Cover device, processing apparatus, and processing method

Abstract

To provide a cover device capable of covering a processing space and a processing part for processing a processing object carried into the processing space, and easily carrying the processing object to the processing space.SOLUTION: A cover device includes a cover that covers a processing space and a processing portion that processes a processing object carried into the processing space, and an advancing / retracting guide portion that guides the cover so as to be capable of advancing and retracting between an advanced position at which the cover covers the processing space and the processing portion and a retracted position at which the cover does not cover the processing space, wherein the cover includes a front opening portion formed in a surface on the advanced position side, and the cover is provided with an opening / closing portion that opens and closes the front opening portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cover device, a processing device, and a processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a configuration is known in which a silicon ingot held in a holding frame is inspected using a V-notch evaluation device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-043205 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, the laser displacement meter, the air blow mechanism, the frame on which the laser displacement meter and the air blow mechanism are attached, and the holding frame that constitute the V-notch evaluation device are covered or housed in a case to prevent external influences from affecting the inspection results. However, Patent Document 1 does not disclose a cover or a case.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a cover device, a processing device, and a processing method that can cover a processing space and a processing unit that processes objects to be processed brought into the processing space, and that can easily transport objects to be processed into the processing space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The cover device of the present invention comprises a cover that covers a processing space and a processing section that processes an object to be processed that has been brought into the processing space, and a forward / backward guide section that guides the cover forward and backward between an advanced position that covers the processing space and the processing section and a retracted position that does not cover the processing space, wherein the cover has a front opening formed on the surface on the advanced position side, and the cover is provided with an opening / closing section that opens and closes the front opening.

[0007] The cover device of the present invention preferably comprises an opening / closing drive unit that drives the opening / closing unit, an advance / retract drive unit that moves the cover forward and backward, and a cover control unit that controls the opening / closing drive unit and the advance / retract drive unit, and the cover control unit is configured such that in a first state in which the opening / closing unit is closed and the cover is located at the advanced position, the cover control unit performs an open control to open the opening / closing unit, and then performs a retract control to retract the cover to the retracted position, and in a second state in which the opening / closing unit is open and the cover is located at the retracted position, the cover control unit performs an advance control to advance the cover to the advanced position, and then performs a close control to close the opening / closing unit.

[0008] In the cover device of the present invention, it is preferable that the cover control unit is provided with an opening / closing detection unit that detects the opening / closing state of the opening / closing unit, and that after performing the opening control in the first state, if it determines based on the detection result of the opening / closing detection unit that the opening / closing unit has reached a fully open state, it performs the retraction control, and if it determines that the opening / closing unit has not reached a fully open state, it does not perform the retraction control.

[0009] In the cover device of the present invention, it is preferable that a forward / backward detection unit is provided which detects the forward / backward state of the cover, and that after the cover control unit performs the forward control in the second state, if it determines based on the detection result of the forward / backward detection unit that the cover is located in the forward position, it performs the closing control, and if it determines that the cover is not located in the forward position, it does not perform the closing control.

[0010] In the cover device of the present invention, it is preferable that a forward / backward movement regulating section is provided that regulates the forward / backward movement of the cover, the cover is configured to be manually movable forward / backward, and the forward / backward movement regulating section allows the cover to move forward / backward when the opening / closing section is fully open, and regulates the cover from moving forward / backward when the opening / closing section is not fully open.

[0011] In the cover device of the present invention, it is preferable that the cover device is provided with an opening / closing regulating section that regulates the opening and closing of the opening / closing section, the opening / closing section is configured to be manually openable and closable, and the opening / closing regulating section allows the opening / closing section to be closed when the cover is located in the advanced position when the opening / closing section is fully open, and regulates the closing of the opening / closing section when the cover is not located in the advanced position when the opening / closing section is fully open.

[0012] In the cover device of the present invention, it is preferable that the cover comprises a fixed cover that is fixed to the processing section and covers the processing section, and a movable cover that is guided by the advance / retract guide section to be able to advance and retreat between the advance position and the retract position, and that the front opening and the opening / closing section are provided on the movable cover.

[0013] In the cover device of the present invention, it is preferable that the movable cover is formed in a shape that accommodates the fixed cover or is accommodated by the fixed cover when the movable cover is located in the retracted position.

[0014] In the cover device of the present invention, it is preferable that the movable cover is formed in a shape that accommodates the fixed cover when it is located in the retracted position, the opening / closing part is a shutter that is stored in an upper space inside the movable cover above the height position of the upper end of the fixed cover, and an opening / closing drive part that drives the shutter is provided in the upper space.

[0015] The processing apparatus of the present invention includes a processing space, a processing section that processes an object to be processed carried into the processing space, and the cover device described above.

[0016] In the processing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the object to be processed is a cylindrical silicon single crystal block, and the processing section is an inspection section that inspects the appearance of the silicon single crystal block.

[0017] The processing method of the present invention is a processing method using a processing device comprising a processing space, a processing unit that processes an object to be processed transported into the processing space, and the above-mentioned cover device, wherein when the object to be processed has not been transported into the processing space and the cover with the opening / closing unit closed is positioned at the advanced position, the opening / closing unit is opened and the cover is retracted to the retracted position, and when the object to be processed is transported into the processing space, the opening / closing unit advances the open cover to the advanced position and then closes the opening / closing unit, and when the processing object is processed by the processing unit, the opening / closing unit is opened and the cover is retracted to the retracted position, and when the object to be processed has been transported out of the processing space, the opening / closing unit advances the open cover to the advanced position and then closes the opening / closing unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a visual inspection apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are longitudinal cross-sectional views of a visual inspection device according to an embodiment, in which FIG. 1A shows a state in which a movable cover is located at an advanced position, and FIG. 1B shows a state in which the movable cover is located at a retracted position. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views of the visual inspection device according to the embodiment, in which FIG. 1A shows a state in which the movable cover is located at an advanced position, and FIG. 1B shows a state in which the movable cover is located at a retracted position. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a front view of a visual inspection apparatus according to an embodiment, with a portion shown in cross section. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the visual inspection apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart of a visual inspection method according to an embodiment. [Figure 7]1 is a flowchart of a visual inspection method according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] [Embodiment] <Configuration of visual inspection equipment> The configuration of a visual inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The visual inspection device 1 shown in Figures 1, 2(A), (B), 3(A), (B), and 4 inspects the appearance of a silicon single crystal block B as a cylindrical processing object. Note that the components of the visual inspection device 1 may be described based on the directions shown in Figure 1. The visual inspection device 1 includes a base 11, a rotation mechanism 12, and an inspection unit 13 as a processing unit. A shutter contact portion 111 having a width (length in the left-right direction) shorter than the width of the base 11 and longer than the width of the rotation mechanism 12 is provided on the front end side of the base 11. The rotation mechanism 12 includes a pair of rollers 121, and rotates the silicon single crystal block B placed on the pair of rollers 121 in the circumferential direction of the silicon single crystal block B based on the control of the control device 6, which will be described later. The inspection unit 13 includes a sensor 131 and a six-axis robot 132. The sensor 131 irradiates a silicon single crystal block B with laser light and receives light reflected from the silicon single crystal block B under the control of the control device 6. The sensor 131 outputs a signal corresponding to the light reception state to the control device 6. The six-axis robot 132 moves the sensor 131 under the control of the control device 6.

[0020] The visual inspection apparatus 1 further includes a cover device 2. The cover device 2 includes a cover 3, a pair of advance / retract guide units 4 that guide the cover 3 forward and backward on the base 11, and a pair of advance / retract drive units 5 that move the cover 3 forward and backward.

[0021] The cover 3 includes a fixed cover 31 fixed to the rear of the base 11 so as to cover the inspection unit 13, and a movable cover 32 guided by the advance / retract guide unit 4 to be able to advance and retreat between an advanced position and a retracted position. The advanced position is the position shown in FIGS. 1, 2(A), and 3(A), and is a position that covers the processing space P and the silicon single crystal block B. The retracted position is the position shown in FIGS. 2(B) and 3(B), and is a position that does not cover the processing space P. The processing space P is a space above the base 11 in which the rotation mechanism 12 is provided, and is a space that is covered by the movable cover 32 positioned at the advanced position. The fixed cover 31 and the movable cover 32 are made of an opaque material, such as metal.

[0022] The fixed cover 31 is formed in the shape of a square box with openings on the front surface (surface on the advanced position side) and the bottom surface (surface facing the base 11).

[0023] The movable cover 32 includes a rectangular plate-shaped upper surface portion 321 and side surfaces 322 extending downward from both left and right edges of the upper surface portion 321. The side surfaces 322 are formed at a height such that the shutter abutment portion 111 fits between the side surfaces 322 and the upper surface portion 321 is positioned above the upper surface of the fixed cover 31. The movable cover 32 further includes a rear surface portion 323 and a front surface portion 324. The rear surface portion 323 is provided to close the opening formed by the top surface portion 321, the side surface portions 322, and the upper end surface of the fixed cover 31. The front surface portion 324 is provided to close the upper end portion of the opening formed by the top surface portion 321 and each side surface portion 322. The opening formed by the front end of the side surface portion 322 and the lower end of the front surface portion 324 constitutes a front opening 325. The front opening 325 is shaped so that the silicon single crystal block B placed on the rotation mechanism 12 does not come into contact with the movable cover 32 when the movable cover 32 advances or retreats. The opening between the lower ends of the side surface portions 322 constitutes a lower opening 326.

[0024] A support plate 327 is provided in the space above the movable cover 32. The upper space is a space above the height position of the upper surface of the fixed cover 31 inside the movable cover 32. Light-blocking members (not shown) that prevent external light from entering the cover 3 through gaps with the fixed cover 31 are provided on the rear end sides of the opposing surfaces of the side portions 322 of the movable cover 32 and on the lower end of the rear portion 323.

[0025] The movable cover 32 is further provided with a shutter 33 as an opening / closing part, a rectilinear guide part 34 that guides the rectilinear movement of the shutter 33, and an opening / closing drive part 35 that drives the shutter 33.

[0026] The shutter 33 is an over-sliding shutter stored in the upper space and opens and closes the front opening 325. The shutter 33 is supported by guide rails 331 provided along the upper and front edges of each side portion 322 so that its rear end slides in the front-to-rear direction and its front end slides in the up-and-down direction. The shutter 33 opens and closes the front opening 325.

[0027] The linear guide portion 34 includes a guide 341 and a slider 342. The guide 341 is provided to extend in the front-rear direction on a support plate 327 fixed to the upper end side of the movable cover 32. The slider 342 has an upper end fixed to the shutter 33 and moves forward and backward along the guide 341.

[0028] The opening / closing drive unit 35 is configured with a linear motor and includes a stator 351 and a mover 352. The stator 351 is provided on the support plate 327 so as to extend in the front-rear direction. The mover 352 has an upper end fixed to the shutter 33 and moves forward and backward along the stator 351 based on the control of the control device 6. When the movable cover 32 is in the advanced position, the opening / closing drive unit 35 advances the mover 352 so that the front end of the shutter 33 contacts the upper surface of the shutter abutment portion 111, thereby closing the front opening 325 (hereinafter, this may be referred to as the "fully closed state of the shutter 33"). Note that the shutter abutment portion 111 may not be provided, and the opening / closing drive unit 35 may advance the mover 352 so that the front end of the shutter 33 contacts the upper surface of the base 11. The opening / closing drive unit 35 opens the front opening 325 by retracting the movable element 352 to a limit position from a state in which the shutter 33 closes the front opening 325 (hereinafter, this may be referred to as the "fully open state of the shutter 33"). A light-blocking member (not shown) is provided on at least one of the front end of the shutter 33 and the upper surface of the shutter abutment portion 111 to prevent external light from entering the cover 3 through the gap therebetween.

[0029] Each advance / retreat guide portion 4 includes a guide 41 and a slider 42. Each guide 41 is provided near both the left and right ends of the upper surface of the base 11 so as to extend in the front-rear direction. Each slider 42 is fixed to the lower end of each side surface portion 322 of the movable cover 32, and advances and retreats along the guide 41.

[0030] Each of the forward and backward driving units 5 is configured by a linear motor and includes a stator 51 and a mover 52. Each of the stators 51 is provided to extend in the front-rear direction between a pair of guides 41 on the upper surface of the base 11. Each of the movers 52 is connected to each of the side surfaces 322 of the movable cover 32 via connecting members 53, and moves forward and backward along the stator 51 based on the control of the control device 6.

[0031] At least the portions of each member constituting the cover device 2 that face the internal space of the cover 3 are painted black to prevent light reflection. This configuration prevents the laser light from the sensor 131 from being reflected by portions other than the silicon single crystal block B and affecting the inspection results.

[0032] 5, the visual inspection device 1 further includes a control device 6 configured by a computer. The control device 6 is connected to the rotation mechanism 12, the inspection unit 13, the advance / retract drive unit 5, the opening / closing drive unit 35, the opening / closing detection unit 36, and the advance / retract detection unit 54 so as to be able to send and receive various types of information to and from them.

[0033] The open / close detection unit 36 ​​detects the open / closed state of the shutter 33. The advance / retract detection unit 54 detects the advance / retract state of the movable cover 32. The open / close detection unit 36 ​​and the advance / retract detection unit 54 may be well-known components such as an encoder that detects the movement distance of the detection object (shutter 33, movable cover 32) from a reference position, or may be well-known components such as a limit switch that detects the physical position of the detection object.

[0034] The control device 6 includes a cover control unit 61 and an inspection control unit 62. The cover control unit 61 controls the opening / closing drive unit 35 based on the detection result of the advance / retract detection unit 54, thereby controlling the open / close state of the shutter 33. The cover control unit 61 controls the opening / retraction drive unit 5 based on the detection result of the opening / retract detection unit 36, thereby controlling the opening / retraction state of the movable cover 32. The inspection control unit 62 controls the inspection unit 13 to inspect the silicon single crystal block B.

[0035] <Operation of visual inspection equipment> Next, a method for visually inspecting a silicon single crystal block B will be described as an operation of the visual inspection device 1. As shown in Figures 2(A) and 3(A), the state in which the movable cover 32 is in the advanced position and the shutter 33 is fully closed may be referred to as a first state. As shown in Figures 2(B) and 3(B), the state in which the movable cover 32 is in the retracted position and the shutter 33 is fully open may be referred to as a second state. When the cover control unit 61 of the visual inspection device 1 receives a request to start inspection from an input unit (not shown) in a first state in which the silicon single crystal block B is not placed on the rotation mechanism 12, it performs opening control on the opening / closing drive unit 35 to bring the shutter 33 to a fully open state, as shown in Figure 6 (step S1).

[0036] The cover control unit 61 determines whether the shutter 33 is in the fully open state based on the detection result of the open / close detection unit 36 ​​(step S2). When the cover control unit 61 determines that the shutter 33 is fully open (step S2: YES), it executes retraction control on the advance / retreat drive unit 5 to retract the movable cover 32 to the retracted position (step S3). When the process of step S3 is completed, the cover device 2 enters a second state in which the silicon single crystal block B is not supported by the rotation mechanism 12. On the other hand, if the cover control unit 61 determines that the shutter 33 is not fully open due to some kind of trouble (step S2: NO), it performs opening control after a predetermined time has elapsed (step S1).If the cover control unit 61 determines that the shutter 33 is fully open, for example, because an operator has performed work to resolve the trouble before the predetermined time has elapsed (step S2: YES), it performs retraction control of the movable cover 32 (step S3).

[0037] In the second state, when the cover control unit 61 detects that a silicon single crystal block B has been transported into the rotation mechanism 12 by an operator or a transport device not shown, as shown by the dotted line in Figures 2(B) and 3(B) (step S4), it performs advancement control on the advance / retract drive unit 5 to advance the movable cover 32 to the advance position (step S5).

[0038] The cover control unit 61 determines whether or not the movable cover 32 is in the advanced position based on the detection result of the advance / retraction detection unit 54 (step S6). When the cover control unit 61 determines that the movable cover 32 is located at the advanced position (step S6: YES), it executes a closing control on the open / close drive unit 35 to fully close the shutter 33 (step S7). When the process of step S7 is completed, the cover device 2 enters the first state in which the silicon single crystal block B is placed on the rotation mechanism 12. On the other hand, if the cover control unit 61 determines that the movable cover 32 is not in the advanced position due to some kind of trouble (step S6: NO), it performs the advance control after a predetermined time has elapsed (step S5).If the cover control unit 61 determines that the movable cover 32 is in the advanced position (step S6: YES) before the predetermined time has elapsed, for example, because an operator has performed work to resolve the trouble, it performs the close control of the shutter 33 (step S7).

[0039] The inspection control unit 62 inspects the silicon single crystal block B (step S8). In step S8, the inspection control unit 62 irradiates the outer peripheral surface of the silicon single crystal block B with laser light while rotating the silicon single crystal block B, and inspects the outer peripheral surface based on the detection results of the light reflected from the outer peripheral surface. The inspection control unit 62 inspects the outer peripheral surface in this manner at multiple locations along the central axis direction of the silicon single crystal block B. The inspection control unit 62 irradiates the end surface of the silicon single crystal block B with laser light while rotating the silicon single crystal block B, and inspects the end surface based on the detection results of the light reflected from the end surface. The inspection control unit 62 inspects the end surface in this manner at multiple locations along the radial direction of the silicon single crystal block B.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 7, in the first state, the cover control unit 61 performs opening control of the shutter 33 (step S9), similar to step S1, and then determines whether the shutter 33 has reached the fully open state (step S10), similar to step S2. When the cover control unit 61 determines that the shutter 33 is fully open (step S10: YES), it performs retraction control of the movable cover 32 (step S11), similar to step S3. When the process of step S11 is completed, the cover device 2 enters a second state in which the silicon single crystal block B is placed on the rotation mechanism 12. On the other hand, if the cover control unit 61 determines that the shutter 33 is not fully open (step S10: NO), it performs open control after a predetermined time has elapsed (step S9).If the cover control unit 61 determines that the shutter 33 is fully open due to the troubleshooting being resolved before the predetermined time has elapsed (step S10: YES), it performs retraction control of the movable cover 32 (step S11).

[0041] When the cover control unit 61 detects that the inspected silicon single crystal block B has been removed by an operator or a transport device not shown (step S12), it determines whether or not to inspect another silicon single crystal block B (step S13). When the cover control unit 61 determines that another silicon single crystal block B is to be inspected (step S13: YES), as shown in FIG. 6, after detecting that the silicon single crystal block B has been transported into the rotation mechanism 12 (step S4), it controls the advancement of the movable cover 32 (step S5). On the other hand, when it is determined that another silicon single crystal block B is not to be inspected (step S13: NO), the cover control unit 61 controls the advancement of the movable cover 32 in the same manner as in step S5 (step S14).

[0042] The cover control unit 61 determines whether or not the movable cover 32 is in the advanced position, similar to step S6 (step S15). When the cover control unit 61 determines that the movable cover 32 is located at the advanced position (step S15: YES), it performs the closing control of the shutter 33 (step S16), similar to step S7. When the processing of step S16 is completed, the cover device 2 enters the first state in which the silicon single crystal block B is not placed on the rotation mechanism 12. On the other hand, if the cover control unit 61 determines that the movable cover 32 is not in the advanced position (step S15: NO), it performs advance control after a predetermined time has elapsed (step S14).If the cover control unit 61 determines that the movable cover 32 is in the advanced position due to the troubleshooting before the predetermined time has elapsed (step S15: YES), it performs close control of the shutter 33 (step S16).

[0043] <Effects of the embodiment> In a first state in which the silicon single crystal block B is not placed on the rotation mechanism 12, the cover device 2 fully opens the shutter 33 and then retracts the movable cover 32 to the retracted position. In a second state in which the silicon single crystal block B is placed on the rotation mechanism 12, the cover device 2 moves the movable cover 32 to the advanced position while keeping the shutter 33 fully open, and then fully closes the shutter 33. In this way, by fully closing the shutter 33 while the movable cover 32 is in the advanced position, it is possible to prevent external influences from affecting the inspection results of the inspection unit 13. Furthermore, after the movable cover 32 is moved to the retracted position, there are no components of the cover device 2 in front of, above, or on either side of the processing space P. Therefore, the silicon single crystal block B can be easily carried in and out of the processing space P from these positions where there are no components of the cover device 2. Furthermore, since the silicon single crystal block B located in the processing space P can be moved vertically upward and then to the right or left without moving it backward, a small transport device having transport functions only in the up, down, left, and right directions can be used. Furthermore, the silicon single crystal block B that has been carried into the processing space P from either the right or left side can be carried out to the other side, facilitating automatic transportation.

[0044] In a first state in which the silicon single crystal block B is not placed on the rotation mechanism 12 or is placed on the rotation mechanism 12, the cover device 2 retracts the movable cover 32 after detecting that the shutter 33 is in a fully open state. This reliably prevents the unopened shutter 33 from coming into contact with a member (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "protruding member") protruding from the upper end of the shutter abutment portion 111 of the rotation mechanism 12 or the silicon single crystal block B while the movable cover 32 is retracted. Even if the shutter 33 is not fully open, the movable cover 32 may be retracted after detecting that the shutter 33 has opened to a height where it does not come into contact with the protruding member and the silicon single crystal block B.

[0045] In a second state in which the silicon single crystal block B is not placed on the rotation mechanism 12 or is placed on the rotation mechanism 12, the cover device 2 detects that the movable cover 32 is in the advanced position and then fully closes the shutter 33. Therefore, when the movable cover 32 is not in the advanced position, the shutter 33 can be reliably prevented from coming into contact with the protruding member or the silicon single crystal block B during the downward movement.

[0046] The cover 3 is composed of a fixed cover 31 and a movable cover 32. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which an integrated cover is advanced and retreated, the load on the advance and retreat drive unit 5 during driving can be reduced.

[0047] The movable cover 32 is formed in a shape that accommodates the fixed cover 31 when it is in the retracted position. Therefore, the space occupied by the cover 3 can be made smaller than in a configuration in which an integrated cover is moved back and forth.

[0048] The shutter 33 is configured to be housed in an upper space within the movable cover 32. The linear guide portion 34 and the opening / closing drive portion 35 are provided in the upper space. Therefore, without providing a configuration that only has the function of covering the shutter 33, the straight guide section 34, and the opening / closing drive section 35, it is possible to prevent the shutter 33, the straight guide section 34, and the opening / closing drive section 35 from coming into contact with objects outside the cover device 2.

[0049] [Variations] The cover device 2 may not be provided with the opening / closing drive unit 35, and the shutter 33 may be opened and closed manually. The cover device 2 may not be provided with the advance / retract drive unit 5, and the movable cover 32 may be advanced and retracted manually.

[0050] In a configuration in which the shutter 33 is opened and closed manually, an advance / retract restriction unit may be provided that allows the movable cover 32 to move forward and backward when it is determined that the shutter 33 is in a fully open state, and restricts the advance / retraction of the movable cover 32 when it is determined that the shutter 33 is in a fully closed state. Such an advance / retract restriction unit may be composed of the open / close detection unit 36, an advance / retract restriction member such as a stopper that restricts the advance / retraction by contact with the movable cover 32, and an advance / retract restriction control unit that controls the movement of the advance / retract restriction member. With this configuration, it is possible to reliably prevent the shutter 33, which is not fully open, from coming into contact with the protruding member or the silicon single crystal block B while the movable cover 32 is being advanced or retracted.

[0051] In a configuration in which the movable cover 32 is manually advanced and retreated, an opening / closing restriction unit may be provided that allows the shutter 33 to be closed when it is determined that the shutter 33 is fully open and the movable cover 32 is in the advanced position, and restricts the closing of the shutter 33 when it is determined that the shutter 33 is fully open and the movable cover 32 is not in the advanced position. Such an opening / closing restriction unit may be composed of the opening / closing detection unit 36, the advance / retraction detection unit 54, an opening / closing restriction member such as a stopper that restricts the advance / retraction by contact with the shutter 33, and an opening / closing restriction control unit that controls the movement of the opening / closing restriction member. With this configuration, the shutter 33 can be reliably prevented from coming into contact with the protruding member or the silicon single crystal block B while descending when the movable cover 32 is not in the advanced position.

[0052] At least one of the steps of determining whether the shutter 33 is fully open in step S2 or step S10, and the step of determining whether the movable cover 32 is in the advanced position in step S6 or step S15, may not be performed. A one-piece cover may be provided instead of the cover 3. In this case, the front end position of the one-piece cover positioned at the retracted position when viewed from above may be in front of or behind the inspection unit 13, or may be a position overlapping with the inspection unit 13. The movable cover 32 may be formed in a shape that allows it to be housed in the fixed cover 31 when it is in the retracted position.

[0053] An over-slide shutter 33 has been exemplified as the opening and closing part, but an over-slide shutter 33 that opens and closes in the left-right direction, a folding door or roll-up shutter that opens and closes in the up-down or left-right direction, or a pivoting or sliding door may also be applied.

[0054] At least one of the opening / closing drive unit 35 and the forward / backward drive unit 5 may be configured by a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, or a rack and pinion mechanism. Although the inspection unit 13 that inspects the appearance of the silicon single crystal block B has been exemplified as a processing unit constituting the processing apparatus, a cutting unit that cuts the silicon single crystal ingot, a cylindrical grinding unit that cylindrically grinds the silicon single crystal ingot or the silicon single crystal block B, a slicing unit that slices the silicon single crystal block B, a polishing unit that polishes the wafer, and a chamfering unit that chamfers the wafer may also be applied. Although the silicon single crystal block B has been exemplified as the object to be processed, various materials and various devices may also be applied. A configuration that performs cutting, polishing, chamfering, inspection, cleaning, etc. of the object to be processed may also be applied as a processing unit. In the case of a processing apparatus in which a pair of processing sections are provided on each of the left and right sides of a base and a processing space is provided between the pair of processing sections, the covers may be formed of a pair of fixed covers and a pair of movable covers, with the pair of fixed covers covering each processing section, and the pair of movable covers moving back and forth between an advanced position in which each covers half of the processing space and a retracted position in which each covers each processing section. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1...visual inspection device (processing device), 2...cover device, 3...cover, 5...advance / retract drive unit, 11...base, 12...rotation mechanism (holding unit), 13...inspection unit (processing unit), 31...fixed cover, 32...movable cover, 33...shutter (opening / closing unit), 35...opening / closing drive unit, 36...opening / closing detection unit, 54...advance / retract detection unit, 61...cover control unit, 325...front opening, 326...bottom opening, B...silicon single crystal block (object to be processed), P...processing space.

Claims

1. a cover for covering the processing space and a processing section for processing the object to be processed carried into the processing space; an advance / retract guide portion that guides the cover between an advanced position that covers the processing space and the processing unit and a retracted position that does not cover the processing space, the cover has a front opening formed on a surface on the advanced position side, The cover device is provided with an opening / closing portion that opens and closes the front opening.

2. The cover device according to claim 1, an opening / closing drive unit that drives the opening / closing unit; an advance / retract drive unit that advances and retracts the cover; a cover control unit that controls the opening / closing drive unit and the forward / backward drive unit, The cover control unit is In a first state in which the opening / closing unit is closed and the cover is located at the advanced position, an opening control is performed to open the opening / closing unit, and then a retraction control is performed to retract the cover to the retracted position, A cover device that, in a second state in which the opening / closing section is open and the cover is positioned in the retracted position, performs an advance control to advance the cover to the advanced position, and then performs a close control to close the opening / closing section.

3. The cover device according to claim 2, an open / close detection unit that detects the open / close state of the open / close unit, A cover device in which, after performing the opening control in the first state, the cover control unit performs the retraction control if it determines, based on the detection result of the opening / closing detection unit, that the opening / closing unit has reached a fully open state, and does not perform the retraction control if it determines that the opening / closing unit has not reached a fully open state.

4. The cover device according to claim 2, a forward / backward detection unit for detecting the forward / backward state of the cover; A cover device in which, after performing the advance control in the second state, the cover control unit performs the close control if it determines, based on the detection result of the advance / retract detection unit, that the cover is located in the advance position, and does not perform the close control if it determines that the cover is not located in the advance position.

5. The cover device according to claim 1, a forward / backward movement regulating portion that regulates the forward / backward movement of the cover; The cover is configured to be manually movable forward and backward, The advancement / retraction restricting section allows the cover to advance and retract when the opening / closing section is fully open, and restricts the cover from advancing and retracting when the opening / closing section is not fully open.

6. The cover device according to claim 1, an opening / closing restricting portion that restricts opening / closing of the opening / closing portion; The opening / closing unit is configured to be manually openable and closable, The opening / closing restricting unit allows the opening / closing unit to be closed when the cover is in the advanced position when the opening / closing unit is fully open, and restricts the opening / closing unit from being closed when the cover is not in the advanced position when the opening / closing unit is fully open.

7. The cover device according to claim 1, the cover includes a fixed cover that is fixed to the processing unit and covers the processing unit, and a movable cover that is guided by the advance / retract guide portion to be able to advance and retract between the advanced position and the retracted position, The front opening and the opening / closing portion are provided on the movable cover.

8. The cover device according to claim 7, The cover device, wherein the movable cover is formed into a shape that accommodates the fixed cover or a shape that is accommodated by the fixed cover when the movable cover is located at the retracted position.

9. The cover device according to claim 8, the movable cover is formed in a shape that accommodates the fixed cover when the movable cover is located at the retracted position, the opening / closing unit is a shutter that is housed in an upper space inside the movable cover that is higher than the height position of the upper end of the fixed cover, The cover device has an opening / closing drive unit that drives the shutter provided in the upper space.

10. Processing space and a processing unit that processes the processing object carried into the processing space; A processing device comprising: the cover device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. 11. The processing apparatus according to claim 10, the processing object is a cylindrical silicon single crystal block, The processing device, wherein the processing section is an inspection section that inspects the appearance of the silicon single crystal block.

12. Processing space and a processing unit that processes the processing object carried into the processing space; A processing method using a processing device comprising the cover device according to claim 1, In a state where the object to be processed has not been carried into the processing space and the cover is positioned at the advanced position with the opening / closing unit closed, the opening / closing unit is opened and then the cover is retracted to the retracted position; When the object to be treated is carried into the treatment space, the cover with the opening / closing unit opened is advanced to the advanced position, and then the opening / closing unit is closed; After the processing of the processing object is completed by the processing unit, the opening / closing unit is opened, and then the cover is retracted to the retracted position; When the object to be treated has been carried out of the treatment space, the cover with the opening / closing unit is advanced to the advanced position, and then the opening / closing unit is closed.

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