A locking positioning device and a mask transmission device

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of mask transmission technology, and specifically, to a locking and positioning device and a mask transmission device, comprising a driving mechanism, a positioning pin, a detection mechanism and a limiting mechanism; the driving mechanism is installed on the fixed support mechanism, and the driving end of the driving mechanism is connected to the positioning pin, for driving the positioning pin to insert or disengage from the positioning slot, and the detection mechanism is used to detect whether the positioning pin is located in the positioning slot; after the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning slot, the limiting mechanism is used to limit the positioning pin; it can lock and position the rotating mechanism of the mask transmission device with high precision, and does not require manual disassembly after the locking and positioning is completed, and does not need to be disassembled after calibration is completed, and can improve calibration efficiency and repeated positioning accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of mask transmission, and in particular to a locking and positioning device and a mask transmission device. Background Art

[0002] Reticle transport is a crucial component of the mask transfer process. The mask transfer mechanism is responsible for transferring unexposed reticles from the cassette to the mask stage and then transferring exposed reticles from the mask stage back to the cassette. The exchanger robot is a key component of the mask transfer mechanism, responsible for transferring unexposed reticles from the pick-and-place robot to the mask stage and then transferring exposed reticles from the mask stage back to the pick-and-place robot. During this process, the exchanger robot must efficiently and accurately place the reticles within the range captured by the pre-alignment system between the mask stage and the pick-and-place robot.

[0003] The plate-exchange robot transfers the reticle between the mask stage and the pick-and-place robot through vertical and rotational motion. For safety reasons, the robot is prohibited from performing simultaneous rotational motion while performing vertical motion, and the rotating assembly must be locked to prevent damage to the mechanism. Furthermore, the plate-exchange robot must precisely place the reticle within the range captured by the pre-alignment system of the mask stage and the pick-and-place robot, requiring precise calibration of the 0° rotational position.

[0004] Disadvantages of existing technology:

[0005] Currently used locking and positioning devices consist of two main parts, one for locking and the other for positioning. The locking device uses a step-and-groove interlocking structure, while the positioning device is a rigid structure that requires manual assembly and disassembly. Calibration is inefficient and requires disassembly after calibration, resulting in low locking and positioning accuracy and low repeatability. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a locking and positioning device, which can lock and position the rotating mechanism of the mask transmission device with high precision, and does not require manual disassembly after locking and positioning, and does not need to be removed after calibration, and can improve calibration efficiency and repeated positioning accuracy.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a mask transmission device, which can lock and position the rotating mechanism with high precision, and does not require manual disassembly after locking and positioning, and does not need to be removed after calibration, and can improve calibration efficiency and repeated positioning accuracy.

[0008] The technical solution of the present invention is achieved as follows:

[0009] A locking and positioning device is used to lock and position the rotating mechanism of a mask transmission device. The rotating mechanism includes a rotating motor and a positioning plate. The fixed part of the rotating motor is fixed to the fixed support mechanism, and the rotating part is fixed to the positioning plate. The outer side surface of the positioning plate is provided with symmetrical positioning notches.

[0010] The locking and positioning device includes a driving mechanism, a positioning pin, a detection mechanism and a limiting mechanism;

[0011] The driving mechanism is mounted on the fixed support mechanism, the driving end of the driving mechanism is connected to the positioning pin, and is used to drive the positioning pin to insert into or out of the positioning notch, and the detection mechanism is used to detect whether the positioning pin is located in the positioning notch;

[0012] After the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning notch, the limiting mechanism is used to limit the positioning pin.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes a crank-connecting rod mechanism, which includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a first hinge block and a second hinge block, one end of the first connecting rod is provided with a first hinge block, and the other end is hinged to one end of the second connecting rod through the second hinge block, the other end of the second connecting rod is hinged to the fixed support mechanism, and the second connecting rod is provided with the positioning pin;

[0014] The driving mechanism includes a servo motor and an eccentric shaft, one end of the eccentric shaft is connected to the output shaft of the servo motor, and the other end is hinged to the first hinge block. The servo motor is used to drive the first hinge block to rotate eccentrically, and at the same time drive the positioning pin to follow the curved movement of the crank-connecting rod mechanism so that it can be inserted into or out of the positioning slot.

[0015] Furthermore, the fixed support mechanism includes a fixed plate, a first fixed seat and a second fixed seat, and the first fixed seat and the second fixed seat are both fixedly arranged on the bottom of the fixed plate;

[0016] The second fixing seat is hinged to the second connecting rod;

[0017] The first fixing seat includes a mounting plate and a connecting plate, wherein the mounting plate and the connecting plate are connected to form an L-shape, the connecting plate is fixedly connected to the fixing plate, and a first mounting hole is opened inside the mounting plate;

[0018] The driving mechanism further includes a first bearing arranged on the outside of the eccentric shaft, and the first bearing is installed in the first installation hole.

[0019] Furthermore, a second mounting hole is provided inside the second connecting rod, a second bearing is installed in the second mounting hole, a first rotating shaft is installed in the second bearing, a third mounting hole is provided on the second fixing seat, a third bearing is installed in the third mounting hole, and the other end of the first rotating shaft is installed in the third bearing.

[0020] Furthermore, it also includes a leveling mechanism, which is arranged between the second fixing seat and the second connecting rod, and the leveling mechanism is used to ensure that the crank-connecting rod mechanism and the positioning pin move in the horizontal direction.

[0021] Furthermore, the leveling mechanism includes a leveling plate and a plurality of leveling bolts, the interior of the leveling plate is provided with a through hole, and the leveling plate is also provided with a plurality of threaded holes, and the leveling bolts are installed in a one-to-one correspondence with the threaded holes;

[0022] A fourth bearing is installed in the through hole, the first rotating shaft passes through and is installed on the fourth bearing, and a plurality of the leveling bolts are commonly in contact with the second fixing seat.

[0023] Furthermore, the detection mechanism includes a first sensor and a second sensor;

[0024] The servo motor drives the first hinge block to rotate eccentrically, and the first hinge block has two static states before and after the rotation. The first static state is when the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning notch and the first hinge block is in a locked position; the second static state is when the positioning pin is out of the positioning notch and the first hinge block is in an unlocked position.

[0025] The first sensor and the second sensor are both mounted on the mounting plate, and the first sensor is used to sense whether the first hinge block is in the locked position, and the second sensor is used to sense whether the first hinge block is in the unlocked position.

[0026] Furthermore, the limiting mechanism includes a first buffer and a second buffer, both of which are installed on the connecting plate, and the first buffer is used to limit the first hinge block when it is in the locked position, and the second buffer is used to limit the first hinge block when it is in the unlocked position. At the same time, the first buffer and the second buffer can also prevent the servo motor from stalling.

[0027] Furthermore, one end of the eccentric shaft is connected to the output shaft of the servo motor, and the other end is a second rotating shaft. The second rotating shaft is in the same direction and not coaxial with the output shaft of the servo motor, and an eccentric wheel is provided on the outer side of the second rotating shaft.

[0028] A fourth mounting hole is provided inside the first hinge block, and the eccentric wheel is mounted in the fourth mounting hole.

[0029] A mask transmission device is also provided, comprising the locking and positioning device, the rotating mechanism and the fixed support mechanism; the rotating mechanism comprises a rotating motor and a positioning plate, the fixed part of the rotating motor is fixed to the fixed support mechanism, and the rotating part is fixed to the positioning plate, and the outer side surface of the positioning plate is provided with two symmetrical positioning notches, one of which is located at the 0° position of the rotating motor, and the other is located at the 180° position of the rotating motor, and the positioning pin of the locking and positioning device is arranged corresponding to one of the positioning notches.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0031] When the exchange plate manipulator performs vertical movement, the present application can realize locking and positioning of the rotating mechanism by driving the positioning pin through the driving mechanism to be inserted into the positioning notch of the rotating mechanism, so that the rotating mechanism stops rotating movement, thereby improving the accuracy of locking and positioning the rotating mechanism; when the rotating mechanism needs to be unlocked, the positioning pin can be driven again to disengage from the positioning notch to achieve unlocking, without the need for manual disassembly; in addition, two positioning notches are symmetrically arranged on the positioning plate of the rotating mechanism, one of which is located at the 0° position of the rotating motor and the other is located at the 180° position of the rotating motor. When the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning notch at the 0° position to achieve locking and positioning, the 180° position can be used afterwards. The positioning notch at the position is re-measured, that is, the positioning pin is disengaged and the rotating motor is rotated 180°, and then the positioning pin is driven to observe whether it can be inserted into the positioning notch at the 180° position. If the positioning pin can be inserted into the positioning notch at the 180° position, the 180° position of the rotating motor is correct, and the calibration is completed; if the positioning pin cannot be inserted into the positioning notch at the 180° position, there is a deviation in the 180° position of the rotating motor, and it is necessary to adjust and re-calibrate the 0° position until both the 0° and 180° positions are correct. The entire calibration process can be completely controlled by a software program, which can improve the calibration efficiency and repeat positioning accuracy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the locking and positioning device of the present invention installed on the fixed support mechanism;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of the locking and positioning device of the present invention, in which the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning notch of the positioning plate and is in a locked state;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of the locking and positioning device of the present invention, in which the positioning pin is separated from the positioning notch of the positioning plate and is in an unlocked state;

[0036] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the driving mechanism of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the crank-connecting rod mechanism of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the second connecting rod, the leveling mechanism, and the second fixing seat after being connected.

[0039] In the figure: (Description of reference numerals)

[0040] 1-rotating mechanism; 101-rotating motor; 102-positioning plate; 1021-positioning notch;

[0041] 2-driving mechanism; 201-servo motor; 202-eccentric shaft; 203-first bearing; 204-second rotating shaft; 205-eccentric wheel; 206-sleeve;

[0042] 3-fixed support mechanism; 301-first fixed seat; 3011-mounting plate; 3012-connecting plate; 302-second fixed seat; 3021-third mounting hole; 3022-third bearing;

[0043] 4-Location pin;

[0044] 5-Detection mechanism; 501-First sensor; 502-Second sensor;

[0045] 6-limiting mechanism; 601-first buffer; 602-second buffer;

[0046] 7 - crank-connecting rod mechanism; 701 - first hinge block; 7011 - fourth mounting hole; 702 - first connecting rod; 703 - second connecting rod; 7031 - second mounting hole; 7032 - second bearing; 7033 - first rotating shaft; 704 - second hinge block; 7041 - fifth mounting hole; 7042 - fifth bearing; 7043 - third rotating shaft;

[0047] 8-leveling mechanism; 801-leveling plate; 802-leveling bolt. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0049] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed, but rather merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0050] 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 need to be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.

[0051] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer" and the like indicate positions or locations based on the positions shown in the accompanying drawings, or the positions or locations in which the inventive product is typically placed when in use. These terms are intended solely to facilitate the description of the present invention and to simplify the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used solely to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0052] 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.

[0053] In the description of the present invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "disposed," "installed," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they may refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they may refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they may refer to internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0054] The following embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0055] Example 1

[0056] In response to the defects in the prior art, this embodiment provides a locking and positioning device for locking and positioning the rotating mechanism 1 of a mask transmission device. The mask transmission device includes a rotating mechanism 1 and a fixed support mechanism 3. The rotating mechanism 1 includes a rotating motor 101 and a positioning plate 102. The rotating motor 101 includes a fixed portion and a rotating portion. The fixed portion of the rotating motor 101 is fixed to the fixed support mechanism 3, and the rotating portion of the rotating motor 101 is fixed to the positioning plate 102. The outer side of the positioning plate 102 is provided with symmetrical positioning notches 1021. Both positioning notches 1021 are vertically penetrated. One of the positioning notches 1021 is located at the 0° position of the rotating motor 101, and the other positioning notch 1021 is located at the 180° position of the rotating motor 101.

[0057] Reference Figures 1-6 The locking and positioning device of the present application includes a driving mechanism 2, a positioning pin 4, a detection mechanism 5 and a limiting mechanism 6. The driving mechanism 2 is installed on the fixed support mechanism 3. The driving end of the driving mechanism 2 is connected to the positioning pin 4, and is used to drive the positioning pin 4 to insert or disengage the positioning slot 1021. The detection mechanism 5 is used to detect whether the positioning pin 4 is located in the positioning slot 1021. The driving mechanism 2 and the detection mechanism 5 can both be connected to the central control system, and programming can be performed on the software in the central control system. The corresponding program can be edited to realize automatic operation, and the operation of the driving mechanism 2 can be automatically controlled without manual operation, saving labor.

[0058] After the positioning pin 4 is inserted into the positioning notch 1021, the positioning pin 4 locks the positioning plate 102 and the rotating motor 101 in place. The limiting mechanism 6 is used to limit the positioning pin 4 to prevent the positioning pin 4 from shifting, further ensuring the locking and positioning accuracy. When it is necessary to unlock the rotating motor 101, the central control system automatically controls the drive mechanism 2 to drive the positioning pin 4 out of the positioning notch 1021. After being released, the positioning pin 4 moves to a certain position and stops (it can also be said that the positioning pin 4 resets and returns to its original state). At this time, the limiting mechanism 6 can also limit the positioning pin 4 to prevent it from shifting in this position, thereby ensuring the reset accuracy of the positioning pin 4.

[0059] The locking and positioning device of the present application further includes a crank-connecting rod mechanism 7, which includes a first connecting rod 702, a second connecting rod 703, a first hinge block 701, and a second hinge block 704. One end of the first connecting rod 702 is provided with the first hinge block 701, and the other end is hinged to one end of the second connecting rod 703 through the second hinge block 704. The other end of the second connecting rod 703 is hinged to the fixed support mechanism 3, and the positioning pin 4 is provided on the second connecting rod 703. Since the rotating mechanism 1 generally rotates in the horizontal direction, that is, the fixed part and the rotating part of the rotating motor 101 are arranged vertically, the crank-connecting rod mechanism 7 also moves in the horizontal direction when it is set.

[0060] The drive mechanism 2 includes a servo motor 201 and an eccentric shaft 202. One end of the eccentric shaft 202 is connected to the output shaft of the servo motor 201, and the other end is hinged to the first hinge block 701. The servo motor 201 is used to drive the first hinge block 701 to rotate eccentrically, thereby driving the crank-connecting rod mechanism 7 to move. At the same time, the locating pin 4 follows the curved movement of the crank-connecting rod mechanism 7 to be inserted into or removed from the locating notch 1021. The servo motor 201 of the present application uses a high-precision encoder, which can accurately control the movement position of the locating pin 4, with a repeatability accuracy of up to 8urad.

[0061] The fixed support mechanism 3 includes a fixed plate, a first fixed seat 301 and a second fixed seat 302, the first fixed seat 301 and the second fixed seat 302 are both fixedly arranged at the bottom of the fixed plate; the second fixed seat 302 is hinged to the second connecting rod 703; the first fixed seat 301 includes a mounting plate 3011 and a connecting plate 3012, the mounting plate 3011 and the connecting plate 3012 are L-shaped after being connected, the connecting plate 3012 is fixedly connected to the fixed plate, and a first mounting hole is opened inside the mounting plate 3011.

[0062] During actual installation, the fixing plate is set horizontally (in order to make the device more clearly displayed and avoid being blocked by the fixing plate, the fixing plate is hidden in the accompanying drawings and is not shown), and the rotating mechanism 1 and the locking and positioning device are both installed at the bottom of the fixing plate, and the rotating mechanism 1 and the locking and positioning device are set correspondingly. The mounting plate 3011 is also set horizontally, while the connecting plate 3012 is set vertically, and the top of the connecting plate 3012 is fixed to the bottom of the fixing plate. Preferably, connecting plates 3012 are set on both sides of the mounting plate 3011, so that the mounting plate 3011 is U-shaped after being connected to the connecting plates 3012 on both sides, and the tops of the connecting plates 3012 on both sides are fixedly connected to the bottom of the fixing plate, thereby improving the installation stability of the first fixing seat 301.

[0063] The drive mechanism 2 also includes a first bearing 203 disposed outside the eccentric shaft 202, and the first bearing 203 is mounted within the first mounting hole. Specifically, two first bearings 203 are disposed outside the eccentric shaft 202, with a bushing 206 mounted between the two first bearings 203. The two first bearings 203 are mounted in the upper and lower portions of the first mounting hole, respectively. The servo motor 201 is vertically fixed below the mounting plate 3011 and is rotationally connected to the mounting plate 3011 via the first bearings 203 outside the eccentric shaft 202. The eccentric shaft 202 is inserted through the first mounting hole and extends to the top of the mounting plate 3011. The bottom end of the eccentric shaft 202 is connected to the output shaft of the servo motor 201, and the top end is the second rotating shaft 204. The second rotating shaft 204 is an eccentric rotating shaft. The second rotating shaft 204 and the output shaft of the servo motor 201 are in the same direction but not coaxially. The eccentric wheel 205 is disposed on the outer side of the second rotating shaft 204. Therefore, when the servo motor 201 rotates, the second rotating shaft 204 and the eccentric wheel 205 rotate eccentrically around the output shaft of the servo motor 201. The first hinge block 701 has a fourth mounting hole 7011 formed inside. The eccentric wheel 205 is fixedly mounted in the fourth mounting hole 7011 in the first hinge block 701. When the second rotating shaft 204 and the eccentric wheel 205 rotate eccentrically, they drive the first hinge block 701 and the crank-connecting rod mechanism 7 as a whole to move horizontally.

[0064] A vertical second mounting hole 7031 is provided inside the second connecting rod 703, a second bearing 7032 is installed in the second mounting hole 7031, a first rotating shaft 7033 is installed in the second bearing 7032, and the first rotating shaft 7033 is in a vertical state after installation. A third mounting hole 3021 is provided on the second fixing seat 302. Specifically, the third mounting hole 3021 is provided at the bottom of the second fixing seat 302 (the third mounting hole 3021 can be a through hole or a slotted hole that is not punched through), a third bearing 3022 is installed in the third pile hole, and the third The other end of a rotating shaft 7033 is installed in the third bearing 3022, that is, the top end of the first rotating shaft 7033 is installed in the third bearing 3022. Since the second fixed seat 302 is fixed, when the servo motor 201 is running, the crank-connecting rod mechanism 7 can perform crank motion in the horizontal direction. Since the positioning pin 4 is installed on the second connecting rod 703, and the positioning pin 4 is vertically installed on the side of the second connecting rod 703 corresponding to the positioning slot 1021, when the crank-connecting rod mechanism 7 performs crank motion, the positioning pin 4 follows it to perform curved motion and can be inserted into or out of the positioning slot 1021.

[0065] The locking and positioning device of the present application also includes a leveling mechanism 8, which is arranged between the second fixing seat 302 and the second connecting rod 703, and the leveling mechanism 8 is used to ensure that the crank-connecting rod mechanism 7 and the positioning pin 4 move in the horizontal direction, thereby achieving its leveling effect.

[0066] Specifically, the leveling mechanism 8 includes a leveling plate 801 and multiple leveling bolts 802. The leveling plate 801 is internally perforated and further provided with multiple threaded holes, with the leveling bolts 802 correspondingly mounted in the threaded holes. A fourth bearing is mounted in the perforated holes of the leveling plate 801. The leveling plate 801 is positioned between the bottom surface of the second fixing seat 302 and the top surface of the second connecting rod 703. The first rotating shaft 7033 is mounted on the fourth bearing, enabling a rotational connection between the leveling plate 801 and the first rotating shaft 7033. After the multiple leveling bolts 802 are correspondingly installed in the multiple threaded holes, the nut ends of the leveling bolts 802 are located at the bottom of the leveling plate 801. By adjusting the nuts of the leveling bolts 802, the screws of the leveling bolts 802 are collectively abutted against the bottom surface of the second fixing seat 302. Since the bottom surface of the second fixing seat 302 is horizontal, the movement path of the locating pin 4 and the crank-connecting rod mechanism 7 can be leveled by adjusting all the adjusting bolts together, ensuring the verticality of the locating pin 4 and the smooth horizontal movement of the crank-connecting rod mechanism 7 and the locating pin 4. Preferably, the leveling plate 801 is provided with four threaded holes, respectively, and is located at its four corners, and the leveling bolts 802 are installed in the threaded holes at the four corners.

[0067] The detection mechanism 5 includes a first sensor 501 and a second sensor 502. Since the servo motor 201 can drive the first hinge block 701 to rotate eccentrically, and the first hinge block 701 has two static states before and after rotation, the first static state is when the positioning pin 4 is inserted into the positioning notch 1021 and remains stationary, the servo motor 201 stops running, and the first hinge block 701 is in a locked position; the second static state is when the positioning pin 4 is out of the positioning notch 1021 and remains stationary, the servo motor 201 stops running, and the first hinge block 701 is in an unlocked position. The first sensor 501 and the second sensor 502 are both installed on the mounting plate 3011. Preferably, mounting holes for installing the first sensor 501 and the second sensor 502 are respectively provided on the mounting plate 3011, so that the first hinge block 701 is just located above the first sensor 501 and the second sensor 502. When the first hinge block 701 moves, the first sensor 501 senses whether the first hinge block 701 is in the locked position, and the second sensor 502 senses whether the first hinge block 701 is in the unlocked position, and then the sensed signal is fed back to the central control system. The central control system can then know whether the first hinge block 701 is in the locked position or the unlocked position, and can then judge whether the positioning pin 4 is inside or outside the positioning slot 1021.

[0068] The limiting mechanism 6 includes a first buffer 601 and a second buffer 602. The first buffer 601 and the second buffer 602 are both mounted on the connecting plate 3012. Preferably, the first buffer 601 and the second buffer 602 are mounted on the same connecting plate 3012 (e.g. Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown), the first buffer 601 is used to limit the first hinge block 701 when it is in the locked position. When the first hinge block 701 moves to the locked position, it presses against the first buffer 601 to achieve position limiting. The second buffer 602 is used to limit the first hinge block 701 when it is in the unlocked position. When the first hinge block 701 moves to the unlocked position, it presses against the second buffer 602 to achieve position limiting. At the same time, the first buffer 601 and the second buffer 602 can also play a protective role to prevent the servo motor 201 from stalling and damaging components.

[0069] It should be noted that a fifth mounting hole 7041 is provided through the interior of the second hinge block 704, a fifth bearing 7042 is installed inside the fifth mounting hole 7041, a third rotating shaft 7043 is passed through and installed inside the fifth bearing 7042, and the third rotating shaft 7043 is fixedly connected to the second connecting rod 703. Therefore, the second hinge block 704 is hinged to the second connecting rod 703 through the fifth bearing 7042 and the third rotating shaft 7043.

[0070] During use: When the exchange plate manipulator of the mask transmission device performs vertical movement, the present application can automatically control the operation of the servo motor 201 of the driving mechanism 2 through the central control system, thereby driving the crank-connecting rod mechanism 7 to move, and at the same time driving the positioning pin 4 to move horizontally in a curve and insert into the positioning slot 1021 of the rotating mechanism 1 to achieve locking and positioning of the rotating mechanism 1, so that the rotating motor 101 of the rotating mechanism 1 stops rotating, thereby improving the accuracy of locking and positioning the rotating mechanism 1, and at this time the first hinge block 701 is in the locked position; when the rotating mechanism 1 needs to be unlocked, the central control system controls the servo motor 201 to operate again to drive the positioning pin 4 to disengage the positioning slot 1021 to achieve unlocking, without manual disassembly, and at this time the first hinge block 701 is in the unlocked position; in addition, the two positioning slots 1021 are symmetrically arranged on the positioning plate 102 of the rotating mechanism 1, one of which is located at the 0° position of the rotating motor 101, and the other is located at the 180° position of the rotating motor 101. When the positioning pin After the positioning pin 4 is inserted into the positioning notch 1021 at the 0° position to achieve locking positioning, the positioning notch 1021 at the 180° position can be used for retesting, that is, the central control system automatically controls to make the positioning pin 4 disengage from the positioning notch 1021 at 0°, and make the rotating motor 101 rotate 180°, and then drive the servo motor 201 to make the first hinge block 701 in the locking position, and observe whether the positioning pin 4 can be inserted into the positioning notch 1021 at the 180° position. If the positioning pin 4 can be inserted into the positioning notch 1021 at the 180° position, the 180° position of the rotating motor 101 is correct, and the calibration is completed; if the positioning pin 4 cannot be inserted into the positioning notch 1021 at the 180° position, there is a deviation in the 180° position of the rotating motor 101, and it is necessary to adjust and recalibrate the 0° position until both the 0° and 180° positions are correct. The entire calibration process can be completely controlled by the software program in the central control system, which can improve the calibration efficiency and repeat positioning accuracy. In addition, the machining accuracy of the components of the locking and positioning device of the present application is relatively low, and does not require very high precision. The cost is low, and it can also be adjusted to adapt to structural changes, which is very flexible and convenient.

[0071] Example 2

[0072] This embodiment provides a mask transport device, including the locking and positioning device, the rotating mechanism 1, the fixed support mechanism 3, a plate picking and placing robot, a plate exchanging robot, etc.

[0073] The rotating mechanism 1 includes a rotating motor 101 and a positioning plate 102. The rotating motor 101 includes a fixed part and a rotating part. The fixed part of the rotating motor 101 is fixed to the bottom of the second fixed seat 302 of the fixed support mechanism 3, and the rotating part of the rotating motor 101 is fixed to the top of the positioning plate 102. The positioning plate 102 is arranged horizontally and rotates in the horizontal direction following the rotating motor 101. The outer side surface of the positioning plate 102 is provided with two symmetrical positioning notches 1021, one of the positioning notches 1021 is located at the 0° position of the rotating motor 101, and the other positioning notch 1021 is located at the 180° position of the rotating motor 101. The positioning pin 4 of the locking positioning device is arranged corresponding to the positioning notch 1021.

[0074] The beneficial effects of the technical solution of the present invention are:

[0075] 1. High positioning accuracy: First, the positioning fixture is used to calibrate the position of this mechanism. The servo motor 201 used in this mechanism adopts a high-precision encoder to accurately control the overall motion position, and the repeated positioning accuracy can reach 8urad.

[0076] 2. High safety: The device uses the first sensor 501 and the second sensor 502 to detect the unlocking and unlocking positions respectively, and is designed with a limit mechanism 6 for mechanical limiting to ensure safety.

[0077] 3. High efficiency: There is no human intervention during the calibration process of the rotating mechanism 1. The entire working process is completely controlled by software, which effectively improves the calibration efficiency of the rotating mechanism 1.

[0078] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0079] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that although some embodiments herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not others, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the present invention and to form different embodiments. For example, in the claims above, any of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination. The information disclosed in this background section is intended solely to enhance understanding of the overall background of the present invention and should not be construed as an admission or any form of implication that such information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art.

[0080] While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0081] The foregoing description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations of the present invention are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are intended to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A locking and positioning device for locking and positioning a rotating mechanism (1) of a mask transmission device, wherein the rotating mechanism (1) comprises a rotating motor (101) and a positioning plate (102), wherein the fixed portion of the rotating motor (101) is fixed to a fixed support mechanism (3), and the rotating portion is fixed to the positioning plate (102), and the outer side surface of the positioning plate (102) is provided with symmetrical positioning notches (1021), characterized in that: It comprises a driving mechanism (2), a positioning pin (4), a detection mechanism (5) and a limiting mechanism (6); The driving mechanism (2) is mounted on the fixed support mechanism (3), the driving end of the driving mechanism (2) is connected to the positioning pin (4), and is used to drive the positioning pin (4) to be inserted into or removed from the positioning notch (1021), and the detection mechanism (5) is used to detect whether the positioning pin (4) is located in the positioning notch (1021); After the positioning pin (4) is inserted into the positioning notch (1021), the limiting mechanism (6) is used to limit the positioning pin (4); It also includes a crank-connecting rod mechanism (7), the crank-connecting rod mechanism (7) including a first connecting rod (702), a second connecting rod (703), a first hinge block (701) and a second hinge block (704), one end of the first connecting rod (702) is provided with the first hinge block (701), the other end is hinged to one end of the second connecting rod (703) through the second hinge block (704), the other end of the second connecting rod (703) is hinged to the fixed support mechanism (3), and the positioning pin (4) is provided on the second connecting rod (703); The driving mechanism (2) comprises a servo motor (201) and an eccentric shaft (202), one end of the eccentric shaft (202) being connected to the output shaft of the servo motor (201) and the other end being hinged to the first hinge block (701), and the servo motor (201) being used to drive the first hinge block (701) to rotate eccentrically, and at the same time drive the positioning pin (4) to follow the curved motion of the crank-connecting rod mechanism (7) so as to be inserted into or out of the positioning notch (1021).

2. The locking and positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixed support mechanism (3) comprises a fixed plate, a first fixed seat (301) and a second fixed seat (302), wherein the first fixed seat (301) and the second fixed seat (302) are both fixedly arranged at the bottom of the fixed plate; The second fixing seat (302) is hinged to the second connecting rod (703); The first fixing seat (301) comprises a mounting plate (3011) and a connecting plate (3012); the mounting plate (3011) and the connecting plate (3012) are connected to form an L-shape; the connecting plate (3012) is fixedly connected to the fixing plate; a first mounting hole is provided inside the mounting plate (3011); The driving mechanism (2) further comprises a first bearing (203) arranged outside the eccentric shaft (202), and the first bearing (203) is installed in the first installation hole.

3. The locking and positioning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: A second mounting hole (7031) is provided inside the second connecting rod (703), a second bearing (7032) is installed in the second mounting hole (7031), a first rotating shaft (7033) is installed in the second bearing (7032), a third mounting hole (3021) is provided on the second fixing seat (302), a third bearing (3022) is installed in the third mounting hole (3021), and the other end of the first rotating shaft (7033) is installed in the third bearing (3022).

4. The locking and positioning device according to claim 3, characterized in that: It also includes a leveling mechanism (8), which is arranged between the second fixing seat (302) and the second connecting rod (703), and the leveling mechanism (8) is used to ensure that the crank-connecting rod mechanism (7) and the positioning pin (4) move in the horizontal direction.

5. The locking and positioning device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The leveling mechanism (8) comprises a leveling plate (801) and a plurality of leveling bolts (802); a through hole is provided inside the leveling plate (801); a plurality of threaded holes are also provided through the leveling plate (801); and the leveling bolts (802) are installed in a one-to-one correspondence with the threaded holes. A fourth bearing is installed in the through hole, the first rotating shaft (7033) passes through and is installed on the fourth bearing, and the plurality of leveling bolts (802) are in common contact with the second fixing seat (302).

6. The locking and positioning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The detection mechanism (5) includes a first sensor (501) and a second sensor (502); The servo motor (201) drives the first hinge block (701) to rotate eccentrically, and the first hinge block (701) has two static states before and after the rotation. The first static state is when the positioning pin (4) is inserted into the positioning notch (1021), and the first hinge block (701) is in a locked position; the second static state is when the positioning pin (4) is out of the positioning notch (1021), and the first hinge block (701) is in an unlocked position. The first sensor (501) and the second sensor (502) are both mounted on the mounting plate (3011), and the first sensor (501) is used to sense whether the first hinge block (701) is in the locked position, and the second sensor (502) is used to sense whether the first hinge block (701) is in the unlocked position.

7. The locking and positioning device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The limiting mechanism (6) comprises a first buffer (601) and a second buffer (602), wherein the first buffer (601) and the second buffer (602) are both mounted on the connecting plate (3012), and the first buffer (601) is used to limit the first hinge block (701) when it is in the locked position, and the second buffer (602) is used to limit the first hinge block (701) when it is in the unlocked position. At the same time, the first buffer (601) and the second buffer (602) can also prevent the servo motor (201) from stalling.

8. The locking and positioning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: One end of the eccentric shaft (202) is connected to the output shaft of the servo motor (201), and the other end is a second rotating shaft (204). The second rotating shaft (204) and the output shaft of the servo motor (201) are in the same direction and are not coaxial. An eccentric wheel (205) is provided on the outside of the second rotating shaft (204). A fourth mounting hole (7011) is provided inside the first hinge block (701), and the eccentric wheel (205) is mounted in the fourth mounting hole (7011).

9. A mask transfer device, characterized in that: Comprising the locking and positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the rotating mechanism (1) and the fixed supporting mechanism (3); The rotating mechanism (1) comprises a rotating motor (101) and a positioning plate (102), wherein the fixed portion of the rotating motor (101) is fixed to the fixed support mechanism (3), and the rotating portion is fixed to the positioning plate (102), and the outer side surface of the positioning plate (102) is provided with two symmetrical positioning notches (1021), wherein one of the positioning notches (1021) is located at a 0° position of the rotating motor (101), and the other positioning notch (1021) is located at a 180° position of the rotating motor (101), and the positioning pin (4) of the locking positioning device is arranged corresponding to one of the positioning notches (1021).

Images