JP2010064230A - Industrial robot controller - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an industrial robot controller capable of being miniaturized, enhancing the visibility of a display lamp and the easiness to mount and remove a connector, and being installed in a narrow space. <P>SOLUTION: The front panel 2 of this industrial robot controller 1 comprises a first front panel 2a formed in such a manner as inclining from the top plate and protruding forward and a second front panel 2b inclining from the bottom surface and protruding forward. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to the structure of an industrial robot controller.

In the semiconductor manufacturing industry, miniaturization of semiconductor design rules and an increase in the diameter of wafers are progressing. In order to cope with this miniaturization, it is necessary to perform all the manufacturing processes up to about 600 steps in a high clean room, but there is a limit to keeping the whole clean room high in cleanliness, It also costs a lot of money. Further, as the diameter of the wafer increases, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus has a larger installation area and an increased clean room area. Therefore, there is a strong demand for a smaller footprint and a smaller apparatus. Therefore, it is essential to reduce the size of the industrial robot controller mounted on the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and the industrial robot controller incorporated in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is required to efficiently use a limited space. Yes. An example of a configuration that reduces the size of the controller is, for example, Patent Document 1.
In order to reduce the size of industrial robot controllers, some parts such as connectors, fans, indicator lights, and switches necessary for the controller are arranged separately on the front panel and rear panel of the controller.
JP-A-4-365581 (FIG. 1)

However, in an industrial robot controller, if necessary parts such as connectors, fans, indicator lights, switches, etc. are arranged on a panel surface such as a front panel, the size of the controller is generally determined. Therefore, in the conventional industrial robot controller, these parts are arranged on a flat front panel, and due to restrictions on the size, arrangement, etc. of these parts, the controller cannot be made smaller than the restrictions. there were.
In addition, when these parts are placed separately on both the front and rear panels to reduce the size of the controller, wiring space is required on both the front and rear sides of the controller, which increases the space for installing the controller. There was also a problem that was necessary.
Furthermore, it is necessary to consider the visibility of the operator for the indicator lamp and the detachability of the connector for the teaching pendant. Since the arrangement of these parts is restricted, there is a problem that the area of the controller panel is insufficient. .
In addition, depending on the installation location of the controller, there is a problem that the operator cannot visually check the indicator lamp and it is difficult to attach and detach the connector.
The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and it is possible to reduce the size of an industrial robot controller and improve the visibility of an indicator lamp and the detachability of a connector, and can be installed in a narrow space. An object of the present invention is to provide an industrial robot controller.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is configured as follows.
The invention according to claim 1 is an industrial robot controller that is connected to and controls an industrial robot, and the front panel of the industrial robot controller is formed so as to be inclined forward from the top plate. The industrial robot controller is characterized by comprising two surfaces, a first front panel and a second front panel formed so as to incline from the bottom and protrude forward.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the first front panel shows a status indicator for displaying an operation state inside the industrial robot or the industrial robot controller, and indicates whether the industrial robot controller power supply is ON or OFF. The industrial robot controller according to claim 1, wherein a maintenance display unit including an operation indicator lamp is arranged.
The invention described in claim 3 is the industrial robot controller according to claim 2, wherein the maintenance display unit is configured to be rotatable.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the industrial robot controller according to the second aspect, wherein a mirror that reflects the maintenance display unit is rotatably installed on the top plate.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the industrial robot controller according to the fourth aspect, wherein a recess capable of accommodating the mirror is formed on the top plate.
A sixth aspect of the present invention is a semiconductor transfer device in which the industrial robot controller according to the first aspect is housed.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising the semiconductor transfer device according to the sixth aspect.

According to the invention of claim 1, since the front panel has a two-sided configuration of a pop-up type, the area of the front panel is increased, and a number of necessary connectors and indicator lights can be arranged on the front panel or freely, These can be consolidated on the front panel. Thereby, an industrial controller can be reduced in size. Further, since the cable wiring space is only in the direction of the front panel, it can be installed in a space where the space on the left and right side surfaces and the back surface of the controller is narrow.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the maintenance display portion that is frequently viewed by an operator during maintenance is arranged on the first front panel formed so as to incline from the top plate and protrude forward. Is placed at a position lower than the operator's line of sight, the visibility of the maintenance display unit is enhanced.
According to the invention described in claim 3, since the maintenance display section is rotatable, even if the controller is placed vertically, it can be rotated so as to be easily seen by the operator as required, and the visibility is improved.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the mirror that displays the maintenance display unit is installed, when the controller is arranged at a position higher than the operator's line of sight, the maintenance display unit can be displayed on the mirror so that the work can be performed. become.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the mirror is not used, the mirror is provided so as to be stored at the same level or lower than that of the top plate, so that the mirror does not get in the way.
According to the sixth and seventh aspects of the invention, an apparatus having a reduced footprint can be configured.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external view of an industrial robot controller of the present invention and an external view of an industrial robot connected thereto. FIG. 2 is a six-side view of the industrial robot controller 5. In FIG. 2, a mirror 34 to be described later is not shown.
In FIG. 1, an industrial robot 5 is a horizontal articulated robot that transports a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a liquid crystal substrate. Here, there are two industrial robots 5 connected to one industrial robot controller 1 and controlled. Each industrial robot 5 is connected to the industrial robot controller 1 by an external cable 4.

As apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2, the industrial robot controller 5 of the present invention includes a bottom surface, a top plate parallel to the bottom surface, a back surface perpendicular to the bottom surface, left and right side surfaces perpendicular to the bottom surface, and 2 described later. It is formed from a front panel 2 having an inclined surface, and has a seven-sided structure in total. The front panel 2, which is the front side of the industrial robot controller 1, is composed of two surfaces, a first front panel 2a and a second front panel 2b, instead of the conventional flat vertical panel surface. The second front panel 2b is not perpendicular to the bottom surface of the industrial robot controller 1, but is inclined so as to fall slightly forward and protrudes to the front side. Further, the first front panel 2a is not perpendicular to the top plate of the industrial robot controller 1, but is inclined so that the surface of the first front panel 2a faces obliquely upward from the top plate and projects to the front side. . The first front panel 2a and the second front panel 2b are in contact with each other. Accordingly, the front panel 2 of the industrial robot controller 1 has a side where the two surfaces of the first front panel 2a and the second front panel 2b are in contact with the front surface of the controller, and the inclined two surfaces form the front panel. Has been. By forming the front panel 2 in this way, the surface area of the panel is increased as compared with the conventional case, so that various connectors and indicator lamps described later can be disposed on the front panel. Therefore, it is not necessary to arrange a connector or the like on the back and side surfaces of the controller, and as long as there is at least a space accessible to the front panel 2, it can be placed in a narrow installation place where there is no space on the back and side surfaces of the controller. .
The angle between the two surfaces of the first front panel 2a and the second front panel 2b should be changed depending on the mounting space of the controller and the shape of the connector or the like arranged on these panels.

  On the first front panel 2a, a 7-segment LED 31 and an indicator lamp 32 used for maintenance of the industrial robot 5 are arranged. The 7-segment LED 31 is a status indicator that displays the operation state inside the industrial robot 5 and the controller with predetermined numbers and alphabets. That is, an error code is displayed. The indicator lamp 32 is an operation indicator lamp that indicates ON / OFF of the controller power supply. The operator always works while checking the 7-segment LED 31 and the indicator lamp 32 during the maintenance of the industrial robot 5. In the present invention, the portion including these 7-segment LED 31 and the indicator lamp 32 is called a maintenance display unit 3. When the maintenance display unit 3 that the operator frequently observes during maintenance is arranged on the first front panel 2a, the maintenance display unit is provided when the industrial robot controller 1 is installed below the operator's line of sight. The visibility of 3 becomes high.

  The maintenance display unit 3 is attached so that the industrial robot controller 1 can be rotated 360 ° so that the industrial robot controller 1 can be confirmed in the positive direction in either of the horizontal placement as shown in FIG. 1 or the vertical placement (not shown). Yes. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a mechanism for rotating the maintenance display unit 3. (A) is a side view, (b) is a front view of the 1st front panel 2a. As shown in FIG. 3, the maintenance display unit 3 is manufactured in a square size in consideration of rotation. The maintenance display unit 3 is provided with a biasing means 27 at the center, and is constantly biased toward the inside of the controller. The fixing tool 28 such as a screw provided around the maintenance display unit 3 is removed, the maintenance display unit 3 is pulled against the urging means 27, and the maintenance display unit 3 is rotated so as to be in a target direction. it can. After the rotation, the maintenance display unit 3 is fixed to the first front panel 2a by the fixture 28 again.

  In addition, a mirror 34 is installed near the maintenance display unit 3 as necessary. The mirror 34 is installed above the operator's line of sight, such as when the industrial robot controller 1 is mounted on the upper part of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus described later, and when it is difficult for the operator to visually observe the first front panel 2a. It is attached to make the 7-segment LED 31 and the indicator lamp 32 visible. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part showing details of the mirror 34. FIG. 4 is a right side view of the industrial robot controller 1. As shown in the figure, a mirror 34 is rotatably provided above the maintenance display unit 3 via a hinge 35. The mirror 34 can be stopped at a desired angle by a hinge 35. When the operator does not use the mirror 34, the mirror 34 is stored in the mirror storage recess 33 provided on the controller top plate. When the operator uses the mirror 34, the mirror 34 is raised 90 degrees or more with respect to the top plate, and the mirror 34 is opposed to the maintenance display unit 3 and used. The mirror 34 is formed in a minimum size capable of projecting the maintenance display unit 3.

FIG. 5 shows the state of use of the industrial robot controller 1 at this time. FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of a transfer device which is a part of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.
In FIG. 5, a transfer device 51 having a partition wall is provided around the front of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. A cassette opener 54 (referred to as a POD opener or a FOUP opener) is mounted on the outside of the front surface of the transport device 51 so that the substrate 55 can be taken into the transport device 51 by opening and closing its lid. Are provided. According to this cassette opener 54, it is possible to take out the substrate from the cassette 55 into the apparatus without allowing a relatively unclean atmosphere outside the apparatus to enter the transfer apparatus. The industrial robot 5 conveys the substrate mounted on the hand 50 to a target position or the processing device 56 while moving the upper arm 11 up and down by an elevator mechanism (not shown) or rotating the arms. A processing device 56 for processing the substrate is connected to the external side surface of the device. In the processing apparatus 56, predetermined processing such as CVD, etching, exposure, and the like is performed on the substrate.
On the other hand, an FFU 52 is installed on the upper part of the transport device 51. The FFU 52 causes a clean gas to flow down from the top to fill the inside of the apparatus with the clean gas. Further, the industrial robot controller 1 of the present invention is installed horizontally on the top of the FFU 52. A partition wall in front of the transfer device 51 can be freely opened and closed so that an operator can see the front side of the industrial robot controller 1 from here. As described above, the transport device 51 stores the controller higher than the operator's eyes in order to reduce the installation area. On the other hand, it is necessary for the operator to frequently look at the maintenance display unit 3 in the maintenance of the industrial robot 5, and in the conventional controller, the display necessary for the maintenance may not be easily visible to the operator. The industrial robot controller 1 of the present invention raises the mirror 34 before maintenance so that the maintenance display unit 3 of the controller housed higher than the operator's line of sight is displayed on the mirror 34 so that the operator can easily This can be confirmed.

The first front panel 2a is provided with a host device I / F connector 22 used for connection between the controller and the host device. This is a portion connected to a host device that instructs the industrial robot 5 to perform a predetermined operation, including devices (not shown) around the industrial robot 5. This connector is not a worker who actually operates the industrial robot 5 with a teaching pendant 26, which will be described later, but is usually a connector that is frequently handled by a worker who handles a host device.
Further, a teaching pendant connector 21 is disposed on the first front panel 2a, and a teaching pendant 26 can be connected thereto. The teaching pendant 26 is used when teaching the industrial robot 5 or when an operator manually operates the robot, and is not connected during normal operation of the apparatus.
As described above, in the present invention, at least the maintenance display unit 3, the host device I / F connector 22, and the teaching pendant connector 21 are disposed on the first front panel 2a, and are attached and detached like the teaching pendant 26. Is displayed frequently, the maintenance display section 3 that the worker needs to visually check during maintenance, and the connector that the worker who handles the host device frequently handles are arranged. Excellent in workability and workability.

On the second front panel 2b, a connector to which the external cable 4 is always connected, such as a robot encoder / sensor connector 23 and a robot power connector 24, and a fan 25 are arranged. The fan 25 is a fan that releases heat generated inside the controller to the outside of the controller, and is provided at two places on the left and right sides of the second front panel 2b in this embodiment.
By providing the fan 25 on the second front panel 2b, the gas discharged from the fan is discharged downward in front of the controller. And if a controller is installed in the upper part of the conveyance apparatus mentioned above, the gas discharge | released from the fan will not be spread | diffused in the upper direction or side surface direction of a controller, but will be immediately attracted | sucked by FFU51, and it will affect the surrounding semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. Is not given. Further, even if the controller of the present invention is not installed in the upper part of the transfer apparatus described above, for example, when it is installed beside an industrial robot, the exhaust gas from the fan is not used for the down flow of the FFU 51. Produced outside the transport device without disturbing the airflow.
Further, in the present invention, since the second front panel 2b is inclined, when it is installed on the upper part of the above-described transport device, the bending R of the cable such as the external cable 4 connected to the second front panel 2b is moderate. Thus, the space required on the front surface of the controller is reduced.

External view of industrial robot controller of the present invention and industrial robot connected thereto 6 views of the appearance of the industrial robot controller of the present invention The principal part enlarged view of the rotation mechanism of the maintenance display part of the industrial robot controller of this invention The enlarged view of the principal part of the mirror of the industrial robot controller of this invention Side sectional view of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus equipped with the industrial robot controller of the present invention

Explanation of symbols

1 Industrial Robot Controller 2 Front Panel 3 Maintenance Display Unit 4 External Cable 5 Industrial Robot 21 Teaching Pendant Connector 22 Host Device I / F Connector 23 Robot Encoder / Sensor Connector 24 Robot Power Connector 25 Fan 26 Teaching Pendant 27 Attached Force means 28 Fixture 31 7 segment LED
32 Indicator lamp 33 Mirror storage recess 34 Mirror 35 Hinge 50 Hand 51 Conveying device 52 FFU
54 Cassette opener 55 Cassette 56 Processing device

Claims (7)

In an industrial robot controller connected to and controlling an industrial robot,
The front panel of the industrial robot controller is
A first front panel formed so as to be inclined and project forward from the top plate;
An industrial robot controller comprising two surfaces, a second front panel formed so as to incline from the bottom and protrude forward.   The first front panel includes a maintenance display unit including a status indicator for displaying an operation state inside the industrial robot or the industrial robot controller, and an operation indicator indicating whether the industrial robot controller power is on or off. The industrial robot controller according to claim 1, wherein the industrial robot controller is arranged.   The industrial robot controller according to claim 2, wherein the maintenance display unit is configured to be rotatable.   The industrial robot controller according to claim 2, wherein a mirror that reflects the maintenance display unit is rotatably installed on the top plate.   The industrial robot controller according to claim 4, wherein the top plate is formed with a recess capable of accommodating the mirror.   A semiconductor transfer apparatus, wherein the industrial robot controller according to claim 1 is housed.   A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising the semiconductor transfer apparatus according to claim 6.

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