Robot and gear device

Abstract

To provide a robot capable of supplying a lubricant to an engagement part B between a first gear and a second gear while inhibiting a configuration from becoming complicated.SOLUTION: A robot 100 comprises a robot arm 10, an input gear 21 disposed on the robot arm 10, and an output gear 22 engaged with the input gear 21. The output gear 22 has a lubricant storage part 23 storing a lubricant 40 supplied to an engagement part B between the input gear 21 and the output gear 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to robots and gear devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a robot equipped with a gear device has been disclosed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a robot equipped with a base portion and an arm portion connected to the base portion, in which the base portion and the arm portion are connected by a gear device. Specifically, a gear device and a motor for rotating the gear device are arranged on the base portion. One end of the arm portion is connected to the gear device. The arm portion rotates when the motor rotates. The gear device includes a cylindrical first housing, a cylindrical second housing, and a rotation mechanism. The rotation mechanism is arranged in a space surrounded by the first housing and the second housing. A lubricant is stored in the bottom of the second housing. The rotation mechanism includes an annular first gear with teeth arranged on the inside and a disk-shaped second gear with teeth arranged on the outside. The gear device includes a lubricant conveying unit that rotates together with the rotation mechanism. When the lubricant conveying unit rotates, the lubricant stored in the bottom of the second housing is conveyed to a portion where the first gear and the second gear mesh. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6767955 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the robot in Patent Document 1 requires a second housing in which the lubricant is stored and a lubricant transport unit that transports the lubricant stored at the bottom of the second housing to the part where the first gear and the second gear mesh, which results in a problem that the configuration of the robot is complex.

[0005] This disclosure has been made to solve the problems described above, and one object of this disclosure is to provide a robot and a gear device that are capable of supplying lubricant to the portion where the first gear and the second gear mesh while minimizing the complexity of the configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A robot according to a first aspect of this disclosure includes a robot arm and a gear device disposed on the robot arm, the gear device including a first gear and a second gear meshing with the first gear, at least one of the first gear and the second gear having a lubricant reservoir for storing lubricant to be supplied to a portion where the first gear and the second gear mesh.

[0007] In the robot according to the first aspect of this disclosure, as described above, at least one of the first gear and the second gear has a lubricant reservoir that stores lubricant to be supplied to the meshing portion of the first gear and the second gear. Since at least one of the first gear and the second gear has a lubricant reservoir, the robot configuration can be prevented from becoming complicated compared to a case in which a reservoir that stores lubricant is provided separately from the first gear and the second gear. As a result, the lubricant can be supplied to the meshing portion of the first gear and the second gear while preventing the configuration from becoming complicated.

[0008] A gear device according to a second aspect of this disclosure includes a first gear and a second gear that meshes with the first gear, and at least one of the first gear and the second gear includes a lubricant reservoir that stores lubricant to be supplied to a portion where the first gear and the second gear mesh.

[0009] In the gear device according to the second aspect of the disclosure, as described above, at least one of the first gear and the second gear has a lubricant reservoir that stores lubricant to be supplied to the meshing portion of the first gear and the second gear. Since at least one of the first gear and the second gear has a lubricant reservoir, the robot configuration can be prevented from becoming complicated compared to a case in which a reservoir for storing lubricant is provided separately from the first gear and the second gear. As a result, a gear device can be provided that can supply lubricant to the meshing portion of the first gear and the second gear while preventing the configuration from becoming complicated. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The robot and gear device disclosed herein can supply lubricant to the portion where the first gear and the second gear mesh, while preventing the configuration from becoming complicated. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a robot and a gear device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a gear device according to a first embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view of the gear device taken along line 500-500 in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a top view of the gear device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 600-600 in FIG. 5, showing a gear device according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a top view of a gear device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the gear device according to the third embodiment taken along line 700-700 in FIG. 7. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a top view of a gear device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a robot and a gear device according to a first modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a gear device according to a second modified example. [Figure 10]FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a gear device according to a third modified example. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a gear device according to a fourth modified example. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a gear device according to a fifth modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] [First embodiment] (robot) A robot 100 according to a first embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, for example, the robot 100 is a robot 100 that transports a semiconductor substrate arranged in a clean room 1. The robot 100 arranged in the clean room 1 may also be used in a vacuum atmosphere. The robot 100 includes a robot arm 10, a gear device 20, and a substrate holding hand 30. In this specification, the vertical direction is defined as the Z direction. The upper side is defined as the Z1 side, and the lower side is defined as the Z2 side.

[0014] The robot arm 10 is a horizontal articulated robot arm. The robot arm 10 includes a base 11, a lower arm 12, and an upper arm 13 disposed above the lower arm 12. One end of the lower arm 12 rotates around a rotation axis A1. One end of the upper arm 13 is connected to the other end of the lower arm 12 via a shaft 16. The upper arm 13 rotates around a rotation axis A2 relative to the lower arm 12. A substrate holding hand 30 that rotates around a rotation axis A3 relative to the upper arm 13 is connected to the other end of the upper arm 13. The rotation axes A1, A2, and A3 are aligned in the Z direction.

[0015] (Gear system) The configuration of the gear device 20 will be described. The gear device 20 includes an input gear 21, an output gear 22 meshing with the input gear 21, and a lubricant storage section 23. In the first embodiment, the gear device 20 is disposed on the lower arm 12. The upper arm 13 is rotated relative to the lower arm 12 by the rotation of both the input gear 21 and the output gear 22. Specifically, the lower arm 12 and the upper arm 13 have hollow lower arm housings 12a and upper arm housings 13a, respectively. The gear device 20 is disposed inside the lower arm housing 12a. In addition, a drive unit 14 and a gear box 15 are disposed inside the lower arm housing 12a. The drive unit 14 is, for example, a motor. The drive force of the drive unit 14 is input to the input gear 21. Specifically, the drive force of the drive unit 14 is transmitted to the input gear 21 via a gear included in the gear box 15. The output gear 22 outputs the driving force input from the input gear 21. Specifically, the output gear 22 transmits the driving force input from the input gear 21 to the shaft 16. The shaft 16 is fixed to an upper surface 22a of the output gear 22. The upper surface 22a of the output gear 22 is a surface perpendicular to the rotation axis A2 of the output gear 22. The upper surface 22a is a surface on the Z1 side of the output gear 22 when the robot arm 10 is placed on a floor surface. The rotation axis A2 of the shaft 16 and the rotation axis A2 of the output gear 22 are the same. The input gear 21 and the output gear 22 are examples of a first gear and a second gear, respectively. The lower arm housing 12a is an example of a housing.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, in the first embodiment, the radius r2 of the output gear 22 is larger than the radius r1 of the input gear 21. Therefore, the rotation speed of the output gear 22 is slower than the rotation speed of the input gear 21. The rotation axis A4 of the input gear 21 and the rotation axis A2 of the output gear 22 are both along the Z direction. The input gear 21 and the output gear 22 are meshed with each other, and the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 rotate together due to the driving force transmitted from the driving unit 14. A lubricant 40 is applied to a portion B where the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 mesh with each other. The lubricant 40 is applied by an operator when assembling the gear device 20.

[0017] (Lubricant storage section) The lubricant storage section 23 will now be described. As shown in Fig. 2, in the first embodiment, at least one of the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 has a lubricant storage section 23 that stores the lubricant 40 to be supplied to a portion B where the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 mesh. In the first embodiment, the lubricant storage section 23 is disposed in the output gear 22.

[0018] A specific arrangement position of the lubricant storage section 23 will be described. In the first embodiment, the lubricant storage section 23 is arranged on the output gear 22 outside a center point P along a radial direction between the center and the outer periphery of the output gear 22. That is, the lubricant storage section 23 is arranged at a position separated from the rotation axis A2 of the output gear 22 by a distance longer than 1 / 2 of the radius r2 of the output gear 22. The center of the output gear 22 is the rotation center of the output gear 22. The outer periphery of the output gear 22 is the outer edge of the output gear 22. In the first embodiment, the lubricant storage section 23 is arranged on the upper surface 22a of the output gear 22 that is perpendicular to the rotation axis A2 of the output gear 22. The side surface 22b of the output gear 22 shown in FIG. 3 has teeth 22c that mesh with the teeth 21b arranged on the side surface 21a of the input gear 21 arranged thereon, and the upper surface 22a is a surface perpendicular to the side surface 22b. In addition, in FIG. 2, an example is shown in which the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 are spur gears, but the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 may be gears other than spur gears.

[0019] A specific shape of the lubricant storage section 23 will be described. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the lubricant storage section 23 is disposed on the upper surface 22a of the output gear 22 and includes a groove section 23a in which the lubricant 40 is stored. The groove section 23a is formed, for example, by lathe processing. The cross section of the groove section 23a has a rectangular shape. That is, the inner side surface 23b of the groove section 23a is along the Z direction, and the bottom surface 23c of the groove section 23a is along a horizontal plane. In addition, the depth d1 of the groove section 23a is, for example, smaller than 1 / 2 the thickness t of the output gear 22. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, in the first embodiment, the groove section 23a is annular. For example, the groove section 23a has a perfect circular shape centered on the rotation axis A2 when viewed from the Z direction. Note that the groove section 23a may have an elliptical shape that is slightly deviated from a perfect circle when viewed from the Z direction.

[0020] In the first embodiment, the lubricant 40 stored in the lubricant reservoir 23 is exposed inside the lower arm housing 12a. That is, the Z1 side of the groove 23a in which the lubricant 40 is stored is open, and therefore the lubricant 40 is exposed inside the lower arm housing 12a.

[0021] The lubricant 40 supplied to the part B where the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 mesh will be described. As described above, the lubricant 40 is applied to the part B where the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 mesh by an operator when assembling the gear device 20. The lubricant 40 is pushed out from the meshing part B as the robot 100 operates. The base oil 41 is also lost from the lubricant 40 by evaporation or scattering. The base oil 41 is a substance that serves as the base material of the lubricant 40. Therefore, as described above, the lubricant reservoir 23 is formed in the output gear 22 to store the lubricant 40. The lubricant 40 stored in the lubricant reservoir 23 may be the lubricant pushed out from the part B where the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 mesh, or may be the lubricant stored in the lubricant reservoir 23 in advance by an operator, or may be both. By storing the lubricant 40 in the lubricant storage section 23, a thin layer of the lubricant 40 is formed between the part B where the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 mesh and the lubricant storage section 23. The base oil 41 is supplied from the lubricant 40 stored in the lubricant storage section 23 to the meshing part B through the thin layer of the lubricant 40. In addition, the base oil 41 is supplied to the part B where the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 mesh due to at least one of the following factors: molecular motion of the components of the base oil 41 of the lubricant 40, centrifugal force due to the relative rotation of the input gear 21 and the output gear 22, and an increase in temperature of the lubricant 40. Specifically, the base oil 41 is separated from the lubricant 40 stored in the lubricant storage section 23 due to the above factors, and the base oil 41 is supplied to the part B where the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 mesh. The supply of this base oil 41 is called a feed. In the first embodiment, the base oil 41 separates from the lubricant 40 due to all of the following factors: molecular motion of the components of the base oil 41 of the lubricant 40, centrifugal force due to the relative rotation of the input gear 21 and the output gear 22, and an increase in temperature of the lubricant 40.

[0022] [Effects of the first embodiment] The output gear 22 has a lubricant reservoir 23 that stores the lubricant 40 to be supplied to a portion B where the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 mesh. As a result, since the output gear 22 has the lubricant reservoir 23, the configurations of the robot 100 and the gear device 20 can be prevented from becoming complicated, compared to a case where a reservoir for storing the lubricant 40 is provided separately from the input gear 21 and the output gear 22. As a result, the lubricant 40 can be supplied to the portion B where the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 mesh, while preventing the configuration from becoming complicated.

[0023] The input gear 21 receives the driving force from the drive unit 14, and the output gear 22 outputs the driving force input from the input gear 21, and has a radius r2 larger than a radius r1 of the input gear 21. The lubricant reservoir 23 is disposed in the output gear 22. As a result, since the output gear 22 is relatively large, the lubricant reservoir 23 can be easily disposed, and since the lubricant reservoir 23 can be made large, a sufficient amount of lubricant 40 can be stored in the lubricant reservoir 23.

[0024] The base oil 41 is supplied to part B where the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 mesh due to at least one of the following factors: molecular motion of the components of the base oil 41 of the lubricant 40, centrifugal force due to the relative rotation of the input gear 21 and the output gear 22, and an increase in temperature of the lubricant 40. This eliminates the need to separately provide a transport section for transporting the lubricant 40 to part B where the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 mesh, making it easy to prevent the configurations of the robot 100 and the gear device 20 from becoming complicated.

[0025] The lubricant storage section 23 is disposed on the output gear 22 outside a center point P along a radial direction between the center and outer periphery of the output gear 22. As a result, the lubricant storage section 23 is disposed on the output gear 22 toward the outer periphery, so that the distance from the lubricant storage section 23 to the portion B where the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 mesh is reduced. As a result, the lubricant 40 can be easily supplied from the lubricant storage section 23 to the portion B where the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 mesh. In addition, since the lubricant storage section 23 is disposed on the output gear 22 toward the outer periphery, the centrifugal force acting on the lubricant 40 is increased, so that the lubricant 40 can be easily supplied to the meshing portion B.

[0026] The robot arm 10 is a horizontally articulated type, and the lubricant reservoir 23 is disposed on the upper surface 22a of the output gear 22, which is perpendicular to the rotation axis A2 of the output gear 22. As a result, the lubricant 40 is stored on the upper surface 22a of the output gear 22, and therefore, it is possible to prevent the lubricant 40 from dripping downward.

[0027] The lubricant reservoir 23 includes a groove 23a in which the lubricant 40 is stored. This makes it possible to form the lubricant reservoir 23 while maintaining the size of the output gear 22, thereby preventing the robot 100 and the gear device 20 from becoming large.

[0028] The groove portion 23a is annular. As a result, even if the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 rotate relatively to each other, the lubricant storage portion 23 is located relatively close to the meshing portion B. As a result, even if the input gear 21 and the output gear 22 rotate relatively to each other, the base oil 41 can be appropriately supplied to the meshing portion B.

[0029] The robot arm 10 is a horizontal articulated type and is disposed in a clean room 1. Here, in the robot arm 10 disposed in the clean room 1, it is necessary to avoid human intervention in order to maintain the environment in the clean room 1, and since stopping the device disposed in the clean room 1 causes a large economic loss, the robot arm 10 is required to be maintenance-free. Therefore, in the above robot arm 10, since the base oil 41 is supplied from the lubricant reservoir 23 to the meshing part B, it is not necessary to stop the operation of the robot arm 10, open the lower arm housing 12a, and supply the lubricant 40. That is, the robot arm 10 can be made maintenance-free. As a result, the operating time of the robot arm 10 can be extended. In addition, when the robot arm 10 is used in a vacuum atmosphere, after the robot arm 10 is stopped for maintenance, the time until the robot arm 10 is restarted is relatively long. Therefore, making the robot arm 10 maintenance-free is particularly effective for the robot arm 10 used in a vacuum atmosphere.

[0030] The robot arm 10 is a horizontally articulated type, and includes a lower arm 12 and an upper arm 13 disposed above the lower arm 12. The gear device 20 is disposed on the lower arm 12, and an output gear 22 has a lubricant reservoir 23, and the upper arm 13 is rotated relative to the lower arm 12 by rotation of the output gear 22. This makes it possible to prevent the robot 100 and the gear device 20 from becoming large in size in the robot arm 10 including the lower arm 12 and the upper arm 13.

[0031] The robot arm 10 includes a lower arm housing 12a, and inside the lower arm housing 12a, the lubricant 40 stored in the lubricant reservoir 23 is exposed. This makes it possible to prevent the configuration of the robot arm 10, which has an open-type lubricant reservoir 23 in which the lubricant 40 is not sealed, from becoming complicated.

[0032] [Second embodiment] A gear device 120 according to a second embodiment will be described. In the gear device 120, a lubricant reservoir 123 has a wall portion 123a. The wall portion 123a is an example of a first wall portion.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4, in the gear device 120, the lubricant storage section 123 is disposed in the output gear 122. The lubricant storage section 123 includes a wall section 123a disposed on an upper surface 122a of the output gear 122. The lubricant 40 is stored in a portion where the upper surface 122a and the wall section 123a intersect. The thickness t11 of the wall section 123a is smaller than the thickness t12 of the output gear 122. The wall section 123a and the output gear 122 are integral with each other. The wall section 123a has a disk shape as shown in FIG. 5. Specifically, the wall section 123a has a perfect circular shape when viewed from the Z direction. The radius r12 of the wall section 123a is larger than 1 / 2 of the radius r11 of the output gear 122. The center of the wall section 123a and the center of the output gear 122 coincide with each other when viewed from the Z direction. As a result, the side surface 123b of the wall portion 123a is disposed outside of a center point P shown in Fig. 4 along the radial direction between the center portion and the outer periphery of the output gear 122. The output gear 122 is an example of a second gear. Other configurations of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[0034] [Effects of the second embodiment] Lubricant reservoir 123 includes wall 123a disposed on upper surface 122a, and lubricant 40 is stored in the boundary between upper surface 122a and wall 123a. As a result, movement of lubricant 40 leaking from portion B where input gear 21 and output gear 122 mesh is stopped by wall 123a, so that lubricant 40 can be easily stored in the boundary between upper surface 122a and wall 123a.

[0035] [Third embodiment] A gear device 220 according to a third embodiment will be described. In the gear device 220, a lubricant reservoir 223 has an inner wall portion 223a and an outer wall portion 223b. The inner wall portion 223a and the outer wall portion 223b are examples of a first wall portion and a second wall portion, respectively.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 6, in the gear device 220, the inner wall portion 223a is disposed on the upper surface 222a perpendicular to the rotation axis A2 of the output gear 222. The inner wall portion 223a has a configuration similar to that of the wall portion 123a of the second embodiment, and the inner wall portion 223a has a disk shape. The outer wall portion 223b is disposed on the upper surface 222a, spaced apart radially outward from the inner wall portion 223a. The radial direction is a direction along the radial direction of the output gear 222. The lubricant 40 is stored in a space 223c on the upper surface 222a, which is surrounded by the upper surface 222a, the inner wall portion 223a, and the outer wall portion 223b. The space 223c has a rectangular shape when viewed from the circumferential direction C. The circumferential direction C is a direction along the outer periphery of the output gear 222. Also, the heights h of the inner wall portion 223a and the outer wall portion 223b from the upper surface 222a are, for example, equal to each other. Also, as shown in FIG. 7, the outer wall portions 223b are arranged in a circular ring shape with a space between them. That is, a gap CL exists between the outer wall portions 223b. For example, in the circumferential direction C, the width L of the gap CL is smaller than the length W of the outer wall portions 223b. The lubricant 40 stored in the space 223c is supplied to the portion B where the input gear 21 and the output gear 222 mesh with each other through the gap CL. Also, the inner wall portion 223a and the outer wall portion 223b are integral with the output gear 222. The output gear 222 is an example of a second gear. Also, the other configurations of the third embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[0037] [Effects of the third embodiment] The lubricant storage section 223 includes an inner wall section 223a and an outer wall section 223b disposed on the upper surface 222a at a distance from the inner wall section 223a radially outward. The lubricant 40 is stored in a space 223c on the upper surface 222a that is surrounded by the upper surface 222a, the inner wall section 223a, and the outer wall section 223b. As a result, the lubricant 40 is stored in the space 223c that is surrounded by the upper surface 222a, the inner wall section 223a, and the outer wall section 223b, so that dripping of the lubricant 40 can be suppressed.

[0038] The inner wall portion 223a has a disk shape, and a plurality of outer wall portions 223b are arranged in an annular shape while being spaced apart from each other. As a result, since the inner wall portion 223a has a disk shape, the movement of the lubricant 40 leaking from the meshing portion B can be stopped by the inner wall portion 223a at any rotation position of the output gear 222. Also, since the plurality of outer wall portions 223b are arranged while being spaced apart from each other, the base oil 41 can easily move from the gap CL between the outer wall portions 223b to the meshing portion B.

[0039] [Variations] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0040] In the above-mentioned first, second and third embodiments, the gear device 20 is disposed on the lower arm 12, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in the first modified example of FIG. 8, the gear device 320 may be disposed on the upper arm 13. In this case, the output gear 22 does not rotate, and the input gear 21 rotates, thereby rotating the upper arm 13. In addition, since the output gear 22 does not rotate, the lubricant 40 stored in the lubricant storage section 23 is not subjected to centrifugal force. Therefore, in the gear device 320, the base oil 41 is separated from the lubricant 40 due to the molecular motion of the components of the base oil 41 of the lubricant 40 and the temperature rise of the lubricant 40. In addition, the gear device 20 may be disposed on the base 11 to rotate the lower arm 12. In addition, the gear device 20 may be disposed on the upper arm 13 to rotate the substrate holding hand 30.

[0041] In the above first, second and third embodiments, an example has been described in which the lubricant storage section 23 is disposed in the output gear 22, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in a second modified example in Fig. 9, the lubricant storage section 121a may be disposed in the input gear 121. Furthermore, lubricant storage sections may be disposed in both the output gear 22 and the input gear 121. The input gear 121 is an example of a first gear.

[0042] In the above first, second and third embodiments, an example has been shown in which the base oil 41 is separated from the lubricant 40 stored in the lubricant reservoir 23 due to at least one of the molecular motion of the components of the base oil 41 of the lubricant 40, the centrifugal force due to the relative rotation of the input gear 21 and the output gear 22, and the rise in temperature of the lubricant 40, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the base oil 41 may be separated from the lubricant 40 due to a factor other than these factors.

[0043] In the above-described first, second, and third embodiments, the lubricant storage portion 23 is disposed on the outer side of the center point P along the radial direction between the center portion and the outer periphery of the output gear 22, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the lubricant storage portion 23 may be disposed on the inner side of the center point P.

[0044] In the above first, second and third embodiments, the robot arm 10 is a horizontally articulated type robot arm, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the present disclosure may be applied to a vertically articulated type robot arm.

[0045] In the first embodiment, the cross section of the groove portion 23a has a rectangular shape, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in the third modified example of FIG. 10, the inner side surface 330a on the outer periphery side of the groove portion 330 may be inclined toward the outer periphery side. As a result, since the inner side surface 330a on the outer periphery side of the groove portion 330 is inclined toward the outer periphery side, the lubricant 40 stored in the groove portion 330 is easily moved toward the part B where the input gear 21 and the output gear 331 mesh. As a result, it is possible to suppress the supply of the lubricant 40 to the meshing part B from being stagnated. The output gear 331 is an example of the second gear. Also, as shown in the fourth modified example of FIG. 11, the cross section of the groove portion 340 may be V-shaped. Also, as shown in the fifth modified example of FIG. 12, the cross section of the groove portion 350 may be U-shaped.

[0046] Although the wall portion 123a of the second embodiment and the inner wall portion 223a of the third embodiment are disk-shaped, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the wall portion 123a and the inner wall portion 223a may be prismatic.

[0047] In the second embodiment, the wall portion 123a and the output gear 122 are integral with each other, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the wall portion 123a, which is separate from the output gear 122, may be attached to the output gear 122.

[0048] In the third embodiment, the inner wall portion 223a and the outer wall portion 223b are integral with the output gear 222, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the inner wall portion 223a and the outer wall portion 223b that are separate from the output gear 222 may be attached to the output gear 222.

[0049] In the above first, second and third embodiments, an example has been described in which the robot arm 10 is disposed in the clean room 1, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the robot arm 10 may be disposed in a location other than the clean room 1.

[0050] In the above first, second and third embodiments, an example has been described in which the robot arm 10 includes two arms, the lower arm 12 and the upper arm 13, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the robot arm 10 may include three or more arms.

[0051] Moreover, a combination of the lubricant reservoir 23 of the first embodiment and the lubricant reservoir 123 of the second embodiment or the lubricant reservoir 223 of the third embodiment may be arranged on the output gear.

[0052] [Aspects] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are examples of the following aspects.

[0053] (Aspect 1) A robot arm; a first gear disposed on the robot arm; and a second gear meshing with the first gear, At least one of the first gear and the second gear has a lubricant reservoir that stores lubricant to be supplied to a portion where the first gear and the second gear mesh with each other.

[0054] (Aspect 2) the first gear includes an input gear to which a driving force from a driving unit is input, the second gear includes an output gear that outputs the driving force input from the first gear and has a radius larger than that of the first gear, 2. The robot of claim 1, wherein the lubricant reservoir is disposed in the output gear.

[0055] (Aspect 3) The robot of aspect 1 or aspect 2, wherein the base oil is supplied to the portion where the first gear and the second gear mesh due to at least one of the following factors: molecular motion of a base oil component of the lubricant, centrifugal force due to relative rotation of the first gear and the second gear, and an increase in temperature of the lubricant.

[0056] (Aspect 4) The robot according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the lubricant reservoir is positioned in at least one of the first gear and the second gear outside a center point along a radial direction between a center portion and an outer periphery of at least one of the first gear and the second gear.

[0057] (Aspect 5) The robot arm is a horizontal articulated type, The robot according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the lubricant reservoir is disposed on an upper surface of at least one of the first gear and the second gear that is perpendicular to a rotation axis of at least one of the first gear and the second gear.

[0058] (Aspect 6) 6. The robot of claim 5, wherein the lubricant reservoir is disposed on the upper surface and includes a groove in which the lubricant is stored.

[0059] (Aspect 7) 7. The robot of claim 6, wherein the groove portion is annular.

[0060] (Aspect 8) The robot according to aspect 6 or aspect 7, wherein an inner surface of the groove portion on the outer periphery side is inclined toward the outer periphery.

[0061] (Aspect 9) The lubricant reservoir comprises: a first wall portion disposed on the upper surface; Aspect 9. The robot according to any one of aspects 5 to 8, wherein the lubricant is stored at a boundary portion between the upper surface and the first wall portion.

[0062] (Aspect 10) the lubricant reservoir includes a second wall portion disposed on the upper surface and spaced radially outward from the first wall portion, 10. The robot of claim 9, wherein the lubricant is stored on the upper surface in a space surrounded by the upper surface, the first wall portion, and the second wall portion.

[0063] (Aspect 11) The first wall portion has a disk shape, 11. The robot according to aspect 10, wherein the second wall portion is arranged in a circular shape and spaced apart from each other.

[0064] (Aspect 12) The robot according to any one of aspects 1 to 11, wherein the robot arm is a horizontal articulated type and is located in a clean room.

[0065] (Aspect 13) The robot arm includes: It is a horizontal multi-joint type, A lower arm; an upper arm disposed above the lower arm, the first gear and the second gear are disposed on the upper arm or the lower arm, The robot of any one of aspects 1 to 12, wherein at least one of the first gear and the second gear has the lubricant reservoir, and rotation of at least one of the first gear and the second gear rotates the upper arm relative to the lower arm.

[0066] (Aspect 14) the robotic arm includes a housing for the robotic arm; The robot according to any one of aspects 1 to 13, wherein the lubricant stored in the lubricant reservoir is exposed inside a housing for the robot arm.

[0067] (Aspect 15) A first gear; A second gear that meshes with the first gear, At least one of the first gear and the second gear includes a lubricant reservoir that stores lubricant to be supplied to a portion where the first gear and the second gear mesh with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1. Clean Room 10 Robot Arm 12 Lower Arm 12a Lower arm housing (housing) 13 Upper Arm 14 Drive unit 20, 120, 220, 320 Gearing 21, 121 Input gear (first gear) 22, 122, 222, 331 Output gear (second gear) 22a, 122a, 222a top surface 23, 123, 223 Lubricant reservoir 23a, 121a, 330, 340, 350 Groove 40 Lubricants 41 Base oil 100 Robots 123a Wall (1st wall) 223a Inner wall (1st wall) 223b External wall (second wall) 223c space 330a Inner surface A2 Rotation axis B Interlocking part P center point

Claims

1. A robot arm; a first gear disposed on the robot arm; and a second gear meshing with the first gear, At least one of the first gear and the second gear has a lubricant reservoir that stores lubricant to be supplied to a portion where the first gear and the second gear mesh with each other.

2. the first gear includes an input gear to which a driving force from a driving unit is input, the second gear includes an output gear that outputs the driving force input from the first gear and has a radius larger than that of the first gear, The robot of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant reservoir is disposed in the output gear.

3. 2. The robot of claim 1, wherein the base oil is supplied to a portion where the first gear and the second gear mesh due to at least one of the following factors: molecular motion of a base oil component of the lubricant, centrifugal force due to relative rotation of the first gear and the second gear, and an increase in temperature of the lubricant.

4. 2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the lubricant reservoir is disposed on at least one of the first gear and the second gear outwardly of a center point along a radial direction between a center portion and an outer periphery of at least one of the first gear and the second gear.

5. The robot arm is a horizontal articulated type, 2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the lubricant reservoir is disposed on an upper surface of at least one of the first gear and the second gear that is perpendicular to a rotation axis of at least one of the first gear and the second gear.

6. The robot according to claim 5 , wherein the lubricant reservoir is disposed on the upper surface and includes a groove in which the lubricant is stored.

7. The robot according to claim 6 , wherein the groove portion is annular.

8. The robot according to claim 6 , wherein an inner surface of the groove on the outer periphery side is inclined toward the outer periphery.

9. The lubricant reservoir comprises: a first wall portion disposed on the upper surface; The robot according to claim 5 , wherein the lubricant is stored in a boundary portion between the upper surface and the first wall portion.

10. The lubricant storage portion includes a second wall portion disposed on the upper surface and spaced radially outward from the first wall portion, The robot according to claim 9 , wherein the lubricant is stored on the upper surface in a space surrounded by the upper surface, the first wall portion, and the second wall portion.

11. The first wall portion has a disk shape, The robot according to claim 10 , wherein the second wall portion comprises a plurality of second walls arranged in an annular shape and spaced apart from each other.

12. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the robot arm is a horizontal articulated type and is located in a clean room.

13. The robot arm includes: It is a horizontal multi-joint type, A lower arm; an upper arm disposed above the lower arm, the first gear and the second gear are disposed on the upper arm or the lower arm, 2. The robot of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first gear and the second gear includes the lubricant reservoir, and wherein rotation of at least one of the first gear and the second gear rotates the upper arm relative to the lower arm.

14. the robotic arm includes a housing for the robotic arm; The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the lubricant stored in the lubricant reservoir is exposed inside a housing for the robot arm.

15. A first gear; a second gear meshing with the first gear, At least one of the first gear and the second gear includes a lubricant reservoir that stores lubricant to be supplied to a portion where the first gear and the second gear mesh with each other.

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