Storage system

Abstract

To enable restriction of movement of a cutting blade on a blade support shaft without placing a load on the opening of the cutting blade.SOLUTION: This storage system comprises a holding unit 55. The holding unit 55 includes a blade support shaft 56 which has an outer shape corresponding to the opening diameter of a cutting blade and supports the cutting blade through insertion of the opening of the cutting blade therein; a restriction pin 57 received in the blade support shaft 56 so as to protrude from a hole 563 provided in an outer peripheral surface 564 of the blade support shaft 56 and protruding from the hole 563 to restrict movement of the cutting blade 21 in an extending direction of the blade support shaft 56, a support block 58 received in the blade support shaft 56 to be positioned below the restriction pin 57 and supporting the restriction pin 57, and an elastic member 59 that biases the support block 58 in the extending direction of the blade support shaft 56.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage system for cutting blades.

Background Art

[0002] An automatic changer has been proposed that can automatically replace a cutting blade mounted on a cutting device for cutting a semiconductor wafer or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The automatic changer described in Patent Document 1 includes a blade storage unit for storing cutting blades, and a transfer arm that can hold the cutting blades and transfer the cutting blades to and from the blade storage unit.

[0004] The blade storage unit supports and stores the cutting blade by inserting the central opening of the cutting blade into a blade support shaft having an outer shape corresponding to the inner diameter of the central opening of the cutting blade.

[0005] And, in order to prevent the cutting blade from moving and falling on this blade support shaft, a restricting portion for restricting the movement of the cutting blade is provided on the surface of the blade support shaft. This restricting portion is composed of a ball and a spring that presses the ball radially outward of the blade support shaft, and the restricting function works until the force acting on the ball reaches a predetermined magnitude.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] Therefore, when the transfer arm of the automatic changer shown in Patent Document 1 delivers the cutting blade to the blade storage section, a force of a predetermined magnitude is applied between the ball of the regulating section and the opening of the cutting blade. Due to this force, there is a risk that the wear of the ball of the regulating section progresses, or that the inner edge of the opening of the cutting blade is damaged, leading to poor cutting.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a cutting blade storage system capable of regulating the movement of the cutting blade on the blade support shaft without applying a load to the opening of the cutting blade.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a storage system of the present invention is a storage system for a cutting blade having an opening at the center, and includes a storage unit for storing the cutting blade, a transfer arm for transferring the cutting blade to the storage unit, and a moving unit for moving at least one of the storage unit and the transfer arm between a delivery position where the transfer arm delivers the cutting blade to the storage unit and a retracted position. The storage unit includes a column extending in the height direction, a blade support shaft extending from a side surface of the column and having an outer shape corresponding to an opening diameter of the cutting blade, and the cutting blade is supported by inserting the opening of the cutting blade. A regulating pin housed inside the blade support shaft so as to be able to protrude from a hole provided on the surface of the blade support shaft, and the cutting blade moves in the extending direction of the blade support shaft by protruding from the hole. A support block housed inside the blade support shaft so as to be positioned below the regulating pin and supporting the regulating pin, and an elastic member for biasing the support block in the extending direction of the blade support shaft. The transfer arm includes a blade holding portion for holding the cutting blade and a push portion facing the support block at the delivery position. When at least one of the storage unit and the transfer arm is moved to the delivery position by the moving unit, the support block is pushed by the push portion and moves toward the column side, so that the regulating pin moves downward and is positioned at a non-operating position where it does not protrude from the hole. When the transfer arm or the storage unit is moved to the retracted position by the moving unit, the support block is biased by the elastic member and moves in the extending direction of the blade support shaft, so that the regulating pin moves upward and is positioned at an operating position where it protrudes from the hole.

[0010] In the storage system, at least one of the support block and the regulating pin has a slope or a curved surface whose contact surface with the other is higher toward the column side, and when the support block is pushed by the push portion and moves toward the column side, the regulating pin may move downward along the contact surface.

Effects of the Invention

[0011] The present invention has an effect of being able to regulate the movement of the cutting blade on the blade support shaft without applying a load to the opening of the cutting blade.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Embodiments (embodiments) for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited by the contents described in the following embodiments. Further, the constituent elements described below include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described below can be combined as appropriate. Also, various omissions, substitutions, or changes in the configuration can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0014] [Embodiment 1] The storage system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the storage system and the processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cutting unit of the cutting apparatus shown in FIG. 1 disassembled.

[0015] (Processing Apparatus) The storage system 5 according to Embodiment 1 is installed adjacent to the processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1. The processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a cutting apparatus that cuts a workpiece 200 using a cutting blade 21 that is a processing tool. In Embodiment 1, the workpiece 200 is a wafer such as a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer or an optical device wafer having a base material such as silicon, sapphire, gallium nitride, or gallium arsenide. Devices 203 are formed in regions of the workpiece 200 partitioned in a grid pattern by a plurality of division planned lines 202 formed in a grid pattern on the surface 201.

[0016] The device 203 is, for example, an integrated circuit such as an IC (Integrated Circuit) or an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), or a memory (semiconductor memory device).

[0017] Further, the workpiece 200 of the present invention may be a so-called TAIKO (registered trademark) wafer in which the central portion is thinned and a thick portion is formed in the outer peripheral portion. In addition to the wafer, a rectangular package substrate having a plurality of devices 203 sealed with resin, a ceramic substrate, a ferrite substrate, or a substrate containing at least one of nickel and iron may also be used. In Embodiment 1, the back surface 204 of the workpiece 200 is adhered to an adhesive tape 206 to which an annular frame 205 is attached at the outer peripheral edge, and is supported by the annular frame 205.

[0018] The processing device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a cutting device that holds a workpiece 200 on a holding table 10 and performs cutting (equivalent to processing) with a cutting blade 21 along a planned division line 202 to divide it into individual devices 203. As shown in FIG. 1, the processing device 1 includes a holding table 10 that sucks and holds the workpiece 200 on a holding surface 11, a cutting unit 20 that cuts the workpiece 200 held by the holding table 10 with a cutting blade 21, and an imaging unit 30 that images the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10. The processing device 1 according to Embodiment 1 is a so-called facing dual-type cutting device with two cutting units 20, that is, a two-spindle dicing saw.

[0019] Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the processing device 1 includes a moving unit 40 that relatively moves the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20. The moving unit 40 includes an X-axis moving unit 41 that feeds the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction for processing, a Y-axis moving unit 42 that performs indexing feed of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction and orthogonal to the X-axis direction, a Z-axis moving unit 43 that performs cutting feed of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction parallel to the vertical direction orthogonal to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and a rotational moving unit 44 that rotates the holding table 10 around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction.

[0020] The X-axis moving unit 41 relatively feeds the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 along the X-axis direction by moving the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction, which is the processing feed direction. The X-axis moving unit 41 is installed on the apparatus main body 2 and moves the holding table 10 across the loading / unloading area where the workpiece 200 is loaded and unloaded and the processing area where the workpiece 200 is cut.

[0021] The Y-axis moving unit 42 moves the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, which is the indexing feed direction, so as to relatively index-feed the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 along the Y-axis direction. The Y-axis moving unit 42 is installed on a gantry-shaped support frame 3 erected from the apparatus main body 2. In Embodiment 1, the Y-axis moving unit 42 is installed on one surface of the support frame 3 on the machining area side.

[0022] The Z-axis moving unit 43 moves the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction, which is the plunge feed direction, so as to relatively plunge-feed the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 along the Z-axis direction. The Z-axis moving unit 43 is installed on a moving frame 4 that is moved in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis moving unit 42. The rotational moving unit 44 is supported by the X-axis moving unit 41, supports the holding table 10, and is disposed so as to be movable in the X-axis direction together with the holding table 10.

[0023] The X-axis moving unit 41, the Y-axis moving unit 42, and the Z-axis moving unit 43 include a well-known ball screw rotatably provided around an axis, a well-known motor that rotates the ball screw around the axis, and a well-known guide rail that movably supports the holding table 10 or the cutting unit 20 in the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, or Z-axis direction. The rotational moving unit 44 includes a motor or the like that rotates the holding table 10 around an axis.

[0024] The holding table 10 has a disk shape, and a holding surface 11 for holding the workpiece 200 is formed of porous ceramic or the like. Further, the holding table 10 is provided so as to be movable in the X-axis direction across the machining area below the cutting unit 20 and the loading / unloading area where the workpiece 200 is loaded and unloaded while being separated from below the cutting unit 20 by the X-axis moving unit 41, and is provided so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction by the rotational moving unit 44.

[0025] The holding table 10 is connected to a vacuum suction source (not shown) and sucks and holds the workpiece 200 placed on the holding surface 11 by being sucked by the vacuum suction source. In Embodiment 1, the holding table 10 sucks and holds the back surface 204 side of the workpiece 200 via the adhesive tape 206. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of clamping portions 12 for clamping the annular frame 205 are provided around the holding table 10.

[0026] The cutting unit 20 is a cutting means having a spindle 23 to which a cutting blade 21 for cutting the workpiece 200 held by the holding table 10 is detachably attached. Each cutting unit 20 is provided so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis movement unit 42 and movable in the Z-axis direction by the Z-axis movement unit 43 with respect to the workpiece 200 held by the holding table 10.

[0027] Each cutting unit 20 is provided on a gantry-shaped support frame 3 erected from the apparatus main body 2 via the Y-axis movement unit 42, the Z-axis movement unit 43, etc. Each cutting unit 20 can position the cutting blade 21 at an arbitrary position on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 by the Y-axis movement unit 42 and the Z-axis movement unit 43.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cutting unit 20 includes a cutting blade 21, a spindle housing 22 provided so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction by the Y-axis movement unit 42 and the Z-axis movement unit 43, a spindle 23 rotatably provided around the axis in the spindle housing 22, a spindle motor (not shown) for rotating the spindle 23 around the axis, a flange 24 fixed to the tip of the spindle 23, a pressing flange 25, a fixing screw 26, a nut 27, and a cutting water supply nozzle 28 for supplying cutting water to the cutting blade 21 and the like.

[0029] The cutting blade 21 is an extremely thin grinding wheel having a substantially ring shape. In Embodiment 1, the cutting blade 21 is composed only of an annular cutting edge 211 that cuts a workpiece 200 having a circular opening 212 at the center. The cutting edge 211 is made of abrasive grains such as diamond or CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) and a bonding material (binder) such as metal or resin, and is formed to have a predetermined thickness. In the present invention, the cutting blade 21 is a so-called washer blade composed only of the cutting edge 211. However, in the present invention, a so-called hub blade including the cutting edge 211 and an annular base that supports the cutting edge 211 at the outer edge and is detachably attached to the spindle 23 may also be used.

[0030] The spindle housing 22 is supported so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction by a Z-axis moving unit 43, and is supported so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction by a Y-axis moving unit 42 via the Z-axis moving unit 43. The spindle housing 22 houses a portion excluding the tip of the spindle 23 and a spindle motor (not shown), and supports the spindle 23 so as to be rotatable about the axis.

[0031] The spindle 23 fixes the cutting blade 21 to its tip. The spindle 23 has a flange 24 fixed to its tip, is rotated about the axis by a spindle motor (not shown), and the tip portion protrudes from the tip surface of the spindle housing 22. A screw hole 231 is open on the tip surface of the spindle 23.

[0032] The flange 24 is fixed to the tip of the spindle 23 and supports the cutting blade 21. The flange 24 has a cylindrical boss portion 241 extending in the Y-axis direction and a receiving flange portion 242 provided at one end of the boss portion 241 closer to the spindle housing 22.

[0033] The boss portion 241 extends in the Y-axis direction and has an outer diameter that is formed to be smaller than the inner diameter of the central opening 212 of the cutting blade 21 over the entire length. The tip of the spindle 23 is inserted into the through-hole 243 on the inner peripheral side of the boss portion 241. A stepped surface 244 parallel to the Z-axis direction is formed on the outer periphery of the through-hole 243 of the boss portion 241. Further, a male thread 245 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the boss portion 241.

[0034] The receiving flange portion 242 protrudes in the outer peripheral direction along the radial direction from the axial rear end of the boss portion 241 closer to the spindle housing 22 and is formed in an annular shape with a larger diameter than the outer diameter of the boss portion 241. The outer diameter of the receiving flange portion 242 is larger than the inner diameter of the cutting blade 21 and smaller than the outer diameter of the cutting blade 21. The receiving flange portion 242 includes a flat support surface 246 that supports the cutting blade 21 along the Z-axis direction at the outer edge portion, and a ring-shaped annular convex portion 247 that is on the inner peripheral side of the support surface 246 and has the same inner and outer diameters as the cutting blade 21. The annular convex portion 247 is fitted into the opening 212 of the cutting blade 21 to position the cutting blade 21. The boss portion 241 and the receiving flange portion 242 are coaxially arranged.

[0035] The flange 24 has the tip of the spindle 23 inserted into the through-hole 243, and a fixing screw 26 is screwed into a screw hole 231 provided on the tip surface of the spindle 23 through the through-hole 243. The head 261 of the fixing screw 26 is in close contact with the stepped surface 244, thereby fixing it to the tip of the spindle 23. The flange 24 has the boss portion 241 passed through the opening 212 of the cutting blade 21, the annular convex portion 247 fitted into the opening 212, and the cutting blade 21 is supported by the support surface 246 of the receiving flange portion 242.

[0036] The pressing flange 25 is formed in an annular shape with a mounting hole 251 in the center for mounting on the boss portion 241 of the flange 24. The inner diameter of the pressing flange 25 is equal to the outer diameter of the boss portion 241, and the outer diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the cutting blade 21. The pressing flange 25 passes the tip of the boss portion 241 of the flange 24 through the mounting hole 251 and sandwiches the cutting blade 21 between it and the support surface 246 of the flange 24.

[0037] The nut 27 is formed in an annular shape, and an internal thread 271 that engages with the external thread 245 of the boss portion 241 is formed on the inner peripheral surface. The nut 27 has the boss portion 241 of the flange 24 fixed to the spindle 23 passed through the mounting hole 251 of the pressing flange 25, and the internal thread 271 of the boss portion 241 of the flange 24 is screwed onto the external thread 245 in a state where the cutting blade 21 is clamped between the pressing flange 25 and the support surface 246, and is fastened to the boss portion 241. By fastening to the boss portion 241, the nut 27 clamps and fixes the cutting blade 21 between the flange 24 and the pressing flange 25.

[0038] Also, when the nut 27 is screwed onto the external thread 245 of the flange 24 and attached to the tip of the spindle 23, a plurality (four in Embodiment 1) of holes 272 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction on the exposed surface. The cutting fluid supply nozzle 28 supplies cutting fluid to the cutting blade 21 during cutting.

[0039] The axes of the spindle 23 and the cutting blade 21 of the cutting unit 20 are set parallel to the Y-axis direction.

[0040] In Embodiment 1, the imaging unit 30 is supported by a support frame 46 so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction by a second Y-axis moving unit 45 installed on the other surface of the support frame 3 on the loading / unloading region side. The imaging unit 30 includes an image sensor that images the area to be divided of the workpiece 200 before cutting held on the holding table 10. The image sensor is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) image sensor. The imaging unit 30 images the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 to obtain an image for performing alignment for positioning the workpiece 200 and the cutting blade 21, and outputs the obtained image to the control unit 100.

[0041] Further, the processing apparatus 1 includes an X-axis direction position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction, a Y-axis direction position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis direction position detection unit for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction. The X-axis direction position detection unit and the Y-axis direction position detection unit can be composed of a linear scale parallel to the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction and a reading head. The Z-axis direction position detection unit can be composed of a unit that detects the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction by the pulses of the motor of the Z-axis moving unit 43.

[0042] The X-axis direction position detection unit, the Y-axis direction position detection unit, and the Z-axis direction position detection unit detect the position of the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction, the position of the lower end of the cutting edge 211 of the cutting blade 21 of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction or the Z-axis direction, and output the detection results to the control unit 100. In the first embodiment, the positions of the respective components of the processing apparatus 1 in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction are determined based on a predetermined reference position (not shown). The reference position in the Z-axis direction is the position of the cutting unit 20 where the lower end of the cutting edge 211 of the cutting blade 21 is located on the same plane as the holding surface 11.

[0043] (Storage System) Next, the storage system 5 will be described. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the storage system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is another perspective view showing a configuration example of the storage system shown in FIG. 1.

[0044] The storage system 5 is a system that stores the cutting blade 21 for replacement of the cutting unit 20, replaces the cutting blade 21 of the cutting unit 20, and stores the used cutting blade 21 removed from the cutting unit 20. That is, the storage system 5 is a storage system for the cutting blade 21. The storage system 5 is installed adjacent to the processing apparatus 1 that uses the cutting blade 21, and in the first embodiment, it is installed on the processing area side of the processing apparatus 1.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the storage system 5 includes a device main body 6, a storage unit 50 which is a storage part, an exchange unit 60, and a control unit 100. The device main body 6 is installed on the processing area side of the device main body 2 of the processing device 1. In Embodiment 1, it includes a flat base plate 7 and a gantry-shaped gantry 8.

[0046] (Storage Unit) The storage unit 50 is a unit that stores the cutting blade 21 for replacement of the cutting unit 20 and stores the used cutting blade 21 removed from the cutting unit 20. Next, the storage unit 50 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing the holding part of the storage unit of the storage system shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the regulating pin of the storage part shown in FIG. 6 is in the non-operating position.

[0047] The storage unit 50 includes a support column 9 that stands upright and extends in the Z-axis direction, which is the height direction, from the base plate 7 of the device main body 6, a drive gear 52 that is rotated around an axis parallel to the Y-axis direction by a motor 51 attached to the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the support column 9, a driven gear 53 that is rotatably supported at the upper end of the support column 9 around an axis parallel to the Y-axis direction, an endless track 54 that is wound around the outer peripheries of the drive gear 52 and the driven gear 53, and a plurality of holding parts 55 installed on the endless track 54. The driven gear 53 is supported at the upper end of the support column 9 so as to be movable up and down in the Z-axis direction by lifting means (not shown).

[0048] The endless track 54 is composed of a large number of link pieces (reference numerals omitted) connected to each other and is wound around the outer peripheries of the drive gear 52 and the driven gear 53. The endless track 54 circulates (also referred to as endless running) along the outer peripheries of the drive gear 52 and the driven gear 53 as the drive gear 52 rotates by the motor 51. Further, the length of the endless track 54 is adjusted according to the distance between the drive gear 52 and the driven gear 53 that changes due to the lifting of the driven gear 53 by adjusting the number of link pieces.

[0049] The holding portions 55 are provided in plurality at intervals (equidistant intervals in Embodiment 1) along the longitudinal direction of the endless track 54 on the surfaces facing the exchange unit 60 of the endless track 54 along the Y-axis direction. In Embodiment 1, the holding portions 55 are provided over the entire circumference of the endless track 54.

[0050] The holding portion 55 holds the cutting blade 21. As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, the holding portion 55 includes a blade support shaft 56, a regulating pin 57, a support block 58, and an elastic member 59 (shown in FIGS. 6 and 7).

[0051] The blade support shaft 56 is formed in a columnar shape with an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the opening diameter of the opening 212 of the cutting blade 21, and has an outer shape corresponding to the inner diameter of the opening 212 of the cutting blade 21. One end of the blade support shaft 56 is attached to the surface facing the exchange unit 60 of the endless track 54 along the Y-axis direction, the axis is arranged parallel to the Y-axis direction, and is formed to extend in the Y-axis direction from the side surface of the support column 9. The blade support shaft 56 supports the cutting blade 21 by being inserted into the opening 212 of the cutting blade 21.

[0052] In Embodiment 1, the blade support shaft 56 supports a plurality of cutting blades 21. In Embodiment 1, the blade support shafts 56 of half of the plurality of holding portions 55 hold the cutting blades 21 for replacement. The blade support shafts 56 of the remaining holding portions 55 hold the used cutting blades 21. When distinguishing between the holding portions 55, the holding portion 55 that holds the cutting blade 21 for replacement is denoted as the first holding portion 55-1, and the remaining holding portions 55 are denoted as the second holding portion 55-2. Further, in Embodiment 1, a flange 565 extending in the outer circumferential direction is integrally formed at one end of the blade support shaft 56 attached to the endless track 54.

[0053] Further, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the blade support shaft 56 has a slide accommodation hole 561 that movably accommodates a support block 58 along the axis inside, a disc portion slide accommodation hole 562 that communicates with the slide accommodation hole 561, and a hole 563 that communicates with the slide accommodation hole 561 and opens to the outer peripheral surface 564 (corresponding to the surface). The slide accommodation hole 561 is disposed on the outer periphery (above in Embodiment 1) of the axis of the blade support shaft 56.

[0054] The disc portion slide accommodation hole 562 opens at the other end on the side away from the endless track 54, exposes the disc portion 582 of the support block 58, and movably accommodates the disc portion 582 along the axis. In Embodiment 1, the hole 563 has an inner edge formed in an arc shape in a cross section passing through the axis of the blade support shaft 56, the planar shape viewed from the outer peripheral side of the blade support shaft 56 is formed in a circular shape, and is provided at the upper end of the outer peripheral surface 564.

[0055] In Embodiment 1, the regulating pin 57 is formed in a spherical shape, is accommodated in the hole 563, and is accommodated in the slide accommodation hole 561 inside the blade support shaft 56. The regulating pin 57 is formed with an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the hole 563, and is regulated from dropping outside the hole 563. Further, the regulating pin 57 is accommodated in the slide accommodation hole 561 so that a part thereof can protrude from the hole 563. By a part of the regulating pin 57 protruding from the hole 563, the cutting blade 21 supported by the blade support shaft 56 is moved to the other end side in the extending direction of the blade support shaft 56, and the cutting blade 21 is regulated from dropping off the blade support shaft 56.

[0056] The support block 58 is accommodated inside the slide accommodation hole 561 and the disc portion slide accommodation hole 562 of the blade support shaft 56, is movably provided along the axis of the blade support shaft 56, and is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the blade support shaft 56 with respect to the regulating pin 57. In Embodiment 1, the support block 58 is accommodated inside the slide accommodation hole 561 and the disc portion slide accommodation hole 562 of the blade support shaft 56, and is accommodated inside the blade support shaft 56 so as to be positioned below the regulating pin 57.

[0057] The support block 58 includes a columnar portion 581 extending along the axis of the support block 58, and a disk-shaped disk portion 582 connected to the tip of the columnar portion 581. The columnar portion 581 is movably accommodated in the slide accommodation hole 561 along the axis of the blade support shaft 56, and integrally includes a thick portion 583 on the side of the endless track 54 and a thin portion 584 connected to the thick portion 583 and the disk portion 582. An inclined surface 585 (corresponding to the contact surface) that abuts against the regulating pin 57 is formed between the thick portion 583 and the thin portion 584.

[0058] The thick portion 583 is formed with a greater thickness in the radial direction of the blade support shaft 56 than the thin portion 584. The thick portion 583 and the thin portion 584 are formed flush on the inner peripheral side of the axis of the blade support shaft 56, and an inclined surface 585 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the axis. The inclined surface 585 is inclined in a direction that gradually rises toward the endless track 54, that is, the support column 9, that is, in a horizontal direction toward the outer peripheral side of the blade support shaft 56. The inclined surface 585 is disposed on the side of the endless track 54, that is, the support column 9, rather than the regulating pin 57, and supports the regulating pin 57.

[0059] The disk portion 582 is movably accommodated in the disk portion slide accommodation hole 562 along the axis of the blade support shaft 56.

[0060] The elastic member 59 is accommodated in the slide accommodation hole 561 of the blade support shaft 56 and is disposed on the side of the endless track 54, that is, the support column 9, rather than the support block 58. The elastic member 59 biases the support block 58 toward the other end side, which is the extending direction of the blade support shaft 56, and brings the disk portion 582 into close contact with the end portion of the disk portion slide accommodation hole 562 on the side away from the endless track 54. In Embodiment 1, the elastic member 59 is a coil spring.

[0061] In Embodiment 1, the holding portion 55 is such that the support block 58 is biased by the elastic member 59 toward the other end side in the extending direction of the blade support shaft 56, and as the support block 58 moves toward the other end side in the extending direction of the blade support shaft 56, the inclined surface 585 comes into contact with the outer surface 571 (corresponding to the contact surface) of the regulating pin 57, causing the regulating pin 57 to move upward and protrude from the hole 563, and the regulating pin 57 is positioned at the operating position shown in FIG. 6. Further, in Embodiment 1, the holding portion 55 is such that when the support block 58 is pressed against the endless track 54, i.e., the support column 9 side, against the biasing force of the elastic member 59 and moves toward the support column 9 side, the regulating pin 57 moves downward from the operating position and does not protrude from the hole 563, i.e., most of it is submerged in the hole 563, and the regulating pin 57 is positioned at the non-operating position shown in FIG. 7.

[0062] Thus, in Embodiment 1, the holding portion 55 is displaced between the operating position shown in FIG. 6 where a part of the regulating pin 57 protrudes from the hole 563 due to the biasing force of the elastic member 59, and the non-operating position shown in FIG. 7 where most of the regulating pin 57 is submerged in the hole 563 as the support block 58 is pressed against and moves toward the endless track 54, i.e., the support column 9 side, against the biasing force of the elastic member 59. When the regulating pin 57 is positioned at the operating position, the holding portion 55 restricts the attachment and detachment of the cutting blade 21 to and from the blade support shaft 56. When the regulating pin 57 is positioned at the non-operating position, the holding portion 55 allows the attachment and detachment of the cutting blade 21 to and from the blade support shaft 56.

[0063] Further, in Embodiment 1, the holding portion 55 is such that the support block 58 has the inclined surface 585 and the regulating pin 57 is formed in a spherical shape with the outer surface 571 being spherical, so that at least one of the support block 58 and the regulating pin 57 has an inclined surface or a curved surface where the contact surface (corresponding to the outer surface 571 and the inclined surface 585) becomes higher toward the endless track 54, i.e., the support column 9 side. Also, in Embodiment 1, when the support block 58 moves toward the endless track 54, i.e., the support column 9 side, the regulating pin 57 moves downward along the inclined surface 585. In Embodiment 1, the cutting blade 21 is carried in and out at the lowermost position.

[0064] (Exchange Unit) The exchange unit 60 removes the nut 27, the holding flange 25, and the cutting blade 21 from the spindle 23 of the cutting unit 20, conveys the removed used cutting blade 21 to the storage unit 50, holds the replacement cutting blade 21 stored in the storage unit 50, and mounts the replacement cutting blade 21, the holding flange 25, and the nut 27 on the spindle 23 of the cutting unit 20.

[0065] Next, the exchange unit 60 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 8 is a perspective view schematically showing the exchange head and the blade temporary holding part of the exchange unit of the storage system shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 9 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration example of the blade holding part of the exchange head shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration example of the nut holding part of the exchange head shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 11 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration example of the blade flange holding part of the exchange head shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 12 is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which the blade flange holding part shown in FIG. 11 faces the holding flange and the cutting blade. FIG. 13 is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which the blade flange holding part shown in FIG. 11 holds the holding flange and the cutting blade. FIG. 14 is a front view schematically showing the blade flange holding part shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 15 is a front view schematically showing the holding flange and the cutting blade shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 16 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration example of the blade temporary holding part of the exchange head shown in FIG. 8.

[0066] The exchange unit 60 includes a lifting table 61 installed on the gantry 8, a frame 63 supported by the lifting table 61 and moved and supported in the Y-axis direction by a Y-axis moving unit 62, a moving unit 64 supported by the frame 63, an exchange head 66 which is a transfer arm, and a blade temporary holding part 70.

[0067] The lifting table 61 is provided so as to be movable up and down in the Z-axis direction by a lifting unit 611 installed on the gantry 8 or the like. Further, the lifting table 61 has columnar legs 612 inserted into holes provided at the four corners of the gantry 8 at the four corners of the lower surface thereof.

[0068] The frame body 63 includes a flat bottom plate 631 that is flat and is provided so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction on the lifting table 61 by a Y-axis moving unit 62, a flat ceiling plate 632 disposed above the bottom plate 631, and columns 633 connecting the four corners of the bottom plate 631 and the four corners of the ceiling plate 632.

[0069] The moving unit 64 is for carrying the cutting blade 21 into and out of the holding part 55. The moving unit 64 supports an exchange head 66 at its tip. The moving unit 64 moves the exchange head 66 between a delivery position where the exchange head 66 delivers the cutting blade 21 to the lowermost holding part 55 of the storage unit 50, a retracted position where the exchange head 66 is accommodated between the bottom plate 631 and the ceiling plate 632 of the frame body 63, and an attachment / detachment position where the exchange head 66 attaches / detaches the cutting blade 21 to / from the spindle 23 of the cutting unit 20.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 4 and the like, the moving unit 64 includes a first arm 652 whose base end is rotated around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction by a motor 651 attached to the ceiling plate 632, and a base end of which is rotated around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction at the tip of the first arm 652 and a second arm 654 whose base end is rotated around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction at the tip of the first arm 652 by a motor 653 attached to the base end and an exchange head 66 is attached to the tip. The moving unit 64 can position the exchange head 66 at an arbitrary position by rotating the base ends of the arms 652 and 654 around the axis by the motors 651 and 653.

[0071] The exchange head 66 delivers the cutting blade 21 to the lowermost holding part 55 of the storage unit 50, that is, it carries the cutting blade 21 into and out of the lowermost holding part 55 of the storage unit 50 and attaches and detaches the cutting blade 21 to and from the spindle 23 of the cutting unit 20. As shown in FIG. 8, the exchange head 66 includes a casing 661, a blade holding part 67, a nut holding part 68, and a blade flange holding part 69.

[0072] In Embodiment 1, the casing 661 has a regular hexagonal top plate 662 and six rectangular plate-like side walls 663 hanging down from the periphery of the top plate 662. The top plate 662 has a Z rotation axis 664 whose axis is parallel to the Z-axis direction and protrudes from the tip of the second arm 654 from the upper surface. The casing 661 houses a motor (not shown) that rotates around the Z rotation axis 664 inside.

[0073] The blade holding part 67 is attached to four of the six side walls 663 of the casing 661, the nut holding part 68 is attached to one of the six side walls 663 of the casing 661, and the blade flange holding part 69 is attached to one of the six side walls 663 of the casing 661.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 9, the blade holding part 67 is formed in a cylindrical shape with its axis parallel to the horizontal direction. A ring-shaped blade holding groove 672 is formed on the flat end face 671 along the Z-axis direction, with an inner diameter equal to the inner diameter of the opening 212 of the cutting blade 21 and an outer diameter equal to the outer diameter of the cutting blade 21. A cylindrical push part 673 facing the disk part 582 of the support block 58 of the holding part 55 in the Y-axis direction stands upright from the center of the end face 671 at the delivery position. A plurality of suction holes 674 connected to a suction means (not shown) are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction in the blade holding groove 672.

[0075] The blade holding part 67 is configured to suck and hold the cutting blade 21 in the blade holding groove 672 by generating a suction force in each suction hole 674 by a suction means in a state where it is positioned at a transfer position, an attachment / detachment position, or the like. Further, in the blade holding part 67, a cylindrical circular protrusion 675 on the inner peripheral side of the blade holding groove 672 enters the opening 212 of the cutting blade 21 to position the cutting blade 21. Also, in the blade holding part 67, the outer diameter of the push part 673 is formed smaller than the inner diameter of the blade holding groove 672, and at the transfer position, the disc part 582 of the support block 58 of the holding part 55 is pressed in the Y-axis direction against the biasing force of the elastic member 59.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 10, the nut holding part 68 includes a cylindrical housing 681 fixed to the side wall 663 of the casing 661 and having an axis parallel to the horizontal direction, an annular rotating body 682 rotatably accommodated inside the housing 681, and a motor (not shown) for rotating the rotating body 682.

[0077] On the outer peripheral part of the end face 683 of the rotating body 682, a plurality of suction holes 685 and a plurality of pins 686 are alternately provided at intervals in the circumferential direction. Each suction hole 685 is connected to a suction means (not shown). The pin 686 is positioned at a position protruding from the end face 683 by a spring (not shown) built in the rotating body 682 (the position shown in FIG. 10), and when it is pushed toward the inside of the rotating body 682, the spring contracts and the pin 686 is accommodated inside the rotating body 682. Also, the pin 686 is arranged corresponding to the position of the hole 272 formed in the nut 27.

[0078] The nut holding part 68 generates a suction force in each suction hole 685 by a suction means to suck and hold the nut 27, and in a state where the pin 686 is inserted into the hole 272 formed in the nut 27, the rotating body 682 is rotated around the axis by a motor, so that the nut 27 for fixing the cutting blade 21 to the spindle 23 can be screwed and unscrewed to and from the male thread 245 formed in the boss part 241 of the flange 24.

[0079] When removing (detaching) the nut 27 from the spindle 23, even if the position of the pin 686 is displaced relative to the position of the hole 272 of the nut 27, the end face 683 of the rotating body 682 is positioned against the nut 27 mounted on the spindle 23. After accommodating the pin 686 inside the rotating body 682, by rotating the motor with the rotating body 682, the position of the pin 686 is aligned with the position of the hole 272, the pin 686 is pushed out by the spring and inserted into the hole 272, and the nut 27 can be rotated.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 11, the blade flange holding portion 69 is fixed to the side wall 663 of the casing 661 and formed in a cylindrical shape with its axis parallel to the horizontal direction. It includes a ring-shaped cover portion 692 that extends in the axial direction over the entire circumference of the end face 691 from the outer edge of the flat end face 691 along the Z-axis direction. The blade flange holding portion 69 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the spindle 23 and an outer diameter of the end face 691 larger than the outer diameter of the pressing flange 25. The blade flange holding portion 69 has a flange suction hole 693 connected to the suction means opening in the end face 691.

[0081] The cover portion 692 is gradually formed thinner as it moves away from the end face 691, and has a constant outer diameter and an inner diameter that gradually increases as it moves away from the end face 691. Also, the blade flange holding portion 69 has a blade suction hole 694 connected to the suction means opening at the base end portion continuous with the end face 691 of the cover portion 692.

[0082] At the attachment / detachment position, as shown in FIG. 12, the blade flange holding portion 69 faces the pressing flange 25 and the cutting blade 21 of the cutting unit 20 from which the nut 27 has been removed. At this time, the tip of the spindle 23 is inserted into the inner peripheral side of the blade flange holding portion 69.

[0083] The blade flange holding portion 69 generates a suction force in each of the suction holes 693 and 694 by means of a suction means, and as shown in FIG. 13, holds the pressing flange 25 and the cutting blade 21 in a suction manner. At this time, the blade flange holding portion 69 has the end face 252 of the pressing flange 25 shown by parallel oblique lines in FIG. 15 closely contacting the end face 691 shown by parallel oblique lines in FIG. 14, and holds the pressing flange 25 on the end face 691 in a suction manner. Further, the blade suction hole 694 is provided at the base end portion of the cover portion 692 described above, and since a gap is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the cover portion 692 and the pressing flange 25 and the cutting blade 21 due to the cover portion 692 being formed as described above, the suction force of the blade suction hole 694 acts on the cutting blade 21, and holds the cutting blade 21 on the end face 695 of the cover portion 692 in a suction manner.

[0084] The blade temporary holding portion 70 is disposed on the bottom plate 631 of the frame body 63. As shown in FIG. 16, the blade temporary holding portion 70 has the same configuration as the blade holding portion 67, except that a recess 701 into which the push portion 673 enters is provided at the center of the end face 671 instead of the push portion 673. The blade temporary holding portion 70 is denoted by the same reference numerals as the same portions of the blade holding portion 67, and the description thereof is omitted. Further, in the present invention, the blade temporary holding portion 70 may be provided with a push portion 673 and an operating mechanism for projecting and retracting the push portion 673 from the end face 671.

[0085] The blade temporary holding portion 70 generates a suction force in each of the suction holes 674 by means of a suction means, and holds the cutting blade 21 removed from the spindle 23 of the cutting unit 20 and held by the blade flange holding portion 69 in the blade holding groove 672 in a suction manner.

[0086] (Control unit) Next, the control unit 100 will be described. The control unit 100 controls each component of the processing device 1 and the storage system 5 to cause the processing device 1 to perform a processing operation on the workpiece 200 and an operation of replacing the cutting blade 21. Note that the control unit 100 is a computer having an arithmetic processing unit with a microprocessor such as a CPU (central processing unit), a storage device having a memory such as a ROM (read only memory) or a RAM (random access memory), and an input / output interface device. The arithmetic processing unit of the control unit 100 performs arithmetic processing according to a computer program stored in the storage device, and outputs a control signal for controlling the processing device 1 to each component of the processing device 1 and the storage system 5 via the input / output interface device.

[0087] The control unit 100 is connected to a display unit composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display device that displays the state and image of the processing operation, an input unit used when an operator registers processing content information, etc., and a notification unit. The input unit is composed of at least one of a touch panel provided on the display unit and an external input device such as a keyboard. The notification unit emits at least one of sound and light to notify the operator.

[0088] (Processing operation) Next, a processing operation of cutting the workpiece 200 shown in FIG. 1 along the division planned line 202 to divide the workpiece 200 into individual devices 203 will be described. First, in the processing device 1, the control unit 100 has processing conditions registered in the control unit 100 by an operator or the like, the workpiece 200 before cutting is placed on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10, and the storage system 5 holds a plurality of cutting blades 21 in the first holding portion 55-1 of the storage unit 50.

[0089] When the control unit 100 of the processing device 1 receives an instruction to start the processing operation from the operator, the processing device 1 starts the processing operation of the workpiece 200. In Embodiment 1, when starting the processing operation, the processing device 1 has the control unit 100 suck and hold the back surface 204 side via the adhesive tape 206 on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10, and clamp the annular frame 205 with the clamp portion 12.

[0090] In Embodiment 1, in the processing operation, the processing device 1 has the control unit 100 rotate the spindle 23 around its axis and supply cutting water from the cutting water supply nozzle 28 to the cutting blade 21. In Embodiment 1, in the processing operation, the processing device 1 has the control unit 100 control the moving unit 40 to move the holding table 10 toward the processing area, the imaging unit 30 image the workpiece 200, and perform alignment based on the image obtained by the imaging unit 30.

[0091] In Embodiment 1, in the processing operation, the processing device 1 has the control unit 100 control the moving unit 40, the cutting unit 20, etc., and relatively move the workpiece 200 and the cutting unit 20 along the division planned line 202, while cutting the cutting blade 21 into each division planned line 202 to divide the workpiece 200 into individual devices 203.

[0092] In Embodiment 1, during the processing operation, the processing device 1 determines whether it is a predetermined timing by the control unit 100. The predetermined timing is the timing to replace the cutting blade 21. For example, every time a predetermined number of workpieces 200 are cut, every time a predetermined number of division planned lines 202 are cut, when the cutting edge protrusion amount of the cutting blade 21 falls below a predetermined value, when the cutting blade 21 is damaged, when the workpiece 200 to be processed changes and the type of cutting blade to be used changes, etc.

[0093] In Embodiment 1, during the machining operation, when the control unit 100 determines that it is a predetermined timing, the machining apparatus 1 stops the rotation of the spindle 23 of the cutting unit 20 whose cutting blade 21 is to be replaced around the axis, and stops the supply of cutting fluid from the cutting fluid supply nozzle 28. The machining apparatus 1 controls the elevating unit 611, Y-axis moving unit 62, moving unit 64 of the storage system 5, the storage unit 50, the Y-axis moving unit 42, Z-axis moving unit 43, etc. of the machining apparatus 1 to position the exchange head 66 at the attachment / detachment position, and relatively positions the nut holding portion 68 in the Y-axis direction with respect to the nut 27 of the cutting unit 20 whose cutting blade 21 is to be replaced.

[0094] The machining apparatus 1 holds the nut 27 by the nut holding portion 68 under the control of the control unit 100 and removes it from the spindle 23, and holds the pressing flange 25 and the cutting blade 21 to be replaced by the blade flange holding portion 69. The machining apparatus 1 controls the elevating unit 611, Y-axis moving unit 62, moving unit 64, and storage unit 50, etc. of the storage system 5 under the control of the control unit 100 to relatively position the blade flange holding portion 69 in the Y-axis direction with respect to the blade temporary holding portion 70, and holds the cutting blade 21 held by the blade flange holding portion 69 by the blade temporary holding portion 70.

[0095] The machining apparatus 1 controls the elevating unit 611, Y-axis moving unit 62, moving unit 64, and storage unit 50, etc. of the storage system 5 under the control of the control unit 100 to relatively position the blade holding portion 67 in the Y-axis direction with respect to the blade temporary holding portion 70, and holds the cutting blade 21 removed from the spindle 23 held by the blade temporary holding portion 70 by the blade holding portion 67. The machining apparatus 1 controls the elevating unit 611, Y-axis moving unit 62, moving unit 64, and storage unit 50, etc. of the storage system 5 under the control of the control unit 100 to relatively position the blade holding portion 67 in the Y-axis direction with respect to the second holding portion 55-2, and brings the blade holding portion 67 closer to the second holding portion 55-2 along the Y-axis direction.

[0096] Then, the push portion 673 of the blade holding portion 67 that holds the cutting blade 21 removed from the spindle 23 of the cutting unit 20 presses the support block 58 of the second holding portion 55-2 against the biasing force of the elastic member 59, causing the regulating pin 57 to displace from the acting position to the non-acting position, and the blade support shaft 56 to penetrate into the opening 212 of the cutting blade 21. The processing apparatus 1 stops the suction of the suction hole 674 of the blade holding portion 67 by the control unit 100 and moves the blade holding portion 67 away from the second holding portion 55-2. Then, the regulating pin 57 displaces from the non-acting position to the acting position, and the cutting blade 21 is supported by the blade support shaft 56 of the second holding portion 55-2.

[0097] The processing apparatus 1 controls the lifting unit 611, Y-axis moving unit 62, moving unit 64, and storage unit 50 of the storage system 5 by the control unit 100 to relatively move the blade holding portion 67 in the Y-axis direction relative to the first holding portion 55-1 and bring the blade holding portion 67 closer to the first holding portion 55-1 along the Y-axis direction.

[0098] Then, the push portion 673 of the blade holding portion 67 presses the support block 58 of the first holding portion 55-1 against the biasing force of the elastic member 59, causing the regulating pin 57 to displace from the acting position to the non-acting position. The processing apparatus 1 generates a suction force in the suction hole 674 of the blade holding portion 67 by the control unit 100 to hold the cutting blade 21 supported by the blade support shaft 56 of the first holding portion 55-1 in the blade holding portion 67 and moves the blade holding portion 67 away from the first holding portion 55-1. Then, the regulating pin 57 displaces from the non-acting position to the acting position, and the detachment of the cutting blade 21 from the blade support shaft 56 of the first holding portion 55-1 is regulated.

[0099] In the processing apparatus 1, the control unit 100 controls the elevating unit 611, Y-axis moving unit 62, moving unit 64 of the storage system 5, the Y-axis moving unit 42, Z-axis moving unit 43, etc. of the processing apparatus 1 to mount the cutting blade 21 for replacement held by the blade holding part 67 onto the spindle 23, mount the pressing flange 25 held by the blade flange holding part 69 onto the spindle 23, and mount the nut 27 held by the nut holding part 68 onto the spindle 23. Thus, the processing apparatus 1 and the storage system convey the cutting blade 21 between the storage system 5 and the processing apparatus 1 to replace the cutting blade 21 of the cutting unit 20.

[0100] Thus, when the exchange head 66 is moved to the delivery position by the moving unit 64, the regulating pin 57 is positioned at the non-operating position, and when the exchange head 66 is moved to the retracted position and the attachment / detachment position by the moving unit 64, the regulating pin 57 is positioned at the operating position. After the replacement of the cutting blade 21, the processing apparatus 1 rotates the spindle 23 of the cutting unit 20 where the cutting blade 21 has been replaced around the axis by the control unit 100, supplies cutting water from the cutting water supply nozzle 28 to the cutting blade 21, and resumes the processing operation.

[0101] In Embodiment 1, in the processing operation, when the processing apparatus 1 finishes cutting all the division planned lines 202 of the workpiece 200 held by the holding table 10, it moves the holding table 10 to the loading / unloading area, stops the suction holding of the workpiece 200 after cutting on the holding table 10, releases the clamping of the annular frame 205 of the clamping part 12, and ends the processing operation.

[0102] As described above, in the storage system 5 according to the first embodiment, the holding portion 55 has an outer shape corresponding to the inner diameter of the opening 212 of the cutting blade 21, and the blade support shaft 56 that supports the cutting blade by inserting the opening 212 of the cutting blade 21; a regulation pin 57 that is housed in a slide housing hole 561 inside the blade support shaft 56 so as to be able to protrude from a hole 563 provided on the outer peripheral surface 564 of the blade support shaft 56, and that regulates the cutting blade 21 from moving in the extending direction of the blade support shaft 56 by protruding from the hole 563; a support block 58 that is housed in the slide housing hole 561 inside the blade support shaft 56 so as to be positioned below the regulation pin 57 and that supports the regulation pin 57; an elastic member 59 that biases the support block 58 in the extending direction of the blade support shaft 56; and an exchange head 66 that includes a blade holding portion 67 having a push portion 673 that faces the support block 58 at the delivery position.

[0103] In the storage system 5 according to the first embodiment, when the exchange head 66 delivers the cutting blade 21 to the blade support shaft 56, the support block 58 is pushed by the push portion 673 and moves, so that the regulation pin 57 moves downward and is positioned at a non-operating position where it sinks into the hole 563. When retracting from the delivery position, the support block 58 is biased by the elastic member 59 and moves, so that the regulation pin 57 moves upward and is positioned at an operating position.

[0104] Therefore, when attaching and detaching the cutting blade 21 to and from the holding portion 55 in the storage system 5 according to the first embodiment, it is possible to suppress the regulation pin 57 from rubbing against the inner edge of the opening 212 of the cutting blade 21, and it is possible to suppress damage to the inner edge of the opening 212 of the cutting blade 21.

[0105] As a result, the storage system 5 according to the first embodiment has the effect of being able to regulate the cutting blade 21 from moving on the blade support shaft 56 without applying a load to the opening 212 of the cutting blade 21.

[0106] 〔Modification Example〕 A storage system according to a modification of Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a holding portion of a storage unit of a storage system according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 1. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a holding portion of a storage unit of a storage system according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 1. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a holding portion of a storage unit of a storage system according to Modification 3 of Embodiment 1. FIG. 20 is a perspective view schematically showing a holding portion of a storage unit of a storage system according to Modification 4 of Embodiment 1. FIG. 21 is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which a plurality of cutting blades are held by the blade holder shown in FIG. 20. FIG. 22 is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which the blade holder shown in FIG. 21 is attached to the holding portion. In FIGS. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in Embodiment 1, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0107] In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 17, the storage system 5 may be provided with a step 586 that supports the regulating pin 57 at the working position instead of the inclined surface 585 between the thick portion 583 and the thin portion 584 of the support block 58 of the holding portion 55 and allows the regulating pin 57 to approach the thin portion 584 at the non-working position. Further, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 18, the storage system 5 may form the regulating pin 57-2 of the holding portion 55 into a quadrangular cross-section when viewed from the side instead of a spherical shape. Further, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 19, the storage system 5 forms the regulating pin 57-2 of the holding portion 55 into a quadrangular cross-section when viewed from the side instead of a spherical shape, and is provided with a step 586 that supports the regulating pin 57-2 at the working position on the inclined surface 585 and allows the regulating pin 57-2 to slide on the inclined surface 585 at the non-working position.

[0108] Further, in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 20, 21, and 22, the blade holder 71 that holds a plurality of cutting blades 21 may be attachable to the holding portion 55. In this case, the labor for carrying the plurality of cutting blades 21 into or out of the holding portion 55 can be suppressed. As shown in FIGS. 20, 21, and 22, the blade holder 71 is formed in a cylindrical shape that fits on the outer periphery of the blade support shaft 56 and is provided with a hole 711 through which the regulating pin 57 passes inside.

[0109] Also in the cases of these Modification 1, Modification 2, Modification 3, and Modification 4, similar to Embodiment 1, since the regulation pin 57 is submerged in the hole 563 at the non-operating position in the storage system 5, the cutting blade 21 can be regulated from moving on the blade support shaft 56 without applying a load to the opening 212 of the cutting blade 21, achieving the effect of being able to regulate the movement of the cutting blade 21 on the blade support shaft 56.

[0110] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. That is, various modifications can be made and implemented without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the present invention, the cutting blade 21 may be a hub blade. In this case, it is desirable that the blade holding portion 67 has no cylindrical circular protrusion 675 or has a smaller diameter than that in Embodiment 1.

[0111] Further, in the present invention, the moving unit 64 may move the holding portion 55 of the storage unit 50 between the delivery position and the retracted position. In short, in the present invention, the moving unit 64 may move at least one of the holding portion 55 of the storage unit 50 and the exchange head 66 between the delivery position and the retracted position.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0112] 5 Storage system 9 Support column 21 Cutting blade 50 Storage unit (storage section) 56 Blade support shaft 57, 57-2 Regulation pin 58 Support block 59 Elastic member 64 Moving unit 66 Exchange head (transfer arm) 67 Blade holding portion 212 Opening 563 Hole 564 Outer peripheral surface (surface) 571 Outer surface (contact surface) 585 Inclined surface (contact surface) 673 Push portion

Claims

1. A storage system for a cutting blade having an opening at the center, comprising: a storage unit for storing the cutting blade; a transfer arm for transferring the cutting blade to and from the storage unit; a moving unit for moving at least one of the storage unit and the transfer arm between a delivery position where the transfer arm delivers the cutting blade to the storage unit and a retracted position; The storage unit includes: a column extending in the height direction; a blade support shaft extending from a side surface of the column and having an outer shape corresponding to the opening diameter of the cutting blade, and supporting the cutting blade when the opening of the cutting blade is inserted therein; a regulating pin housed inside the blade support shaft so as to be able to protrude from a hole provided on the surface of the blade support shaft, and regulating the cutting blade from moving in the extending direction of the blade support shaft by protruding from the hole; a support block housed inside the blade support shaft so as to be positioned below the regulating pin and supporting the regulating pin; an elastic member for biasing the support block in the extending direction of the blade support shaft; The transfer arm includes: a blade holding portion for holding the cutting blade; a push portion facing the support block at the delivery position; When at least one of the storage unit and the transfer arm is moved to the delivery position by the moving unit, the support block is pushed by the push portion and moves toward the column side, so that the regulating pin moves downward and is positioned at a non-operating position where it does not protrude from the hole; A storage system characterized in that when the transfer arm or the storage unit is moved to the retracted position by the moving unit, the support block is biased by the elastic member and moves in the extending direction of the blade support shaft, so that the regulating pin moves upward and is positioned at an operating position where it protrudes from the hole.

2. At least one of the support block and the regulating pin has: a slope or a curved surface whose contact surface with the other is higher toward the column side; The storage system according to claim 1, wherein when the support block is pushed by the push portion and moves toward the column side, the regulating pin moves downward along the contact surface.

Images