Cassette handling mechanical hand, coating equipment and cassette handling control method

Abstract

The application provides a wafer box carrying mechanical hand mechanism, a coating equipment and a wafer box carrying control method. The mechanical hand mechanism comprises a plurality of synchronous belt modules, a gripper assembly and a lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism is used for driving the gripper assembly to move in the vertical direction, and the plurality of synchronous belt modules are used for driving the gripper assembly to move in the horizontal direction. When the gripper of the gripper assembly moves with the lifting mechanism and the synchronous belt module assembly, the wafer box on the reaction furnace or the conveying mechanism can be lifted, the wafer box is carried from the specified position of the conveying mechanism to the reaction furnace, or the wafer box is carried from the reaction furnace to the specified position of the conveying mechanism. The application combines the functions of the traditional wafer box pushing and the mechanical hand of the coating equipment, reduces the number of moving parts in the wafer box carrying process, and adopts a double-module synchronous belt translation transmission mechanism. The double-module synchronous belt translation transmission mechanism in a stacked mode greatly improves the feasibility of realizing long-distance carrying in limited space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of solar cell coating technology, and more particularly to a multi-axis robotic arm mechanism for transporting cell cassettes in a solar cell coating equipment, and its system control method. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of the photovoltaic industry and the continuous upgrading of solar cell technology, various coating equipment is playing an increasingly important role in the solar cell manufacturing process. However, the field of edge coating and passivation for solar cells is still in its early stages of market application, with relatively few corresponding edge passivation coating equipment options available, and most market players are still in the research and development phase. Current solar cell passivation processes lack dedicated cell cassette handling mechanisms, resulting in low handling efficiency. To address the need for efficient and precise handling of cell cassettes in and out of the reactor during the passivation process, a specialized cell cassette handling robot mechanism and its control method are required, tailored to the structural and functional requirements of the coating equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to solve the technical problem of low efficiency in wafer cassette handling in the prior art, this invention proposes a wafer cassette handling robot mechanism, a coating equipment, and a wafer cassette handling control method.

[0004] The technical solution adopted in this invention is:

[0005] This invention proposes a cassette handling robot mechanism, comprising: multiple synchronous belt modules, a gripper assembly, and a lifting mechanism; wherein,

[0006] The lifting mechanism is used to drive the gripper assembly to move in the vertical direction, and the multiple synchronous belt modules are used to drive the gripper assembly to move in the horizontal direction. When the gripper of the gripper assembly moves with the lifting mechanism and the synchronous belt module assembly, it can lift the film box located on the reactor or the conveying mechanism, and move the film box from the designated position of the conveying mechanism to the reactor, or move the film box from the reactor to the designated position of the conveying mechanism.

[0007] In the first embodiment, the plurality of synchronous belt modules are stacked, specifically including: a first synchronous belt module connected to the lifting slider of the lifting mechanism, a second synchronous belt module stacked below the first synchronous belt module and connected to the first slider of the first synchronous belt module, and the second slider of the second synchronous belt module being connected to the gripper assembly.

[0008] Furthermore, one side of the synchronous belt module faces the lifting mechanism, and a motor for driving the synchronous belt module is vertically arranged on this side, with the motor located at the end of the synchronous belt module near the reactor.

[0009] Furthermore, both sides of the profiles of the first synchronous belt module and the second synchronous belt module are provided with fastening strips, and a connecting plate connecting the fastening strips on both sides is provided on the top of the profile. The side of the fastening strip is provided with a retaining edge embedded in the groove on the side of the profile. The lifting slider of the lifting mechanism is connected to the connecting plate of the first synchronous belt module, and the first slider of the first synchronous belt module is connected to the connecting plate of the second synchronous belt module.

[0010] Furthermore, the gripper assembly includes:

[0011] A vertically mounted plate has horizontal waist holes and positioning pin holes located below the waist holes.

[0012] A pair of L-shaped grippers are spaced apart, with the vertical portions of the two grippers respectively connected to the back of the vertical mounting plate on both sides.

[0013] A photoelectric sensor, located at the bottom of the vertical mounting plate, is used to detect whether there is a chip box between the two grippers.

[0014] Furthermore, the gripper is provided with a plurality of height-adjustable support blocks on its horizontal portion, the support blocks being used to support the support rods protruding from the side of the cassette.

[0015] In the second embodiment, multiple synchronous belt modules are arranged in parallel, specifically including: a first synchronous belt module and a second synchronous belt module arranged in parallel on both sides of the lifting mechanism. The sliders of the first synchronous belt module and the second synchronous belt module are connected to the lifting mechanism through a transverse support, which can drive the lifting mechanism to move laterally. The gripper assembly is connected to the lifting slider of the lifting mechanism.

[0016] Furthermore, the gripper assembly includes:

[0017] A gripper frame, the back of which is connected to the lifting slider of the lifting mechanism;

[0018] A pair of grippers are rotatably connected to both sides of the bottom of the gripper frame. The grippers are divided into a support section and an adjustment section from the rotatable connection point. The support section is provided with a guide structure corresponding to the plate box support rod. The gripper frame is provided with a top block assembly that presses down or lifts the adjustment section.

[0019] A photoelectric sensor is mounted on the gripper frame to detect whether there is a chip box between the two grippers.

[0020] Furthermore, the adjustment section is provided with an arc groove, and the gripper frame is provided with a pin that is inserted into the arc groove to limit the rotation angle of the support section.

[0021] Furthermore, the top of the guide rail of the lifting mechanism is provided with a slider buffer structure, which includes: a buffer plate installed on the top of the guide rail, a buffer block located at the top stroke position of the lifting slider of the lifting mechanism, a buffer pad installed on the buffer block, and screws connecting the buffer block and the buffer plate.

[0022] Furthermore, a retaining edge is vertically provided on the guide rail mounting plate of the lifting mechanism to restrict the installation position of the guide rail.

[0023] The present invention also proposes a coating equipment, comprising: a reaction furnace, a conveying mechanism disposed on one side of the reaction furnace for conveying film cassettes, and the aforementioned film cassette handling robot mechanism.

[0024] This invention also proposes a wafer cassette handling control method, using the aforementioned coating equipment, comprising the following steps:

[0025] When the reactor sends a request to eject a cassette, and there are no cassettes at the designated position of the conveyor mechanism or on the cassette handling robot mechanism, the cassette handling robot mechanism will move the processed cassettes from the reactor to the designated position of the conveyor mechanism.

[0026] When the conveying mechanism sends a request signal to the reactor to put the cassette in, and there is no cassette on the cassette handling robot, the cassette handling robot will move the cassette to be processed from the designated position of the conveying mechanism to the reactor.

[0027] The process of transporting processed wafer cassettes from the reactor to the designated position on the conveyor mechanism is specifically controlled as follows: the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to rise, the second synchronous belt module drives the gripper assembly to move towards the reactor until the travel is complete, the first synchronous belt module drives the second synchronous belt module to continue moving forward until the photoelectric sensor sends a signal indicating the presence of a wafer cassette, at which point the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to rise and grab the wafer cassette; the first synchronous belt module drives the second synchronous belt module to return to its original position, the second synchronous belt module drives the gripper assembly to return to above the designated position on the conveyor mechanism, and the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to descend and place the processed wafer cassette at the designated position on the conveyor mechanism.

[0028] The cassette handling robot moves the cassettes to be processed from the designated position of the conveying mechanism to the reactor. The specific control is as follows: the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to descend, the second synchronous belt module drives the gripper assembly to advance to the cassette gripping position, when the photoelectric sensor sends a signal that a cassette is present, the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to rise and grip the cassette; the second synchronous belt module drives the gripper assembly to continue to advance to the end of the stroke, the first synchronous belt module drives the second synchronous belt module to advance to the end of the stroke to make up for the stroke, and the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to descend and place the cassettes to be processed into the reactor.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0030] 1. Combine the functions of a pusher and a robotic arm in traditional coating equipment to reduce the number of moving parts during film cassette handling;

[0031] 2. A dual-module synchronous belt translation transmission mechanism is adopted. The stacked dual-module synchronous belt translation transmission mechanism greatly improves the feasibility of long-distance transportation within a limited space.

[0032] 3. The various adjustment structures designed for the robotic arm have solved the problems of aligning the robotic arm with the linear conveyor mechanism and the reactor, as well as the horizontal handling of the tablets. Attached Figure Description

[0033] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the handling robot in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a top view of the handling robot in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Enlarged view of point E;

[0039] Figure 6 This is a partial structural diagram of the lifting mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the synchronous belt module in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a partial connection structure of the synchronous belt module in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the gripper assembly in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 10 This is a partial structural diagram of the gripper assembly in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 11 This is a partial structural diagram of the gripper assembly support portion in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 12 This is a control flowchart in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the handling robot in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 15 This is a partial structural diagram of the handling robot in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 16 This is a control flowchart in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] 1. Reactor;

[0051] 3. Handling robot;

[0052] 31. Lifting mechanism; 311. Buffer plate; 312. Buffer block; 313. Buffer pad; 314. Guide rail mounting plate; 315. Edge retainer;

[0053] 32. First synchronous belt module; 320. Profile; 322. Connecting plate; 323. Fastening strip; 33. Second synchronous belt module;

[0054] 34. Gripper assembly; 341. Gripper; 3411. Lateral part of the gripper; 3412. Support block; 3413. Support screw; 3402. Adjusting screw; 3401. Top block; 342. Photoelectric sensor; 343. Vertical mounting plate; 3431. Waist hole; 3432. Positioning pin hole; 344. Rib plate; 345. Alignment block; 3451. Alignment screw; 3452. Alignment screw;

[0055] 4. Conveying mechanism; 5. Disc cassette. Detailed Implementation

[0056] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0057] The principles and structure of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0058] Currently, the industry lacks a suitable robotic arm system for handling film cassettes. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new robotic arm handling mechanism, system, and control method to meet application requirements. It is necessary to combine the functions of a traditional coating equipment pusher and a robotic arm to reduce the number of moving parts during film cassette handling, thereby reducing the failure frequency of moving parts.

[0059] In this regard, such as Figure 1 , 2 As shown in Figures 13 and 14, this invention proposes a cassette handling robot mechanism. This robot mechanism is specifically used to handle cassettes 5 between a conveying mechanism 4 and a reactor 1. It includes: multiple cooperating synchronous belt modules, a gripper assembly 34, and a lifting mechanism 31. The lifting mechanism 31 is directly connected to the gripper assembly 34, or indirectly connected to the gripper assembly 34 through the synchronous belt modules, driving the gripper assembly 34 to move vertically. Some of the synchronous belt modules are directly connected to the gripper assembly 34, or indirectly connected through the lifting mechanism 31. The lowering mechanism 31 is indirectly connected to the gripper assembly 34 and is used to drive the gripper assembly 34 to move in the lateral direction toward and away from the reactor 1. The gripper assembly 34 is driven to move laterally by the lifting assembly and the synchronous belt module. Its gripper 341 can follow the movement of the lifting mechanism 31 and the synchronous belt module assembly to lift the film box 5 located on the reactor 1 or the conveying mechanism 4, and transport the film box 5 from the designated position of the conveying mechanism 4 to the reactor 1, or transport the film box 5 from the reactor 1 to the designated position of the conveying mechanism 4.

[0060] The robotic arm mechanism of this invention uses a synchronous belt module to drive the gripper assembly 34 to move laterally, resulting in smooth and precise transport of the film cassette; simultaneously, it operates without impact vibration and with low transmission noise. Furthermore, by directly handling the film cassette, the number of moving parts during transport is reduced, such as the reduction of the pusher component. This transport method also features low manufacturing, installation, and maintenance costs, convenient debugging, and strong compatibility. It can directly transport film cassettes conveyed by the conveyor mechanism.

[0061] like Figure 7 As shown, the synchronous belt module has the same structure as the existing conventional synchronous belt module, mainly including: a profile 320 as a housing, a mandrel arranged at intervals and parallel, a toothed synchronous belt sleeved on the mandrel, a guide rail, and a slider connected to the synchronous belt. The slider can slide back and forth on the guide rail by the drive of the synchronous belt.

[0062] like Figure 2 , 7As shown, in the first embodiment, the plurality of synchronous belt modules specifically includes two: a first synchronous belt module 32 and a second synchronous belt module 33, which are stacked vertically. The first synchronous belt module 32 is connected to the lifting slider of the lifting mechanism 31, allowing the lifting mechanism 31 to move the first synchronous belt module 32 up and down. The second synchronous belt module 33 is stacked below the first synchronous belt module 32. Specifically, the first slider on the bottom surface of the first synchronous belt module 32 is connected to the profile 320 of the second synchronous belt module 33. When the first slider of the first synchronous belt module 32 is in its initial position (the initial position being the end of the first synchronous belt module 32 furthest from the reactor 1), the second synchronous belt module 33 is located directly below the first synchronous belt module 32, and both ends of the second synchronous belt module 33 are flush with both ends of the first synchronous belt module 32. The second slider of the second synchronous belt module 33 is located on its bottom surface. The initial position of the second slider is the end of the second synchronous belt module 33 furthest from the reactor 1. The gripper assembly 34 is connected below the second slider. Thus, during operation, the second synchronous belt module 33 can first drive the gripper assembly 34 forward a certain distance towards the reactor 1 via its second slider. Then, the first synchronous belt module 32 drives the second synchronous belt module 33 forward a certain distance towards the reactor 1, causing the gripper assembly 34 to advance a further distance towards the reactor 1 to complete the stroke.

[0063] By using stacked synchronous belt modules, the lateral translation stroke of the gripper assembly 34 can be increased when the installation space is limited, thus enabling long-distance precise positioning and handling within a limited space.

[0064] In a further embodiment, one side of the first synchronous belt module 32 and the second synchronous belt module 33 stacked vertically faces the lifting mechanism 31. One end of the first synchronous belt module 32 and the second synchronous belt module 33 is close to the reactor 1, and a motor for driving the synchronous belt module is vertically arranged on this side. The motor is located at the end of the synchronous belt module close to the reactor 1.

[0065] like Figure 3 As shown, since the motor 321 and the lifting mechanism 31 of the synchronous belt module are both located on the same side of the synchronous belt, and the motor is located at the end of the synchronous belt module closer to the reactor 1, the motor will not interfere with the lifting mechanism 31 when the synchronous belt module is running. At the same time, it can also reduce the space occupied by the equipment (that is, the lifting mechanism and the motor are on the same side, and the installation space in the width direction is limited to X).

[0066] like Figure 7 , 8As shown, in a further embodiment, the profiles 320 of the first synchronous belt module 32 and the second synchronous belt module 33 have grooves extending along the length direction on both sides (these grooves are a structure that all existing synchronous belt modules have), and each synchronous belt module is provided with a module connection structure, which facilitates the connection of the synchronous belt module with other components and avoids drilling holes in the profiles 320 to lock screws to connect the synchronous belt modules.

[0067] The module connection structure specifically includes:

[0068] Fastening strips 323 are connected to both sides of the profile 320, and a connecting plate 322 is located above the profile 320 and connected to the upper edge of the fastening strips 323. The fastening strips 323 have a retaining edge 315 embedded in the groove on the side of the profile 320. That is, the connecting plate 322 can be provided with screw holes, so that it can be directly connected to other components by screws or other connection methods.

[0069] Specifically: the lifting slider of the lifting mechanism 31 is connected to the connecting plate 322 of the first synchronous belt module 32 (specifically, it can be a screw connection), and the first slider of the second synchronous belt module 33 is connected to the connecting plate 322 of the second synchronous belt module 33 (specifically, it can be a screw connection).

[0070] like Figure 2 , 9 As shown in Figure 10, in a further embodiment, the gripper assembly 34 includes: a gripper frame, grippers 341, and a photoelectric sensor 42. The top surface of the gripper frame is connected to the second slider of the second synchronous belt module 33, so that the gripper frame can be driven by the second synchronous belt module 33 to move towards the reactor 1. The grippers 341 are spaced apart and L-shaped, divided into vertical and horizontal parts. The vertical parts of the two grippers 341 are respectively connected to the two sides of the back of the gripper frame, and the horizontal parts extend towards the reactor 1. The photoelectric sensor 42 is installed at the bottom of the gripper frame, located between the vertical parts of the two grippers 341, and its detection direction is parallel to the horizontal part of the gripper 341, used to detect whether there is a cassette 5 between the two grippers 341.

[0071] Specifically, the gripper frame includes: a vertical mounting plate 343, a horizontal mounting plate, and stiffening plates 344; the vertical mounting plate 343 and the horizontal mounting plate are vertically connected in an L-shape (in a contacting state, not directly connected by screws), wherein the horizontal mounting plate is installed on the bottom surface of the second slider of the second synchronous belt module 33, and two stiffening plates 344 with an overall outline roughly triangular (i.e., triangular plates used to improve connection strength) are connected between the vertical mounting plate 343 and the horizontal mounting plate. The stiffening plates 344 are located on the upper side of the top and are connected to the bottom surface of the horizontal mounting plate by screws. The vertical side of the side is connected to the vertical mounting plate 343. At the same time, the vertical mounting plate 343 has waist holes 3431 and positioning pin holes 3432 alternately arranged from top to bottom on both sides for positioning and connection with the two stiffening plates 344. The position of the vertical mounting plate 343 can be adjusted through the waist holes 3431, so that the position of the vertical mounting plate 343 can be finely adjusted to the left and right sides. The vertical part of the gripper 341 is connected to the left and right sides of the back of the vertical mounting plate 343, so that the gripper 341 can be centered and adjusted to align with the chamber of the reactor 1.

[0072] Furthermore, each stiffener plate 344 is provided with a positioning block 345 on its outer side. The positioning block 345 has a screw hole on the side facing away from the vertical mounting plate 343, which can be screwed to the vertical mounting plate 343. The side facing away from the stiffener plate 344 has a screw hole and a positioning set screw 3452. By pulling and pushing, the stiffener plate 344 can be locked to prevent loosening.

[0073] This adjustable locking structure can solve the problem of misalignment between the robotic arm, conveying mechanism 4, and reactor 1 due to installation errors.

[0074] like Figure 11 As shown, specifically, the horizontal portion of the L-shaped gripper 341 is also provided with two support blocks 3412 corresponding to the side support rods of the film box 5. The top surface of the support block 3412 has a raised center and an arc-shaped groove to facilitate holding the support rods on the side of the film box 5. The two sides of the top surface of the support block 3412 are provided with grippers 341 connected by screws and support screws 3413. By adjusting the screws, the installation distance between the support block 3412 and the gripper 341 can be adjusted, that is, the height of the support block 3412 can be adjusted. This compensates for the sagging problem that occurs during the installation or operation of the dual synchronous belt module, gripper assembly 34 or other structures, so that the film box 5 is always in a relatively horizontal state during the transportation process.

[0075] like Figure 13 , 14As shown, in the second embodiment, multiple synchronous belt modules are arranged side by side. Specifically, the lifting mechanism 31 is located in the middle, and the first synchronous belt module 32 and the second synchronous belt module 33 are located on both sides of the lifting mechanism 31. At the same time, the sliders of the first synchronous belt module and the second synchronous belt module are connected to the support part of the lifting mechanism 31 through the transverse support, which can drive the lifting mechanism 31 to move laterally. The gripper assembly 34 is connected to the lifting slider of the lifting mechanism 31.

[0076] This structure occupies more installation space, but because the two synchronous belt modules drive the motor gripper assembly 34 to run synchronously, the running accuracy and stability are better.

[0077] like Figure 15 As shown, in this embodiment, the gripper assembly 34 includes: a gripper frame, a pair of grippers 341, and a photoelectric sensor 42. The gripper frame has a side plate and a bottom plate. The front of the side plate of the gripper frame faces the reactor 1, and the back of the side plate is connected to the lifting slider of the lifting mechanism 31. The pair of grippers 341 are respectively rotatably connected to both sides of the bottom plate of the gripper frame. The grippers 341 are divided into a support section and an adjustment section by their rotatable connection point. The support section is provided with a guide structure corresponding to the support rod of the plate box 5, and the bottom plate of the gripper frame is provided with a top block 3401 assembly for pressing down or lifting the adjustment section. The photoelectric sensor 42 is located at a lower position on the front of the side plate of the gripper frame and is used to detect whether there is a plate box 5 between the two grippers 341.

[0078] like Figure 15 As shown, specifically, the top block 3401 assembly consists of a top block 3401 mounted on the base plate and an adjusting screw 3402 mounted on the top block 3401, which abuts against the side of the adjusting section of the gripper 341. By tightening and loosening the screw, the extension length of the screw can be changed, thereby changing the rotation angle of the adjusting section of the gripper 341, allowing the supporting section of the gripper 341 to be adjusted to a relatively horizontal state. In addition, the adjusting section is provided with an arc groove, and a screw that engages with the arc groove is provided on the base plate of the gripper frame. After the angle of the gripper 341 is adjusted by the top block 3401 assembly, the gripper 341 is fixed by the screw passing through the arc groove, restricting the movement of the gripper 341.

[0079] The guide structure is similar to the support block 3412. Specifically, the upward protrusion of the gripper 341 is provided with a V-shaped groove or an arc groove, which facilitates the support rod on the side of the film box 5 for support.

[0080] like Figure 5 As shown, in a specific embodiment, the top of the guide rail of the lifting mechanism 31 is provided with a slider buffer structure, which includes: a buffer plate 311 installed on the top of the guide rail, a buffer block 312 located at the top stroke position of the lifting slider of the lifting mechanism 31, a buffer pad 313 installed on the buffer block 312, and screws connecting the buffer block 312 and the buffer plate 311.

[0081] Before the lifting slider moves upward to its limit position, it will collide with the buffer pad 313 to prevent the lifting slider from directly hitting the components of the lifting mechanism 31 and causing damage to the components or the lifting slider.

[0082] like Figure 6 As shown, in a specific embodiment, a retaining edge 315 is vertically provided on the guide rail mounting plate 314 of the lifting mechanism 31 to limit the installation position of the guide rail, so as to avoid the guide rail from being misaligned when tightening the screws, which would cause the operation to be unsmooth.

[0083] like Figure 1 , 13 As shown, the present invention also proposes a coating apparatus, specifically comprising: a reactor 1, a conveying mechanism 4 disposed on one side of the reactor 1 for conveying a cassette 5, and the aforementioned cassette handling robot mechanism. The conveying mechanism 4 is a linear conveying mechanism 4, the lateral conveying direction of the cassette handling robot mechanism is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism 4, and the reactor 1 is located in the lateral conveying direction of the cassette handling robot mechanism.

[0084] This invention also proposes a method for controlling the handling of film cassettes, using the aforementioned coating equipment, specifically including the following steps:

[0085] When the reactor sends a request to eject a cassette, and there are no cassettes at the designated position of the conveyor mechanism or on the cassette handling robot mechanism, the cassette handling robot mechanism will move the processed cassettes from the reactor to the designated position of the conveyor mechanism.

[0086] When the conveying mechanism sends a request signal to the reactor to put the cassette in, and there is no cassette on the cassette handling robot, the cassette handling robot will move the cassette to be processed from the designated position of the conveying mechanism to the reactor.

[0087] like Figure 12 As shown, specifically in the first embodiment, the process control of the cassette handling robot to move the processed cassette from the reactor to the designated position of the conveying mechanism is as follows: the lifting mechanism (shown as robot shaft 1 in the flowchart) drives the gripper assembly to rise, the second synchronous belt module (shown as robot shaft 3 in the flowchart) drives the gripper assembly to move forward towards the reactor until the stroke is complete, the first synchronous belt module (shown as robot shaft 2 in the flowchart) drives the second synchronous belt module to continue moving forward until the photoelectric sensor sends a signal indicating the presence of a cassette, at which point the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to rise and grab the cassette; the first synchronous belt module drives the second synchronous belt module to return to its position, the second synchronous belt module drives the gripper assembly to return to above the designated position of the conveying mechanism, the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to descend and place the processed cassette at the designated position of the conveying mechanism, and all moving parts of the robot return to their initial positions.

[0088] Specifically, in the first embodiment, the process of the cassette handling robot moving the cassette to be processed from the designated position of the conveying mechanism to the reactor is controlled as follows: the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to descend, the second synchronous belt module drives the gripper assembly to advance to the cassette gripping position (corresponding to the designated position of the conveying mechanism), when the photoelectric sensor sends a signal that a cassette is present, the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to rise and grip the cassette; the second synchronous belt module drives the gripper assembly to continue to advance to the end of the stroke, the first synchronous belt module drives the second synchronous belt module to advance to the end of the stroke to make up for the stroke, the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to descend and place the cassette to be processed in the reactor, and all moving parts of the robot return to their initial positions.

[0089] like Figure 13 As shown, specifically in the second embodiment, the process of the cassette handling robot moving the processed cassette from the reactor to the designated position of the conveying mechanism is specifically controlled as follows: the lifting mechanism (shown as robot shaft 1 in the flowchart) drives the gripper assembly to rise, and the two synchronous belt modules drive the gripper assembly to move towards the reactor until the travel is complete. The photoelectric sensor emits a signal indicating the presence of a cassette, and the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to rise and grab the cassette; the first synchronous belt module (shown as robot shaft 2 in the flowchart) and the second synchronous belt module drive the cassette back to above the designated position of the conveying mechanism, and the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to descend and place the processed cassette at the designated position of the conveying mechanism. All moving parts of the robot return to their initial positions.

[0090] Specifically, in the second embodiment, the cassette handling robot mechanism moves the cassette to be processed from the designated position of the conveying mechanism to the reactor. The specific control is as follows: the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to descend, the first and second synchronous belt modules drive the gripper assembly to advance to the cassette gripping position, when the photoelectric sensor sends a signal that a cassette is present, the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to rise and grip the cassette; the first and second synchronous belt modules drive the gripper assembly to continue to advance to the end of the stroke, the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to descend and place the cassette to be processed in the reactor, and all moving parts of the robot return to their initial positions.

[0091] It should be noted that the terminology used above is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0092] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0093] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0094] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0095] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0096] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A coating equipment, characterized in that, include: The reactor, a conveying mechanism located on one side of the reactor for conveying the wafer cassettes, and a robotic arm mechanism; the robotic arm mechanism includes: multiple synchronous belt modules, a gripper assembly, and a lifting mechanism; among which, The lifting mechanism is used to drive the gripper assembly to move in the vertical direction, and the multiple synchronous belt modules are used to drive the gripper assembly to move in the horizontal direction. When the gripper of the gripper assembly moves with the lifting mechanism and the synchronous belt module assembly, it can lift the film box located in the reactor or on the conveying mechanism, and move the film box from the designated position of the conveying mechanism to the reactor, or move the film box from the reactor to the designated position of the conveying mechanism. The film cassette is directly moved by a film cassette handling robot, reducing the number of moving parts and the number of pusher components during film cassette handling.

2. The coating equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The multiple synchronous belt modules are stacked together, specifically including: a first synchronous belt module connected to the lifting slider of the lifting mechanism; a second synchronous belt module stacked below the first synchronous belt module and connected to the first slider of the first synchronous belt module; and a second slider of the second synchronous belt module connected to the gripper assembly.

3. The coating equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that, One side of the synchronous belt module faces the lifting mechanism, and a motor that drives the synchronous belt module is vertically arranged on this side. The motor is located at the end of the synchronous belt module near the reactor.

4. The coating equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Both sides of the profiles of the first synchronous belt module and the second synchronous belt module are provided with fastening strips, and a connecting plate connecting the fastening strips on both sides is provided on the top of the profile. The side of the fastening strip is provided with a retaining edge embedded in the groove on the side of the profile. The lifting slider of the lifting mechanism is connected to the connecting plate of the first synchronous belt module, and the first slider of the first synchronous belt module is connected to the connecting plate of the second synchronous belt module.

5. The coating equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The gripper assembly includes: The gripper frame is connected to the second slider of the second synchronous belt module; A pair of L-shaped grippers are spaced apart, with the vertical parts of the two grippers respectively connected to the two sides of the back of the gripper frame; A photoelectric sensor is installed at the bottom of the gripper frame to detect whether there is a chip box between the two grippers.

6. The coating equipment as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The gripper frame includes: A horizontal mounting plate, which is connected to the second slider of the second synchronous belt module; A vertical mounting plate is vertically connected to one end of a horizontal mounting plate. The vertical mounting plate has alternating waist holes and positioning pin holes on both sides from top to bottom. The vertical part of the gripper is connected to both sides of the back of the vertical mounting plate. Two stiffening plates, the upper side of which is connected to the lower side of the horizontal mounting plate, and the vertical side of which rests against the front of the vertical mounting plate, and are positioned and connected through the waist hole and positioning pin hole on the vertical mounting plate. Alignment blocks are respectively covered on the outer sides of the two stiffening plates. The side of the block facing away from the vertical mounting plate has screw holes, and the side of the block facing away from the stiffening plate has screw holes and alignment screws.

7. The coating equipment as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The gripper has multiple height-adjustable support blocks on its horizontal portion, which are used to support the support rods protruding from the side of the cassette.

8. The coating equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The multiple synchronous belt modules are arranged in parallel, specifically including: a first synchronous belt module and a second synchronous belt module arranged at the same height on both sides of the lifting mechanism. The sliders of the first synchronous belt module and the second synchronous belt module are connected to the lifting mechanism through a transverse support, which can drive the lifting mechanism to move laterally. The gripper assembly is connected to the lifting slider of the lifting mechanism.

9. The coating equipment as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The gripper assembly includes: A gripper frame, the back of which is connected to the lifting slider of the lifting mechanism; A pair of grippers are rotatably connected to both sides of the bottom of the gripper frame. The grippers are divided into a support section and an adjustment section from the rotatable connection point. The gripper frame is provided with a top block assembly for pressing down or lifting the adjustment section. A photoelectric sensor is mounted on the gripper frame to detect whether there is a chip box between the two grippers.

10. The coating equipment as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The adjustment section is provided with an arc-shaped groove, which can be fixedly connected to the gripper frame by screws passing through the arc-shaped groove to restrict the rotation of the support section.

11. The coating equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the guide rail of the lifting mechanism is provided with a slider buffer structure, which includes: a buffer plate installed on the top of the guide rail, a buffer block located at the top stroke position of the lifting slider of the lifting mechanism, a buffer pad installed on the buffer block, and screws connecting the buffer block and the buffer plate.

12. The coating equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism has a vertically installed baffle on the guide rail mounting plate that restricts the installation position of the guide rail.

13. A method for controlling the handling of a disc cassette, characterized in that, Using the coating apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, the steps include: When the reactor sends a request to eject a cassette, and there are no cassettes at the designated position on the conveyor mechanism or on the robot arm mechanism, the robot arm mechanism will move the processed cassettes from the reactor to the designated position on the conveyor mechanism. When the conveying mechanism sends a request signal to the reactor to feed the cassette, and there is no cassette on the robotic arm, the robotic arm will move the cassette to be processed from the designated position of the conveying mechanism to the reactor.

14. The disc cassette handling control method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The robotic arm mechanism transports the processed wafer cassette from the reactor to the designated position on the conveying mechanism as follows: the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to rise, the second synchronous belt module drives the gripper assembly to move towards the reactor until the travel is complete, the first synchronous belt module drives the second synchronous belt module to continue moving forward until the photoelectric sensor sends a signal indicating the presence of a wafer cassette, at which point the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to rise and grab the wafer cassette; the first synchronous belt module drives the second synchronous belt module to return to its original position, the second synchronous belt module drives the gripper assembly to return to above the designated position on the conveying mechanism, and the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to descend and place the processed wafer cassette at the designated position on the conveying mechanism.

15. The disc cassette handling control method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The robotic arm mechanism transports the wafer cassette from the designated position of the conveying mechanism to the reactor. The specific control is as follows: the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to descend, the second synchronous belt module drives the gripper assembly to advance to the wafer cassette gripping position, when the photoelectric sensor sends a signal that a wafer cassette is present, the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to rise and grip the wafer cassette; the second synchronous belt module drives the gripper assembly to continue to advance to the end of the stroke, the first synchronous belt module drives the second synchronous belt module to advance to the end of the stroke to make up for the stroke, and the lifting mechanism drives the gripper assembly to descend and place the wafer cassette into the reactor.

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