Chemical treatment equipment

Abstract

To provide a chemical processing apparatus incorporating a workpiece conveying device capable of easily adjusting a positional relation between an upper folded pulley of an upper endless belt (upper belt) and a lower folded pulley 14 of a lower endless belt (lower belt).SOLUTION: A chemical processing apparatus includes: a workpiece supply device which supplies a long workpiece; a workpiece winding device; a chemical processing tank; and a workpiece conveying device which has upper and lower end conveyance clamp groups that clamp a workpiece upper end and a workpiece lower end, wherein the clamp groups are attached to an upper belt and a lower belt, the workpiece is conveyed, and the clamp groups are sequentially released at the end of conveyance. In the chemical processing apparatus in which the upper belt is wound around an upper drive pulley and an upper folded pulley, the lower belt is wound around a lower drive pulley and a lower folded pulley 14, and the upper belt and the lower belt are conveyed synchronously, the lower folded pulley 14 has an X-Y movement mechanism to move the folded pulley in an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a chemical treatment apparatus that performs chemical treatment such as plating while transporting an extremely thin and flexible long sheet-like workpiece, such as a flexible circuit board used for COF (Chip On Flexible), at a constant speed. In particular, the present invention relates to a chemical treatment apparatus incorporating a workpiece transport device that can easily adjust the positional relationship between the upper return pulley of the upper endless belt and the lower return pulley of the lower endless belt.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, this type of chemical treatment apparatus used for manufacturing flexible circuit boards incorporates a workpiece transport device that transports a long sheet-like workpiece at a constant speed (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] That is, as shown in FIG. 12, this type of chemical treatment apparatus includes a workpiece supply device (not shown) that continuously supplies a long sheet-like workpiece 10, a workpiece winding device (not shown) that continuously winds up the workpiece 10, an upper transport clamp group 7 that clamps the upper end of the workpiece 10 supplied from the workpiece supply device, and a lower transport clamp group 9 that clamps the lower end. The upper and lower transport clamp groups 7 and 9 are attached to the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 at equal intervals, respectively, and clamp the workpiece 10 at a fixed dimension while transporting it in the vertical direction in its width direction. When the transport is completed, the upper and lower transport clamps 7 and 9 are sequentially opened to wind up the workpiece 10 by the workpiece winding device. A chemical treatment tank (not shown) that performs chemical treatment on the workpiece 10 disposed between the workpiece supply device and the workpiece winding device and transported in the vertical direction in its width direction by the workpiece transport device is provided. The upper endless belt 6 is wound around an upper drive pulley 11 and an upper return pulley 13, and the lower endless belt 8 is wound around a lower drive pulley 12 and a lower return pulley 14 so that the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 are synchronously transported.

[0004] Furthermore, in the chemical apparatus shown in Figure 12, two or more upper and lower folded pulleys are incorporated, and the mounting surface occupied by the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 is made nearly square, thereby achieving miniaturization of the chemical apparatus. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-120889 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-251182 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Incidentally, in the workpiece transport device incorporated into the above-mentioned chemical processing apparatus, as shown in Figure 12, the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 are transported without slippage by independently driven upper and lower servo motors 41 and 42, and by upper drive pulleys 11 and 12 directly connected to these servo motors 41 and 42 and having rubber-coated outer surfaces. Furthermore, marks provided on the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 are detected by photoelectric sensors (neither shown) and converted into the amount of movement of each endless belt. Based on this amount of movement, the transport speed of the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 is controlled by the independently driven upper and lower servo motors 41 and 42, so that the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 are transported synchronously. Therefore, normally, the synchronization of the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 does not get out of sync.

[0007] However, if slippage occurs between the upper endless belt 6 and the upper drive pulley 11, or between the lower endless belt 8 and the lower drive pulley 12, causing a synchronization misalignment between the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 (for example, a transport misalignment of 2-3 mm), and this synchronization misalignment is difficult to correct with control by servo motors 41 and 42, problems such as breakage or wrinkling may occur in thin, long sheet-like workpieces with a thickness of 25 μm or less.

[0008] Furthermore, workpieces that are torn or wrinkled become defective products. However, conventional chemical processing equipment cannot detect these defects within the equipment, so when quality checks are performed after the chemical processing is complete, the length of defective workpieces can reach tens of meters.

[0009] Furthermore, in conventional chemical processing equipment, even in cases where the installation surface occupied by the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 is made nearly square to reduce the size of the equipment, the workpiece 10 is folded and conveyed while being clamped to the upper and lower end conveying clamps 7 and 9 via the upper folding pulley 13 and the lower folding pulley 14. However, when conveying thin, long sheet-like workpieces, especially workpieces with a thickness of 25 μm or less, the positional relationship between the upper folding pulley 13 and the lower folding pulley 14 becomes important, and it is necessary to adjust the upper folding pulley 13 and the lower folding pulley 14 so that the workpiece 10 does not shift between the input and output sides of the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8.

[0010] Furthermore, when adjusting the positional relationship between the upper folded pulley 13 and the lower folded pulley 14, conventionally, the centering of each pulley is performed to align the central axes of each pulley coaxially, and then test transport is conducted to check the wrinkles, cuts, etc. of the workpiece 10, and the positioning of the upper folded pulley 13 and the lower folded pulley 14 is performed empirically. However, this experience-based adjustment work is extremely time-consuming.

[0011] Furthermore, if a workpiece conveying device with an adjusted positional relationship between the upper and lower folded pulleys 13 and 14 is used continuously, the outer diameter of the upper and / or lower folded pulleys 14 may change slightly, or the position of the central axes of the upper and / or lower folded pulleys 14 may change slightly, causing a subtle change in the positional relationship between the upper and lower folded pulleys 13 and 14. This can cause workpiece misalignment between the input and output sides of the upper and lower endless belts 6 and 8. This workpiece misalignment can be corrected by readjusting the positional relationship between the upper and lower folded pulleys 13 and 14 (for example, readjusting them so that the central axes of the upper and lower folded pulleys 13 and 14 are coaxial), but this adjustment process is very time-consuming.

[0012] This invention was made in view of these problems, and its objective is to provide a chemical processing apparatus that incorporates a workpiece conveying device that can easily adjust the positional relationship between the upper return pulley of the upper endless belt and the lower return pulley of the lower endless belt. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In other words, the first invention according to the present invention is, A workpiece feeding device that continuously supplies long sheet-shaped workpieces, A workpiece winding device for continuously winding the above workpiece, A workpiece conveying device having upper and lower end conveying clamp groups that clamp the upper and lower ends of workpieces supplied from the workpiece supply device, respectively, the upper and lower end conveying clamp groups are attached to the upper and lower endless belts at equal intervals, respectively, and the workpieces are conveyed in the vertical direction while clamping them at fixed intervals, and at the end of conveying, the upper and lower end conveying clamps are sequentially released to allow the workpieces to be wound onto the workpiece winding device, The system includes a chemical treatment tank positioned between the work supply device and the work winding device, which is used to perform chemical treatment on the workpiece that is transported vertically in its width direction by the workpiece transport device, In a chemical processing apparatus in which the upper endless belt is wound around an upper drive pulley and one or more upper return pulleys, and the lower endless belt is wound around a lower drive pulley and one or more lower return pulleys, the upper endless belt and the lower endless belt are transported synchronously, The present invention is characterized in that one of the opposing pairs of upper and lower folded pulleys has an XY movement mechanism that moves the folded pulley along a plane perpendicular to its central axis in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction.

[0014] Next, the second invention according to the present invention is, In the chemical apparatus described in the first invention, The XY movement mechanism of the folded pulley described above is A second movable plate having a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the folded pulley and rotatably supporting the folded pulley, A first movable plate having a plane parallel to the plane of the second movable plate and supporting the second movable plate, A base having a plane parallel to the plane of the first movable plate and supporting the first movable plate, A means for moving the above-mentioned second movable plate in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction, The above-mentioned first movable plate is characterized by being composed of a moving means for moving it in the Y-axis direction or the X-axis direction, The third invention is, In the chemical apparatus described in the second invention, The means for moving the second movable plate comprises a pair of slide guide shafts having a guide shaft provided on the first movable plate and a shift table movably attached to the guide shaft and to which the second movable plate is fixed, and a feed mechanism having a feed screw provided on the first movable plate and arranged parallel to the guide shaft and a table screwed into the feed screw and to which the second movable plate is fixed. The means for moving the first movable plate is characterized by comprising a pair of slide guide shafts having a guide shaft provided on the base and a shift table movably attached to the guide shaft and to which the first movable plate is fixed, and a feed mechanism having a feed screw provided on the base and arranged parallel to the guide shaft and a table screwed into the feed screw and to which the first movable plate is fixed, The fourth invention is, In the chemical apparatus described in the second or third invention, The feed screw in the feed mechanism for the second movable plate and the first movable plate is provided with a gripping part, and the orientation of the XY movement mechanism in the folding pulley is set such that each gripping part is positioned facing outwards from the endless belt. The fifth invention is, In the chemical apparatus described in the second or third invention, The device is characterized by having a means for measuring the amount of movement of the second movable plate, which consists of a plate-shaped piece attached to the outer edge of the second movable plate and having an arrow at its tip, and a scale plate provided on the base surface facing the plate-shaped piece, and a means for measuring the amount of movement of the first movable plate, which consists of a plate-shaped piece attached to the outer edge of the first movable plate and having an arrow at its tip, and a scale plate provided on the base surface facing the plate-shaped piece. Furthermore, the sixth invention is, In the chemical apparatus described in the fourth invention, It is characterized by having a moving amount measuring means for the second movable plate, which is composed of a plate-like piece attached to the outer edge of the second movable plate and having an arrow at its tip, and a scale plate provided on the base surface facing the plate-like piece, and a moving amount measuring means for the first movable plate, which is composed of a plate-like piece attached to the outer edge of the first movable plate and having an arrow at its tip, and a scale plate provided on the base surface facing the plate-like piece.

Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the work transfer device incorporated in the chemical processing device according to the present invention, since one of the at least one pair of upper and lower turning pulleys facing each other has an X-Y movement mechanism for moving the turning pulley in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction along a plane perpendicular to its central axis, even a beginner with little work experience can easily adjust the positional relationship between the upper turning pulley of the upper endless belt and the lower turning pulley of the lower endless belt, and it has the effect of shortening the time required for the adjustment work.

Brief Explanation of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] Perspective view of the work transfer device incorporated in the chemical processing device according to the present invention as viewed from the upper endless belt and the lower endless belt sides. [Figure 2] Perspective view of the work transfer device incorporated in the chemical processing device according to the present invention as viewed from the side opposite to the upper endless belt and the lower endless belt. [Figure 3] Perspective view of the turning pulley having an X-Y movement mechanism in the work transfer device incorporated in the chemical processing device according to the present invention. [Figure 4] Perspective view of the configuration of the moving means for moving the second movable plate in the work transfer device incorporated in the chemical processing device according to the present invention. [Figure 5] Perspective view of the configuration of the moving means for moving the first movable plate in the work transfer device incorporated in the chemical processing device according to the present invention. [Figure 6] A plan view, seen from the upper folded pulley side, of a pair of opposing upper and lower folded pulleys in a workpiece transfer device incorporated into a chemical processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 7] A side view of the upper endless belt, upper folding pulley, upper end conveying clamp group, workpiece, lower end conveying clamp group, lower endless belt, and lower folding pulley having an XY movement mechanism, viewed from the direction of arrow A in Figure 6. [Figure 8] A side view of the upper endless belt, upper folding pulley, upper end conveying clamp group, workpiece, lower end conveying clamp group, lower endless belt, and lower folding pulley having an XY movement mechanism, viewed from the direction of arrow B in Figure 6. [Figure 9] Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the upper folded pulley, upper endless belt, upper end conveying clamp group, workpiece, lower end conveying clamp group, lower endless belt, and lower folded pulley having an XY movement mechanism, viewed from the direction of arrow C. [Figure 10] Figure 10(A) is a front view showing a part of the configuration of a workpiece transfer device incorporated into a chemical processing apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 10(B) is a partially enlarged view of Figure 10(A), and Figure 10(C) is a side view of Figure 10(A). [Figure 11] A perspective view showing an upper folding pulley and a lower folding pulley having an XY movement mechanism in a workpiece transport device incorporated into a chemical processing apparatus according to the present invention, and sensors provided on the loading and unloading sides of the endless belt in each folding pulley. [Figure 12] A perspective view of a workpiece transfer device incorporated into a conventional chemical processing apparatus, viewed from the opposite side of the upper and lower endless belts. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0018] Furthermore, when describing the workpiece transfer device incorporated into the chemical processing apparatus according to the present invention, the same reference numerals are used for components identical to those of a workpiece transfer device incorporated into a conventional chemical processing apparatus.

[0019] 1. Chemical processing apparatus incorporating the workpiece transfer device according to the present invention (1) Chemical treatment equipment The chemical processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises, as its main components, a work supply device for continuously supplying long sheet-shaped workpieces, a work winding device for continuously winding the workpieces, a chemical processing tank positioned between the work supply device and the work winding device for performing chemical processing such as plating on the workpieces, and a work transport device for loading untreated workpieces into the chemical processing tank with their width direction in the vertical direction and unloading processed workpieces with their width direction in the vertical direction.

[0020] (2) Workpiece transfer device The workpiece conveying device incorporated into the chemical processing apparatus according to the present invention, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, comprises a plurality of upper end conveying clamps 7 that clamp the upper end of the workpiece 10 and a plurality of lower end conveying clamps 9 that clamp the lower end of the workpiece 10, an upper endless belt 6 wound between an upper drive pulley 11 with a rubber coating on its outer circumference and one or more upper folded pulleys 13, to which the group of upper end conveying clamps 7 is attached, and a lower drive pulley 12 with a rubber coating on its outer circumference and one or more lower folded pulleys 14, to which the group of lower end conveying clamps 9 is attached. The system includes a lower endless belt 8, a pair of upper and lower independent servo motors 41 and 42 provided on the upper drive pulley 11 and lower drive pulley 12 respectively to independently drive the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8, and photoelectric sensors (not shown) attached near the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 that detect marks provided on the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 to detect the amount of movement of each endless belt, so that the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 are transported synchronously. The upper and lower end transport clamps 7 and 9 are attached to the upper and lower endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 at equal intervals, respectively, to clamp the workpiece 10 at fixed intervals and transport it with its width in the vertical direction, and when transport is finished the upper and lower end transport clamps 7 and 9 are sequentially released so that the workpiece 10 is wound onto the workpiece winding device.

[0021] Furthermore, the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 are each made of stainless steel.

[0022] Furthermore, the workpiece transfer device according to the present invention is characterized in that one of the folding pulleys (the lower folding pulley 14 shown in Figure 2 in the workpiece transfer device according to this embodiment) of at least one pair of opposing upper and lower folding pulleys has an XY movement mechanism that moves the folding pulley (lower folding pulley 14) along a plane perpendicular to its central axis in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction.

[0023] (2-1)XY movement mechanism The XY movement mechanism of one of the folding pulleys (lower folding pulley 14) in at least one pair of opposing upper and lower folding pulleys is composed of, as shown in Figure 3, a second movable plate 2 having a plane perpendicular to the central axis (not shown) of the lower folding pulley 14 and rotatably supporting the lower folding pulley 14, a first movable plate 3 having a plane parallel to the plane of the second movable plate 2 and supporting the second movable plate 2, a base 5 having a plane parallel to the plane of the first movable plate 3 and supporting the first movable plate 3, a moving means provided on the first movable plate 3 for moving the second movable plate 2 in the X-axis direction, and a moving means provided on the base 5 for moving the first movable plate 3 in the Y-axis direction.

[0024] Here, the base 5 is a connector for attachment to a mounting part (not shown) of the workpiece transfer device, and its upper surface is attached to the mounting part (not shown) of the workpiece transfer device in a position parallel to the planes of the second movable plate 2 and the first movable plate 3. As shown in Figure 3, the second movable plate 2 and the first movable plate 3 are supported by the first movable plate 3 and the base 5 via a slide guide shaft, which will be described later, in a position where the orientation of their respective edges is aligned with the orientation of the edge of the base 5.

[0025] (2-2) Means of moving the second movable plate and the first movable plate As shown in Figure 4, the means 30 for moving the second movable plate consists of a pair of slide guide shafts 31 provided on the first movable plate 3 and a feed mechanism 35 provided parallel to the slide guide shafts 31. The slide guide shafts 31 consist of a guide shaft 33 supported at both ends by shaft holders 32 and extending in one direction along the edge of the first movable plate 3, and two shift tables 34 that are movably mounted with the guide shafts 33 inserted inside and to which the second movable plate (not shown) is fixed. The feed mechanism 35 consists of a feed screw 37 supported at both ends by holders 36 and arranged parallel to the guide shafts 33, with a knob 39 provided on the edge side of the first movable plate 3, and a table 38 that is screwed onto the feed screw 37 and moves in the axial direction of the screw in response to the rotation of the feed screw 37, and to which the second movable plate (not shown) is fixed.

[0026] Then, by rotating the feed screw 37 clockwise or counterclockwise using the knob 39 of the feed mechanism 35, the table 38 of the feed mechanism 35 moves forward or backward in the axial direction of the screw, making it possible to move the second movable plate (not shown), which is fixed to the table 38 and the shift table 34 of the slide guide shaft 31, in the X-axis direction.

[0027] Furthermore, the means 50 for moving the first movable plate, as shown in Figure 5, consists of a pair of slide guide shafts 31 provided on the base 5 and a feed mechanism 35 provided parallel to the slide guide shafts 31. The slide guide shafts 31 consist of a guide shaft 33 that extends in one direction along the edge of the base 5 and is supported at both ends by shaft holders 32, and two shift tables 34 that are movably mounted with the guide shafts 33 inserted inside and to which the first movable plate (not shown) is fixed. The feed mechanism 35 consists of a feed screw 37 that is supported at both ends by holders 36, is arranged parallel to the guide shafts 33 and has a knob 39 on the edge side of the base 5, and a table 38 that is screwed onto the feed screw 37 and moves in the axial direction of the screw in response to the rotation of the feed screw 37 and to which the first movable plate (not shown) is fixed.

[0028] Then, by rotating the feed screw 37 clockwise or counterclockwise using the knob 39 of the feed mechanism 35, the table 38 of the feed mechanism 35 moves forward or backward in the axial direction of the screw, making it possible to move the first movable plate (not shown), which is fixed to the table 38 and the shift table 34 of the slide guide shaft 31, in the Y-axis direction.

[0029] (2-3) Operation of the XY movement mechanism According to the XY movement mechanism provided by the folded pulley (lower folded pulley 14) in Figure 3, by rotating the knob 39 of the feed mechanism 35 provided on the first movable plate 3, the second movable plate 2 which rotatably supports the lower folded pulley 14 can be moved in the X-axis direction, and by rotating the knob 39 of the feed mechanism 35 provided on the base 5, the first movable plate 3 which supports the second movable plate 2 can be moved in the Y-axis direction. For example, if the central axis of the upper folded pulley 13 shown in Figure 2 is used as a reference, by applying the above XY movement mechanism, it becomes possible to easily adjust the position so that the central axis of the lower folded pulley 14 is coaxial with the central axis of the reference upper folded pulley 13.

[0030] In other words, by applying the XY movement mechanism, the positions of the upper folded pulley 13 and the lower folded pulley 14 can be easily adjusted, and after this adjustment, it becomes possible to further fine-tune the central axis of the lower folded pulley 14 with respect to the central axis of the upper folded pulley 13.

[0031] Therefore, if the outer diameter of the upper return pulley 13 and / or the lower return pulley 14 changes slightly due to the continued use of the workpiece conveying device, or if the position of the central axis of the upper return pulley 13 and / or the lower return pulley 14 changes slightly, causing a subtle change in the positional relationship between the upper return pulley 13 and the lower return pulley 14, the XY movement mechanism of the lower return pulley 14 makes it easy to readjust the positional relationship between the upper return pulley 13 and the lower return pulley 14. Furthermore, even if an abnormality occurs in synchronous conveying due to slippage between the upper endless belt 6 and the upper drive pulley 11, and between the lower endless belt 8 and the lower drive pulley 12, the XY movement mechanism of the lower return pulley 14 makes it possible to mitigate this by readjusting the positional relationship between the upper return pulley 13 and the lower return pulley 14.

[0032] (2-4) Means for measuring the amount of movement The XY movement mechanism of the folded pulley (lower folded pulley 14) may be equipped with a movement amount measuring means for measuring the movement amounts of the second movable plate 2 and the first movable plate 3.

[0033] For example, as shown in Figure 3, a means for measuring the amount of movement of the second movable plate may be provided, which consists of a plate-shaped piece 51 attached to the outer edge of the second movable plate 2 and having an arrow at its tip, and a scale plate 52 provided on the surface of the base 5 facing the plate-shaped piece 51. A means for measuring the amount of movement of the first movable plate may also be provided, which consists of a plate-shaped piece 51 attached to the outer edge of the first movable plate 3 and having an arrow at its tip, and a scale plate 52 provided on the surface of the base 5 facing the plate-shaped piece 51.

[0034] By providing such a means for measuring the amount of movement, the amount of movement of the second movable plate 2 and the first movable plate 3 can be accurately measured based on the indicated values ​​of the scale plate 52 before and after movement. In addition, for example, if the outer diameter of the upper folding pulley 13 and / or the lower folding pulley 14 changes slightly due to the continued use of the workpiece conveying device, or if the position of the central axis of the upper folding pulley 13 and / or the lower folding pulley 14 changes slightly, causing a subtle change in the positional relationship between the upper folding pulley 13 and the lower folding pulley 14, the XY movement mechanism can be used as reference data for the amount of movement of the second movable plate 2 and the first movable plate 3 when readjusting the positional relationship between the upper folding pulley 13 and the lower folding pulley 14.

[0035] (2-5) Joining of movable plates and means of movement that constitute the XY movement mechanism The folding pulley (lower folding pulley 14) of the workpiece transfer device, the movable plate constituting the XY movement mechanism, and the moving means are joined to each other via bolts.

[0036] For example, in the ride guide shaft 31 shown in Figure 4, through holes are provided in the flange of the shaft holder 32 and the upper surface of the shift table 34, through holes are provided in the same manner as described above at the mounting locations of the shaft holder 32 and the shift table 34 on the second movable plate 2, the first movable plate 3, and the base 5.

[0037] Therefore, by aligning the through-holes in the shaft holder 32, etc., with the through-holes in the first movable plate 3, etc., and then inserting bolts and tightening nuts at the ends, the slide guide shaft 31 can be easily attached to the first movable plate 3 and the base 5, respectively. Moreover, since the through-holes in the shaft holder 32, etc., with the through-holes in the first movable plate 3, etc., are aligned during this attachment, the positional relationship between the slide guide shaft 31 and the second movable plate 2, the first movable plate 3, and the base 5 can be uniquely determined. In other words, the positional relationship between the second movable plate 2 and the first movable plate 3 with respect to the base 5 can be uniquely determined. To remove it, simply follow the reverse procedure.

[0038] Therefore, maintenance involving the attachment and detachment of the folding pulley (lower folding pulley 14) and the movable plate and moving means that constitute the XY movement mechanism of the workpiece transfer device can be easily performed, and even when maintenance involving the attachment and detachment of the moving means is performed, it is easier to maintain assembly accuracy before and after attachment and detachment, which is an advantage.

[0039] (2-6) Example of arrangement of a lower folding pulley having an XY movement mechanism Figures 6 to 9 show examples of the arrangement of the upper folding pulley 13 and the lower folding pulley 14 having an XY movement mechanism in the workpiece transport device described above.

[0040] In other words, in the workpiece transfer device according to this embodiment, the orientation of the XY movement mechanism is set such that, as shown in Figure 7, the gripping part 39 for moving the first movable plate 3 in the Y-axis direction is positioned facing outwards from the lower endless belt 8, and as shown in Figure 8, the gripping part 39 for moving the second movable plate 2 in the X-axis direction is positioned facing outwards from the lower endless belt 8.

[0041] Therefore, compared to the case where the knob 39 for moving the first movable plate 3 in the Y-axis direction is positioned facing the inside of the lower endless belt 8, and the knob 39 for moving the second movable plate 2 in the X-axis direction is positioned facing the inside of the lower endless belt, the knob 39 can be operated from the outside of the lower endless belt 8 (i.e., the operator does not need to enter the inside of the lower endless belt 8 to operate it), thus simplifying the work.

[0042] Furthermore, in this workpiece conveying device, the positional relationship between the upper return pulley 13 of the upper endless belt 6 and the lower return pulley 14 of the lower endless belt 8 can be easily adjusted by operating the knob 39 shown in Figure 7, which is positioned facing outwards from the lower endless belt 8, and the knob 39 shown in Figure 8, which is also positioned facing outwards from the lower endless belt 8. This significantly reduces the time required for adjustment work.

[0043] 2. Means for detecting abnormalities in synchronous transport In the workpiece transport device incorporated into the chemical processing apparatus according to the present invention, the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 are transported synchronously by a pair of upper and lower independent servo motors 41 and 42 provided on the upper drive pulley 11 and the lower drive pulley 12, which independently drive the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8. Therefore, if the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 are transported without slippage, the synchronization of the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 will not be misaligned as described above.

[0044] However, if slippage occurs between the upper endless belt 6 and the upper drive pulley 11, or between the lower endless belt 8 and the lower drive pulley 12, or if the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 stretch significantly due to deterioration over time, synchronous transport of the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 by a pair of independent servo motors 41 and 42 may not be able to repair the problem.

[0045] Therefore, it is preferable that the workpiece transport device incorporated into the chemical processing apparatus according to the present invention is equipped with, in addition to the XY movement mechanism of the lower folding pulley 14, means for detecting abnormalities when abnormalities occur in synchronous transport due to slippage between the upper endless belt 6 and the upper drive pulley 11, and between the lower endless belt 8 and the lower drive pulley 12.

[0046] For example, it is preferable to provide detection marks at equal intervals along the conveying direction on both the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8, as shown in Figures 10(A) and (B), and to provide photoelectric sensors 15 and 16, as shown in Figure 10(C), in the vicinity of the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8, respectively, to detect the above detection marks, and to provide the following means for detecting abnormalities in synchronous conveying based on the measurement results of the detection marks by the photoelectric sensors 15 and 16.

[0047] In other words, it is preferable to have a means to activate photoelectric sensors 15 and 16 for the "first measurement detection mark" arbitrarily selected from each detection mark (e.g., opening) provided on the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8, to store the "time difference in detection of the first mark" at the time when each of the "first measurement detection marks" on the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 is detected in the control unit (not shown) of the workpiece transfer device, to store the "time difference in detection of the nth mark" at the time when each of the "nth measurement detection marks" (e.g., the 100th mark counting from the first detection mark) on the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 is detected in the control unit of the workpiece transfer device, and to issue an alarm when the value obtained by subtracting the "time difference in detection of the first mark" from the "time difference in detection of the nth mark" exceeds the "allowable difference value", thereby informing the operator of the misalignment between the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8.

[0048] Furthermore, in order to ensure that an alarm is triggered only when repair is difficult during synchronous transport of the upper endless belt 6 and lower endless belt 8 by a pair of servo motors 41 and 42, it is necessary to pre-program the operating criteria for the "acceptable difference value". Alternatively, instead of the above means of notifying the operator by issuing an alarm, a means of stopping the workpiece transport device when the "acceptable difference value" is exceeded may be used.

[0049] Furthermore, by incorporating these means, if it becomes difficult to maintain synchronous conveyance between the upper and lower endless belts due to slippage or other issues between the endless belt and the drive pulley of the workpiece conveying device, the abnormality can be detected instantly, allowing for immediate response.

[0050] Furthermore, in the workpiece transport device incorporated into the chemical processing apparatus according to the present invention, the lower folded pulley 14 has an XY movement mechanism that moves the lower folded pulley 14 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction along a plane perpendicular to its central axis. This allows even inexperienced beginners to easily readjust the positional relationship between the upper folded pulley 13 and the lower folded pulley 14, making it possible to restore the workpiece transport device in a shorter time than before.

[0051] By the way, in Figures 10(A) and 10(B), the detection marks are made up of holes, but instead of the above-mentioned holes, for example, reflective parts detectable by a sensor may be provided continuously on the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8. Specifically, multiple reflective tapes having substantially the same shape as the above-mentioned holes may be attached continuously to the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8, or reflective parts may be formed by plating, and the configuration of the detection marks is arbitrary.

[0052] Furthermore, while the installation locations and number of the above-mentioned photoelectric sensors are basically arbitrary, as shown in Figure 11, if two sets of photoelectric sensors (upper sensors) 18 and 20 are installed near the input and output sides of the upper endless belt 6 on the upper return pulley 13, and two sets of photoelectric sensors (lower sensors) 19 and 21 are installed near the input and output sides of the lower endless belt 8 on the lower return pulley 14, there is another advantage in that the adjustment work for the positional relationship between the upper return pulley 13 and the lower return pulley 14 can be further simplified.

[0053] In other words, as in the conventional method, the upper and lower folding pulleys 13 and 14 are centered and adjusted so that their central axes are aligned coaxially. Then, during a test transport, a specific measurement detection mark before the folding is detected by the photoelectric sensor (upper sensor) 18 and the photoelectric sensor (lower sensor) 19 (i.e., the upper and lower sensors on the transport side), respectively. The "time difference in detection of marks on the transport side" at these points is then transmitted to the control unit (not shown) of the workpiece transport device. The control unit of the workpiece transport device stores the "discharge side mark detection time difference" at the time when the same measurement detection mark is detected by the photoelectric sensor (upper sensor) 20 and the photoelectric sensor (lower sensor) 21 (i.e., the upper and lower sensors on the discharge side), respectively. The misalignment between the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 can be confirmed based on the value obtained by subtracting the "input side mark detection time difference" from the "discharge side mark detection time difference" when this value exceeds the "allowable difference value".

[0054] By adopting this method, the misalignment of the endless belt at the folding section, which previously relied on experience, can be mechanically confirmed, and the time required for adjusting the positional relationship between the upper folding pulley 13 and the lower folding pulley 14 can be significantly reduced. [Examples]

[0055] The following describes specific embodiments of the present invention.

[0056] The following verification experiments were conducted using the workpiece transfer devices shown in Figures 1 to 3 and 10 to 11, which are incorporated into the chemical processing apparatus according to the present invention.

[0057] Furthermore, the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 are made of stainless steel, with the size of the openings in each belt set to 5 mm, the spacing between adjacent openings set to 10 mm, and the conveying speed of the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 set to 5 m / min.

[0058] Furthermore, for synchronous transport, a condition that makes repair difficult is defined as a "tolerable difference value" of "±0.03 seconds" when the "time difference in detecting the first mark" is subtracted from the "time difference in detecting the 100th mark".

[0059] Further verification experiments confirmed that when slippage between the endless belt and the drive pulley, or stretching of the endless belt, causes significant misalignment between the upper endless belt 6 and the lower endless belt 8 during transport, an alarm sounds, preventing workpiece breakage and wrinkles.

[0060] Furthermore, this workpiece transport device has an XY movement mechanism that moves the lower folded pulley 14 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions along a plane perpendicular to its central axis. This allows even inexperienced users to easily readjust the positional relationship between the upper folded pulley 13 and the lower folded pulley 14, and it has been confirmed that the workpiece transport device can be restored in a shorter time than before. [Industrial applicability]

[0061] The workpiece transfer device incorporated into the chemical processing apparatus according to the present invention allows even inexperienced beginners to easily adjust the positional relationship between the upper return pulley of the upper endless belt and the lower return pulley of the lower endless belt, thus having industrial applicability for use in chemical processing apparatuses such as those used for plating flexible substrates. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0062] 2 Second movable plate 3 1st movable plate 5 Base 6. Upper endless belt 7. Upper end conveying clamp 8. Lower endless belt 9. Lower end conveying clamp 10 Work 11 Upper drive pulley 12 Lower drive pulley 13 Upper folded pulley 14 Lower folded pulley 15. Photoelectric sensor (upper sensor) 16. Photoelectric sensor (lower sensor) 18. Photoelectric sensor (upper sensor) 19. Photoelectric sensor (lower sensor) 20. Photoelectric sensor (upper sensor) 21. Photoelectric sensor (lower sensor) 30 Means of Transportation 31 Slide guide shaft 32 Shaft Holder 33 Guide shaft 34 Shift Table 35 Feed mechanism 36 holders 37 Lead screw 38 tables 39. Thumb part 41 Servo motor 42 Servo motors 50 Means of Transportation 51 Plate-like pieces 52 scale plates

Claims

1. A workpiece feeding device that continuously supplies long sheet-shaped workpieces, A workpiece winding device for continuously winding the above workpiece, A workpiece conveying device having upper and lower end conveying clamp groups that clamp the upper and lower ends of workpieces supplied from the workpiece supply device, respectively, the upper and lower end conveying clamp groups are attached to the upper and lower endless belts at equal intervals, respectively, and the workpieces are conveyed in the vertical direction while clamping them at fixed intervals, and at the end of conveying, the upper and lower end conveying clamps are sequentially released to allow the workpieces to be wound onto the workpiece winding device, The system includes a chemical treatment tank positioned between the work supply device and the work winding device, which is used to perform chemical treatment on the workpiece that is transported vertically in its width direction by the workpiece transport device, In a chemical processing apparatus in which the upper endless belt is wound around an upper drive pulley and one or more upper return pulleys, and the lower endless belt is wound around a lower drive pulley and one or more lower return pulleys, the upper endless belt and the lower endless belt are transported synchronously, A chemical apparatus characterized in that one of the folding pulleys in at least one pair of opposing upper and lower folding pulleys has an X-Y movement mechanism that moves the folding pulley in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction along a plane perpendicular to its central axis.

2. The X-Y movement mechanism of the above-mentioned folding pulley is A second movable plate having a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the folded pulley and rotatably supporting the folded pulley, A first movable plate having a plane parallel to the plane of the second movable plate and supporting the second movable plate, A base having a plane parallel to the plane of the first movable plate and supporting the first movable plate, A means for moving the above-mentioned second movable plate in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction, The chemical apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it is composed of a moving means for moving the above-mentioned first movable plate in the Y-axis direction or the X-axis direction.

3. The means for moving the second movable plate comprises a pair of slide guide shafts having a guide shaft provided on the first movable plate and a shift table movably attached to the guide shaft and to which the second movable plate is fixed, and a feed mechanism having a feed screw provided on the first movable plate and arranged parallel to the guide shaft and a table screwed into the feed screw and to which the second movable plate is fixed. The chemical apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the moving means for moving the first movable plate is comprised of a pair of slide guide shafts having a guide shaft provided on the base and a shift table movably attached to the guide shaft and to which the first movable plate is fixed, and a feeding mechanism having a feed screw provided on the base and arranged parallel to the guide shaft and a table screwed onto the feed screw and to which the first movable plate is fixed.

4. The chemical apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that a gripping portion is provided on the feed screw in the feed mechanism of the second movable plate and the first movable plate, and the orientation of the X-Y movement mechanism in the folding pulley is set such that each gripping portion is positioned facing outward from the endless belt.

5. The chemical apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising: a means for measuring the amount of movement of the second movable plate, comprising a plate-shaped piece attached to the outer edge of the second movable plate and having an arrow at its tip, and a scale plate provided on the base surface facing the plate-shaped piece; and a means for measuring the amount of movement of the first movable plate, comprising a plate-shaped piece attached to the outer edge of the first movable plate and having an arrow at its tip, and a scale plate provided on the base surface facing the plate-shaped piece.

6. The chemical apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: a means for measuring the amount of movement of the second movable plate, comprising a plate-shaped piece attached to the outer edge of the second movable plate and having an arrow at its tip, and a scale plate provided on the base surface facing the plate-shaped piece; and a means for measuring the amount of movement of the first movable plate, comprising a plate-shaped piece attached to the outer edge of the first movable plate and having an arrow at its tip, and a scale plate provided on the base surface facing the plate-shaped piece.

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