A plate carrier box storage rack, storage method thereof, and composite robot

Abstract

The present invention provides a sheet material box storage rack and a storage method thereof, and a composite robot, wherein the sheet material box storage rack comprises: a first driving device, a first pressing member, a first base, a back baffle, a side baffle, and a shock absorber, wherein the back baffle is fixed to a first position of the first base to separate the first base into a front area and a back area, the back baffle is provided with a movable opening, the first driving device is arranged on the first base in the back area, the first pressing member is connected to the movable end of the first driving device and extends into the front area through the movable opening, the side baffle is connected to at least one of the first base or the back baffle to define a storage area between the front area and the first pressing member, wherein the shock absorber is arranged around the bottom of the first base. The composite robot is thereby adapted to perform batch loading of sheet material boxes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a composite robot loading technology, and in particular to a plate carrier box storage rack suitable for composite robots and a storage method thereof. Background Art

[0002] At present, in various stages of the manufacturing or processing of semiconductor products (such as the packaging and testing stage), magazine boxes (commonly known as carrier boxes, PCB board boxes) are usually used to batch load various types of semiconductor components (such as PCB boards with chips) for transportation, positioning and storage.

[0003] At the same time, in order to save labor costs and improve production efficiency and controllability, semiconductor manufacturers are gradually using composite robots to replace manual labor in the transportation and loading and unloading procedures of carrier boxes. For this reason, in the existing technology, such composite robots are currently usually based on the existing automatic guided transport robots, which are modified to add a robotic arm that is specifically suitable for grasping carrier boxes.

[0004] For example, the applicant had previously provided a solution of "a robot clamping device and its clamping method, a sheet material box, and a composite robot" (application number: 2022101991913), which designed a sheet material box with a specific structure and its corresponding clamping claw structure, so as to improve the fault tolerance of the automated clamping of the sheet material box and form automatic correction during the clamping process.

[0005] However, in the further application process, the applicant considered that in order to further improve the transfer efficiency, it was necessary to provide a solution that enables the composite robot to load and transport the plate material boxes in batches. However, due to the many uncertainties in the working environment of the composite robot, it may encounter unpredictable driving movements such as sudden stops and turns during operation. The plate material boxes are loaded with semiconductor materials for precision devices, which are relatively fragile and therefore cannot be shaken violently.

[0006] At the same time, since both sides of the carrier box are open, if the carrier boxes are simply stacked on the composite robot, the materials in the carrier box are likely to leak sideways due to the vibration, braking, and turning inertia of the composite robot during its travel. Or the bumps in the movement of the composite robot itself may be transmitted to the carrier box and further increase the chance of damage to the material. In addition, the slight friction between the semiconductor material and the carrier box caused by vibration will also produce some debris, which will threaten the cleanliness of the semiconductor material.

[0007] Therefore, how to ensure that the carrier box is transported in batches while minimizing the impact of the composite robot's driving factors on the carrier box so as to smoothly transport the semiconductor materials to the destination is an urgent problem that technicians in this field need to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To this end, the main purpose of the present invention is to provide a sheet carrier box storage rack and a storage method thereof, and a composite robot, so as to at least partially solve the problems in the background technology.

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet material box storage rack, which includes: a first driving device, a first pressing member, a first base, a back baffle, a side baffle, and a shock-absorbing member, wherein the back baffle is fixed to the first position of the first base to separate the first base into a front area and a back area, a movable opening is provided on the back baffle, the first driving device is arranged on the first base in the back area, the first pressing member is connected to the movable end of the first driving device and extends into the front area through the movable opening, the side baffle is connected to at least one of the first base or the back baffle to define a storage area between the front area and the first pressing member, wherein the shock-absorbing member is arranged around the bottom of the first base.

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, according to the second aspect of the present invention, a plate carrier box storage rack is also provided, which includes: a basic storage unit, a ladder storage unit, wherein the basic storage unit is made of the plate carrier box storage rack as described above, and the ladder storage unit includes: a step plate, a second base, a bracket plate, a second drive device, a linkage pressing member, and a side stopper, wherein the lower portion of the step plate is connected to the second base to define a first step, and the bracket plate is connected to the upper portion of the step plate to define a second step, and the bracket plate is also connected to the second base to support the step plate and define a dark cabinet between the second base and the step plate. The second driving device is connected to the bracket plate and stored in the dark cabinet, the linkage pressing member is connected to the moving end of the second driving device, and the step plate is respectively provided with a linkage opening, and each pressing head of the linkage pressing member extends into the first step and the second step respectively through the linkage opening, and the side stoppers are respectively arranged on the first step and the second step to define each storage area on the first step and the second step between the linkage pressing member, wherein the step storage unit is respectively matched with the back baffle and the first base of the basic storage unit through the second base and the bracket plate, so as to be stacked on the basic storage unit to form a three-layer stepped storage rack.

[0011] In a possible preferred embodiment, the first driving device includes: a fixed plate, a guide rod, a movable block, a telescopic push rod, a fixed seat, and a linkage plate, wherein both ends of the guide rod are connected to the fixed plate, the fixed plate is connected to the first base in the backstage area, the movable block and the guide rod are matched to form a sliding connection, the bottom of the fixed seat is fixed on the first base in the backstage area, the tail end of the telescopic push rod is connected to the fixed seat, the movable end of the telescopic push rod is connected to the movable block, the bottom surface of the linkage plate is connected to the movable block, and the top surface is connected to the first pressing member.

[0012] In a possible preferred embodiment, the second driving device includes: a fixed plate, a guide rod, a movable block, a telescopic push rod, a fixed seat, and a linkage plate, wherein both ends of the guide rod are connected to the fixed plate, the fixed plate is connected to the bracket plate, the movable block and the guide rod are matched to form a sliding connection, the bottom of the fixed seat is fixed on the bracket plate, the tail end of the telescopic push rod is connected to the fixed seat, the movable end of the telescopic push rod is connected to the movable block, the bottom surface of the linkage plate is connected to the movable block, and the top surface is connected to the linkage pressing member.

[0013] In a possible preferred embodiment, the sheet material box storage rack further includes: proximity sensors, which are respectively embedded on the first base of the front desk area, the second base of the first step, and the top of the step plate of the second step, and are located in each storage area.

[0014] In a possible preferred embodiment, the side block includes: a side block seat, a side block clamp, and an elastic member, wherein the side block seat is provided with an elastic groove to accommodate the elastic member and at least part of the side block clamp to form an elastic connection therein, and the side block clamp at least partially extends out of the elastic groove.

[0015] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, according to the third aspect of the present invention, a composite robot is further provided, which includes: a loading rack, a gripping device, and an automatic guided transport robot, wherein the loading rack and the gripping device are respectively arranged at the first and second positions of the top material table of the automatic guided transport robot, wherein the loading rack includes a plate material box storage rack as described above, wherein the first base is connected to the material table via a shock-absorbing member.

[0016] In a possible preferred embodiment, the gripping device includes: a robotic arm, a clamping unit, wherein the clamping unit includes: a mounting bracket, a first driving motor, a clip, a guide wheel, a scanner, and a camera, wherein the driving motor is arranged at the first position of the mounting bracket, a support platform is provided at the front end of the clip, the guide wheel is rotatably connected to the support platform and extends a distance outside the support platform, the tail end of the clip is connected to the driving end of the driving motor to form a clamping claw, the scanner is arranged at the second position of the mounting bracket, and its viewing area faces the bottom of the clamping claw, the camera is arranged at the third position of the mounting bracket opposite to the clamping claw position, and the fourth position of the mounting bracket is provided with a matching interface for connection with the robotic arm.

[0017] In a possible preferred embodiment, the clamping unit also includes: a side block mechanism, which includes: a block arm, a second driving motor, wherein one end of the block arm is connected to the fifth position rotating shaft of the mounting bracket, and the second driving motor is arranged at the sixth position of the mounting bracket, and its driving end is transmission-connected to the block arm to drive the block arm to make an embracing posture.

[0018] In order to achieve the above object, according to a third aspect of the present invention, a method for storing a carrier material box is provided, the steps of which include:

[0019] The composite robot drives the gripping unit through the robotic arm to obtain the position information of the carrier magazine through the camera. After processing by the master controller, the robotic arm drives the gripping unit to move toward the carrier magazine and obtains the preset information on the carrier magazine through the scanner to determine whether the carrier magazine target is correct.

[0020] When the carrier box is confirmed to be the grasping target, the robot arm adjusts the gripping unit posture to make the gripper grasp the carrier box and transport it to the empty storage area of ​​the carrier box storage rack;

[0021] When the proximity sensor of the corresponding storage area sends a sensor signal to the main controller, the clamp releases the carrier box and exits the storage area. At the same time, at least one of the first drive device or the second drive device corresponding to the storage area will drive the adapted first clamping member or the linked clamping member to move, so as to cooperate with the side stopper to clamp the carrier box to complete the storage.

[0022] The present invention provides a sheet material box storage rack, a storage method thereof, and a composite robot, wherein the sheet material box storage rack can be adapted to a composite robot for batch loading of sheet material boxes. In some examples, the storage rack is designed with a stepped structure so that the storage areas between each layer do not interfere with each other, which is conducive to forming a fixed position relationship between the robotic arm and each storage area. Therefore, this structure actually reduces the technical difficulty of the robotic arm in automatically positioning and placing the sheet material boxes.

[0023] In addition, the structure of the plate carrier box storage rack can also alleviate the vibration generated by the composite robot when it is in motion. On the one hand, the storage rack is designed with a spring buffer structure connected to the material table to alleviate the longitudinal vibration. On the other hand, a clamping mechanism is designed in the storage area to effectively alleviate the lateral vibration of the storage rack. This can reduce the overall vibration of the plate carrier box on the storage rack, thereby reducing the damage to the material in the plate carrier box and the chance of generating debris, thereby ensuring the reliability of the composite robot's automated batch transportation of semiconductor materials. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which constitute part of this application, are intended to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are intended to explain the present invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a sheet material box storage rack according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of a sheet material box storage rack according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of a sheet material box storage rack according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of a sheet material box storage rack according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the support plate is in a perspective view;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a partial structural diagram of the stacked sheet material box storage rack according to the third embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of a composite robot carrying a sheet material box according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of a composite robot according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention equipped with a sheet material box storage rack according to the third embodiment;

[0032] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure of a gripping unit of a compound robot according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the structure of a gripping unit of a compound robot according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the structure of a gripping unit of a compound robot according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the structure of a gripping unit of a compound robot according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of a gripping unit of a compound robot gripping a sheet carrier box according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Description of Reference Numerals

[0038] First drive device 1, first pressing member 2, first base 3, back plate 4, side block 5, shock absorber 6, material table 7, plate carrier 8, storage area 99, proximity sensor 10, fixed plate 11, guide rod 12, movable block 13, telescopic push rod 14, fixed seat 15, linkage plate 16, photoelectric switch 17, sensor sheet 18, moving port 41, side block seat 51, side block clamping block 52, linear bearing 61, spring pressure cover 62, guide rod 63, spring member 64, positioning rod 101, buffer pad 102, back block 103, step plate 40, second base 30, bracket plate 31, second drive device 1 ', linkage pressing member 20, hidden cabinet 90, pressing head 201, Linkage port 41', loading rack 91, gripping device 92, automatic guided transport robot 93, robotic arm 921, gripping unit 922, mounting bracket 923, first driving motor 924, clip 925, guide wheel 926, scanner 927, camera 928, support platform 929, matching port 930, barrier arm 940, second driving motor 941, housing 95, guard plate 96, recorder 97. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the specific technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the embodiments to help those skilled in the art further understand the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described in this case are only embodiments of a part of the present invention, rather than all embodiments. It should be pointed out that, for those of ordinary skill in the art, the embodiments in this application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without departing from the concept of the present invention and without conflicting with each other. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative work should fall within the disclosure and protection scope of the present invention.

[0040] In addition, it should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not require further definition or explanation in subsequent drawings.

[0041] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or are the orientation or positional relationship in which the product of the invention is usually placed when in use. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the description and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. The terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0042] Furthermore, terms such as "horizontal," "vertical," and "overhanging" do not necessarily imply that a component must be absolutely horizontal or overhanging, but rather that it can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but rather that it can be slightly tilted.

[0043] In the description of the present invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "setting", "layout", "installation", "connection", and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be a connection between the two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances and in combination with the existing technology. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other unless there is a conflict. And one or more of the components in the diagram may be necessary or non-essential, and the relative positional relationship between the components in the above diagram can be adjusted according to actual needs. one

[0045] See also Figures 1 to 2As shown, the carrier material box storage rack provided by the present invention includes: a first driving device 1, a first pressing member 2, a first base 3, a back baffle 4, a side baffle 5, and a shock absorbing member 6, wherein the back baffle 4 is fixed to the first position of the first base 3 to separate the first base 3 into a front area and a back area, and a plurality of movable openings 41 are provided at intervals on the back baffle 4, the first driving device 1 is arranged on the first base 3 in the back area, the first pressing members 2 are connected to the moving end of the first driving device 1, and extend into the front area through the moving opening 41, the side baffle 5 is connected to at least one of the first base 3 or the back baffle 4 to define a storage area 99 between the front area and the first pressing members 2, wherein when the carrier material box 8 is placed in the storage area 99, the first driving device 1 will synchronously move the first pressing member 2 to clamp the carrier material boxes 8 in the same layer together with the side baffles 5 to fix their positions.

[0046] In addition, in order to provide the storage rack with longitudinal shock-absorbing capabilities, the shock-absorbing member 6 is arranged around the bottom of the first base 3, wherein the shock-absorbing member 6 includes: a linear bearing 61, a spring pressure cover 62, a guide rod 63, and a spring member 64, wherein the linear bearing 61 is fixed on the first base 3, and one end of the guide rod 63 is inserted into the linear bearing 61 and then extends out for connection with the material table 7 of the compound robot, and the other end of the guide rod 63 is fixedly connected to the spring pressure cover 62, and the spring member 64 is sleeved on the guide rod 63 extending out of the linear bearing 61 to form an elastic support between the first base 3 and the material table 7, thereby buffering the vibration caused by the longitudinal direction.

[0047] Specifically, if Figure 1 As shown, in this example, three storage areas 99 are preferably set up. Therefore, the design of this case adopts the first driving device 1 to link the three first pressing members 2 and the side blocks 5 to clamp the carrier material box 8 in the storage area 99. For this purpose, the first driving device 1 is designed to include: a fixed plate 11, a guide rod 12, a movable block 13, a telescopic push rod 14, a fixed seat 15, and a linkage plate 16, wherein both ends of the guide rod 12 are connected to the fixed plate 11, and the fixed plate 11 is connected to the first base 3 of the backstage area. The movable block 13 is matched with the guide rod 12 to form a sliding, and the bottom of the fixed seat 15 is fixed on the first base 3 of the backstage area. The telescopic push rod 14 in this embodiment is exemplified as a stroke electric cylinder, which can be connected to and controlled by the master controller of the adapted composite robot, and its tail end is connected to the rotating shaft of the fixed seat 15, and the movable end of the telescopic push rod 14 is connected to the rotating shaft of the movable block 13, and the bottom surface of the linkage plate 16 is connected to the movable block 13, and the top surface is connected to the first clamping member 2, so that the movable block 13 is driven by the telescopic push rod 14 to link the movement of each first clamping member 2 on the linkage plate 16, so as to clamp the carrier material box 8 together with the side block 5 from the side of the storage area 99, thereby preventing the material in the carrier material box 8 from leaking sideways, and also stabilizing the carrier material box 8.

[0048] In addition, in order to control the stroke of the first drive device 1, in a preferred embodiment, the first drive device 1 also includes: a photoelectric switch 17, a sensor plate 18, wherein the sensor plate 18 is arranged on the linkage plate 16, and the photoelectric switch 17 is arranged in the back area of ​​the first base 3, and the sensing area of ​​the photoelectric switch 17 is located at the stroke position of the sensor plate 18, so that when the linkage plate 16 moves to a preset position with the stroke electric cylinder, the sensor plate 18 will be able to enter the sensing area of ​​the photoelectric switch 17, thereby forming an induction signal, and the photoelectric switch 17 can be connected to the master controller of the adapted composite robot to transmit the control signal and control the movement of the stroke electric cylinder in a timely manner to form feedback control.

[0049] In addition, in order to relieve the clamping force of the first pressing member 2 and the side block 5 on the carrier material box 8 and avoid pinching the carrier material box 8, and to provide a lateral shock-absorbing function for the carrier material box 8, the side block 5 in this example includes: a side block seat 51, a side block clamping block 52, and a spring (not shown in the figure), wherein the side block seat 51 is L-shaped in this example and is provided with a plurality of elastic grooves for establishing a plurality of buffer heads to disperse the vibration force or clamping force on the carrier material box 8, wherein the elastic groove can accommodate the elastic member and at least part of the side block 52 to form an elastic connection therein, and the side block 52 at least partially extends out of the elastic groove. Thus, a buffer head is formed to absorb the vibration force and clamping force on the carrier material box 8 and partially dissipate and alleviate it through the spring, thereby providing a lateral shock-absorbing function for the carrier material box 8 in each storage area 99 on the storage rack.

[0050] In addition, in order to know whether there are carrier material boxes 8 in each storage area 99, the carrier material box storage rack is also pre-set with proximity sensors 10, which are respectively embedded in the first base 3 of the front area and located in each storage area 99. Therefore, when the carrier material box storage rack is set on the composite robot, it can be connected to the master controller of the composite robot through the proximity sensor 10 to transmit the signal whether there are carrier material boxes 8 in each storage area 99.

[0051] On the other hand, in order to better stabilize the carrier material box 8 in each storage area 99 and further enhance the shock-absorbing effect of the carrier material box 8, the carrier material box storage rack also includes: a positioning rod 101, a buffer pad 102, and a back block 103, wherein the positioning rod 101 is arranged at each storage area 99 in the front area of ​​the first base 3 to limit the carrier material box 8 from escaping the storage area 99, and the buffer pad 102 is padded in each storage area 99, wherein the back block 103 is fixed on the back baffle 4 to support and reduce the contact area with the back of the carrier material box 8, in addition, the back block 103 and the buffer pad 102 are made of buffering materials such as rubber, silicone, foam plastic, etc., so they can further absorb the vibration of the bottom and back of the carrier material box 8 located in the storage area 99. two

[0053] See also Figures 3 and 4 As shown, on the other hand, the present invention also provides a plate carrier material box storage rack, which includes: a step plate 40, a second base 30, a bracket plate 31, a second drive device 1', a linkage pressing member 20, and a side stopper 5. When connected with a composite robot, a shock-absorbing member 6 can be used to connect the second base 30 and the material table 7. The lower part of the step plate 40 is connected to the second base 30 to define a first step, and the bracket plate 31 is connected to the upper part of the step plate 40 to define a second step. The bracket plate 31 is further extended to connect with the second base 30 to support the step plate 40 while defining a hidden cabinet 90 between the second base 30 and the step plate 40, and the second drive device 1' is connected to the bracket plate 31 and stored in the hidden cabinet 90, thereby making full use of the step structure to hide the second drive device 1', thereby efficiently utilizing limited space.

[0054] On the other hand, in this example, the linked pressing member 20 is provided with two pressing heads 201 corresponding to the first and second steps, wherein the linked pressing member 20 is connected to the moving end of the second driving device 1 ', and the step plate 40 is at the first and second positions as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, linkage openings 41' are provided respectively, and the pressing heads 201 of the linkage pressing members 20 extend into the first step and the second step respectively through the linkage openings 41', so that the movement of the linkage pressing members 20 on the first and second steps is uniformly controlled by the second driving device 1'.

[0055] The structure and function of the side block 5 are as described in the above example and will not be repeated here. The side block 5 is respectively arranged on the first step and the second step to define the respective receiving areas 99 on the first step and the second step between the side block 5 and the linked pressing member 20. Figure 3 As shown, in this example, the stepped storage unit is provided with 2 layers and a total of 6 storage areas 99, and the second driving device 1' is used to link the 6 clamping heads 201 of the 3 linked clamping members 20 to clamp the carrier material box 8 in the storage area 99 together with the side blocks 5 of each layer.

[0056] On the other hand, in order to adapt to the narrow space of the hidden cabinet 90, the second driving device 1' includes: a fixed plate 11, a guide rod 12, a movable block 13, a telescopic push rod 14, a fixed seat 15, and a linkage plate 16, wherein the two ends of the guide rod 12 are connected to the fixed plate 11, the fixed plate 11 is connected to the bracket plate 31, the movable block 13 is matched with the guide rod 12 to form a sliding, and the bottom of the fixed seat 15 is fixed on the bracket plate 31, wherein the telescopic push rod 14 is exemplified in this embodiment as a stroke electric cylinder, which can be connected and controlled by the master controller of the adapted composite robot, the tail end of the telescopic push rod 14 is rotatably connected to the fixed seat 15, the movable end of the telescopic push rod 14 is rotatably connected to the movable block 13, the bottom surface of the linkage plate 16 is connected to the movable block 13, and the top surface is connected to the linkage pressing member 20. The movable block 13 is thereby driven by the telescopic push rod 14 to move the various interlocking pressing members 20 and their pressing heads 201 on the interlocking plate 16, so as to clamp the carrier material box 8 together with the side block 5 from the side of the storage area 99, thereby preventing the material in the carrier material box 8 from leaking sideways and stabilizing the carrier material box 8 at the same time.

[0057] In addition, in order to control the stroke of the second drive device 1', in a preferred embodiment, the second drive device 1' also includes: a photoelectric switch 17, a sensor plate 18, wherein the sensor plate 18 is arranged on the linkage plate 16, and the photoelectric switch 17 is arranged on the bracket plate 31 in the dark cabinet 90, and the sensing area of ​​the photoelectric switch 17 is located at the stroke position of the sensor plate 18, so that when the linkage plate 16 moves to the preset position with the stroke electric cylinder, the sensor plate 18 will be able to enter the sensing area of ​​the photoelectric switch 17, thereby forming an induction signal, and the photoelectric switch 17 can be connected to the master controller of the adapted composite robot to transmit the control signal and control the movement of the stroke electric cylinder in a timely manner to form feedback control.

[0058] Furthermore, in order to know whether there are carrier material boxes 8 in each storage area 99 in the stepped storage unit, the carrier material box storage rack also includes: proximity sensors 10, which are respectively embedded on the second base 30 of the first step and the top of the step plate 40 of the second step, and are located in each storage area 99. Therefore, when the carrier material box storage rack is set on the composite robot, it can be connected to the master controller of the composite robot through the proximity sensor 10 to transmit signals whether there are carrier material boxes 8 in each storage area 99.

[0059] On the other hand, in order to better stabilize the carrier material box 8 in each storage area 99 and further enhance the shock-absorbing effect of the carrier material box 8, the carrier material box storage rack also includes: a positioning rod 101, a buffer pad 102, and a back stop 103, wherein the positioning rod 101 is arranged on the second base 30 of the first step and the top of the step plate 40 of the second step, and is located in each storage area 99 to limit the carrier material box 8 from escaping the storage area 99, and the buffer pad 102 is padded in each storage area 99, wherein the back stop 103 is fixed on the step plate 40 of the first step and the bracket plate 31 of the second step to support and reduce the contact area with the back of the carrier material box 8, in addition, the back stop 103 and the buffer pad 102 are made of buffering materials such as rubber, silicone, foam plastic, etc., so they can further absorb the vibration of the bottom and back of the carrier material box 8 located in the storage area 99. three

[0061] See also Figure 5 As shown, in order to further improve the loading capacity, the present invention further provides a plate material box storage rack on the other hand, which includes: a basic storage unit, a stepped storage unit, wherein the basic storage unit is made of the plate material box storage rack as in Example 1 above, and the stepped storage unit is made of the plate material box storage rack as in Example 2 above, and the stepped storage unit is respectively matched with the back plate 4 and the first base 3 of the basic storage unit through the second base 30 and the bracket plate 31, so as to be stacked on the basic storage unit to form a three-layer stepped storage rack, thereby expanding the loading capacity, and at the same time, the structure can also enable each layer to obtain horizontal and vertical shock-absorbing effects.

[0062] It can be seen that the stepped structure of the present invention is intended to meet the requirement of increasing the loading capacity while ensuring that the storage areas 99 between each layer do not interfere with each other. This is conducive to forming a fixed position relationship between the robotic arm 921 of the composite robot and each storage area 99, thereby reducing the technical difficulty of the robotic arm 921 in automatically positioning and placing the carrier material box 8. Four

[0064] Corresponding to the carrier material box storage rack in the above examples, Figures 6 to 12 As shown, the present invention also provides a composite robot, which includes: a carrier 91, a gripping device 92, and an automatic guided transport robot 93, wherein the carrier 91 and the gripping device 92 are respectively arranged at the first and second positions on the top material table 7 of the automatic guided transport robot 93, and the gripping device 92 is connected to and controlled by the master controller of the automatic guided transport robot 93, wherein the carrier 91 is made of a carrier material box storage rack including the above-mentioned examples, such as a basic storage unit including a single layer, or a basic storage unit including a single layer. Figures 6 and 7 The three-layer structure shown is composed of the basic storage unit and the ladder storage unit stacked together.

[0065] The first base 3 of the carrier material box storage rack is connected to the material platform 7 via the shock absorber 6. At the same time, the proximity sensor 10, photoelectric switch 17 and telescopic push rod 14 of the carrier material box storage rack are respectively communicated with the master controller of the automatic guided transport robot 93.

[0066] Among them Figure 6 、 8 to Figure 12 The gripping device 92 shown includes: a robotic arm 921, a gripping unit 922, wherein the gripping unit 922 includes: a mounting bracket 923, a first driving motor 924, a clip 925, a guide wheel 926, a scanner 927, and a camera 928, wherein the driving motor is arranged at the first position of the mounting bracket 923, and a support platform 929 is provided at the front end of the clip 925, and the support platform 929 is in the shape of a thin sheet, and the guide wheel 926 is rotatably connected to the support platform 929 and extends a distance outside the support platform 929, so as to adapt to positioning and gripping the carrier material box 8 structure provided by the applicant's previous case as described in the background technology, and the tail end of the clip 925 is connected to the driving end of the driving motor to form a clamp.

[0067] In addition, in this example, in order to be able to identify the carrier material box 8 before clamping it, a scanner 927 is also set at the second position of the mounting bracket 923, and its viewing area is facing the bottom of the clamp. Correspondingly, relevant barcodes or QR codes and other coded information that can be recognized by the scanner 927 can be set on the top of the connecting part of the carrier material box 8 for identification before the clamp is clamped.

[0068] On the other hand, in order to use existing machine vision technology to control the gripping device 92 to perform automated gripping, in this example, it is preferred to equip the gripping unit 922 with the camera 928, and the camera 928 is set at the third position of the mounting bracket 923, opposite to the position of the gripper. This arrangement can, on the one hand, increase the viewing range and degree of freedom of the camera 928 through the robotic arm 921. On the other hand, since it is opposite to the position of the gripper, the relative position of the gripper and the camera 928 viewing position is fixed. Therefore, when the camera 928 recognizes the position of the carrier material box 8 after framing, the gripper can be directly rotated 180° to grip the carrier material box 8. Therefore, this structure actually reduces the technical difficulty of the robotic arm 921 in automatically positioning and placing the carrier material box 8. In addition, the fourth position of the mounting bracket 923 is provided with a mating port 930 for connection with the robotic arm 921.

[0069] On the other hand, considering that both sides of the carrier material box 8 are open, in order to ensure that the material does not leak when it is clamped, in this example, Figures 10 to 12As shown, the gripping unit 922 further includes a side blocking mechanism, which includes a blocking arm 940 and a second driving motor 941. The blocking arms 940 are respectively arranged on both sides of the mounting bracket 923. One end of each blocking arm 940 is connected to the fifth position rotating shaft of the mounting bracket 923 to form an openable and closable state. The second driving motor 941 corresponds to the number of blocking arms 940. It is arranged at the sixth position of the mounting bracket 923, and its driving end is transmission-connected to the blocking arm 940 to drive the blocking arm 940 to make an embracing posture in a timely manner. Therefore, when the clamping claws grip the carrier material box 8, they embrace the open openings on both sides of the carrier material box 8 from the side to prevent material from leaking.

[0070] Further, such as Figures 8 and 9 As shown, in order to protect the clamping unit 922 as a whole, it also includes: a shell 95, which covers the outside of the mounting bracket 923 to accommodate the first driving motor 924, the clamp 925, the guide wheel 926, the scanner 927 and the camera 928 at least partially inside it, and at the same time prevent the invasion of external dust or the leakage of debris and dust caused by internal transmission wear, so as to improve the reliability of the equipment.

[0071] Further, such as Figure 6 As shown, in order to protect the carrier material box storage rack and monitor each storage area 99, the carrier material box storage rack in this example also includes: a guard plate 96, a recorder 97, wherein the guard plate 96 is arranged around the two sides and back of the carrier 91, and the recorder 97 is arranged on the top of the guard plate 96, and its viewing area faces each storage area 99, wherein the recorder 97 is connected to the master controller of the automatic guided transport robot 93.

[0072] It should also be noted that since this case utilizes existing machine vision technology, it will not be described in detail here. However, the related hardware to implement its functions, such as camera 928, can be connected to the master controller of the automated guided transport robot 93 to collect visual control data. Furthermore, the scanning and recognition functions implemented by the scanner 927, the recording function of the recorder 97, the side block function driven by the second drive motor 941, and the function of the first drive motor 924 controlling the gripping of the gripper, etc., are all technical solutions that can be implemented in the existing technology. Therefore, in this case, they are all connected to and controlled by the master controller of the automated guided transport robot 93. The master controller also includes a control program capable of operating such hardware to implement the corresponding functions. Therefore, there are no implementation obstacles for those skilled in the art, and thus no further description will be given here. The existing technology can be referred to for implementation. It can be seen that the example in this case intends to emphasize the design and structural solution of these hardware combinations, rather than the control program itself. five

[0074] Furthermore, corresponding to the structure of the composite robot and the sheet carrier magazine storage rack, the present invention also provides a sheet carrier magazine storage method, the steps of which include:

[0075] The composite robot drives the gripping unit 922 via the robotic arm 921 to obtain the position information of the carrier magazine 8 via the camera 928. After processing by the master controller, the robotic arm 921 is controlled to drive the gripping unit 922 to move toward the carrier magazine 8. The scanner 927 obtains the preset information on the carrier magazine 8 to determine whether the target of the carrier magazine 8 is correct.

[0076] When it is confirmed that the carrier material box 8 is the grasping target, the robot arm 921 adjusts the position of the gripping unit 922 to make the gripper grip the carrier material box 8, and makes the side blocking mechanism embrace both sides of the carrier material box 8 to transport it to the vacant storage area 99 of each layer of the carrier material box storage rack; because the storage areas 99 between each layer do not interfere with each other, the robot arm 921 and its gripping unit 922 of the composite robot form a fixed position relationship with each storage area 99, thereby reducing the technical difficulty of the robot arm 921 in automatically positioning and placing the carrier material box 8;

[0077] When the proximity sensor 10 corresponding to the storage area 99 sends a sensor signal to the main controller, the clamping jaws release the carrier material box 8, and the side block mechanism also releases the embracing posture. At this time, the clamping unit 922 exits the storage area 99. At the same time, at least one of the first drive device 1 or the second drive device 1' corresponding to the storage area 99 will drive the adapted first clamping member 2 or the linked clamping member 20 to move, so as to cooperate with the side block 5 to clamp the carrier material box 8 to complete the storage.

[0078] In addition, the steps for removing the carrier material box 8 are opposite to the above steps. Those skilled in the art can implement them according to the corresponding reverse process of the above steps, so they will not be described here in detail.

[0079] To sum up, the present invention provides the sheet material box storage rack, storage method thereof, and composite robot, wherein the sheet material box storage rack can be adapted to the composite robot for batch loading of the sheet material boxes 8, and in some examples, the storage rack is designed with a stepped structure so that the storage areas 99 between each layer do not interfere with each other, which is conducive to forming a fixed position relationship between the robotic arm 921 and each storage area 99. Therefore, this structure actually reduces the technical difficulty of the robotic arm 921 in automatically positioning and placing the sheet material boxes 8.

[0080] In addition, the structure of the plate carrier box storage rack can also alleviate the vibration generated by the composite robot when it is in motion. On the one hand, the storage rack is designed to be connected to the material table 7 with a spring buffer structure to alleviate the longitudinal vibration. On the other hand, the clamping mechanism designed in the storage area 99 can effectively alleviate the lateral vibration of the storage rack. This can reduce the overall vibration of the plate carrier box 8 on the storage rack, thereby reducing the damage to the material in the plate carrier box 8 and the chance of generating debris, thereby ensuring the reliability of the composite robot's automated batch transportation of semiconductor materials.

[0081] The preferred embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are only used to help illustrate the present invention. The preferred embodiments do not describe all the details in detail, nor do they limit the invention to the specific implementation methods described. Obviously, many modifications and changes can be made based on the contents of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments in order to better explain the principles and practical applications of the present invention, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and utilize the present invention. The present invention is only limited by the claims and their full scope and equivalents. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0082] Those skilled in the art will understand that, in addition to implementing the system, device, and various modules provided by the present invention in pure computer-readable program code, it is entirely possible to implement the same program in the form of logic gates, switches, application-specific integrated circuits, programmable logic controllers, embedded microcontrollers, etc. by logically programming the method steps. Therefore, the system, device, and various modules provided by the present invention can be considered a hardware component, and the modules included therein for implementing various programs can also be considered as structures within the hardware component; the modules for implementing various functions can also be considered as both software programs for implementing the method and structures within the hardware component.

[0083] In addition, all or part of the steps in the above-mentioned embodiments can be implemented by instructing the relevant hardware through a program. The program is stored in a storage medium and includes a number of instructions for causing a single-chip microcomputer, chip, or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: a USB flash drive, a mobile hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk, etc., various media that can store program code.

[0084] In addition, various implementations of the embodiments of the present invention may be arbitrarily combined, and as long as they do not violate the concept of the embodiments of the present invention, they should also be regarded as the contents disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sheet material box storage rack, characterized in that include: A basic storage unit, a step storage unit, wherein the basic storage unit comprises: a first driving device, a first pressing member, a first base, a back baffle, a first side baffle, and a shock absorbing member, wherein the back baffle is fixed to a first position of the first base to separate the first base into a front area and a back area, a movable opening is provided on the back baffle, the first driving device is arranged on the first base in the back area, the first pressing member is connected to the movable end of the first driving device and extends into the front area through the movable opening, the first side baffle is connected to at least one of the first base or the back baffle to define a storage area between the front area and the first pressing member, wherein the The shock-absorbing member is arranged around the bottom of the first base, and the step storage unit includes: a step plate, a second base, a bracket plate, a second driving device, a linkage pressing member, and a second side stopper, wherein the lower portion of the step plate is connected to the second base to define a first step, and the bracket plate is connected to the upper portion of the step plate to define a second step, and the bracket plate is also connected to the second base to support the step plate and define a dark cabinet between the second base and the step plate, the second driving device is connected to the bracket plate and stored in the dark cabinet, the linkage pressing member is connected to the moving end of the second driving device, and the step plate is provided with a linkage opening at the first and second positions respectively, the Each pressing head of the linked pressing member extends into the first step and the second step respectively through the linked opening, and the second side stoppers are respectively arranged on the first step and the second step to define each storage area on the first step and the second step between the linked pressing member, wherein the stepped storage unit is respectively matched with the back baffle and the first base of the basic storage unit through the second base and the bracket plate to be stacked on the basic storage unit to form a three-layer stepped storage rack; the second driving device includes: a second fixed plate, a second guide rod, a second movable block, a second telescopic push rod, a second fixed seat, and a second linked plate, wherein both ends of the second guide rod are connected to the second fixed plate The second fixing plate is connected to the bracket plate, the second movable block is matched with the second guide rod to slide, the bottom of the second fixing seat is fixed to the bracket plate, the tail end of the second telescopic push rod is connected to the second fixing seat, the movable end of the second telescopic push rod is connected to the second movable block, the bottom surface of the second linkage plate is connected to the second movable block, and the top surface is connected to the linkage pressing member; the first side block and the second side block include: a side block seat, a side block clamping block, and an elastic member, wherein the side block seat is provided with an elastic groove to accommodate the elastic member and at least part of the side block clamping block to form an elastic connection therein, and the side block clamping block at least partially extends out of the elastic groove.

2. The carrier material box storage rack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first driving device includes: a first fixed plate, a first guide rod, a first movable block, a first telescopic push rod, a first fixed seat, and a first linkage plate, wherein both ends of the first guide rod are connected to the first fixed plate, the first fixed plate is connected to the first base in the backstage area, the first movable block and the first guide rod are matched to form a sliding connection, the bottom of the first fixed seat is fixed on the first base in the backstage area, the tail end of the first telescopic push rod is connected to the first fixed seat, the movable end of the first telescopic push rod is connected to the first movable block, the bottom surface of the first linkage plate is connected to the first movable block, and the top surface is connected to the first pressing member.

3. The carrier material box storage rack according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: The proximity sensors are respectively embedded on the first base of the front desk area, the second base of the first step, and the top of the step plate of the second step, and are located in each storage area.

4. A composite robot comprising: A material rack, a gripping device, and an automatically guided transport robot, characterized in that: the material rack and the gripping device are respectively arranged at the first and second positions of the top material platform of the automatically guided transport robot, wherein the material rack comprises a carrier plate material box storage rack as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first base is connected to the material platform via a shock-absorbing member.

5. The composite robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The gripping device includes: a robotic arm, a clamping unit, wherein the clamping unit includes: a mounting bracket, a first driving motor, a clip, a guide wheel, a scanner, and a camera, wherein the driving motor is arranged at the first position of the mounting bracket, a support platform is provided at the front end of the clip, the guide wheel is rotatably connected to the support platform and extends a distance outside the support platform, the tail end of the clip is connected to the driving end of the driving motor to form a clamping claw, the scanner is arranged at the second position of the mounting bracket, and its viewing area faces the bottom of the clamping claw, the camera is arranged at the third position of the mounting bracket opposite to the clamping claw position, and the fourth position of the mounting bracket is provided with a matching interface for connection with the robotic arm.

6. The composite robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The clamping unit also includes: a side block mechanism, which includes: a block arm, a second driving motor, wherein one end of the block arm is connected to the fifth position rotating shaft of the mounting bracket, and the second driving motor is arranged at the sixth position of the mounting bracket, and its driving end is transmission-connected to the block arm to drive the block arm to make an embracing posture.

7. A method for storing a carrier material box, characterized by the steps of include: The composite robot drives the gripping unit through the robotic arm to obtain the position information of the carrier magazine through the camera. After processing by the master controller, the robotic arm drives the gripping unit to move toward the carrier magazine and obtains the preset information on the carrier magazine through the scanner to determine whether the carrier magazine target is correct. When the carrier material box is confirmed to be the grasping target, the robot arm adjusts the position of the gripping unit to make the gripper grip the carrier material box and transport it to the vacant storage area of ​​the carrier material box storage rack according to any one of claims 1 to 3; When the proximity sensor of the corresponding storage area sends a sensor signal to the main controller, the clamp releases the carrier box and exits the storage area. At the same time, at least one of the first drive device or the second drive device corresponding to the storage area will drive the adapted first clamping member or the linked clamping member to move, so as to cooperate with the first side block or the second side block to clamp the carrier box to complete the storage.

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