Industrial robot hand and industrial robot

Abstract

The invention provides an industrial robot and a hand thereof, which can be thinned in the vertical direction even if the industrial robot is provided with a support member for supporting an object to be conveyed from the lower side at at least two different heights. The hand (7) is provided with: a support member (17) that is fixed to the upper surface of the mounting section (15) and that supports the object to be conveyed from the lower side; a support member (18) that supports the object to be conveyed from below; and a first movement mechanism that moves the support member (18). A support surface (17a) for supporting an object to be conveyed at a first height and a support surface (17b) for supporting the object to be conveyed at a second height are formed on the support member (17), and a support surface (18a) for supporting the object to be conveyed at the first height and a support surface (18b) for supporting the object to be conveyed at the second height are formed on the support member (18). The support member (18) is disposed at a position offset from the mounting portion (15) when viewed from the vertical direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hand of an industrial robot used in an industrial robot for conveying a conveyance object. In addition, the present invention relates to an industrial robot having the hand. Background Art

[0002] In the past, there is known a hand (hand unit) used in a transport device for transporting semiconductor wafers (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). The hand described in Patent Document 1 includes: a plate-shaped hand member for mounting a semiconductor wafer; a base unit for fixing the root of the hand member; two first supporting members, two second supporting members, and two third supporting members for supporting the lower surface of the semiconductor wafer; and two holding members for holding the semiconductor wafer mounted on the hand member. The hand member is formed in a U shape having a pair of fingers, and the pair of fingers are connected at the root.

[0003] In the hand described in Patent Document 1, a first support member is fixed to the upper surface of the front end of the finger. Two second support members are fixed to the upper surface of the root of the hand member. Two third support members are movably arranged on the root. Two holding members are arranged on the root side and on both sides of the root in a manner of clamping the root. A driving unit for moving the two third support members relative to the hand member and a driving unit for moving the two holding members relative to the hand member are built into the base unit.

[0004] In the hand described in Patent Document 1, a first support member is formed with: a first support portion for supporting a semiconductor wafer at a predetermined first support height, and a second support portion for supporting a semiconductor wafer at a second support height higher than the first support height. The semiconductor wafer arranged at the first support height is supported by the first support portion of the first support member and the second support member. The semiconductor wafer arranged at the second support height is supported by the second support portion of the first support member and the third support member.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6276317 Summary of the invention

[0008] Technical problems that the invention needs to solve

[0009] In the hand described in Patent Document 1, the second support member is fixed to the upper surface of the root of the hand member and overlaps with the hand member in the vertical direction. In addition, in the hand, the third support member is movably arranged at the root and overlaps with the hand member in the vertical direction. Therefore, in the hand described in Patent Document 1, the thickness of the hand in the vertical direction tends to be thick.

[0010] Therefore, the subject of the present invention is to provide an industrial robot hand, which is an industrial robot hand for carrying a transport object, and can be thinned in the vertical direction even if it has a support member for supporting the transport object from the bottom at at least two different heights. In addition, the subject of the present invention is to provide an industrial robot having the above-mentioned hand.

[0011] Technical solutions adopted to solve technical problems

[0012] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a hand of an industrial robot according to one embodiment of the present invention is a hand of an industrial robot for carrying a transported object, wherein, when a specified direction orthogonal to the up-down direction is set as a first direction, one side of the first direction is set as a second direction side, and the opposite side of the second direction side is set as a third direction side, the hand of the industrial robot includes: a carrying part, which constitutes a part on the second direction side of the hand, and the transported object is arranged on the upper side; a hand base, which constitutes a part on the third direction side of the hand, and an end part on the third direction side of the carrying part is installed; a first supporting member, which is fixed to the upper surface of the carrying part and supports the transported object from the lower side a portion on the second direction side; a second supporting member supporting a portion on the third direction side of the transported object from the lower side; and a first moving mechanism that moves the second supporting member in the first direction, wherein the first supporting member is provided with: a first supporting surface for supporting the transported object at a specified first height, and a second supporting surface for supporting the transported object at a second height higher than the first height; the second supporting member is provided with: a third supporting surface for supporting the transported object at the first height, and a fourth supporting surface for supporting the transported object at the second height; the second supporting member is arranged at a position deviated from the mounting portion when viewed from the top and bottom directions.

[0013] In the hand of the industrial robot of this embodiment, the second supporting member is arranged at a position deviated from the carrying portion when viewed from the top and bottom, wherein the second supporting member is formed with: a third supporting surface for supporting the transported object at a first height, and a fourth supporting surface for supporting the transported object at a second height. That is, in this embodiment, the second supporting member does not overlap with the carrying portion in the top and bottom direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the hand has a second supporting member for supporting the transported object from the bottom at at least two different heights, the hand can be made thinner in the top and bottom direction compared to a case where the second supporting member overlaps with the carrying portion in the top and bottom direction.

[0014] In addition, in this embodiment, since a third supporting surface for supporting the transported object at a first height and a fourth supporting surface for supporting the transported object at a second height are formed on the second supporting member, the number of parts of the hand can be reduced, and the installation space of the second supporting member can be reduced compared to the case where the second supporting member and the third supporting member are separately formed as described in Patent Document 1.

[0015] In this embodiment, for example, the hand includes: a pressing member that contacts the end face of the transported object and presses the transported object from the third direction, and a second moving mechanism that moves the pressing member in the first direction, wherein a contact surface for the end face of the transported object to contact is formed on the first supporting member, the pressing member presses the end face of the transported object against the contact surface, and the pressing member is arranged at a position deviated from the carrying portion when viewed from the top and bottom directions. In this case, even if the hand includes the pressing member, the hand can be made thinner in the top and bottom directions.

[0016] In this embodiment, preferably, when a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the first direction is defined as the fourth direction, the carrying portion includes: a first carrying portion and a second carrying portion, which are arranged in a spaced-apart state in the fourth direction; and a connecting portion, which connects an end portion of the first carrying portion on the third direction side and an end portion of the second carrying portion on the third direction side, wherein the second supporting member and the pressing member are arranged between the first carrying portion and the second carrying portion in the fourth direction and arranged on the second direction side of the connecting portion. With such a configuration, the hand can be miniaturized in the first direction and the fourth direction.

[0017] In this aspect, for example, the hand includes two second supporting members arranged at a distance from each other in the fourth direction, and the pressing member is arranged between the two second supporting members in the fourth direction.

[0018] The hand of this mode can be used for an industrial robot having an arm connected to the hand and a main body connected to the arm. In the industrial robot, even if the hand has a second support member for supporting a transported object from below at least two different heights, the hand can be made thinner in the vertical direction.

[0019] Effects of the Invention

[0020] As described above, in the aspect of the present invention, even if the hand of the industrial robot that transports the transport object is provided with a support member for supporting the transport object from below at least two different heights, the hand can be made thinner in the vertical direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a plan view for explaining a schematic structure of an industrial robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A top view of the hand is shown.

[0023] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A perspective view of the front end side portion of the hand shown.

[0024] Figure 4 It is used to illustrate Figure 2 A top view showing the movement of the second supporting member and the pressing member.

[0025] Figure 5 It is a plan view for explaining the structure of a hand according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Description of Reference Numerals

[0027] 1: Robot (industrial robot)

[0028] 2: Wafers (semiconductor wafers, transported objects)

[0029] 7: Hand

[0030] 8: Arm

[0031] 9: Main body

[0032] 15: Carrying part

[0033] 15a: First mounting portion

[0034] 15b: Second mounting portion

[0035] 15c: Connection

[0036] 16: Base of the hand

[0037] 17: Support member (first support member)

[0038] 17a: Support surface (first support surface)

[0039] 17b: Support surface (second support surface)

[0040] 17c, 17d: abutment surface

[0041] 18: Support member (second support member)

[0042] 18a: Support surface (third support surface)

[0043] 18b: Support surface (fourth support surface)

[0044] 19: Moving mechanism (first moving mechanism)

[0045] 24: Roller (pressing member)

[0046] 25: Moving mechanism (second moving mechanism)

[0047] X: First direction

[0048] X1: Second direction side

[0049] X2: Third direction side

[0050] Y: Fourth direction DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] (Schematic structure of an industrial robot)

[0053] Figure 1 It is a plan view for explaining a schematic structure of an industrial robot 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] The industrial robot 1 (hereinafter referred to as "robot 1") of this embodiment is a horizontal multi-joint robot for transporting a semiconductor wafer 2 (hereinafter referred to as "wafer 2") as a transport object. The wafer 2 is formed in a thin disk shape. The robot 1 is assembled in a semiconductor manufacturing system 3 for use. The semiconductor manufacturing system 3 includes, for example, an equipment front end module (EFEM) 4 and a wafer processing device 5 for performing predetermined processing on the wafer 2. In the wafer processing device 5, for example, the wafer 2 is cleaned. The robot 1 constitutes a part of the EFEM 4. The robot 1 carries the wafer 2 into the wafer processing device 5 or carries the wafer 2 out of the wafer processing device 5.

[0055] The robot 1 includes a hand 7 for carrying a wafer 2, an arm 8 connected to the hand 7, and a main body 9 connected to the arm 8. The hand 7 is rotatably connected to the front end side of the arm 8. The base end side of the arm 8 is rotatably connected to the main body 9. The arm 8 includes an arm 11 whose base end side is rotatably connected to the main body 9, an arm 12 whose base end side is rotatably connected to the front end side of the arm 11, and an arm 13 whose base end side is rotatably connected to the front end side of the arm 12.

[0056] The arms 11 to 13 rotate with the vertical direction as the axis of rotation. The arm 8 moves in the horizontal direction. The hand 7 is formed into a substantially Y-shape when viewed from the vertical direction, and the front end side of the hand 7 is forked. The hand 7 is rotatably connected to the front end side of the arm 13. The hand 7 rotates with the vertical direction as the axis of rotation. The main body 9 includes: a columnar component to which the base end side of the arm 11 is rotatably connected, and a lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the columnar component together with the arm 8. The base end side of the arm 11 is rotatably connected to the upper end of the columnar component. The main body 9, the arm 11, the arm 12, the arm 13 and the hand 7 are arranged in order from the bottom in the vertical direction.

[0057] In addition, the robot 1 includes: a rotating mechanism that rotates the columnar member and the lifting mechanism of the main body 9 with the vertical direction as the axial direction of rotation; an arm driving mechanism that rotates the arms 11 and 12 to extend and retract a part of the arm 8 composed of the arms 11 and 12; an arm driving mechanism that rotates the arm 13; and a hand driving mechanism that rotates the hand 7. When the wafer 2 is transported to the wafer processing device 5, the hand 7 is rotated relative to the arm 8 and the arm 8 is extended and retracted relative to the main body 9 in such a manner that the hand 7 moves linearly in a state of being oriented in a certain direction.

[0058] Next, the specific structure of the hand 7 is described. In the following description, it is assumed that the length direction ( Figure 2 The X direction of the same direction as the front-to-back direction is set as follows: Figure 2 The Y direction is the "left-right direction". That is, the X direction perpendicular to the up-down direction (vertical direction) is set as the front-back direction, and the Y direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-back direction is set as the left-right direction. In addition, in the following description, the side of the front-back direction is set as Figure 2 The X1 direction side is the "front" side, and the opposite side is set as: Figure 2 The X2 direction side is the "rear" side.

[0059] The front side is the front end side of the hand 7, and the rear side is the base end side of the hand 7. The front-back direction (X direction) of this method becomes the first direction, which is a predetermined direction orthogonal to the up-down direction, and the left-right direction (Y direction) becomes the fourth direction, which is a direction orthogonal to the up-down direction and the first direction. In addition, the front side (X1 direction side) becomes the second direction side, which is one side of the first direction, and the rear side (X2 direction side) becomes the third direction side, which is the opposite side of the second direction side.

[0060] (Hand structure)

[0061] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A top view of a hand 7 is shown. Figure 3 yes Figure 2A perspective view of the front end portion of the hand 7 is shown. Figure 4 It is used to illustrate Figure 2 A top view of the operation of the support member 18 and roller 24 is shown.

[0062] The hand 7 includes: a carrying portion 15, which constitutes the front side portion of the hand 7 (i.e., the front end portion of the hand 7); and a hand base 16, which constitutes the rear side portion of the hand 7 (i.e., the base end portion of the hand 7) and is mounted with the rear end portion (base end portion) of the carrying portion 15. The wafer 2 is arranged on the upper side of the carrying portion 15. The hand base 16 is formed into a flat block with a thin thickness in the vertical direction. In addition, the hand base 16 is formed into a hollow shape. The hand base 16 is rotatably connected to the front end side of the arm 13. The carrying portion 15 is formed into a thin flat plate shape. The thickness direction of the carrying portion 15 is roughly consistent with the vertical direction.

[0063] The carrying portion 15 includes: a first carrying portion 15a and a second carrying portion 15b, which are arranged in a state of being spaced apart in the left-right direction; and a connecting portion 15c, which connects the rear end portion of the first carrying portion 15a and the rear end portion of the second carrying portion 15b. The first carrying portion 15a and the second carrying portion 15b are formed into a rectangular shape that is elongated in the front-back direction. The carrying portion 15 of this embodiment includes: the first carrying portion 15a, the second carrying portion 15b and the connecting portion 15c, and the shape of the carrying portion 15 when viewed from the top and bottom direction is U-shaped. The rear end portion of the connecting portion 15c is fixed to the hand base 16.

[0064] In addition, the hand 7 includes: a support member 17 as a first support member that supports the front side portion of the wafer 2 from the bottom; a support member 18 as a second support member that supports the rear side portion of the wafer 2 from the bottom; and a moving mechanism 19 as a first moving mechanism that moves the support member 18 in the front-rear direction. The hand 7 of this embodiment includes: two support members 17 and two support members 18. The wafer 2 is placed on the two support members 17 and the two support members 18. The moving mechanism 19 moves the two support members 18 together in the front-rear direction.

[0065] One of the two supporting members 17 is fixed to the upper surface of the front end of the first mounting portion 15a, and the other supporting member 17 is fixed to the upper surface of the front end of the second mounting portion 15b. That is, the supporting member 17 is fixed to the upper surface of the mounting portion 15. The two supporting members 17 are arranged at the same position in the front-back direction and are arranged in a state where they are spaced apart in the left-right direction. The supporting member 17 is formed with a supporting surface 17a as a first supporting surface for supporting the wafer 2 at a predetermined first height, and a supporting surface 17b as a second supporting surface for supporting the wafer 2 at a second height higher than the first height.

[0066] The support surfaces 17a and 17b face upward. The height of the support surface 17b is higher than the height of the support surface 17a. In the radial direction (hereinafter, the direction is referred to as the "radial direction") of the disk-shaped wafer 2 mounted on the hand 7, the support surface 17a and the support surface 17b are adjacent. The support surface 17b is arranged on the outer side of the support surface 17a in the radial direction. The support surfaces 17a and 17b are inclined surfaces that are slightly inclined toward the lower side as they are directed toward the inner side of the radial direction.

[0067] A contact surface 17c is formed at the boundary between the support surface 17a and the support surface 17b, and the end surface of the wafer 2 supported on the support surface 17a contacts the contact surface 17c. A contact surface 17d is formed on the outer side of the support surface 17b in the radial direction, and the end surface of the wafer 2 supported on the support surface 17b contacts the contact surface 17d. That is, the support member 17 has contact surfaces 17c and 17d for contacting the end surface of the wafer 2. The contact surfaces 17c and 17d face inward in the radial direction. The contact surfaces 17c and 17d are inclined surfaces that are slightly inclined inward in the radial direction as they face upward. The contact surfaces 17c and 17d play a role in limiting the movement of the wafer 2 toward the front side.

[0068] The moving mechanism 19 includes: a holding member 21 that holds the two supporting members 18, and a driving mechanism 22 that moves the holding member 21 in the front-rear direction. The driving mechanism 22 is accommodated in the hand base 16. The driving mechanism 22 includes, for example, a motor as a driving source, and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the power of the motor to the holding member 21. The power transmission mechanism includes, for example, a ball screw. The rear end portion of the holding member 21 is accommodated in the hand base 16. The rear end portion of the holding member 21 is connected to the driving mechanism 22. The front end portion of the holding member 21 is arranged at a position closer to the front side than the hand base 16.

[0069] The two support members 18 are fixed to the front end of the holding member 21. The two support members 18 are arranged at the same position in the front-rear direction and are arranged in a state where they are spaced apart in the left-right direction. The support members 18 are formed with a support surface 18a as a third support surface for supporting the wafer 2 at a first height together with the support surface 17a, and a support surface 18b as a fourth support surface for supporting the wafer 2 at a second height together with the support surface 17b.

[0070] The support surfaces 18a and 18b face upward. The height of the support surface 18a is the same as the height of the support surface 17a, and the height of the support surface 18b is the same as the height of the support surface 17b. The support surface 18a and the support surface 18b are adjacent to each other in the radial direction. The support surface 18b is arranged outside the support surface 18a in the radial direction. The support surfaces 18a and 18b are inclined surfaces that are slightly inclined toward the lower side as they go toward the inner side in the radial direction.

[0071] In addition, the hand 7 includes: a roller 24 as a pressing member, which contacts the end surface of the wafer 2 and presses the end surface of the wafer 2 from the rear side; and a moving mechanism 25 as a second moving mechanism, which moves the roller 24 in the front-back direction. The roller 24 plays a role of pressing the end surface of the wafer 2 against the contact surfaces 17c and 17d of the support member 17. The hand 7 of this embodiment includes two rollers 24. The two rollers 24 contact the end surface of the wafer 2 from the rear side. The moving mechanism 25 moves the two rollers 24 together in the front-back direction.

[0072] The moving mechanism 25 includes a holding member 26 that rotatably holds the two rollers 24, and a driving mechanism 27 that moves the holding member 26 in the front-rear direction. The driving mechanism 27 is accommodated in the hand base 16. The driving mechanism 27 includes, for example, an air cylinder as a driving source. The rear end of the holding member 26 is accommodated in the hand base 16. The rear end of the holding member 26 is connected to the driving mechanism 27. The front end of the holding member 26 is arranged at a position closer to the front side than the hand base 16.

[0073] The two rollers 24 are rotatably mounted on the front end of the holding member 26. A fixed shaft for supporting the rollers 24 is fixed to the front end of the holding member 26. The two rollers 24 are arranged at the same position in the front-back direction and are adjacent to each other in the left-right direction. The rollers 24 can rotate relative to the holding member 26 with the up-and-down direction as the axial direction of rotation. The outer diameter of the rollers 24 gradually decreases as it goes downward. That is, the outer peripheral surface of the rollers 24 is a tapered surface.

[0074] The two support members 18 are arranged at positions deviated from the mounting portion 15 when viewed from the top and bottom. That is, the two support members 18 are arranged at positions deviated from the mounting portion 15 when viewed from the top and bottom, and do not overlap with the mounting portion 15 in the top and bottom direction. In addition, the two rollers 24 are arranged at positions deviated from the mounting portion 15 when viewed from the top and bottom. That is, the two rollers 24 are arranged at positions deviated from the mounting portion 15 when viewed from the top and bottom, and do not overlap with the mounting portion 15 in the top and bottom direction.

[0075] Specifically, the two support members 18 and the two rollers 24 are arranged between the first mounting portion 15a and the second mounting portion 15b in the left-right direction and in front of the connecting portion 15c. That is, the two support members 18 and the two rollers 24 are arranged between the rear end side portion of the first mounting portion 15a and the rear end side portion of the second mounting portion 15b in the left-right direction. The two rollers 24 are arranged between the two support members 18 in the left-right direction. In addition, the two rollers 24 are arranged at the center of the hand 7 in the left-right direction. When viewed from the top and bottom direction, the two support members 18 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line of the hand 7 in the left-right direction.

[0076] A wafer 2 is placed on the hand 7. Specifically, the wafer 2 is placed at a first height on the support surface 17a of the support member 17 and the support surface 18a of the support member 18, or the wafer 2 is placed at a second height on the support surface 17b of the support member 17 and the support surface 18b of the support member 18. When the wafer 2 is placed on the support surfaces 17a and 18a, the support member 18 is arranged at a position where the wafer 2 can be placed on the support surface 18a (see Figure 4 When the wafer 2 is placed on the supporting surfaces 17b and 18b, the supporting member 18 is arranged at a position where the wafer 2 can be placed on the supporting surface 18b (see Figure 4 (B)).

[0077] When the roller 24 moves forward while the wafer 2 is placed on the supporting surfaces 17a and 18a, the contact surface 17c and the roller 24 come into contact with the end surface of the wafer 2, and the wafer 2 is held at a certain position in the horizontal direction. In addition, when the roller 24 moves forward while the wafer 2 is placed on the supporting surfaces 17b and 18b, the contact surface 17d and the roller 24 come into contact with the end surface of the wafer 2, and the wafer 2 is held at a certain position in the horizontal direction.

[0078] (Main effect of this method)

[0079] As described above, in this embodiment, the support member 18 is arranged at a position offset from the mounting portion 15 when viewed from the top and bottom, and does not overlap with the mounting portion 15 in the top and bottom directions. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the hand 7 has the support member 18 for supporting the wafer 2 from the bottom at two different heights (i.e., the first height and the second height), the hand 7 can be made thinner in the top and bottom directions compared to the case where the support member 18 overlaps with the mounting portion 15 in the top and bottom directions.

[0080] In addition, in this embodiment, the roller 24 is arranged at a position offset from the mounting portion 15 when viewed from the top and bottom, and does not overlap with the mounting portion 15 in the top and bottom directions. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the hand 7 is provided with the roller 24, the hand 7 can be made thinner in the top and bottom directions. In addition, in this embodiment, since the support member 18 and the roller 24 are arranged between the first mounting portion 15a and the second mounting portion 15b in the left and right directions, and arranged in front of the connecting portion 15c, the hand 7 can be made smaller in the front-back left and right directions.

[0081] In this embodiment, a support surface 18a for supporting the wafer 2 at a first height and a support surface 18b for supporting the wafer 2 at a second height are formed on the support member 18. Therefore, in this embodiment, compared with the case where a member having the support surface 18a and a member having the support surface 18b are separately provided, the number of parts of the hand 7 can be reduced, and the installation space of the support member 18 can be reduced.

[0082] (Other Embodiments)

[0083] The above-described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto and can be variously modified without changing the gist of the present invention.

[0084] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the two rollers 24 may be arranged outside the two supporting members 18 in the left-right direction. In the above-mentioned case, the two rollers 24 may be arranged between the first mounting portion 15a and the second mounting portion 15b in the left-right direction, or may be arranged outside the mounting portion 15 in the left-right direction. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the two supporting members 18 may be arranged outside the mounting portion 15 in the left-right direction. In these cases, the two supporting members 18 and the two rollers 24 are arranged at positions deviated from the mounting portion 15 when viewed from the top-bottom direction, and do not overlap with the mounting portion 15 in the top-bottom direction.

[0085] In the above method, if Figure 5 As shown, the number of the support member 18 provided in the hand 7 may be one. In the above case, the support member 18 is arranged at the center of the hand 7 in the left-right direction. In addition, the two rollers 24 are arranged on the outside of the support member 18 in the left-right direction. In this case, as Figure 5 As shown, the two rollers 24 may be arranged between the first mounting portion 15a and the second mounting portion 15b in the left-right direction, or may be arranged outside the mounting portion 15 in the left-right direction. Even in the above case, the support member 18 and the two rollers 24 are arranged at positions deviated from the mounting portion 15 when viewed from the top and bottom, and do not overlap with the mounting portion 15 in the top and bottom directions. Figure 5 In the present invention, the same structures as those in the above-mentioned method are marked with the same figure marks.

[0086] In the above-mentioned embodiment, a support surface for supporting the wafer 2 at a third height higher than the second height may be formed on the support members 17 and 18. In addition, a support surface for supporting the wafer 2 at a fourth height higher than the third height may be formed on the support members 17 and 18. That is, in the above-mentioned embodiment, two support surfaces 17a, 17b, 18a, 18b of different heights are formed on the support members 17 and 18, but three or more support surfaces of different heights may be formed on the support members 17 and 18. That is, the support members 17 and 18 may support the wafer 2 from the bottom at three or more different heights.

[0087] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the number of rollers 24 provided on the hand 7 may be one. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the pressing member that contacts the end surface of the wafer 2 and presses the end surface of the wafer 2 against the abutting surfaces 17c, 17d of the supporting member 17 may not be a roller. For example, the pressing member may be a cylindrical member fixed to the front end of the holding member 26. Moreover, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the hand 7 may not be provided with the roller 24 and the moving mechanism 25. In the above-mentioned case, for example, the supporting members 17, 18 are provided with suction holes for sucking and holding the wafer 2 placed on the supporting surfaces 17a, 17b, 18a, 18b. In addition, in the above-mentioned case, the abutting surfaces 17c, 17d may not be formed on the supporting member 17.

[0088] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the robot 1 may also include: two hands 7 rotatably connected to the front end side of the arm 8. In the case, for example, the two arms 8 overlap in the up-down direction. In addition, in the case where the robot 1 includes two hands 7, for example, the arm 8 may also include: a common arm portion formed in a V shape and rotatably connected to the main body 9 at the center, a first arm portion rotatably connected to one end side of the common arm portion at the base end side, and a second arm portion rotatably connected to the other end side of the common arm portion at the base end side. In the case, the hands 7 are rotatably connected to the front end side of the first arm portion and the front end side of the second arm portion, respectively.

[0089] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the robot 1 may also include two arms 8 whose base ends are rotatably connected to the main body 9. In the above-mentioned case, the hand 7 is rotatably connected to the front ends of the two arms 8. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the arm 8 may include two arm parts, or may include four or more arm parts. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the object to be transported by the robot 1 may also be an object other than the wafer 2.

[0090] The industrial robot to which the present invention is applied may also be a robot other than a horizontal multi-joint industrial robot. For example, the industrial robot to which the present invention is applied may also be an industrial robot having an arm to which the hand 7 is connected so that the hand 7 can reciprocate linearly, a main body to which the arm is rotatably connected, and a linear drive unit to cause the hand 7 to reciprocate linearly relative to the arm.

Claims

1. A hand, which is a hand of an industrial robot for carrying a transport object, characterized in that: When a predetermined direction perpendicular to the up-down direction is defined as a first direction, one side of the first direction is defined as a second direction side, and the opposite side of the second direction side is defined as a third direction side, The industrial robot hand comprises: a carrying portion constituting the second direction side portion of the hand, and wherein the transport object is arranged on the upper side; a hand base constituting a portion of the hand on the third direction side and having an end portion of the carrying portion on the third direction side mounted thereon; a first supporting member fixed to the upper surface of the mounting portion and supporting a portion of the conveyed object on the second direction side from a lower side; a second supporting member that supports a portion of the conveyed object on the third direction side from below; and a first moving mechanism, causing the second supporting member to move in the first direction; in, The first supporting member includes a first supporting surface for supporting the conveyed object at a predetermined first height and a second supporting surface for supporting the conveyed object at a second height higher than the first height. The second supporting member is formed with a third supporting surface for supporting the conveyed object at the first height and a fourth supporting surface for supporting the conveyed object at the second height, and the second supporting member is arranged at a position offset from the mounting portion when viewed from the top and bottom.

2. The hand according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: a pressing member that contacts an end surface of the conveyed object and presses the conveyed object from the third direction side; as well as a second moving mechanism, causing the pressing component to move in the first direction; in, The first supporting member has a contact surface formed thereon against which an end surface of the transported object contacts. The pressing member presses the end surface of the conveyance object against the abutment surface, and the pressing member is arranged at a position offset from the mounting portion when viewed from the top and bottom direction.

3. The hand according to claim 2, characterized in that When a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the first direction is defined as a fourth direction, The mounting portion includes: The first mounting portion and the second mounting portion are arranged in a state of being spaced apart from each other in the fourth direction; and a connecting portion connecting an end portion of the first mounting portion on the third direction side with an end portion of the second mounting portion on the third direction side, The second supporting member and the pressing member are arranged between the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion in the fourth direction and on the second direction side of the connecting portion.

4. The hand according to claim 3, characterized in that The hand includes: two second supporting members arranged in a spaced-apart state in the fourth direction; The pressing member is arranged between the two second supporting members in the fourth direction.

5. An industrial robot, characterized in that: include: The hand according to any one of claims 1 to 4; an arm, to which the hand is connected; as well as The main body is connected to the arm.

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