JP3187924B2 - Robot dustproof structure - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dustproof structure for preventing external discharge of dust generated inside a robot by applying a negative pressure to the inside of the robot.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, semiconductor devices are generally assembled in an ultra-clean atmosphere called a clean room. In this clean room, robotization is being promoted because the presence of human beings causes atmospheric pollution. In this robotization, it is necessary to adopt a dustproof structure for preventing the dust generated inside the robot from being released to the outside of the robot. In this case, the external emission of dust in the robot cannot be completely prevented only by surrounding the robot body with a substantially hermetic cover.

[0003] Therefore, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-124895, an external connection port is provided in the cover, and the connection port is connected to a suction device by an external suction hose. There has been proposed a device in which dust is prevented from being released to the outside of the robot by using pressure.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional apparatus, a structure is employed in which the entire inside of the cover is maintained at a negative pressure, so that it is possible to prevent the emission of dust to the outside of the robot. It is difficult to take it out and dispose of it, and the generated dust accumulates inside the robot. This is considered to be due to the following reasons. It is easy to ensure a sufficient flow for inhaling the generated dust because the inlet is usually sufficiently narrow near the outside air inlet such as a gap in the cover. However, it is difficult to secure the above flow throughout the inside of the robot because a suction device having an extremely large flow rate is required, which leads to an increase in size and cost of the apparatus. Therefore, the dust generated inside the robot does not flow out of the robot, but is accumulated in the robot.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and can prevent dust generated inside a robot from being released to the outside of the robot. It is an object of the present invention to provide a dust-proof structure for a robot that can be used.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a robot having a swing drive motor and a swing device substantially enclosed by a cover and supported by a frame substantially enclosed by the cover to be pivotable. In a dustproof structure for preventing the dust generated inside from leaking to the outside of the robot, the inside of the cover of the turning device and the inside of the cover of the upper and lower devices are connected in an airtight manner with a conduit hose to generate dust from the turning device. A first suction passage that opens in the vicinity of the location and a second suction passage that opens in a space where the conduit hose in the cover of the turning device communicates with the first suction passage, and connects the first and second suction passages from inside the turning device 3 It is characterized in that it is extendedly connected to the external connection port of the frame through the inside of the conduit hose 36, and the external connection port is connected to a suction machine via an external suction passage.

[0007]

According to the dustproof structure of the present invention, a first suction passage opening in the vicinity of the dust generating portion of the turning device and a second suction passage opening in the cover are provided, and the first and second suction passages are provided in a conduit. Since it is connected to the suction device via the external suction passage through the inside of the hose, the dust generated at the dust generation point can be discharged to the outside via the first suction passage, and the dust generated due to friction of the suction passage and the like can be removed. External leakage can be prevented. Even if the suction port of the first suction passage is clogged or the like, the inside of the turning device and the conduit hose can be maintained at a negative pressure by the suction of the second suction passage, so that the generated dust leaks out of the robot to the negative pressure. This can improve the reliability of preventing external leakage of dust.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 8 are views for explaining a dustproof structure of a clean room robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram, FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional side views,
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional plan view of the vertical device, FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views taken along lines VV and VI-VI in FIG. 2, and FIGS. 7 and 8 are lines VII-VII showing the arm portion in FIG. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a clean room robot, which is composed of a vertical device 2 and a horizontal turning device 3. The vertical device 2 is for moving the entire horizontal turning device 3 in the vertical direction. The horizontal turning device 3 includes first to third turning mechanisms 4 to 6,
It is capable of turning around each vertical turning axis.

The vertically moving device 3 suspends and supports the vertically driving motor 8 via a bracket 15 with a lower bracket 7c of the frame 7, and connects a ball screw 10 arranged vertically to an output shaft 8a of the motor 8 with a cup. The ball screw 10 is connected via a ring 9, a nut member 11 is screwed on the ball screw 10, and the nut member 11 is fixed to a slide base 12. Each of these components of the lifting device 3 is substantially enclosed by a cover 27.

In the frame 7, a vertical wall plate 7b is vertically fixed to a base plate 7a fixed on a base surface, and a lower bracket 7c and an upper bracket 7d are horizontally fixed to a lower portion and an upper portion of the vertical wall plate 7b, respectively. It is of the structure that was done. An opening 7e is formed in the vertical wall plate 7b to avoid interference when the slide base 12 moves up and down. A lid plate 16 having an opening having the same shape as the opening 7e is fixed to the front surface of the vertical wall plate 7a with bolts, and a space between the plate 16 and the stepped portion of the vertical wall plate 7b is formed. A seal groove 18 for accommodating a shutter plate 17 to be described later.

The ball screw 10 is rotatably supported by bearings 13a and 13b disposed on the lower bracket 7c and the upper bracket 7d of the frame 7, and has a brake mechanism 14 mounted on the upper end. In addition, one end of a flexible conduit hose 36 is rotatably and airtightly connected to the upper bracket 7d via a bearing 37a at the right side in FIG.

Further, the slide base 12 has a connection boss 1 projecting leftward from the opening 7e of the frame 7 in the drawing.
2a, and the left and right portions 12b are vertically slidably guided by guide rails 19 fixed to the frame 7 (see FIG. 5). The shutter plate 17 is bolted and fixed to the slide base 12 so as to surround the connection boss 12a, and the peripheral edge of the shutter plate 17 moves up and down in the seal groove 18.

The base bracket 20 of the first turning mechanism 4 of the horizontal turning device 3 is fixed to the slide base 12 by bolts. The first turning mechanism 4 has the following structure. A first support flange portion 20a formed on the distal end of the base bracket 20 has a first surface.
A turning drive motor 21 is mounted vertically downward, and a drive shaft 23 is connected to an output shaft of the motor 21 via a speed reducer 22. The middle part of the drive shaft 23 is connected to the support flange 2
The drive shaft 23 is rotatably supported by a bearing 24a fitted to the shaft 0a, and a base 25a of the revolving arm 25 is fixed to the lower end of the drive shaft 23 by bolts. Thereby, the swing arm 25
Can be turned around the drive shaft 23. In addition,
29 is a cap.

A labyrinth mechanism 26 is formed at an opposing portion between the turning arm 25 and the support flange portion 20a, thereby sealing a gap therebetween.
The first turning drive motor 21 and the like are surrounded by a cover 28 in a substantially sealed state.

The lower end of the drive shaft 30 of the second turning mechanism 5 is fixed to the support portion 25b of the turning arm 25 by bolts. The second turning mechanism 5 includes a second turning drive motor 31, a speed reducer 32, and a drive shaft 30, and has substantially the same structure as the first turning mechanism 4. The second turning drive motor 31 is bolted and fixed to the upper surface of a cylindrical support flange portion 33a of the turning bracket 33, and a middle portion of the drive shaft 30 is a bearing 24b fitted to the support flange portion 33a. It is pivoted.

A conduit stay 34 is fixed vertically upward to the revolving bracket 33, and the other end of the conduit hose 36 is connected to a conduit holder 35 fixed to the upper end of the stay 34 via a bearing 37b. It is rotatably and airtightly connected. The second turning drive motor 31 and the like are substantially enclosed by a cover 38, and the space inside the second turning mechanism is communicated with the inner space of the vertical device 2 in an airtight manner by the conduit hose 36. I have.

A support bracket 39 is fixed to the front end of the turning bracket 33 by bolts, and the third turning drive motor 40 of the third turning mechanism 6 is supported by the bracket 39. A reduction gear 41 is connected to an output shaft of the drive motor 40, and a turning arm 42 is fixed to the output shaft of the reduction gear 41.

The lower and upper ends of the sealing groove 18 (left and right, respectively) and the upper bearing 13b of the ball screw 10 and the bearing 24a of the first turning mechanism 4 of the vertically moving device 2 The fourth to fourth suction ports 43a to 43d are open, and the respective suction ports 43a to 43d are led out to the external connection port 7f formed on the lower bracket 7c by the first to fourth suction hoses 44a to 44d. .

The fifth and sixth suction ports 4 are provided in the bearing 24b of the second turning mechanism 5 and in the speed reducer 41 of the third turning mechanism 6.
3e, 43f are open, and the fifth and sixth suction holes are provided in the suction port.
One ends of the suction hoses 44e and 44f are connected, and a seventh suction hose 4 is provided above the internal space of the second turning mechanism 5.
4 g are open. These intake hoses 44e to 44e
g is led out to the external connection port 7f through the conduit hose 36.

Each of the suction hoses 44a to 44g is air-tightly connected to an end 45a of an external suction duct 45.
The external suction duct 45 is connected to a suction machine (not shown) installed outside the clean room.

Next, the operation and effect of this embodiment will be described. In the robot 1 of the present embodiment,
The rotation of the vertical drive motor 8 is transmitted to the ball screw 10 via the coupling 9, whereby the nut member 11 moves up and down together with the slide base 12, and as a result, the entire horizontal turning device 3 moves up and down. Further, as the slide base 12 moves up and down, the shutter plate 17 moves up and down in the seal groove 18, so that the opening 7e is always closed.

The rotation of the first turning drive motor 21 of the first turning mechanism 4 is transmitted to the drive shaft 23 via the speed reducer 22, and the turning arm 25 turns with the drive shaft 23.
The rotation of the second turning drive motor 31 attached to the tip of the turning arm 25 turns the turning bracket 33 to which the motor 31 is attached. Further, the turning arm 42 turns by the rotation of the third turning drive motor 40 attached to the tip of the turning bracket 33.

In the robot 1 of the present embodiment, the inside of each of the suction hoses 44a to 44g is sucked to a negative pressure by the operation of the suction machine, and the suction ports 43a to 43f to which the ends of these hoses are connected and the suction hoses. Air is sucked from the 44g tip opening. As a result, the interior space of each cover and the inside of the conduit hose 36 become a negative pressure, so that the air in the space does not leak out, so that the discharge of dust in the space is prevented, and External discharge of dust generated due to friction of the suction hose 44 due to the turning is also prevented.

Further, since each of the suction ports 43a to 43f is opened at a position close to the dust generating section such as a bearing, air from the dust generating section to the suction port is not increased so much. A flow can be generated, and the generated dust is sucked into each of the suction hoses 44a to 44g and discharged to the outside of the clean room by the suction machine.

Here, for example, when the shutter plate 17 is lowered, air is compressed in the lower portion of the seal groove 18 and the pressure in the lower portion of the seal groove 18 is increased, so that dust in the seal groove 18 is removed by the dust. There is a concern that the gas is released into the clean room through the gap between the shutter room and the shutter plate 17. However, in this embodiment, the seal groove 18
The suction hoses 44a,
Since the suction is performed at 4b, the pressure increase can be avoided, and the external emission of dust can be prevented.

In this embodiment, the shutter plate 17 is connected to the vertical wall plate 7 a of the frame 7 and the lid plate 16.
And so on, the portion functions as a labyrinth, and the inflow resistance increases accordingly. From this point, the space in the cover can be securely increased without increasing the suction machine capacity. Can be maintained at negative pressure.

[0028]

As described above, according to the dustproof structure of the robot according to the present invention, the first suction passage is provided in the vicinity of the dust generating location.
Further, since the second suction passage is opened in the cover of the turning device, and the first and second suction passages are connected to the suction device through the conduit hose and the external suction passage, the generated dust is discharged to the outside. Even if the suction becomes impossible due to clogging of the suction port of the first suction passage, negative pressure can be applied to the inside of the cover of the turning device and the inside of the conduit hose, and the reliability in preventing external leakage of generated dust can be improved. effective.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a dustproof structure of a robot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of an upper and lower device part of the apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a horizontal turning device part of the apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional plan view of an upper and lower device portion of the apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 2;

6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI and VI'-VI 'in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Robot 7f External connection port 27, 28, 38, 48 Cover 43a to 43f Suction opening 44a to 44g Suction hose (suction passage) 45 External suction duct (external suction passage)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A rotating drive motor having a substantially closed shape with a cover.
Enclosed by a cover
In a dustproof structure for preventing the dust generated inside the robot rotatably supported by the pivoted frame from leaking to the outside of the robot, a conduit hose empties the inside of the cover of the turning device and the cover of the frame. The first suction port is connected in a dense state, and opens near the dust generating point of the turning device.
The above conduit hose in the passageway and swivel cover
A second suction passage opening to the space where
The first and second suction passages are extended from the inside of the swivel device 3 to the external connection port of the frame through the inside of the conduit hose 36, and the external connection ports are connected to the suction machine via the external suction path. A dustproof structure for robots.