Vacuum mechanical arm

Abstract

The invention discloses a vacuum mechanical arm, and relates to the technical field of semiconductor wafer transfer equipment, and the vacuum mechanical arm comprises a torque transfer mechanism which comprises at least two belt wheels, and the belt wheels are provided with peripheral surfaces surrounding the central axes of the belt wheels and end surfaces located on the two axial sides; a double opposed belt comprising at least two torque transmitting belts of different height levels; the containing groove is formed by sectioning from one end face of the belt wheel to the other end face of the belt wheel and penetrates through one of the two end faces, and an opening is formed in the peripheral face of the belt wheel; the anchor point is arranged on the wall surface of the accommodating groove; the end cover is arranged in the opening in an embedded mode, the side face, away from the belt wheel, of the end cover is a smooth face, and the smooth face is consistent with the outer circumferential face of the belt wheel in curvature; one part of the torque transmission belt is guided out of the containing space and then completely wraps the circumferential face formed by embedding and splicing the outer circumferential face of the belt wheel and the smooth face of the end cover. By the adoption of the scheme, the rotation angle of the joints in the mechanical arm is enlarged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor wafer transfer equipment, and particularly to a vacuum manipulator arm. Background Art

[0002] In industrial automation, especially in fields with extremely high requirements for cleanliness, precision, and reliability, such as semiconductor manufacturing, flat panel display, and precision instrument assembly, robotic manipulators play a core role. To achieve complex spatial trajectories and precise positioning, such robots usually adopt a multi-joint serial structure, and the joint movements require an efficient, pollution-free, and stable torque transmission method. The drive system composed of a metal belt and a pulley, with its characteristics of compact structure, smooth transmission, no lubrication requirement, and high stiffness, has become a preferred solution for driving the rotation of joints in such high-demand environments and is widely used in the key joints connecting the upper arm, forearm, and end effector of the robot.

[0003] However, when the current mainstream metal belt and pulley drive system realizes joint torque transmission, it generally relies on a direct mechanical fixing method - that is, rigidly fastening the end of the metal belt to the corresponding pulley through screws. Although this screw connection method has a simple structure and reliable connection, it introduces a fundamental movement limitation: it strictly limits the effective wrapping range of the metal belt on the pulley, that is, the contact angle. When the joint needs to perform a large-range rotational movement, especially when the rotation angle of the pulley approaches or attempts to exceed the wrapping limit allowed by the fixed point of the metal belt on the pulley, the metal belt will interfere with the screw, resulting in permanent plastic deformation or fracture of the metal belt and causing system failure. Therefore, to avoid such catastrophic consequences, the rotation range of the robot joint using such a conventional screw-fixed pulley system is strictly limited to within about 360°, usually smaller, to meet the safety margin.

[0004] However, in application scenarios that require continuous multi-turn rotation, such as unlimited posture adjustment or large-range scanning in a narrow space, the above fixing method is difficult to meet the requirements. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a vacuum manipulator arm to solve the above problems existing in the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a vacuum manipulator arm to solve the problem of limited rotation angle of the joints of the manipulator arm in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above purpose, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A vacuum manipulator arm includes an upper arm, a forearm pivotally connected to the end of the upper arm, and an end effector pivotally connected to the end of the forearm. At least one of the upper arm and the forearm has a transmission path therein, and a torque transmission mechanism is provided in the transmission path. The torque transmission mechanism includes: At least two pulleys, located at both ends of the transmission path, each pulley having an outer peripheral surface surrounding its own central axis and end surfaces located on both sides of the axial direction; A double opposing belt, comprising at least two torque transmission belts of different height levels, each of the torque transmission belts being connected between two pulleys and being tensioned and wrapped around a portion of the outer circumference of two adjacent pulleys; an accommodating groove formed by sectioning along one end surface of the pulley toward the other end surface and penetrating one of the two end surfaces, the accommodating groove having an accommodating space respectively communicating with one end surface and an outer peripheral surface of the pulley, and the accommodating groove forming an opening on the outer peripheral surface of the pulley; An anchor point, provided on a wall surface of the receiving groove, for detachably fixing an end portion of the torque transmission belt; An end cover is embedded in the opening, wherein a side of the end cover facing away from the pulley is a smooth surface, and the curvature of the smooth surface is consistent with that of the outer peripheral surface of the pulley; In which, at least one end portion of the torque transmission belt is detachably fixed by the anchor point and accommodated in the accommodating space. After a portion of the torque transmission belt is led out from the accommodating space, it is completely covered on the circumferential surface formed by the interlocking splicing of the outer circumferential surface of the pulley and the smooth surface of the end cover, and is covered and wrapped relative to the torque transmission belt itself as the pulley rotates.

[0007] The vacuum robotic arm provided by the present invention offers the following advantages: by accommodating the end of the torque transmission belt within a pulley's receiving groove, rather than directly locking it with screws, the belt's wraparound range is avoided by the fixed point. End caps, whose curvature matches the pulley's, cover a portion of the belt, providing radial restraint to ensure reliable torque transmission while allowing the belt to adaptively adjust its path along a smooth surface during rotation. This solution, while maintaining the high rigidity and pollution-free properties of the metal torque transmission belt, completely overcomes the 360-degree rotation limitation of traditional screw-fixing methods, enabling greater joint rotation capabilities.

[0008] Furthermore, each of the torque transmission belts has a belt body, which has a first end and a second end, and the first end and the second end are respectively fixedly connected to two different pulleys, and are at least partially wound around the outer circumference of one of the pulleys clockwise or counterclockwise with the first end as the starting point, and the belt body is wound clockwise or counterclockwise toward the outer circumference of the other adjacent pulley, and the belt body is completely wound around the outer circumference of the other pulley and is covered and wound relative to itself.

[0009] With the above solution, both ends of the belt body are respectively fixed to different pulleys to form a closed-loop path, which automatically maintains a constant system tension during joint movement, avoiding the tension fluctuation or slack caused by single-point fixation in traditional open-loop belt drives and significantly improving the transmission stability.

[0010] Further, a sinking groove is formed on one side of the end cover facing away from the smooth surface. A receiving space for receiving the end of the torque transmission belt is formed between the sinking groove and the inner wall of the receiving groove. The receiving space has a lead-out port for leading out the torque transmission belt, and the torque transmission belt can start from the receiving groove and be led out from the lead-out port.

[0011] Further, the torque transmission mechanism further includes a pin shaft and a clamping member. The anchor point is located on the pin shaft, the pin shaft is fixedly connected to the wall surface of the receiving groove, fixing blocks are arranged at both ends of the torque transmission belt, fixing holes are formed in the fixing blocks, and the pin shaft is inserted into the fixing holes and is detachably connected to the torque transmission belt through the clamping member.

[0012] Further, the pin shaft includes a base portion, a shaft portion and a limiting portion connected in sequence along the axial direction. The radius of the shaft portion is smaller than that of the base portion and the limiting portion. The torque transmission belt is sleeved on the shaft portion, and the base portion is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the receiving groove.

[0013] Further, a transition groove is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the pulley. The transition groove is communicated with the lead-out port, and the transition groove is used to guide the torque transmission belt to smoothly transition to the outer peripheral surface of the pulley.

[0014] Further, the receiving groove has a side wall, a bottom wall and an inner wall. The pin shaft is arranged on the inner wall in a direction perpendicular to the inner wall of the receiving groove, and the side wall abuts against one end of the end cover.

[0015] Further, a sinking mounting hole is formed in the end cover, and a threaded hole is formed in the pulley; Wherein, when the end cover is embedded in the receiving groove and the smooth surface is engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the pulley, the sinking mounting hole corresponds to and communicates with the threaded hole.

[0016] Further, an avoidance groove is formed in the bottom wall of the sinking groove, and the avoidance groove is used to receive the limiting portion.

[0017] Further, a floating gap is formed between the lead-out port and the torque transmission belt passing through the lead-out port, and the floating gap is used to provide a floating margin for the vibration of the torque transmission belt. Description of the Drawings

[0018] Figure 1Schematic diagram of the overall structure of a vacuum robotic arm according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the torque transmission mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the double relative belt structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the torque transmission belt according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the first end according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the second end according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 Explosion diagram of the pulley and the end cover according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure of the pulley according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the structure of the shaft pin according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the structure of the clamping member according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the structure of the end cover according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12 Top view of the pulley and the end cover after being fixed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Reference numerals: 1, upper arm; 2, forearm; 3, end effector; 4, torque transmission mechanism; 41, first pulley; 411, receiving groove; 4111, side wall; 4, 112, inner wall; 4113, bottom wall; 412, transition groove; 413, end face; 414, screw hole; 42, second pulley; 43, torque transmission belt; 431, belt body; 432, first end; 433, second end; 434, fixing block; 435, fixing hole; 44, end cover; 441, smooth surface; 442, sinking groove; 443, export port; 444, sinking mounting hole; 445, avoidance groove; 45, pin shaft; 451, base portion; 452, shaft portion; 453, limiting portion; 46, clamping member. Detailed implementation manners

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below. Apparently, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meanings as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. The words such as "including" used herein mean that the elements or items appearing before this word cover the elements or items listed after this word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or items.

[0021] The following will, with reference to the appended Figure 1 - appended Figure 12 drawings, further elaborate on the specific embodiments of the present invention.

[0022] Referring to Figure 1 , a vacuum robotic arm includes an upper arm 1, a forearm 2 pivotally connected to the end of the upper arm 1, an end effector 3 pivotally connected to the end of the forearm 2, and a torque transmission mechanism 4. In some embodiments of the invention, there are at least two end joint effectors, and both end effectors 3 are pivotally connected to the end of the forearm 2, and adjacent end effectors 3 can relatively rotate around the same hinge point. At least one of the upper arm 1 and the forearm 2 has a transmission path inside, and a torque transmission mechanism 4 is arranged in the transmission path. There are two joints adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction inside at least one of the upper arm 1 and the forearm 2, and the space between the two joints is defined as the transmission path.

[0023] Referring to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the torque transmission mechanism 4 includes at least two pulleys and a double relative belt for coupling and transmitting torque. The two pulleys are respectively located at both ends of the transmission path. The pulley has an outer peripheral surface around its central axis and end faces on both axial sides. The double relative belt includes at least two torque transmission belts 43 tightly wrapped around the outer peripheral surface of the pulley. In some specific embodiments of the present invention, the pulley includes a first pulley 41 and a second pulley 42. The double relative belt couples the first pulley 41 and the second pulley 42 and can transmit torque.

[0024] Referring to Figure 3 , in some embodiments of the present invention, the double relative belt includes a first torque transmission belt 43 and a second torque transmission belt 43. Both the first torque transmission belt 43 and the second torque transmission belt 43 are tightly wrapped around the outer peripheral surface of the pulley with a constant tension; at least one end of each torque transmission belt 43 is wound around itself relative to the belt itself.

[0025] Referring to Figure 4, in some embodiments of the present invention, each torque transmission belt 43 has a belt body 431, the belt body 431 has a first end 432 and a second end 433, the first end 432 and the second end 433 are respectively fixedly connected to two different pulleys, starting from the first end 432, it winds at least partially around the outer peripheral surface of one of the pulleys in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, the belt body 431 winds around the outer peripheral surface of the adjacent other pulley in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, and the belt body 431 completely winds around the outer peripheral surface of the other pulley and is wound over itself. It should be noted that the two torque transmission belts 43 are both under constant tension so that neither of the two torque transmission belts 43 will be slack. The winding directions of the two torque transmission belts 43 are opposite. When one winds clockwise, the other winds counterclockwise. Specifically, the two torque transmission belts 43 are arranged oppositely, one torque transmission belt 43 respectively wraps around the first pulley 41 and the second pulley 42 in a clockwise direction, and the other torque transmission belt 43 respectively wraps around the first pulley 41 and the second pulley 42 in a counterclockwise direction.

[0026] Refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , in some specific embodiments of the present invention, fixing blocks 434 are provided at both the first end 432 and the second end 433 of the torque transmission belt 43, and fixing holes 435 are formed in the fixing blocks 434. The fixing holes 435 facilitate fixing the belt body 431 on the pulley.

[0027] Refer to Figure 7, in some embodiments of the present invention, a receiving groove 411 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the pulley, and an end cover 44 for fastening the torque transmission belt 43 is detachably connected to the pulley; the receiving groove 411 is partially cut from one end face of the pulley towards the other end face, that is, the receiving groove 411 does not penetrate the end faces 413 on both axial sides. The receiving groove 411 has a receiving space communicating with one end face and the outer peripheral surface of the pulley respectively. Wherein, one side surface of the end cover 44 facing away from the pulley is a smooth surface 441, and the smooth surface 441 matches the curvature of the pulley; at least one end of the torque transmission belt 43 is received in the receiving groove 411 and can extend from the receiving groove 411 to completely wind around the outer peripheral surface of the pulley, and a partial section of the torque transmission belt 43 covers the smooth surface 441. By covering a partial section of the belt body 431 with the end cover 44 whose curvature matches that of the pulley, it is allowed for the belt body 431 to adaptively adjust its path along the smooth surface 441 during rotation. Moreover, the torque transmission belt 43 starts from the receiving groove 411 and can extend to completely wind around the outer peripheral surface of the pulley without interference, forming a closed-loop transmission path. When the rotation of the pulley is about to exceed 360° or exceeds 360°, the torque transmission belt 43 can be guided by the smooth surface 441 to achieve multi-layer orderly winding, completely avoiding the risks of reverse folding, plastic deformation or fracture of the belt body 431 caused by interference at the fixed points in the traditional structure. By adopting the above solution, on the premise of maintaining the high stiffness and pollution-free characteristics of the metal torque transmission belt 43, the rotation limit of the traditional screw fixing method is completely broken through, and the rotation ability of the joint at a larger angle is achieved.

[0028] In some specific embodiments of the present invention, referring to Figure 8 , the receiving groove 411 is formed radially from the outside to the inside along the outer peripheral surface of the pulley, and has a bottom wall 4113, an inner wall 4112 and a side wall 4111. In some embodiments of the present invention, the pin shaft 45 is perpendicular to the inner wall 4112 of the receiving groove 411 and is installed on the inner wall 4112 of the receiving groove 411, and the side wall 4111 abuts against one end of the end cover 44; in some other embodiments of the present invention, the pin shaft 45 is installed on the side wall 4111, and at this time, on the premise that the smooth surface 441 of the end cover 44 can form a complete outer peripheral surface after splicing the pulley, a relief space for the pin shaft 45 is left.

[0029] In some embodiments of the present invention, referring to Figure 1The end cap 44 is a partially circular structure. A recessed groove 442 is defined on the side of the end cap 44 facing away from the smooth surface 441. The recessed groove 442 and the inner wall of the receiving groove 411 form a space for accommodating the end of the torque transmission belt 43. This space has an outlet 443 for the torque transmission belt 43 to exit from the receiving groove 411. The space formed by the recessed groove 442 and the inner wall of the receiving groove 411 completely encloses the end of the torque transmission belt 43, particularly the fixed end, within the pulley, completely isolating the end of the belt body 431 from moving parts. While conventional screw fastening creates a rigid obstruction, the recessed groove 442 creates a space to accommodate the end. This prevents interference with the fasteners even during multiple pulley rotations, completely eliminating the risk of collision or friction between the conventional exposed fixed end and the wrapped belt body 431, thus fundamentally preventing deformation or breakage of the end. The guide outlet 443 serves as the only transition channel for the belt body 431 from the accommodating space to the dynamic winding path, forcing the belt body 431 to be smoothly guided out in a preset direction.

[0030] In some specific embodiments of the present invention, a transition groove 412 is defined on the outer circumference of the pulley. This transition groove 412 communicates with the guide outlet 443 and serves to guide the torque transmission belt 43 to smoothly transition to the outer circumference of the pulley. After the belt body 431 originates from the receiving groove 411, it passes through the guide outlet 443 and naturally transitions tangentially through the transition groove 412 to the outer circumference of the pulley. This eliminates the sharp bend in the initial section of the belt body 431 and significantly reduces local stress concentration.

[0031] In some embodiments of the present invention, reference Figure 9 and Figure 1 The torque transmission mechanism 4 also includes a pin 45 and a clip 46. The pin 45 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the receiving groove 411. The pin 45 is inserted into the fixing hole 435 and is detachably connected to the torque transmission belt 43 via the clip 46. The fixing block 434 is completely embedded in the receiving groove 411, and its outer surface does not protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the pulley, ensuring that the belt body 431 is in smooth contact with the pulley surface when multiple layers are wound. The provision of the fixing block 434 on the belt body 431 strengthens the connection strength between the pulley and the belt body 431. The plug-in cooperation between the fixing block 434 and the pin 45 avoids the local stress concentration caused by traditional screw locking, significantly reduces the risk of metal fatigue at the belt end, and extends the service life of the belt body 431.

[0032] In some specific embodiments of the present invention, the clamping member 46 is a spring or a quick-release pin. After the end of the torque transmission belt 43 is sleeved on the shaft 452 of the pin 45 through the fixing hole 435, the spring or the quick-release pin is used to limit the position, thereby realizing the quick disassembly of the pin 45 and the fixing block 434.Figure 10 As shown, the clamping member 46 is a snap ring.

[0033] In some embodiments of the present invention, referring to Figures 9 - 11 , the pin shaft 45 includes a base portion 451, a shaft portion 452, and a limiting portion 453 that are sequentially connected along the axial direction. The radius of the shaft portion 452 is smaller than that of the base portion 451 and the limiting portion 453, forming an annular groove. This annular groove is used to cooperate with the torque transmission belt 43, and the groove width of the annular groove is greater than the thickness of the fixing block 434. The torque transmission belt 43 is sleeved on the shaft portion 452, and the base portion 451 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the receiving groove 411. The double-end large-diameter structure of the base portion 451 and the limiting portion 453 cooperates with the clamping member 46 to form an axial clamping force on the fixing block 434, and the tangential tension of the torque transmission belt 43 is borne by the side wall of the annular groove, improving the anti-shear ability. In addition, the design that the groove width of the groove is greater than the thickness of the fixing block 434 forms an axial floating gap, allowing the belt body 431 to deflect slightly and adaptively when vibrating or undergoing thermal deformation, eliminating local overload caused by assembly stress and rotational centrifugal force.

[0034] In some embodiments of the present invention, an avoidance groove 445 is provided at the bottom of the sinking groove 442. The avoidance groove 445 is used to accommodate the limiting portion 453. The key to the avoidance groove 445 lies in the three-dimensional space reconstruction. After the avoidance groove 445 is provided at the bottom of the sinking groove 442, it is equivalent to creating a precise "negative shape" accommodation space for the limiting portion 453. In this way, the limiting portion 453 can be completely sunk into the inside of the pulley body without additionally increasing the axial dimension. In the traditional design, if the limiting portion 453 is exposed, the axial length of the entire pulley assembly needs to be increased by at least the thickness of the limiting portion 453. Now, through the "embedded storage" of the avoidance groove 445, zero axial occupation is achieved. Especially when multiple pulleys are stacked, the structure becomes more compact. In addition, after the side wall of the avoidance groove 445 forms a surface contact fit with the limiting portion 453, the axial load originally borne by the end cover 44 alone is now diverted to the pulley body. It is equivalent to adding a rigid support base to the fastener, and its anti-bending moment ability will be significantly improved.

[0035] In some embodiments of the present invention, the receiving groove 411 and the transition groove 412 axially penetrate one of the axial end faces 413 and do not penetrate the other end face 413. The pulley group of semiconductor equipment usually needs to be disassembled as a whole to repair the inside, which is time-consuming and destroys the vacuum environment. And the pulley that penetrates the outer peripheral surface allows for inspection and repair by removing the end cover located on the outer peripheral surface in the case of pulley stacking, which is more convenient and does not require disassembly, which can further improve the accuracy. In some embodiments of the present invention, a sunken mounting hole 444 is formed in the end cap 44, and a threaded hole 414 is formed in the pulley. When the end cap 44 is embedded in the receiving groove 411 and the smooth surface 441 is engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the pulley, the sunken mounting hole 444 corresponds to and communicates with the threaded hole 414. With the above solution, a screw is passed through the sunken mounting hole 444 and screwed into the threaded hole 414 to fix the end cap 44 on the inner wall of the receiving groove 411 of the pulley. It is necessary to ensure that the end cap 44 is completely fitted with the side wall of the receiving groove 411 before screwing in the screw for fixation. Specifically, when connecting the torque transmission belt 43 to the pulley in the present invention, first, the fixing hole 435 of the torque transmission belt 43 is sleeved on the shaft portion 452 of the pin shaft 45, then a snap ring is clamped between the fixing block 434 of the torque transmission belt 43 and the limiting portion 453 of the pin shaft 45, and then the end cap 44 is buckled on the receiving groove 411. The smooth surface 441 of the end cap 44 is engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the pulley. The sunken hole corresponds to the position of the threaded hole 414, and a screw is screwed in to fix the end cap 44 in the receiving groove 411 of the pulley and cover the fixed position of the end of the steel torque transmission belt 43.

[0036] In some embodiments of the present invention, the end of the torque transmission belt 43 can swing slightly relative to the shaft portion 452 of the pin shaft 45 to adapt to the working conditions of the torque transmission belt 43. A floating gap is formed between the lead-out port 443 and the torque transmission belt 43 passing through the lead-out port 443. The floating gap is used to provide a floating margin for the vibration of the torque transmission belt 43. In the existing vacuum robotic arm, when it rotates at a high speed, it will drive the torque transmission belt 43 to vibrate. However, in this application, by setting the floating gap and slight swing, the rigid fixation is transformed into articulated micro-movement to absorb the high-frequency vibration energy in the transmission process and avoid fatigue fracture or even fracture of the belt body 431 caused by stress concentration.

[0037] In some specific embodiments of the present invention, when machining the pulley and the end cap 44, first fix the end cap 44 on the pulley, and then simultaneously machine the outer peripheral surface of the pulley and the smooth surface 441 of the sliding fastener so that their edges are on the same circle to ensure accuracy and concentricity.

[0038] Beneficial effects of a vacuum robotic arm provided by the present invention: By providing a receiving groove 411 on the outer peripheral surface of the pulley and using an end cover 44, not only can the end of the torque transmission belt 43 be hidden and fixed in the receiving groove 411, but also the torque transmission belt 43 can be smoothly guided by the smooth surface 441. Thus, when the pulley rotates more than 360°, the torque transmission belt can be wrapped relative to itself and the wrapped part can be kept away from the fixed points, thereby expanding the rotation angle of the joints of the vacuum manipulator, increasing the arm postures, and expanding the working range of the arm. Moreover, the fixing method of the end of the torque transmission belt 43 provides a floating amount for the torque transmission belt 43 when the vacuum robotic arm rotates at high speed through a floating gap and a small swing. In addition, openings are provided at two circumferential end faces of the pulley, which is more convenient for maintenance and improves the accuracy in the case of multiple stacked pulleys.

[0039] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made to these embodiments. However, it should be understood that such modifications and changes are all within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Moreover, the present invention described herein may have other embodiments and can be implemented or realized in various ways.

Claims

1. A vacuum robotic arm, comprising an upper arm (1), a forearm (2) pivotally connected to the end of the upper arm (1), and an end effector (3) pivotally connected to the end of the forearm (2), at least one of the upper arm (1) and the forearm (2) having a transmission path therein, and a torque transmission mechanism (4) being disposed in the transmission path, characterized in that, The torque transmission mechanism (4) comprises: At least two pulleys, respectively located at two ends of the transmission path, each pulley having an outer peripheral surface surrounding its own central axis and end surfaces (413) located on both sides of the axial direction; A double opposing belt, comprising at least two torque transmission belts (43) of different height levels, each of the torque transmission belts (43) being connected between two pulleys and being tensioned and wrapped around a portion of the outer circumference of two adjacent pulleys; An accommodating groove (411) is formed by cutting along one end surface of the pulley toward the other end surface and passes through one of the two end surfaces (413). The accommodating groove (411) has an accommodating space that is respectively connected to one end surface and the outer peripheral surface of the pulley. The accommodating groove (411) forms an opening on the outer peripheral surface of the pulley. An anchor point, provided on the wall surface of the accommodating groove (411), for detachably fixing the end of the torque transmission belt (43); An end cover (44) is embedded in the opening, and an end of the end cover (44) facing away from the pulley is a smooth surface (441), and the curvature of the smooth surface (441) is consistent with that of the outer peripheral surface of the pulley; In which, at least one end portion of the torque transmission belt (43) is detachably fixed by the anchor point and accommodated in the accommodating space. After a portion of the torque transmission belt (43) is guided out of the accommodating space, it is completely covered on the circumferential surface formed by the outer circumferential surface of the pulley and the smooth surface (441) of the end cover (44), and is covered and wound relative to the torque transmission belt (43) itself as the pulley rotates.

2. A vacuum manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the torque transmission belts (43) has a belt body (431), and the belt body (431) has a first end (432) and a second end (433), and the first end (432) and the second end (433) are respectively fixedly connected to two different pulleys, and are at least partially wound around the outer peripheral surface of one of the pulleys in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction with the first end (432) as a starting point, and the belt body (431) is wound clockwise or counterclockwise toward the outer peripheral surface of another adjacent pulley, and the belt body (431) is completely wound around the outer peripheral surface of the other pulley and is wrapped relative to itself.

3. A vacuum manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that, A sinking groove (442) is provided on a side of the end cover (44) facing away from the smooth surface (441), and the accommodating space has a guide outlet (443) for guiding out the torque transmission belt (43). The torque transmission belt (43) can start from the accommodating groove (411) and be guided out from the guide outlet (443).

4. A vacuum robotic arm according to claim 3, characterized in that, The torque transmission mechanism (4) further comprises a pin (45) and a clamping member (46), wherein the anchor point is located on the pin (45), and the pin (45) is fixedly connected to the wall surface of the accommodating groove (411). Both ends of the torque transmission belt (43) are provided with fixing blocks (434), and the fixing blocks (434) are provided with fixing holes (435). The pin (45) is inserted into the fixing holes (435) and is detachably connected to the torque transmission belt (43) via the clamping member (46).

5. A vacuum robotic arm according to claim 4, characterized in that, The pin shaft (45) includes a base portion (451), a shaft portion (452), and a limiting portion (453) that are sequentially connected along the axial direction. The radius of the shaft portion (452) is smaller than that of the base portion (451) and the limiting portion (453). The torque transmission belt (43) is sleeved on the shaft portion (452), and the base portion (451) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the receiving groove (411).

6. The vacuum robotic arm according to claim 3, characterized in that, A transition groove (412) is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the pulley. The transition groove (412) communicates with the lead-out port (443), and the transition groove (412) is used to guide the torque transmission belt (43) to smoothly transition to the outer peripheral surface of the pulley.

7. A vacuum robotic arm according to claim 4, characterized in that, The receiving groove (4l1) has a side wall (4111), a bottom wall (4113), and an inner wall (4112). The pin shaft (45) is arranged on the inner wall (4112) in a direction perpendicular to the inner wall (4112) of the receiving groove (411), and the side wall (4111) abuts against one end of the end cover (44).

8. A vacuum robotic arm according to claim 7, characterized in that, A sunken mounting hole (444) is formed in the end cover (44), and a threaded hole (414) is formed in the pulley. Wherein, when the end cover (44) is embedded in the receiving groove (411) and the smooth surface (441) is engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the pulley, the sunken mounting hole (444) corresponds to and communicates with the threaded hole (414).

9. A vacuum robotic arm according to claim 5, characterized in that, An avoidance groove (445) is formed in the bottom wall of the sunken groove (442), and the avoidance groove (445) is used to accommodate the limiting portion (453).

10. A vacuum robotic arm according to claim 3, characterized in that, A floating gap is formed between the lead-out port (443) and the torque transmission belt (43) passing through the lead-out port (443), and the floating gap is used to provide a floating margin for the vibration of the torque transmission belt (43).

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