Overhead carrying vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of wafer carrying equipment, in particular to an overhead carrying vehicle which comprises a walking assembly, a lifting mechanism, a grabbing assembly and an anti-falling mechanism. The anti-falling mechanism comprises at least two mounting frames symmetrically arranged on the walking assembly and a clamping assembly connected to the mounting frames; the clamping assembly comprises a clamping component rotationally connected to the mounting frame, and the clamping component has a clamping state and a folding state; the folded clamping component can be smoothly hidden in the mounting frame, occupied space is saved, and the requirements for stable clamping and complete folding in a narrow space can be met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of wafer transport equipment, in particular to an overhead transport vehicle. Background Art

[0002] The transport of wafer cassettes is a routine step in the semiconductor processing industry, typically utilizing an automated material handling system. The core component of this system is an overhead crane, which moves wafer cassettes from one platform along elevated rails, automatically grabs and transports them to another platform. Each cassette typically holds 25 wafers, and the equipment must remain stable during handling to prevent the wafers from swaying within the cassette, potentially damaging them. After the overhead crane grabs the cassette, it lifts it into the crane, where it is positioned and clamped. The overhead crane typically consists of a lifting mechanism and a gripper assembly. The gripper assembly is used to grasp the cassette, while the lifting mechanism drives the entire gripper assembly upward and downward. To facilitate smooth handling of the cassettes, the overhead crane incorporates a drop-prevention mechanism to provide stable support during cassette handling. This mechanism is typically an additional device separate from the main support structure, requiring physical space for its own installation and additional clearance for its moving parts. In order to achieve the "anti-drop" function, the wafer box flange / bottom is usually supported by moving upward or inward, and "folded up" when not in operation to avoid interference. The mechanism is usually designed to be foldable.

[0003] However, since it is an independent structure, the folding action itself requires a certain rotation radius or sliding distance. The folding trajectory often cannot fully utilize the space inside or around the main support structure, resulting in its minimum envelope volume after folding still being large, increasing the movement space requirements, and making it difficult to meet the requirements of stable clamping and complete folding in narrow spaces. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides an elevated transport vehicle, which enables the folded clamping components to be smoothly hidden in the mounting frame, saving space and meeting the needs of stable clamping and complete folding in narrow spaces.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] The present invention provides an overhead transport vehicle, comprising a traveling assembly for moving along an overhead slide rail, a lifting mechanism connected to the traveling assembly, a grabbing assembly connected to the lifting mechanism, and an anti-drop mechanism. The grabbing assembly is used to grab or release a wafer box, and the lifting mechanism drives the grabbing assembly to move up and down. The grabbing assembly has a grabbing position and a supporting position within its travel range, and the supporting position is located above the grabbing position.

[0007] The anti-falling mechanism comprises at least two symmetrically arranged mounting frames of the walking assembly and clamping assemblies connected to the mounting frames; the clamping assembly comprises a clamping member rotatably connected to the mounting frame, the clamping member having a clamping state and a folding state;

[0008] When the clamping member is in the clamping state, the clamping member supports the bottom of the wafer box and prevents the wafer box from falling;

[0009] When the clamping member is in the folding state, the clamping member is folded in the mounting frame;

[0010] When the wafer box needs to be grabbed, the walking assembly moves to a designated wafer box grabbing station along the overhead slide rail, the lifting mechanism drives the grabbing assembly to move to a grabbing position to grab the wafer box, the lifting mechanism moves the grabbing assembly to a supporting position, and the anti-falling mechanism supports the wafer box to prevent the wafer box from falling from the grabbing assembly.

[0011] The clamping member is connected to a limiting piece, the clamping member comprises first and second connecting rods parallel to each other, first and second supporting rods parallel to each other, a driving piece and an anti-falling piece, the anti-falling piece is connected to the driving piece, and the limiting piece is installed on the driving piece;

[0012] The first and second connecting rods are hingedly connected to the mounting frame, the two ends of the first connecting rod are hingedly connected to one end of the first and second supporting rods respectively, the two ends of the second connecting rod are hingedly connected to the other end of the first and second supporting rods respectively, and the connecting line of the hingedly connected points of the first and second connecting rods and the mounting frame is parallel to the first and second supporting rods;

[0013] One end of the driving piece is hingedly connected to the first connecting rod, the other end of the driving piece is slidingly connected to the second connecting rod, and the mounting frame is provided with a receiving cavity;

[0014] When the clamping member is rotated to the clamping state, one end of the limiting piece abuts against one side of the wafer box, the anti-falling piece is located outside the wafer box and is used for preventing the wafer box from falling, and the limiting piece and the anti-falling piece act on different sides of the wafer box;

[0015] When the clamping member is rotated to the folding state, the limiting piece and the clamping member are located in the receiving cavity.

[0016] One end of the driving piece is hingedly connected to the first connecting rod, the second connecting rod is provided with a sliding body, the sliding body is slidingly connected to the driving piece, and the fulcrum of the driving piece and the sliding body and the hingedly connected point of the driving piece and the first connecting rod are located on different sides of the clamping member respectively;

[0017] The first supporting rod is provided with a first supporting part and a second supporting part, the first supporting part is arranged at the top end of the connection between the first connecting rod and the first supporting rod, and the second supporting part is arranged at the top end of the connection between the second connecting rod and the first supporting rod.

[0018] The first connecting rod comprises a first front section and a first rear section connected with the first front section, the second connecting rod comprises a second front section and a second rear section connected with the second front section, the angle between the first front section and the first rear section is obtuse, one end of the driving member is hinged to the first rear section, and the sliding body is mounted on the second front section.

[0019] The rotation center of the first connecting rod is located at the connection between the first front section and the first rear section, the rotation center of the second connecting rod is located at the connection between the second front section and the second rear section, the rotation center of the first connecting rod is connected with a first rotation shaft, the rotation center of the second connecting rod is connected with a second rotation shaft, and the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft are both rotationally connected to the mounting frame.

[0020] The anti-falling member comprises an anti-falling bottom plate and an anti-falling side plate connected perpendicularly with the anti-falling bottom plate, and the anti-falling bottom plate is mounted on the driving member.

[0021] When the clamping member rotates to the clamping state, the anti-falling side plate is located outside the wafer box, and there is a movable gap between the anti-falling side plate and the wafer box.

[0022] The walking assembly is connected with a transverse assembly, the lifting mechanism comprises a lifting frame rotationally connected to the output end of the transverse assembly and a lifting assembly mounted on the lifting frame, the lifting assembly is drivingly connected with the grabbing assembly, the lifting assembly is used to drive the grabbing assembly to descend or ascend to a required position, the transverse assembly is used to drive the lifting mechanism to move transversely, so that the wafer box approaches or moves away from the grabbing station of the wafer box along the horizontal direction, and the output end of the transverse assembly is mounted with a rotating member used to drive the lifting frame to rotate.

[0023] The rotating member comprises a rotating support connected with the output end of the transverse assembly, a movable frame rotationally connected to the rotating support, an adjusting frame rotationally connected to the movable frame, a sliding member slidingly connected to the adjusting frame, and a driving unit, the rotation center of the adjusting frame is arranged in a centrifugal manner relative to the rotation center of the rotating frame, and the driving unit is drivingly connected with the sliding member.

[0024] The output end of the driving unit is drivingly connected with a push rod, the push rod is connected with the sliding member, the driving unit drives the push rod to move along the axial direction of the push rod, and the line connecting the rotation centers of the movable frame and the adjusting frame is perpendicular to the initial pushing direction of the push rod.

[0025] When the movable frame needs to be rotated, the initial pushing force of the push rod is parallel to the tangent direction of the rotation of the movable frame, the driving unit drives the sliding piece to slide along the adjusting frame to rotate the adjusting frame, so that the movable frame is rotated.

[0026] The front end of the push rod is connected with a limiting body, the sliding piece is provided with a butt joint part, the butt joint part is connected with the push rod, one end of the butt joint part corresponds to one side of the limiting body, the butt joint part has a first movable gap in the circumferential direction of the push rod, and the butt joint part has a second movable gap in the axial direction of the push rod.

[0027] When the push rod moves towards the sliding piece, the butt joint part moves in the first movable gap and the second movable gap, and the sliding piece slides along the adjusting frame.

[0028] The butt joint part is provided with a first butt joint section and a second butt joint section which are parallel to each other, the push rod is provided with a first limiting surface and a second limiting surface, the first butt joint section corresponds to the first limiting surface, the second butt joint section corresponds to the second limiting surface, and the first movable gap is located between the first butt joint section and the second butt joint section.

[0029] The limiting body is threadedly connected with the push rod, the push rod is provided with a limiting ring, and the butt joint part is connected between the limiting body and the limiting ring.

[0030] The lifting assembly comprises at least three flexible members and a lifting driving piece installed on the lifting frame, one end of the flexible member is connected with the grabbing assembly, the flexible member is arranged on the lifting frame, the lifting driving piece is drivingly connected with the flexible member, and when the lifting driving piece releases or winds the flexible member, the grabbing assembly is synchronously lowered or raised to a required position.

[0031] The lifting frame is provided with at least two positioning pieces, and the grabbing assembly is provided with at least two positioning barrels.

[0032] When the grabbing assembly approaches the lifting frame to a required position, the positioning piece is matched with the positioning barrel.

[0033] The lifting frame is provided with at least two longitudinally arranged photoelectric sensors, the grabbing assembly is provided with a blocking piece, the positioning barrel is provided with a butt joint hole, and the positioning piece is matched with the butt joint hole.

[0034] When at least part of the blocking piece corresponds to one of the photoelectric sensors, one end of the positioning piece is matched and inserted into the butt joint hole, and the moving speed of the lifting driving piece for lowering the grabbing assembly is reduced.

[0035] When at least part of the blocking piece corresponds to at least two photoelectric sensors, the positioning piece is matched with the butt joint hole, and the lifting driving piece is stopped.

[0036] The beneficial effects of the present application are as follows:

[0037] The walking assembly and the lifting mechanism drive the grabbing assembly to move to the required position, so as to facilitate the taking and placing of the wafer box; the anti-falling mechanism is arranged to support the bottom of the wafer box and prevent the wafer box from falling; the clamping member after folding can be smoothly hidden in the mounting frame, so as to save space occupation and meet the requirements of stable clamping and complete folding in narrow space. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0038] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the high-rack conveying vehicle.

[0039] Figure 2 It is a perspective structural front view of the high-rack conveying vehicle.

[0040] Figure 3 It is a perspective structural schematic diagram of the anti-falling mechanism.

[0041] Figure 4 It is a perspective view of the connection structure of the clamping member and the mounting frame.

[0042] Figure 5 It is a perspective structural schematic diagram of the clamping member.

[0043] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the anti-falling mechanism and the wafer box.

[0044] Figure 7 It is a perspective structural front view of the lifting mechanism.

[0045] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of the rotating member.

[0046] Figure 9 It is a perspective structural schematic diagram of the rotating member.

[0047] Figure 10 It is a connection structure schematic diagram of the sliding member and the push rod.

[0048] Figure 11 It is a perspective structural exploded view of the grabbing assembly and the wafer box.

[0049] Figure 12 It is a structural sectional view of the positioning cylinder.

[0050] Figure 13 It is a perspective structural schematic diagram of the lifting frame, the photoelectric sensor and the positioning member.

[0051] Figure 14 It is a perspective structural exploded view of the photoelectric sensor, the positioning member and the positioning cylinder.

[0052] 01, wafer box; 02, overhead slide rail; 100, walking assembly; 200, grabbing assembly; 2001, positioning cylinder; 20011, butt joint hole; 2002, blocking piece;

[0053] 300, transverse assembly;

[0054] 1, lifting mechanism;

[0055] 11, lifting frame; 111, positioning piece;

[0056] 12, lifting assembly; 1201, photoelectric sensor;

[0057] 121, flexible member; 122, lifting driving piece;

[0058] 2, anti-falling mechanism; 201, mounting frame; 202, limiting piece; 203, accommodating cavity;

[0059] 204, first rotating shaft; 205, second rotating shaft;

[0060] 21, first connecting rod; 211, first front section; 212, first rear section; 22, second connecting rod; 221, second front section; 222, second rear section; 2210, sliding body;

[0061] 23, first supporting rod; 231, first supporting part; 232, second supporting part; 24, second supporting rod;

[0062] 25, driving piece; 26, anti-falling piece; 261, anti-falling bottom plate; 262, anti-falling side plate;

[0063] 3, rotating member; 301, first movable gap; 302, second movable gap;

[0064] 31, rotating support; 32, movable frame; 33, adjusting frame; 34, sliding piece; 341, butt joint part; 3411, first butt joint section; 3412, second butt joint section;

[0065] 35, driving unit; 351, push rod; 3511, first limiting surface; 3512, second limiting surface; 3513, limiting ring; 352, limiting body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] In order to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art, the present application will be further described below in conjunction with the embodiments and drawings. The specific embodiments of the present application will be described below, and it should be noted that, in the specific description of these embodiments, the present specification cannot describe all the features of the actual embodiments in detail for the sake of brevity and conciseness.

[0067] Reference Figures 1 to 14As shown, the present application provides an overhead transport vehicle, comprising a walking assembly 100 for moving along the overhead rail 02, a lifting mechanism 1 connected with the walking assembly 100, a grabbing assembly 200 drivingly connected with the lifting mechanism 1, and a falling prevention mechanism 2, the grabbing assembly 200 is used for grabbing or releasing the wafer box 01, the lifting mechanism 1 drives the grabbing assembly 200 to move up and down, the travel range of the grabbing assembly 200 has a grabbing position and a supporting position, and the supporting position is above the grabbing position; the falling prevention mechanism 2 comprises at least two mounting frames 201 symmetrically arranged on the walking assembly 100 and a clamping assembly connected to the mounting frame 201; the clamping assembly comprises a clamping member rotatably connected to the mounting frame 201, and the clamping member has a clamping state and a folding state.

[0068] Reference Figure 1 , 2 As shown, in actual application, when it is necessary to grab the wafer box 01, the walking assembly 100 moves to the designated wafer box 01 grabbing station along the overhead rail 02, the lifting mechanism 1 drives the grabbing assembly 200 to move to the grabbing position, and the grabbing assembly 200 successfully grabs the wafer box 01. In actual handling, the wafer box 01 adopts a front opening wafer transfer box, for example, FOUP, Front Opening Unified Pod; its core task is to ensure that the wafer is not contaminated by external environmental dust during transmission between production machines, thereby protecting the yield of the wafer; FOUP adopts high-quality materials with low outgassing and low moisture absorption, and cooperates with excellent sealing performance, and can also provide a low-humidity environment through inflation, thereby further strengthening the protection of the wafer. The grabbing assembly 200 is a conventional mechanism for taking and placing the wafer box 01, which can adopt a four-bar mechanism, and through four-bar linkage, the rocker of the parallelogram mechanism swings, and the vacuum tool drivingly connected with the lead screw picks up and places the wafer box 01; or a connecting rod mechanism can be used, and the vacuum tool at the end of the connecting rod can pick up and place the wafer box 01, which is usually used in combination with a rotary joint, so as to realize the taking and placing of the wafer box 01; after the wafer box 01 is grabbed by the grabbing assembly 200, the lifting mechanism 1 drives the wafer box 01 to move to the supporting position, and the clamping member is drivingly connected with the external driving device, so that the clamping member can be smoothly rotated. The driving device can be a servo motor or a bidirectional motor, which can drive the clamping member to switch between the clamping state and the folding state. Through the symmetrically arranged clamping assemblies, the bottom of the wafer box 01 is provided with falling prevention support, thereby improving the stability of the wafer box 01 support. When the wafer box 01 is located at the supporting position and corresponds to the falling prevention mechanism 2, the clamping member is in the clamping state, the clamping member supports the bottom of the wafer box 01 and prevents the wafer box 01 from falling; when the clamping member is in the folding state, the clamping member is folded in the mounting frame 201, so that the folded clamping member can be smoothly hidden in the mounting frame 201, thereby saving space and meeting the needs of stable clamping and complete folding in narrow space.

[0069] refer to Figure 1 、 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the clamping member is connected to the limiting member 202, and the clamping member includes a first connecting rod 21 and a second connecting rod 22 parallel to each other, a first support rod 23 and a second support rod 24 parallel to each other, a driving member 25 and an anti-drop member 26, the anti-drop member 26 is connected to the driving member 25, and the limiting member 202 is installed on the driving member 25; the first connecting rod 21 and the second connecting rod 22 are both hinged to the mounting frame 201, and the two ends of the first connecting rod 21 are respectively hinged to one end of the first support rod 23 and the second support rod 24, and the two ends of the second connecting rod 22 are respectively hinged to the other end of the first support rod 23 and the second support rod 24; one end of the driving member 25 is hinged to the first connecting rod 21, and the other end of the driving member 25 is slidably connected to the second connecting rod 22, and the mounting frame 201 is provided with a accommodating cavity 203.

[0070] refer to Figure 3 、 4 As shown, in actual application, since the line connecting the hinge points of the first connecting rod 21 and the second connecting rod 22 and the mounting frame 201 is parallel to the first support rod 23 and the second support rod 24, the force is applied to drive the first connecting rod 21 to rotate, so that the first support rod 23 and the second support rod 24 move smoothly, which is convenient for accurately positioning the moving position of the first support rod 23. When the first connecting rod 21 rotates, it simultaneously drives the second connecting rod 22 to rotate, drives the driving member 25 to swing, and drives the anti-drop member 26 to move synchronously, which is convenient for determining the moving position of the anti-drop member 26; when the clamping member rotates to the clamping state, one end of the limit member 202 is pressed against one side of the wafer box 01, and the anti-drop member 26 is located on the outside of the wafer box 01 and is used to prevent the wafer box 01 from falling. The limit member 202 and the anti-drop component 26 act on different sides of the wafer box 01 to achieve positioning and anti-dropping of the wafer box 01; when the clamping member rotates to the folded state, the limit member 202 and the clamping member are located in the accommodating cavity 203, so that the folded clamping member can be smoothly hidden in the mounting frame 201, saving space occupancy, and meeting the needs of stable clamping and complete folding in a narrow space; in order to facilitate the detection of the rotation state of the clamping member, a detection piece can be installed on the clamping member, and a first detection switch and a second detection switch are installed on the mounting frame 201. When the clamping member is in the clamping state, the detection piece corresponds to the first detection switch; when the clamping member is in the folded state, the detection piece corresponds to the second detection switch, which is convenient for accurately knowing the working condition of the clamping member.

[0071] refer to Figure 4 、 5As shown, in the embodiment, one end of the driving member 25 is hinged to the first connecting rod 21, the second connecting rod 22 is provided with a sliding body 2210, the sliding body 2210 is slidingly connected to the driving member 25, and the fulcrum of the driving member 25 and the sliding body 2210 and the hinge point of the driving member 25 and the first connecting rod 21 are located on different sides of the clamping member, so that the two fulcrums of the driving member 25 are always located on both sides of the two rotation centers, and the rotation trajectories of the two fulcrums are in the same direction but are staggered in position when the clamping member rotates. Compared with the mode that both fulcrums are on the same side of the rotation center, the driving member 25 is given a larger swing angle range, so that the anti-drop member 26 can swing from one side of the effective clamping wafer box 01 to a position completely separated from and not interfering with the wafer box 01 even in a limited space.

[0072] Reference Figure 4 , 5 As shown, the first supporting rod 23 is provided with a first supporting portion 231 and a second supporting portion 232, the first supporting portion 231 is arranged at the top end of the connection between the first connecting rod 21 and the first supporting rod 23, and the second supporting portion 232 is arranged at the top end of the connection between the second connecting rod 22 and the first supporting rod 23. In actual application, the clamping member is driven to rotate, so that the first supporting rod 23 and the second supporting rod 24 move stably, which facilitates accurate positioning of the movement position of the first supporting rod 23. The path of the movement of the first supporting rod 23 is the shortest, and the first supporting rod 23 can directly support the wafer box 01 by translating in the direction close to the wafer box 01 through the first supporting portion 231 and the second supporting portion 232. The load of the wafer box 01 directly acts on the hinge point, and the axial strength of the first supporting rod 23 is transmitted to the first connecting rod 21, the second connecting rod 22 and the mounting frame 201, thereby avoiding the bending moment generated by the additional supporting structure, significantly improving the supporting stiffness and stability, completely eliminating the dependence on the independent supporting structure, integrating the supporting function with the first connecting rod 21 structure, greatly saving the space in the vertical and horizontal directions, successfully reducing the number of parts, making the structure simple, reducing the processing cost and dimension complexity, and meeting the use requirements of the wafer box 01 in miniaturization and compact space.

[0073] The first connecting rod 21 comprises a first front section 211 and a first rear section 212 connected with the first front section 211, and the second connecting rod 22 comprises a second front section 221 and a second rear section 222 connected with the second front section 221. The angle between the first front section 211 and the first rear section 212 is obtuse. One end of the driving member 25 is hinged with the first rear section 212, and the sliding body 2210 is installed on the second front section 221. During the rotation of the first connecting rod 21 and the second connecting rod 22, for example, during the large-angle rotation, a triangular avoiding space is formed between the first rear section 212 and the second front section 221. The triangular avoiding space provides the necessary physical space for the swinging of the driving member 25, effectively preventing the driving member 25 from interfering with the first supporting rod 23, the second supporting rod 24 or other components. Specifically, the larger the obtuse angle, the more abundant the avoiding space, and the larger the rotation angle that can be met, for example, the rotation requirement of the first connecting rod 21 exceeding 90°. By setting the hinge point of the driving member 25 on the first rear section 212, the force arm of the driving member 25 relative to the first connecting rod 21 is lengthened. According to the principle of lever, under the same rotation angle of the first connecting rod 21, the linear displacement at the hinge point of the driving member 25 is greatly improved compared with the case that the hinge point is on the first front section 211. The relative displacement of the end of the driving member 25 hinged with the first rear section 212 is generated, so as to amplify the swing angle or linear displacement of the other end of the driving member 25 and the anti-falling member 26. The stroke reduction of the end of the driving member 25 hinged with the first rear section 212 is smoothly realized, which is convenient for shortening the activity range of the limiting member 202. Therefore, while the clamping member rotates a large angle, a relatively controllable linear displacement or angular displacement of the anti-falling member 26 connected with the driving member 25 can be completed, which meets the switching requirement of the clamping member and the limiting member 202 between the clamping state and the folding state in a narrow space, meets the compact and efficient folding of the clamping member in a narrow space, and meets the anti-falling and positioning requirements of the wafer box 01.

[0074] Reference Figure 3 , 4, 5, in the embodiment, the rotation center of the first connecting rod 21 is located at the connection between the first front section 211 and the first rear section 212, the rotation center of the second connecting rod 22 is located at the connection between the second front section 221 and the second rear section 222, the rotation center of the first connecting rod 21 is connected with the first rotating shaft 204, the rotation center of the second connecting rod 22 is connected with the second rotating shaft 205, and the first rotating shaft 204 and the second rotating shaft 205 are both rotationally connected to the mounting frame 201; in actual application, the first rotating shaft 204 is driven to rotate, or the first rotating shaft 204 is connected with an external driving unit 35, and the first rotating shaft 204 is driven to rotate by the driving unit 35, so as to drive the clamping member and the limiting piece 202 to act by the rotation of the first rotating shaft 204; by setting the rotation center at the central position of the first connecting rod 21 and the second connecting rod 22, the actual occupied space of the clamping member is effectively utilized, and the rotation requirement of the first connecting rod 21 and the second connecting rod 22 is met without additional space.

[0075] Referring to Figure 4 , 5 , in the embodiment, the anti-falling piece 26 includes an anti-falling bottom plate 261 and an anti-falling side plate 262 which is vertically connected with the anti-falling bottom plate 261, and the anti-falling bottom plate 261 is installed on the driving piece 25; in actual application, when the clamping member rotates to the clamping state, the anti-falling side plate 262 is located outside the wafer box 01 and has a movement gap between the anti-falling side plate 262 and the wafer box 01, and the conveying direction of the wafer box 01 corresponds to the setting direction of the movement gap; referring to Figure 6 , by setting the movement gap, the distance of the movement gap along the conveying direction (the conveying direction corresponds to the A direction) is H, the movement space of the wafer box 01 along the conveying direction is provided, the avoiding space for the stop and transportation of the wafer box 01 is provided, the wafer box 01 is prevented from directly colliding with the limiting side plate when stopping or moving along the conveying direction, the stable conveying of the wafer box 01 is ensured, and the shaking distance of the wafer box 01 along the conveying direction is limited to a reasonable range by the movement gap, so that the wafer box 01 is prevented from falling off due to the too large shaking range.

[0076] Referring to Figure 1 , 2 , 7, in the embodiment, the walking assembly 100 is connected with a transverse assembly 300, the lifting mechanism 1 includes a lifting frame 11 which is horizontally rotationally connected to the output end of the transverse assembly 300 and a lifting assembly 12 which is installed on the lifting frame 11, the lifting assembly 12 is drivingly connected with the grabbing assembly 200, the lifting assembly 12 is used to drive the grabbing assembly 200 to descend or ascend to a required position, the transverse assembly 300 is used to drive the lifting mechanism 1 to move transversely, so that the wafer box 01 approaches or moves away from the grabbing station of the wafer box 01 along the horizontal direction, and the output end of the transverse assembly 300 is installed with a rotating member 3 which is used to drive the lifting frame 11 to rotate.

[0077] In actual application, the transverse assembly 300 is a linear module, a cylinder, an electric cylinder or a screw motor module. When it is necessary to grab the wafer box 01, the walking assembly 100 is moved along the overhead slide rail 02, the walking assembly 100 is moved to a designated wafer box 01 grabbing station, the transverse assembly 300 drives the lifting mechanism 1 and the grabbing assembly 200 to move close to the wafer box 01, until the grabbing assembly 200 is located directly above the wafer box 01, the position deviation between the grabbing assembly 200 and the actual wafer box 01 is compensated smoothly, and the grabbing precision of the wafer box 01 is improved; the lifting mechanism 1 drives the grabbing assembly 200 to descend to a grabbing position, so that the grabbing assembly 200 can grab the wafer box 01, the transverse assembly 300 drives the wafer box 01 to be located below the anti-falling mechanism 2, then the lifting mechanism 1 drives the wafer box 01 to ascend to a supporting position, the wafer box 01 is supported and positioned by the anti-falling mechanism 2, so that the wafer box 01 is prevented from falling from the grabbing assembly 200, and the wafer box 01 is conveniently carried; the lifting frame 11 is driven to rotate by the rotating member 3, the horizontal orientation of the wafer box 01 is adjusted, the orientation of the wafer box 01 is corresponded to a required direction, and the directional grabbing requirement of the wafer box 01 is met.

[0078] Reference Figure 8 , 9 As shown in the figure, in the embodiment, the rotating member 3 comprises a rotating support 31 connected with the output end of the transverse assembly 300, a movable frame 32 rotatably connected with the rotating support 31, an adjusting frame 33 rotatably connected with the movable frame 32, a sliding member 34 slidingly connected with the adjusting frame 33 and a driving unit 35 drivingly connected with the sliding member 34. The rotating center of the adjusting frame 33 is arranged eccentrically relative to the rotating center of the rotating support. The driving unit 35 is drivingly connected with the sliding member 34. The rotating support 31 is a supporting structure for bearing the movable frame 32 and the adjusting frame 33, and is used for providing support for a transmission system. The movable frame 32 is a bearing component constituting a rotating pair with the rotating support 31, and is used for transmitting the rotating torque generated by the adjusting frame 33. The adjusting frame 33 is a transmission component with an eccentric rotating center. The eccentric arrangement of the adjusting frame 33 enables the linear displacement of the sliding member 34 to be converted into asymmetric rotary motion. The sliding member 34 is a moving component slidingly matched with the adjusting frame 33, and is used for driving the adjusting frame 33 to rotate through displacement along a specific track of the adjusting frame 33. The driving unit 35 is an execution mechanism outputting linear motion, and can be implemented by an electric push rod 351, a hydraulic cylinder or a linear air cylinder, and is used for accurately controlling the moving stroke of the sliding member 34.

[0079] Reference Figure 2 , 8, 9, in actual application, when the angle of the movable frame 32 needs to be adjusted, the driving unit 35 pushes the slider 34 to move along the sliding path of the adjusting frame 33, due to the offset of the rotation center of the adjusting frame 33 from the rotation center of the movable frame 32, the displacement of the slider 34 forces the adjusting frame 33 to rotate around its own axis, the rotating motion of the adjusting frame 33 produces a lever effect through the rotating connection point of the movable frame 32, converting the linear driving force into the rotational torque of the movable frame 32; in this process, the displacement of the slider 34 is in a proportional relationship with the eccentricity of the adjusting frame 33, so that the linear stroke of the driving unit 35 is linearly corresponding to the rotation angle of the movable frame 32, thereby realizing precise rotation angle control; through the cooperation of the driving unit 35 and the mechanical transmission structure, full-enclosed automatic adjustment is realized, eliminating the risk of personnel contact; by using the eccentric structure of the adjusting frame 33 and the displacement-angle conversion mechanism of the slider 34, the millimeter-level linear displacement of the driving unit 35 can be accurately converted into the rotation angle of the movable frame 32 at the level of 0.1 degrees, significantly improving the adjustment accuracy; the whole process of the rotation adjustment of the movable frame 32 is realized automatically, avoiding the influence of manual operation on the cleanliness of the wafer box 01, at the same time, the linear motion of the driving unit 35 is accurately converted into the rotation angle of the movable frame 32 through the mechanical transmission relationship, eliminating human adjustment deviation, ensuring that the docking accuracy of the wafer box 01 and the process machine meets the requirements.

[0080] Reference Figure 9 , 10As shown, the output end of the driving unit 35 is drivingly connected with a push rod 351, the push rod 351 is connected with the sliding piece 34, the driving unit 35 drives the push rod 351 to move along the axis direction of itself, and the line connecting the rotation center of the movable frame 32 and the adjusting frame 33 is perpendicular to the initial pushing direction of the push rod 351; in the initial state of the push rod 351, the moving direction of the push rod 351 is parallel to the tangent direction of the rotation of the movable frame 32, that is, parallel to the tangent, and at the same time perpendicular to the line connecting the rotation center of the adjusting frame 33 and the movable frame 32; when the movable frame 32 needs to be driven to rotate, the driving unit 35 drives the sliding piece 34 to slide along the adjusting frame 33 through the push rod 351 to make the adjusting frame 33 rotate, at this time, the pushing force of the push rod 351 is all converted into the rotation torque of the movable frame 32, without radial component; with the rotation of the movable frame 32, the direction of the push rod 351 deviates from the tangent direction of the movable frame 32, the pushing force is decomposed into the tangential component and the radial component, the tangential component drives the movable frame 32 to rotate, and the radial component acts in the direction of the rotation radius, the radial component is absorbed by the structures such as the sliding piece 34 and the adjusting frame 33 in the rotation process of the movable frame 32, and does not contribute to the driving force for driving the movable frame 32 to rotate; when the push rod 351 returns to the initial position, the acting direction of the driving force is automatically adjusted to the tangent direction required for the rotation of the movable frame 32, without manual intervention, the deviation of the pushing direction can be eliminated, by making the pushing force parallel to the tangent direction of the rotation in the initial state, it is ensured that the pushing force can be all used for the rotation torque at the zero position, so that the displacement and angle conversion directly starts from the ideal state, through the geometric orthogonality in the initial state, the displacement of the sliding piece 34 and the eccentric distance of the adjusting frame 33 are in proportional relationship, so that the initial tangential force design can control the overall angle error to be less than 0.05 degrees; if the initial pushing force is not perpendicular, an initial deviation will be generated, the radial component will occupy part of the driving force, the movable frame 32 will be correspondingly sluggish or overshoot, for example, the radial force makes the sliding piece 34 generate additional friction on the adjusting frame 33, a larger driving force is required to start the movement of the push rod 351, which directly destroys the stable displacement and angle conversion relationship, causes a small misalignment between the wafer box 01 and the machine interface, and increases the risk of process failure; the initial deviation will accumulate to form an error chain in the rotation process of the movable frame 32, for example, the initial angle error is 0.5 degrees, and the accumulated error can reach 1 degree after rotating 10 degrees, the specific angle value depends on the rigidity of the mechanism, needs to be corrected by a sensor or software, increases the cost and fault point, and is not conducive to improving the product yield and system life.

[0081] Reference Figure 9 、 10As shown, in the embodiment, the front end of the push rod 351 is connected with a limiting body 352, the sliding piece 34 is provided with a butt joint part 341, the butt joint part 341 is clamped with the push rod 351, one end of the butt joint part 341 corresponds to one side of the limiting body 352, the butt joint part 341 has a first movable gap 301 in the circumferential direction of the push rod 351, and the butt joint part 341 has a second movable gap 302 in the axial direction of the push rod 351; in actual application, when the push rod 351 moves to the sliding piece 34, the push rod 351 is in contact with one end of the butt joint part 341 to form axial pushing, drives the butt joint part 341 to move in the first movable gap 301 and the second movable gap 302, and the butt joint part 341 can produce a slight displacement in the circumferential direction and the axial direction, thereby driving the sliding piece 34 to slide along the adjusting frame 33; the first movable gap 301 enables the butt joint part 341 to adapt to the radial position deviation of the push rod 351 and the sliding piece 34, thereby avoiding clamping caused by installation error; the second movable gap 302 allows the push rod 351 to be calibrated in position before being in full contact with the butt joint part 341, thereby eliminating the transmission idle stroke in the initial stage; when the push rod 351 retreats, the butt joint part 341 is in contact with one end of the limiting body 352 and generates a pulling force, thereby ensuring that the sliding piece 34 can follow the push rod 351 to reset, so that the push rod 351 can smoothly drive the sliding piece 34 to complete a predetermined stroke, ensure the accuracy of the rotation angle control of the movable frame 32, and prolong the service life of the transmission component.

[0082] Reference Figure 10 As shown, in the embodiment, the butt joint part 341 is provided with a first butt joint section 3411 and a second butt joint section 3412 which are parallel to each other, the push rod 351 is provided with a first limiting surface 3511 and a second limiting surface 3512, the first butt joint section 3411 corresponds to the first limiting surface 3511, the second butt joint section 3412 corresponds to the second limiting surface 3512, and the first movable gap 301 is located between the first butt joint section 3411 and the second butt joint section 3412; the limiting body 352 is threadedly connected with the push rod 351, and the push rod 351 is installed with a limiting ring 3513, and the butt joint part 341 is clamped between the limiting body 352 and the limiting ring 3513.

[0083] In actual application, the push rod 351 drives the butt joint part 341 to move, and due to the existence of the second movable gap 302, a controllable movable gap in the horizontal direction of the butt joint part 341 is provided, so that the butt joint part 341 can swing horizontally relative to the push rod 351 by a certain angle, thereby avoiding the jamming of the sliding piece 34, and driving the adjusting frame 33 to rotate; the connection and disconnection of the push rod 351 and the sliding piece 34 can be realized by respectively abutting or separating the first butt joint section 3411 and the second butt joint section 3412 from the corresponding first limiting surface 3511 and second limiting surface 3512, thereby facilitating quick assembly and improving assembly efficiency.

[0084] Reference Figure 2 ,7 As shown in Figure 11, in this embodiment, the lifting component 12 includes at least three flexible components 121 and a lifting drive component 122 installed on the lifting frame 11, one end of the flexible component 121 is connected to the grabbing component 200, the flexible component 121 is passed through the lifting frame 11, and the lifting drive component 122 is driven and connected to the flexible component 121. When the lifting drive component 122 releases or reels the flexible component 121, it drives the grabbing component 200 to synchronously descend or rise to the desired position; the lifting frame 11 is installed with at least two positioning components 111, and the grabbing component 200 is installed with at least two positioning cylinders 2001. When the grabbing component 200 approaches the lifting frame 11 to the desired position, the positioning components 111 cooperate with the positioning cylinders 2001, so that the grabbing component 200 is stably connected to the lifting frame 11, ensuring smooth movement of the wafer box 01.

[0085] refer to Figure 7 、 11 As shown, in actual application, when the walking assembly 100 and the horizontal assembly 300 move to the preset wafer box 01 pick-up and placement station, the lifting drive 122 releases or reels the flexible member 121, driving the gripping assembly 200 to synchronously descend to the gripping position, so that the gripping assembly 200 can grip the wafer box 01, and the horizontal assembly 300 drives the wafer box 01 to be located below the anti-drop mechanism 2, and the winch used by the lifting drive 122 facilitates the release or reeling of the flexible member 121, and the lifting drive 122 drives the wafer box 01 to rise to the supporting position, and supports and positions the wafer box 01 through the anti-drop mechanism 2, thereby preventing the wafer box 01 from falling from the gripping assembly 200, facilitating the smooth transportation of the wafer box 01 and meeting the wafer transportation requirements; specifically, the flexible member 121 is a synchronous belt or a belt, and a steel wire is installed inside the flexible member 121 to meet the power supply and communication requirements of the gripping assembly 200; refer to Figure 12 、 13 As shown, the lifting frame 11 is installed with at least two longitudinally arranged photoelectric sensors 1201, the grabbing assembly 200 is installed with a blocking member 2002, the positioning cylinder 2001 is provided with a docking hole 20011, the positioning member 111 and the docking hole 20011 cooperate with the photoelectric sensor 1201 including a transmitting end and a receiving end; Figure 13 、 14As shown, when at least part of the blocking piece 2002 corresponds to one of the photoelectric sensors 1201, the blocking piece 2002 interrupts the signal transmission between the emitting end and the receiving end, thereby determining that one end of the positioning piece 111 is matched with the insertion and docking hole 20011, realizing the pre-positioning of the grabbing assembly 200, ensuring the positioning accuracy, reducing the moving speed of the lifting driving piece 122, adopting a gradual positioning strategy, effectively protecting the grabbing assembly 200, and realizing the impact-free transition from coarse positioning to fine positioning; when at least part of the blocking piece 2002 corresponds to at least two photoelectric sensors 1201, the positioning piece 111 is matched with the insertion and docking hole 20011, and the lifting driving piece 122 stops, thereby accurately positioning the grabbing assembly 200 and ensuring the stable connection of the grabbing assembly 200 and the lifting frame 11.

[0086] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present application, and does not limit the present application in any form. Although the present application is disclosed as above with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present application. Any person skilled in the art can make some changes or modifications to the above disclosed technical content without departing from the scope of the present application, and any simple modification, equivalent change and modification of the above embodiment within the scope of the present application are all within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An overhead transport vehicle, characterized in that: The invention comprises a walking assembly (100) for moving along an elevated slide rail (02), a lifting mechanism (1) connected to the walking assembly (100), a grabbing assembly (200) and an anti-drop mechanism (2) driven by the lifting mechanism (1), wherein the grabbing assembly (200) is used to grab or release a wafer box (01), the lifting mechanism (1) drives the grabbing assembly (200) to move up and down, and the grabbing assembly (200) has a grabbing position and a supporting position within its travel range, and the supporting position is located above the grabbing position; The anti-fall mechanism (2) comprises at least two mounting frames (201) symmetrically arranged on the walking assembly (100) and a clamping assembly connected to the mounting frames (201); the clamping assembly comprises a clamping member rotatably connected to the mounting frame (201), and the clamping member has a clamping state and a folding state; When the clamping member is in a clamping state, the clamping member supports the bottom of the wafer box (01) and prevents the wafer box (01) from falling; When the clamping member is in a folded state, the clamping member is folded inside the mounting frame (201); When it is necessary to grab the wafer box (01), the walking component (100) moves along the overhead slide rail (02) to the designated wafer box (01) grabbing station, the lifting mechanism (1) drives the grabbing component (200) to move to the grabbing position to grab the wafer box (01), the lifting mechanism (1) moves the grabbing component (200) to the supporting position, and the anti-drop mechanism (2) supports the wafer box (01) to prevent the wafer box (01) from falling from the grabbing component (200).

2. The overhead transport vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping member is connected to a limiting member (202), and the clamping member comprises a first connecting rod (21) and a second connecting rod (22) that are parallel to each other, a first supporting rod (23) and a second supporting rod (24) that are parallel to each other, a driving member (25) and an anti-drop member (26), the anti-drop member (26) is connected to the driving member (25), and the limiting member (202) is installed on the driving member (25); The first connecting rod (21) and the second connecting rod (22) are both hinged to the mounting frame (201), the two ends of the first connecting rod (21) are respectively hinged to one end of the first support rod (23) and the second support rod (24), the two ends of the second connecting rod (22) are respectively hinged to the other end of the first support rod (23) and the second support rod (24), and the line connecting the hinge points of the first connecting rod (21) and the second connecting rod (22) and the mounting frame (201) is parallel to the first support rod (23) and the second support rod (24); One end of the driving member (25) is hinged to the first connecting rod (21), and the other end of the driving member (25) is slidably connected to the second connecting rod (22), and the mounting frame (201) is provided with an accommodating cavity (203); When the clamping member rotates to a clamping state, one end of the limiting member (202) presses against one side of the wafer box (01), and the anti-drop member (26) is located outside the wafer box (01) and is used to prevent the wafer box (01) from falling, and the limiting member (202) and the anti-drop member (26) act on different sides of the wafer box (01); When the clamping member rotates to the folded state, the limiting member (202) and the clamping member are located in the accommodating cavity (203).

3. The overhead transport vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that: One end of the driving member (25) is hinged to the first connecting rod (21), the second connecting rod (22) is equipped with a sliding body (2210), the sliding body (2210) is slidably connected to the driving member (25), and the fulcrum between the driving member (25) and the sliding body (2210) and the hinge point between the driving member (25) and the first connecting rod (21) are respectively located on different sides of the clamping member; The first support rod (23) is provided with a first support portion (231) and a second support portion (232), wherein the first support portion (231) is provided at the top end of the connection between the first connecting rod (21) and the first support rod (23), and the second support portion (232) is provided at the top end of the connection between the second connecting rod (22) and the first support rod (23); The first connecting rod (21) includes a first front section (211) and a first rear section (212) connected to the first front section (211); the second connecting rod (22) includes a second front section (221) and a second rear section (222) connected to the second front section (221); the angle at which the first front section (211) and the first rear section (212) are connected is an obtuse angle; one end of the driving member (25) is hinged to the first rear section (212); and the sliding body (2210) is installed on the second front section (221).

4. The anti-drop mechanism (2) according to claim 3, characterized in that: The rotation center of the first connecting rod (21) is located at the connection between the first front section (211) and the first rear section (212), and the rotation center of the second connecting rod (22) is located at the connection between the second front section (221) and the second rear section (222). The rotation center of the first connecting rod (21) is connected to the first rotating shaft (204), and the rotation center of the second connecting rod (22) is connected to the second rotating shaft (205). The first rotating shaft (204) and the second rotating shaft (205) are both rotatably connected to the mounting frame (201).

5. The overhead transport vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The anti-drop component (26) includes an anti-drop bottom plate (261) and an anti-drop side plate (262) vertically connected to the anti-drop bottom plate (261), and the anti-drop bottom plate (261) is installed on the driving component (25); When the clamping member rotates to a clamping state, the anti-drop side plate (262) is located outside the wafer box (01) and a movable gap is provided between the anti-drop side plate (262) and the wafer box (01).

6. The overhead transport vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The walking assembly (100) is connected to a transverse assembly (300), and the lifting mechanism (1) includes a lifting frame (11) that is horizontally rotatably connected to the output end of the transverse assembly (300) and a lifting assembly (12) installed on the lifting frame (11). The lifting assembly (12) is connected to the grabbing assembly (200) by driving. The lifting assembly (12) is used to drive the grabbing assembly (200) to descend or rise to a desired position. The transverse assembly (300) is used to drive the lifting mechanism (1) to move horizontally so that the wafer box (01) approaches or moves away from the grabbing station of the wafer box (01) in a horizontal direction. The output end of the transverse assembly (300) is installed with a rotating component (3) for driving the lifting frame (11) to rotate.

7. The overhead transport vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that: The rotating member (3) comprises a rotating bracket (31) connected to the output end of the transverse component (300), a movable bracket (32) rotatably connected to the rotating bracket (31), an adjusting bracket (33) rotatably connected to the movable bracket (32), a sliding member (34) slidably connected to the adjusting bracket (33), and a driving unit (35); the rotation center of the adjusting bracket (33) is eccentrically arranged relative to the rotation center of the rotating bracket, and the driving unit (35) is drivingly connected to the sliding member (34); The output end of the driving unit (35) is connected to a push rod (351), the push rod (351) is connected to the sliding member (34), the driving unit (35) drives the push rod (351) to move along its own axis, and the line connecting the rotation centers of the movable frame (32) and the adjustment frame (33) is perpendicular to the initial thrust direction of the push rod (351); When the movable frame (32) needs to be driven to rotate, the initial thrust of the push rod (351) is parallel to the tangential direction of the rotation of the movable frame (32), and the driving unit (35) drives the sliding member (34) to slide along the adjustment frame (33) through the push rod (351) to rotate the adjustment frame (33), thereby causing the movable frame (32) to rotate.

8. The overhead transport vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that: The front end of the push rod (351) is connected to the limiting body (352), and the sliding member (34) is provided with a docking portion (341). The docking portion (341) is engaged with the push rod (351), and one end of the docking portion (341) corresponds to one side of the limiting body (352). A first movable gap (301) is provided between the docking portion (341) and the push rod (351) in the circumferential direction, and a second movable gap (302) is provided between the docking portion (341) and the push rod (351) in the axial direction. When the push rod (351) moves toward the sliding member (34), it drives the docking portion (341) to move within the first movable gap (301) and the second movable gap (302), driving the sliding member (34) to slide along the adjustment frame (33).

9. The overhead transport vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that: The docking portion (341) is provided with a first docking section (3411) and a second docking section (3412) which are parallel to each other; the push rod (351) is provided with a first limiting surface (3511) and a second limiting surface (3512); the first docking section (3411) corresponds to the first limiting surface (3511); the second docking section (3412) corresponds to the second limiting surface (3512); and the first movable gap (301) is located between the first docking section (3411) and the second docking section (3412); The limiting body (352) is threadedly connected to the push rod (351), a limiting ring (3513) is installed on the push rod (351), and the docking portion (341) is clamped between the limiting body (352) and the limiting ring (3513).

10. The overhead transport vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that: The lifting assembly (12) comprises at least three flexible members (121) and a lifting drive member (122) mounted on the lifting frame (11); one end of the flexible member (121) is connected to the grabbing assembly (200); the flexible member (121) is passed through the lifting frame (11); the lifting drive member (122) is drivingly connected to the flexible member (121); when the lifting drive member (122) releases or reels the flexible member (121), it drives the grabbing assembly (200) to synchronously descend or ascend to a desired position; The lifting frame (11) is installed with at least two positioning members (111), and the grabbing assembly (200) is installed with at least two positioning cylinders (2001); When the grabbing assembly (200) moves toward the lifting frame (11) to a desired position, the positioning member (111) cooperates with the positioning cylinder (2001); The lifting frame (11) is equipped with at least two longitudinally arranged photoelectric sensors (1201), the grabbing assembly (200) is equipped with a blocking member (2002), the positioning cylinder (2001) is provided with a docking hole (20011), and the positioning member (111) cooperates with the docking hole (20011); When at least a portion of the blocking member (2002) corresponds to one of the photoelectric sensors (1201), one end of the positioning member (111) is inserted into the docking hole (20011), and the lifting drive member (122) reduces the moving speed of the grabbing assembly (200); When at least a portion of the blocking member (2002) corresponds to at least two photoelectric sensors (1201), the positioning member (111) cooperates with the docking hole (20011), and the lifting drive member (122) stops.

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