JP2018032797A - Transport device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a transport device which is inexpensive by reducing the number of transmission means for transmitting a drive source and drive force for performing rotating operation of each of two fingers, and capable of quickly transporting a plurality of substrates to each destination.SOLUTION: A switching member coupled to a reference member is provided in the inside of an arm of a transport device. By conjunction with turning operation of the transport device, the switching device can be displaced into an attitude acting on up and down fingers arranged in an arm tip portion and into the attitude not acting thereon. As a result, switching of operation of the up and down fingers during arm extension becomes possible by switching the arm extension direction of the transport device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a transfer device for transferring a thin plate substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, and by incorporating a simple mechanism in an arm body provided in the transfer device, the arm and the swivel shaft can be attached to the tip of the arm body. The two fingers arranged can be moved in a desired direction without separately providing a driving source, and a substrate or the like can be conveyed.

In recent years, costs per semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and predetermined factory floor area have increased, and it has become an important issue to improve the productivity of semiconductor products in order to amortize these costs. As a method for improving productivity, a device has been devised in which as many devices as possible are arranged in a factory by reducing the unit price of a semiconductor manufacturing device to reduce the cost or downsizing the device. In addition, in order to improve the processing capacity per hour, we have responded by increasing the number of semiconductor wafers that can be processed simultaneously by the processing equipment in the semiconductor wafer surface treatment process such as photoresist removal, ion implantation, sputtering process and vapor deposition process. ing. In addition, the waiting time for transfer of the processing equipment is reduced for vacuum transfer robots that carry workpieces before processing into the processing chamber from the load-lock chamber and transport processed workpieces to the next processing chamber. Therefore, the efficiency of the transport operation is increased.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a processing apparatus 101 including a conventional vacuum transfer apparatus 100. The processing apparatus 101 includes a transfer chamber 106 in which the vacuum transfer apparatus 100 is disposed, a processing chamber 107 that performs a predetermined process on the semiconductor wafer W, and a load lock chamber 103 that transfers the semiconductor wafer W. . The semiconductor wafer W transported from the previous process is transported to the load lock chamber 103 which is an airtight relay chamber by a clean transfer device called an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) 102. At this time, the semiconductor wafers W are stacked and placed in the load lock chamber 103 with a predetermined interval in the vertical direction. The vacuum transfer apparatus 100 disposed in the processing apparatus 101 includes two fingers 104 and 105 at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction at the tip of the arm body, and the vertical pitch of the fingers 104 and 105 is as follows. This coincides with the interval between the semiconductor wafers W placed in the load lock chamber 103. In addition, the fingers 104 and 105 are provided with a drive mechanism for individually rotating and driving the fingers 104 and 105.

In transferring the semiconductor wafer W, first, the vacuum transfer apparatus 100 operates the arm to hold the semiconductor wafer W placed in the load lock chamber 103 by the fingers 104 and 105. At this time, one semiconductor wafer W is held on each finger 104,105. Next, the vacuum transfer apparatus 100 moves the arm toward the target processing chamber 107. At this time, the driving mechanism for driving the fingers 104 and 105 is also operated to place the semiconductor wafer W held by the fingers 104 and 105 on the target wafer stage 108. Since the vacuum transfer apparatus 100 performs the above-described operation, two semiconductor wafers W can be transferred at one time, which greatly contributes to shortening the transfer time. For example, there are the following transport apparatuses capable of performing such operations.

JP 2008-135630 A

The substrate transfer apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a twin hand (two fingers) that is rotatably connected to the tip of an extendable arm body. See FIG. The twin hands are connected to a drive source by a belt and a pulley, respectively. With this configuration, it is possible to place a semiconductor substrate on each stage of a processing chamber capable of processing two semiconductor substrates at the same time, thereby reducing the time required for transporting the semiconductor substrate. .

However, in the substrate transfer apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a driving source for rotating each of the two fingers and a transmission means for transmitting the driving force are separately required. In addition, since a power source and signal lines to be supplied to each drive source are required, the manufacturing cost of the substrate transfer apparatus is significantly increased. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a transport apparatus that can solve the above problems and can transport a substrate quickly at a low cost.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the transport apparatus of the present invention includes a reference member fixed to a base, a first arm rotatably supported by the reference member, and a rotation member fixed to the reference member. A first arm support shaft that rotationally drives the first arm in a horizontal plane, a second arm that is rotatably supported by a tip end portion of the first arm, and a shaft that is rotatable coaxially with the first arm support shaft A second arm support shaft that is fixed and rotationally drives the second arm in a horizontal plane; a first drive source that rotationally drives the first arm support shaft; and a second arm that rotationally drives the second arm support shaft. And a switching member disposed on the second arm and connected to the reference member via a belt and a pulley, and the switching member protrudes into and out of the operating region of the upper and lower fingers. A portion is formed, the first arm and the first arm When the arm extends in cooperation with the arm, the protrusion of the switching member rotates in the opposite direction of the upper and lower fingers arranged on the finger stage arranged at the tip of the second arm. It is characterized by starting operation.

With the above-described configuration, when the transfer device pivots at a specified angle with respect to the base, the upper and lower fingers move forward while rotating in opposite directions when the arm is extended. In the case where the transport device is pivoted to another angle with respect to the base, when the arm is extended, the upper and lower fingers can move forward while maintaining the original positional relationship. Thereby, the conveyance apparatus of this invention does not need to be provided with the drive source which rotates an up-and-down finger.

Furthermore, the conveying device of the present invention includes a reference member fixed to a base, a first arm rotatably supported by the reference member, and a reference member rotatably fixed to the reference member. A first arm support shaft that is rotationally driven within, a second arm that is rotatably supported at one end of the first arm, and a shaft that is rotatably fixed coaxially with the first arm support shaft, A second arm spindle for rotating the second arm in a horizontal plane; a third arm rotatably supported at the other tip of the first arm; the first arm spindle; and the second arm A third arm support shaft that is rotatably fixed coaxially with the support shaft and that rotates the third arm in a horizontal plane, a first drive source that rotationally drives the first arm support shaft, and the second A second drive source for rotationally driving the arm spindle, and the third arm A third drive source for rotationally driving the shaft; a first switching member disposed on the second arm and connected to the reference member via a belt and a pulley; and a third switching source disposed on the third arm. A second switching member coupled to the member via a belt and a pulley, and the first switching member and the second switching member have protrusions that can be projected and retracted in the operation area of the upper and lower fingers. A finger that is formed and the projecting portion of the first switching member is disposed at the distal end portion of the second arm when the first arm and the second arm cooperate to perform an arm extension operation. The first upper and lower fingers arranged on the stage are started to rotate in directions opposite to each other, and when the first arm and the third arm cooperate to extend the second The protrusion of the switching member is the third arm. It is characterized by starting the rotation of the opposite directions of the first and second upper and lower fingers disposed on a finger stage disposed in the tip portion.

With the above configuration, even if the transport device is a so-called dual arm robot having upper and lower arms, the transport device does not need to include a drive source for rotating the upper and lower fingers arranged at the tip of each arm.

Note that the switching member is a cam member, and a protrusion that abuts on a pin included in the upper and lower fingers may be formed.

Further, the rotating operation of the upper and lower fingers may be performed via a bevel gear disposed in a space between the upper finger and the lower finger.

According to the present invention, the two fingers arranged at the tip of the arm can be operated in a desired manner without providing a driving source for rotating and a transmission means for transmitting the driving force. Furthermore, since each drive source, power source and signal line supplied to each drive source are not required, the manufacturing cost of the substrate transfer apparatus can be greatly reduced.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a processing apparatus including a conventional vacuum transfer apparatus. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a transfer form of a conventional vacuum transfer apparatus. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the transfer apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the transport apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state where the arm body included in the transfer device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is at the origin position. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of the arm extending operation of the transfer apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an internal structure of the arms 20 and 21 provided in the transport apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal state of the third arm 21 when the transport apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention performs a turning operation. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal state of the third arm 21 when the transfer device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention performs an arm extending operation. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure around the fingers provided in the transport apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state of the third arm 21 and the fingers 56 and 57 when the transport apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is in a standby state. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a state of the third arm 21 and the fingers 56 and 57 when the transport device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention performs an arm extending operation. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a transport mode of the transport apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a transport mode of the transport apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the switching member provided in the transport device 1. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the switching member provided in the transport device 1. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a conventional substrate transfer apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1. In FIG.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a transfer apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view thereof. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state where the arm body included in the transport device 1 is at the origin position. A drive unit 2 is provided below the transfer device 1 of the present embodiment, and is fixed to a base 13 of the transfer system via a flange 3. A motor and a transmission mechanism for driving each arm are arranged inside the drive unit 2. The first arm support shaft 4 is a member that supports the first arm 5 in the vertical direction (Z direction), and the rotation of the first arm drive motor 6 disposed in the drive unit 2 is transmitted via the speed reducer 7. The first arm 5 fixed to the upper end is rotated in the horizontal plane with the central axis C as the center of rotation. The first arm 5 has a substantially V-shape when viewed from above, and columnar columns 8 and columns 9 are perpendicular to the first arm 5 at both ends of the first arm 5. It is erected. In the transport device 1 of the present embodiment, the angle connecting the straight line L1 extending from the central axis C to the central axis C1 of the column 8 and the straight line L2 extending from the central axis C to the central axis C2 of the column 9 is 120 °. It is comprised so that it may become. See FIG.

In addition, one end of the first arm 5 on which the column 8 is erected is connected to the base end of the second arm 20 that rotates about the central axis C1, and the column 9 is erected. The base is connected to the end of the third arm 21 that rotates about the central axis C2. In addition, upper and lower fingers 54 and 55 are rotatably disposed at the distal end of the second arm 20 with the central axis C3 as the rotational center, and upper and lower fingers 56 and 55 are disposed at the distal end of the third arm 21 with the central axis C4 as the rotational center. 57 is rotatably arranged. The second arm 20 and the third arm 21 have the same length, and a straight line L3 connecting the base end portion C1 and the tip end portion C3 of the second arm 20, and a base end portion C2 of the third arm 21 It has the same length dimension as the straight line L4 which connects the front-end | tip part C4. Further, when each drive shaft of the transport apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is at the origin position, the angle connecting the straight line L3 and the straight line L4 is 120 °, and further, the straight line on the first arm 5 is L1 and the straight line L3 on the third arm 21 are configured to be parallel to each other, and the straight line L2 on the first arm 5 and the straight line L3 on the second arm 20 are configured to be parallel to each other. . In addition, the second arm 20 and the third arm 21 are arranged with different heights in the vertical direction to prevent contact with each other during operation. As viewed, the second arm 20 is disposed above and the third arm 21 is disposed below.

Outside the first arm support shaft 4, a second arm support shaft 10 having a hollow cylindrical shape and concentrically formed with the first arm support shaft 4 is connected to the first arm support shaft via a bearing. 4 is attached to be rotatable. Further, on the outside of the second arm support shaft 10, a third arm support shaft 11 having a hollow cylindrical shape and concentrically formed with the first arm support shaft 4 and the second arm support shaft 10 is provided as a bearing. The second arm support shaft 10 is rotatably attached to the second arm support shaft 10. Further, on the outer side of the third arm support shaft 11, a fixed pulley 12 configured concentrically with the first arm support shaft 4, the second arm support shaft 10, and the third arm support shaft 11, is arranged. The third arm support shaft 11 is rotatably supported by the fixed pulley 12 via a bearing. With the above configuration, the first arm support shaft 4, the second arm support shaft 10, and the third arm support shaft 11 are supported by the fixed pulley 12 so as to be rotatable about the center axis C through bearings. The fixed pulley 12 is a member fixed to the base 13 via the flange 3, and the fixed pulley 12 remains stationary even when the arms 5, 20, 21 rotate. doing.

A second arm drive pulley 14 is concentrically fixed to the second arm support shaft 10 at the upper end of the second arm support shaft 10. The second arm drive pulley 14 has a shape in which a hole is formed in the central portion, and is arranged so that the first arm support shaft 4 passes through the hole. A pulley 45 is concentrically fixed to the second arm support shaft 10 at the lower end of the second arm support shaft 10. A timing belt 46 is installed on the pulley 45, and is stretched over a pulley 48 fixed to the drive shaft of the second arm drive motor 47. With the above configuration, when the drive shaft of the second arm drive motor 47 rotates, the second arm support shaft 10 and the second arm drive pulley 14 rotate about the central axis C as a rotation center.

A third arm drive pulley 15 is concentrically fixed to the upper end of the third arm support shaft 11 with respect to the third arm support shaft 11. The central portion of the third arm drive pulley 15 has a shape in which a hole larger than the hole formed in the pulley 14 is formed. The first arm support shaft 4 and the second arm support shaft 10 serve as the holes. It arrange | positions so that it may penetrate. A pulley 48 is concentrically fixed to the third arm support shaft 11 at the lower end of the third arm support shaft 11. A timing belt 49 is installed on the pulley 48, and is laid over a pulley 51 fixed to the drive shaft of the third arm drive motor 50. With the above configuration, when the drive shaft of the third arm drive motor 50 rotates, the third arm support shaft 11 and the third arm drive pulley 15 rotate about the central axis C as the rotation center. The second arm driving pulley 14 and the third arm driving pulley 15 are toothed pulleys and have the same diameter. Similarly to the second arm drive pulley 14 and the third arm drive pulley 15, the fixed pulley 12 provided in the transport device 1 of this embodiment is also a toothed pulley, and two timing belts are installed in parallel in the vertical direction. Has a height dimension to be achieved. Furthermore, the motor 6, the motor 47, and the motor 50 that rotate and drive the first arm support shaft 4, the second arm support shaft 10, and the third arm support shaft 11 respectively include a stepping motor that can control the rotation angle of the drive shaft. Servo motor is used.

The timing belt 22 laid over the second arm drive pulley 14 is stretched over a pulley 24 disposed at one end of the first arm 5. The pulley 24 is supported by the support column 8 so as to be rotatable through a bearing with the center axis C1 as a rotation center. A second arm spacer 26, which is a hollow cylindrical member, is fixed to the upper portion of the pulley 24 so as to be concentric with the pulley 24. The base end portion of the second arm 20 is fixed to the upper end portion of the second arm spacer 26. The pulley 24 has a diameter that is half the diameter of the second arm drive pulley 14, and the rotation ratio of the pulley 14 and the pulley 24 is configured to be 1: 2.

Further, the timing belt 23 installed on the third arm drive pulley 15 is extended over a pulley 25 arranged at the other end of the first arm 5. The pulley 25 is supported by the support column 9 so as to be rotatable through a bearing with the center axis C2 as a rotation center. A third arm spacer 27, which is a hollow cylindrical member, is fixed to the upper portion of the pulley 25 so as to be concentric with the pulley 25. The base end portion of the third arm 21 is fixed to the upper end portion of the third arm spacer 27. The pulley 25 has a diameter that is half the diameter of the third arm drive pulley 15, and the rotation ratio of the pulley 15 and the pulley 25 is configured to be 1: 2.

Two timing belts are installed on the fixed pulley 12 at different heights, and the timing belt 16 installed on the upper side of the fixed pulley 12 is attached to a pulley 18 disposed at one end of the first arm 5. It is laid over. In addition, the timing belt 17 installed on the lower side of the fixed pulley 12 is stretched over a pulley 19 disposed on the other end of the first arm 5. The pulley 18 is supported by the support column 8 so as to be rotatable through a bearing with the center axis C1 as a rotation center. The pulley 18 has a diameter that is half the diameter of the fixed pulley 12, and the rotation ratio between the fixed pulley 12 and the pulley 18 is 1: 2. The pulley 19 is supported by the support column 9 so as to be rotatable through a bearing with the center axis C2 as the center of rotation. The pulley 19 has a diameter that is half the diameter of the fixed pulley 12 like the pulley 18, and the rotation ratio of the fixed pulley 12 and the pulley 19 is 1: 2.

Here, the fixed pulley 12 included in the transport device 1 of the present embodiment rotates the pulleys 18 and 19 disposed in the first arm 5 in the first arm 5 when the first arm 5 is rotating. It is a reference member that serves as a reference for defining the position. When the first arm 5 is rotating about the central axis C, the pulley 18 and the pulley 19 perform revolving movement around the central axis C around the fixed pulley 12 that is a reference member. Further, during this revolving movement, the pulley 18 performs a rotation operation with the center axis C1 as the rotation center, and the pulley 19 performs a rotation operation with the center axis C2 as the rotation center. The rotation operation performed by the pulleys 18 and 19 is possible because the stationary pulley 12 as the reference member is kept stationary even during the operation of the first arm 5. Further, the number of rotations performed when the pulleys 18 and 19 revolve around the fixed pulley 12 is determined by the ratio of the diameters of the fixed pulley 12 and the pulleys 18 and 19.

A spacer 28, which is a hollow cylindrical member, is fixed to the top of the pulley 18 so as to be concentric with the pulley 18 in an upright posture with the central axis C1 as the rotation center. With the above configuration, the spacer 28 can rotate integrally with the pulley 18 with the central axis C1 of the support column 8 as the rotation center. The spacer 28 is disposed so as to penetrate the inside of the second arm spacer 26 described above, and the support column 8 is disposed so as to penetrate the spacer 28 inside the spacer 28. As a result, the pulley 18 and the spacer 28 are rotatably disposed outside the support column 8, and the pulley 24 and the second arm spacer 26 are rotatably disposed outside the spacer 28. Further, a pulley 30 is fixed to the column 8 at the upper end of the column 8 so as to be coaxial with the central axis C1. A pulley 31 is fixed to the spacer 28 at the upper end of the spacer 28 coaxially with the spacer 28 with the central axis C1 as the center of rotation.

A spacer 29, which is a hollow cylindrical member, is fixed to the upper portion of the pulley 19 so as to be concentric with the pulley 19 in an upright posture with the central axis C2 as a rotation center. With this configuration, the spacer 29 can rotate integrally with the pulley 19 with the central axis C2 of the support column 9 as the center of rotation. The spacer 29 is disposed so as to penetrate the inside of the third arm spacer 27 described above, and the support column 9 is disposed so as to penetrate the spacer 29 inside the spacer 29. As a result, the pulley 19 and the spacer 29 are rotatably disposed outside the support column 9, and the pulley 25 and the third arm spacer 27 are rotatably disposed outside the spacer 29. Further, a pulley 32 is fixed to the column 9 at the upper end of the column 9 so as to be coaxial with the central axis C2. A pulley 33 is fixed to the spacer 29 at the upper end of the spacer 29 so as to be coaxial with the spacer 29 with the central axis C2 as the center of rotation.

The timing belt 34 installed on the pulley 30 fixed to the upper end of the support column 8 is extended over a pulley 35 disposed at the tip of the second arm 20. The pulley 35 is rotatably supported by a support member 36 attached to the floor surface of the second arm 20 via a bearing. A finger stage 39 is concentrically fixed to the pulley 35 at the upper part of the pulley 35, and the finger stage 39 rotates integrally with the pulley 35 around the central axis C3. Similarly, the timing belt 37 provided on the pulley 32 fixed to the upper end of the support column 9 is extended over a pulley 38 disposed at the tip of the third arm 21. The pulley 38 is rotatably supported by a support member 36 attached to the floor surface of the third arm 21 via a bearing. Further, a finger stage 40 is fixed concentrically with the pulley 38 on the pulley 38, and the finger stage 40 rotates integrally with the pulley 38 about the central axis C4. The finger stages 39 and 40 are members that rotatably support the fingers disposed at the distal ends of the second arm 20 and the third arm 21, and will be described in detail later. The rotation ratio between the pulley 30 and the pulley 35 is 1: 2, and the rotation ratio between the pulley 32 and the pulley 38 is also 1: 2.

The timing belt 41 laid over the pulley 31 fixed to the upper end of the spacer 28 is laid over a pulley 42 that is rotatably attached to the floor surface of the second arm 20 via a bearing. Further, the timing belt 43 provided on the pulley 33 fixed to the upper end of the spacer 29 is extended over a pulley 44 that is rotatably attached to the floor surface of the third arm 21 via a bearing.

With the above-described configuration, the transport device 1 according to the present embodiment is operated by the first arm driving motor 6, the second arm driving motor 47, and the third arm driving motor 50, so that the finger stages 39 and 40 arranged at the distal end portion of the arm. Can be moved forward and backward on a straight line L3 passing through the central axis C. Next, the arm extending operation of the transfer device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. FIGS. 6A and 6B are explanatory views of the arm extending operation of the transfer device 1 as viewed from above. FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C operate the first arm 5 and the second arm 20 to move the finger stage 39 forward. (D), (e), and (f) are obtained by operating the first arm 5 and the third arm 21 to move the finger stage 40 forward. Further, (a) and (d) show the state in which the transport device 1 is in a standby state, and the angle formed by the straight line C-C1 and the straight line C-C2 connecting the central axes is 120 °. The angle formed by the straight line C1-C3 and the straight line C2-C4 is also 120 °. Further, the lengths of the straight lines C-C1, C-C2, C3-C1, and C3-C2 are all equal. The standby state refers to a state where each drive shaft of the transport device 1 is stationary at the origin position.

In order to move the finger stage 39 forward, the first arm drive motor 6 is operated to rotate the first arm 5 by α ° counterclockwise as viewed from above with the central axis C as the center of rotation.
At the same time, the second arm drive motor 47 is operated to rotate the second arm 20 by 2α ° in the clockwise direction when viewed from above with the central axis C1 as the center of rotation. See FIG. 6 (3). At this time, the third arm drive motor 50 that rotationally drives the third arm 21 rotates the third arm drive pulley 15 by α ° in the same rotational direction as the first arm 5. By the operation of the third arm drive motor 50, the third arm 21 can be kept stationary with respect to the first arm 5.

By the operation of each arm, the finger stage 39 moves on the straight line L3. The finger stage 39 is connected to the pulley 30 fixed to the support column 8 erected on the first arm 5 via the pulley 35 and the timing belt 34, and the pulley 30 and the pulley 35 have a rotation ratio. Since they are connected at a ratio of 2: 1, even if the second arm 20 rotates 2α °, there is no change in the posture in the rotational direction about the central axis C3 of the finger stage 39. However, the posture of the finger stage 39 in the relative rotation direction with respect to the second arm 20 is sequentially changed by the rotation operation of the second arm 20. Since the rotation ratio of the pulley 30 and the pulley 35 is 2: 1, the finger stage 39 rotates counterclockwise with respect to the second arm 20 when the second arm 20 rotates 2α ° clockwise around the central axis C1. Is rotated relative to α °.

Next, an operation for moving the finger stage 40 forward will be described. The operation of moving the finger stage 40 forward is performed by a symmetrical operation of the operation of moving the finger stage 39 forward. In order to move the finger stage 40 forward, the first arm drive motor 6 is operated, and the first arm 5 is rotated α ° clockwise as viewed from above with the central axis C as the center of rotation. At the same time, the third arm drive motor 50 is operated, and the third arm 21 is rotated by 2α ° counterclockwise as viewed from above with the central axis C2 as the center of rotation. See FIG. 6 (6). At this time, the second arm drive motor 47 that rotationally drives the second arm 20 rotates the pulley 14 in the same rotational direction as the first arm 5 by α °. By the operation of the second arm drive motor 47, the second arm 20 can be kept stationary with respect to the first arm 5.

By the operation of each arm, the finger stage 40 moves on the straight line L3. As in the forward movement of the finger stage 39, the finger stage 40 is connected to the pulley 32 fixed to the column 9 erected on the first arm 5, via the pulley 38 and the timing belt 37. Since the pulley 32 and the pulley 38 are connected at a rotation ratio of 2: 1, even if the third arm 21 rotates 2α °, the posture in the rotational direction with the central axis C4 of the finger stage 40 as the rotation center There is no change. However, similarly to the finger stage 39, the posture of the finger stage 40 relative to the third arm 21 in the rotational direction is sequentially changed by the rotation operation of the third arm 21. Since the rotation ratio between the pulley 32 and the pulley 38 is 2: 1, when the third arm 21 rotates 2α ° counterclockwise about the central axis C 2, the finger stage 39 rotates clockwise with respect to the third arm 21. Is rotated relative to α °.

Next, the internal structures of the second arm 20 and the third arm 21 provided in the transfer device 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the third arm 21 is described as an example, but the present invention is also applicable to the description of the internal structure of the second arm 20. FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the third arm 21, and FIG. 7B is a view of the third arm 21 as viewed from above. The base end of the third arm 21 is rotatably supported by the first arm 5 via a bearing. Inside the base end, a pulley 32 and a pulley 33 are arranged concentrically around the central axis C2. Here, the pulley 32 is fixed to the upper surface of the column 9, and is connected to the pulley 38 disposed at the tip of the third arm 21 via the timing belt 37. The pulley 38 is rotatably supported by a support member 36 fixed to the floor surface of the third arm 21 via a bearing. A finger stage 40 is concentrically fixed on the upper surface of the pulley 38 around the central axis C4. The rotation ratio between the pulley 32 and the pulley 38 included in the transport device 1 of the present embodiment is configured to be 2: 1. For example, when the pulley 32 rotates 2α ° in a predetermined rotation direction, The pulley 38 and the finger stage 40 rotate α ° in the same rotational direction.

In addition, a pulley 33 disposed concentrically below the pulley 32 at the base end portion of the third arm 21 is connected to a pulley 44 rotatably supported by a floor surface of the third arm 21 via a bearing. 43 are connected. Further, a cam member 53 in which a pin-like protrusion 52 is formed is fixed to the upper end of the pulley 44. Here, the rotation ratio between the pulley 33 and the pulley 44 included in the transport device 1 of the present embodiment is configured to be 1: 1. For example, when the pulley 33 rotates α ° in a predetermined rotation direction. The pulley 44 and the cam member 53 rotate α ° in the same rotation direction.

Next, the rotation operation of the cam member 53 when the conveying device 1 performs a turning operation around the central axis C and when the first arm 5 and the third arm 21 cooperate to perform an arm extending operation. Will be described. Note that the turning operation means that the transfer device 1 rotates in the horizontal plane around the central axis C without changing the relative position of each arm. When the transfer device 1 performs this turning operation, The relative positions of the second arm 20 and the third arm 21 with respect to the first arm 5 do not change. This turning operation is performed when the processing chamber 107 facing the transfer apparatus 1 is switched. The arm extending operation is an operation performed when the semiconductor wafer W held on the finger is placed on the target wafer stage 108 or when the semiconductor wafer W placed on the target wafer stage 108 is received. In this case, the semiconductor wafer W is transported by the first arm 5 and the second arm 20 or the first arm 5 and the third arm 21 working together.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a state inside the third arm 21 when the transport device 1 of the present embodiment performs a turning operation. In the figure, the second arm 20 is omitted in order to explain the internal state of the third arm 21. Further, in this figure, for the sake of detailed explanation, the fixed pulley 12 is indicated by a large circle at the center, and the rotation angle of the pulley 33 arranged at the base end of the third arm 21 and the tip of the third arm 21 are arranged. The rotation angle of the finger stage 40 to be displayed is displayed in black for each circle. FIG. 8A shows a state in which the transport apparatus 1 is in the standby position. From this state, the first arm drive motor 6 is operated, and the first arm 5 is viewed from above with respect to the fixed pulley 12. Rotate 45 ° counterclockwise. Simultaneously with the rotation of the first arm 5, the third arm driving motor 50 is operated to rotate the third arm driving pulley 15 by 45 ° counterclockwise. Refer to FIG. At this time, the pulley 33 disposed at the proximal end of the third arm 21 is connected to the fixed pulley 12 at a rotation ratio of 2: 1 via the pulley 19 and the timing belt 17 disposed concentrically. In conjunction with the 45 ° counterclockwise rotation operation performed by the first arm 5, the first arm 5 rotates clockwise by 90 ° about the central axis C2. Further, the pulley 44 and the cam member 53 connected to the pulley 33 at a rotation ratio of 1: 1 also rotate 90 ° clockwise in conjunction with the rotation operation of the pulley 33. In addition, since the finger stage 40 is not connected to the fixed pulley 12, no rotation operation is performed in conjunction with the rotation operation of the first arm 5 and the third arm drive pulley 15. There is no change in the relative positional relationship.

Next, the first arm drive motor 6 is operated from the state of FIG. 8B, and the first arm 5 is further rotated 45 ° counterclockwise as viewed from the top with respect to the fixed pulley 12. Simultaneously with the rotation of the first arm 5, the third arm driving motor 50 is operated to rotate the third arm driving pulley 15 45 ° counterclockwise. Refer to FIG. By this operation, the transport device 1 is turned 90 ° counterclockwise from the standby state. Further, by this turning operation, the pulley 33 is rotated 180 ° clockwise from the standby state of FIG. Furthermore, the pulley 44 and the cam member 53 connected to the pulley 33 are also rotated 180 ° clockwise from the standby state of FIG. The finger stage 40 does not rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the first arm 5 and the third arm drive pulley 15, and the relative positional relationship with respect to the first arm 5 does not change.

As described above, the pulley 33 and the cam 53 included in the transport device 1 of the present embodiment are driven by the first arm 5 and the third arm in conjunction with the rotation operation of the first arm 5 and the third arm drive pulley 15. In the direction opposite to the direction in which the pulley 15 rotates, an angle rotation operation that is double the rotation angle performed by the first arm 5 and the third arm drive pulley 15 is performed. For example, FIG. 8E shows a state in which the transport device 1 of the present embodiment has rotated 180 ° counterclockwise from the standby state. At this time, the pulley 33 and the cam 53 are clockwise when compared with the standby state. 360 °. In this embodiment, the turning operation angle of the transport device 1 and the rotation ratio of the pulley 33 and the cam member 53 are set to 1: 2, but this rotation ratio is desired by adjusting the ratio of the diameters of the pulleys. The rotation ratio can be set appropriately, and it is desirable to set it appropriately according to the purpose of use.

Next, the movement of the pulley 33 and the cam member 53 in the rotation direction when the arm extending operation is performed by rotating the first arm 5 and the third arm 21 will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state of the third arm 21 when the transfer device 1 performs the arm extending operation by causing the first arm 5 and the third arm 21 to cooperate. As described with reference to FIG. 6, when performing the arm extension operation, the first arm drive motor 6 is operated to rotate the first arm 5 in the clockwise direction when viewed from the top, The arm drive motor 50 is operated to rotate the third arm 21 by 2α ° counterclockwise as viewed from above with the central axis C2 as the center of rotation. Refer to FIG.

Here, the pulley 33 connected to the fixed pulley 12 at a rotation ratio of 1: 2 also rotates counterclockwise by 2α °, so that the pulley 33 and the cam member 53 are relative to the third arm 21. The general rotational position does not change from the state of FIG. In addition, the finger stage 40 that moves in the arm extending direction by the above-described operation is connected to the pulley 32 fixed to the column 9 erected at one end of the first arm 5, via the pulley 38 and the timing belt 37. Therefore, even if the third arm 21 rotates 2α °, the position in the rotation direction around the central axis C4 of the finger stage 40 does not change. However, when the arm of FIG. 9C is extended from the standby state of FIG. 9A, the relative rotation angle of the finger stage 40 with respect to the third arm 21 is changed to the third arm 21. In contrast, it is rotated α ° clockwise. Further, the protruding portion 52 of the cam member 53 that is not rotationally moved relative to the third arm 21 always maintains a state of protruding toward the central axis C4 of the finger stage 40. The finger stage 40 is rotated α ° clockwise around the central axis C4 during the operation. Although the third arm 21 has been described in detail here, it goes without saying that the second arm 20 also moves symmetrically with respect to the above description.

The finger stage 40 and the cam member 53 arranged on the third arm 21 perform a characteristic movement with respect to the third arm 21 by the turning operation and the arm extending / contracting operation of the transfer device 1 described above. When the conveyance device 1 performs a turning operation with the central axis C1 as the rotation center, the finger stage 40 maintains a relative rotation angle with respect to the third arm 21, and the cam member 53 rotates in the direction in which the conveyance device 1 turns. It has the characteristic of rotating at a rotation angle corresponding to the rotation angle of the conveying device 1 in the opposite direction. See FIG. In addition, when the transfer device 1 performs the arm extending operation, the finger stage 40 is third with respect to the third arm 21 in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the third arm 21 with the central axis C4 as the rotation center. The cam member 53 has a characteristic of maintaining a predetermined relative rotation angle with respect to the third arm 21 by rotating according to the rotation angle of the arm 21. See FIG.

Next, with reference to FIG. 7 and FIG. 10, the structure around the fingers provided in the transport device 1 of the present embodiment will be described in detail. The fingers 54 to 57 included in the transfer device 1 support the semiconductor wafer W, which is a transfer object, on the upper portion thereof. Two fingers are provided with varying heights in the vertical direction. In the transport device 1 of the present embodiment, an upper finger 54 and a lower finger 55 are provided at the tip of the second arm 20 that is the upper arm so as to be rotatable about the central axis C3. Further, an upper finger 56 and a lower finger 57 are provided at the tip of the third arm 21 which is the lower arm so as to be rotatable about the central axis C4. See FIG. Note that the upper and lower fingers 54 and 55 provided in the second arm 20 and the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57 provided in the third arm 21 have the same configuration, and therefore, here, the upper and lower fingers 56 provided in the third arm 21. , 57 will be described.

The upper finger 56 has a rectangular plate-shaped mounting portion 58 in which a depression slightly larger than the diameter of the semiconductor wafer W is formed so that the semiconductor wafer W can be mounted at a predetermined position on the upper surface, and a gear which is a disk-shaped member. The plate 59 and a columnar spacer 60 that couples the mounting portion 58 and a disk-shaped member. A hole is formed in the central portion of the gear plate 59 and the spacer 60 in the vertical direction, and the hole is inserted into a support shaft 61 erected on the central portion of the finger stage 40. The support 61 is erected on the same axis as the central axis C4 of the finger stage 40, and the upper finger 56 is rotatable about the central axis C4 as a center of rotation. The lower finger 57 is a rectangular plate-like member having a depression slightly larger than the diameter of the semiconductor wafer W so that the semiconductor wafer W can be placed at a predetermined position on the upper surface. A gear plate 62 is fixed. A hole larger than the diameter of the spacer 60 is formed in the base end portion of the lower finger 57 in the vertical direction, and the spacer 60 of the upper finger 56 is configured to be inserted through the bush 63 through this hole. In other words, the lower finger 57 is disposed between the mounting portion 58 of the upper finger 56 and the gear plate 59. Further, similarly to the upper finger 56, the lower finger 57 is configured to be rotatable about the central axis C4.

Further, equidistant tooth grooves are radially formed around the central axis C4 on the upper surface of the gear plate 59 provided in the upper finger 56 and on the lower surface of the gear plate 62 provided in the lower finger 57.
Further, bevel gears 64 that mesh with the opposing equidistant tooth spaces are arranged around the gear plates 59 and 62 on the periphery of the gear plates 59 and 62. When the gear plates 59 and 62 and the bevel gear 64 mesh with each other, for example, when the upper finger 56 is rotated by θ ° clockwise about the central axis C4, the lower finger 57 is counteracted about the central axis C4. It becomes possible to rotate it clockwise by θ °. That is, the upper finger 56 and the lower finger 57 are configured to be able to rotate and move in directions opposite to each other at an equal angle around the central axis C4.

Between the gear plate 59 provided in the upper finger 56 and the finger stage 40, a torsion spring 65 for urging the upper finger 56 clockwise with respect to the finger stage 40 about the central axis C4 is provided. Further, a pin 66 for restricting the rotational movement of the upper finger 56 in the horizontal plane with respect to the finger stage 40 is erected on the bottom surface of the gear plate 59, and when the gear plate 59 rotates about the central axis C4. The pin 66 moves while drawing an arcuate locus with the central axis C4 as the center of rotation. Further, on the upper surface of the finger stage 40 facing the bottom surface of the gear plate 59, an arc-shaped restriction groove 67 that matches the arc-shaped movement locus of the pin 66 is formed. The arc-shaped restricting groove 67 is formed in a region set at a predetermined center angle centered on the central axis C4, and the pin 66 is restricted by the arc-shaped restricting groove 67 formed on the upper surface of the finger stage 40. The range of the area to be moved can be moved. Here, the position where the pin 66 of the upper finger 56 that is urged by the torsion spring 65 and rotates in the clockwise direction contacts the end of the restriction groove 67 is the reference position of the upper finger 56 with respect to the finger stage 40. See FIG. 7 (b). The reference position of the upper finger 56 with respect to the finger stage 40 is a position parallel to the movement trajectory of the finger stage 40 when the transfer device 1 is extended by the arm. The semiconductor wafer W placed on the arm can be transferred in a predetermined linear direction.

In addition, a torsion spring 68 is provided between the upper finger 56 and the lower finger 57 to urge the lower finger 57 counterclockwise with respect to the upper finger about the center axis C4.
Further, a pin 69 for restricting rotational movement of the lower finger 57 in the horizontal plane with respect to the upper finger 56 is erected on the bottom surface of the gear plate 62 provided in the lower finger 57, and the gear plate 62 has a central axis C4. When rotating about the center of rotation, the pin 69 moves along an arcuate locus with the center axis C4 as the center of rotation. Further, on the upper surface of the gear plate 59 that faces the bottom surface of the gear plate 62, an arc-shaped restriction groove 70 that matches the arc-shaped movement locus of the pin 69 is formed. The arc-shaped restricting groove 70 is formed in a region set at a predetermined center angle centered on the central axis C4, and the pin 69 is restricted by the arc-shaped restricting groove 70 formed on the upper surface of the gear plate 59. The range of the area to be moved can be moved. Here, the position where the pin 69 of the lower finger 57 urged by the torsion spring 68 and rotated counterclockwise comes into contact with the end of the restriction groove 70 is the reference position with respect to the upper finger 56 of the lower finger 57. See FIG. 7 (b). The reference position of the lower finger 57 with respect to the upper finger 56 is a position where the upper finger 56 and the lower finger 57 coincide with each other in the horizontal plane.

The cam member 53 is a member that is fixed to the upper surface of a pulley 44 that is rotatably fixed to the third arm 21 via a bearing. Like the pulley 44, the cam member 53 is a member that rotates in conjunction with the pulley 33. . The cam member 53 is configured to rotate in a space formed between the finger stage 40 and the gear plate 59 in the vertical direction. Further, when the cam member 53 rotates and moves to a predetermined rotational position, the protrusion 52 formed on the cam member 53 moves into the movable region of the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57, and the pin 66 erected on the gear plate 59. It is comprised so that it may contact | abut. The operation of the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57 during arm extension is switched depending on whether or not the protruding portion 52 contacts the pin 66. In other words, the cam member 53 is a switching member that switches whether or not each of the upper and lower fingers 54, 55, 56, and 57, which will be described later, performs rotational operations in opposite directions when the arm is extended.

Next, it will be described in detail how the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57 operate when the protruding portion 52 of the cam member 53 of the present embodiment abuts against the pin 66. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the state of the third arm 21 and the fingers 56 and 57 when the transport device 1 of the present embodiment is in a standby state, and FIG. 12 is a state in which the transport device 1 of the present embodiment extends the arm. It is a figure which shows the 3rd arm 21 and fingers 56 and 57 of this. In FIG. 11, the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57 of the transport apparatus 1 in the standby state are stationary at a position parallel to the Y axis. At this time, C4, which is the rotation center axis of the upper and lower fingers 56, 57, moves along a straight line L3 parallel to the Y axis by the arm extension operation. In addition, when the transport device 1 is in the standby state, the cam member 53 disposed in the third arm 21 is in a rotation position in a state in which the protruding portion 52 protrudes toward the rotation center axis C4 of the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57. is there. Further, the upper finger 56 is biased in the clockwise direction by the torsion spring 65, and the pin 66 provided in the upper finger 56 is in a position where it abuts on the end of the restriction groove 67 formed in the finger stage 40. At this time, the center line of the upper finger 56 coincides with a straight line L3 passing through the center axis C4 and parallel to the Y axis. Further, the lower finger 57 is urged counterclockwise by the torsion spring 68 so that the pin 69 provided in the lower finger 57 comes into contact with the end of the restriction groove 70 formed in the gear plate 59 of the upper finger 56. is there. This position is a position where the rotational position of the lower finger 57 in the horizontal plane coincides with the upper finger 56, and the center line of the lower finger 57 also coincides with the straight line L3 passing through the central axis C4 and parallel to the Y axis.

When the first arm 5 and the third arm 21 cooperate to perform an arm extending operation, the third arm 21 performs a counterclockwise rotational movement. At this time, the finger stage 40 and the upper finger 56 and the lower finger 57 arranged on the finger stage 40 rotate at a predetermined rotation ratio in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the third arm 21. By this operation, the upper finger 56 and the lower finger 57 move forward while maintaining a posture parallel to the straight line L3 passing through the central axis C4. However, the upper finger 56 and the lower finger 57 are moved to the third arm 21. Will continue to rotate clockwise. When the predetermined rotation angle is reached, the protrusion 52 of the cam member 53 disposed on the third arm 21 and the pin 66 included in the upper finger 56 come into contact with each other.

Since the cam member 53 is connected to the fixed pulley 12 via a timing belt and a pulley, and the posture does not change during the arm extension operation, the upper finger 56 that contacts the protruding portion 52 via the pin 66 is In conjunction with the operation of the third arm 21, it rotates and moves counterclockwise about the central axis C4 as the center of rotation. In addition, the lower finger 57 connected to the upper finger 56 via the bevel gear 64 rotates at the same angle in the rotation direction opposite to the rotation direction of the upper finger 56. The urging force of the torsion spring 65 that urges the upper finger 56 clockwise and the torsion spring 68 that urges the lower finger 57 counterclockwise is a driving force that causes the upper finger 56 to rotate counterclockwise. The above operation can be performed by setting the lower finger 57 to be smaller than the driving force for rotating the lower finger 57 clockwise.

The rotational movement of the upper finger 56 in the counterclockwise direction and the rotational movement of the lower finger 57 in the clockwise direction are performed until the arm extending operation of the first arm 5 and the third arm 21 is completed. The rotation operation of the upper finger 56 and the lower finger 57 performed in conjunction with the arm extension operation is started when the pin 66 comes into contact with the protruding portion 52 of the cam member 53. The timing for starting the operation is adjusted by the positions of the pin 66 and the protrusion 52. In addition, the angle that the left and right fingers open to the left and right around the central axis C4 of the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57 is adjusted by the distance that the pin 66 is separated from the central axis C4. That is, the closer the pin 66 is to the center axis C4, the larger the opening angle of the upper and lower fingers 56, 57 when the arm is extended, and the more the pin 66 is away from the center axis C4, the higher the upper and lower fingers 56, 57 when the arm is extended. The opening angle of becomes smaller.

By combining the operations described above, the transfer apparatus 1 of the present invention individually transfers the two semiconductor wafers W transferred to the load lock 103 to each wafer stage 108 arranged in the processing apparatus 107. It becomes possible. The transfer apparatus 1 disposed in the transfer chamber 106 first performs a turning operation and faces the load lock chamber 103. In the load lock chamber 103, two semiconductor wafers W transferred from the EFEM 102 are accommodated while being changed in the vertical direction. Refer to FIG. Next, the transfer apparatus 1 operates the first arm 5 and the third arm 21 until the fingers 56 and 57 move below the semiconductor wafer W placed on the wafer stage 108 in the load lock chamber 103. Perform arm extension operation. At this time, since the cam member 53 is not in a position where the protruding portion 52 interferes with the operation of the fingers 56 and 7, the fingers 56 and 57 move into the load lock chamber 103 while keeping the horizontal position aligned. Here, when the wafer stage 108 is lowered, the semiconductor wafer W is transferred from the wafer stage 108 to the fingers 56 and 57. See FIG. 13 (b).

Next, the transfer apparatus 1 operates the first arm 5 and the third arm 21 to return each arm to the standby position, and then swings to a position facing the processing chamber 107 b that is the transfer target position of the semiconductor wafer W. Perform the action. See FIG. 14 (a). Thereafter, the transfer apparatus 1 operates the first arm 5 and the third arm 21 so that the fingers 56 and 57 and the semiconductor wafer W held by the fingers 56 and 57 move to a predetermined position in the processing chamber 107b. The arm is extended. Note that when the transfer device 1 is pivoted to a position facing the processing chamber 107b, the protrusion 52 of the cam member 53 rotates and moves to a position where the operations of the fingers 56 and 57 interfere.

Next, the transfer apparatus 1 operates the first arm 5 and the third arm 21 to perform an arm extension operation toward the processing chamber 107b. In conjunction with this arm extension operation, the protrusion 52 of the cam member 53 and the pin 66 come into contact with each other, and the upper finger 56 and the lower finger 57 rotate and move away from each other. When the arm extending operation and the separating operation of the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57 are finished, the wafer stages 108a and 108b are lifted, and the semiconductor wafer W supported by the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57 is replaced with the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57. Hold. When the delivery of the semiconductor wafer W to the wafer stages 108a and 108b is completed, the transfer device 1 moves the first arm 5 and the third arm 21 to move to the standby position. At this time, the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57 that have been rotationally moved away from each other are urged by the torsion springs 65 and 68 in conjunction with the movement of the first arm 5 and the third arm 21 in the opposite directions. Move to a matching position in the horizontal plane.

Thus, the transfer operation of the semiconductor wafer W is completed. In order to move the fingers 56 and 57 apart from each other and transfer them to the predetermined wafer stages 108a and 108b in conjunction with the arm extending operation, the relationship between the distance to extend the arm from the standby position and the angle to separate the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57 It is necessary to measure accurately. In particular, it is important to adjust the timing at which the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57 start to move away from each other and the rotation angle of the upper and lower arms 56 and 57 at the time when the arm extension operation ends. The timing at which the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57 are separated from each other is adjusted by adjusting the position where the protrusion 52 of the cam member 53 and the pin 66 abut. The timing at which the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57 start the separating operation is accelerated by increasing the timing at which the protruding portion 52 of the cam member 53 contacts the pin 66. The angle at which the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57 are separated is adjusted by adjusting the distance of the pin 66 from the rotation center axis of the upper and lower fingers 56 and 57. If it is desired to increase the angle at which the upper and lower fingers 56, 57 are separated, the position of the pin 66 is brought closer to the rotation center axis of the fingers 56, 57, and if it is desired to reduce the angle at which the upper and lower fingers 56, 57 are separated, the position of the pin 66 is It is adjusted by moving away from the rotation center axis of 57.

In addition, in the conveying apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the cam member 53 in which the one protrusion part 52 was formed as a switching member which switches operation | movement of an up-and-down finger is provided, and the cam member 53 is rotated within an arm in conjunction with turning operation. However, it is possible to realize such a switching operation by using a known mechanism in addition to the cam member 53 in which one protrusion 52 is formed. For example, as shown in FIG. 15 (a), a shape having a plurality of protrusions 52 may be employed. By doing so, the protrusion 52 can be protruded many times toward the pin 66 while the cam member 53 makes one rotation. Alternatively, the pinion gear 71 may be concentrically attached to the top of the pulley 44, and the rack gear 73 that meshes with the pinion gear 71 may be formed on the protruding member 72. Refer to FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 16, a protruding member 74 protruding toward the pin 66 and the pulley 44 may be connected by a link 75, and the protruding member 74 may be moved back and forth in conjunction with the rotation of the pulley 44. In these embodiments, a restricting member 76 that restricts the movement of the protruding members 72 and 74 to be movable back and forth is required. However, the mechanism is configured to convert the rotational movement of the pulley 44 into the forward and backward movement of the protruding parts 72 and 74. As a result, the dimension in the width direction can be reduced.

Claims (4)

A reference member fixed to the base;
A first arm rotatably supported by the reference member;
A first arm spindle that is rotatably fixed to the reference member and that drives the first arm to rotate in a horizontal plane;
A second arm rotatably supported at the tip of the first arm;
A second arm spindle that is rotatably fixed coaxially with the first arm spindle and that rotates the second arm in a horizontal plane;
A first drive source for rotationally driving the first arm spindle;
A second drive source for rotationally driving the second arm spindle;
A switching member disposed on the second arm and connected to the reference member via a belt and a pulley;
With
The switching member is formed with a projecting portion capable of appearing and retracting in the operation area of the upper and lower fingers,
During the arm extension operation performed by the first arm and the second arm in cooperation,
The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portion of the switching member starts a rotating operation of the upper and lower fingers arranged on the finger stage arranged at the tip of the second arm in directions opposite to each other. A reference member fixed to the base;
A first arm rotatably supported by the reference member;
A first arm spindle that is rotatably fixed to the reference member and that drives the first arm to rotate in a horizontal plane;
A second arm rotatably supported at one tip of the first arm;
A second arm spindle that is rotatably fixed coaxially with the first arm spindle and that rotates the second arm in a horizontal plane;
A third arm rotatably supported on the other tip of the first arm;
A first arm support shaft and a third arm support shaft that is rotatably fixed coaxially with the second arm support shaft and that drives the third arm to rotate in a horizontal plane;
A first drive source for rotationally driving the first arm spindle;
A second drive source for rotationally driving the second arm spindle;
A third drive source for rotationally driving the third arm spindle;
A first switching member disposed on the second arm and connected to the reference member via a belt and a pulley;
A second switching member disposed on the third arm and connected to the reference member via a belt and a pulley;
With
The first switching member and the second switching member are formed with protrusions capable of appearing and retracting in the operation area of the upper and lower fingers,
During the arm extension operation performed by the first arm and the second arm in cooperation,
Starting the rotation of the first switching member in the opposite direction of the first upper and lower fingers arranged on the finger stage arranged on the tip of the second arm, the projecting portion of the first switching member;
In the arm extension operation performed by the first arm and the third arm in cooperation,
The projecting portion of the second switching member starts a rotation operation of the second upper and lower fingers arranged on the finger stage arranged at the tip of the third arm in directions opposite to each other. Conveying device. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the switching member is a cam member, and a protrusion that abuts on a pin included in the upper and lower fingers is formed. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rotating operation of the upper and lower fingers is performed via a bevel gear disposed in a space between the upper finger and the lower finger. .

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