JPH05220690A - Transfer arm device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the accident caused by torsion of signal line and surely detect a wafer cassette. CONSTITUTION:In a transfer arm device having arm parts rotatably connected to each other through a joint part 5, a circular electrode for wiring to a sensor 7 for detecting the placement on a cassette placing base 6 is provided on one arm part 2 in the joint part 5, and an electrode opposed to this electrode with a space is provided on the other arm part 3 to form a capacitor C2 between both the electrodes.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transfer arm device such as a wafer cassette used in a clean room or the like.
In particular, the present invention relates to a transfer arm device capable of preventing the signal line from twisting at the joint portion of the arm portion.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 10 is a front view showing a conventional transfer arm device, and FIG. 11 is a right side view of FIG.

In these drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a transfer arm device provided in a transfer device for a wafer cassette, which has first and second arm portions 2 and 3. The first arm portion 2 is rotatably provided on an indirect portion 4b of a base portion 4a provided on the elevating table 4 of the transfer device 1, and is turned toward a wafer cassette storage shelf (not shown). It is like this.

The second arm portion 3 is rotatably provided by a joint portion 5 provided at the tip of the first arm portion 2, and a gear (not shown) provided in the arm portion 2 is rotated. Thus, it extends to the storage shelf side.

At the tip of the second arm portion 3, a joint portion 5a is formed.
A wafer cassette mounting table 6 is rotatably provided via the above, and two wafer cassettes C can be suspended front and rear. The mounting table 6 is provided with two sensors 7 and 7, and the wafer cassette C is mounted on the mounting table 6.
It is designed to detect whether or not it is placed on top. The signal lines 7a of the two sensors 7 and 7 are passed from the joint portion 5a through the second arm portion 3, the joint portion 5, the first arm portion 2 and the base portion 4a and then passed to the lift table 4. The signal line 7a is made slack to have a margin in consideration of the rotation of the arm portions 2 and 3 in the joint portions 5a, 5 and 4b.

[0006]

The conventional transfer arm device described above has the following problems.

Since the signal lines 7a of the sensors 7 and 7 are slackened at the joints 5 and 4b of the arms 2 and 3, they may be twisted and broken, so that the wafer cassette can be reliably detected. There was nothing.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a transfer arm device capable of preventing an accident due to twisting of a signal line and reliably detecting a wafer cassette. Especially.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a first structure of the present invention is a transfer arm device in which arm portions are rotatably connected by a joint portion. In one of the arm portions, an arc-shaped electrode is provided, and in the other arm portion, an electrode facing the arc-shaped electrode with a gap is provided, and a capacitor is formed between the electrode and the arc-shaped electrode.

A second structure of the present invention is a transfer arm device in which arm portions are rotatably connected to each other by a joint portion, and the transfer arm device has arcuate shapes respectively formed on opposing surfaces of the arm portion in the joint portion. A groove, an electrode arranged in the groove, and a connector slidably provided in the groove and connecting the electrodes are provided.

A third structure of the present invention is a transfer arm device in which arm portions are rotatably connected by a joint portion, and the joint arm portion is rotated about a rotation axis of the joint portion. A relay lever for connecting the signal line from each arm portion was provided outside the.

[0012]

Since the transfer arm device of the present invention is constructed as described above, the following operational effects are obtained.

Regarding the first configuration,

An arc-shaped electrode is provided on one arm portion of the joint portion, and an electrode facing the arc-shaped electrode is provided on the other arm portion with a space therebetween.
Since the capacitor is formed between the arc-shaped electrodes, it is possible to transmit the signal at the joint without using the signal line by applying the AC power supply.

Therefore, according to the first configuration of the present invention, since the signal line is not used for the joint portion, the signal line does not cause an accident, and the wafer cassette can be reliably detected. There is.

Regarding the second configuration,

Arc-shaped grooves are formed on the facing surfaces of the arm portions in the joints, electrodes are arranged in these grooves, and a connector for connecting these electrodes slides in the grooves. Since it is provided freely, the conduction between the arm portions can be established via the connector.

Therefore, according to the second structure of the present invention, there is an effect that the signal can be transmitted without using the signal line in the joint portion, and the wafer cassette can be surely detected.

Regarding the third configuration,

The relay lever rotates about the rotation axis of the joint, and connects the signal lines from each arm outside the joint. , The signal line of each arm is rotated to a position where the signal line is not burdened.

Therefore, according to the third configuration of the present invention, since the signal lines of the respective arm portions are not burdened by the rotation of the arm portions, the signal lines will not be disconnected and the detection of the wafer cassette can be ensured. The effect is that it can be done.

[0022]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>

FIG. 1 shows a first transfer arm device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of an arm portion showing an embodiment, FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a joint portion, and FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 10 denotes an arc-shaped electrode provided inside the first arm portion 2 in the joint portion 5, which is formed by stacking a resin plate 10a and a conductive material 10b such as stainless steel on top of each other. is there.

Reference numeral 11 is an electrode provided on the second arm portion 3 side. The electrode 11 is arranged so as to face the arc-shaped electrode 10 of the first arm portion 2 with a space therebetween, and a capacitor C2 is formed between the electrode 11 and the electrode 10. The signal lines 7a are connected to the electrodes 10 and 11, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 1, the capacitor composed of the electrode 10 and the electrode 11 has a supporting portion 4a of the lifting table 4 as shown in FIG.
Similarly, capacitors C1 and C3 are provided between the first arm 2 and the second arm 3 and between the second arm 3 and the mounting table 6.

In the signal transmission circuit using the capacitors C1 to C3, as shown in FIG. 3, the sensors 7 and 7 of the mounting table 6 are connected in series to the capacitors C1 to C3 to supply a high frequency power source E and It can be configured by connecting a detector 12 for detecting. That is, the mounting table 6
When the sensors 7 and 7 are turned on by mounting the wafer cassette, an alternating current flows in the circuit, and the detector 12 detects this and the mounting of the wafer is detected. Further, when one of the sensors 7 and 7 is OFF, no AC current flows in the circuit, and the detector 12 detects that the wafer is not mounted.

As described above, according to the transfer arm device of this embodiment, it is possible to transmit a signal in the joint portion 5 without using a signal line, and it is possible to reliably detect the wafer cassette.

<Second Embodiment>

FIG. 4 shows a second part of the transfer arm device according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a joint part showing an embodiment, FIG. 5 is a VV arrow view of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a connector.

In these drawings, the structure of the joint portion of this embodiment is such that arc-shaped grooves 2a and 3a formed on the facing surfaces of the arm portions 2 and 3 of the joint portion 5 and inside these grooves 2a and 3a, respectively. The electrodes 2b and 3b arranged in the
A connector 13 is provided slidably in 3a and connects electrodes 2b and 3b.

The arcuate grooves 2a and 3a are formed in the plastic resin materials 15 and 16 attached by screws 14 to the tips of the first arm portion 2 and the second arm portion 3, respectively. The electrodes 2b and 3b are made of a conductive material such as a copper plate and are provided on the entire bottoms of the grooves 2a and 3a.

The connector 13 is made of a phenol resin material and is curved so as to be engageable with the arcuate grooves 2a and 3a. On both sides of the connector 13, carbon brushes 17, 17 contacting the electrodes 2b, 3b are urged by springs 18 and protrude.

According to the transfer arm device having such a configuration, arcuate grooves 2a and 3a are formed on the surfaces of the joints 5 facing the arm portions 2 and 3, respectively, and these grooves 2a and 3a are formed. Since the electrodes 2b and 3b are arranged inside and the connector 13 that connects these electrodes 2b and 3b is slidably provided in the grooves 2a and 3a, the arm portion is connected via the connector 13. It is possible to establish continuity between two and three.

Therefore, according to the transfer arm device of the present embodiment, the signal can be transmitted without using the signal line in the joint portion 5, and the wafer cassette can be surely detected. is there.

<Third Embodiment>

FIG. 7 shows a third part of the transfer arm device according to the present invention.
8A is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the joint portion, FIG. 8B is a plan view of the relay lever, and FIG. 9 is a right side view of FIG. 8A. .

In these drawings, reference numeral 19 is a relay lever, which rotates about the rotation shaft 5a of the joint portion 5 and which is located outside the joint portion 5 and which has signal lines 7a and 7 from the respective arm portions 2 and 3.
It is for connecting b. The relay lever 19 includes left and right levers 19a and 19b, and these levers 19a and 19b.
It is composed of a bar 19c connecting 19b. The left and right levers 19a and 19b and the bar 19c are made of a synthetic resin material or the like, and are rotatably supported by the support disks 20 and 20 around the rotary shaft 5a of the joint portion 5. Bar 19c
Is fixed by being passed between the levers 19a and 19b, and a connecting line 7c similar to the signal lines 7a and 7b is arranged on the bar 19c as shown in FIG. 8B.
The signal lines 7a and 7b are connected via the communication line 7c.

Reference numeral 21 is a stopper projecting from the side portion of the arm portions 2 and 3, which is adapted to regulate the rotation of the relay lever 19. The rotation range of the relay lever 19 is set to 150 ° + α, as shown in FIG. Arm part 2
As shown in FIG. 7, the signal line 7a from is fixed along the end 22 of the arm portion 2, passes under the bar 19c, is curved upward, and is connected to the bar 19c. Also,
The signal line 7b of the arm portion 3 is fixed along the end portion 33 of the arm portion 3, is curved below the bar 19c and is curved upward, and is similarly connected to the bar 19c.

According to the transfer arm device having such a structure, the relay lever 19 rotates about the rotation shaft 5a of the joint portion 5, and is outside the joint portion 5 from the arm portions 2 and 3. Since the signal lines 7a and 7b are connected to each other, when the arm portions 2 and 3 rotate, the signal lines 7a and 7b of the arm portions 2 and 3 are synchronized with the rotation of the arm portions 2 and 3. It will rotate favorably to a position where the load is not applied to.

Therefore, according to the transfer arm device of the present embodiment, since the signal lines 7a and 7b of the respective arm portions 2 and 3 are not burdened, the signal lines 7a and 7b are not broken, and the wafer cassette The detection can be reliably performed.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an arm portion showing a first embodiment of a transfer arm device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a joint portion.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a joint part showing a second embodiment of the transfer arm device according to the present invention.

5 is a V-V arrow view of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a connector.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a joint portion showing a third embodiment of the transfer arm device according to the present invention.

8A is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a joint portion, and FIG. 8B is a plan view of a relay lever.

9 is a right side view of FIG. 8 (a).

FIG. 10 is a front view showing a conventional transfer arm device.

11 is a right side view of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2, 3 Arm part 5 Joint part 10 Arc-shaped electrode 11 Electrode

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A transfer arm device in which arm portions are rotatably connected by a joint portion, wherein an arc-shaped electrode is provided on one arm portion of the joint portion,
A transfer arm device, wherein an electrode facing the arc-shaped electrode is provided on the other arm portion with a gap, and a capacitor is formed between the electrode and the arc-shaped electrode. 2. A transfer arm device in which arm portions are rotatably connected to each other by a joint portion, and arcuate grooves formed respectively on opposing surfaces of the arm portion in the joint portion,
A transfer arm device comprising: an electrode arranged in the groove; and a connector slidably provided in the groove for connecting the electrodes. 3. A transfer arm device in which arm portions are rotatably connected by a joint portion, wherein the transfer arm device rotates about a rotation axis of the joint portion, and each arm portion is outside the joint portion. A transfer arm device, which is provided with a relay lever for connecting the signal line of FIG.