KR20210073201A - Robot arms for transporting display panels - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a robotic arm for transporting a substrate, which can stably load and transport a display substrate. The robotic arm of the present invention comprises: a base; a plurality of transportation units aligned on the base to be spaced apart from each other by a certain gap in order to support and transport the substrate and capable of being folded linearly; and a driving unit for driving the transportation units, wherein each of the transportation units includes: a fixed frame fixed to the base; a first transportation frame moving along the fixed frame on the fixed frame by power provided by the driving unit; a pair of pulleys formed on the front end and rear end of a right-sided surface of the first transportation frame; a first belt joined to the first pulley to move in accordance with the movement of the first transportation frame; and a second transportation frame moving along the first transportation frame on the first transportation frame by power provided by the first belt.

Description

Robot arm for transporting display boards {ROBOT ARMS FOR TRANSPORTING DISPLAY PANELS}

The present invention relates to a robot arm for transporting a display substrate, and more particularly, to a robot arm for transporting a display substrate that can be stably mounted and transported in the process of processing and manufacturing a display substrate.

Recently, as high-definition display products increase and the consumption of portable terminals increases, research and commercialization related to a lightweight thin-film flat panel display device instead of the conventional display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT), are being activated.

A panel is included as a display means in a TV, a computer monitor, a mobile terminal, etc., and the panel is mainly manufactured from a glass substrate. Glass substrate panels are being applied to LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), PDP (Plasma Display Panel), OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes), etc.

LCD is a device that uses a kind of optical switch phenomenon that displays numbers or images by injecting liquid crystal, which is an intermediate substance between solid and liquid, between two thin glass plates, and changing the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules with the voltage difference between the electrodes on the upper and lower glass plates. All. It is classified into a passive matrix method and an active matrix method according to the driving method. The passive matrix method includes TN (Twisted Nematic) and STN (Super-Twisted Nematic), and the active matrix method includes TFT (Thin Film Transistor).

PDP puts gases such as Ne+Ar, Ne+Xe, etc. between the front glass and the rear glass and the glass sealed by a partition between them, and applies a voltage through the electrodes of the anode and the cathode to emit neon light as display light. It refers to the electronic display device used. PDP is a large panel with high display quality, fast response, high reliability, and long lifespan, so the demand for PDP displays surged in the past, but now the demand is decreasing.

OLEDs are also called organic light emitting diodes or organic ELs. It is a type of light emitting device based on a fluorescent organic compound. Unlike liquid crystal, it can emit light by itself without a backlight, so the thickness of the panel can be made thin. In addition, it can be driven at a low voltage and has a wide viewing angle and fast response speed. In small screens, it has favorable price competitiveness due to its image quality better than LCD and a simple manufacturing process. It is attracting attention as a next-generation display.

Processing of the glass substrate used in such display devices involves processes such as deposition, photolithography, and etching. A circular central chamber and surrounding process chambers are used to perform each process. The robot moves inside the central chamber, and the robot arm inserts or discharges the glass substrate into the process chamber. The conventional robot/robot arm rotates in the central chamber in order to move the glass substrate from the process chamber to another process chamber. At this time, the glass substrate is highly likely to be damaged, such as shaking or falling. In addition, since the conventional robot/robot arm requires sufficient space to rotate while the glass substrate is mounted, the size of the central chamber is inevitably large.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a robot arm for transporting a display substrate that can stably mount and transport a display substrate.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a robot arm for transporting a display substrate having a structure that can minimize the space of the chamber.

The technical problems to be achieved in the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs from the following description. will be able

A robot arm for transporting a display substrate according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes: a base; a plurality of transfer units arranged side by side at regular intervals on the base to support and transfer the substrate and which are linearly foldable; Including a driving unit for driving the conveying unit,

Each of the transfer units includes a fixed frame fixed on the base, a first transfer frame moving along the fixed frame on the fixed frame by the power provided from the driving unit, and front and rear ends of the right side of the first transfer frame. A pair of first pulleys formed on the , a first belt fastened to the first pulley and moving according to the movement of the first transfer frame, and the first transfer frame on the first transfer frame by the power provided from the first belt It includes a second transfer frame that moves along the first transfer frame.

In addition, the robot arm according to the present invention includes a first bracket coupled to the right side of the fixed frame, a second bracket coupled to the left side of the first transport frame, and the second bracket coupled to the right side of the second transport frame and the second bracket is coupled to the right side of the second transport frame. A third bracket fixed to the upper part of the first belt and moving the second transfer frame by the power provided by the first belt, a pair of second pulleys formed at the front and rear ends of the left side of the second transfer frame; a second belt fastened to the second pulley and moving according to the movement of the second transfer frame; a support frame moving along the second transfer frame on the second transfer frame and configured to support the substrate; It further includes a fourth bracket coupled to the left side of the support frame and fixed to the upper portion of the second belt to move the support frame by the power provided from the second belt.

A lower portion of the first belt is fixed to the first bracket, and an upper portion of the first belt is fixed to the third bracket.

A lower portion of the second belt is fixed to the second bracket, and an upper portion of the second belt is fixed to the fourth bracket.

Each of the fixed frame and the first and second transfer frames includes an upper groove formed along the longitudinal direction at an upper portion thereof, and one or more guide rails formed in the upper groove.

Each of the first and second transfer frames and the support frame includes a fastening member inserted into a corresponding upper groove positioned below it, fastened to a corresponding guide rail positioned below it, and configured to move along the corresponding guide rail.

In addition, each of the first and second transfer frames and the support frame further includes a lower groove formed in the longitudinal direction at a lower portion thereof, and a fixing member formed in the lower groove to fix and support the fastening member.

The driving unit includes a ball screw coupled to the base, and a horizontal bar coupled to at least one of left and right side surfaces of the first transfer frame to move the first transfer frame according to the rotation of the ball screw.

The robot arm for transporting the display substrate according to the present invention is configured to allow the transport of the glass substrate without rotational operation, so that the display substrate can be stably mounted and transported and the size of the chamber can be minimized.

1 is a view showing the front of a robot arm for transporting a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a view showing the side of the robot arm for transporting the substrate of Figure 1;
FIG. 3 is a view showing the transfer unit 50 of FIG. 1 in detail.
4 and 5 are views illustrating the right side of the transfer unit 50 .
6 and 7 are views showing the left side of the transfer unit (50).
8 and 9 are views showing the expanded state of the robot arm for transporting the substrate of FIG. 1 .
10 is a view showing in detail the upper center of the robot arm for transporting the substrate of FIG. 1 .

Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the same or similar components are assigned the same reference numerals regardless of reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "part" for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of only the ease of writing the specification, and do not have a meaning or role distinct from each other by themselves. In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, if it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical spirit disclosed herein is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention , should be understood to include equivalents or substitutes.

The robot arm for transporting a display substrate according to the present invention is for processing and manufacturing a glass substrate for a display panel, but is not limited thereto and may be applied to processing and manufacturing a substrate for other uses. The robot arm according to the present invention is coupled to the robot body 10 and is configured to move while the glass substrate is mounted or to insert and discharge the glass substrate into the process chamber.

1 to 3 , the robot arm for transporting a display substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base 30 , a plurality of transfer units 50 , and a driving unit 70 .

The base 30 is coupled to the upper portion of the robot body 10 , and supports and fixes the transfer unit 50 and the driving unit 70 . Here, the robot body 10 may be configured to include components necessary for supporting and driving the robot arm, for example, a motor, a power transmission system, a lift, a wheel, and the like.

The plurality of transfer units 50 are arranged side by side at regular intervals on the base 30 to support and transfer the substrate 200 and are linearly foldable. To this end, each of the transfer units 50 includes a fixed frame 510 , first and second transfer frames 530 and 550 , a support frame 570 , a pair of first pulleys 532 , and a pair of second pulleys ( 552 , and first and second belts 533 and 553 .

The fixed frames 510 are arranged parallel to each other at regular intervals on the base 30 , and are fixed on the base 30 so as not to move. As shown in FIG. 5, the first bracket 511 is coupled to the right side of the fixing frame 510, and the first bracket 511 is coupled and fixed to a lower part of the first belt 533 to the first belt ( 533) Limit the movement of the lower part. Here, the right side of the fixed frame 510 does not necessarily mean the right side, but the side opposite to the left side, and the terms 'right side' and 'left side' are expressions for ease of explanation and their position is Conversely, it can be configured. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4 , the lower part of the first belt 533 means a lower part of the upper part and the lower part of the first belt 533 divided by the first pulley 532 .

In addition, the fixing frame 510 includes a first upper groove 515 formed in the longitudinal direction at an upper portion thereof, and one or more first guide rails 516 formed in the first upper groove 515 . The length of the first guide rail 516 is preferably the same as or similar to the length of the fixed frame 510 . A portion of the first fastening member 537 of the first transfer frame 530 is inserted into the first upper groove 515 located below it and is fastened to the first guide rail 516 along the first guide rail 516 . will move Since the length of the first fastening member 537 limits the moving distance of the first transfer frame 530, it is preferable that the first transfer frame 530 be formed short within a range in which it does not shake.

The first transfer frame 530 is configured to move along the fixed frame 510 on the fixed frame 510 by the power provided from the driving unit 70 . That is, the first transfer frame 530 moves back and forth on the fixed frame 510 by the power of the driving unit 70 . And, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the second bracket 531 is coupled to the left side of the first transport frame 530 , and the second bracket 531 is coupled to a lower portion of the second belt 553 and It is fixed to limit the movement of the lower portion of the second belt 553 .

In addition, the first transport frame 530 includes a second upper groove 535 formed along the longitudinal direction at its upper portion, and one or more second guide rails 536 formed in the second upper groove 535 . The length of the second guide rail 536 is preferably the same as or similar to the length of the first transfer frame 530 . A part of the second fastening member 557 of the second transfer frame 550 is inserted into the second upper groove 535 located below it and is fastened to the second guide rail 536 along the second guide rail 536 . Move.

The first transport frame 530 includes a first lower groove 538 formed in the longitudinal direction at a lower portion thereof, and a first fixing member formed in the first lower groove 538 to fix and support the first fastening member 537 . (539). In addition, a first protective plate 540 may be further formed on the first fixing member 539 in order to prevent the leakage of foreign substances such as lubricant from the first fixing member 539 .

The first pulley 532 is formed at the front and rear ends of the right side of the first transfer frame 530 . The first belt 533 is fastened to the circumference of the pair of first pulleys 532 to maintain a constant tension, and moves according to the movement of the first transfer frame 530 . While the first transfer frame 530 is moving, since a lower portion of the first belt 533 is fixed by the first bracket 511 , the upper portion of the first belt 533 is the first transfer frame 530 . It moves along the moving direction, and the first pulley 532 rotates by the movement of the first belt 533 .

The second transport frame 550 is configured to move along the first transport frame 530 on the first transport frame 530 by the power provided from the first belt 533 . To this end, a third bracket 551 is coupled to the right side of the second transport frame 550 , and the third bracket 551 is coupled and fixed to the upper portion of the first belt 533 to form the first belt 533 . The second transfer frame 550 is moved by movement. That is, since a lower portion of the first belt 533 is fixed to the first bracket 511 and an upper portion of the first belt 533 is fixed to the third bracket 551 , the first belt 533 is The second transfer frame 550 moves in the moving direction. At this time, since the second transfer frame 550 is interlocked with the first transfer frame 530 and moves in the same direction while the first transfer frame 530 moves, the moving speed of the second transfer frame 550 is the first It is double the transfer frame (530).

In addition, the second transfer frame 550 includes a third upper groove 555 formed along the longitudinal direction at its upper portion, and one or more third guide rails 556 formed in the third upper groove 555 . The length of the third guide rail 556 is preferably the same as or similar to the length of the second transfer frame 550 . A part of the third fastening member 577 of the support frame 570 is inserted into the third upper groove 555 located below it and is fastened to the third guide rail 556 to move along the third guide rail 556 . .

The second transport frame 550 has a second lower groove 558 formed in the longitudinal direction at its lower portion, and a second fixing member formed in the second lower groove 558 to fix and support the second fastening member 557 . (559). In addition, a second protective plate 560 may be further formed on the second fixing member 559 in order to prevent the leakage of foreign substances such as lubricant from the second fixing member 559 .

As shown in FIG. 6 , the second pulley 552 is formed at the front and rear ends of the left side of the second transfer frame 550 . The second belt 553 is fastened to a pair of second pulleys 552 to maintain a constant tension, and moves according to the movement of the second transfer frame 550 . While the second transfer frame 550 is moving, the lower portion of the second belt 553 is fixed by the second bracket 531 so that the upper portion of the second belt 553 is the second transfer frame 550 . It moves along the moving direction, and the second pulley 552 rotates by the movement of the second belt 553 .

The support frame 570 is for supporting and transporting the substrate 200 , and is configured to move along the second transport frame on the second transport frame 550 by the power provided from the second belt 553 . To this end, a fourth bracket 571 is coupled to the left side of the support frame 570 , and the fourth bracket 571 is coupled and fixed to the upper portion of the second belt 553 to move the second belt 553 . The support frame 570 is moved by That is, since the lower part of the second belt 553 is fixed to the second bracket 531 and the upper part of the second belt 553 is fixed to the fourth bracket 571 , the second belt 553 is The support frame 570 moves in the moving direction. At this time, since the support frame 570 is interlocked with the second transfer frame 550 and moves in the same direction while the second transfer frame 550 moves, the moving speed of the support frame 570 is the second transfer frame 550 . ) is doubled.

In addition, the support frame 570 has a third lower groove 578 formed in the longitudinal direction at its lower portion, and a third fixing member formed in the third lower groove 578 to fix and support the third fastening member 577 . (579). In addition, a third protective plate 580 may be further formed on the third fixing member 579 to prevent the leakage of foreign substances such as lubricant from the third fixing member 579 .

In order to reduce the volume of the transfer unit 50 and increase rigidity, the fixed frame 510, the first and second transfer frames 530 and 550, and the support frame 570 are configured in a shape similar to that of the H-beam. In addition, as in FIG. 3 , the widths of the first and second transfer frames 530 and 550 and the support frame 570 are different from each other, and the widths of the first, second, and third rails 516 , 536 and 556 are also different from each other. .

Although the embodiment of the present invention includes two transport frames 530 and 550, it may be configured to include one transport frame or two or more transport frames.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the transfer unit 50 extends long while the substrate 200 is mounted, so that the movement distance of the robot itself can be minimized. In particular, the transfer unit 50 does not extend in only one direction, but can be extended in a desired direction among the front and rear, so that it is possible to transfer the substrate 200 in the chamber without rotating the robot arm. Accordingly, the substrate 200 can be stably mounted and transported, and the space of the chamber can be minimized.

As shown in FIG. 9 , when the transfer unit 50 is extended to the maximum, the front end of the fixed frame 510 and the rear end of the support frame 570 should be spaced apart from each other at a set interval (eg, 1 m). This is to secure a space in which the gate of the process chamber is closed between the front end of the fixed frame 510 and the rear end of the support frame 570 .

As shown in FIG. 10 , the driving unit 70 is coupled to at least one of the ball screw 71 coupled on the base 30 so as to be parallel to the conveying unit 50 and the left and right sides of the first conveying frame 530 . and a horizontal bar 73 for moving the first transfer frame 530 according to the rotation of the ball screw 71 . The driving unit 70 of the present invention is coupled to the base 30 , but may be configured to be located inside the base 30 or the robot body 10 .

In the foregoing, the present invention has been shown and described in connection with preferred embodiments for illustrating the principles of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the construction and operation as so shown and described. Rather, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

10: robot body 30: base
50: transfer unit 70: drive unit
71: ball screw 73: horizontal bar
510: fixed frame 511, 531, 551, 571: first, second, third, and fourth brackets
515, 535, 555: first, second, and third upper grooves 516, 536, 556: first, second, and third rails
530: first transfer frame 532: first pulley
533, 553: first and second belts 537, 557, 577: first, second, and third fastening members
538, 558, 578: first, second, and third lower grooves 539, 559, 579: first, second, and third fixing members
540, 560, 580: 1st, 2nd, 3rd protection plate 550: 2nd transfer frame
570: support frame

Claims (10)

Base;
a plurality of transfer units arranged side by side at regular intervals on the base to support and transfer the substrate and which are linearly foldable;
Including a driving unit for driving the conveying unit,
Each of the transfer units,
a fixed frame fixed on the base;
A first transfer frame moving along the fixed frame on the fixed frame by the power provided by the driving unit;
A pair of first pulleys formed on the front and rear ends of the right side of the first transfer frame,
A first belt fastened to the first pulley and moving according to the movement of the first transport frame;
A robot arm for transporting a substrate comprising a second transport frame moving along the first transport frame on the first transport frame by the power provided from the first belt. The method of claim 1,
a first bracket coupled to the right side of the fixed frame;
a second bracket coupled to the left side of the first transfer frame;
The robot for transporting substrates, characterized in that it further comprises a third bracket coupled to the right side of the second transfer frame and fixed to the upper portion of the first belt to move the second transfer frame by power provided from the first belt. arm. 3. The method of claim 2,
A lower portion of the first belt is fixed to the first bracket, and an upper portion of the first belt is fixed to the third bracket. 3. The method of claim 2,
A pair of second pulleys formed at the front and rear ends of the left side of the second transfer frame;
a second belt fastened to the second pulley and moving according to the movement of the second transfer frame;
a support frame configured to move along the second transfer frame on the second transfer frame and support the substrate;
and a fourth bracket coupled to the left side of the support frame and fixed to the upper portion of the second belt to move the support frame by power provided from the second belt. 5. The method of claim 4,
A lower portion of the second belt is fixed to the second bracket, and an upper portion of the second belt is fixed to the fourth bracket. The method of claim 1,
The first and second transfer frames are a robot arm for transporting a substrate, characterized in that it moves in the same direction. The method of claim 1,
Each of the fixed frame and the first and second transfer frames,
an upper groove formed along the longitudinal direction at the upper portion thereof;
A robot arm for transporting a substrate comprising one or more guide rails formed in the upper groove. 8. The method of claim 7,
Each of the first and second transfer frames and the support frame,
A robot arm for transporting a substrate, comprising a fastening member inserted into the corresponding upper groove positioned below it and fastened to the corresponding guide rail positioned below it, and configured to move along the corresponding guide rail. 9. The method of claim 8,
Each of the first and second transfer frames and the support frame,
a lower groove formed along the longitudinal direction at the lower portion thereof;
A robot arm for transporting a substrate, characterized in that it further comprises a fixing member formed in the lower groove to fix and support the fastening member. The method of claim 1,
the driving unit
a ball screw coupled to the base;
A robot arm for transporting substrates, comprising a horizontal bar coupled to at least one of the left and right sides of the first transport frame and moving the first transport frame according to the rotation of the ball screw.

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