling part 130, which pulls the mounting part 110 via the cart part 120, to be changed relative to the mounting part 110.

[0087] The engaged members 124·124 are shaped so as to be engageable with an engaging member 133a of the towing unit 130 described later, and are provided so as to protrude horizontally from one side surface (the front side surface in FIG. 5) and the other side surface (the left side surface in FIG. 5) of the cart body 121.

[0088] As described later, by changing the engaged member 124 that engages with the engaging member 133a of the towing unit 130 between the engaged member 124 (hereinafter appropriately referred to as the "first engaged member 124a") provided on the front side of the cart body 121 and the engaged member 124 (hereinafter appropriately referred to as the "second engaged member 124b") provided on the left side of the cart body 121, the towing direction A of the towing unit 130 relative to the mounting unit 110 can be easily changed.

[0089] The towing unit 130 has a configuration substantially similar to that of the towing unit 30 in this embodiment, but differs from the towing unit 30 in the shape of one end of the connecting member 133 (more specifically, the end on the cart unit 120 side). Therefore, in the following description, differences from the towing unit 30 in this embodiment will be mainly described, and a description of the same configuration as the towing unit 30 will be omitted.

[0090] An engaging member 133a engageable with each of the engaged members 124 is provided at one end of the connecting member 133 (the end on the dolly section 120 side).

[0091] When the towing unit 130 is connected to the traction unit 120 via the connecting member 133, the mounting unit 110 is held in the first variable position S101 (see FIG. 6(a)) by engaging the engaging member 133a with the first engaged member 124a of the trolley body 121. Furthermore, by engaging the engaging member 133a with the second engaged member 124b of the carriage body 121, the placement section 110 is held in the second variable position S102 (see FIG. 6(b)).

[0092] It should be noted that the above-mentioned first variable position S101 and second variable position S102 are substantially equivalent to the first variable position S1 and second variable position S2 in this embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0093] Thus, in another embodiment, the cart section 120 has an adjustable means capable of changing the pulling direction A of the towing section 130 relative to the mounting section 110, and the adjustable means is provided at different positions (i.e., the front side and the left side) of the cart section 120 and is configured from a plurality of engaged members (connecting sections) 124·124 that can each engage with and be connected to the engaging members 133a in the towing section 130.

[0094] With this configuration, the traveling direction (pulling direction) of the glass plate G placed on the placement portion 110 can be easily changed by appropriately selecting the engaged members (variable means) 124 / 124 to be connected to the pulling portion 130.

[0095] In addition, the work procedure when using the glass plate transporting cart 101 in another embodiment to collect sample glass plates Ga is approximately the same as the work procedure when using the glass plate transporting cart 1 in this embodiment described above, but differs from the work procedure using the glass plate transporting cart 1 only in that the loading section 110 is moved between the first variable position S101 and the second variable position S102 by appropriately changing the engaged members 124 / 124 of the cart section 120 that engage the engaging member 133a at the second position P2 (see Figures 3 and 4) within the work area.

[0096] As described above, the glass plate transport cart 1 (101) in this embodiment is configured to include a mounting section 10 (110) on which the glass plate G is placed, a cart section 20 (120) that can move while holding the mounting section 10 (110), a pulling section 30 (130) that pulls the cart section 20 (120), and a variable means (more specifically, a rotation mechanism 22 in this embodiment, or a plurality of engaged members 124 / 124 in another embodiment) that can change the pulling direction A of the pulling section 30 (130) relative to the mounting section 10 (110).

[0097] By having such a configuration, with the glass plate transport cart 1 in this embodiment (or the glass plate transport cart 101 in another embodiment), even when transporting a large-sized glass plate G as described above, the traveling direction of the glass plate G can be easily changed by changing the pulling direction A of the towing section 30 (130) relative to the loading section 10 (110) using the above-mentioned variable means, and the glass plate transport cart 1 (101) can be maneuvered (changed course) in a narrower space without the need to maneuver the cart 1 (101) itself significantly.

[0098] Moreover, the glass plate transport cart 1 (101) in this embodiment is mainly used for transporting glass plates G made of sample glass plates Ga.

[0099] Here, the work area in which the processed glass sheets G are removed is generally surrounded by a partition wall B, and there is often not enough space at the entrance / exit B1 for entering and exiting the work area. Even in the case of a sample glass plate Ga that is transported through an entrance / exit B1 of a work area where sufficient space is not secured or through other narrow areas within a factory, the above-mentioned glass plate transport cart 1 (101) can be used to change the pulling direction A of the towing unit 30 (130) relative to the mounting unit 10 (110) to easily transport the sample glass plate.

[0100] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, which is merely illustrative, and it is of course possible to embody the present invention in various other forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the description of the claims, and further includes the equivalent meanings described in the claims, and all modifications within the scope of the claims.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the glass plate transport cart 1 (101) passes through the entrance B1 by moving the towing unit 30 (130) in the towing direction A, but the present invention is not limited to this. The glass plate transport cart 1 (101) may pass through the entrance B1 by moving the towing unit 30 (130) in the direction opposite to the towing direction A. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 1, 101 Glass plate transport cart 10, 110 Placement section 11a Top surface (mounting surface) 124 Engaged member (connecting portion) 124a First engaged member (connection part) 124b Second engaged member (connection part) 12a Front (back) 12c Window section 20, 120 Bogie section 22 Rotation mechanism (holding part) 23, 123 Caster 30, 130 Traction part 31 Drive mechanism A Traction direction G Glass plate Ga sample glass plate

Claims

1. A placement section on which a glass plate is placed; A carriage unit capable of moving while holding the placement unit; A towing unit that tows the carriage unit; A variable means for changing the pulling direction of the pulling part relative to the placement part, A glass plate transport cart characterized by the above.

2. The variable means is a holding section provided between the cart section and the placement section, the holding section holding the placement section rotatably in a horizontal direction relative to the cart section; 2. The glass sheet transport cart according to claim 1 .

3. The variable means is A plurality of coupling parts are provided at different positions of the carriage part and can be coupled to the towing part, 2. The glass sheet transport cart according to claim 1 .

4. The cart unit has casters at its bottom that can change the direction of movement. The glass sheet transport cart according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that

5. The placement portion is A bottom support portion for supporting a bottom side of the glass plate; A rear support portion for supporting a rear surface of the glass plate, The rear support portion has a window portion through which the other side can be seen from one side. The glass sheet transport cart according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that

6. The placement portion holds the glass plate in a vertically placed position and at an inclination. The glass plate transport cart according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that

7. The towing unit has a drive mechanism capable of traveling in a towing direction. The glass sheet transport cart according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that

8. Used to transport sample glass plates, The glass sheet transport cart according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that

9. The length of one side of the sample glass plate is 1500 mm or more and 2700 mm or less.

9. The glass sheet transport dolly according to claim 8.

10. A placement section on which a glass plate is placed; A carriage unit capable of moving while holding the placement unit; A towing unit that tows the carriage unit, The placement portion is A bottom support portion for supporting a bottom side of the glass plate; A rear support portion for supporting a rear surface of the glass plate, The rear support portion has a window portion through which the other side can be seen from one side. A glass plate transport cart characterized by the above.

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