JP2015178161A - Transfer robot and transfer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the accuracy of the operation locus of a hand.SOLUTION: A transfer robot according to one embodiment comprises a horizontal arm unit and a leg part unit. The horizontal arm unit comprises a horizontal arm part that extends and contracts in a predetermined extension/contraction direction, and a hand provided at the distal end of the horizontal arm part. The leg part unit comprises a leg part link mechanism for moving the horizontal arm unit along a vertical plane perpendicular to the extension/contraction direction, and corrects the deviation from the extension/contraction direction of the hand by operating the leg part link mechanism during the extension and contraction of the horizontal arm unit.

Description

  The disclosed embodiments relate to a transfer robot and a transfer system.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a conveyance robot that conveys a thin plate workpiece such as a liquid crystal glass substrate or a semiconductor wafer is known.

  As a transfer robot, for example, there is a robot that includes a hand that moves forward and backward on a straight line in a certain direction by an extendable arm having a link mechanism in which a plurality of arms are connected, and transfers a transferred object while taking it in and out of a storage shelf (for example, , See Patent Document 1).

JP2013-000839A

  However, the conventional transfer robot described above has room for further improvement in the accuracy of the hand movement trajectory.

  For example, since the above-described transfer robot moves the hand by the link mechanism, the moving hand may deviate from the straight line that is the ideal locus, for example, may take an S-shaped locus.

  One aspect of the embodiments has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a transfer robot and a transfer system that can improve the accuracy of the movement trajectory of the hand.

  The transfer robot according to one aspect of the embodiment includes a horizontal arm unit and a leg unit. The horizontal arm unit has a horizontal arm portion that expands and contracts in a predetermined expansion and contraction direction and a hand that is provided at the tip of the horizontal arm portion. The leg unit has a leg link mechanism that moves the horizontal arm unit along a vertical plane perpendicular to the extension / contraction direction, and operates the leg link mechanism during the extension / retraction operation of the horizontal arm unit. To correct the deviation of the hand from the expansion / contraction direction.

  According to one aspect of the embodiment, the accuracy of the hand movement trajectory can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of correcting a hand trajectory by a transfer robot according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the transfer robot. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing the operation of the horizontal arm portion. FIG. 4A is an explanatory diagram (part 1) for explaining a method of correcting a hand trajectory by the transfer robot. FIG. 4B is an explanatory diagram (part 2) for explaining a method of correcting the hand trajectory by the transfer robot. FIG. 4C is an explanatory diagram (No. 3) for explaining the method of correcting the hand trajectory by the transfer robot. FIG. 5A is a schematic plan view showing an example (part 1) of the internal configuration of the arm. FIG. 5B is a schematic plan view showing an example (part 2) of the internal configuration of the arm. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the transport system. FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating an example of roll correction information. FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating another example of roll correction information. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure executed by the transport system. FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view illustrating a schematic configuration of a transfer robot according to a modification.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a transfer robot and a transfer system disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by embodiment shown below.

  First, a method for correcting a hand trajectory by the transfer robot according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of correcting a hand trajectory by a transfer robot according to an embodiment.

  The hand trajectory correction method shown in FIG. 1 is based on the deviation of the trajectory of the straight movement of the hand provided at the tip of the horizontal arm portion that expands and contracts in a predetermined direction (for example, the X-axis direction shown in FIG. 1). Correction is performed using the operation of the unit.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the transfer robot according to the embodiment includes a horizontal arm unit and a leg unit. The horizontal arm unit has a horizontal arm portion and a hand. The horizontal arm portion is a link mechanism having a plurality of arms that are rotatably connected to each other, and advances and retracts the hand provided at the tip along the telescopic direction (X-axis direction shown in FIG. 1).

  The leg unit has a leg link mechanism in which a plurality of link members are rotatably connected to each other by leg joints, and the leg link mechanism raises and lowers the horizontal arm unit in the Z-axis direction shown in FIG. Mechanism.

  The leg unit is also provided so that the horizontal arm unit can be moved in the Y-axis direction, for example, by making the direction of the rotation axis of each leg joint of the leg link mechanism parallel to the moving direction of the hand. .

  Here, the hand may deviate from an ideal trajectory, for example, an S-shaped trajectory due to a delay in transmission of driving force between arms in the link mechanism of the horizontal arm portion or an arm machining error.

  In FIG. 1, this S-shaped locus is shown as a “meandering line”. Further, the distance in the Y-axis direction from the meander line to the ideal locus of the hand is shown as “deviation”. Then, the leg unit performs an operation of moving the horizontal arm unit in parallel along the Y-axis direction during the movement of the hand to cancel the shift of the hand trajectory.

  Hereinafter, a method for correcting the hand trajectory by the transport robot according to the embodiment will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 1, in the transfer robot according to the embodiment, the hand starts moving in the positive direction of the X axis (see step S1 in FIG. 1).

  Subsequently, the leg unit performs an operation of translating the horizontal arm unit along the Y-axis direction during movement of the hand to cancel the deviation from the ideal trajectory of the hand (see step S2 in FIG. 1).

  Then, the hand reaches the target position while moving on a straight line that is an ideal locus (see step S3 in FIG. 1). Here, the case where the hand moves in the positive direction of the X axis (that is, the case where the horizontal arm portion extends) has been described as an example, but the case where the hand moves in the negative direction of the X axis (that is, the horizontal arm portion contracts). In the case), the trajectory can be corrected similarly.

  As described above, the transport robot according to the embodiment corrects the deviation of the hand from the ideal trajectory using the lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the horizontal arm unit. Therefore, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the locus of the straight movement of the hand while avoiding an increase in equipment cost.

  In FIG. 1, the case where the leg joint is a so-called rotary joint that connects a plurality of link members in a rotatable manner has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the leg joint may be an arbitrary form of joint such as a linear motion joint or a spherical joint, or a combination thereof.

  Next, the transfer robot according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the transfer robot. In the following description, a substrate transfer robot that transfers a glass substrate as an object to be transferred will be described as an example. The substrate transfer robot is simply referred to as “transfer robot”. The robot hand that is an end effector is simply referred to as “hand”. The glass substrate is described as “work”.

  For easy understanding, FIG. 2 shows a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system including a Z-axis having a vertically upward direction as a positive direction and a vertically downward direction as a negative direction. Therefore, the direction along the XY plane direction indicates the “horizontal direction”. Such an orthogonal coordinate system may be shown in other drawings used in the following description. Further, the positive direction of the Z-axis may be shown as the upper side and the negative direction as the lower side with respect to the object. In the following, the positive direction of the X axis is defined as “front”, and the positive direction of the Y axis is defined as “left”.

  In the following description, a plurality of constituent elements may be provided with a reference numeral only for a part of the plurality of constituent elements, and the reference numerals may be omitted for the others. In such a case, it is assumed that a part with the reference numeral and the other have the same configuration.

  In addition, regarding a plurality of constituent elements, the constituent elements may be identified by assigning a number in the form of “−number” to the reference numeral. In such a case, when referring to these components, only the reference numerals are used without using the “-number” numbering.

  In the following description, the arm base 15 turns around the turning axis RT with respect to the first lifting arm 16a. However, the direction of the rotation axis of each joint of the lifting platform 16 is parallel to the moving direction of the hand 14. If provided, such a turning mechanism may not be provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the transfer robot 10 includes a horizontal arm unit 11 and a leg unit 12. The horizontal arm unit 11 includes a pair of horizontal arm portions 13 that extend and contract with the X-axis direction as the “stretching direction”, a pair of hands 14, and an arm base 15. And the horizontal arm part 13 is provided with the 1st arm 13a and the 2nd arm 13b.

  The hand 14 is an end effector for holding a workpiece, and is provided at the tip of the horizontal arm unit 13. Details of the horizontal arm 13 and the hand 14 will be described later with reference to FIG. The arm base 15 is a base part of the horizontal arm part 13, and supports the horizontal arm part 13 so that horizontal rotation is possible.

  The leg unit 12 includes a lifting platform 16 and a traveling platform 17. The lifting platform 16 includes a first lifting arm 16a, a second lifting arm 16b, and a base 16c.

  The first elevating arm 16a supports the arm base 15 at the tip portion so as to be able to turn around a turning axis RT parallel to the vertical direction and to turn around an axis U1. Hereinafter, the turning operation around the turning axis RT may be referred to as “arm base turning axis operation” of the transfer robot 10.

  The 2nd raising / lowering arm 16b supports the base end part of the 1st raising / lowering arm 16a rotatably at the front-end | tip part around the axis | shaft U2.

  The base portion 16c is supported by the traveling base portion 17 so as to be rotatable about the turning axis S parallel to the vertical direction while supporting the base end portion of the second elevating arm 16b so as to be rotatable around the axis L. Hereinafter, the turning operation around the turning axis S may be referred to as “base part turning axis operation” of the transfer robot 10.

  The lifting platform 16 rotates the arm base 15 around the axis U1, the first lifting arm 16a around the axis U2, and the second lifting arm 16b around the axis L so that the horizontal arm unit 11 moves in the vertical direction. A “lifting / lowering operation” is performed to move up and down along the parallel “lifting / lowering direction”.

  The traveling platform 17 is a traveling mechanism configured as a traveling cart or the like, and travels along a traveling axis SL parallel to the X axis in the drawing, for example. The travel axis SL is not limited to a linear shape. In the following, the traveling operation along the traveling axis SL may be referred to as “traveling axis operation” of the transfer robot 10.

  In addition, the control device 20 is connected to the transfer robot 10 so as to be able to communicate with the transfer robot 10. The control device 20 causes the transfer robot 10 to perform various operations such as the above-described arm base turning axis operation, base part turning axis operation, lifting / lowering operation, traveling axis operation, and horizontal arm portion 13 expansion / contraction operation described later. I do. The transport system 1 includes at least the control device 20 and the transport robot 10. The details of the control device 20 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  Next, the extension / contraction operation of the horizontal arm unit 13 including the hand 14 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing the operation of the horizontal arm portion.

  From the viewpoint of making the description easy to understand, in the following description, only one of the horizontal arm portions 13 provided as a pair of dual arms and corresponding to the right arm is illustrated and described.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first arm 13 a has a base end portion connected to the arm base 15 so as to be rotatable about the axis P <b> 1. The base end of the second arm 13b is connected to the tip of the first arm 13a so as to be rotatable about the axis P2.

  The hand 14 is connected to the distal end portion of the second arm 13b so that the proximal end portion of the hand 14 can rotate about the axis P3. The first arm 13a and the second arm 13b have a hollow structure, and include a drive source and a transmission mechanism (not shown) inside.

  Such a drive source is provided such that, for example, any of the axes P1 to P3 can be rotationally driven. The transmission mechanism transmits power from the drive source to a shaft on which the drive source of the axes P1 to P3 is not provided via a belt, a gear, a shaft, or the like.

  The configuration of the horizontal arm 13 when the drive source is provided on the arm base 15 to rotationally drive the shaft P1, and the transmission mechanism sequentially transmits the driving force from the shaft P1 to the shaft P2 and the shaft P3 by the belt pulley mechanism. An example will be described later with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B.

  The hand 14 includes a frame 14a and a plurality of forks 14b, and the frame 14a is connected to the second arm 13b. The frame 14a supports the forks 14b in parallel.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the fork 14b is a member for holding the workpiece W, and holds the workpiece W by placing it on the main surface, for example. In addition, the holding method of the workpiece | work W is not limited to mounting, For example, it is good also as adsorb | sucking the workpiece | work W from upper direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the horizontal robot 13 is extended, the transfer robot 10 restricts the moving direction and direction of the hand 14 to a predetermined direction and direction (the positive direction of the X axis in the drawing).

  Specifically, when the horizontal robot 13 is extended, the transfer robot 10 rotates the first arm 13a counterclockwise about the axis P1 with the rotation amount θ (see arrow 201 in FIG. 3). At this time, the second arm 13b is rotated clockwise about the axis P2 by a double rotation amount 2θ with respect to the first arm 13a (see arrow 202 in FIG. 3).

  Further, the hand 14 is rotated by the rotation amount θ counterclockwise around the axis P3 with respect to the second arm 13b (see an arrow 203 in FIG. 3). In this way, the transfer robot 10 moves the hand 14 linearly along the X axis while restricting the direction of the fork 14b forward.

  By the way, in the horizontal arm portion 13 according to the present embodiment, the “rolling” (see the broken line 204 in FIG. 3) shown as an example in FIG. 3 is caused by the transmission delay of the driving force between the arms and the processing error of the arm. Prone to occur.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the horizontal arm unit 11 is translated along the Y-axis direction using the lifting platform 16 (see arrows 205 and 206 in FIG. 3) to cancel the roll of the hand 14. In this way, the hand 14 can move on a straight line (see an arrow 207 in FIG. 3) that is an ideal trajectory.

  Hereinafter, a method for correcting the trajectory of the hand 14 by the transfer robot 10 according to the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4C. 4A to 4C are explanatory views (No. 1) to (No. 3) for explaining a method of correcting the hand trajectory by the transfer robot.

  4A to 4C correspond to the case where the transfer robot 10 shown in FIG. 2 is viewed from the positive direction of the X axis. In the following, a case where the hand 14 performs the operation shown in FIG. 3 will be described as an example. Therefore, the arrows (arrows 205 and 206) shown in FIG.

  FIG. 4A shows the transfer robot 10 before the hand 14 starts to move as viewed from the positive direction of the X axis. As shown in FIG. 4A, the transfer robot 10 adjusts the orientation of the hand 14 and the lifting platform 16.

  Specifically, the tip of the hand 14 is moved in the X-axis direction by using the above-described arm base turning axis operation (see the turning axis RT in FIG. 4A) or base part turning axis operation (see the turning axis S in FIG. 4A). The axis U1, the axis U2, and the axis L are parallel to the moving direction of the hand 14 (X axis). In FIG. 4A, the distance in the Z-axis direction between the base portion 16c and the arm base 15 is shown as a distance H.

  In FIG. 4B, the transfer robot 10 when the hand 14 starts moving and the hand 14 deviates from the ideal trajectory to the left side (the positive direction side of the Y axis) is indicated by a dotted line. In this case, each joint of the lifting platform 16 rotates around the respective axes U1, U2 and L in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG.

  The lifting platform 16 translates the horizontal arm unit 11 in the negative direction of the Y axis while maintaining the distance H (see arrow 205 in FIG. 4B) to correct the trajectory of the hand 14. FIG. 4B shows the turning axis RT before the start of movement of the hand 14 as RT0, and the turning axis RT after correction of the trajectory of the hand 14 as RT1.

  In FIG. 4C, the transfer robot 10 when the hand 14 starts to move and the hand 14 deviates from the ideal trajectory to the right side (the negative direction side of the Y axis) is indicated by a dotted line. In this case, each joint of the lifting platform 16 rotates around the respective axes U1, U2 and L in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG.

  The lifting platform 16 translates the horizontal arm unit 11 in the positive direction of the Y axis while maintaining the distance H (see arrow 206 in FIG. 4C), and corrects the trajectory of the hand 14. In FIG. 4C, the turning axis RT before the start of movement of the hand 14 is indicated as RT0, and the turning axis RT after the correction of the trajectory of the hand 14 is indicated as RT2.

  Thus, in the transfer robot 10 according to the embodiment, the trajectory of the hand 14 is corrected by making the direction of the rotation axis of each joint of the lifting platform 16 parallel to the moving direction of the hand 14. For this reason, the horizontal arm unit 11 moves in a vertical plane perpendicular to the moving direction of the hand 14 with the rotation of the joint of the lifting platform 16. Therefore, the trajectory of the hand 14 can be easily corrected.

  Here, in this embodiment, the workpiece W (see FIG. 3) is stored in a “stocker” (not shown) in a stacked manner with a certain interval and stored in multiple stages, and the transfer robot 10 transfers the workpiece W from the stocker. Transport while taking in and out. Conventionally, the trajectory of the hand 14 may be corrected by the operation of the transfer robot 10 including the above-described traveling axis operation.

  On the other hand, in the transfer robot 10 according to the embodiment, the trajectory of the hand 14 is corrected by the operation of the leg link mechanism (the lifting platform 16), and the travel operation is not included in the correction operation. For this reason, the transfer robot 10 according to the embodiment can correct the trajectory of the hand 14 regardless of the position on the travel axis SL and the direction of the hand 14.

  Therefore, according to the transfer robot 10 according to the embodiment, the workpiece W (see FIG. 3) is taken in and out while correcting the trajectory of the hand 14 with respect to the stocker arranged at an arbitrary position where the hand 14 can reach. be able to. Such a stocker may be provided in the extending direction of the travel axis SL, which is difficult to correct the trajectory of the hand 14 in the correction operation including the conventional travel axis operation.

  By the way, in the horizontal arm part 13 which concerns on embodiment, a drive source is arrange | positioned at the arm base 15, and the motive power from this drive source is transmitted to the hand 14 with a belt pulley mechanism. By doing in this way, it becomes possible to reduce the weight of the horizontal arm part 13 and to speed up the operation of the hand 14. Further, the horizontal arm unit 11 can be reduced in weight. Below, the structural example of the horizontal arm part 13 is demonstrated.

  FIG. 5A is a schematic plan view showing an example (part 1) of the internal configuration of the arm. In FIG. 5A, the case where the longitudinal directions of the first arm 13a and the second arm 13b are positioned parallel to the Y axis will be described as an example from the viewpoint of making the description easy to understand.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the horizontal arm portion 131 according to the example (part 1) has a motor M inside the arm base 15. The motor M has an output pulley Maa on the output shaft. Moreover, as shown to FIG. 5A, the 1st arm 13a is attached to the arm base 15 via the reduction gear R1.

  The reduction gear R1 has an input shaft R1a provided coaxially with the shaft P1, a casing R1b, and an output shaft R1c provided coaxially with the input shaft R1a. The input shaft R1a is provided so as to penetrate the casing R1b and the output shaft R1c, and both end portions are located inside the arm base 15 and the first arm 13a, respectively.

  A driving pulley 13aa that rotates together with the input shaft R1a is provided at both ends of the input shaft R1a. The casing R1b is attached to the arm base 15, and the base end portion of the first arm 13a is attached to the output shaft R1c.

  The output pulley Maa and the driving pulley 13aa are connected to each other in the arm base 15 via the belt T0. Accordingly, the first arm 13a rotates around the axis P1 together with the output shaft R1c in conjunction with the rotation of the output pulley Maa.

  The 2nd arm 13b is attached to the front-end | tip part of the 1st arm 13a via reduction gear R2. The reduction gear R2 includes an input shaft R2a provided coaxially with the shaft P2, a casing R2b, and an output shaft R2c provided coaxially with the input shaft R2a.

  The input shaft R2a is provided so as to penetrate the casing R2b and the output shaft R2c, and both end portions thereof are located inside the first arm 13a and the second arm 13b. A driven pulley 13ba that rotates together with the input shaft R2a is provided at both ends of the input shaft R2a. The casing R2b is attached to the distal end portion of the first arm 13a, and the proximal end portion of the second arm 13b is attached to the output shaft R2c.

  The driving pulley 13aa and the driven pulley 13ba are connected to each other in the first arm 13a via the belt T1. Accordingly, the second arm 13b rotates around the axis P2 together with the output shaft R2c in conjunction with the rotation of the driving pulley 13aa.

  The hand 14 is attached to the distal end portion of the second arm 13b via the speed reducer R3. The reducer R3 has an input shaft R3a provided coaxially with the shaft P3, a casing R3b, and an output shaft R3c provided coaxially with the input shaft R3a.

  The input shaft R3a has a pulley 14aa that rotates together with the input shaft R3a inside the second arm 13b. The casing R3b is attached to the tip of the second arm 13b, and the hand 14 is attached to the output shaft R3c.

  The driven pulley 13ba and the pulley 14aa are connected to each other in the second arm 13b via the belt T2. Therefore, the hand 14 rotates around the axis P3 together with the output shaft R3c in conjunction with the rotation of the driven pulley 13ba.

  The respective rotation speed ratios of the first arm 13a, the second arm 13b, and the hand 14 are appropriately determined depending on the diameter of each pulley and the reduction ratio of each reduction gear. For example, when the diameters of the driving pulley 13aa, the driven pulley 13ba, and the pulley 14aa are equal, the reduction ratio of the reduction gear R1 and the reduction gear R3 may be twice the reduction ratio of the reduction gear R2. By doing in this way, the 1st arm 13a and the hand 14 can be rotated at the half rotational speed of the 2nd arm 13b, respectively.

  As described above, in the horizontal arm portion 131 according to the example (part 1), a heavy drive source (motor M) is disposed on the arm base 15, and a gear or shaft is provided between the input shafts R1a to R3a. It is connected by a belt pulley mechanism that is lighter than the above. Therefore, the horizontal arm 131 can be reduced in weight, and the operation of the hand 14 can be speeded up.

  Moreover, according to the horizontal arm part 131 which concerns on an example (the 1), the horizontal arm unit 11 (refer FIG. 2) can be reduced in weight. For this reason, the leg unit 12 (see FIG. 2) can move the horizontal arm unit 11 at a high speed. Therefore, the accuracy of the locus correction operation of the hand 14 can be improved.

  Note that the belt T3 described later with reference to the belts T0 to T2 and FIG. Moreover, the pulley around which these are wound is also appropriately determined according to the shape of the belt.

  In the example shown in FIG. 5A, the hand 14 is attached to the second arm 13b via the speed reducer R3, but the structure of the attachment portion of the hand 14 is simplified without providing the speed reducer R3. Is possible.

  Below, the horizontal arm part 132 when the structure of the attachment part of the hand 14 is simplified is demonstrated using FIG. 5B. FIG. 5B is a schematic plan view showing an example (part 2) of the internal configuration of the arm. In addition, this example is a modification of the horizontal arm part 131 shown in FIG. 5A, and the same components as those in the horizontal arm part 131 shown in FIG. .

  As shown in FIG. 5B, in the horizontal arm portion 132 according to the example (part 2), the input shaft R2a of the reduction gear R2 is a hollow shaft, and the fixed shaft 13ab is coaxial with the input shaft R2a (axis P2) in the hollow portion. Is provided.

  One end of the fixed shaft 13ab is fixed to the first arm 13a. The other end supports the fixed pulley 13bc coaxially with the fixed shaft 13ab (axis P2) in the second arm 13b.

  The hand 14 is supported by a rotating shaft 14ab provided coaxially with the shaft P3. The rotary shaft 14ab is attached to the second arm 13b so as to be rotatable around the axis P3 by a bearing (not shown) or the like.

  Moreover, the rotating shaft 14ab has a pulley 14ac having a diameter twice as large as that of the fixed pulley 13bc at an end portion in the second arm 13b. The fixed pulley 13bc and the pulley 14ac are coupled to each other in the second arm 13b via the belt T3.

  Accordingly, the hand 14 rotates around the axis P3 at a half rotational speed of the second arm 13b in conjunction with the rotation of the second arm 13b around the axis P2. Hereinafter, the power transmission mechanism using the fixed pulley 13bc may be referred to as a “fixed shaft structure” of the horizontal arm portion 132.

  Thus, according to the horizontal arm part 132 which concerns on an example (the 2), it becomes possible to attach the hand 14 to the 2nd arm 13b without passing through a reduction gear. Accordingly, the horizontal arm portion 132 can be further reduced in weight. Further, the horizontal arm unit 11 (see FIG. 2) can be made compact in the Z-axis direction.

  5B illustrates the case where the above-described fixed shaft structure is provided on the axis P2. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the fixed shaft structure may be provided on any of the axes P1 and P2. . In this case, the ratio of the diameters of the pulleys for transmission of power from the motor M is determined as appropriate.

  By the way, in this embodiment, drive control of the horizontal arm unit 11 and the leg unit 12 in the above-described transfer robot 10 is performed by the control device 20 independent of the transfer robot 10. Below, the structural example of the conveyance system 1 containing the control apparatus 20 is demonstrated using FIG.

  In FIG. 2, the control device 20 having one housing is shown. However, the control device 20 includes a plurality of control devices 20 associated with various devices to be controlled such as the horizontal arm unit 11 and the leg unit 12, for example. It may be configured by a single casing or may be disposed inside the transfer robot 10.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the transport system. In FIG. 6, only components necessary for explaining the features of the control device 20 are shown, and descriptions of general components are omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the control device 20 includes a control unit 21 and a storage unit 22. The control unit 21 includes a horizontal arm unit drive control unit 21a, a leg unit drive control unit 21b, and an adjustment unit 21c. The storage unit 22 stores roll correction information 22a.

  The control unit 21 performs overall control of the control device 20. The horizontal arm unit drive control unit 21 a performs drive control of the horizontal arm unit 13. The leg unit drive control unit 21 b performs drive control of the lifting platform 16.

  The adjustment unit 21 c adjusts the drive control of the horizontal arm unit drive control unit 21 a and the leg unit drive control unit 21 b so that the leg unit 12 operates in synchronization with the expansion and contraction operation of the horizontal arm unit 11.

  Further, the adjustment unit 21c adjusts the drive control of the lifting platform 16 by the leg unit drive control unit 21b based on a correction value set in advance in the roll correction information 22a. The storage unit 22 is a storage device such as a hard disk drive or a non-volatile memory, and stores roll correction information 22a.

  Here, the roll correction information 22a will be described with reference to FIG. 7A. FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating an example of roll correction information. In FIG. 7A, the horizontal axis indicates the amount of roll of the hand 14 (see FIG. 3), and the vertical axis indicates the amount of movement of the hand 14.

  In the movement amount of the hand 14, the position at which the hand 14 starts moving is indicated as “0”, and the position at which the hand 14 reaches the target position is indicated as “1”. Therefore, the rotation amount of the hand 14 shown in FIG. 3 is that the position “0” is the rotation amount “0” before the movement of the hand 14 starts, and the position “1” is the rotation amount of the hand 14 is θ. This corresponds to the rotation amount “θ”. The broken line 204 and arrows 205 to 207 shown in the figure correspond to those shown in FIG.

  The roll correction information 22a (see FIG. 6) is information on a correction value for each roll amount corresponding to the amount of movement or rotation of the hand 14. Such a correction value is set in advance based on, for example, information extracted in an evaluation test or the like in the manufacturing process of the transfer robot 10 (see FIG. 2). Hereinafter, a case where the roll correction information 22a corresponds to the movement amount of the hand 14 will be described as an example.

  FIG. 7A shows an example in which the hand 14 is greatly swung in the minus direction when the movement amount of the hand 14 (see FIG. 3) is ¼. In this case, the roll correction information 22a is set with a correction value for positively correcting the position of the horizontal arm unit 11 (see FIG. 2) at such timing.

  Then, when the movement amount of the actual hand 14 (see FIG. 3) is 1/4, the lifting platform 16 (see FIG. 2) is adjusted so that the position of the horizontal arm unit 11 (see FIG. 2) is adjusted by the correction value. 2) is controlled.

  FIG. 7A shows an example in which the hand 14 is greatly shaken in the plus direction when the movement amount of the hand 14 (see FIG. 3) is 3/4. In this case, the roll correction information 22a (see FIG. 6) is set with a correction value for negatively correcting the position of the horizontal arm unit 11 (see FIG. 2) at this timing.

  Then, when the movement amount of the actual hand 14 (see FIG. 3) is 3/4, the lifting platform 16 (see FIG. 2) is adjusted so that the position of the horizontal arm unit 11 (see FIG. 2) is adjusted by the correction value. 2) is controlled.

  Note that the example shown in FIG. 7A is merely an example, and the roll correction information 22a (see FIG. 6) is learning information based on the actual roll amount in the actual operation of the transfer robot 10 (see FIG. 2), for example. There may be. In this case, for example, a sensor for measuring the amount of roll is provided at the tip of the hand 14 (see FIG. 3), and the correction value is set based on the detected value of the amount of roll according to the amount of movement and rotation of the hand 14. It may be updated from time to time.

  By the way, in the horizontal arm part 13 (refer FIG. 3) which concerns on this embodiment, the amount of rolling of the hand 14 can be decreased by performing acceleration or deceleration of the hand 14 (refer FIG. 3) gently. Hereinafter, this point will be described with reference to FIG. 7B. FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating another example of roll correction information.

  In FIG. 7B, the horizontal axis indicates the amount of movement of the hand 14 (see FIG. 3), and the vertical axis indicates the movement speed and the amount of roll of the hand 14. Also, the broken line 204 and the arrows 205 to 207 shown in the figure correspond to those shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, in the horizontal arm unit 13 (see FIG. 3) according to the present embodiment, the hand 14 (see FIG. 3) accelerates to a speed V1 at a constant acceleration, and then moves at a constant speed. It decelerates at a deceleration and stops (see broken line 209 in FIG. 7B). In this case, the roll amount of the hand 14 is a broken line 204.

  On the other hand, if the acceleration or deceleration of the hand 14 (see FIG. 3) is loosened (see the arrow 210 in FIG. 7B), the roll amount of the hand 14 decreases to the solid line 208. For this reason, the amount of correction of the locus of the hand 14 is also reduced. Accordingly, the correction of the trajectory of the hand 14 can be facilitated.

  Note that the roll accompanying the movement of the hand 14 (see FIG. 3) occurs when the hand 14 moves to a position greater than or equal to a predetermined movement amount (rotation amount), or when the hand 14 exceeds a predetermined movement amount (rotation amount). This is noticeable when moving from the position.

  Therefore, the horizontal arm unit drive control unit 21a (see FIG. 6) may appropriately determine the acceleration or deceleration of the hand 14 (see FIG. 3) based on the amount of movement or rotation of the hand 14.

  Specifically, for example, when the movement amount or rotation amount of the hand 14 (see FIG. 3) is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, the acceleration or deceleration of the hand 14 is set to a predetermined threshold value that requires the movement amount or rotation amount of the hand 14. What is necessary is just to reduce compared with the case of less than. Further, only one of the acceleration or deceleration of the hand 14 may be changed.

  Next, a processing procedure executed by the transport system 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure executed by the transport system. As shown in FIG. 8, the transfer robot 10 adjusts the orientation of the hand 14 by using the above-described arm base turning axis operation or base part turning axis operation (step S <b> 101).

  Subsequently, the transfer robot 10 makes the rotation axes of the respective joints of the lifting platform 16 parallel to the moving direction of the hand 14 by using the above-mentioned arm base pivoting axis operation or base unit pivoting axis operation (step S102). . Note that the order of steps S101 and S102 may be reversed or simultaneous.

  Further, in the transport robot 10, when the direction of the rotation axis of each joint of the lifting platform 16 is provided in parallel with the movement direction of the hand 14, and there is no turning mechanism around the turning axis RT, step S102 is performed. Can be omitted.

  Next, the adjustment unit 21c acquires the roll correction information 22a (step S103). The roll correction information 22a may include not only the roll amount of the hand 14 but also information on acceleration and deceleration of the hand 14 according to the movement amount and rotation amount of the hand 14.

  Subsequently, when the horizontal arm unit 13 starts moving the hand 14 (step S104), the lifting platform 16 moves the horizontal arm unit 11 to correct the trajectory of the hand 14 (step S105). When the hand 14 reaches the target position and completes the movement (step S106), the process ends.

  Next, a modified example of the transfer robot 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view illustrating a schematic configuration of a transfer robot according to a modification. This modification is a modification of the transfer robot 10 shown in FIG. 2, and the same components as those in the transfer robot 10 shown in FIG. .

  As shown in FIG. 9, in the transfer robot 10 a according to the modification, the leg unit 12 a includes a pair of elevator units 16 (elevator units) in which the direction of the rotation axis of each joint is provided in parallel with the moving direction of the hand 14. Parts 16-1 and 16-2).

  According to the transfer robot 10a, the load due to the weight of the horizontal arm unit 11 per one lifting platform 16 is reduced. Further, the pair of lifting platform portions 16 form a link mechanism that is closed via the arm base 15.

  For this reason, compared with the case where the horizontal arm unit 11 is held by only one lifting platform 16, the load due to the moment of the horizontal arm unit 11 is also reduced. Therefore, the horizontal arm unit 11 can be moved along a highly accurate locus.

  Further, it is sufficient that the power source of the lifting platform 16 is provided at, for example, a joint having the axes U1-2, U2-1, and L-1, and it is not necessary to be provided at all the joints. For this reason, the weight of the movable part of the lifting platform 16 can be reduced, and the lifting platform 16 can be operated at high speed. Therefore, the horizontal arm unit 11 can be moved at high speed.

  Thus, according to the transfer robot 10a according to the modification, the horizontal arm unit 11 can be moved with high accuracy and at high speed. Therefore, the accuracy of the locus correction operation of the hand 14 can be improved.

  The lifting platform units 16-1 and 16-2 only need to have the direction of the rotation axis of the joint parallel to the moving direction of the hand 14, and each has a different number of joints or the length of each arm. The sheath diameter may be different.

  As described above, the transfer robot according to one aspect of the embodiment includes the horizontal arm unit and the leg unit. The horizontal arm unit has a horizontal arm portion that expands and contracts in a predetermined expansion and contraction direction and a hand that is provided at the tip of the horizontal arm portion. The leg unit has a leg link mechanism for moving the horizontal arm unit along a vertical plane perpendicular to the extension / contraction direction, and the leg unit is operated during the extension / retraction operation of the horizontal arm unit. Correct the deviation from the expansion / contraction direction.

  As described above, the transfer robot according to the embodiment corrects the deviation of the hand from the ideal trajectory using the leg link mechanism that moves the horizontal arm unit up and down. Therefore, according to the transfer robot according to the embodiment, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the locus of the straight movement of the hand while avoiding an increase in equipment cost.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the transport robot is provided so as to be movable by the travel mechanism has been described as an example. However, the transport robot may be fixed and installed without providing the travel mechanism. . In any case, the installation surface of the transfer robot is not limited to a horizontal plane, and may be provided on a surface having an arbitrary direction such as a side wall.

  In the embodiment described above, the case where the lifting platform corrects the hand trajectory in the horizontal plane has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the lifting platform corrects the trajectory of the hand in the vertical direction. It is good also as performing together.

  In the above-described embodiment, the description has been given by taking the double-arm robot as an example. However, the number of robot arms is not limited, and the present invention can be applied to a single-arm robot or a multi-arm robot having more than two arms.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the horizontal arm portion is configured by connecting two arms has been described as an example, but the number of arms to be connected is not limited.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where two link members are connected to one leg link mechanism of the lifting platform has been described as an example. However, the number of link members to be connected is not limited. Absent.

  In the above-described embodiment, the transport robot is installed on the traveling carriage and performs the traveling axis operation. However, as long as it can move along the determined path, the type of the traveling mechanism is not questioned. .

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the workpiece that is the object to be conveyed is a glass substrate has been described as an example, but the type of the workpiece is not questioned.

  Further effects and modifications can be easily derived by those skilled in the art. Thus, the broader aspects of the present invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transfer system 10, 10a Transfer robot 11 Horizontal arm unit 12, 12a Leg unit 13, 131, 132 Horizontal arm unit 13a 1st arm 13b 2nd arm 13aa Driving pulley 13ab Fixed shaft 13ba Driven pulley 13bc Fixed pulley Maa Output pulley 14 Hand 14a Frame 14b Fork 14aa, 14ac Pulley 14ab Rotating shaft 15 Arm base 16 Elevating platform 16a First elevating arm 16b Second elevating arm 16c Base unit 17 Traveling platform 20 Controller R1, R2, R3 Reducer R1a, R2a , R3a Input shaft R1b, R2b, R3b Casing R1c, R2c, R3c Output shaft T0, T1, T2, T3 Belt 201, 202, 203, 205, 206, 207, 210 Arrow 204, 209 Broken line 208 Solid line

Claims (7)

A horizontal arm unit having a horizontal arm portion that expands and contracts in a predetermined expansion and contraction direction and a hand provided at a tip of the horizontal arm portion;
A leg link mechanism for moving the horizontal arm unit along a vertical plane perpendicular to the extension / contraction direction, and operating the leg link mechanism during the extension / retraction operation of the horizontal arm unit; A transfer robot comprising: a leg unit that corrects a deviation from the expansion and contraction direction. The leg link mechanism is
Having one or a plurality of joints rotatably connecting a plurality of link members;
The direction of the rotation axis of all the joints is
The transport robot according to claim 1, wherein the transport robot is parallel to the expansion / contraction direction. The leg unit is
The transport robot according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of the leg link mechanisms. The horizontal arm unit is
An arm base,
A drive source provided in the arm base portion;
A rotating pulley that rotates together with the horizontal arm portion and each rotating shaft of the hand, and a transmission portion that sequentially transmits a driving force from the driving source to the hand by a belt wound between the rotating pulleys. The transfer robot according to claim 1, 2, or 3. The horizontal arm unit is
An arm base,
A drive source provided in the arm base portion;
A rotating pulley that rotates together with each rotation shaft of the horizontal arm portion, a fixed pulley that is fixed to the second arm from the tip and the hand, and a space between the rotating pulley and the fixed pulley, respectively. The transfer robot according to claim 1, further comprising: a transmission unit that sequentially transmits a driving force from the driving source to the hand by a belt. The drive source is
6. The transport robot according to claim 4, wherein when the horizontal arm portion extends beyond a predetermined threshold, acceleration / deceleration is performed more slowly than when the horizontal arm is less than the predetermined threshold. The transfer robot according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A control system comprising: a control device that drives and controls the transport robot.

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