Rotary stocker and transfer system provided with rotary stocker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10923376-B2
Application number	US-201816232508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2018
Priority date	Dec 26, 2017
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

There is provided a rotary stocker which includes: a base; a rotary part provided on the base and rotatably connected to the base about a rotary axis extending in a vertical direction; a rotary drive device provided for rotating the rotary part; a plurality of shelves on which an object to be placed is placed, the plurality of shelves being fixed to the rotary part and being arranged in a circumferential direction about the rotary axis; and a sensor positioned outside the plurality of shelves in a radial direction of the rotary axis, the sensor capable of detecting whether the object to be placed is placed on each of the shelves positioned between the rotary axis and the sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary stocker comprising:
a base;
a rotary part provided on the base and rotatably connected to the base about a rotary axis extending in a vertical direction;
a rotary drive device provided for rotating the rotary part;
a plurality of shelves on which an object to be placed is placed, the plurality of shelves being fixed to the rotary part and being arranged in a circumferential direction about the rotary axis; and
a sensor positioned outside the plurality of shelves in a radial direction of the rotary axis, the sensor capable of detecting whether the object to be placed is placed on each of the shelves positioned between the rotary axis and the sensor.

2. The rotary stocker according to claim 1 , wherein each of the shelves has: a horizontal support surface which supports the object to be placed from below; and an inclined surface which is connected to an end portion of the support surface on a remote side with respect to the rotary axis and is inclined upward from the end portion toward the outside in the radial direction.

3. The rotary stocker according to claim 1 further comprising:
an extension part being fixed to the base and extending in the vertical direction at a position outside the plurality of shelves in the radial direction of the rotary axis; and
a connection part extending from the extension part toward the rotary axis and rotatably connected to an upper end portion of the rotary part, wherein
the sensor is provided on the extension part.

4. The rotary stocker according to claim 3 , wherein each of the shelves has: a horizontal support surface which supports the object to be placed from below; and an inclined surface which is connected to an end portion of the support surface on a remote side with respect to the rotary axis and is inclined upward from the end portion toward the outside in the radial direction.

5. The rotary stocker according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of shelves form a plurality of first shelves, the sensor forms a first sensor fixed to the extension part,
the rotary stocker further comprising: a plurality of second shelves which differ from the plurality of first shelves, the plurality of second shelves being fixed to the rotary part above the plurality of first shelves and being arranged in the circumferential direction about the rotary axis; and
a second sensor being fixed to the extension part above the first sensor, the second sensor capable of detecting whether the object to be placed is placed on each of the second shelves positioned between the rotary axis and the second sensor.

6. The rotary stocker according to claim 5 , wherein each of the shelves has: a horizontal support surface which supports the object to be placed from below; and an inclined surface which is connected to an end portion of the support surface on a remote side with respect to the rotary axis and is inclined upward from the end portion toward the outside in the radial direction.

7. The rotary stocker according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of shelves form a plurality of first shelves,
the rotary stocker further comprising: a plurality of second shelves which differ from the plurality of first shelves, the plurality of second shelves being fixed to the rotary part above the plurality of first shelves and being arranged in the circumferential direction about the rotary axis;
a lifting part supported on the extension part, the lifting part capable of being lifted or lowered along the extension part; and
a lifting drive device capable of lifting or lowering the lifting part, wherein
the sensor is fixed to the lifting part, the sensor detects whether the object to be placed is placed on each of the first shelves when the sensor is at a position which opposedly faces each of the first shelves in the radial direction, and detects whether the object to be placed is placed on each of the second shelves when the sensor is at a position which opposedly faces each of the second shelves in the radial direction.

8. The rotary stocker according to claim 7 , wherein each of the shelves has: a horizontal support surface which supports the object to be placed from below; and an inclined surface which is connected to an end portion of the support surface on a remote side with respect to the rotary axis and is inclined upward from the end portion toward the outside in the radial direction.

9. A transfer system which transfers an object to be placed to shelves, the transfer system comprising:
a rotary stocker;
a robot arm;
an end effector provided on a distal end of the robot arm and capable of holding the object to be placed; and
a controller for controlling the robot arm and the end effector, wherein
the rotary stocker comprises:
a base;
a rotary part provided on the base and rotatably connected to the base about a rotary axis extending in a vertical direction;
a rotary drive device provided for rotating the rotary part;
a plurality of shelves on which an object to be placed is placed, the plurality of shelves being fixed to the rotary part and being arranged in a circumferential direction about the rotary axis; and
a sensor positioned outside the plurality of shelves in a radial direction of the rotary axis, the sensor capable of detecting whether the object to be placed is placed on each of the shelves positioned between the rotary axis and the sensor,
each of the shelves has:
a horizontal support surface which supports the object to be placed from below; and
an inclined surface which is connected to an end portion of the support surface on a remote side with respect to the rotary axis and is inclined upward from the end portion toward the outside in the radial direction, and

the controller controls the robot arm so as to bring the object to be placed which is held by the end effector into contact with the inclined surface, and controls the end effector so as to make the end effector release holding of the object to be placed when the object to be placed is brought into contact with the inclined surface.

10. The transfer system according to claim 9 further comprising:
an extension part being fixed to the base and extending in the vertical direction at a position outside the plurality of shelves in the radial direction of the rotary axis; and
a connection part extending from the extension part toward the rotary axis and rotatably connected to an upper end portion of the rotary part, wherein
the sensor is provided on the extension part.

11. The transfer system according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of shelves form a plurality of first shelves, the sensor forms a first sensor fixed to the extension part,
the rotary stocker further comprising: a plurality of second shelves which differ from the plurality of first shelves, the plurality of second shelves being fixed to the rotary part above the plurality of first shelves and being arranged in the circumferential direction about the rotary axis; and
a second sensor being fixed to the extension part above the first sensor, the second sensor capable of detecting whether the object to be placed is placed on each of the second shelves positioned between the rotary axis and the second sensor.

12. The transfer system according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of shelves form a plurality of first shelves,
the rotary stocker further comprising: a plurality of second shelves which differ from the plurality of first shelves, the plurality of second shelves being fixed to the rotary part above the plurality of first shelves and being arranged in the circumferential direction about the rotary axis;
a lifting part supported on the extension part, the liftin

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd
• Medicaroid Corp

Inventors

• Iwasaki Yukio
• Ouchi Satoshi
• Mitsui Eiji
• Matsuoka Junichi
• Kitano Yukihiko

Classifications

• H10P72/3411

  involving loading and unloading of wafers · CPC title

• H10P72/3404 Primary

  Storage means · CPC title

• B25J9/0096 Primary

  co-operating with a working support, e.g. work-table · CPC title

• B65G1/137

  with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed · CPC title

• G07F11/54

  about vertical axes · CPC title