JPH0632684Y2 - Transport device using robot - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial field of application) The present invention relates to a transfer device using a robot, and more particularly to a transfer device using an articulated robot having a wide motion range for its small size.

(Prior Art and Problems) The articulated robot has a higher degree of freedom in movement as the number of movement axes increases, but the mechanism and control become complicated, resulting in a large and heavy robot, and a large control device and high cost. . In order for an articulated robot to handle an article, five axes are practically required, and a carrier device using a five-axis articulated robot as shown in FIG. 3 is often used.

Regarding the postures of the four axes and the five axes when handling an article using a five-axis articulated robot as shown in FIG. 3, when the four axes are vertical, the state shown in FIG. When the four axes are not vertical, the state shown in FIG.

On the other hand, when the article to be handled is in the radial direction with respect to the robot 1-axis turning center, the handling takes a posture as shown in FIG. 5 (a), and the article to be handled is not in the radial direction with respect to the robot 1-axis turning center. The handling in such a case takes a posture as shown in FIG. 5 (b).

Therefore, when the four axes are vertical as shown in FIG. 4 (a),
As shown in FIG. 5 (b), it is possible to handle an article at an arbitrary angle with respect to the robot 1-axis turning center, but when the 4 axes are not vertical as shown in FIG. 4 (b),
As shown in FIG. 5 (a), it is impossible to handle the article at an arbitrary angle with respect to the robot 1-axis turning center, and only the article placed in the radial direction with respect to the robot 1-axis turning center can be handled. However, there is a problem that the 5-axis articulated robot as shown in FIG.

Further, especially in the case of a mobile robot or the like in which the articulated robot is mounted on a moving carriage, it is the highest order to make the articulated robot small and light.

(Means for Solving Problems) The present invention is capable of linearly sliding a 5-axis articulated robot and an article to be handled in order to solve the problem when the 5-axis articulated robot as described above cannot cope. In combination with a separate slide mechanism and / or a rotation mechanism separate from the robot, which is capable of rotating an article to be handled around the rotation center, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in robot handling. It's something to deal with.

That is, even when the four axes are not vertical as shown in FIG. 4 (b), handling is possible when the article is not in the radial direction with respect to the robot 1-axis turning center as shown in FIG. 5 (b). It enables handling when a plurality of articles are put side by side in a box.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of a transfer device using a robot according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2A and 2B.

FIG. 1 shows a 5-axis articulated robot 1, a slide mechanism 2 separate from the robot capable of linearly sliding an article to be handled, and / or the robot capable of pivoting around a pivot center of an article to be handled. This is an embodiment of a transfer apparatus using a robot according to the present invention, which is combined with a separately installed turning mechanism 3 to increase the degree of freedom of robot handling, and is an example of a semiconductor wafer transfer apparatus.

That is, the semiconductor wafer transfer apparatus is placed in each two-cassette box 4A, 4B mounted on the slide mechanism 2 separate from the robot and / or the swivel mechanism 3 separate from the robot. It is said that each of the two wafer cassettes 5A to 5D is handled by a robot addressed to one and loaded into the wafer processing apparatus 6, and the processed wafer cassettes 5 from the wafer processing apparatus 6 are returned to the cassette box 4 containing two wafer cassettes. It does the action.

Next, the operation of the carrying device will be described.

(1) In FIG. 1, the wafer cassette 5A in the cassette box A on the slide mechanism 2 is placed in the radial direction when viewed from the center of rotation of the robot 1 axis. The robot 1 handles the wafer cassette 5A in the posture shown in FIG. Wafer cassette 5B in cassette box 4A
Since it is impossible to handle the same as in Fig. 1,
Handling is performed after the cassette 5B is slid to the position of the cassette 5A by the slide mechanism 2.

(2) In FIG. 1, cassette box 4 on swivel mechanism 3
Wafer cassette 5C and wafer cassette 5D in B are handled by cassette 5C during cassette handling.
Alternatively, the cassette 5D is moved by the turning mechanism 3 so as to be in the radial direction when viewed from the center of turning of the robot 1 axis.

The wafer cassette 5 handled by (1) and (2) is placed in the inlet of the wafer processing apparatus 6 in the posture shown in FIG. The processed cassette 5 coming out of the wafer processing apparatus 6 is similarly handled and returned to the box 4.

In the above embodiment, the case where the articulated robot is fixed on the ground has been described, but it goes without saying that a better effect can be obtained when it is on the moving carriage.

(Effect of the Invention) Since the transfer device using the robot according to the present invention is configured as described above, for example, the posture (four axes shown in FIG. It is possible to handle in the direction of FIG. 5 (b) (when the article is not vertical) (when the article is not in the radial direction with respect to the robot 1-axis turning center).

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a transfer device using a robot according to the present invention, FIG. 2 (a) is a side view showing a posture in which a wafer cassette is handled by the robot of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2 (b). 2A is a side view showing the attitude of loading and unloading the wafer cassette of FIG. 2A to the wafer processing apparatus, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a 5-axis articulated robot, and FIG. 4 is a case when handling an article. Fig. 5 (a) is a side view showing a state in which the four axes are vertical, and Fig. 5 (a) is a side view showing a state in which the four axes are vertical. ) Is a plan view of the posture for handling the article when the article is in the radial direction with respect to the robot 1-axis turning center, and FIG. 5B is an article when the article is not in the radial direction with respect to the robot 1-axis turning center The posture plane to handle It is. 1 ... 5-axis articulated robot 2 ... Slide mechanism 3 ... Rotating mechanism 4A, 4B ... Cassette box 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D ... Wafer cassette 6 ... Wafer processing apparatus

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A 5-axis articulated robot, and a slide mechanism separate from the robot capable of linearly sliding an article to be handled, and / or the robot capable of pivoting an orbit around an article to be handled. Is combined with a separately placed turning mechanism, and the article is slid or turned by the slide mechanism or the turning mechanism so as to be in a radial direction when viewed from the center of rotation of the robot 1 axis, and then handling is performed. A transfer device that uses a featured robot.