Wafer box clamping device, clamping method and crown block system

Abstract

The invention discloses a wafer cassette clamping device, a clamping method and a crown block system.The wafer cassette clamping device comprises two clamping jaw assemblies, a connecting rod assembly and a locking piece, and the two clamping jaw assemblies are arranged in the first direction of the horizontal plane in a spaced mode; the two clamping jaw assemblies can synchronously move oppositely or oppositely in the first direction so as to be switched between the initial position and the clamping position. The connecting rod assembly is located between the two clamping jaw assemblies and comprises a rotating shaft extending in the second direction of the horizontal plane, the rotating shaft can rotate along the axis of the rotating shaft, a vertically-arranged rotating plate is fixed to the rotating shaft, two first rod bodies which are symmetrical relative to the center of the rotating shaft are hinged to the rotating plate, and the two first rod bodies are hinged to the two clamping jaw assemblies respectively. The locking piece is connected with the rotating shaft, and the locking piece provides a locking moment for the rotating shaft at the clamping position. The clamping device is short in response time, low in noise and large in clamping force, and stable clamping force is provided for the wafer box on the premise that no extra space is occupied.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of wafer processing equipment, and in particular to a wafer box clamping device, a clamping method and a crane system. Background Art

[0002] During the semiconductor manufacturing process, wafer boxes are usually transported by overhead cranes. The use of wafer boxes to transport wafers can efficiently complete the transmission, processing and handling of wafers. The overhead crane includes a clamping device. When the overhead crane arrives at a station where a wafer box is placed, the clamping device can clamp the wafer box on this station, and then the overhead crane moves along the track to the next station. In this process, the stability of the clamping device clamping the wafer box will greatly affect the quality of the wafers in the wafer box. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the clamping force of the clamping device in the existing space without affecting the response time of the clamping device. Summary of the invention

[0003] To overcome the above shortcomings, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a wafer box clamping device, a clamping method and a crane system with short response time, low noise and large clamping force, which can provide stable clamping force for the wafer box without occupying additional space.

[0004] In order to achieve the above purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a wafer box clamping device, comprising: A clamping jaw assembly, wherein two clamping jaw assemblies are arranged at intervals along a first direction of a horizontal plane, and the two clamping jaw assemblies can move synchronously relative to or opposite to each other along the first direction to switch between an initial position and a clamping position; A connecting rod assembly, the connecting rod assembly is located between the two clamping jaw assemblies, the connecting rod assembly includes a rotating shaft extending in a second direction along a horizontal plane, the rotating shaft can rotate along its own axis, a vertically arranged rotating plate is fixed on the rotating shaft, two first rod bodies are hingedly connected to the rotating plate and are symmetrical with respect to the center of the rotating shaft, and the two first rod bodies are respectively hinged to the two clamping jaw assemblies; A locking member is connected to the rotating shaft, and when in the clamping position, the locking member provides a locking torque for the rotating shaft. The beneficial effects of the present invention are: When the rotating shaft rotates, the rotating plate rotates synchronously, thereby driving the first rod body to swing. Since the clamping claw assembly can only make linear motion along the first direction, the first rod body hinged to the clamping claw assembly will pull the clamping claw assembly to make linear reciprocating motion during the swinging process. Through the connecting rod assembly, the rotation of the rotating shaft is converted into linear motion of the clamping claw assembly through the rotating plate and the first rod body, so that the clamping claw assembly can clamp the wafer box.

[0005] The connecting rod assembly formed by the rotating shaft, the rotating plate and the first rod body is used to drive the clamping claw assembly to move. This connecting rod assembly adopts the principle of the crank connecting rod mechanism, and the clamping action responds quickly. While realizing linear drive, it can increase the clamping force at the clamping position and maximize the clamping efficiency. At the same time, the noise is low and can meet the low noise standard.

[0006] Cooperating with the locking piece to lock the rotating shaft in the clamped position, even if the connecting rod assembly has not reached the dead point position, it can provide the wafer box with a clamping force no less than the dead point position, thereby improving the stability and safety of clamping the wafer box, and the clamping claw assembly is not easy to loosen when clamping the wafer box.

[0007] Furthermore, a notch is provided on the first rod body to make room for the rotating shaft, and in the clamping position, part of the rotating shaft is embedded in the notch. The notch makes room for the rotating shaft, so as not to increase the vertical height of the first rod body.

[0008] In the clamping position, the first axis of the hinge shaft connecting the first rod body and the rotating plate, the second axis of the hinge shaft connecting the first rod body and the clamping jaw assembly, and the third axis of the rotating shaft are not coplanar. Due to space limitations, the connecting rod assembly cannot reach the dead point.

[0009] Furthermore, the locking torque T provided by the locking member is greater than or equal to (F x *tanθ 1 ) / (R 2 *cosθ 1 ); where θ 1 is the angle between the vertical connecting line between the axis 3 and the axis 1 and the horizontal plane in the clamping position, R 2 is the distance from the axis 1 to the axis 3, and the F x A force is applied to the first rod body in a first direction to reset the first rod body when the first rod body is in the clamping position.

[0010] Because the connecting rod assembly cannot reach the dead point, a locking torque is set to compensate the rotating shaft to increase the clamping force, and the locking torque must be greater than the set threshold.

[0011] Furthermore, the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the base plate, the base plate extends along the horizontal plane and a bearing seat rotatably connected to the rotating shaft is fixed thereon, and the vertical distance L from the axis line to the base plate is B >R 2 +L A -R 1 *cosθ 1 , where L A is the minimum distance from the first rod to the substrate in the vertical direction at the clamping position, and the R 1is the radius of the axis of rotation.

[0012] The vertical distance L from the third axis to the substrate B In a limited space, the swing requirement of the first rod body needs to be met.

[0013] Furthermore, the side wall of the notch is an inclined surface. In a limited space, the setting of the inclined surface relative to the vertical surface allows the rotating plate to rotate to a greater angle, that is, allows the connecting rod assembly to be closer to the dead point.

[0014] Furthermore, the wafer box clamping device also includes a detection component for detecting the position of the connecting rod assembly, and the detection component includes a positioning frame, a shading plate and a photoelectric sensor. The photoelectric sensor is fixed on the positioning frame and two of them are provided. The two photoelectric sensors correspond to the initial position and the clamping position respectively. The shading plate is fixed to the end of the rotating plate extending from the rotating shaft.

[0015] Furthermore, the positioning frame is provided with an adjustment hole corresponding to the photoelectric sensor, the photoelectric sensor can slide in the adjustment hole, and the adjustment hole is an arc hole coaxial with the rotating shaft. The position of the photoelectric sensor is adjusted in the arc hole to adjust the position of the photoelectric sensor, thereby adjusting the initial position and the clamping position through the extreme position of the rotation of the rotating shaft, and the clamping degree can be adjusted by adjusting the clamping position.

[0016] Furthermore, the wafer box clamping device also includes a driving member, which is fixedly connected to the end of the rotating shaft away from the light shielding sheet, and the driving member is in communication connection with the photoelectric sensor. When any one of the two photoelectric sensors is blocked by the light shielding sheet and generates a signal, the signal is transmitted to the driving member, and when the driving member receives the signal, it stops rotating, thereby stopping the clamping claw assembly at the initial position or the clamping position.

[0017] Furthermore, the clamping jaw assembly includes a connecting block and a clamping block fixedly connected to the connecting block, the connecting block passes through the base plate in the vertical direction, the connecting rod assembly and the clamping block are respectively located on the upper and lower sides of the base plate, and clamping grooves are provided on the opposite surfaces of the two clamping blocks.

[0018] Furthermore, the connecting block of one of the clamping jaw assemblies is hinged to one of the first rods, and the other clamping jaw assembly also includes a second rod extending along the first direction, one end of the second rod is fixed to the connecting block, and the other end is hinged to another of the first rods.

[0019] Due to space limitations, the length of the first rod cannot be set too long. The second rod is equivalent to a connecting arm, and the clamping claw assembly is extended in a first direction to facilitate connection with the first rod.

[0020] Furthermore, a guide rail is fixed on the base plate and is located on the same side as the connecting rod assembly. The guide rail extends in a first direction, and the connecting block slides along the guide rail. The guide rail guides the movement of the clamping jaw assembly so that the clamping jaw assembly can only move in a set direction, while providing movement stability.

[0021] The present invention also discloses a wafer box clamping method, using the above-mentioned wafer box clamping device, the clamping method comprises: Driving the rotating shaft to rotate along its own axis according to the clamping instruction; During the rotation of the rotating shaft, the first rod body pulls the two clamping jaw assemblies to move synchronously relative to each other until the clamping jaw assemblies move to a clamping position; The locking member is activated and applies a locking torque not less than a set threshold to the rotating shaft.

[0022] The invention also discloses an overhead crane system, comprising the wafer box clamping device mentioned above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a clamping device in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a clamping device in another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the connecting rod assembly in an initial position according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of a connecting rod assembly in a clamping position according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the clamping device after removing the substrate in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the connection between the photoelectric sensor and the positioning frame in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a clamping block in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] In the figure: 1. Clamping jaw assembly; 1a. Clamping jaw assembly 1; 1b. Clamping jaw assembly 2; 11. Connecting block; 12. Clamping block; 121. Clamping groove; 122. V-shaped protrusion; 13. Second rod body; 2. connecting rod assembly; 21. rotating shaft; 22. rotating plate; 23. first rod body; 231. notch; 2311. inclined surface; 23a. first rod body 1; 23b. first rod body 2; 232. hinge axis 1; 233. hinge axis 2; 3. Locking parts; 4. Driving member; 41. Coupling; 5. Base plate; 51. Bearing seat; 52. Guide rail; 6. Detection component; 61. Positioning frame; 611. Adjustment hole; 62. Shading sheet; 63. Photoelectric sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings so that the advantages and features of the present invention can be more easily understood by those skilled in the art, thereby making a clearer and more definite definition of the protection scope of the present invention.

[0025] In the following figures, the first direction is the X direction, the second direction is the Y direction, the first direction and the second direction are two directions perpendicular to each other in a horizontal plane, and the vertical direction is the Z direction.

[0026] A wafer box clamping device of the present invention is used for clamping a wafer box.

[0027] See attached Figure 1 As shown, the wafer box clamping device includes a clamping claw assembly 1 and a connecting rod assembly 2. Two clamping claw assemblies 1 are arranged at intervals along a first direction, and the two clamping claw assemblies 1 can grasp the wafer box from both sides. The connecting rod assembly 2 is used to drive the two clamping claw assemblies 1 to move synchronously to grasp and release the wafer box.

[0028] The two clamping jaw assemblies 1 can be synchronously moved relative to or away from each other along the first direction under the drive of the connecting rod assembly 2 to switch between the initial position and the clamping position. When in the initial position, the two clamping jaw assemblies 1 are located far away from each other and cannot clamp the wafer box. When in the clamping position, the two clamping jaw assemblies 1 are located close to each other and can clamp the wafer box.

[0029] The connecting rod assembly 2 is located between the two clamping jaw assemblies 1, see the attached Figure 2 and attached Figure 3 As shown, the connecting rod assembly 2 includes a rotating shaft 21 extending along the second direction, and the rotating shaft 21 can rotate along its own axis. A vertically arranged rotating plate 22 is fixed on the rotating shaft 21, and the rotating plate 22 and the rotating shaft 21 rotate synchronously. Two first rod bodies 23 are hinged on the rotating plate 22, which are symmetrical with respect to the center of the rotating shaft 21. The two first rod bodies 23 are respectively hinged to the two clamping jaw assemblies 1, and the hinges of the two first rod bodies 23 and the clamping jaw assemblies 1 are the same. For example, the two first rod bodies 23 are both hinged to the corresponding clamping jaw assemblies 1 at the ends away from the rotating plate 22.

[0030] When the rotating shaft 21 rotates, the rotating plate 22 rotates synchronously, thereby driving the first rod 23 to swing. Since the clamping jaw assembly 1 can only perform linear motion along the first direction, the first rod 23 hinged to the clamping jaw assembly 1 will pull the clamping jaw assembly 1 to perform linear reciprocating motion during the swinging process. In this embodiment, the rotation of the rotating shaft 21 is converted into linear motion of the clamping jaw assembly 1 through the connecting rod assembly 2 through the rotating plate 22 and the first rod 23, so that the clamping jaw assembly 1 can clamp the wafer box.

[0031] In the prior art, the driving method of the clamping claw assembly 1 usually adopts a linear module, such as a screw drive, a gear rack drive or a cylinder drive, etc. However, the screw drive method has a slow clamping time when the driving component 4 (motor) is the same, that is, the response time to the grab command is slow, which affects the subsequent handling efficiency of the wafer box. The gear rack drive method, when equipped with the same driving component 4 (motor), has insufficient clamping force, and the clamping of the wafer box is not stable enough. The wafer box may shake during movement and cause damage to the wafer. The cylinder drive method has a large impact force on the wafer box, which is easy to damage the wafer box and the clamping force is insufficient.

[0032] In this embodiment, the connecting rod assembly 2 formed by the rotating shaft 21, the rotating plate 22 and the first rod body 23 is used to drive the clamping claw assembly 1 to move. This connecting rod assembly 2 adopts the principle of the crank connecting rod mechanism, and the clamping action response is fast. While realizing linear drive, the clamping force at the clamping position can be improved to maximize the clamping efficiency. At the same time, the connecting rod assembly 2 has low noise. Compared with other linear modules, the noise of the connecting rod assembly 2 during the action is less than 40dB, reaching the low noise standard.

[0033] In one embodiment, in the clamping position, the axis 1 of the hinge axis 1 232 connecting the first rod 23 and the rotating plate 22, the axis 2 of the hinge axis 2 233 of the first rod 23 and the clamping jaw assembly 1 are coplanar with the axis 3 of the rotating shaft 21, and the intersections of the axis 1, axis 2 and axis 3 with the same vertical plane are point A, point B and point C respectively, and at this time, point A, point B and point C are colinear and this line extends along the first direction. At this time, the connecting rod assembly 2 reaches a dead point position, at which the first rod 23 will not continue to swing, and even if there are some abnormal external forces, such as vibration or other various factors, the first rod 23 will not move, and at this time, the clamping force applied by the clamping jaw assembly 1 to the wafer box is the maximum.

[0034] The overhead crane is traveling in the air. Due to space limitations, there are other devices above the base plate 5. When the clamping jaw assembly 1 is in the clamping position, the distance between the jaws in the first direction is certain. However, if the first rod 23 is swinging, a large space is occupied in the vertical direction to reach the dead point. However, in actual use, there is not so much space to make room for the first rod 23. That is, in the case of limited space, there is no way to move the connecting rod assembly 2 to the dead point.

[0035] Therefore, in one embodiment, in the clamping position, the axis 1 of the hinge axis 1 232, the axis 2 of the hinge axis 233 and the axis 3 of the rotating shaft 21 are not coplanar, that is, Figure 4 In the embodiment, point A, point B and point C are not collinear, and the connecting rod assembly 2 has not reached the dead point. At this time, although the connecting rod assembly 2 has not reached the dead point, relative to the existing drive structure, this connecting rod structure can still provide a larger clamping force.

[0036] Because the connecting rod assembly 2 cannot reach the dead point position, the wafer box clamping device also includes a locking member 3, which is connected to the rotating shaft 21. When in the clamping position, the locking member 3 provides a locking torque for the rotating shaft 21.

[0037] In the clamping position, the connecting rod assembly 2 has not reached the dead point position, and a small force F in a first direction is provided to the first rod body 23. x , this force F x The force F is applied to the first rod 23 to reset the first rod 23. Under the action of this force, the connecting rod assembly 2 will reset and leave the clamping position. During the travel of the overhead crane, due to vibration or other reasons, this force F may be generated on the first rod 23 after the motor stops. x The locking torque of the locking member 3 can compensate for the force F x Even if the connecting rod assembly 2 does not reach the dead point position, it can provide a clamping force for the wafer box that is not less than the dead point position, thereby improving the stability and safety of clamping the wafer box, and the clamping jaw assembly 1 is not easy to loosen when clamping the wafer box.

[0038] In one embodiment, the locking member 3 is an electromagnetic brake. When the electromagnetic brake is powered on, a locking torque can be generated on the rotating shaft 21. When the electromagnetic brake is powered off, the locking torque is canceled and the rotating shaft 21 can rotate normally.

[0039] In one embodiment, in order to increase the clamping force and reduce the locking torque of the electromagnetic brake, within a limited space, point A, point B and point C are not collinear but are as close to collinear as possible, that is, in the clamping position, the connecting rod assembly 2 is infinitely close to reaching the dead point position, so that the clamping force of the connecting rod assembly 2 is large and the locking torque of the locking member 3 can be reduced.

[0040] See attached Figure 4 As shown, when in the clamping position, the angle θ between the vertical connecting line between the axis 3 and the axis 1 and the horizontal plane is 1 , that is, the angle between the line connecting point A and point C and the horizontal plane is θ 1 , angle θ 1is the complementary angle of the pressure angle. At the dead point, the pressure angle is 90°. Therefore, in a limited space, the angle θ 1 It needs to be as close to 0° as possible.

[0041] In order to allow the first rod body 23 to swing to the dead point position in a limited space without interfering with the rotating shaft 21, see the attached Figure 3 As shown, the first rod body 23 is provided with a notch 231 for making way for the rotating shaft 21. When in the clamping position, see the attached Figure 4 As shown, part of the rotating shaft 21 is embedded in the notch 231, and the side wall of the notch 231 can abut against the rotating shaft 21. Because the rotating shaft 21 needs to pass through the rotating plate 22 to connect with other components (such as the detection assembly 6), the projection of the rotating shaft 21 on the first rod body 23 in the vertical direction will overlap, and the rotating shaft 21 will pass between the two first rod bodies 23. However, in order to ensure the swing range of the first rod body 23 and allow it to swing to the dead point position with full force, a notch 231 is opened on the first rod body 23 to make room for the first rod body 23.

[0042] In one embodiment, the side wall of the notch 231 is an inclined surface 2311, and the cross section of the notch 231 is trapezoidal. In a limited space, the inclined surface 2311 is arranged relative to the vertical surface, so that the rotating plate 22 can rotate to a greater angle, that is, the connecting rod assembly 2 is closer to the dead point. The inclined surface 2311 is inclined from top to bottom toward the side away from the bottom of the notch 231. In the clamping position, the inclined surfaces 2311 of the two first rod bodies 23 are parallel to each other, and the rotating shaft 21 is confined between the two inclined surfaces 2311.

[0043] The first rod body 23 includes a raised portion in the middle, the raised portion is raised in the vertical direction, and the notch 231 is formed on the raised portion. In this case, within the available space, the notch 231 can be as large as possible in the vertical direction without affecting the connection between the two ends of the first rod body 23 and the rotating plate 22 and the clamping jaw assembly 1.

[0044] The locking torque provided by the locking member 3 and the angle θ when in the locking position 1 The locking torque is T, and the locking torque T≥(F*tanθ 1 ) / R 2 , F=F x / cosθ 1 , where F x is the force applied to the first rod 23 to reset the first rod 23. F is the tangential force applied to the shaft 21. When the tangential force F is applied to the shaft 21, a force F can be generated on the first rod 23. x . Because the angle θ in this embodiment 1 will not be equal to 0, so the locking torque will not be equal to 0. XIt can be obtained, for example, by pulling the first rod 23 with a dynamometer to move the first rod 23 in the clamping position, R 2 is the distance from axis 1 to axis 3, that is, the length of the line segment between points A and C. With point C as the center point, R 2 As the radius, forming a Figure 4 The circle shown by the dotted line in the middle, in this embodiment, because the two first rods 23 are symmetrical with respect to the center of the rotating shaft 21, that is, the hinge axis of the two first rods 23 and the rotating plate 22 both moves along this circle.

[0045] Angle θ 1 The smaller the locking torque T, the smaller the locking torque T. At the same time, in this embodiment, the torque of the locking member 3 is set to be equal to (F x *tanθ 1 ) / (R 2 *cosθ 1 ), the locking requirements can be met at this time.

[0046] In this embodiment, the axis 2 of the first rod body 23 and the second hinge shaft 233 of the clamping jaw assembly 1 and the axis 3 of the rotating shaft 21 are at the same height, which is convenient for arrangement and saves space.

[0047] See attached Figure 2 As shown, the clamping device further includes a driving member 4, which is used to drive the rotating shaft 21 to rotate. Exemplarily, the driving member 4 is a motor, and the output shaft of the motor is connected to the end of the rotating shaft 21 through a coupling 41. When the motor rotates, the rotating shaft 21 is driven to rotate forward and reverse, so as to drive the clamping jaw assembly 1 to reciprocate through the connecting rod assembly 2.

[0048] See attached Figure 1 As shown, the clamping device further includes a base plate 5, which is horizontally arranged and used to connect the clamping device with other components of the overhead travelling crane. The base plate 5 provides support for the connecting rod assembly 2, and the driving member 4 is fixed on the base plate 5. A bearing seat 51 rotatably connected to the rotating shaft 21 is fixed on the base plate 5, and the bearing seat 51 provides support for the rotating shaft 21. A plurality of bearing seats 51 are arranged along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 21, so that the rotating shaft 21 can rotate smoothly even if it is long.

[0049] The first rod 23 needs to occupy space in the vertical direction during the swinging process. However, since the first rod 23 rotates around the shaft 21, the distance from the shaft 21 to the substrate 5 needs to be able to meet the swinging requirements of the first rod 23. Otherwise, the first rod 23 will abut against the substrate during the swinging process and cannot reach the clamping position, that is, the wafer box cannot be clamped. Figure 4 As shown, the vertical distance L from the axis 3 to the substrate 5 is B >R 2 +L A -R1 *cosθ 1 , where L A is the minimum distance from the first rod 23 to the substrate 5 in the vertical direction at the clamping position, R 1 is the radius of the connection between the rotating shaft 21 and the rotating plate 22. The vertical distance L from the axis 3 to the base plate 5 B and the size of the rotating shaft 21, the structure of the first rod body 23 and the angle θ 1 The vertical distance L from the axis 3 to the substrate 5 is B Only when the above height requirement is met, can the first rod body 23 swing to the clamping position to meet the clamping requirement, and at this time, the substrate 5 will not interfere with the swing of the first rod body 23 .

[0050] In one embodiment, the wafer box clamping device further includes a detection component 6 , which is used to detect the position of the connecting rod component 2 , that is, the position of the clamping claw component 1 .

[0051] See attached Figure 2 and attached Figure 5 As shown, the detection assembly 6 includes a positioning frame 61, a light shielding sheet 62 and a photoelectric sensor 63. The positioning frame is fixed on the substrate 5. A bearing rotatably connected to the rotating shaft 21 can be provided on the positioning frame 61, that is, the positioning frame 61 also serves as a bearing seat 51. The photoelectric sensor 63 is fixed on the positioning frame 61 and is provided with two. The two photoelectric sensors 63 correspond to the initial position and the clamping position respectively. The light shielding sheet 62 is fixed to the end of the rotating shaft 21 extending out of the rotating plate 22 and away from the driving member 4.

[0052] The shading sheet 62 and the rotating shaft 21 rotate synchronously. When the shading sheet 62 blocks the photoelectric sensor 63 corresponding to the initial position, it indicates that the clamping jaw assembly 1 has reached the initial position; when the shading sheet 62 blocks the photoelectric sensor 63 corresponding to the clamping position, it indicates that the clamping jaw assembly 1 has reached the clamping position.

[0053] The photoelectric sensors 63 are communicatively connected to the driving member 4. When any one of the photoelectric sensors 63 is blocked by the shading sheet 62 and generates a signal, the signal is transmitted to the driving member 4. When the driving member 4 receives the signal, it stops rotating, thereby stopping the clamping jaw assembly 1 at the initial position or the clamping position.

[0054] See attached Figure 6As shown, the positioning frame 61 is provided with an adjustment hole 611 corresponding to the photoelectric sensor 63, and the photoelectric sensor 63 can slide in the adjustment hole 611, and the adjustment hole 611 is an arc hole coaxial with the rotating shaft 21. The position of the photoelectric sensor 63 is adjusted in the arc hole to adjust the position of the photoelectric sensor 63, so that the initial position and the clamping position can be adjusted by the extreme position of the rotation of the rotating shaft 21, and the clamping degree can be adjusted by adjusting the clamping position. At the clamping position, the closer the connecting rod assembly 2 is to the dead point, the greater the clamping force, and the smaller the locking torque applied by the locking member 3 at this time.

[0055] The photoelectric sensor 63 is fixed in the adjustment hole 611 by a fixing member, and the fixing member may be a bolt.

[0056] See attached Figure 5 As shown, the clamping jaw assembly 1 includes a connecting block 11 and a clamping block 12 fixedly connected to the connecting block 11. The connecting block 11 passes through the base plate 5 in the vertical direction. The base plate 5 is provided with a guide hole for the connecting block 11 to pass through and slide. The connecting rod assembly 2 and the clamping block 12 are respectively located on the upper and lower sides of the base plate 5. The connecting rod assembly 2 is located above the base plate 5, and the clamping block 12 is located below the base plate 5. Such an arrangement ensures that the connecting rod assembly 2 will not interfere with the clamping block 12, and the clamping block 12 can clamp the wafer box below.

[0057] See attached Figure 7 As shown, the opposite surfaces of the two clamping blocks 12 are provided with clamping grooves 121 , and part of the wafer box is embedded in the clamping groove 121 . The bottom of the clamping groove 121 can carry the wafer box, and the position of the wafer box is limited by the two clamping blocks 12 .

[0058] In one embodiment, a V-shaped protrusion 122 is further provided in the clamping groove 121, and a groove corresponding to the V-shaped protrusion 122 is provided on the wafer box. When the clamping block 12 is clamping the wafer box, the beveled edge and the groove of the V-shaped protrusion 122 cooperate to guide the wafer box and limit the position of the wafer box, thereby improving the accuracy and stability of the clamping block 12 in clamping the wafer box.

[0059] A guide rail 52 is also fixed on the base plate 5 and is located on the same side as the connecting rod assembly 2. The guide rail 52 and the connecting block 11 are correspondingly arranged and extend along the first direction, and the connecting block 11 slides along the guide rail 52. The guide rail 52 guides the movement of the clamping jaw assembly 1 so that the clamping jaw assembly 1 can only perform linear reciprocating movement along the first direction.

[0060] In one embodiment, the guide rail 52 may also be disposed on the connection block 11 , and a slider that slides along the guide rail 52 may be disposed on the base plate 5 .

[0061] Because the first rod 23 cannot be set too long due to space limitations, but the two clamping jaw assemblies 1 have a spacing requirement at the initial position, one clamping jaw assembly 1 also includes a second rod 13, which extends along the first direction and is fixed to the connecting block 11. At this time, one first rod 23 is hinged to the connecting block 11 of one clamping jaw assembly 1, and the other first rod 23 is hinged to the end of the second rod 13 of the first clamping jaw assembly 1. The second rod 13 is equivalent to a connecting arm, which extends the clamping jaw assembly 1 in the first direction.

[0062] In this example, the two first rod bodies 23 are respectively a first rod body 1 23a and a first rod body 2 23b, and the two clamping jaw assemblies 1 are respectively a clamping jaw assembly 1 a and a clamping jaw assembly 2 1b.

[0063] When the wafer box clamping device is used to clamp the wafer box, the driving member 4 drives the rotating shaft 21 to rotate clockwise, the rotating plate 22 rotates synchronously, the first rod body 1 23a and the first rod body 23b rotate synchronously with the hinge axis of the rotating plate 22, and the first rod body 1 23a and the first rod body 23b pull the clamping jaw assembly 1 1a and the clamping jaw assembly 2 1b to move in the opposite direction to approach each other. Until the light shielding sheet 62 blocks the photoelectric sensor 63 corresponding to the clamping position, it means that the clamping jaw assembly 1a and the clamping jaw assembly 2 1b have reached the adjacent position. Figure 4 In the clamping position shown, the driving member 4 stops moving, at this time, the inclined surface 2311 of the notch 231 abuts against the rotating shaft 21, the axes of the hinge axes of the first rod body 1 23a and the first rod body 23b and the rotating plate 22 are respectively located at the upper and lower ends of the axis of the rotating shaft 21, at this time, point A, point B and point C are not coplanar, the locking member 3 is started, and the locking member 3 applies a locking torque to the rotating shaft 21 to increase the clamping force of the clamping jaw assembly 1a and the clamping jaw assembly 2 1b.

[0064] When the wafer box clamping device releases the wafer box, the locking member 3 is closed and no longer applies a locking torque to the rotating shaft 21. The driving member 4 drives the rotating shaft 21 to rotate counterclockwise, and the rotating plate 22 rotates synchronously. The first rod body 1 23a and the second rod body 132 rotate synchronously with the hinge axis of the rotating plate 22. The first rod body 1 23a and the first rod body 23b respectively push the clamping jaw assembly 1 1a and the clamping jaw assembly 2 1b to move in the opposite direction to move away from each other. Until the light shielding sheet 62 blocks the photoelectric sensor 63 corresponding to the initial position, it means that the clamping jaw assembly 1a and the clamping jaw assembly 2 1b have reached the adjacent position. Figure 3 In the initial position shown, the driving member 4 stops moving and waits for the next clamping command.

[0065] In one embodiment, a wafer box clamping method is also disclosed, using the above-mentioned wafer box clamping device, the clamping method includes: S100, driving the rotating shaft 21 to rotate along its own axis according to the clamping instruction. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft 21 is rotated clockwise.

[0066] S200 , during the rotation of the rotating shaft 21 , the first rod body 23 pulls the two clamping jaw assemblies 1 to move synchronously relative to each other until the clamping jaw assemblies 1 move to the clamping position.

[0067] In this clamping position, the structure of the connecting rod assembly 2 can apply a clamping force to the clamping jaw assembly 1.

[0068] S300 , the locking member 3 is started, and the locking member 3 applies a locking torque not less than a set threshold to the rotating shaft 21 .

[0069] Due to space limitations, the connecting rod assembly 2 cannot reach the dead point position, so the locking member 3 is used to compensate. The threshold value is set to (F x *tanθ 1 ) / (R 2 *cosθ 1 ), when the angle θ 1 The smaller it is, the smaller the locking torque of the locking member 3 is.

[0070] In one embodiment, the present invention further discloses an overhead crane system, which includes a traveling device (not shown in the figure), a lifting device (not shown in the figure) and a wafer box clamping device, wherein the wafer box clamping device adopts the above-mentioned clamping structure. The traveling device drives the lifting device and the wafer box clamping device to move synchronously along the track to move between different workstations, and the lifting device drives the wafer box clamping device to rise and fall to approach or move away from the wafer box in the vertical direction.

[0071] The above implementation modes are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention, and their purpose is to enable people familiar with this technology to understand the content of the present invention and implement it, and they cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer box clamping device, characterized in that: include: A clamping jaw assembly, wherein two clamping jaw assemblies are arranged at intervals along a first direction of a horizontal plane, and the two clamping jaw assemblies can move synchronously relative to or opposite to each other along the first direction to switch between an initial position and a clamping position; A connecting rod assembly, the connecting rod assembly is located between the two clamping jaw assemblies, the connecting rod assembly includes a rotating shaft extending in a second direction along a horizontal plane, the rotating shaft can rotate along its own axis, a vertically arranged rotating plate is fixed on the rotating shaft, two first rod bodies are hingedly connected to the rotating plate and are symmetrical with respect to the center of the rotating shaft, and the two first rod bodies are respectively hinged to the two clamping jaw assemblies; A locking member is connected to the rotating shaft, and when in the clamping position, the locking member provides a locking torque for the rotating shaft.

2. The wafer box clamping device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A notch is provided on the first rod body to make way for the rotating shaft. When in the clamping position, part of the rotating shaft is embedded in the notch. At this time, the axis 1 of the hinge shaft connecting the first rod body and the rotating plate, the axis 2 of the hinge shaft connecting the first rod body and the clamping claw assembly, and the axis 3 of the rotating shaft are not coplanar.

3. The wafer box clamping device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The locking torque T provided by the locking member is greater than or equal to (F x *tanθ1) / (R2*cosθ1); Where θ1 is the angle between the vertical connecting line between the axis 3 and the axis 1 and the horizontal plane at the clamping position, R2 is the distance from the axis 1 to the axis 3, and F x A force is applied to the first rod body in a first direction to reset the first rod body when the first rod body is in the clamping position.

4. The wafer box clamping device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The rotating shaft is rotatably connected to a base plate, the base plate extends along a horizontal plane and a bearing seat rotatably connected to the rotating shaft is fixed thereon, and a vertical distance L from the axis line to the base plate is B >R2+L A -R1*cosθ1, where L A is the minimum distance from the first rod to the substrate in the vertical direction when in the clamping position, and R1 is the radius of the rotating shaft.

5. The wafer box clamping device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The side wall of the notch is an inclined surface.

6. The wafer box clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The wafer box clamping device also includes a detection component for detecting the position of the connecting rod assembly, and the detection component includes a positioning frame, a shading plate and a photoelectric sensor. The photoelectric sensor is fixed on the positioning frame and two are provided. The two photoelectric sensors correspond to the initial position and the clamping position respectively. The shading plate is fixed to the end of the rotating plate extending from the rotating shaft.

7. The wafer box clamping device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The positioning frame is provided with an adjustment hole corresponding to the photoelectric sensor, the photoelectric sensor can slide in the adjustment hole, and the adjustment hole is an arc hole coaxial with the rotating shaft.

8. The wafer box clamping device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The wafer box clamping device also includes a driving member, which is fixedly connected to an end of the rotating shaft away from the light shielding sheet, and the driving member is communicatively connected to the photoelectric sensor.

9. The wafer box clamping device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The clamping jaw assembly includes a connecting block and a clamping block fixedly connected to the connecting block, the connecting block passes through the base plate in the vertical direction, the connecting rod assembly and the clamping block are respectively located on the upper and lower sides of the base plate, and clamping grooves are provided on the opposite surfaces of the two clamping blocks.

10. The wafer box clamping device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The connecting block of one of the clamping jaw assemblies is hinged to one of the first rods, and the other clamping jaw assembly further comprises a second rod extending along the first direction, one end of the second rod is fixed to the connecting block, and the other end is hinged to the other of the first rods.

11. The wafer box clamping device according to claim 9, characterized in that: A guide rail located on the same side as the connecting rod assembly is also fixed on the base plate. The guide rail extends along a first direction, and the connecting block slides along the guide rail.

12. A wafer box clamping method, characterized in that: Using the wafer box clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, the clamping method comprises: Driving the rotating shaft to rotate along its own axis according to the clamping instruction; During the rotation of the rotating shaft, the first rod body pulls the two clamping jaw assemblies to move synchronously relative to each other until the clamping jaw assemblies move to a clamping position; The locking member is activated and applies a locking torque not less than a set threshold to the rotating shaft.

13. An overhead travelling crane system, characterized in that: A wafer box clamping device comprising the wafer box clamping device according to any one of claims 1-11.

Images