Article conveyance device

Abstract

To provide an article conveyance device which is small and is capable of reducing the number of devices required for processing.SOLUTION: An article conveyance device comprises: a master shuttle and a slave shuttle movable along an upper surface of a conveyance path; an article holding part which holds an article and is supported by the master shuttle and the slave shuttle; and a conveyance mechanism which levitates the master shuttle and the slave shuttle from the upper surface of the conveyance path by utilizing magnetic force and moves them along the upper surface of the conveyance path. The master shuttle rotatably supports the article holding part, and the slave shuttle supports the article holding part rotatably and under a state capable of approaching or separating from the master shuttle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article transport device that transports an article. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a configuration using a belt conveyor has been widely known as a conveying device for conveying articles and performing processes such as inspection of the conveyed articles. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-119565 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When performing a common process on multiple locations of objects being transported using a belt conveyor as a transport device, the same number of processing devices as the number of locations where the processes are performed may be used, making the device large and complicated. Also, a method of using a robot or the like to remove the transported objects from the belt conveyor and perform the processes thereon can be adopted, but the robot or the like is required, making the device large.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an article transport device that is compact and requires less equipment for processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, an article transport apparatus of the present invention comprises a transport path having a planar upper surface, a main master shuttle and a slave shuttle movable along the upper surface of the transport path, an article holding unit capable of holding an article and supported by the master shuttle and the slave shuttle, and a transport mechanism that uses magnetic force to levitate the master shuttle and the slave shuttle above the upper surface of the transport path and move them along the upper surface of the transport path. The master shuttle supports the article holding unit so that it can rotate about a master axis that is perpendicular to the upper surface of the transport path. The slave shuttle supports the article holding unit in a state in which it can rotate about a slave axis that is parallel to the master axis and in a state in which it can move toward or away from the master shuttle. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The article transport device of the present invention is compact and can reduce the amount of equipment required for processing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the article transport device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the article transport device. [Diagram 3] 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a transport path and a transport unit moving on the transport path. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the transport unit as viewed from above. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the transport unit as seen from below. [Figure 6] 11 is a schematic plan view of the transport unit while rotating at the rotating section. FIG. [Figure 7] 11 is a schematic plan view of the transport unit while rotating at the rotating section. FIG. [Figure 8] 11 is a schematic plan view of the transport unit while rotating at the rotating section. FIG. [Figure 9] 13 is a schematic plan view of the transport unit rotated 180 degrees at the rotating portion. FIG. [Figure 10]FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of another example of the transport unit. [Figure 11] 11 is a schematic plan view of the transport unit shown in FIG. 10 rotated 45 degrees clockwise in plan view. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of a transport unit according to a first modified example. [Figure 13] 13 is a schematic plan view of the transport unit shown in FIG. 12 rotated 90 degrees clockwise in plan view. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] <Item conveying device 100> Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of the item transport apparatus 100. Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of the item transport apparatus 100. Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a transport path 1 and a transport unit 2 moving on the transport path 1. The item transport apparatus 100 has the transport path 1, the transport unit 2, a transport mechanism 3, and a controller 4.

[0011] <Controller 4> Here, the controller 4 will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 2, the controller 4 has an arithmetic circuit 41 and a memory circuit 42. The arithmetic circuit 41 is a circuit that processes various information, and has arithmetic circuits such as a CPU and an MPU. The controller 4 also controls the transport mechanism 3.

[0012] The storage circuit 42 is a circuit that includes or is connected to semiconductor memories such as ROM and RAM, portable memories such as flash memories, and storage media such as hard disks. Various programs such as control programs or processing programs may be stored in the storage circuit 42, and the program corresponding to the processing may be called up as necessary and run by the arithmetic circuit 41 to perform the processing. The elements connected to the controller 4 and the control thereof will be explained when explaining each element.

[0013] <Transport path 1> The details of the conveying path 1 will be described. In the conveying path 1 shown in FIG. 1, the direction from the top to the bottom is the conveying direction Tr. The conveying path 1 has an inlet path 12, a turning section 13, a first outlet path 14, and a second outlet path 15. The inlet path 12 is a portion where the conveying unit 2 faces the turning section 13. The first outlet path 14 and the second outlet path 15 are portions where the conveying unit 2 exits from the turning section 13. Furthermore, a processing section Pcr is disposed near the turning section 13. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the processing section Pcr in which a part of the processing section Pcr overlaps (faces) the upper surface of the turning section 13, but this is not limited thereto. In addition, in the conveying path 1 shown in FIG. 1, two outlet paths are connected to the turning section 13, but this is not limited thereto, and one outlet path or three outlet paths may be connected thereto.

[0014] The width of the upper surface of the loading path 12 in the cross direction Ts is at least a width that allows the master shuttle 5 and slave shuttle 6 of the transport unit 2 to move side by side in the cross direction Ts. In this embodiment, in the loading path 12, the master shuttle 5 and slave shuttle 6 move in the transport direction Tr while lined up in the cross direction Ts, and transport the article Pr. It is also possible for the master shuttle 5 and slave shuttle 6 to move in the transport direction Tr while lined up front and back along the transport direction Tr.

[0015] The turning section 13 is disposed at the downstream end of the conveying direction Tr of the carry-in path 12. In Fig. 1, the turning section 13 is illustrated as being square in plan view and composed of one area Ar, but is not limited thereto, and may be rectangular in plan view other than a square, or may be composed of a combination of multiple areas Ar.

[0016] In the swivel section 13, the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 are capable of moving in a clockwise and / or counterclockwise direction in a plan view. As a result, in the swivel section 13, the transport unit 2 and the article Pr held by the article holder 7 rotate around a later-described rotation axis Cz (see Figures 6 to 9, etc.) that extends along the normal to the upper surface of the swivel section 13. The movement of the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 will be described in detail later.

[0017] A processing unit Pcr is disposed near the turning unit 13. The processing unit Pcr is disposed, for example, adjacent to the turning unit 13 in the intersecting direction Ts, and a portion of the processing unit Pcr faces the upper surface of the turning unit 13. The processing unit Pcr executes a predetermined process on the article Pr held in the article holding unit 7 of the transport unit 2.

[0018] The item Pr transported by the item transport device 100 is long and held by a long item holding section 7. The processing section Pcr then performs a predetermined process on both longitudinal ends (Pr1, Pr2) of the item Pr. That is, the processing section Pcr performs a process on the first end Pr1 (see Figures 1, 3, 5, etc.) on one longitudinal side of the item Pr held by the transport unit 2 that has reached the turning section 13. In addition, after the transport unit 2 has turned, the processing section Pcr performs a process on the second end Pr2 (see Figures 1, 3, 9, etc.) on the other longitudinal side of the item Pr.

[0019] The processing performed by the processing unit Pcr may include, for example, soldering, welding, gluing, printing, stamping, etc. In addition, the processing may include processing performed on the item Pr. In other words, the processing to be performed varies depending on the item Pr held in the item holding unit 7.

[0020] The first discharge path 14 extends from the turning unit 13 in the transport direction Tr to the opposite side to the inlet path 12. The second discharge path 15 extends from the turning unit 13 in the intersecting direction Ts to the opposite side to the processing unit Pcr.

[0021] 3, the transport path 1 has a plate portion 111 and an auxiliary device accommodating portion 112. The plate portion 111 is a flat member, and is formed of a material that is not magnetized (non-magnetic material), such as resin or aluminum. An upper surface 11u of the plate portion 111 is a surface that faces a lower surface 51d of a base portion 51 of the master shuttle 5 and a lower surface 61d of a base portion 61 of the slave shuttle 6, which move along the transport path 1.

[0022] The accessory housing portion 112 is disposed below the plate portion 111. In the accessory housing portion 112, the levitation coil 311, the movement coil 312, and the driver circuit 33 of the electromagnet 31 of the transport mechanism 3 are housed.

[0023] In the transport path 1, the electromagnet 31 is arranged so that a magnetic field can be formed with the permanent magnets 32 arranged on the master shuttle 5 and slave shuttle 6 located above the upper surface 11u of the plate portion 111 of the transport path 1. In the transport path 1 shown in Fig. 3, the levitation coils 311 and the movement coils 312 are arranged alternately, but this is not a limitation to the actual arrangement. In addition, the position of the driver circuit 33 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 3.

[0024] <Transport unit 2> Next, the transport unit 2 will be described in detail. Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the transport unit 2 as seen from above. Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the transport unit 2 as seen from below. In Fig. 5, for ease of understanding, the base 51 of the master shuttle 5 and the base 61 of the slave shuttle 6 are indicated by two-dot chain lines.

[0025] 4 and 5, the transport unit 2 has a configuration capable of holding and transporting an article Pr. The transport unit 2 has a master shuttle 5, a slave shuttle 6, and an article holder .

[0026] The master shuttle 5 has a base 51, a support 52, and a bearing 53. The base 51 is a box having an upper surface 51u and a lower surface 51d facing the upper surface 11u of the transport path 1, and has a square shape with rounded corners in a plan view. With this configuration, when the movement direction of the base 51 is changed or when the base 51 rotates, the base 51 is less likely to interfere with, for example, the base 61 of the slave shuttle 6.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the permanent magnet 32 ​​of the transport mechanism 3 is disposed inside 51c of the base 51. The base 51 is made of a non-magnetic material such as resin or aluminum, and is not magnetized. The master shuttle 5 is provided with an identification element 54 (see FIG. 2). The identification element 54 can be, for example, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and is wirelessly connected to a reader / writer (not shown) connected to the controller 4. The identification element 54 transfers individual identification information Im of the master shuttle 5 to the controller 4. This allows the controller 4 to obtain information such as the position of the master shuttle 5 on the transport path 1. The identification element 54 may be an optically detected element such as a two-dimensional barcode.

[0028] The support column 52 extends upward from the center of the upper surface 51u of the base 51 in a plan view. The support column 52 has a center line that is the master axis C1 perpendicular to the upper surface of the base 51, and is a columnar shape with a circular cross section perpendicular to the master axis C1. Although the support column 52 is disposed at the center of the base 51 in a plan view, this is not limiting and the support column 52 may be disposed at a position shifted from the center. However, in order to stabilize the postures of the master shuttle 5 and the transport unit 2, the support column 52 is preferably disposed at the center of the base 51 in a plan view.

[0029] As shown in Figs. 3 to 5 etc., the diameter of the lower end of the support column 52 is larger than that of the upper portion. By configuring in this manner, it is possible to increase the rigidity of the support column 52. This suppresses deformation of the support column 52. The lower end of the support column 52 is fixed to the base 51. The support column 52 may be configured as a single member together with the base 51, or may be fixed by a fixing method such as welding, adhesion, melting, or screwing. A wide variety of fixing methods can be used to firmly fix the support column 52 to the base 51.

[0030] The upper end of the support portion 52 is attached to the article holding portion 7 via the bearing portion 53. As shown in FIG. 3, the bearing portion 53 here has a configuration in which ball bearings are arranged spaced apart in the axial direction. The two ball bearings of the bearing portion 53 are arranged in recessed holes 721 formed in the support protrusion 72 of the article holding portion 7. This allows the master shuttle 5 to support the article holding portion 7 so that it can rotate around the master axis C1. As the bearing portion 53 has a configuration in which the ball bearings are arranged spaced apart in the axial direction, wobble of the support portion 52 relative to the article holding portion 7 is suppressed.

[0031] In this embodiment, the bearing portion 53 is configured with two ball bearings, but is not limited thereto, and a wide variety of bearings, such as plain bearings, can be used that allow the support portion 52 to rotatably support the article holding portion 7. In addition, in this embodiment, the use of two ball bearings of the same shape is described, but bearings of different shapes, sizes, or configurations may be combined.

[0032] The slave shuttle 6 has a base 61, a support 62, and a bearing 63. The slave shuttle 6 has a similar configuration to the master shuttle 5, and the base 61, support 62, and bearing 63 of the slave shuttle 6 have the same configurations as the base 51, support 52, and bearing 53 of the master shuttle 5, respectively. The base 61 is a box having an upper surface 61u and a lower surface 61d facing the upper surface 11u of the transport path 1, and is square in shape with rounded corners in a plan view. A permanent magnet 32 ​​of the transport mechanism 3 is also arranged inside 61c of the base 61.

[0033] The support pillar 62 extends upward from the center of the upper surface 61u of the pedestal 61 in a plan view. The support pillar 62 has a center line that is the slave axis C2 perpendicular to the upper surface 61u of the pedestal 61, and is columnar in shape with a circular cross section perpendicular to the slave axis C2. Note that, although the support pillar 62 is disposed at the center of the pedestal 61 in a plan view, this is not limiting and the support pillar 62 may be disposed at a position offset from the center. However, in order to stabilize the postures of the slave shuttle 6 and the transport unit 2, it is preferable that the support pillar 62 be disposed at the center of the pedestal 61 in a plan view.

[0034] The upper end of the support column 62 is attached to the article holding part 7 via the bearing part 63. As shown in FIG. 3, the bearing part 63 here has a configuration in which ball bearings are arranged spaced apart in the axial direction. The two ball bearings of the bearing part 63 are arranged in recessed holes 731 formed in the support body 73 of the article holding part 7. This allows the slave shuttle 6 to support the article holding part 7 so that it can rotate about the slave axis C2. By arranging the ball bearings spaced apart in the axial direction, wobble of the support column 62 relative to the article holding part 7 can be suppressed.

[0035] The article holding section 7 has a main body section 71, a support protrusion section 72, a support body 73, and a rail 74. As shown in Figs. 3 to 5 etc., the main body section 71 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. A holder (not shown) for holding the article Pr is provided on the upper surface of the main body section 71 of the article holding section 7. The holder firmly holds the article Pr so that it does not shift or fall when the transport unit 2 moves. In addition, the holder may have a configuration that can switch from a state in which it holds the article Pr to a state in which it is released, for example, in accordance with an instruction from the controller 4.

[0036] The support protrusion 72 is cylindrical and protrudes downward from the underside of the first end 711 on one side in the longitudinal direction of the main body 71. The support protrusion 72 is configured integrally with the main body 71. The support protrusion 72 may be formed of a single member together with the main body 71, or may be firmly fixed by a fixing method such as press fitting, welding, melting, adhesion, or screwing. In addition, when the main body 71 is configured to have a sufficient thickness to be able to attach the bearing 53, the support protrusion 72 may be omitted and the support column 52 may be attached to the main body 71 via the bearing 53.

[0037] A recessed hole 721 is formed in the lower surface 72d of the support protrusion 72. The recessed hole 721 is cylindrical. The support column 52 is attached to the recessed hole 721 via the bearing 53. When the support column 52 is attached, the center line of the recessed hole 721 and the master axis C1 of the master shuttle 5 overlap with each other.

[0038] 5, the rail 74 is provided on the underside of the second end 712 on the other longitudinal side of the main body 71, and is linear. The rail 74 is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the main body 71. In this embodiment, the rail 74 is disposed so that the extension line of the rail 74 coincides with the center line of the recessed hole 721, i.e., the master axis line C1, but this is not limited thereto. It is sufficient that at least a portion of the rail 74 is disposed close to the master axis line C1.

[0039] The support 73 here has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. However, the shape of the support 73 is not limited to this. The support 73 engages with a rail 74 and can reciprocate along the rail 74. In other words, the support 73 is supported by the rail 74 arranged on the lower surface of the main body 71 so as to be able to approach and move away from the support protrusion 72.

[0040] A recessed hole 731 is formed in the lower surface 73d of the support 73. The recessed hole 731 is cylindrical. The support column 62 is attached to the recessed hole 731 via the bearing portion 63. When the support column 62 is attached to the recessed hole 731 via the bearing portion 63, the center line of the recessed hole 731 and the slave axis C2 of the slave shuttle 6 overlap with each other.

[0041] Further, ribs 75 extending downward from the lower surface of the article holding portion 7 are provided near both ends of the rail 74 in the longitudinal direction. The ribs 75 act as stoppers that limit the movement of the support 73. In other words, when the support 73 moves along the rail 74, the support 73 comes into contact with the ribs 75, thereby limiting the movement of the support 73. This prevents the support 73 from coming off the rail 74.

[0042] <Transport mechanism 3> The transport mechanism 3 has an electromagnet 31, a permanent magnet 32, and a driver circuit 33. As shown in Fig. 3, the permanent magnet 32 ​​is disposed inside the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6. The permanent magnet 32 ​​generates a magnetic field that penetrates the lower surfaces of the pedestal portions 51 and 61.

[0043] The electromagnet 31 and the driver circuit 33 are housed in the accessory housing section 112 of the transport path 1. The electromagnet 31 has a levitation coil 311 and a movement coil 312. As shown in Fig. 2, the levitation coil 311 and the movement coil 312 are connected to the driver circuit 33. The driver circuit 33 is provided along the transport path 1 for each predetermined area Ar.

[0044] The driver circuit 33 is connected to the controller 4, and notifies the controller 4 of individual identification information Im including information on the area Ar in which the driver circuit 33 is arranged. The controller 4 identifies the driver circuit 33 to which the instruction is to be sent based on the individual identification information Im. The controller 4 and the driver circuit 33 may be connected by wire or wirelessly.

[0045] Then, the driver circuit 33 supplies power to the levitation coil 311 and the movement coil 312 in response to instructions from the controller 4. When a current flows through the levitation coil 311, it repels the permanent magnet 32. This repulsive force lifts the transport unit 2 above the upper surface 11u of the transport path 1. In other words, the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 are levitated from the upper surface of the transport path 1 by the repulsive force between the levitation coil 311 and the permanent magnet 32.

[0046] In addition, the driver circuit 33 supplies power to the movement coils 312 based on instructions from the controller 4. The movement coils 312 generate a magnetic force between themselves and the permanent magnets 32 by passing a current through them. This magnetic force is either an attractive force or a repulsive force depending on the current that flows. The movement coils 312 are provided on the transport path 1, and the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 are moved by passing an appropriate current through an appropriate movement coil 312 at an appropriate timing to switch between an attractive force and a repulsive force between themselves and the permanent magnets 32.

[0047] Furthermore, the driver circuit 33 driven by the controller 4 supplies an appropriate current at an appropriate timing to an appropriate moving coil 312. As a result, the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 can move in the conveying direction Tr, the intersecting direction Ts, and a direction that is a combination of the conveying direction Tr and the intersecting direction Ts. For example, by controlling the movement of the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6, the article Pr held by the article holder 7 can be rotated above the rotating unit 13.

[0048] Furthermore, the controller 4 can send instructions to the driver circuits 33 of the adjacent areas Ar so that the movement coils 312 arranged in the adjacent areas Ar also operate in synchronization. That is, the movement coils 312 in the adjacent areas Ar can be operated in synchronization. This allows the transport unit 2 to move beyond the area Ar. The article transport device 100 has the above-mentioned configuration.

[0049] <Transportation of item Pr by transport unit 2> Next, the transport operation of the item Pr, including the processing of the item Pr in the item transport device 100, will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 6 to 8 are schematic plan views of the transport unit 2 rotating in the rotating section 13. FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing the state in which the transport unit 2 has rotated 180 degrees in the rotating section 13. The attitude of the transport unit 2 moving along the entrance path 12 is defined as a first attitude An1 (see FIG. 1). Moreover, the attitude rotated 180 degrees from the first attitude An1 is defined as a second attitude An2 (see FIG. 9). Furthermore, when the transport unit 2 rotates in the clockwise direction CW, the attitude perpendicular to both the first attitude An1 and the second attitude An2 is defined as a third attitude An3 (see FIG. 7).

[0050] 1, the controller 4 moves the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 in the transport direction Tr while maintaining the relative position of the slave shuttle 6 with respect to the master shuttle 5. As a result, the transport unit 2 moves in the transport direction Tr along the carry-in path 12 while maintaining the first position An1. Note that in FIG. 1, the first position An1 is a state in which the slave shuttle 6 is on the left side of the master shuttle 5 in the intersecting direction Ts.

[0051] In the article transport apparatus 100, the controller 4 controls the driver circuit 33 so that the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 operate in synchronization. However, due to differences in signal transmission, circuit resistance, etc., the operations of the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 may be slightly out of sync. As described above, since the support body 73 supported by the slave shuttle 6 is movable along the rail 74, the transport unit 2 can stably transport the article Pr even if the relative positions of the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 are misaligned.

[0052] In the article transport apparatus 100, a detection unit that detects the positions of the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 may be disposed near the transport path 1, and when a deviation in the relative position of the slave shuttle 6 with respect to the master shuttle 5 is detected, the controller 4 may correct the deviation. The correction of the deviation by the controller 4 may be adjusted by changing the speed at which the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 move. Also, for example, like the swivel unit 13, the relative position may be adjusted after stopping at a determined stopping position.

[0053] The transport unit 2 is carried into the swivel section 13 while maintaining the first attitude An1. The controller 4 moves the transport unit 2 to a position on the swivel section 13 where processing is performed, and stops the transport unit 2. At this time, the processing section Pcr is positioned above the first end section Pr1 of the article Pr held by the article holding section 7 of the transport unit 2. The processing section Pcr performs processing on the first end section Pr1 of the article Pr held by the article holding section 7 of the transport unit 2 in this state.

[0054] The processing unit Pcr may always be disposed above the swivel unit 13, or may be configured to be moved to above the article Pr when the transport unit 2 moves to the swivel unit 13 and becomes ready to perform processing on the article Pr. Even if the processing unit Pcr is always disposed above the swivel unit 13, it may be configured to move in the vertical direction.

[0055] After the processing section Pcr performs processing on the first end section Pr1 of the article Pr, the controller 4 moves the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 in the clockwise direction CW in plan view around the center of the turning section 13. This causes the transport unit 2 to turn in the clockwise direction CW on the turning section 13 (see FIGS. 6 to 8).

[0056] The master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 may move in an arc, or may change the angle and repeat short linear movements to move in a pseudo-arc. When repeating linear movements at different angles, the relative positions of the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 change, but this change is absorbed by the movement along the rails 74 of the support 73.

[0057] Also, the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 may move in a direction Mv along the side of the swivel unit 13 to rotate the article holder 7 and the article Pr held therein (FIGS. 10 and 11). When moving in the direction Mv along the side of the swivel unit 13, the distance L2 between the support column 52 and the support column 62 when they are rotated 45 degrees in the state shown in FIG. 11 is longer than the distance L1 between the support column 52 and the support column 62 when they move to the swivel unit 13 in the state shown in FIG. 10. The difference between the distance L2 and the distance L1 is larger than when the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 move in a short straight line while changing the angle. Therefore, the movement amount of the support 73 is required to be large, and the length of the main body 71 is longer than when the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 move in a short straight line while changing the angle. As a result, the change in the distance between the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 is absorbed by the movement of the support column 73 along the rail 74.

[0058] As described above, even if the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 are moved in a square shape along the sides of the swivel section 13, the article holding section 7 and the article Pr held by the article holding section 7 can be rotated.

[0059] The controller 4 may move the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 simultaneously, or may move one of them so that the other stops while the other is moving.

[0060] The controller 4 moves the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 as described above, so that the transport unit 2 can reach the second posture An2 (see FIG. 9). When the transport unit 2 is in the second posture An2, it is rotated 180 degrees from the first posture An1.

[0061] By turning from the first posture An1 to the second posture An2, the positions of the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 in plan view are reversed. As a result, the second end Pr2 of the article Pr held by the article holding unit 7 approaches the processing unit Pcr. In this state, the processing unit Pcr performs processing on the second end Pr2 of the article Pr.

[0062] In the article transfer device 100 of the present embodiment, as described above, by turning the transfer unit 2 with the turning unit 13, it is possible to execute substantially the same processing on different portions of one article Pr with one processing unit Pcr. As a result, when performing substantially the same processing on a plurality of separated portions of an article, only one processing unit Pcr is required, and it is not necessary to take out the article Pr, so that the configuration of the article transfer device 100 can be simplified and the installation area of the article transfer device 100 can be reduced.

[0063] Note that the above-mentioned substantially the same processing includes exactly the same processing, and also includes cases where the processing steps are the same but the articles used for the processing are different. For example, in the process of sticking a label on the article Pr, one may stick a passing inspection label and the other may stick a date label of the inspection. In addition to this, cases where the operations are the same processing and cases where common devices are used for the processing are also included.

[0064] In the turning unit 13, after performing processing on a plurality of portions of the article Pr conveyed by the conveying unit 2, the conveying unit 2 is carried out from the turning unit 13. In the conveying path 1, the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 can be moved in the same manner regardless of whether they are arranged on the left or right in the conveying direction Tr. Therefore, after performing processing on the second end Pr2, the conveying unit 2 may be carried out from the first conveying path 14 while maintaining the second posture An2. Also, in the next process after being carried out from the turning unit 13, if it is more convenient for the conveying unit 2 to be in the first posture An1, it may be carried out to the first conveying path 14 after turning 180 degrees in the turning unit 13.

[0065] It is also possible to unload the shuttle from the second unloading path 15 while maintaining the third position An3 as shown in Fig. 7. Furthermore, it is also possible to unload the shuttle from the second unloading path 15 so that the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 move in the intersecting direction Ts while being aligned in the transport direction Tr.

[0066] In the conveying path 1 of the article conveying apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, the conveying unit 2 can be rotated at the rotating section 13. This allows the conveying unit 2, which is conveyed out of the rotating section 13, to be changed to a posture corresponding to the conveying path. By changing the conveying unit 2 to a posture corresponding to the conveying path, the conveying unit 2 can be moved stably.

[0067] For example, when the conveying path 1 is configured to bend, the turning unit 13 may be disposed at the bent portion. With this configuration, the conveying unit 2 can move along the conveying path 1 whose moving direction has been changed while maintaining the same posture. The turning unit 13 may also be configured at a location that forms a branch. In other words, by using the turning unit 13 in the conveying path 1, the direction of the conveying unit 2 can be adjusted at a bend or branch of the conveying path 1 and conveyed.

[0068] In this embodiment, the transport unit 2 is configured to be rotated by the rotating part 13, but the rotating part 13 may be formed in a part of the carry-in path 12, the first carry-out path 14, or the second carry-out path 15. By configuring in this manner, it is possible to rotate the transport unit 2 at any position on the transport path 1. It is also possible to arrange the processing part Pcr adjacent to any position.

[0069] In the article transport apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the transport unit 2 is configured such that both the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 move in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis Cz, but is not limited to this. For example, the slave shuttle 6 may be configured to revolve around the master shuttle 5 while the master shuttle 5 is stopped, or vice versa.

[0070] <First Modification> The first modified example of the item transport apparatus 100A will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view of the transport unit 2A of the first modified example of the item transport apparatus 100A. FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view of the transport unit 2A shown in FIG. 12 rotated 90 degrees in the clockwise direction CW in plan view. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the transport unit 2A of the item transport apparatus 100A differs from the transport unit 2 of the item transport apparatus 100 in that it has an item holding section 7A that is circular in plan view. It also differs from the transport unit 2 in that it has one master shuttle 5 and two slave shuttles 6. The rest of the transport unit 2A has the same configuration as the transport unit 2. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used for the parts of the item transport apparatus 100A that are substantially the same as those of the item transport apparatus 100, and detailed descriptions of the same parts are omitted.

[0071] As shown in Fig. 12, the article holding section 7A of the transport unit 2A is disk-shaped. Note that the article holding section 7A is not limited to being disk-shaped, and may be a polygon, ellipse, or the like in addition to a circle. The transport unit 2A has one master shuttle 5 and two slave shuttles 6. The master shuttle 5 and the two slave shuttles 6 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction. In the transport unit 2A of this embodiment, the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6, and the slave shuttles 6 themselves, are each arranged at equal intervals.

[0072] The slave shuttles 6 are positioned symmetrically in the circumferential direction on either side of the master shuttle 5, but are not limited to this. Any configuration can be adopted in which the slave shuttles 6 are positioned to provide stable support according to the shape of the article holding portion 7A. In this way, the article holding portion 7A is supported at three points, the master shuttle 5 and the two slave shuttles 6, so that the article holding portion 7A can be stably supported. The article holding portion 7A holds a square-shaped article Pt.

[0073] In the turning section 13, the master shuttle 5 and the two slave shuttles 6 turn about the turning axis Cz at the center of the turning section 13, so that the article Pt turns about the turning axis Cz in the transport unit 2A. At this time, by turning the master shuttle 5 and the two slave shuttles 6 by 90 degrees each (see FIG. 13), processing can be performed near each of the four sides of the square-shaped article Pt.

[0074] In this embodiment, the object Pt is square-shaped, but is not limited to this. Also, the transport unit 2A is configured to rotate 90 degrees at a time to perform processing, but is not limited to this. Processing may be performed after the object holding unit 7A rotates so that the processed portion of the object Pt reaches a position where it can be processed by the processing unit Pcr. In other words, the rotation angle does not have to be the same when performing multiple processing operations. The object is held by the object holding unit 7A.

[0075] In the article holding section 7A of the transport unit 2A, the supports supported by the support columns 62 of each slave shuttle 6 are movable along rails that are arranged so as to approach the supports supported by the support columns 52 of the master shuttle 5. However, this is not limited to this, and the rails may extend in a direction approaching and moving away from the rotation axis Cz.

[0076] Even if the rail extends toward the rotation axis Cz, the support moves along the rail, causing the slave shuttle 6 to approach or move away from the master shuttle 5. Therefore, even if the relative positions of the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttle 6 shift, the shift can be absorbed by the movement of the support.

[0077] Note that the transport unit 2A in this modified example has a configuration with two slave shuttles 6, but it is not limited to this, and a configuration with three or more slave shuttles 6 may also be used. Further, in the transport unit 2A of this modified example, the article holding unit 7A is supported by the master shuttle 5 and the slave shuttles 6 arranged in the circumferential direction, but it is not limited to this. For example, a configuration supported by the master shuttle 5 and a plurality of slave shuttles 6 arranged in a straight line may also be used. The arrangement of the master shuttle 5 and the plurality of slave shuttles 6 may be a configuration in which the master shuttle 5 is arranged at the end, or a configuration in which the master shuttle 5 is arranged in the middle part.

[0078] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the present invention is not limited to this content. Further, various modifications can be made to the embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0079] 100, 100A Article transport device 1 Transport path 11u Upper surface 111 Plate portion 112 Complementary device housing portion 12 Loading path 13 Swivel portion 14 First unloading path 15 Second unloading path 2, 2A Transport unit 3 Transport mechanism 4 Controller 5 Master shuttle 6 Slave shuttle 7, 7A Article holding unit 31 Electromagnet 311 Levitation coil 312 Movement coil 32 Permanent magnet 33 Driver circuit 41 Arithmetic circuit 42 Memory circuit 51 Pedestal portion 51c Inside 51d Lower surface 51u top 52 Pillar section 53 Bearing section 54 Identification element 61 Pedestal 61c internal 61d bottom surface 61u top 62 Pillar section 63 Bearing section 71 Main body 711 First end 712 Second end 72 Support protrusion 72d bottom surface 721 Hole 73 Support 73d bottom surface 731 Hole 74 Rail 75 Ribs PCR processing section Pr, Pt articles

Claims

1. A transport path having a flat upper surface, A main master shuttle and a slave shuttle movable along the upper surface of the transport path, An article holding part capable of holding an article and supported by the master shuttle and the slave shuttle, A transport mechanism that uses magnetic force to lift the master shuttle and the slave shuttle above the upper surface of the transport path and move them along the upper surface of the transport path, The master shuttle supports the article holding part rotatably about a master axis perpendicular to the upper surface of the transport path, The slave shuttle is an article transport device that supports the article holding part in a rotatable state about a slave axis parallel to the master axis and in a state where it can approach or separate from the master shuttle.

2. The article transport device according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism moves the master shuttle and the slave shuttle along the upper surface of the transport path while maintaining the relative positions of the slave shuttle with respect to the master shuttle.

3. The transport path has a turning part that can move the master shuttle and the slave shuttle in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction in a plan view, The article transport device according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism moves at least one of the master shuttle and the slave shuttle on the turning part in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction in a plan view so that the article holding part rotates.

4. The transport path has a turning part that can move the master shuttle and the slave shuttle in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction in a plan view, The article transport device according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism moves both the master shuttle and the slave shuttle on the turning part in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction in a plan view so that the article holding part rotates.

5. Further having a processing part arranged in the vicinity of the turning part and capable of performing a predetermined process on the article, The article transport device according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the processing part performs a predetermined process on the article when the article holding part rotates by a predetermined angle.

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