# US 10,120,215 B2 · Apparatus for carrying substrate by off-line vacuum suction and method for transporting substrate

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- Number: US 10,120,215 B2
- Document ID: US10120215B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/517,660
- Filed: 2015-10-15
- Published: 2017-10-26
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-06-24
- Assignees: Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd.; Hefei Boe Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.; Hefei BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Xu Shi; Zhilong Xu; Jun Liu; Xiaojun Wang; Dongqing Li; Shutong Huang; Wei Chen; Lei Zhang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120215B2

## CPC

- G02F 1/13: based on liquid crystals, e.g. single liquid crystal display cells
- B65G 47/91: incorporating pneumatic, e.g. suction, grippers
- B65G 49/061: {Lifting, gripping, or carrying means, for one or more sheets forming independent means of transport, e.g. suction cups, transport frames (suction means as load-engaging elements attached to the lifting or lowering gear of cranes B66C1/02; suction cups for attaching purposes F16B47/00; suction cups on gripping heads B25J15/0616; suction cups in general B65G47/91; suction cups combined with cutting means on vertical conveyors C03B33/00 - C03B33/10; devices for turning sheets B65G49/067; suspending devices B65G49/066)}
- H10P 72/18: {characterised by being specially adapted for supporting a single substrate or by comprising a stack of such individual supports}
- H10P 72/70: for supporting or gripping
- H10P 72/7608: {characterised by a plurality of separate clamping members, e.g. clamping fingers}
- H10P 72/78: using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks
- B65G 2249/045: Details of suction cups suction cups
- G02F 1/1303: {Apparatus specially adapted to the manufacture of LCDs}
- H10P 72/3212: {the substrates to be conveyed not being semiconductor wafers or large planar substrates, e.g. chips or lead frames}
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide an apparatus for carrying a substrate by an off-line vacuum suction and a method for transporting a substrate. The apparatus includes a carrying frame provided with a clamper, a vacuum suction device and a detaching device arranged on the carrying frame, wherein the vacuum suction device is arranged to suck and fix a substrate and is connectable to and detachable from a vacuum pipeline and the detaching device is arranged to detach the vacuum suction device and the vacuum pipeline from each other while keeping the vacuum suction device to continuously suck the substrate to be transported. The apparatus and the method can improve fixing of the substrate and achieve off-line suction to the substrate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for carrying a substrate by an off-line vacuum suction, comprising a carrying frame provided with a clamper, a vacuum suction device and a detaching device arranged on the carrying frame, wherein the vacuum suction device is arranged to suck and fix the substrate and is connectable to and detachable from a vacuum pipeline, and the detaching device is arranged to detach the vacuum suction device and the vacuum pipeline from each other while keeping the vacuum suction device to continuously suck the substrate to be transported,
wherein the vacuum suction device comprises a suction holder fixed on a side of the carrying frame and comprising a plurality of pipes in communication with each other, and a plurality of vacuum suction heads in communication with the pipes are provided on the suction holder, the vacuum pipeline being communicated with the pipes, and
wherein the vacuum suction heads each comprise a sucking disc and a gas suction duct, and the gas suction duct has one end in communication with the sucking disc and the other end in communication with the pipes, and
wherein the sucking discs of the plurality of the suction heads have suction faces located in a same plane and each of the suction faces is arranged in the carrying frame.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the clampers are provided in the apparatus and arranged in pairs on both sides of the carrying frame, and the clampers on a side of the carrying frame away from the vacuum suction device are movable to open and close.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sucking disc is a semi-spherical sucking disc.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detaching device comprises a first joint arranged on the vacuum suction device and a second joint arranged on the vacuum pipeline and cooperating with the first joint, the first joint being provided with a cut-off valve.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the detaching device further comprises a gas cylinder connected to the second joint and the detaching device is arranged to switch between a connection state and a detaching state for the first joint and the second joint.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A method for transporting a substrate using the apparatus according to claim 1, the method comprising steps of:
placing the substrate into a carrying frame and fixing the substrate by a clamper;
sucking and fixing the substrate by using a vacuum suction device;
detaching the vacuum suction device and a vacuum pipeline from each other by a detaching device while keeping the vacuum suction device to continuously suck the substrate to be transported.

### Claim 7

An apparatus for carrying a substrate by an off-line vacuum suction, comprising a carrying frame provided with a clamper, a vacuum suction device and a detaching device arranged on the carrying frame, wherein the vacuum suction device is arranged to suck and fix the substrate and is connectable to and detachable from a vacuum pipeline, and the detaching device is arranged to detach the vacuum suction device and the vacuum pipeline from each other while keeping the vacuum suction device to continuously suck the substrate to be transported, wherein the vacuum suction device comprises a vacuum plate fixed on a side of the carrying frame, the vacuum plate having a hollow cavity and a suction plane located in the carrying frame, and wherein a plurality of suction holes in communication with the hollow cavity are arranged on the suction plane, the vacuum pipeline being communicated with the hollow cavity.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of suction holes are distributed uniformly on the suction plane.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the detaching device comprises a first joint arranged on the vacuum suction device and a second joint arranged on the vacuum pipeline and cooperating with the first joint, the first joint being provided with a cut-off valve.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the detaching device comprises a first joint arranged on the vacuum suction device and a second joint arranged on the vacuum pipeline and cooperating with the first joint, the first joint being provided with a cut-off valve.

### Claim 11

An apparatus for carrying a substrate by an off-line vacuum suction, comprising a carrying frame provided with a clamper, a vacuum suction device and a detaching device arranged on the carrying frame, wherein the vacuum suction device is arranged to suck and fix the substrate and is connectable to and detachable from a vacuum pipeline, and the detaching device is arranged to detach the vacuum suction device and the vacuum pipeline from each other while keeping the vacuum suction device to continuously suck the substrate to be transported, wherein the detaching device comprises a first joint arranged on the vacuum suction device and a second joint arranged on the vacuum pipeline and cooperating with the first joint, the first joint being provided with a cut-off valve.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the detaching device further comprises a gas cylinder connected to the second joint and the detaching device is arranged to switch between a connection state and a detaching state for the first joint and the second joint.