TWI846958B - Glass plate package manufacturing method and manufacturing device - Google Patents

Abstract

The manufacturing method of the glass plate package PB includes: a position measuring step, using a measuring device 25 to measure the position of the pallet P; and a correction step, using a control device 9 to control the loading device 8 in such a way as to correct the loading position of the glass plate G relative to the pallet P based on the position information of the pallet P measured in the position measuring step.

Description

Glass plate package manufacturing method and manufacturing device

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a glass plate package in which glass plates are loaded on a pallet.

As is known to all, when storing or transporting glass plates, there is a case where a glass plate laminate formed by alternately laminating protective sheets and glass plates is loaded on a pallet in a longitudinal position (approximately vertical position) or a transverse position (approximately horizontal position) to form a glass plate package. This operation is automated by a packaging device.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a packaging device including: a glass plate supply device having a supply workstation; a transfer device for transferring the glass plate to the loading workstation; a protective sheet supply device for supplying the protective sheet to the loading workstation; a loading device for loading the glass plate and the protective sheet; and a packaging pallet device having a loading workstation on which a pallet is arranged.

In the method of manufacturing a glass plate package using the packaging device, first, a glass plate supplied to a supply station by a glass plate supply device is transferred to a loading station by a transfer device, and the glass plate and the protective sheet are stacked at the loading station. Then, the glass plate and the protective sheet are loaded from the loading station to a pallet of the loading station by a loading device. In this way, a glass plate package is formed in which a plurality of glass plates and a plurality of protective sheets are alternately stacked on the pallet.

Then, the glass plate package is removed from the loading station and a new empty pallet is placed at the loading station. Prior Art Literature Patent Literature

Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-93022

[Problem to be solved by the invention] In the existing method for manufacturing glass plate packages, when an empty pallet is arranged at a loading station, there is a case where the pallet is slightly offset from the specified position. If the position of the pallet is offset, the glass plate cannot be loaded on the pallet with high accuracy, and the glass plate is loaded on the pallet in a state where the position is offset. In this case, since the value of the product is significantly reduced, the glass plate is removed from the pallet and reloaded on the pallet. As a result, the manufacturing efficiency is significantly reduced.

Therefore, it is necessary for the operator to visually check whether the glass sheet initially placed on the pallet is arranged at the specified position. In addition, when the glass sheet is misaligned, the operator needs to correct the loading position of the glass sheet using the loading device or the position of the pallet. These operations are performed while the packaging device is stopped, which leads to a decrease in productivity.

The present invention is made in view of the above situation, and takes loading glass plates on pallets efficiently and accurately as a technical problem. [Means for solving the problem]

The present invention is used to solve the above-mentioned problem. In a method for manufacturing a glass plate package by loading a glass plate on a pallet using a loading device, the method is characterized in that it includes: a position measuring step, using a measuring device to measure the position of the pallet; and a correction step, using a control device to control the loading device in such a way as to correct the loading position of the glass plate relative to the pallet based on the position information of the pallet measured in the position measuring step.

According to the structure, in the position measuring step, by measuring the position of the pallet using the measuring device, the position of the pallet can be accurately determined even if the pallet is arranged offset from the desired position (reference position). In addition, in the correction step, the control device controls the loading device in a manner to correct the loading position of the glass plate relative to the pallet based on the position information of the pallet measured in the position measuring step, thereby, even if the pallet is arranged offset from the desired position, the glass plate can be loaded at the optimal position set relative to the pallet. As before, the operator can omit the work of confirming and correcting the position of the glass plate and the pallet when the loading device is stopped. As described above, according to the present method, the glass plate can be loaded on the pallet efficiently and accurately.

The loading device includes a holding portion for holding the glass plate, and the measuring device can also be mounted on the holding portion. By integrating the measuring device with the holding portion of the loading device, the equipment can be simplified.

The holding portion includes a rectangular main body, the main body includes: a first side, and a second side that forms a predetermined angle with respect to the first side, and the measuring device may also include a first measuring part and a second measuring part that are arranged corresponding to the first side, and a third measuring part that is arranged corresponding to the second side. Thereby, the position information such as the position of the pallet in the horizontal direction or the horizontality of the pallet can be measured with high accuracy.

The measuring device may also include a fourth measuring portion arranged corresponding to the second side, thereby enabling the position of the pallet to be measured efficiently.

In the method, the support plate is configured to support the glass plate in a vertical position, the support plate includes a bottom surface supporting the lower end of the glass plate, and the measuring device may also include a measuring unit for measuring the position of the bottom surface. By measuring the position of the bottom surface of the support plate using the measuring unit of the measuring device, the glass plate can be placed on the bottom surface efficiently and accurately.

The present invention is used to solve the above-mentioned problem. In a device for manufacturing a glass plate package by loading a glass plate on a pallet, the invention is characterized in that it includes: a measuring device for measuring the position of the pallet; a loading device for loading the glass plate on the pallet; and a control device for controlling the loading device in a manner that corrects the loading position of the glass plate relative to the pallet based on the position information of the pallet measured by the measuring device.

According to the structure, by using a measuring device to measure the position of the pallet, the position of the pallet can be accurately determined even if the pallet is configured to be offset from the desired position (reference position). In addition, by using a control device to control the loading device in a manner that corrects the loading position of the glass plate relative to the pallet based on the position information of the pallet measured by the measuring device, the glass plate can be loaded at the optimal position set relative to the pallet even if the pallet is configured to be offset from the desired position. As before, the operator can omit the work of confirming and correcting the position of the glass plate and the pallet when the loading device is stopped. As described above, according to the present device, the glass plate can be loaded on the pallet efficiently and accurately. [Effect of the invention]

According to the present invention, a glass plate can be loaded onto a pallet efficiently and with high precision.

Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 to Fig. 12 show a first embodiment of a method and apparatus for manufacturing a glass plate package of the present invention.

The manufacturing apparatus of the present invention forms a glass plate package PB by alternately stacking a plurality of glass plates G and protective sheets PS on a pallet P. Although the packaged glass plates G are configured in a rectangular shape, the shape of the glass plates G is not limited to the present embodiment. The glass plate G has a first main surface Ga and a second main surface Gb in a front-back relationship, and an end surface Gc connecting the first main surface Ga and the second main surface Gb.

The pallet P is formed into a rectangular shape (e.g., a rectangular shape) when viewed from above. The pallet P includes a first side Pa, a second side Pb and a third side Pc that form a right angle with respect to the first side Pa, and a fourth side Pd that is parallel to the first side Pa. In addition, the pallet P includes a metal base BA and a buffer member BM provided on the upper surface of the base BA.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , a manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a conveying line 2 for conveying glass sheets G, and a packaging line 3 for loading the glass sheets G conveyed by the conveying line 2 on a pallet P to form a glass sheet package PB.

The conveying line 2 includes a conveyor 4 for conveying a glass sheet G. The conveyor 4 includes a supply station 5 from which the glass sheet G can be taken out.

The conveyor 4 includes a floating conveyor or a roller conveyor and other various conveyors. The floating conveyor has a floating part such as an air floatation that floats the glass sheet G by ejecting air, and a conveying part such as a roller that contacts the end of the glass sheet G to convey the glass sheet G. The conveyor 4 conveys a plurality of glass sheets G arranged in a row.

In the conveying line 2 , the glass plate G is inspected. The inspected glass plate G is loaded on a pallet P in the packing line 3 .

The packing line 3 includes a transfer device 6 for taking the glass plate G out of the conveying line 2 , a protection sheet supply device 7 for supplying a protection sheet PS, a loading device 8 for loading the glass plate G and the protection sheet PS on a pallet P, and a control device 9 for controlling each of the devices 6 to 8 .

The transfer device 6 includes a base 10 , a guide rail 11 for guiding the base 10 in a manner that enables linear reciprocating movement, and a robot arm 12 disposed on the base 10 .

The robot arm 12 has a multi-joint structure and includes a holding portion 13 at its front end portion for holding the glass plate G. The holding portion 13 includes a main body 14 and a plurality of adsorption pads 15 provided on the main body 14. The main body 14 includes a plurality of columnar portions 16 spaced apart and arranged in parallel. The columnar portions 16 are hollow and each includes a plurality of adsorption pads 15.

The robot arm 12 transfers the glass sheet G held by the holding portion 13 from the supply station 5 of the conveyor line 2 to the supply position of the protection sheet PS in the protection sheet supply device 7. At this time, the robot arm 12 can perform an action (reversal action) to reverse the vertical orientation of the first main surface Ga and the second main surface Gb of the glass sheet G, and an action (rotation action) to change the orientation of the glass sheet G. In addition, the supply station 5 has a structure that can insert the suction pad 15 and the columnar portion 16 of the transfer device 6 under the glass sheet G as shown in FIG.

The protective sheet supply device 7 forms a single-sheet protective sheet PS by pulling out a strip-shaped sheet from the full roll R and cutting the strip-shaped sheet into pieces of a predetermined size. The protective sheet supply device 7 includes a loading station 17, which is a supply position for the protective sheet PS and a loading position for the glass plate G transferred by the transfer device 6; and a cutter (e.g., a rotary cutter or a cutting cutter, etc.) to cut the strip-shaped sheet. In addition, the protective sheet PS uses, for example, glass lining paper, but the material and structure of the protective sheet PS are not limited to the form of this embodiment.

As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the loading device 8 includes: a base 18, a guide rail 19 for guiding the base 18 in a manner capable of linear reciprocating movement, and a robot arm 20 disposed on the base 18. The robot arm 20 includes a multi-joint structure and includes a holding portion 21 at its front end for holding the glass plate G and the protective sheet PS together.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the holding portion 21 includes a rectangular main body 22. The main body 22 includes a frame formed in a lattice shape. The main body 22 includes a first side 22a, a second side 22b and a third side 22c that form a predetermined angle (e.g., 90°) with respect to the first side 22a, and a fourth side 22d that is parallel to the first side 22a.

The main body 22 includes a plurality of suction pads 23 for holding the glass plate G, a clamping portion 24 for holding the protective sheet PS, and a measuring device 25 for measuring the position of the pallet P.

Each adsorption pad 23 is arranged at a predetermined interval on one side of the main body 22, and is adsorbed on the surface of the glass plate G (e.g., the second main surface Gb) overlapping the protective sheet PS. The clamping part 24 holds the protective sheet PS placed on the loading station 17 by gripping the edge of the protective sheet PS. The clamping part 24 is supported by a support frame 26 fixed to the main body 22.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the measuring device 25 is mounted on the body 22 and includes a first measuring unit 25a and a second measuring unit 25b disposed corresponding to the first side 22a of the body 22 and a third measuring unit 25c and a fourth measuring unit 25d disposed corresponding to the second side 22b of the body 22.

The first measuring unit 25a and the second measuring unit 25b are arranged at a predetermined interval along the first side 22a of the main body 22. The third measuring unit 25c and the fourth measuring unit 25d are arranged at a predetermined interval along the second side 22b of the main body 22. Each of the measuring units 25a to 25d includes a laser sensor, but is not limited to this structure and may include a camera or other devices.

The control device 9 includes a computer (control panel, PC, etc.), which is equipped with various hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive (HDD), a monitor, an input and output interface, etc. As shown in FIG4 , the control device 9 includes: an operation processing unit 27 for performing various operations; a storage unit 28 for storing various data; and a communication unit 29 for performing communication with the transfer device 6, the protective sheet supply device 7, and the loading device 8, etc. These components 27 to 29 are connected to each other by a bus.

The calculation processing unit 27 executes: the transfer action of the glass plate G using the transfer device 6, the supply action of the protective sheet PS using the protective sheet supply device 7, the loading action of the glass plate G using the loading device 8, and the calculation processing related to the control of the position measurement of the pallet P using the measuring device 25.

The storage unit 28 stores data and programs required for control performed by the calculation processing unit 27. For example, the storage unit 28 stores: control programs related to the transfer device 6, the protective sheet supply device 7, and the loading device 8; the position data of the pallet P measured by the measuring device 25; and data related to the reference position of the pallet P. The storage unit 28 stores coordinate data of a three-dimensional coordinate system (XYZ rectangular coordinate system) related to the movements of the machine arm 12 of the transfer device 6 and the machine arm 20 of the loading device 8. The reference position of the pallet P stored in the storage unit 28 is set in this three-dimensional coordinate system.

The communication unit 29 is connected to the transfer device 6, the protective sheet supply device 7 and the loading device 8 in a manner that enables communication. The communication unit 29 sends the control signal processed by the calculation processing unit 27 to each device 6 to 8. The communication unit 29 is connected to the robot arm 20 of the loading device 8 and the measuring device 25 in a manner that enables communication.

Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing the glass plate package PB using the manufacturing apparatus 1 having the above-described structure will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the method includes: a glass plate conveying step S1 , a transfer step S2 , a loading step S3 , and a package conveying step S4 .

In the glass plate conveying step S1, the glass plate G is conveyed by the conveyor 4 of the conveying line 2 while undergoing a prescribed inspection. In addition, in the present embodiment, the first main surface Ga of the glass plate G is set as the quality assurance surface (product surface), and in the glass plate conveying step S1, the glass plate G is conveyed in a state where the first main surface Ga faces upward.

The positions and numbers of defects on the surface (first main surface Ga) and inside the glass sheet G are inspected while the glass sheet G is being transported by the conveyor 4 . In the glass sheet transporting step S1 , the conveyor 4 places the inspected glass sheet G at the supply workstation 5 .

In the transfer step S2 , the protection sheet PS is supplied to the placement station 17 of the protection sheet supply device 7 . Then, the transfer device 6 holds the glass plate G disposed at the supply station 5 by the holding portion 13 and transfers the glass plate G to the placement station 17 .

Specifically, as shown in FIG6 , the transfer device 6 arranges a holding portion 13 below the glass plate G arranged at the supply workstation 5, and uses the suction pad 15 of the holding portion 13 to suck the lower surface (second main surface Gb) of the glass plate G. Then, the transfer device 6 operates the robot arm 12 to reverse the glass plate G, and changes the direction of the glass plate G to move to the loading workstation 17.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 7 , the glass plate G transported by the conveyor 4 is arranged at the supply station 5 with its long side along the transport direction, but when transferred to the loading station 17, it is arranged with its long side along the direction orthogonal to the transport direction. In addition, the glass plate G loaded on the loading station 17 is in a state where the second main surface Gb faces upward and the first main surface Ga faces downward due to the reverse action of the machine arm 12 in the transfer step S2. Therefore, the glass plate G overlapped with the protective sheet PS in the loading station 17 is in a state where the first main surface Ga contacts the protective sheet PS.

In the loading step S3, before loading the glass sheet G on the pallet P, a preparation step is performed, that is, the position of the pallet P is measured to adjust the position of the glass sheet G arranged on the pallet P. The preparation step includes: a position measuring step, measuring the position of the pallet P; and a correction step, based on the position of the pallet P measured in the position measuring step, correcting the loading position of the glass sheet G relative to the pallet P.

As shown in FIG8 , in the position measurement step, the control device 9 drives the robot arm 20 of the loading device 8 to move the main body 22 to the pallet P. The main body 22 is arranged at a measurement reference position above the pallet P without holding the glass plate G and the protective sheet PS. When the main body 22 is arranged at the measurement reference position, each measuring part 25a to 25d of the measuring device 25 is located inside a quadrilateral divided by the first side Pa to the fourth side Pd of the pallet P in a plan view.

When the main body 22 reaches the measurement reference position, the control device 9 controls the robot arm 20 to move the main body 22 from the measurement reference position, and starts measuring the position of the pallet P using the measuring device 25 .

In the position measuring step, the main body 22 is moved up and down by the robot arm 20, and the measuring parts 25a to 25d of the measuring device 25 measure the change in the distance from the upper surface of the pallet P (the upper surface of the buffer member BM) in the up and down direction (Z-axis direction) (see Figure 8).

As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 , in the position measuring step, the robot arm 20 moves the main body 22 in the horizontal direction from the measuring reference position to measure the position of the pallet P in the horizontal direction.

Specifically, as shown in Fig. 9, by the main body 22 moving in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction), the first measuring unit 25a and the second measuring unit 25b move from the inside to the outside of the quadrilateral formed by the sides Pa to Pd of the pallet P when viewed from above. At this time, the first measuring unit 25a and the second measuring unit 25b pass over the first side Pa of the pallet P to detect the first side Pa.

In addition, as shown in Fig. 10, by the body 22 moving in the horizontal direction (Y-axis direction), the third measuring unit 25c and the fourth measuring unit 25d move from the inside to the outside of the quadrangle formed by the sides Pa to Pd of the pallet P when viewed from above. At this time, the third measuring unit 25c and the fourth measuring unit 25d pass over the second side Pb of the pallet P and detect the second side Pb.

As shown in FIG11 , the robot arm 20 rotates the main body 22 located at the measurement reference position around the rotation axis O along the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) by the movement of its wrist joint. Thus, the second measuring unit 25b and the third measuring unit 25c detect the positions of the first side Pa and the second side Pb of the pallet P related to the rotation movement around the rotation axis O.

Each measuring unit 25a to 25d transmits the measured position information (measurement data) of the pallet P to the control device 9. When the communication unit 29 receives the measurement data from the measuring units 25a to 25d, the control device 9 starts to perform a correction step using the calculation processing unit 27.

In the correction step, the calculation processing unit 27 of the control device 9 calculates the tilt angle (horizontality) of the upper surface relative to the horizontal direction based on the data of the distance between each measuring unit 25a to 25d in the vertical direction and the upper surface of the pallet P. The calculation processing unit 27 calculates the offset of the pallet P from the reference position based on the position information of the first side Pa and the second side Pb of the pallet P when each measuring unit 25a to 25d moves in the horizontal direction and rotates around the rotation axis O (the moving distance of each measuring unit 25a to 25d) and the reference position data stored in the storage unit 28.

That is, the calculation processing unit 27 can calculate the positional deviation of the pallet P from the reference position in the horizontal direction based on the difference between the measured value when the main body 22 (measuring device 25) is moved in the horizontal direction and the value of the reference position. In addition, the calculation processing unit 27 can calculate the positional deviation (tilt deviation) of the pallet P around the rotation axis O based on the difference between the measured value when the main body 22 (measuring device 25) is rotated around the rotation axis O and the value of the reference position stored in the storage unit 28.

The calculation processing unit 27 corrects the data of the loading position of the glass sheet G with respect to the pallet P based on the calculated positional deviation of the pallet P. The control device 9 sends a control signal to the robot arm 20 to convey the glass sheet G to the corrected loading position.

Then, as shown in FIG. 12 , the loading device 8 holds the glass plate G and the protective sheet PS placed on the loading station 17 by the holding portion 21 of the robot arm 20 and transfers them to the loading station 30 .

Specifically, the loading device 8 places the holding portion 21 above the loading station 17 by the movement of the robot arm 20, and then lowers the holding portion 21 to adsorb the second main surface Gb of the glass plate G by the adsorption pad 23. Furthermore, the loading device 8 causes the clamping portion 24 of the holding portion 21 to grip the edge of the protective sheet PS. In this way, the glass plate G and the protective sheet PS stacked on the loading station 17 are held by the holding portion 21.

Then, the loading device 8 drives the robot arm 20 to move the holding portion 21 to the loading workstation 30. At this time, the robot arm 20 changes the orientation of the glass plate G and the protective sheet PS held by the holding portion 21 by the movement of its wrist joint, etc. As shown by the two-point chain in FIG. 12 , the loading device 8 arranges the holding portion 21 above the pallet P. At this time, the robot arm 20 arranges the main body 22 based on the corrected position information received from the control device 9. Then, the robot arm 20 lowers the holding portion 21 and approaches the pallet P.

Then, the loading device 8 releases the suction of the glass plate G by the suction pad 23 in the holding portion 21 and the gripping of the protection sheet PS by the clamping portion 24. Thus, the first glass plate G is placed on the upper surface of the buffer member BM of the pallet P together with the protection sheet PS.

The glass plate G placed on the pallet P is in a state in which its orientation is rotated by 90° in a plan view, compared with the case in which it is placed on the placement station 17 .

Then, the robot arm 20 holds the second glass plate G and the protective sheet PS placed on the loading station 17, and loads the second glass plate G onto the first glass plate G placed on the pallet P. When a predetermined number of glass plates G are placed on the pallet P, the loading step S3 is completed, and a glass plate package PB in which a plurality of glass plates G and protective sheets PS are alternately stacked on the pallet P is formed.

In the package transporting step S4, the glass plate package PB is transported outside through a package transporting path (not shown). The glass plate package PB is transported outside using a transporting device such as a hand lift, a forklift, or an automatic guided vehicle (AGV).

A new empty pallet P is loaded into the loading station 30 from which the glass plate package PB is unloaded (pallet supply step). The new empty pallet P supplied to the loading station 30 is measured by the measuring device 25 in the next position measuring step.

According to the manufacturing device 1 and manufacturing method of the glass plate package PB of the present embodiment described above, in the position measuring step of the loading step S3, the position of the pallet P is measured by using the measuring device 25. Therefore, even if the pallet P is configured to be offset from the reference position, the position of the pallet P can be accurately determined.

Furthermore, in the correction step of the loading step S3, the control device 9 controls the loading device 8 in such a manner as to correct the loading position of the glass sheet G relative to the pallet P based on the position information of the pallet P measured in the position measuring step (measuring device 25). Therefore, even if the pallet P is arranged offset from the reference position, the glass sheet G can be loaded at the optimal position set relative to the pallet P. Thereby, as before, the operator can omit the work of confirming and correcting the position of the pallet P in the state where the loading device 8 is stopped. Therefore, according to the present invention, the glass sheet G can be loaded on the pallet P efficiently and accurately.

Fig. 13 shows a second embodiment of the glass plate package manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. In this embodiment, the configuration of the measuring device and the loading step are different from those of the first embodiment.

In the manufacturing apparatus of the glass plate package of the present embodiment, the measuring device 25 is not provided in the holding portion 21 of the loading device 8. In the present embodiment, the measuring device 25 is provided independently of the loading device 8 and is provided at the loading station 30. Except for the structure of the measuring device 25, the manufacturing apparatus of the second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment, and includes the conveying line 2 and the packaging line 3.

As shown in FIG13 , the measuring device 25 includes a first measuring unit 25a, a second measuring unit 25b, and a third measuring unit 25c. Each measuring unit 25a to 25c is configured to be movable in three dimensions by a moving mechanism. Each measuring unit 25a to 25c can be moved to a standby position (a position represented by a two-point chain) away from the pallet P, and a measuring position (a position represented by a solid line) at which the position of the pallet P can be measured. Although each measuring unit 25a to 25c includes a camera, it may also include a laser sensor or other machines. Each measuring unit 25a to 25c is connected in a manner that allows communication with the control device 9.

The first measuring unit 25a captures an image of the first side Pa of the pallet P at the measurement position. The second measuring unit 25b captures an image of the second side Pb of the pallet P at the measurement position. The third measuring unit 25c captures an image of the fourth side Pd of the pallet P at the measurement position.

In the manufacturing method of the glass plate package PB of the present embodiment, in the loading step S3, each measuring unit 25a to 25c receives a control signal from the control device 9 and moves from the standby position to the measuring position. Each measuring unit 25a to 25c measures (photographs) the position of the pallet P (the position of the first side Pa, the second side Pb, and the fourth side Pd) at the measuring position. The image data photographed by each measuring unit 25a to 25c is sent to the control device 9. When the measurement is completed, each measuring unit 25a to 25c moves from the measuring position to the standby position.

The processing unit 27 of the control device 9 determines the position of the pallet P by performing image processing on the image data received from the measuring units 25a to 25c. The processing unit 27 compares the measured position information of the pallet P with the value of the reference position to calculate the position deviation of the pallet P relative to the reference position.

The control device 9 corrects the loading position data of the glass plate G obtained by the robot arm 20 of the loading device 8 based on the deviation of the pallet P from the reference position. The control device 9 sends a control signal of the corrected position data to the robot arm 20. The robot arm 20 loads the held glass plate G and the protective sheet PS onto the pallet P based on the corrected position data received from the control device 9.

14 to 19 show a third embodiment of the glass plate package manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. In this embodiment, the configurations of the support plate, the measuring device, and the loading step are different from those of the first embodiment.

The glass plate package of the present embodiment is manufactured by placing glass plates G in a vertical position on a pallet P. The pallet P has a side surface SS supporting the surface (first main surface Ga) of the glass plates G in the vertical position, and a bottom surface BS1 and a bottom surface BS2 supporting the lower end of the glass plates G.

As shown in FIG14 , the side surface SS of the pallet P is inclined at a predetermined angle (e.g., 1° to 60°) relative to the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). As shown in FIG15 , the side surface SS is, for example, configured in a rectangular shape, but is not limited to this shape. The side surface SS has a first side SSa, a second side SSb and a third side SSc orthogonal to the first side SSa, and a fourth side SSd substantially parallel to the first side SSa.

The bottom surface BS1 and the bottom surface BS2 of the pallet P are inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the horizontal direction (Y-axis direction). The bottom surface BS1 and the bottom surface BS2 include a first bottom surface BS1 and a second bottom surface BS2 provided at a predetermined interval. The angle formed by each bottom surface BS1 and the bottom surface BS2 and the side surface SS is set to approximately 90°, but is not limited to this form.

The measuring device 25 of the loading device 8 includes: first to fourth measuring units 25a to 25d for measuring the position of the side surface SS of the pallet P; and a fifth measuring unit 25e for measuring the position of the bottom surface BS1 and the bottom surface BS2 of the pallet P. The structures of the first to fourth measuring units 25a to 25d are the same as those of the first embodiment.

The fifth measuring part 25e includes, for example, a laser sensor, but is not limited to this structure. The fifth measuring part 25e includes two measuring parts in order to measure the position of the first bottom surface BS1 and the position of the second bottom surface BS2, but the number of the fifth measuring parts 25e is not limited to this embodiment. The fifth measuring part 25e is fixed to the lower part of the support frame 26 of the holding part 21. It is not limited to this, and the fifth measuring part 25e can also be fixed to, for example, the third side 22c of the main body 22 of the holding part 21.

Next, the loading step S3 in the manufacturing method of the glass plate package body of the present embodiment is described. In the position measuring step of the preparation step, the control device 9 controls the robot arm 20 to arrange the holding part 21 that does not hold the glass plate G at the first measurement reference position shown in Figures 14 and 15. In this case, the third measuring part 25c and the fourth measuring part 25d of the measuring device 25 are located above the second side SSb of the side surface SS of the pallet P. In addition, as shown in Figure 14, the holding part 21 located at the first measurement reference position is inclined at the same angle as the inclination angle of the side surface SS in a manner parallel to the side surface SS.

Next, the control device 9 controls the robot arm 20 to move the holding portion 21 from the first measurement reference position, and starts to use the measuring device 25 to measure the position of the pallet P. As shown in FIG16 , the main body 22 of the holding portion 21 moves from the first measurement reference position (the position represented by a two-point chain line) to the second measurement reference position (the position represented by a solid line) set below the first measurement reference position. The holding portion 21 moves downward in a direction roughly parallel to the tilt direction of the side surface SS of the pallet P. In other words, the holding portion 21 moves downward in a direction roughly orthogonal to the bottom surface BS1 and the bottom surface BS2 of the pallet P.

During the movement of the holding portion 21, the third measuring portion 25c and the fourth measuring portion 25d of the measuring device 25 detect the second side SSb of the side surface SS of the pallet P. In addition, during this movement, the measuring device 25 performs the measurement of the position of the bottom surface BS1 and the bottom surface BS2 using the fifth measuring portion 25e. The two fifth measuring portions 25e measure the change in the distance from the first bottom surface BS1 and the change in the distance from the second bottom surface BS2. Accordingly, the height (position in the Z-axis direction) of the bottom surface BS1 and the bottom surface BS2 of the pallet P can be measured by the two fifth measuring portions 25e. In addition, the inclination of the bottom surface BS1 and the bottom surface BS2 relative to the X-axis direction (the difference between the height of the first bottom surface BS1 and the height of the second bottom surface BS2) can be measured.

As shown in FIG. 17 , if the holding portion 21 is arranged at the second measurement reference position, the robot arm 20 moves the holding portion 21 in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction). When viewed from the front, the first measuring portion 25a and the second measuring portion 25b of the measuring device 25 move from the inside to the outside of the quadrilateral formed by the sides SSa to SSd of the side surface SS of the pallet P. At this time, the first measuring portion 25a and the second measuring portion 25b detect the first side SSa of the side surface SS. In addition, the fifth measuring portion 25e detects the horizontal (X-axis) position of the bottom surface BS1 and the bottom surface BS2 of the pallet P. Then, the robot arm 20 moves the holding portion 21 to the second measurement reference position.

In addition, as shown in FIG18 , the robot arm 20 can also rotate the body 22 located at the second measurement reference position around its rotation axis O by moving its wrist joint. By this rotation, the second measuring unit 25b and the third measuring unit 25c of the measuring device 25 can detect the first side SSa and the second side SSb of the side surface SS of the pallet P.

In addition, the robot arm 20 can also move the holding part 21 (main body 22) located at the second reference position in a direction (Y-axis direction) substantially orthogonal to the side surface SS of the pallet P (approaching/separating). By the movement of the holding part 21, the first measuring part 25a to the fourth measuring part 25d of the measuring device 25 measure the change in the distance from the side surface SS. In addition, during this movement, the fifth measuring part 25e can also detect the position of the bottom surface BS1 and the bottom surface BS2 of the pallet P in the substantially orthogonal direction (Y-axis direction), and can also measure the inclination of the bottom surface BS1 and the bottom surface BS2 relative to the substantially orthogonal direction (Y-axis direction).

Each measuring unit 25a to 25e transmits the measured position information (measurement data) of the pallet P (side surface SS and bottom surface BS1, bottom surface BS2) to the control device 9. When the communication unit 29 receives the measurement data from the measuring units 25a to 25e, the control device 9 starts to perform a correction step using the calculation processing unit 27.

In the correction step, the calculation processing unit 27 calculates the tilt angle of the side surface SS based on the data related to the distance between the first measuring unit 25a to the fourth measuring unit 25d and the side surface SS of the pallet P. In addition, the calculation processing unit 27 calculates the offset of the pallet P from the reference position based on the position information of the first side SSa and the second side SSb of the measured side surface SS and the data of the reference position stored in the storage unit 28.

The processing unit 27 calculates the offset of the pallet P from the reference position based on the data related to the position information (position and inclination in the X-axis direction to the Z-axis direction) of the bottom surface BS1 and the bottom surface BS2 of the pallet P detected by the fifth measuring unit 25e, and the data of the reference position stored in the storage unit 28.

The processing unit 27 calculates the positional deviation amount of the side surface SS around the rotation axis O based on the difference between the measured value when the main body 22 (measuring device 25) is rotated around the rotation axis O and the value related to the reference position stored in the storage unit 28.

The calculation processing unit 27 corrects the data of the loading position of the glass sheet G with respect to the pallet P based on the calculated positional deviation of the pallet P. The control device 9 sends a control signal to the robot arm 20 to convey the glass sheet G to the corrected loading position.

Then, the loading device 8 holds the glass plate G and the protective sheet PS placed on the loading station 17 by the holding portion 21 of the robot arm 20, and transfers them to the loading station 30. As shown by the two-point chain in FIG. 19 , the robot arm 20 places the glass plate G and the protective sheet PS held by the holding portion 21 on the pallet P. In this case, the first main surface Ga of the glass plate G is supported by the side surface SS of the pallet P. In addition, the lower end of the glass plate G is supported by the bottom surface BS1 and the bottom surface BS2. Then, the loading device 8 places the second and subsequent glass plates G together with the protective sheet PS on the pallet P.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the structure of the embodiment described above, nor is it limited to the effects described above. The present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The mounting device 8 of the first embodiment includes the measuring device 25 including the first measuring unit 25a to the fourth measuring unit 25d, but the present invention is not limited to this structure. For example, the measuring device 25 may be configured by omitting one of the first measuring unit 25a to the fourth measuring unit 25d.

In addition, an additional measuring unit may be provided in the measuring device 25, and the measuring device 25 having more measuring units (five or more) than the first embodiment and more measuring units (four or more) than the second embodiment may be used.

In addition, in the correction step of the first embodiment, the calculation processing unit 27 of the control device 9 calculates the tilt angle (horizontality) based on the data related to the distance between each measuring unit 25a~measuring unit 25d in the up and down directions and the upper surface of the pallet P, and calculates the position deviation of the pallet P in the horizontal direction from the reference position based on the difference between the measured value when the main body 22 (measuring device 25) is moved in the horizontal direction and the value related to the reference position, and calculates the position deviation (tilt deviation) of the pallet P around the rotation axis O based on the difference between the measured value when the main body 22 (measuring device 25) is rotated around the rotation axis O and the value related to the reference position stored in the storage unit 28, but the present invention is not limited to this structure. For example, the calculation and/or correction of the tilt angle (horizontality) or the positional deviation (tilt deviation) of the pallet P around the rotation axis O may be omitted. In addition, the measurement performed while rotating the main body 22 (measuring device 25) around the rotation axis O may be omitted, and the positional deviation (tilt deviation) of the pallet P around the rotation axis O may be calculated based on the measured value when the main body 22 (measuring device 25) is moved in the horizontal direction. The tilt angle (horizontality) may also be calculated based on the result of measuring the distance from the upper surface of the pallet P (upper surface of the buffer member BM) in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) by each measuring unit 25a to 25d of the measuring device 25 without moving the main body 22 up and down.

In the first and second embodiments, the loading device 8 loads the glass plate G and the protection sheet PS on the pallet P at the same time, but the present invention is not limited to this structure. For example, the loading device 8 may load the glass plate G and the protection sheet PS on the pallet P in sequence. Alternatively, the loading device 8 may include a first loading device for loading the glass plate G and a second loading device for loading the protection sheet PS.

In the third embodiment, the offset of the side surface SS and the bottom surface BS1 and the bottom surface BS2 of the pallet P is calculated, but only one of them may be calculated. The offset of the bottom surface BS1 and the bottom surface BS2 may be measured by appropriately selecting the position in the X-axis direction to the Z-axis direction and the inclination relative to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. In other words, a part of the measurement may be omitted. For example, if the position offset of the glass plate in the Y-axis direction is allowed to a certain extent, the measurement of the position in the Y-axis direction and the inclination relative to the Y-axis direction may be omitted.

1: Glass plate package manufacturing device 2: Conveying line 3: Packing line 4: Conveyor 5: Supply station 6: Transfer device 7: Protective sheet supply device 8: Loading device 9: Control device 10, 18: Base 11, 19: Guide rail 12, 20: Machine arm 13, 21: Holding part 14, 22: Main body 15, 23: Adsorption pad 16: Columnar part 17: Loading station 22a: First side of the main body 22b: Second side of the main body 22c: Third side of the main body 22d: Fourth side of the main body 24: Clamping part 25: Measuring device 25a: First measuring part 25b: Second measuring part 25c: Third measuring section 25d: Fourth measuring section 25e: Fifth measuring section 26: Support frame 27: Calculation processing section 28: Storage section 29: Communication section 30: Loading station BA: Base BM: Buffer member BS1: First bottom surface BS2: Second bottom surface G: Glass plate Ga: First main surface Gb: Second main surface Gc: End surface O: Rotating axis P: Pallet Pa: First side Pb: Second side Pc: Third side Pd: Fourth side PB: Glass plate package PS: Protective sheet R: Whole roll SS: Side surface SSa: First side SSb: Second side SSc: Third side SSd: Fourth side S1～S4: Steps

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a manufacturing device for a glass plate package in a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of a manufacturing device for a glass plate package. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a holding portion of a loading device. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a control device. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a method for manufacturing a glass plate package. FIG. 6 is a side view of a transfer device in a transfer step. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a glass plate and a protective sheet in a transfer step. FIG. 8 is a side view of a loading device in a position determination step of a loading step. FIG. 9 is a plan view of a loading device in a position determination step of a loading step. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a loading device in a position determination step of a loading step. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the loading device in the position measurement step of the loading step. FIG. 12 is a side view of the loading device in the loading step. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the measurement device in the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a side view of the loading device and the pallet in the third embodiment. FIG. 15 is a front view of the loading device and the pallet. FIG. 16 is a front view of the loading device and the pallet in the position measurement step of the loading step. FIG. 17 is a front view of the loading device and the pallet in the position measurement step of the loading step. FIG. 18 is a front view of the loading device and the pallet in the position measurement step of the loading step. FIG. 19 is a plan view of the loading device in the loading step.

1: Glass plate package manufacturing device

2: Conveyor line

3: Baling wire

4: Conveyor

5: Supply workstation

6: Transfer device

7: Protective sheet supply device

8: Loading device

9: Control device

10, 18: Abutment

11, 19: Guide rails

12, 20: Robot arm

13, 21: Maintaining part

14, 22: Main body

15, 23: Adsorption pad

16: Columnar part

17: Loading workstation

24: Clamping part

25: Measuring device

30: Loading station

G: Glass plate

Ga: first main surface

Gb: Second main surface

Gc: end face

P: Pallet

PB: Glass plate packaging

PS: Protective film

R: Whole scroll

Claims (7)

A method for manufacturing a glass plate package is provided, wherein the glass plate is loaded on a pallet by a loading device to manufacture the glass plate package. The method is characterized in that the method comprises: a position measuring step, wherein the position of the pallet is measured by the measuring device; and a correction step, wherein the loading position of the glass plate relative to the pallet is corrected based on the position information of the pallet measured in the position measuring step, and the loading device is controlled by a control device. The pallet has: a supporting surface, which is a main surface supporting the glass plate; a first side, which is one of the end sides of the supporting surface; and a second side, which intersects with the first side. In the position measuring step, the measuring device measures the position of the supporting surface of the pallet, the position of the first side of the pallet, and the position of the second side of the pallet. A method for manufacturing a glass plate package as described in claim 1, wherein the loading device includes a holding portion for holding the glass plate, and the measuring device is mounted on the holding portion. The manufacturing method of the glass plate package body as described in claim 2, wherein the holding portion includes a rectangular main body; the main body includes: a first side, and a second side forming a predetermined angle relative to the first side; and the measuring device includes: a first measuring portion and a second measuring portion arranged corresponding to the first side of the main body, and a third measuring portion arranged corresponding to the second side of the main body, the first measuring portion and the second measuring portion measuring the position of the first side of the pallet, and the third measuring portion measuring the position of the second side of the pallet. A method for manufacturing a glass plate package as described in claim 3, wherein the measuring device includes a fourth measuring unit arranged corresponding to the second side. A method for manufacturing a glass plate package as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the support plate is configured to support the glass plate in a vertical position, the support plate includes a bottom surface that supports the lower end of the glass plate, and the measuring device includes a measuring unit that measures the position of the bottom surface. A manufacturing device for glass plate packages, which manufactures glass plate packages by loading glass plates on a pallet, is characterized by comprising: a measuring device for measuring the position of the pallet; a loading device for loading the glass plate on the pallet; and a control device for controlling the loading device in a manner of correcting the loading position of the glass plate relative to the pallet based on the position information of the pallet measured by the measuring device, wherein the pallet has: a supporting surface, which is a main surface supporting the glass plate; a first side, which is one of the end sides of the supporting surface; and a second side, which intersects with the first side, and the measuring device measures the position of the supporting surface of the pallet, the position of the first side of the pallet, and the position of the second side of the pallet. A method for manufacturing a glass plate package is provided, wherein the glass plate is loaded on a pallet by a loading device to manufacture the glass plate package, and the method is characterized in that the method comprises: a position measuring step, wherein the position of the pallet is measured by a measuring device; and a correction step, wherein the loading device is controlled by a control device in such a manner that the loading position of the glass plate relative to the pallet is corrected based on the position information of the pallet measured in the position measuring step, wherein the loading device comprises a holding portion for holding the glass plate, the measuring device is mounted on the holding portion, and the holding portion comprises a rectangular body portion; the body portion comprises: a first side, and a second side forming a predetermined angle with respect to the first side; the measuring device comprises: a first measuring portion and a second measuring portion arranged corresponding to the first side, and a third measuring portion and a fourth measuring portion arranged corresponding to the second side.

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