Gear mechanism and industrial robot

Abstract

To provide a gear mechanism that enables easy production of a lubrication member in the gear mechanism including a helical gear and the lubrication member for applying a lubricant to a tooth surface of the helical gear.SOLUTION: A gear mechanism includes: a first helical gear 30; a second helical gear engaging with the first helical gear 30; and a lubrication member 32 for applying a lubricant to a tooth surface of the first helical gear 30. The lubrication member 32 includes a plurality of spur gears 40 engaging with the first helical gear 30 and made of non-woven fabric or felt impregnated with the lubricant. Width of the spur gear 40 is narrower than that of the first helical gear 30, and the plurality of spur gears 40 are overlapped in the width direction of the first helical gear 30. In the gear mechanism, phases of the super gears 40 adjacent to each other in the width direction of the first helical gear 30 are shifted from each other so that each of the plurality of spur gears 40 engages with the first helical gear 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gear mechanism having a helical gear, and also to an industrial robot equipped with such a gear mechanism. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, horizontal articulated industrial robots that transport glass substrates for liquid crystal displays are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The industrial robot described in Patent Document 1 includes a hand on which the glass substrate is mounted, an arm to which the hand is connected at its tip, a main body that supports the arm, and a base member that supports the main body so that it can move horizontally. This industrial robot also includes a horizontal movement mechanism that moves the main body horizontally relative to the base member. The horizontal movement mechanism includes a motor as a drive source. The horizontal movement mechanism also includes a rack and pinion for transmitting the power of the motor to the main body.

[0003] Also, a lubricating oil supply gear for supplying lubricating oil to a meshing portion between a drive pinion and an internal gear that constitute a part of a reducer is conventionally known (see, for example, Patent Document 2). The lubricating oil supply gear described in Patent Document 2 includes a wheel portion that forms the framework of the lubricating oil supply gear, and a lubricating gear portion on which the tooth surface of the lubricating oil supply gear is formed and that forms the outer peripheral portion of the lubricating oil supply gear. The lubricating gear portion is formed of felt. The lubricating oil is permeated into the lubricating gear portion. The lubricating gear portion meshes with the drive pinion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-209473 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2004-239340 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The inventors of the present application have considered adopting a lubricating gear that meshes with the rack in order to apply a lubricant to the tooth surface of the rack of the horizontal movement mechanism described in Patent Document 1, for example. This lubricating gear is made of nonwoven fabric or felt, and the lubricating gear made of nonwoven fabric or felt is soaked with lubricant. However, when adopting a lubricating gear that meshes with the rack, if the rack and pinion are helical gears in order to increase the strength of the rack and pinion and ensure the accuracy of the rack and pinion, the lubricating gear that meshes with the rack must also be a helical gear. Therefore, in this case, the processing of the lubricating gear becomes complicated, making it difficult to easily manufacture the lubricating gear.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a gear mechanism including a helical gear and a lubricating member for applying a lubricant to the tooth surface of the helical gear, the lubricating member being easily manufactured, and to provide an industrial robot including such a gear mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a gear mechanism of one embodiment of the present invention comprises a first helical gear, a second helical gear that meshes with the first helical gear, and a lubricating member for applying a lubricant to the tooth surface of the first helical gear, wherein the lubricating member comprises a plurality of spur gears made of nonwoven fabric or felt that mesh with the first helical gear and are soaked with lubricant, the width of the spur gears is narrower than the width of the first helical gear, the plurality of spur gears overlap in the width direction of the first helical gear, and the phases of adjacent spur gears in the width direction of the first helical gear are shifted from each other so that each of the plurality of spur gears meshes with the first helical gear.

[0008] In the gear mechanism of this aspect, the lubricating member for applying a lubricant to the tooth surface of the first helical gear includes a plurality of spur gears made of nonwoven fabric or felt impregnated with a lubricant. In this aspect, the width of the spur gear is narrower than the width of the first helical gear, and the plurality of spur gears overlap in the width direction of the first helical gear. In addition, in this aspect, the phases of adjacent spur gears in the width direction of the first helical gear are shifted from each other so that each of the plurality of spur gears meshes with the first helical gear. That is, in this aspect, the lubricating member is manufactured by stacking a plurality of spur gears, which are easy to process, in the width direction of the first helical gear in a state where the phases of the plurality of spur gears are shifted so that each of the plurality of spur gears meshes with the first helical gear. Therefore, in this aspect, it is possible to easily manufacture the lubricating member for applying a lubricant to the tooth surface of the first helical gear.

[0009] In this embodiment, even if the width of the first helical gear is changed, the width of the lubricating member can be changed according to the width of the first helical gear by changing the number of spur gears of the same shape. In this embodiment, even if the twist angle of the first helical gear is changed, the lubricating member can be manufactured so that each of the multiple spur gears meshes with the first helical gear by adjusting the phase shift amount of the spur gears of the same shape. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to increase the versatility of the spur gears that make up the lubricating member.

[0010] In this embodiment, for example, the gear mechanism includes a lubricant supply mechanism for automatically supplying lubricant to the spur gear, and the lubricating member includes a spacer disposed between the spur gears in the width direction of the first helical gear, and the spacer is formed with a supply path for the lubricant supplied from the lubricant supply mechanism. In this case, it becomes possible to continuously supply the lubricant to the spur gear via the spacer.

[0011] In this embodiment, for example, the gear mechanism includes a holding member that holds the second helical gear and the lubricating member, the first helical gear is a rack, the second helical gear is a pinion, and the lubricating member moves in the longitudinal direction of the rack together with the pinion. When the first helical gear is a rack, it is more difficult to apply a lubricant to the tooth surface of the rack compared to when the first helical gear is a rotary gear. However, in this embodiment, even when the first helical gear is a rack, it is possible to easily apply a lubricant to the tooth surface of the rack using the lubricating member.

[0012] In this aspect, for example, the lubricating member is disposed on one side of the pinion in the longitudinal direction of the rack. In this case, it is possible to simplify the configuration of the gear mechanism. Also, in this aspect, the lubricating member may be disposed on both sides of the pinion in the longitudinal direction of the rack. In this case, it is possible to effectively apply lubricant to the tooth surface of the rack.

[0013] The gear mechanism of this aspect can be used in an industrial robot. This industrial robot includes a hand, an arm to which the hand is connected, a main body to which the arm is connected, a base member that movably holds the main body, and a horizontal movement mechanism that moves the main body horizontally and linearly relative to the base member, and the horizontal movement mechanism includes the gear mechanism of this aspect and a motor for rotating the pinion. With this industrial robot, it is possible to easily manufacture a lubricating member for applying a lubricant to the tooth surface of the first helical gear. Also, with this industrial robot, it is possible to increase the versatility of the spur gear that constitutes the lubricating member. Effect of the Invention

[0014] As described above, according to an aspect of the present invention, in a gear mechanism including a helical gear and a lubricating member for applying a lubricant to the tooth surface of the helical gear, it becomes possible to easily manufacture the lubricating member. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1]1 is a plan view of an industrial robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the industrial robot shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a plan view for explaining the configuration of a horizontal movement mechanism and a guide mechanism of the industrial robot shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a horizontal movement mechanism as viewed from the EE direction in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a horizontal movement mechanism from the FF direction in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a spacer and a fixed shaft shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 6(A) is an enlarged view for explaining the configuration of part G in FIG. 5, and (B) is a plan view of two spur gears shown in (A). [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a plan view for explaining the configuration of a gear mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the gear mechanism as viewed from the HH direction in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 10 is a view showing a lubricating member and the like seen from the direction JJ in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 10(A) is an enlarged view for explaining the configuration of part K in FIG. 9, and (B) is a plan view of three spur gears shown in (A). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] (Overall configuration of industrial robots) Fig. 1 is a plan view of an industrial robot 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the industrial robot 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view for explaining the configurations of a horizontal movement mechanism 19 and a guide mechanism 20 of the industrial robot 1 shown in Fig. 1.

[0018] The industrial robot 1 (hereinafter referred to as "robot 1") of this embodiment is a horizontal articulated robot for transporting a glass substrate 2 (hereinafter referred to as "substrate 2") for a liquid crystal display. The robot 1 is equipped with two hands 3 on which the substrate 2 is mounted, two arms 4 to which the two hands 3 are respectively connected, a main body 5 to which the two arms 4 are connected, and a base member 6 that movably holds the main body 5. The hand 3 is rotatably connected to the tip end side of the arm 4. The base end side of the arm 4 is rotatably connected to the main body 5.

[0019] The main body 5 is movable linearly in the horizontal direction relative to the base member 6. The main body 5 includes an arm support 7 that supports the base end side of the arm 4 and is movable up and down, a support frame 8 that supports the arm support 7 so that it can be lifted and lowered, a base 9 that constitutes the lower end portion of the main body 5 and is movable horizontally relative to the base member 6, and a rotating frame 10 to which the lower end of the support frame 8 is fixed and is rotatable relative to the base 9. Note that the base member 6 is not shown in FIG. 3.

[0020] The arm 4 is composed of two arms, a first arm section 14 and a second arm section 15. The base end side of the first arm section 14 is rotatably connected to the arm support 7. The base end side of the second arm section 15 is rotatably connected to the tip side of the first arm section 14. The hand 3 is rotatably connected to the tip side of the second arm section 15. The arm 4 is extendable and contractable in the horizontal direction so that the hand 3 moves linearly while facing in a fixed direction. Specifically, the arm 4 is extendable and contractable in the horizontal direction so that the connecting portion between the hand 3 and the arm 4 moves linearly while the hand 3 faces in a fixed direction.

[0021] The support frame 8 holds the hand 3 and the arm 4 via the arm support 7 so that they can be raised and lowered. The support frame 8 includes a columnar first support frame 16 that holds the arm support 7 so that it can be raised and lowered, and a columnar second support frame 17 that holds the first support frame 16 so that it can be raised and lowered. The rotating frame 10 is formed in a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape with a thin thickness in the vertical direction. The rotating frame 10 is also formed in a long and narrow rectangular parallelepiped shape. The lower end of the second support frame 17 is fixed to the upper surface of the tip side of the rotating frame 10. The base end side of the rotating frame 10 is supported by a base 9 so that it can be rotated with the vertical direction as the axis of rotation. The rotating frame 10 is disposed above the base 9.

[0022] The robot 1 includes an arm drive mechanism that drives the arm 4. Specifically, the robot 1 includes two arm drive mechanisms that individually drive the two arms 4. The robot 1 also includes a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the arm support 7 relative to the first support frame 16 and raises and lowers the first support frame 16 relative to the second support frame 17, a guide mechanism that guides the first support frame 16 in the up and down direction, a guide mechanism that guides the arm support 7 in the up and down direction, and a rotation mechanism that rotates the swivel frame 10.

[0023] The robot 1 also includes a horizontal movement mechanism 19 that moves the main body 5 linearly in the horizontal direction relative to the base member 6, and a guide mechanism 20 that guides the main body 5 in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 3). The horizontal movement mechanism 19 includes a motor 21 as a drive source, and a power transmission mechanism 22 for transmitting the power of the motor 21 to the main body 5. The guide mechanism 20 includes a guide rail 23 fixed to the base member 6, and a plurality of sliders 24 fixed to the base 9 and engaged with the guide rail 23. The specific configuration of the horizontal movement mechanism 19 will be described later.

[0024] The robot 1 transports the substrate 2 by a combination of the extension and contraction motion of the arm 4, and the lifting, rotating, and horizontal movement motions of the arm 4, etc. In the following description, the movement direction of the main body 5 relative to the base member 6 (Y direction in FIG. 1, etc.) is referred to as the "front-rear direction", and the X direction in FIG. 1, etc., which is perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction is referred to as the "left-right direction". In addition, the Y1 direction side in FIG. 1, etc., which is one side of the front-rear direction, is referred to as the "front" side, the Y2 direction side in FIG. 1, etc., which is the opposite side, is referred to as the "rear" side, the X1 direction side in FIG. 1, etc., which is one side of the left-right direction, is referred to as the "right" side, and the Y2 direction side in FIG. 1, etc., which is the opposite side, is referred to as the "left" side.

[0025] (Configuration of horizontal movement mechanism) Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the horizontal movement mechanism 19 when viewed from the EE direction in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the horizontal movement mechanism 19 when viewed from the FF direction in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the spacer 41 and the fixed shaft 42 shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7(A) is an enlarged view for explaining the configuration of part G in Fig. 5, and Fig. 7(B) is a plan view of two spur gears 40 shown in Fig. 7(A).

[0026] As described above, the horizontal movement mechanism 19 includes the motor 21 and the power transmission mechanism 22. The power transmission mechanism 22 includes the drive pulley 27, the driven pulley 28, the belt 29 wound around the two pulleys 27 and 28, the rack 30 fixed to the base member 6, the pinion 31 meshing with the rack 30, a lubrication member 32 for applying a lubricant to the tooth surface of the rack 30, and a lubricant supply mechanism 33 for automatically supplying a lubricant to a spur gear 40 (described later) constituting a part of the lubrication member 32. The power transmission mechanism 22 also includes a holding member 34 for holding the motor 21, the pulleys 27 and 28, the pinion 31, the lubrication member 32, and the lubricant supply mechanism 33. Note that the lubricant supply mechanism 33 is not shown in FIG. 3.

[0027] The holding member 34 is fixed to the base 9. Specifically, the holding member 34 is fixed to the right end of the base 9. The motor 21 is fixed to the holding member 34. The output shaft of the motor 21 protrudes upward. The pulley 27 is fixed to the output shaft of the motor 21. As shown in FIG. 4, the pulley 28 is fixed to the rotating shaft 35. The rotating shaft 35 is rotatably held by a bearing 36. The bearing 36 is attached to the holding member 34. The axial direction of the rotating shaft 35 coincides with the up-down direction. The rotating shaft 35 is disposed forward of the motor 21. The pulley 28 is fixed to the upper end side of the rotating shaft 35. The pulleys 27 and 28 rotate with the up-down direction as the axial direction of the rotation. The outer diameter of the pulley 28 is larger than the outer diameter of the pulley 27.

[0028] The rack 30 is a helical gear. That is, the rack 30 is a helical rack. The pinion 31 is a helical gear. That is, the pinion 31 is a helical pinion. The rack 30 in this embodiment is a first helical gear, and the pinion 31 is a second helical gear. Also, the power transmission mechanism 22 in this embodiment is a gear mechanism including a first helical gear and a second helical gear.

[0029] The rack 30 is fixed to the base member 6 so that the longitudinal direction of the rack 30 coincides with the front-rear direction. That is, the front-rear direction (Y direction) is the longitudinal direction of the rack 30. The rack 30 is also arranged so that the teeth of the rack 30 face to the right. The width direction of the rack 30 coincides with the up-down direction. That is, the up-down direction is the width direction of the rack 30. The pinion 31 is fixed to the lower end side of the rotating shaft 35. The pinion 31 meshes with the rack 30 from the right side. When the motor 21 rotates, the pinion 31 rotates with the up-down direction as the axial direction of the rotation, and the main body 5 moves in the front-rear direction relative to the base member 6.

[0030] The lubrication member 32 is disposed forward of the pulley 28 and the pinion 31. That is, the lubrication member 32 is disposed on one side of the pinion 31 in the front-rear direction. The lubrication member 32 includes a plurality of spur gears 40 made of nonwoven fabric or felt that mesh with the rack 30 and are soaked with a lubricant. The lubrication member 32 of this embodiment includes two spur gears 40. The two spur gears 40 are overlapped in the vertical direction. The lubrication member 32 also includes a spacer 41 disposed between the two spur gears 40 and a fixed shaft 42 that rotatably holds the two spur gears 40.

[0031] The fixed shaft 42 is fixed to the holding member 34. The fixed shaft 42 moves in the front-rear direction together with the holding member 34. That is, the lubrication member 32 moves in the front-rear direction together with the pinion 31 attached to the holding member 34 via the rotating shaft 35. The axial direction of the fixed shaft 42 coincides with the vertical direction. The fixed shaft 42 is inserted through the inner periphery of the spur gear 40. The spur gear 40 is rotatable relative to the fixed shaft 42 with the vertical direction as the axial direction of rotation.

[0032] The spacer 41 is formed of, for example, resin. The spacer 41 is formed in a substantially circular plate shape. The spacer 41 is arranged so that the thickness direction of the spacer 41 coincides with the up-down direction. The spacer 41 is arranged between the two spur gears 40 in the up-down direction. A fixed shaft 42 is inserted into a through hole formed in the center of the spacer 41. The spacer 41 is fixed to the holding member 34. The spur gear 40 and the spacer 41 overlap in the up-down direction and are in light contact with each other. Alternatively, a small gap is formed between the spur gear 40 and the spacer 41 in the up-down direction.

[0033] The spur gear 40 is formed, for example, by press processing using a mold. The teeth of the spur gear 40 have a simple shape, so that the spur gear 40 can be easily processed. The spur gear 40 is permeated with lubricating oil as a lubricant. Specifically, the spur gear 40 is permeated with grease. In other words, the spur gear 40 serves as a lubricating gear. The width of the spur gear 40 is narrower than the width of the rack 30. The thickness (thickness in the vertical direction) of the spacer 41 is thinner than the width of the rack 30. The width of the rack 30 is wider than the sum of the widths of the two spur gears 40 and the thickness of the spacer 41.

[0034] The spur gear 40 meshes with the rack 30 from the right side. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the phases of the two spur gears 40 are shifted from each other so that each of the two spur gears 40 meshes with the rack 30. That is, the phases of the spur gears 40 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction are shifted from each other via the spacer 41 so that each of the two spur gears 40 meshes with the rack 30. That is, in this embodiment, the position of the tooth tip of one of the two spur gears 40 and the position of the tooth tip of the other spur gear 40 are shifted from each other in the circumferential direction of the spur gear 40 according to the shape of the teeth of the rack 30 so that each of the two spur gears 40 meshes with the rack 30. Since the spur gear 40 is made of nonwoven fabric or felt, when the main body 5 moves several times in the front-rear direction relative to the base member 6 and the spur gear 40 meshing with the rack 30 rotates several times, the meshing state between the spur gear 40 and the rack 30 becomes better.

[0035] The lubricant supply mechanism 33 is, for example, a product named "Simalube" manufactured by Shimatec Corporation. In the lubricant supply mechanism 33, hydrogen gas generated by a small amount of electricity fills the inside of a grease storage container, pushing down a piston and discharging grease. The lubricant supply mechanism 33 is fixed to the upper end of a fixed shaft 42. As shown in FIG. 6, a supply path 42a for grease supplied from the lubricant supply mechanism 33 is formed in the fixed shaft 42. A supply path 41a for grease supplied from the lubricant supply mechanism 33 is formed in the spacer 41. The supply path 41a is connected to the supply path 42a. The supply path 41a opens on the outer circumferential surface of the spacer 41. The grease supplied from the lubricant supply mechanism 33 is supplied to the tooth tip portion of the spur gear 40 via the supply paths 41a and 42a.

[0036] (Main effects of this form) As described above, in this embodiment, the lubricating member 32 for applying grease to the tooth surface of the rack 30 includes two spur gears 40 made of nonwoven fabric or felt. In this embodiment, the width of the spur gear 40 is narrower than the width of the rack 30, and the two spur gears 40 overlap in the vertical direction, which is the width direction of the rack 30. In addition, in this embodiment, the phases of the two spur gears 40 are shifted from each other so that each of the two spur gears 40 meshes with the rack 30. That is, in this embodiment, the lubricating member 32 is manufactured by stacking two spur gears 40, which are easy to process, in the vertical direction with the phases shifted so that each of the two spur gears 40 meshes with the rack 30. Therefore, in this embodiment, the lubricating member 32 can be easily manufactured.

[0037] In this embodiment, even if the width of the rack 30 is changed, the number of spur gears 40 overlapping in the vertical direction can be changed to change the width of the lubricating member 32 according to the width of the rack 30. In this embodiment, even if the twist angle of the rack 30 is changed, the lubricating member 32 can be manufactured so that each of the two spur gears 40 meshes with the rack 30 by adjusting the phase shift amount of the two spur gears 40. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to increase the versatility of the spur gear 40 constituting the lubricating member 32. In this embodiment, grease is automatically supplied to the spur gear 40 from the lubricant supply mechanism 33 via the supply paths 41a and 42a, so that grease can be continuously supplied to the spur gear 40.

[0038] (Example of power transmission mechanism change) Fig. 8 is a plan view for explaining the configuration of a power transmission mechanism 22 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 is a view for explaining the configuration of the power transmission mechanism 22 from the HH direction in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a view showing a lubricating member 32 and the like from the JJ direction in Fig. 9. Fig. 11(A) is an enlarged view for explaining the configuration of part K in Fig. 9, and Fig. 11(B) is a plan view of three spur gears 40 shown in Fig. 11(A).

[0039] In the above-described embodiment, the lubrication member 32 may include three or more spur gears 40. For example, the lubrication member 32 may include three spur gears 40 as shown in Figs. 9 to 11. In this case, for example, the lubrication member 32 does not include a spacer 41. The three spur gears 40 are stacked in the vertical direction. The three spur gears 40 that are stacked in the vertical direction are in light contact with each other. The three spur gears 40 are rotatably held by a fixed shaft 42 and are rotatable relative to the fixed shaft 42 with the vertical direction as the axis of rotation.

[0040] As in the above embodiment, the width of the spur gear 40 is narrower than the width of the rack 30. The width of the rack 30 is wider than the sum of the widths of the three spur gears 40. In this modification, the phases of the three spur gears 40 are shifted from each other so that each of the three spur gears 40 meshes with the rack 30, as shown in FIG. 11. That is, the phases of the spur gears 40 adjacent in the vertical direction are shifted from each other so that each of the three spur gears 40 meshes with the rack 30. That is, the position of the tip of one of the three spur gears 40, the position of the tip of one of the remaining two spur gears 40, and the position of the tip of the remaining spur gear 40 are shifted from each other in the circumferential direction of the spur gear 40 according to the shape of the teeth of the rack 30 so that each of the three spur gears 40 meshes with the rack 30.

[0041] In this modified example, as shown in Fig. 8, the lubrication members 32 are arranged at two positions on either side of the pinion 31 in the front-rear direction. That is, the power transmission mechanism 22 includes two lubrication members 32, and the lubrication members 32 are arranged on both sides of the pinion 31 in the front-rear direction. In addition, in this modified example, the power transmission mechanism 22 does not include the lubricant supply mechanism 33. A joint 45 for supplying grease is attached to the upper end of the fixed shaft 42. Grease can be manually supplied to the spur gear 40 from a grease supply device connected to the joint 45, for example. In this modified example, the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained.

[0042] The power transmission mechanism 22 may include three or more lubricating members 32. When the lubricating member 32 includes three or more spur gears 40, the spur gears 40 may include spur gears 40 that have the same phase. For example, when the lubricating member 32 includes four spur gears 40, the phase of the spur gear 40 arranged at the top may be the same as the phase of the spur gear 40 arranged at the bottom. In other words, the position of the tip of the tooth of the spur gear 40 arranged at the top may be the same as the position of the tip of the tooth of the spur gear 40 arranged at the bottom in the circumferential direction of the spur gear 40. Even in this case, the phases of the spur gears 40 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction are shifted from each other.

[0043] (Other embodiments) The above-described embodiment is one example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0044] In the above-described embodiment, the arm 4 may be composed of three or more arm portions. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the robot 1 may transport an object other than the substrate 2. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the lubricant supply mechanism 33 may be something other than Shimalube manufactured by Shimatec Corporation. For example, the lubricant supply mechanism 33 may be an automatic grease supply device including a tank that contains grease and an electric pump that sends the grease in the tank toward the supply path 42a of the fixed shaft 42.

[0045] The gear mechanism to which the present invention is applied may be used, for example, as a power transmission mechanism of an elevating mechanism that raises and lowers the arm support 7 relative to the first support frame 16 and raises and lowers the first support frame 16 relative to the second support frame 17. Furthermore, the gear mechanism to which the present invention is applied may be used in robots other than horizontal articulated robots, and may be used in devices other than robots.

[0046] In the gear mechanism to which the present invention is applied, the first helical gear and the second helical gear may be rotary gears. When the first helical gear is the rack 30, it is more difficult to apply lubricant to the tooth surface of the rack 30 than when the first helical gear is a rotary gear. However, in the above-mentioned embodiment, even if the first helical gear is the rack 30, it is possible to easily apply lubricant to the tooth surface of the rack 30 using the lubricating member 32.

[0047] (Configuration of this technology) The present technology can be configured as follows. (1) A gear train includes a first helical gear, a second helical gear that meshes with the first helical gear, and a lubricating member that applies a lubricant to a tooth surface of the first helical gear, the lubricating member includes a plurality of spur gears that mesh with the first helical gear and are made of nonwoven fabric or felt and that are soaked with the lubricant, The width of the spur gear is narrower than the width of the first helical gear, the plurality of spur gears overlap in a width direction of the first helical gear, a phase of adjacent spur gears in a width direction of the first helical gear is shifted from each other so that each of the plurality of spur gears meshes with the first helical gear. (2) a lubricant supply mechanism for automatically supplying the lubricant to the spur gear; the lubricating member includes a spacer disposed between the spur gears in a width direction of the first helical gear, The gear mechanism according to (1), wherein the spacer is formed with a supply path for the lubricant supplied from the lubricant supply mechanism. (3) a holding member for holding the second helical gear and the lubricating member, the first helical gear is a rack; the second helical gear is a pinion; The gear mechanism according to (1) or (2), wherein the lubricating member moves together with the pinion in the longitudinal direction of the rack. (4) The gear mechanism according to (3), wherein the lubricating member is disposed on one side of the pinion in the longitudinal direction of the rack. (5) The gear mechanism according to (3), wherein the lubricating members are disposed on both sides of the pinion in the longitudinal direction of the rack. (6) A robotic arm for carrying out a robotic movement includes a hand, an arm to which the hand is connected, a main body to which the arm is connected, a base member for movably holding the main body, and a horizontal movement mechanism for linearly moving the main body in a horizontal direction relative to the base member, The horizontal movement mechanism of the industrial robot is characterized in that it includes the gear mechanism according to any one of (3) to (5) and a motor for rotating the pinion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1. Robots (industrial robots) 3 Hands 4 Arm 5 Main body 6 Base material 19 Horizontal movement mechanism 21 Motor 22 Power transmission mechanism (gear mechanism) 30 Rack (first helical gear) 31 Pinion (second helical gear) 32 Lubricating materials 33 Lubricant supply mechanism 34 Retaining member 40 Spur Gear 41 Spacer 41a Supply Channel Y rack length

Claims

1. a first helical gear, a second helical gear that meshes with the first helical gear, and a lubricating member that applies a lubricant to a tooth surface of the first helical gear, the lubricating member includes a plurality of spur gears that mesh with the first helical gear and are made of nonwoven fabric or felt and that are soaked with the lubricant, a width of the spur gear is narrower than a width of the first helical gear, the plurality of spur gears overlap in a width direction of the first helical gear, the phases of adjacent spur gears in a width direction of the first helical gear are shifted from each other so that each of the plurality of spur gears meshes with the first helical gear.

2. a lubricant supply mechanism for automatically supplying the lubricant to the spur gear; the lubricating member includes a spacer disposed between the spur gears in a width direction of the first helical gear, 2. The gear mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is formed with a supply path for the lubricant supplied from the lubricant supply mechanism.

3. a holding member that holds the second helical gear and the lubricating member, the first helical gear is a rack; the second helical gear is a pinion, 3. The gear mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the lubricating member moves together with the pinion in the longitudinal direction of the rack.

4. 4. The gear mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the lubricating member is disposed on one side of the pinion in the longitudinal direction of the rack.

5. 4. The gear mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the lubricating members are disposed on both sides of the pinion in the longitudinal direction of the rack.

6. a hand, an arm to which the hand is connected, a main body to which the arm is connected, a base member that movably holds the main body, and a horizontal movement mechanism that linearly moves the main body in a horizontal direction relative to the base member, 4. An industrial robot according to claim 3, wherein the horizontal movement mechanism comprises the gear mechanism according to claim 3 and a motor for rotating the pinion.

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