JP2002164402A - Robot for transferring printed circuit board - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a robot which can extend its horizontal transfer range of a board without rotating the whole arm assembly. SOLUTION: This invention relates to a board transfer robot 10 comprising the arm assembly 14 including more than one arms 16, 18, 209 elastically connected one another, a board support 102 pivotally connected to the tip of the arm assembly to support the substrate, and a drive means 46 for extending the arm assembly. It is characterized in that the board support is connected to the arm assembly to rotate at the center and the support base is maintained in a constant direction to the support. It is possible to make either one side of the supporting the front in the direction of transfer by pivoting the substrate in the center and carry the board to a device at both sides of the robot without rotating the arm assembly.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an articulated robot for transferring a substrate such as a glass substrate or a semiconductor substrate at a manufacturing site of a flat display device, a semiconductor device, or another printed circuit board.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A glass substrate used for manufacturing a flat-panel liquid crystal display device has been required to improve productivity.
There is a tendency to increase the size so that a small number of liquid crystal display devices can be obtained from one glass substrate. At present, for example, in an array process for forming a TFT (thin film transistor) on a glass substrate, 680 mm × 880 mm ×
A glass substrate of 0.7 mm or 730 mm × 920 mm × 0.7 mm is used, and further enlargement is being studied. On the other hand, there is a tendency for the glass substrate to be thinner due to the demand for reducing the weight of the liquid crystal display device.

When a glass substrate is transferred between manufacturing apparatuses,
Conventionally, a batch-type transport method in which a plurality of glass substrates are stored in a cassette and the cassette is transported by an unmanned transport vehicle has been adopted, but as described above, with the increase in size and thinning of the glass substrate, In addition, it is becoming difficult to handle glass substrates with cassettes and automatic guided vehicles.

For this reason, in recent years, as a method of transporting glass substrates, a single-wafer method in which glass substrates are transported one by one between manufacturing apparatuses or between a manufacturing apparatus and a delivery table has been tending to be adopted. For this purpose, a robot 1 as shown in FIG. 6 is used.

The robot 1 shown in FIG. 6 has an arm assembly 4 in which two arms 2 and 3 are connected in a bendable manner, between a base or a support 5 and the arm 2, between the arms 2 and 3, and between the arms 2 and 3. The fork 6 can be moved linearly in the horizontal direction by operating a belt transmission mechanism (not shown) between the substrate 3 and the fork 6 as a substrate support.

[0006]

By the way, in the conventional substrate transport robot 1 as described above, the fork 6 has one end supported in the form of a cantilever at the tip of the arm 3, so that the free end thereof is provided. Is the front end of the arm assembly 4 in the extending direction. Therefore, when carrying the glass substrate into the manufacturing apparatuses 500, 510, etc., it is necessary to always insert the fork 6 from its free end side.

For this reason, as shown in FIG. 6, when two manufacturing apparatuses 500 and 510 are arranged with the substrate transfer robot 1 interposed therebetween, a glass substrate is transferred from one manufacturing apparatus 510 to the other manufacturing apparatus 500. In order to transport S, it was necessary to rotate the entire arm assembly 4 about the connection point between the support table 5 and the arm 2 in order to direct the free end of the fork 6 to the target manufacturing apparatus.

However, when such a rotation operation is performed, sudden stop or sudden start is not preferable because the glass substrate S is fragile, and it is necessary to handle with sufficient acceleration and deceleration. For this reason, there is a problem that the transport time becomes longer and the efficiency of the liquid crystal display manufacturing is reduced.

It is conceivable to rotate only the fork 6 at the tip of the arm assembly 4. However, the driving mechanism becomes relatively complicated, and a large centrifugal force acts on the glass substrate S on the fork 6. For example, it is not practical.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a substrate transport robot capable of linearly transporting a substrate from one side to another side without rotating the entire arm assembly. .

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an arm assembly comprising two or more arms whose ends are rotatably connected to each other so as to be expandable and contractible. A support base rotatably supporting the base end of the arm assembly, a substrate support rotatably connected to the distal end of the arm assembly and supporting the substrate, and a driving means for extending and contracting the arm assembly. In the substrate transport robot, the substrate support is rotatably connected to the tip of the arm assembly at the center thereof, and the substrate support is maintained in a fixed direction with respect to the support table. Features. In particular, the substrate support has a rotationally symmetrical shape around the connection between the substrate support and the arm assembly, for example, H
It is preferred that the shape be used.

In such a configuration, the substrate support is not connected to the arm assembly in a cantilever manner, but is connected at the center thereof. A substrate can be inserted into a manufacturing apparatus or the like from the front end. Accordingly, the direction of the substrate support is always kept constant with respect to the support irrespective of the expansion / contraction state of the arm assembly, so that the end of the tip of the arm assembly on the traveling direction side becomes the front end, and the entire arm assembly The substrate can be transferred from the right (or left) of the robot to the left (or right) without rotating.

In such a case, it is effective that the arm assembly in the robot is composed of three or more arms. Even if the expansion / contraction stroke is set to a sufficient length, it can be folded small at the time of reduction, and the installation area or operating range of the robot can be reduced.

Specifically, the arm assembly includes a first arm having a base end rotatably connected to a support base around a vertical first axis and a tip end of the first arm. A second arm having a base end rotatably connected about a second vertical axis, and a base end centered on a vertical third axis at a distal end of the second arm; It is preferable to have a three-arm configuration including a third arm rotatably connected. In such a case, the substrate support is rotatably connected to the distal end of the third arm around a fourth axis in the vertical direction.

Further, in this three-arm configuration, the length between the first axis and the second axis in the first arm is L1, and the second axis and the third axis in the second arm are L1. L2, the length between the third axis and the fourth axis of the third arm is L3, and the relationship L1 + L3 = L2 is satisfied. The fourth axis can be moved along a predetermined orthogonal reference line. This is effective because the rotation center of the substrate support is located on the fourth axis, so that a balanced and stable operation can be obtained.

In the three-arm robot, the driving means is arranged on a driving motor for rotating the first arm with respect to the support table, and on the first, second and third arms, respectively. Then, it is conceivable to provide a belt transmission mechanism for operating the second arm, the third arm, and the substrate support in accordance with the rotation of the first arm. Then, as described above, in order to move the fourth axis along the reference line, when the first arm is rotationally driven, the rotation angle α of the first arm with respect to the support base is:
The angle of rotation of the second arm with respect to the first arm and the angle of rotation of the third arm with respect to the second arm are twice as large as the angle 2α.
The diameter of the pulley of the belt transmission mechanism may be determined so that the rotation angle of the substrate support with respect to the third arm is equal to the rotation angle α.

Further, the reference line can be moved 360 degrees by rotating the support base about the first axis. That is, the robot according to the present invention can be used as a SCARA robot. Further, if the support table can be moved up and down, the robot according to the present invention can be used as a cylindrical coordinate system robot.

As the driving means, a first driving motor for rotating the first arm with respect to a support table, a second arm, a third arm, and a substrate support attached to the first arm are provided. And a second drive motor for driving the first arm, the second arm, and the third arm, respectively, and operate the second arm, the third arm, and the substrate support by power from a drive source. And a belt transmission mechanism that drives the belt. In this case, since the driving source is divided into two motors, the load on the motors is reduced, the operation reliability is improved, and the operation of the arm assembly is easily adjusted. Further, in order to move the fourth axis along the reference line, when the first arm is rotationally driven by the first drive motor, the first arm rotates with respect to the rotation angle α of the first arm with respect to the support base. The rotation angle of the second arm with respect to the first arm and the rotation angle of the third arm with respect to the second arm are twice the angle 2α, and the rotation angle of the substrate support with respect to the third arm is the same as the rotation angle α. So that the angle
The diameter of the pulley of the belt transmission mechanism is determined, and the drive of the second drive motor is controlled according to the rotation angle of the output shaft of the first drive motor. On the other hand, by stopping the second drive motor and driving only the first drive motor, the arm assembly can be turned around the first axis, and there is no need to rotate the support base.

Further, when two motors are used, it is preferable to arrange a speed reducer between the belt transmission mechanism in the first arm and the belt transmission mechanism in the second arm. Thus, the load on the belt drive mechanism of the second drive motor and the first arm can be reduced.

Further, it is effective to arrange the second drive motor at the base end of the first arm in order to reduce the moment of the arm assembly.

Further, in the robot of the present invention, the arm assembly may include a first arm having a base end rotatably connected to the support base around a first vertical axis,
A second arm having a base end rotatably connected to a distal end of the second arm around a second vertical axis, and a third end having a base end perpendicular to the distal end of the second arm. A third arm rotatably connected about an axis of the third arm, and a fourth arm rotatably connected to a distal end of the third arm about a vertical fourth axis. Composed of an arm and
The substrate support is attached to the tip of the fourth arm by a fifth vertical
It is also possible to use a four-arm type that is connected rotatably about the axis of.

In this configuration, the length between the axes of the first arm is L1, and the length between the axes of the second arm is L1.
2, when the length between the axes in the third arm is L3 and the length between the axes in the fourth arm is L4,
If the relationship of 1 = L4 and L2 = L3 is satisfied, the fifth axis can be moved along a predetermined reference line orthogonal to the first axis. When the relationship of L1 <L2 is satisfied, the balance of the arm assembly is improved, and the expansion and contraction operation is stabilized.

[0023]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of a substrate transfer robot according to the present invention. The robot 10 according to the first embodiment is for horizontally transferring a glass substrate.
And an arm assembly 14 rotatably attached to the base 12. The arm assembly 14 includes a first arm 16 which is a long hollow box-shaped body,
The second arm 18 and the third arm 20 are connected to bendable.

A circular opening is provided in the upper plate of the base 12, and an annular support base 22 is fitted into the opening, and a cross roller bearing (hereinafter simply referred to as “bearing”) 24 is interposed therebetween. The base 12 is rotatably supported on the base 12 in a horizontal plane. A drive motor 28 is fixed to the lower surface of the upper plate portion of the base 12 via a bracket 26, and an output shaft of the drive motor 28 is connected to an output shaft of an appropriate speed reducer 30 via a toothed pulley (hereinafter simply referred to as a pulley). 32 (referred to as a “pulley”). On the other hand, a pulley 34 is also fixed coaxially to the outer peripheral surface of the support base 22,
A toothed transmission belt (hereinafter simply referred to as a “transmission belt”) 3 between the pulley 34 and the pulley 32 on the motor 28 side.
6 is wound. Therefore, by driving the drive motor 28 to rotate the pulleys 32 and 34, the support base 22 is rotated at an arbitrary angle about the axis (first axis) C1 extending in the vertical direction.

A bearing 3 is provided at the center opening of the support base 22.
A first support shaft 40 having a hollow cylindrical shape is rotatably attached to the first support shaft 40 via a shaft 8. A pulley 42 is coaxially fixed to the lower end of the first support shaft 40. The upper end of the first support shaft 40 protrudes above the upper surface of the base 12, to which the first arm 16 is fixed and extends in the horizontal direction.

A bracket 4 is provided at an appropriate position on the lower surface of the support base 22.
The drive motor 46 is fixed via the drive motor 4. A pulley 50 is attached to an output shaft of the drive motor 46 via a speed reducer 48, and a transmission belt 52 is wound around the pulley 42 fixed to the first support shaft 40.
Therefore, by controlling the drive of the drive motor 46, the first
The first arm 16 fixed to the support shaft 40 of the
About the support base 22 at an arbitrary angle.

The lower plate of the first arm 16 has a through hole formed at the base end thereof coaxially with the first support shaft 40. A first fixed shaft 54 is coaxially inserted through the through hole and the center holes of the first support shaft 40 and the pulley 42. The lower end of the first fixed shaft 54 is fixed to the support base 22 via a bracket 56. Therefore, the first arm 16 is connected to the support base 2.
2, the first fixed shaft 54 is supported by the support base 2.
For 2 it remains fixed. A pulley 58 is coaxially fixed to the upper end of the first fixed shaft 54 inside the first arm 16.

On the other hand, a through hole is formed in the upper plate portion of the first arm 16 at the end thereof, and an annular second support shaft 60 is formed in the through hole through a bearing 62 in a horizontal plane. It is rotatably mounted inside. The second arm 18 is fixed to the upper end of the second support shaft 60 and extends in the horizontal direction. A pulley 64 is coaxially fixed to the lower end of the second support shaft 60. The pulley 64 is located inside the first arm 16, and a transmission belt 66 is wound between the pulley 64 and the pulley 58 of the first fixed shaft 54. Therefore, when the pulley 58 is rotated relatively to the first arm 16, the pulley 64 is rotated by the transmission belt 66 with respect to the first arm 16, and the second arm 18 is rotated.
Rotate about the axis (second axis) C2 extending in the vertical direction with respect to the first arm 16. Note that reference numeral 6
Reference numeral 8 denotes an idler for applying an appropriate tension to the transmission belt 66.

A through hole coaxial with the center holes of the second support shaft 60 and the pulley 64 is formed at the base end of the lower plate of the second arm 18. A fixing bracket 70 is provided in the distal end portion of the first arm 16.
A second fixed shaft 72 whose lower end is fixed coaxially passes through the center holes of the second support shaft 60 and the pulley 64, and extends from the through hole into the second arm 18. Second fixed shaft 7
A pulley 74 is fixed to the upper end of 2.

A through hole is formed in the upper plate of the second arm 18 at the end thereof, and an annular third hole is formed in the through hole.
Is rotatably mounted via a bearing 78. The base end of the third arm 20 is fixed to the upper end of the third support shaft 76. A pulley 80 is coaxially fixed to the lower end of the third support shaft 76, and a transmission belt 82 is wound between the pulley 80 and a pulley 74 on the second fixed shaft 72. Since this configuration is substantially the same as the configuration of the first arm 16, the second arm
When the pulley 74 is relatively rotated with respect to the first arm 18, the third arm 20 moves in the vertical axis (third axis).
It will be readily understood that it rotates in a horizontal plane relative to the second arm 18 about C3. Reference numeral 84 denotes an idler for applying an appropriate tension to the transmission belt 82.

The structure of the third arm 20 is the same as that of the second arm 1.
8 is substantially the same. That is, the second arm 18
A third fixing shaft 88 having a lower end fixed by a fixing bracket 86 provided in the front end of the third arm 20 coaxially passes through the third support shaft 76 and the center hole of the pulley 80. Extends vertically into the third arm 20 from the through hole formed in the third arm 20, and a pulley 90 is fixed to the upper end thereof.
A through-hole is formed at the tip of the upper plate of the third arm 20, and an annular fourth support shaft 92 is formed in the through-hole.
Are rotatably mounted via bearings 94. A pulley 96 is coaxially fixed to the lower end of the fourth support shaft 92, and a transmission belt 98 is wound around the pulley 96 and a pulley 90 on the third fixed shaft 88.
The transmission belt 98 is given an appropriate tension by an idler 100. At the upper end of the fourth support shaft 92, a substrate support 102 that horizontally supports the glass substrate is attached.

In such a configuration, the third arm 20
When the pulley 90 is relatively rotated with respect to the substrate support 102, the substrate support 102 moves along an axis (a fourth axis) C4 extending in the vertical direction.
About the third arm 20 in a horizontal plane relative to the second arm 18 and the third arm 20, or the first arm 16 and the second arm 18 and the same.

The substrate support 102 is substantially H-shaped as shown in FIG. 2, and is also called a fork in its form. The center of the H-shaped fork 102 is connected to the distal end of the arm assembly 14. More specifically, the fork 102 is connected to the upper end of the fourth support shaft 92 such that the center of gravity of the fork 102 is substantially disposed on the center axis of the fourth support shaft 92, that is, on the fourth axis C4. Further, the H-shaped fork 102 is rotationally symmetric about the fourth axis C4. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the glass substrate S is supported by the fork 102 such that its center of gravity substantially coincides with the center of gravity of the fork 102, that is, is substantially located on the fourth axis C4. It has become. When the glass substrate S is supported by the fork 102 in an appropriate posture, its long side is
And is supported in the same direction as the long side of. Since each end (short side end) of the fork 102 having such a shape is the same, it is understood that any of the ends may be the insertion side into the manufacturing apparatuses 500 and 510.

Although not shown, a vacuum pad for sucking and fixing the glass substrate is appropriately disposed on the surface of the fork 102. A suction hose from each vacuum pad passes through the fork 102, penetrates the fourth support shaft 92, and is further led through the fixed shafts 88, 72, 54 as hollow structures, and is connected to an external suction pump. Have been.

Further, in the first embodiment, each member has a dimensional feature. First, each arm 16, 18, 2
0, the length of the first arm 16 (the axis C
1, the distance between C2) is L1, the length of the second arm (axis C)
L2), the length of the third arm (axis C)
L3 + L3 = L2 when the distance between (3, C4) is L3
The relationship has been. The diameter of the pulley 58 is D1,
When the diameter of the pulley 64 is D2, the diameter of the pulley 74 is D3, the diameter of the pulley 80 is D4, the diameter of the pulley 90 is D5, and the diameter of the pulley 96 is D6, D1: D2 = 2: 1.
D3: D4 = 1: 1, D5: D6 = 1: 2.

Next, the operation of the substrate transport robot 10 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

First, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 (c), the initial position of the robot 10 is folded so that the arms 16, 18, and 20 are overlapped with each other. In this initial position, the center of gravity (axis C4) of the fork 102 is arranged coaxially with the axis C1, which is the center of rotation of the first arm 16. here,
For simplicity, it is assumed that the drive motor 28 is not driven and the support base 22 is stationary with respect to the base 12.

Next, from the state of the initial position, the drive motor 46 is controlled, the pulley 42 is rotated in a desired direction via the transmission belt 52, and the first arm 16 integrated with the pulley 42 is moved horizontally. In the clockwise direction (the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2C) by an angle α (see FIG. 2D). At this time, the pulley 58 of the first fixed shaft 54
Will be apparently reversely rotated with respect to the first arm 16. For this reason, the pulley 64 connected to the pulley 58 in an open manner by the transmission belt 66 is also rotated relative to the first arm 16 in the same direction as the pulley 58. Since the diameter D2 of the pulley 64 is half of the diameter D1 of the pulley 58, the rotation angle of the pulley 64 is twice the rotation angle of the pulley 58, that is, 2α. Pulley 6
4 is integrated with the second arm 18 via the second support shaft 60, so that the second arm 18 is in the same direction as the rotation direction of the pulley 64, that is, the arrow B in FIG. In the direction about the axis C2 with respect to the first arm 16 by an angle 2α. Further, since the second fixed shaft 72 integrated with the first arm 16 rotates relatively reversely with respect to the second arm 18, the second fixed shaft 72 has the same diameter as the pulley 74 on the second fixed shaft 72. The pulley 80 that is openly wound around the pulley 74 and the transmission belt 82 also rotates with respect to the second arm 18 in the same direction and at the same angle as the pulley 74. As a result, the third arm 20 integral with the pulley 80
Rotates about the axis C3 with respect to the second arm 18 by an angle 2α in the direction of arrow C in FIG.

As described above, the second and third arms 18 and 2
0 operates synchronously with the rotation of the first arm 16,
At this time, the length L1 of the first arm 16 and the third arm 2
0 is equal to the length L2 of the second arm 18, so that the axis C4 of the tip of the third arm 20, that is, the center of gravity of the fork 102 (the center of gravity of the glass substrate S) ) Will move linearly along the reference line R orthogonal to the axis C1.

Further, the fork 102 is similarly operated synchronously, and the fork 102 rotates about the axis C4 with respect to the third arm 20 by an angle α in FIG. A constant state is always maintained with respect to the support base 22.

As described above, in the initial position, the center of gravity of the fork 102 and the center of gravity of the glass substrate S supported thereon are located on the axis C1, and when moving, the center of gravity of the fork 102 and the glass substrate S are moved. Since the robot moves on the reference line R, the balance of the robot 10 can be improved, and the load can be prevented from acting on each component in an uneven manner. As a result, wear of each component of the robot 10 can be suppressed, and the life can be extended.

Finally, the state shown in FIG. In this state, the fork 102 is inserted into the device 500 arranged adjacent to the robot 10, and the glass substrate S can be transferred using, for example, a conventionally known transfer lift mechanism (not shown). It becomes possible.

When returning to the initial position, the first arm 1
6 may be rotated in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow A in FIG. When the fork 102 is moved leftward in FIG. 2 from the initial position and inserted into the apparatus 510, the first arm 16 at the initial position is rotated in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow A (see FIG. 2). (See (b) and (a)). Thus, even when the first arm 16 is rotated in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow A, the fork 102 maintains the same direction, and the end opposite to the above-mentioned direction is the same as the front end in the extension direction of the arm assembly. As a result, it is inserted into the manufacturing apparatus 510.

In the conventional robot 1 as shown in FIG.
Since the fork 6 is connected to the arm assembly 4 in a cantilever shape, such a reverse transfer requires rotating the support base 5 to rotate the entire arm assembly 4 ((c) in FIG. 6). However, in the present embodiment, it is not necessary to rotate the support base 22 or the base 12 to rotate the entire arm assembly 14.
It takes time to rotate the entire arm assembly after the extension and retraction of the arm assembly, and when handling the glass substrate, sufficient acceleration and deceleration must be performed. In the robot 10, the transfer time can be reduced. Further, since a centrifugal force does not act on the glass substrate, stable conveyance can be performed.

Although the transfer along the fixed reference line R has been described, by controlling the drive motor 28 to rotate the support base 22 with respect to the base 12,
The glass substrate S can be transferred by extending and contracting the arm assembly 14 in any direction of 60 degrees.

Further, by moving the base 12 itself up and down by an elevating mechanism (not shown), it can be used as a robot in a cylindrical coordinate system.

Here, the installation area or the operating range of the above-described three-armed robot 10 is the same as the conventional two-arm robot.
Comparing the robot 1 having the three-arm configuration with FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, the installation area of the robot 10 having the three-arm configuration is considerably smaller even though the expansion and contraction strokes are the same. You will understand. This effect also contributes to downsizing of the gate valves 530 and 540 when the gate valves 530 and 540 are arranged between the devices 500 and 510 and the housing 520 that houses the robot 10. Further, since the volume of the housing 520 that accommodates the robot 10 is reduced, the inside of the housing 520 can be efficiently cleaned, which is suitable for transporting the glass substrate S that dislikes particles and the like.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the substrate transfer robot according to the present invention. In the robot 200 according to the second embodiment, the same or corresponding parts as those of the robot 10 according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS.

The robot 200 according to the second embodiment
Is separate from a drive motor (first drive motor) 46 for rotatingly driving the first arm 16,
The third embodiment differs greatly from the first embodiment in that a drive motor (second drive motor) 202 for driving the third arm 20 and the fork 102 is provided.

This will be described in more detail. Robot 2 shown in FIG.
No. 00 does not have the rotatable support base 22 as described above, and the first support shaft 204 fixed to the base end of the first arm 16 is rotatably attached to the base 12 via the bearing 206. ing. That is, the base 12
It functions as a support for rotatably supporting the arm assembly 14.

A pulley 4 is provided at the lower end of the first support shaft 204.
2 is coaxially fixed. A first drive motor 46 is fixed to the base 12 by a bracket 208, and is provided between a pulley 50 attached to an output shaft of the first drive motor 46 via a reduction gear 48 and the pulley 42. A transmission belt 52 is wound around.

A second drive motor 202 is mounted inside the first support shaft 204, and its output shaft is the first drive motor 202.
Of the arm 16. Second drive motor 2
A pulley 210 is fixed to the upper end of the output shaft 02. On the other hand, a speed reducer 21 is provided in the distal end of the first arm 16.
2 are provided. The speed reducer 212 is provided with a pulley 214 serving as an input portion at a lower portion, and a rotating disk 216 serving as an output portion at an upper portion. In addition, the speed reducer 212
Is fixed to the first arm 16, and although not shown, a suitable speed reduction mechanism 218 for reducing the rotation of the pulley 214 (preferably at a reduction ratio of about 1/50) and transmitting the rotation to the rotating disk 216. It is configured. A transmission belt 220 is wound around a pulley 214 of the speed reducer 212 and a pulley 210 attached to the drive motor 202. Since the base end of the second arm 18 is fixed to the rotating disk 216 of the speed reducer 212, when the second drive motor 202 is driven, the second arm 18 moves relative to the first arm 16. It is driven to rotate. In this case, the rotation angle of the output shaft of the second drive motor 202 uniquely determines the rotation angle of the second arm 18 with respect to the first arm 16. That is, the rotation direction of the output shaft of the second drive motor 202 determines the rotation direction of the rotating disk 216 of the speed reducer 212, and thus the rotation direction of the second arm 18 with respect to the first arm 16. Also, the first arm 16 is controlled by the rotation speed of the output shaft of the second drive motor 202.
The rotation speed of the second arm 18 with respect to the rotation speed is also determined.

The pulley 214, the speed reduction mechanism 218, and the rotating disk 216 in the speed reducer 212 are coaxially arranged, and a through hole is provided at the center thereof. In this through hole,
A second vertical fixed shaft 72 fixed to the first arm 16 is passed therethrough, and a pulley 74 is fixed to an upper end thereof.

Further, as in the first embodiment, the fork 1
A vacuum pad for sucking and fixing the glass substrate (not shown) is appropriately arranged on the surface of the glass substrate 02. The suction hose from each vacuum pad is connected to a fork 10.
2, through the fourth support shaft 92, and further through each fixed shaft 88, 72 as a hollow structure. Then, the suction hose is connected to the second drive motor 202 and the first drive motor 202.
Through the gap between the support shaft 202 and the pulley 42, and is connected to an external suction pump.

Although not shown, the drive motors 46, 2
Each of the output shafts 02 is provided with a rotation angle detecting means such as an encoder for detecting the rotation angle (the rotation direction and the number of rotations), and its output is connected to a servo controller for controlling the drive motors 46 and 202. Have been.

The other configuration is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, and the description is omitted.

In the robot 200 according to the second embodiment having the above-described configuration, when the arm assembly 14 is extended from, for example, the state shown in FIG. 2C to the state shown in FIG. By controlling the drive of the first drive motor 46, the first arm 16 is connected to the base 12
In the direction of arrow A. At this time, the second
Of the second arm 18 to the first arm
Is rotated in the direction of arrow B with respect to the arm 16. Also,
When the rotation angle of the first arm 16 with respect to the base 12 is α, the second drive motor 20 is driven so that the rotation angle of the second arm 18 with respect to the first arm 16 always becomes 2α.
2 is controlled.

By controlling the drive motors 46 and 202 in this manner, the first arm 16 and the second arm 18 operate in exactly the same manner as in the first embodiment.
Since the structure from the second arm 18 to the fork 102 is the same as that of the first embodiment, the second arm 18, the third arm 20, and the fork 102
Will expand and contract exactly as shown in FIG. Therefore, the fork 102 is maintained in a fixed orientation with respect to the base 12 without rotating the entire arm assembly 14, and the end of the fork in the traveling direction becomes the front end, so that the device 500 on one side moves from the device 500 on the other side. It can be carried to the device 510 on the side or in the opposite direction.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the second drive motor 202 disposed in the first support shaft 204
, The third arm 20 and the fork 102 are driven, and a relatively large torque is required to operate them. However, the power transmission between the first arm 16 and the second arm 18 is required. Since the speed reducer 212 is disposed on the path, the second drive motor 202 and the transmission belt 22
The burden on zero is small. Therefore, the size and durability of the second drive motor 202 and the transmission belt 220 can be reduced. Further, since the drive source is divided into two, the first drive motor 46 can also be reduced in size. It is also conceivable that the second drive motor 202 is arranged at the distal end of the first arm 16 and the output shaft of the drive motor 202 is directly connected to the base end of the second arm 18. The fact that the weight of the second drive motor 202 acts on the 16 distal ends of the first arm requires that the moment of the arm assembly 14 be increased to make the first arm 16 and the bearing 206 robust, and Since the wiring to the second drive motor 202 is also complicated, the configuration shown in FIG. 3 is preferable.

On the other hand, when changing the direction of expansion and contraction of the arm assembly 14, the second drive motor 202 may be kept stopped and only the first drive motor 46 may be driven. That is, in this case, the first arm 16 rotates with respect to the base 12, but the second arm 18, the third arm 20, and the fork 102 remain stationary with respect to the first arm 16, The expansion / contraction direction (reference line R) is displaced in the circumferential direction around the axis C1.

As described above, the robots 10 and 20 having three arms
0 has been described, but the arm of the robot of the present invention is 2
It may be a book or four or more. FIG. 4 shows an example of a robot 300 having four arms. In this case, the length L1 between the first axis C1 and the second axis C2 in the first arm 16 and the second axis C2 in the second arm 18
The length L2 between the third arm 2 and the third arm 2
The length L3 between the third axis C3 and the fourth axis C4 at 0 and the length L4 between the fourth axis C4 and the fifth axis C5 of the fourth arm 21 are: It has a relationship.

L1 = L4, L2 = L3 In this relationship, the axis C5 can be moved along the reference line R orthogonal to the axis C1. Also, L1 <
When L2 is set, the balance of the arm assembly 14 becomes good. In particular, when L1 and L4 are half the lengths of L2 and L3, the center of gravity of the arm assembly 14 moves substantially on the reference line R, and a smooth expansion and contraction operation can be obtained.

A belt transmission mechanism similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is provided inside each of the arms 16, 18, 20, and 21, and the diameter of each pulley is determined as appropriate, as shown in FIG. In this manner, the arm assembly 14 can be expanded and contracted.

As can be understood from FIG. 4, when four arms are used, the operation range of the robot 300 is further reduced.

FIG. 5 shows an example in which the number of arms of the arm assembly is two. In this case,
Although the effect of reducing the installation area and operation area of the robot 400 is small, the center of gravity of the H-shaped fork 102 (central part)
Are pivoted at the distal end of the arm assembly 414, so that the two devices 500 and 51 sandwiching the robot 400 are interposed.
The transfer of the substrate between 0 is the same as in the above-described embodiment shown in FIGS.

In the case of the two-armed robot 400, the length of the first arm 16 and the length of the second arm 18 (distance between axes) are equalized, so that the center of gravity of the fork 102 is positioned on the reference line R. Moving. 2, the fork 102 is fixed to the upper end of a support shaft 76 provided at the end of the second arm 18. The diameter of the pulley 80 fixed to the support shaft 76 Is twice the diameter of the pulley 74 at the end of the second arm 18. Thus, the fork 102 can be always maintained in a fixed direction regardless of the expansion and contraction state of the arm assembly 414.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

For example, although the substrate support in the above embodiment is an H-shaped fork, its shape does not need to be particularly H-shaped. The present invention is applicable as long as the substrate support is rotatably supported at the center by the distal end of the arm assembly, and both ends can be inserted into the apparatus or the like.

In the above embodiment, the drive means for extending and contracting the arm assembly 14 comprises a drive motor and a belt transmission mechanism. Instead of the belt transmission mechanism, another type of transmission mechanism using gear transmission is used. Can be.

Further, in the above embodiment, the glass substrate is transported. However, the robot of the present invention can be used for transporting a semiconductor wafer, a printed board, or the like.

[0072]

As described above, the substrate transfer robot according to the present invention rotatably supports the substrate support for supporting the substrate at the center thereof, so that it is supported in a cantilever shape. Unlike the substrate support described above, each end can be a front end in the traveling direction. This makes it possible to transfer the substrate linearly from one side of the robot to the other side without rotating the entire arm assembly. Therefore, the transport time loss due to the rotation of the entire arm assembly is eliminated, and the efficiency of the entire processing on the substrate is improved. In addition, centrifugal force due to rotation does not act on a thin glass substrate or the like, and stable and reliable transport can be performed. Further, by extending the distance at which stable horizontal transfer can be performed, the scope and applicability of the robot according to the present invention to the transfer system in the substrate processing equipment is expanded.

In the case where the arm assembly is composed of three or more arms, the installation area or the operating range is smaller than that of the conventional two-arm configuration, and the robot can be made compact. . When the robot is surrounded by a housing or the like, the volume of the housing can be reduced. Therefore, when cleaning the inside of the housing, it can be efficiently performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of a substrate transport robot according to the present invention.

FIGS. 2A to 2E are schematic explanatory views showing the operation of the robot of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the substrate transport robot according to the present invention.

FIGS. 4A to 4E are schematic explanatory views showing the operation of a robot having a four-arm structure according to the present invention.

FIGS. 5A to 5E are schematic explanatory views showing the operation of a robot having a two-arm structure according to the present invention.

FIGS. 6A to 6E are schematic explanatory views showing the operation of a conventional substrate transfer robot.

[Explanation of symbols]

10,200,300,400 ... Robot for transferring substrates,
12 ... base (support), 14 ... arm assembly, 1
6 first arm, 18 second arm, 20 third arm, 21 fourth arm, 22 support, 28 drive motor, 46 drive motor (first drive motor), 5
2, 66, 82, 98, 220 ... transmission belt, 102 ...
Fork (substrate support), 202 ... second drive motor,
212: reduction gear.

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takashi Nimura 2-1-17 Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Inside the company Meidensha Corporation (72) Inventor Yasushi Kodama 2-1-1-17 Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Inside the Meidensha Corporation (72) Inventor Katsumi Morita 3-7-9 Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo F-term within Meiden Engineering Co., Ltd. 3C007 DS01 ES00 EV02 NS09 3F060 AA07 DA02 DA09 DA10 EB02 EB12 EC02 EC12 FA02 GA05 GA13 GB02 3F061 AA01 BA00 BE02 DB04 5F031 CA02 CA05 CA07 FA01 FA02 FA11 GA05 GA43 GA47 LA07 LA13

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. An arm assembly comprising two or more arms which can be extended and contracted by their ends being rotatably connected to each other, and a support base rotatably supporting a base end of said arm assembly. And rotatably connected to the tip of the arm assembly,
In a substrate transport robot comprising: a substrate support for supporting a substrate; and driving means for extending and retracting the arm assembly, wherein the substrate support is rotatably connected to a distal end of the arm assembly at a central portion thereof. A substrate transport robot configured to maintain the substrate support in a fixed orientation with respect to the support table. 2. The substrate transfer robot according to claim 1, wherein the substrate support is rotationally symmetric about the connection between the substrate support and the arm assembly. 3. The substrate transfer robot according to claim 1, wherein the arm assembly includes three or more arms. 4. An arm assembly comprising: a first arm having a base end rotatably connected to the support base around a vertical first axis; and a tip end of the first arm. A second arm having a base end rotatably connected to a vertical second axis; and a base having a base end centered on a vertical third axis at a distal end of the second arm. A third arm rotatably connected to the third arm, wherein the substrate support is rotatably connected to a distal end of the third arm about a vertical fourth axis. The length between the first axis and the second axis in the first arm is L1, and the length between the second axis and the third axis in the second arm is L2. When the length between the third axis and the fourth axis of the third arm is L3, In, L1 + L3
4. The substrate transfer robot according to claim 3, wherein the fourth axis moves along a predetermined reference line orthogonal to the first axis. 5. A driving motor for rotating the first arm with respect to the support base, the driving means comprising:
Belts respectively arranged on the second arm, the second arm, and the third arm, and operating the second arm, the third arm, and the substrate support in accordance with the rotation of the first arm. A transmission mechanism, wherein when the first arm is rotationally driven, a rotation angle of the second arm with respect to the first arm and a rotation angle α of the first arm with respect to the support base, and Second
Pulley of the belt transmission mechanism so that the rotation angle of the third arm with respect to the third arm becomes twice the angle 2α, and the rotation angle of the substrate support with respect to the third arm becomes the same angle as the rotation angle α. The substrate transfer robot device according to claim 4, wherein a diameter of the substrate is determined. 6. The substrate transfer robot according to claim 4, wherein the support table is driven to rotate about the first axis. 7. The driving device, wherein the driving means is attached to the first arm, the first driving motor rotatingly driving the first arm with respect to the support table, and the second arm and the third arm are mounted on the first arm. And a second drive motor that drives the arm and the substrate support; and a second drive motor that is arranged on the first arm, the second arm, and the third arm, respectively, and the second drive motor is driven by power from the drive source. An arm, a belt transmission mechanism for operating the third arm and the substrate support, and wherein the first arm is rotated by the first drive motor, the first arm with respect to the support base. , The rotation angle of the second arm with respect to the first arm and the rotation angle of the third arm with respect to the second arm are twice as large as the angle 2α. substrate The diameter of the pulley of the belt transmission mechanism is determined so that the rotation angle of the holding body becomes the same angle as the rotation angle α, and the second drive is performed according to the rotation angle of the output shaft of the first drive motor. 5. The substrate transfer robot according to claim 4, wherein driving of the motor is controlled. 8. The substrate transfer robot according to claim 7, wherein a speed reducer is arranged between the belt transmission mechanism in the first arm and the belt transmission mechanism in the second arm. 9. The substrate transfer robot according to claim 7, wherein the second drive motor is disposed at a base end of the first arm. 10. The arm assembly, comprising: a first arm having a base end rotatably connected to the support base around a vertical first axis; and a distal end of the first arm. A second arm having a base end rotatably connected to a vertical second axis; and a base having a base end centered on a vertical third axis at a distal end of the second arm. A third arm rotatably connected to the third arm, and a fourth arm having a base end rotatably connected to a distal end of the third arm about a fourth vertical axis. The substrate support is rotatably connected to a tip end of the fourth arm around a vertical fifth axis, and the first axis of the first arm and the second axis are connected to each other. L1, the length between the second axis of the second arm and the third axis. L3, the length between the third axis and the fourth axis in the third arm is L3, and the fourth axis in the fourth arm and the fourth axis. L1 = L4, L2 = L3, and L1 <L2, where L4 is the length from the axis 5
4. The substrate transfer robot according to claim 3, wherein the fifth axis is configured to move along a predetermined reference line orthogonal to the first axis. 11. The substrate transfer robot according to claim 10, wherein the support table is driven to rotate about the first axis. 12. The substrate transfer robot according to claim 1, wherein the support table is vertically movable.