Gear mechanism and industrial robot

Abstract

The invention provides a gear mechanism and an industrial robot, which are provided with a helical gear and a lubricating member for applying a lubricant to the tooth surface of the helical gear, and can easily manufacture the lubricating member. The gear mechanism is provided with a first helical gear (30), a second helical gear engaged with the first helical gear (30), and a lubricating member (32) for applying a lubricant to the tooth surface of the first helical gear (30). The lubricating member (32) is provided with a plurality of spur gears (40) which mesh with the first helical gear (30) and are made of non-woven fabrics or felts immersed with a lubricant, the width of the spur gears (40) is narrower than the width of the first helical gear (30), and the plurality of spur gears (40) overlap in the width direction of the first helical gear (30). In the gear mechanism, the phases of the spur gears (40) adjacent to each other in the width direction of the first helical gear (30) are shifted from each other so that each of the plurality of spur gears (40) is engaged with the first helical gear (30).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a gear mechanism having helical gears and an industrial robot having such a gear mechanism. Background Art

[0002] In the past, there is a known horizontal multi-jointed industrial robot for carrying glass substrates for liquid crystal displays (for example, see Patent Document 1). The industrial robot described in Patent Document 1 includes: a hand for loading a glass substrate; an arm connected to the front end of the hand; a main body supporting the arm; and a base member supporting the main body so as to be movable in the horizontal direction. In addition, the industrial robot includes a horizontal moving mechanism that moves the main body in the horizontal direction relative to the base member. The horizontal moving mechanism includes a motor as a driving source. In addition, the horizontal moving mechanism includes a rack and a pinion for transmitting the power of the motor to the main body.

[0003] In addition, in the past, there is known a lubricating oil supply gear for supplying lubricating oil to the meshing portion between the driving pinion and the internal gear constituting a part of the speed reducer (for example, refer to Patent Document 2). The lubricating oil supply gear described in Patent Document 2 includes: a wheel portion forming the skeleton of the lubricating oil supply gear; and a lubricating gear portion forming the tooth surface of the lubricating oil supply gear and forming the outer peripheral side portion of the lubricating oil supply gear. The lubricating gear portion is formed of felt. Lubricating oil is immersed in the lubricating gear portion. The lubricating gear portion meshes with the driving pinion. Prior art literature Patent Literature

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-209473 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-239340 Summary of the invention

[0005] Problems to be solved by the invention In order to apply lubricant on the tooth surface of the rack of the horizontal moving mechanism described in Patent Document 1, the inventor of the present application has studied the use of a lubricating gear meshing with the rack. The lubricating gear is formed of non-woven fabric or felt, and the lubricating gear made of non-woven fabric or felt is impregnated with lubricant. However, in the case of using a lubricating gear meshing with the rack, in order to improve the strength of the rack and the pinion, or to ensure the accuracy of the rack and the pinion, if the rack and the pinion are made into helical gears, the lubricating gear meshing with the rack must also be made into a helical gear. Therefore, in this case, the processing of the lubricating gear becomes complicated, and it is difficult to easily manufacture the lubricating gear.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a gear mechanism including a helical gear and a lubricating member for applying lubricant to the tooth surface of the helical gear, wherein the lubricating member can be easily manufactured. Another object of the present invention is to provide an industrial robot including such a gear mechanism. Technical solutions to solve problems

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a gear mechanism of one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first bevel gear; a second bevel gear meshing with the first bevel gear; and a lubricating component for applying lubricant to the tooth surface of the first bevel gear, the lubricating component comprising a plurality of spur gears made of non-woven fabric or felt which mesh with the first bevel gear and are impregnated with lubricant, the width of the spur gears being narrower than the width of the first bevel gear, the plurality of spur gears overlapping in the width direction of the first bevel gear, and the phases of adjacent spur gears in the width direction of the first bevel gear being staggered from each other so that the plurality of spur gears respectively mesh with the first bevel gear.

[0008] In the gear mechanism of the present embodiment, the lubricating component for applying lubricant to the tooth surface of the first helical gear includes a plurality of spur gears made of nonwoven fabric or felt impregnated with lubricant. In addition, in the present embodiment, the width of the spur gear is narrower than the width of the first helical gear, and the plurality of spur gears overlap in the width direction of the first helical gear. Moreover, in the present embodiment, the phases of adjacent spur gears in the width direction of the first helical gear are staggered so that the plurality of spur gears are respectively meshed with the first helical gear. That is, in the present embodiment, the lubricating component is manufactured by staggering the phases of a plurality of spur gears that are easy to process in such a manner that the plurality of spur gears are respectively meshed with the first helical gear and overlapping in the width direction of the first helical gear in this state. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the lubricating component for applying lubricant to the tooth surface of the first helical gear can be easily manufactured.

[0009] In addition, in this embodiment, even if the width of the first bevel gear is changed, by changing the number of spur gears of the same shape, the width of the lubricating member can be changed according to the width of the first bevel gear. In addition, in this embodiment, even if the helix angle of the first bevel gear is changed, by adjusting the phase offset of the spur gears of the same shape, the lubricating member can be manufactured in a manner that a plurality of spur gears are respectively engaged with the first bevel gear. Therefore, in this embodiment, the versatility of the spur gears constituting the lubricating member can be improved.

[0010] In this embodiment, for example, the gear mechanism includes a lubricant supply mechanism for automatically supplying lubricant to the spur gears, and the lubricating member includes a spacer disposed between the spur gears in the width direction of the first helical gear, and a supply path for the lubricant supplied from the lubricant supply mechanism is formed on the spacer. In this case, the lubricant can be continuously supplied to the spur gears via the spacer.

[0011] In this embodiment, for example, the gear mechanism includes a retaining member for retaining the second helical gear and a lubricating member, the first helical gear is a rack, the second helical gear is a pinion, and the lubricating member moves in the length direction of the rack together with the pinion. Compared with the case where the first helical gear is a rotary gear, it is difficult to apply lubricant to the tooth surface of the rack when the first helical gear is a rack, but in this embodiment, even if the first helical gear is a rack, lubricant can be easily applied to the tooth surface of the rack using the lubricating member.

[0012] In this embodiment, for example, the lubricating member is arranged on one side of the pinion in the length direction of the rack. In this case, the structure of the gear mechanism can be simplified. In addition, in this embodiment, the lubricating member can also be arranged on both sides of the pinion in the length direction of the rack. In this case, the lubricant can be effectively applied to the tooth surface of the rack.

[0013] The gear mechanism of this embodiment can be used in an industrial robot. The industrial robot comprises: a hand; an arm connected to the hand; a main body connected to the arm; a base member that holds the main body in a movable manner; and a horizontal movement mechanism that moves the main body linearly in a horizontal direction relative to the base member, the horizontal movement mechanism comprising the gear mechanism of this embodiment and a motor for rotating a pinion gear. In the industrial robot, a lubricating member for applying lubricant to the tooth surface of the first helical gear can be easily manufactured. In addition, in the industrial robot, the versatility of the spur gear constituting the lubricating member can be improved. Effects of the Invention

[0014] As described above, in the aspect of the present invention, in the gear mechanism including the helical gear and the lubricating member for applying lubricant to the tooth surface of the helical gear, the lubricating member can be easily manufactured. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is a top view of the industrial robot according to the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A side view of an industrial robot is shown. Figure 3 It is used to illustrate Figure 1 A top view of the structure of the horizontal movement mechanism and guide mechanism of the industrial robot shown. Figure 4 is from Figure 3 A diagram illustrating the structure of the horizontal moving mechanism in the EE direction. Figure 5 Is used from Figure 3 A diagram illustrating the structure of the horizontal moving mechanism in the FF direction. Figure 6 It is used to illustrate Figure 5A diagram of the structure of the spacer and fixed shaft is shown. Figure 7 (A) is used to illustrate Figure 5 An enlarged view of the structure of section G, Figure 7 (B) is Figure 7 (A) shows a top view of two spur gears. Figure 8 It is a plan view for explaining the structure of a gear mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 Is used from Figure 8 A diagram illustrating the structure of the gear mechanism in the HH direction. Fig.10 is from Fig. 9 The JJ direction shows a diagram of lubrication parts, etc. Fig.11 (A) is used to illustrate Fig. 9 An enlarged view of the structure of the K section, Fig.11 (B) is Fig.11 (A) is a top view of the three spur gears shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] (Overall structure of industrial robot) Figure 1 It is a top view of the industrial robot 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The industrial robot 1 is shown in a side view. Figure 3 It is used to illustrate Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the structure of the horizontal moving mechanism 19 and the guide mechanism 20 of the industrial robot 1 .

[0018] The industrial robot 1 (hereinafter referred to as "robot 1") of the present embodiment is a horizontal multi-joint robot for carrying a glass substrate 2 (hereinafter referred to as "substrate 2") for a liquid crystal display. The robot 1 includes: two hands 3 for carrying the substrate 2; two arms 4 connected to the two hands 3, respectively; a main body 5 connected to the two arms 4; and a base member 6 for holding the main body 5 in a movable manner. The hand 3 is rotatably connected to the front end side of the arm 4. The base end side of the arm 4 is rotatably connected to the main body 5.

[0019] The main body 5 can move linearly in the horizontal direction relative to the base member 6. The main body 5 includes: an arm support 7 that supports the base end side of the arm 4 and can be raised and lowered; a support frame 8 that supports the arm support 7 so that it can be raised and lowered; a base 9 that constitutes the lower end portion of the main body 5 and can move horizontally relative to the base member 6; and a rotating frame 10 that fixes the lower end of the support frame 8 and can rotate relative to the base 9. Figure 3 In the figure, the icon of the base part 6 is omitted.

[0020] The arm 4 is composed of two arm parts, a first arm part 14 and a second arm part 15. The base end side of the first arm part 14 is rotatably connected to the arm support 7. The base end side of the second arm part 15 is rotatably connected to the front end side of the first arm part 14. The hand 3 is rotatably connected to the front end side of the second arm part 15. The arm 4 can be extended and retracted in the horizontal direction so that the hand 3 moves linearly in a state of being oriented in a certain direction. Specifically, the arm 4 can be extended and retracted in the horizontal direction in a state of the hand 3 being oriented in a certain direction and in a manner that the connection portion between the hand 3 and the arm 4 moves linearly.

[0021] The support frame 8 holds the hand 3 and the arm 4 via the arm support 7 so that they can be raised and lowered. The support frame 8 includes: a columnar first support frame 16 that holds the arm support 7 so that it can be raised and lowered; and a columnar second support frame 17 that holds the first support frame 16 so that it can be raised and lowered. The rotating frame 10 is formed into a flat rectangular parallelepiped with a thin thickness in the up and down direction. In addition, the rotating frame 10 is formed into an elongated rectangular parallelepiped. The lower end portion of the second support frame 17 is fixed to the upper surface of the front end side of the rotating frame 10. The base end side of the rotating frame 10 is supported on the base 9 in a manner that it can rotate with the up and down direction as the axis of rotation. The rotating frame 10 is arranged on the upper side of the base 9.

[0022] The robot 1 includes an arm driving mechanism for driving the arm 4. Specifically, the robot 1 includes two arm driving mechanisms for driving the two arms 4, respectively. In addition, the robot 1 includes: a lifting mechanism for lifting the arm support 7 relative to the first support frame 16 and lifting the first support frame 16 relative to the second support frame 17; a guide mechanism for guiding the first support frame 16 in the up-down direction; a guide mechanism for guiding the arm support 7 in the up-down direction; and a rotation mechanism for rotating the rotating frame 10.

[0023] In addition, the robot 1 includes: a horizontal moving mechanism 19 that linearly moves the main body 5 in the horizontal direction relative to the base member 6; and a guide mechanism 20 that guides the main body 5 in the horizontal direction (see Figure 3). The horizontal moving mechanism 19 includes: a motor 21 as a driving source; and a power transmission mechanism 22 for transmitting the power of the motor 21 to the main body 5. The guide mechanism 20 includes: a guide rail 23 fixed to the base member 6; and a plurality of sliders 24 fixed to the base 9 and engaged with the guide rail 23. The specific structure of the horizontal moving mechanism 19 will be described later.

[0024] The robot 1 carries the substrate 2 by a combination of telescopic movement of the arm 4, lifting movement of the arm 4, rotation movement, and horizontal movement movement. In the following description, the moving direction ( Figure 1 The Y direction (such as the Y direction) is set as the "front-back direction", and the Figure 1 The X direction is set as the "left-right direction". Figure 1 The Y1 direction side is set as the "front" side, and the opposite side is set as Figure 1 The Y2 direction side is set as the "rear" side, and the left and right sides are set as the Figure 1 The X1 direction side is set as the "right" side, and the opposite side is set as Figure 1 The Y2 direction side of the same is set as the "left" side.

[0025] (Structure of horizontal movement mechanism) Figure 4 Is used from Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the structure of the horizontal moving mechanism 19 in the EE direction. Figure 5 Is used from Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the structure of the horizontal moving mechanism 19 in the FF direction. Figure 6 It is used to illustrate Figure 5 The diagram shows the structure of the spacer 41 and the fixed shaft 42. Figure 7 (A) is used to illustrate Figure 5 An enlarged view of the structure of section G, Figure 7 (B) is Figure 7 (A) is a top view of two spur gears 40 shown.

[0026] As described above, the horizontal moving mechanism 19 includes a motor 21 and a power transmission mechanism 22. The power transmission mechanism 22 includes: a pulley 27 on the driving side; a pulley 28 on the driven side; a belt 29 mounted on the two pulleys 27 and 28; a rack 30 fixed to the base member 6; a pinion 31 meshing with the rack 30; a lubricating component 32 for applying lubricant to the tooth surface of the rack 30; and a lubricant supply mechanism 33 for automatically supplying lubricant to the spur gear 40 described later that constitutes a part of the lubricating component 32. In addition, the power transmission mechanism 22 includes a retaining component 34 that retains the motor 21, the pulleys 27 and 28, the pinion 31, the lubricating component 32, and the lubricant supply mechanism 33. In addition, in Figure 3 In the figure, the lubricant supply mechanism 33 is omitted.

[0027] The holding member 34 is fixed to the base 9. Specifically, the holding member 34 is fixed to the right end of the base 9. The motor 21 is fixed to the holding member 34. The output shaft of the motor 21 protrudes upward. The pulley 27 is fixed to the output shaft of the motor 21. Figure 4 As shown, the pulley 28 is fixed on the rotating shaft 35. The rotating shaft 35 is held rotatably by a bearing 36. The bearing 36 is mounted on the holding member 34. The axial direction of the rotating shaft 35 is consistent with the up-down direction. The rotating shaft 35 is arranged at a position closer to the front side than the motor 21. The pulley 28 is fixed to the upper end side of the rotating shaft 35. The pulleys 27 and 28 rotate with the up-down direction as the axial direction of rotation. The outer diameter of the pulley 28 is larger than the outer diameter of the pulley 27.

[0028] The rack 30 is a helical gear. That is, the rack 30 is a spiral rack. The pinion 31 is a helical gear. That is, the pinion 31 is a spiral pinion. The rack 30 of this embodiment is a first helical gear, and the pinion 31 is a second helical gear. In addition, the power transmission mechanism 22 of this embodiment is a gear mechanism including a first helical gear and a second helical gear.

[0029] The rack 30 is fixed to the base member 6 in such a manner that the length direction of the rack 30 is consistent with the front-to-back direction. That is, the front-to-back direction (Y direction) is the length direction of the rack 30. In addition, the rack 30 is configured in such a manner that the tooth top of the rack 30 faces the right side. The width direction of the rack 30 is consistent with the up-down direction. That is, the up-down direction is the width direction of the rack 30. The pinion 31 is fixed to the lower end side of the rotating shaft 35. The pinion 31 meshes with the rack 30 from the right side. When the motor 21 rotates, the pinion 31 rotates with the up-down direction as the axis of rotation, and the main body 5 moves in the front-to-back direction relative to the base member 6.

[0030] The lubricating component 32 is arranged at a position closer to the front side than the pulley 28 and the pinion 31. That is, the lubricating component 32 is arranged on one side of the pinion 31 in the front-to-back direction. The lubricating component 32 includes a plurality of spur gears 40 made of non-woven fabric or felt that mesh with the rack 30 and are impregnated with lubricant. The lubricating component 32 of this embodiment includes two spur gears 40. The two spur gears 40 overlap in the up-down direction. In addition, the lubricating component 32 includes: a spacer 41 arranged between the two spur gears 40; and a fixed shaft 42 that holds the two spur gears 40 in a rotatable manner.

[0031] The fixed shaft 42 is fixed to the holding member 34. The fixed shaft 42 moves in the front-rear direction together with the holding member 34. That is, the lubricating member 32 moves in the front-rear direction together with the pinion 31 mounted on the holding member 34 via the rotating shaft 35. The axial direction of the fixed shaft 42 coincides with the up-and-down direction. The fixed shaft 42 is inserted through the inner circumference of the spur gear 40. The spur gear 40 can rotate relative to the fixed shaft 42 with the up-and-down direction as the axial direction of rotation.

[0032] The spacer 41 is formed of, for example, a resin. In addition, the spacer 41 is formed in a substantially disk shape. The spacer 41 is arranged so that the thickness direction of the spacer 41 coincides with the up-down direction. The spacer 41 is arranged between the two spur gears 40 in the up-down direction. A fixed shaft 42 is inserted through a through hole formed in the center of the spacer 41. The spacer 41 is fixed to the retaining member 34. The spur gears 40 overlapped in the up-down direction are in light contact with the spacer 41. Alternatively, a small gap is formed between the spur gears 40 and the spacer 41 in the up-down direction.

[0033] The spur gear 40 is formed, for example, by a stamping process using a die. Since the tooth profile of the spur gear 40 is a simple shape, the processing of the spur gear 40 is easy. Lubricating oil as a lubricant is impregnated in the spur gear 40. Specifically, grease is impregnated in the spur gear 40. That is, the spur gear 40 becomes a lubrication gear. The width of the spur gear 40 is narrower than the width of the rack 30. The thickness (thickness in the up and down direction) of the spacer 41 is thinner than the width of the rack 30. The width of the rack 30 is larger than the sum of the widths of the two spur gears 40 and the thickness of the spacer 41.

[0034] The spur gear 40 meshes with the rack 30 from the right side. Figure 7As shown, the phases of the two spur gears 40 are offset from each other so that the two spur gears 40 are respectively engaged with the rack 30. That is, the phases of the spur gears 40 adjacent to each other in the up-down direction with the spacer 41 interposed therebetween are offset from each other so that the two spur gears 40 are respectively engaged with the rack 30. That is, in the present embodiment, the position of the tooth top of one of the two spur gears 40 and the position of the tooth top of the other spur gear 40 are offset from each other in the circumferential direction of the spur gear 40 according to the shape of the teeth of the rack 30 so that the two spur gears 40 are respectively engaged with the rack 30. In addition, since the spur gear 40 is formed of non-woven fabric or felt, when the main body 5 is moved several times in the front-rear direction relative to the base member 6 and the spur gear 40 engaged with the rack 30 is rotated several times, the meshing state of the spur gear 40 and the rack 30 becomes better.

[0035] The lubricant supply mechanism 33 is, for example, a product named "Simalube" manufactured by Shimatech. In the lubricant supply mechanism 33, hydrogen gas generated by a small amount of electricity fills the interior of the grease storage container, so that the piston is pressed down and the grease is discharged. The lubricant supply mechanism 33 is fixed to the upper end of the fixed shaft 42. Figure 6 As shown, a supply path 42a for grease supplied from the lubricant supply mechanism 33 is formed on the fixed shaft 42. A supply path 41a for grease supplied from the lubricant supply mechanism 33 is formed on the spacer 41. The supply path 41a is connected to the supply path 42a. The supply path 41a opens at the outer peripheral surface of the spacer 41. The grease supplied from the lubricant supply mechanism 33 is supplied to the tooth top portion of the spur gear 40 via the supply paths 41a and 42a.

[0036] (Main Effects of the Present Embodiment) As described above, in the present embodiment, the lubricating member 32 for applying grease to the tooth surface of the rack 30 includes two spur gears 40 made of nonwoven fabric or felt. In addition, in the present embodiment, the width of the spur gear 40 is narrower than the width of the rack 30, and the two spur gears 40 overlap in the vertical direction that becomes the width direction of the rack 30. In addition, in the present embodiment, the phases of the two spur gears 40 are shifted from each other so that the two spur gears 40 are respectively meshed with the rack 30. That is, in the present embodiment, the lubricating member 32 is manufactured by shifting the phases of the two spur gears 40 that are easy to process so that the two spur gears 40 are respectively meshed with the rack 30 and overlapping in the vertical direction in this state. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the lubricating member 32 can be easily manufactured.

[0037] In addition, in the present embodiment, even if the width of the rack 30 is changed, by changing the number of spur gears 40 overlapped in the vertical direction, the width of the lubricating member 32 can be changed according to the width of the rack 30. In addition, in the present embodiment, even if the helix angle of the rack 30 is changed, by adjusting the phase offset of the two spur gears 40, the lubricating member 32 can be manufactured in a manner that the two spur gears 40 are respectively meshed with the rack 30. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the versatility of the spur gears 40 constituting the lubricating member 32 can be improved. In addition, in the present embodiment, since grease is automatically supplied to the spur gears 40 from the lubricant supply mechanism 33 via the supply paths 41a and 42a, grease can be continuously supplied to the spur gears 40.

[0038] (Modification of Power Transmission Mechanism) Figure 8 It is a plan view for explaining the structure of a power transmission mechanism 22 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 Is used from Figure 8 The diagram illustrates the structure of the power transmission mechanism 22 along the HH direction. Fig.10 is from Fig. 9 The JJ direction shows the lubrication component 32 and the like. Fig.11 (A) is used to illustrate Fig. 9 An enlarged view of the structure of the K section, Fig.11 (B) is Fig.11 (A) is a top view of three spur gears 40 shown.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the lubricating member 32 may also include three or more spur gears 40. For example, the lubricating member 32 may also include Figures 9 to 11 As shown, there are three spur gears 40. In this case, for example, the lubricating member 32 does not include the spacer 41. The three spur gears 40 overlap in the vertical direction. The three spur gears 40 overlapped in the vertical direction lightly contact each other. The three spur gears 40 are rotatably held on the fixed shaft 42 and can rotate relative to the fixed shaft 42 with the vertical direction as the rotation axis direction.

[0040] As in the above embodiment, the width of the spur gear 40 is narrower than the width of the rack 30. The width of the rack 30 is wider than the sum of the widths of the three spur gears 40. Fig.11As shown, the phases of the three spur gears 40 are also staggered so that the three spur gears 40 are respectively engaged with the rack 30. That is, the phases of the spur gears 40 adjacent to each other in the up-down direction are staggered so that the three spur gears 40 are respectively engaged with the rack 30. That is, the position of the tooth top of one of the three spur gears 40, the position of the tooth top of one of the remaining two spur gears 40, and the position of the tooth top of the remaining one spur gear 40 are staggered in the circumferential direction of the spur gears 40 according to the shape of the teeth of the rack 30, so that the three spur gears 40 are respectively engaged with the rack 30.

[0041] In this variation, if Figure 8 As shown, the lubricating components 32 are arranged at two locations in the front-to-back direction so as to sandwich the pinion 31. That is, the power transmission mechanism 22 includes two lubricating components 32, and the lubricating components 32 are arranged on both sides of the pinion 31 in the front-to-back direction. In addition, in this modified example, the power transmission mechanism 22 does not include a lubricant supply mechanism 33. A joint 45 for grease supply is installed at the upper end of the fixed shaft 42. For example, grease is manually supplied to the spur gear 40 from a grease supply machine connected to the joint 45. In this modified example, the same effect as that of the above-mentioned embodiment can also be obtained.

[0042] In addition, the power transmission mechanism 22 may also include more than three lubricating components 32. In addition, when the lubricating component 32 includes more than three spur gears 40, the multiple spur gears 40 may include spur gears 40 with the same phase. For example, when the lubricating component 32 includes four spur gears 40, the phase of the spur gear 40 arranged at the top and the phase of the spur gear 40 arranged at the bottom may be the same. That is, the position of the tooth top of the spur gear 40 arranged at the top and the position of the tooth top of the spur gear 40 arranged at the bottom may be arranged at the same position in the circumferential direction of the spur gear 40. Even in this case, the phases of the adjacent spur gears 40 in the up and down directions are staggered from each other.

[0043] (Other embodiments) The above-described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the arm 4 may be composed of three or more arm parts. In addition, in the above embodiment, the robot 1 may also carry a transport object other than the substrate 2. In addition, in the above embodiment, the lubricant supply mechanism 33 may be a mechanism other than the シマルーベ manufactured by シマテック Corporation. For example, the lubricant supply mechanism 33 may be an automatic grease supply device having a tank for storing grease and an electric pump for conveying the grease in the tank to the supply path 42a of the fixed shaft 42.

[0045] The gear mechanism to which the present invention is applied can also be used, for example, as a power transmission mechanism of a lifting mechanism that lifts the arm support 7 relative to the first support frame 16 and lifts the first support frame 16 relative to the second support frame 17. In addition, the gear mechanism to which the present invention is applied can be used in robots other than horizontal multi-joint robots, and can also be used in devices other than robots.

[0046] In the gear mechanism to which the present invention is applied, the first helical gear and the second helical gear may be rotary gears. In addition, when the first helical gear is the rack 30, it is difficult to apply lubricant to the tooth surface of the rack 30, compared with the case where the first helical gear is a rotary gear. However, in the above embodiment, even if the first helical gear is the rack 30, lubricant can be easily applied to the tooth surface of the rack 30 using the lubricating member 32.

[0047] (Configuration of this technology) Note that the present technology can adopt the following configurations. (1) A gear mechanism comprising: a first helical gear; a second helical gear meshing with the first helical gear; and a lubricating member for applying a lubricant to a tooth surface of the first helical gear, The lubricating member includes a plurality of spur gears made of nonwoven fabric or felt that mesh with the first helical gear and are impregnated with the lubricant. The width of the spur gear is narrower than the width of the first helical gear, The plurality of spur gears overlap in the width direction of the first helical gear, The phases of the spur gears adjacent to each other in the width direction of the first helical gear are shifted from each other so that the plurality of spur gears are respectively meshed with the first helical gear. (2) The gear mechanism according to (1), wherein: A lubricant supply mechanism is provided for automatically supplying the lubricant to the spur gear. The lubricating member includes a spacer disposed between the spur gears in the width direction of the first helical gear. The spacer has a supply path for the lubricant supplied from the lubricant supply mechanism. (3) The gear mechanism according to (1) or (2), wherein: A holding member for holding the second helical gear and the lubricating member is provided, The first helical gear is a rack, The second helical gear is a pinion gear, The lubricating member moves together with the pinion in the longitudinal direction of the rack. (4) The gear mechanism according to (3), wherein the lubricating member is arranged on one side of the pinion gear in the longitudinal direction of the rack. (5) The gear mechanism according to (3), wherein the lubricating member is disposed on both sides of the pinion gear in the longitudinal direction of the rack. (6) An industrial robot comprising: a hand; an arm connected to the hand; a main body connected to the arm; a base member that holds the main body so that it can move; and a horizontal movement mechanism that moves the main body linearly in a horizontal direction relative to the base member. The horizontal movement mechanism includes: the gear mechanism according to any one of (3) to (5); and a motor for rotating the pinion gear. Explanation of symbols

[0048] 1Robot (industrial robot) 3 hands 4 arms 5 Main body 6 Base parts 19 Horizontal movement mechanism 21 Motor 22 Power transmission mechanism (gear mechanism) 30 rack (first helical gear) 31 pinion (second helical gear) 32 Lubrication parts 33 Lubricant supply mechanism 34Retention components 40 Spur gear 41 Spacers 41a Supply path Y is the length direction of the rack.

Claims

1. A gear mechanism, characterized in that: comprising: a first helical gear; a second helical gear meshing with the first helical gear; and a lubricating member for applying a lubricant to the tooth surface of the first helical gear, The lubricating member includes a plurality of spur gears made of nonwoven fabric or felt that mesh with the first helical gear and are impregnated with the lubricant. The width of the spur gear is narrower than the width of the first helical gear, The plurality of spur gears overlap in the width direction of the first helical gear, The phases of the spur gears adjacent to each other in the width direction of the first helical gear are shifted from each other so that the plurality of spur gears are respectively meshed with the first helical gear.

2. The gear mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A lubricant supply mechanism is provided for automatically supplying the lubricant to the spur gear. The lubricating member includes a spacer disposed between the spur gears in the width direction of the first helical gear. The spacer has a supply path for the lubricant supplied from the lubricant supply mechanism.

3. The gear mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A holding member for holding the second helical gear and the lubricating member is provided, The first helical gear is a rack, The second helical gear is a pinion gear, The lubricating member moves together with the pinion in the longitudinal direction of the rack.

4. The gear mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lubricating member is arranged on one side of the pinion gear in the longitudinal direction of the rack.

5. The gear mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lubricating members are arranged on both sides of the pinion gear in the longitudinal direction of the rack.

6. An industrial robot, characterized in that: The invention comprises: a hand; an arm connected to the hand; a main body connected to the arm; a base member for holding the main body so as to be movable; and a horizontal movement mechanism for linearly moving the main body in a horizontal direction relative to the base member. The horizontal movement mechanism includes: the gear mechanism according to claim 3; and a motor for rotating the pinion gear.

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