robot

Abstract

This invention provides a robot capable of reducing the influence of housing deformation on joint tilt. [Solution] This robot 100 includes a housing 11a and a robot arm 10 having an airtight, hollow arm space S10, a joint JT12 including a shaft portion 14 disposed in the arm space S10, and a shaft portion support portion 110 that supports the shaft portion 14, wherein a gap C is formed between the portion 114a of the housing 11a facing the shaft portion support portion 110 and the shaft portion support portion 110 in the axial direction of the shaft portion 14.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure pertains to robots. [Background technology]

[0002] Robots have been known conventionally. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an industrial robot comprising a hand on which a substrate is mounted and an arm to which the hand is rotatably connected at its tip. The arm is positioned in a vacuum. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6918698 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] However, in the industrial robot described in Patent Document 1 above, since the arm is placed in a vacuum, if the inside of the arm housing is at atmospheric pressure, the arm housing may deform due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the arm housing. In this case, the deformation of the arm housing may affect the tilt of the joint. For this reason, it is desirable to reduce the influence of the deformation of the arm housing on the tilt of the joint.

[0005] This disclosure was made to solve the problems described above, and one of its objectives is to provide a robot capable of reducing the influence of housing deformation on joint tilt. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A robot according to one aspect of this disclosure comprises a robot arm including a housing and having an airtight, hollow arm space; a joint including a shaft portion disposed in the arm space; and a shaft support portion supporting the shaft portion, wherein a gap is formed between the portion of the housing facing the shaft support portion and the shaft support portion in the axial direction of the shaft portion.

[0007] In a robot according to one aspect of this disclosure, as described above, a gap is formed between the portion of the housing facing the shaft support and the shaft support in the axial direction of the shaft. This gap structurally separates the portion of the housing facing the shaft support from the shaft support, so that even if the housing deforms due to a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the housing, the influence of the housing deformation on the tilt of the shaft support and the shaft supported by the shaft support can be reduced. As a result, the influence of housing deformation on the tilt of the joint can be reduced. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, the influence of housing deformation on joint tilt can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing a robot according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a schematic side view showing a robot according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the joint between the proximal link and the tip link of a robot according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the effect of deformation of the robot's casing on the tilt of its joints, using a comparative example. [Figure 5] This figure illustrates the effect of deformation of the housing on the tilt of the joints in a robot according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0011] The configuration of robot 100 according to one embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

[0012] (Robot configuration) As shown in Figure 1, the robot 100 according to this embodiment is a transport robot that transports a workpiece W. The workpiece W is a disc-shaped substrate or a jig that mimics a disc-shaped substrate. The workpiece W is, for example, a glass substrate or a silicon substrate. In other words, the robot 100 of this embodiment is a substrate transport robot that transports substrates. Furthermore, the robot 100 is a vacuum robot that is placed in a vacuum environment. For example, the robot 100 transports the workpiece W, which is a substrate, in a space such as a chamber that is kept under vacuum. Note that the term "disc-shaped" here is a broad concept that includes shapes deformed from a circle. A "disc-shaped" substrate includes a substrate that has a notch or orientation flat that serves as a position reference. Also, "disc-shaped" includes not only perfect circles but also ellipses.

[0013] Robot 100 includes a pair of robot arms 10 and 20, a pair of hands 30 and 40, and a base portion 90. The base portion 90 has a cylindrical shape, and devices such as a drive unit 71, a drive unit 72, a drive unit 73, and a control unit 80 are arranged in the internal space. Each of the hands 30 and 40 is attached to the tip of each of the robot arms 10 and 20, respectively. Each of the robot arms 10 and 20 is supported by the base portion 90 and pivots and expands / contracts with respect to the base portion 90 by driving a plurality of joints. Also, each of the robot arms 10 and 20 moves up and down with respect to the base portion 90 by driving a lifting mechanism. Further, the base ends of each of the robot arms 10 and 20 are arranged overlapping in the vertical direction. The base end of the robot arm 10 is arranged below the base end of the robot arm 20. Each of the robot arms 10 and 20 operates separately by control processing by the control unit 80. Note that the hands 30 and 40 are an example of a "substrate holding hand".

[0014] Robot 100 is a dual-arm type substrate transfer robot that performs the loading and unloading of a workpiece W which is a substrate, and is a horizontal multi-joint type substrate transfer robot. The robot arm 10 is a horizontal multi-joint robot arm having a base link 11 and a tip link 12 that rotate relative to each other along the horizontal direction with the Z direction which is the vertical direction as the rotation axis. Similarly, the robot arm 20 is a horizontal multi-joint robot arm having a base link 21 and a tip link 22 that rotate relative to each other along the horizontal direction with the Z direction which is the vertical direction as the rotation axis. Here, the "horizontal" means parallel to the installation surface on which the robot 100 is installed. When the robot 100 is arranged on an inclined surface or a wall surface, the robot arms 10 and 20 rotate within a plane parallel to the installation surface different from the horizontal plane with respect to gravity.

[0015] Each of the robot arm 10 and the robot arm 20 performs separate swinging and telescoping operations with respect to the base portion 90. Specifically, the proximal end side of the proximal link 11 of the robot arm 10 is rotatably attached to the base portion 90. Further, the proximal end side of the distal link 12 is rotatably attached to the distal end side of the proximal link 11. Further, a hand 30 is rotatably attached to the distal end side of the distal link 12. The connecting portion between the proximal end side of the proximal link 11 and the base portion 90 constitutes a joint JT11 which is a shoulder joint. Further, the connecting portion between the distal end side of the proximal link 11 and the proximal end side of the distal link 12 constitutes a joint JT12 which is an elbow joint. Further, the connecting portion between the distal end side of the distal link 12 and the hand 30 constitutes a joint JT13 which is a wrist joint.

[0016] The proximal end side of the proximal link 21 of the robot arm 20 is rotatably attached to the base portion 90 via the proximal link 11. Further, the proximal end side of the distal link 22 is rotatably attached to the distal end side of the proximal link 21. Further, a hand 40 is rotatably attached to the distal end side of the distal link 22. The connecting portion between the proximal end side of the proximal link 21 and the base portion 90 constitutes a joint JT21 which is a shoulder joint. Further, the connecting portion between the distal end side of the proximal link 21 and the proximal end side of the distal link 22 constitutes a joint JT22 which is an elbow joint. Further, the connecting portion between the distal end side of the distal link 22 and the hand 40 constitutes a joint JT23 which is a wrist joint.

[0017] Each of the hand 30 and the hand 40 holds a workpiece W which is a substrate. Specifically, in each of the hand 30 and the hand 40, a disk-shaped workpiece W is placed one by one on a blade member which is a thin plate-shaped support plate. Further, the blade member that supports the workpiece W in each of the hand 30 and the hand 40 has a U-shaped tip that is bifurcated, and supports the back surface of the disk-shaped workpiece W from the Z2 direction side which is the lower side in the vertical direction. Each of the hand 30 and the hand 40 is, for example, a passive type substrate holding hand that holds the workpiece W which is a substrate in a placed state without fixing it.

[0018] Robot arms 10 and 20 each include housings 10a and 20a (see Figure 2), which constitute the exterior. The material of housings 10a and 20a is, for example, aluminum. Robot arms 10 and 20 each have airtight, hollow arm spaces S10 and S20 (see Figure 2) that are sealed to atmospheric pressure. The arm space S10 of robot arm 10 is airtight from the external vacuum environment and at atmospheric pressure, with the internal spaces of the housing 11a of the base link 11 and the housing 12a of the tip link 12 communicating with each other. Similarly, the arm space S20 of robot arm 20 is airtight from the external vacuum environment and at atmospheric pressure, with the internal spaces of the housing 21a of the base link 21 and the housing 22a of the tip link 22 communicating with each other. In addition, the arm spaces S10 and S20 of robot arms 10 and 20 are in airtight communication with the internal space of the base portion 90. Furthermore, each of the hands 30 and 40 has a hollow hand space that is airtight and maintained at atmospheric pressure. The hand space of hand 30 is airtight and maintained at atmospheric pressure, while being in communication with the arm space S10 of the robot arm 10. Similarly, the hand space of hand 40 is airtight and maintained at atmospheric pressure, while being in communication with the arm space S20 of the robot arm 20.

[0019] Note that "atmospheric pressure" here refers to, for example, 10 5 The pressure is approximately Pa, and "atmospheric pressure" means a state filled with air at atmospheric pressure. "Vacuum," on the other hand, means a space filled with gas at a pressure lower than normal atmospheric pressure. Robot arms 10 and 20 and hands 30 and 40 are placed in spaces with lower pressure than the arm spaces S10 and S20 and the hand spaces. For example, robot 100 is in a high vacuum 10 -1 Pa to 10 -5 They are placed in chambers or similar structures filled with gas at pressures up to Pa.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, the base unit 90 houses drive units 71, 72, and 73. Drive unit 71 drives joints JT12 and JT13 of the robot arm 10. Drive unit 72 drives joints JT22 and JT23 of the robot arm 20. Drive unit 73 drives joints JT11 and JT21 of both the robot arm 10 and the robot arm 20. Drive units 71, 72, and 73 include a servo motor as a drive source and an encoder for detecting the rotation of the servo motor. In addition to drive units 71, 72, and 73, the base unit 90 also houses a drive unit for raising and lowering the robot arms 10 and 20.

[0021] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the robot 100 is equipped with a control unit 80. The control unit 80 is a computer having a processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 80 includes a storage device including flash memory such as an SSD (Solid State Drive). The control unit 80 is a robot controller that controls the operation of each part of the robot 100 based on programs and parameters stored in the storage device. The control unit 80 includes, for example, a main control unit that controls the operation of each joint of the robot arms 10 and 20, a servo control unit that controls the drive current output to the servo motors, which are drive sources located at each joint of the robot arms 10 and 20, based on commands from the main control unit, and a drive circuit unit that supplies power to each joint of the robot arms 10 and 20. In the control unit 80, for example, the main control unit and the servo control unit each have a processing unit such as a CPU separately from each other. The control unit 80 controls the operation of the robot arms 10 and 20 by feedback control by controlling the operation of the servo motors based on the outputs from encoders in each of the drive units 71, 72, and 73. The control unit 80 controls the transport operation for transporting multiple workpieces W.

[0022] <Details of the robotic arm> As shown in Figure 2, a belt and pulley mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the drive unit 71 is arranged in the robot arm 10. Specifically, a pulley 51, a pulley 52, a belt member 53, and a belt member 54 for transmitting the driving force of the drive unit 71 are arranged inside the base link 11 of the robot arm 10. The pulley 51 is located on the base end side inside the base link 11. The pulley 52 is located on the tip side inside the base link 11. Each of the belt member 53 and the belt member 54 is stretched between the pulley 51 and the pulley 52. ​​Each of the belt member 53 and the belt member 54 is fixed to the pulley 51 and the pulley 52. ​​The rotation of one side of the drive-side pulley 51 is transmitted to the pulley 52 by the belt member 53, and the rotation of the other side of the pulley 51 is transmitted to the pulley 52 by the belt member 54. Belt members 53 and 54 are fixed to pulleys 51 and 52, respectively, with a vertical offset from each other.

[0023] Furthermore, pulleys 55, 56, and a belt member 57 are arranged inside the tip link 12 of the robot arm 10. Pulley 55 is located at the base end inside the tip link 12. Pulley 56 is located at the tip end inside the tip link 12. The belt member 57 is stretched between pulleys 55 and 56. The belt member 57 is fixed to each of the pulleys 55 and 56 and transmits power from pulley 55 to pulley 56. Each of the belt members 53, 54, and 57 is made of metal, such as stainless steel. However, each of the belt members 53, 54, and 57 may be made of a material other than metal, such as rubber.

[0024] Pulley 51 is connected to a rotating shaft that transmits the driving force of the drive unit 71. In the robot arm 10, the base link 11 and the tip link 12 are connected to each other via a hollow shaft portion 13. Pulley 52 is supported on the lower end side of the shaft portion 13. Inside the shaft portion 13, a shaft portion 14 is fixed to the base link 11 and is located in the arm space S10 independently of the shaft portion 13. Pulley 52 is connected to the base end side of the tip link 12 via the shaft portion 13. Pulley 55 is supported on the upper end side of the shaft portion 14. Pulley 56 is connected to a hand 30 attached to the tip of the tip link 12 via a shaft portion 15.

[0025] When the drive unit 71 rotates the rotating shaft extending from the base unit 90 to the robot arm 10, the pulley 51 rotates along the horizontal plane. The rotation of pulley 51 is transmitted by belt members 53 and 54, causing pulley 52 to rotate along the horizontal plane inside the base link 11. When pulley 52 rotates, the tip link 12 rotates via the shaft 13. When pulley 52 rotates and the tip link 12 rotates, pulley 55 rotates along the horizontal plane inside the tip link 12 via the shaft 14 fixed to the base link 11. Then, inside the tip link 12, the rotation of pulley 55 is transmitted by belt member 57, causing pulley 56 to rotate. When pulley 56 rotates, the hand 30 rotates via the shaft 15. In this way, the pulley 51, pulley 52, belt member 53, belt member 54, pulley 55, pulley 56, and belt member 57 work in conjunction, causing the joints JT12 and JT13 of the robot arm 10 to be driven in conjunction by the drive unit 71.

[0026] In the robot arm 20, similar to the robot arm 10, a belt and pulley mechanism is provided to transmit the driving force of the drive unit 72. Specifically, pulleys 61, 62, belt member 63, and belt member 64 are arranged inside the base link 21 of the robot arm 20 to transmit the driving force of the drive unit 72. In addition, pulleys 65, 66, and belt member 67 are arranged inside the tip link 22 of the robot arm 20. The configuration of pulleys 61, 62, belt member 63, and belt member 64 in the base link 21 of the robot arm 20 is the same as that of pulleys 51, 52, belt member 53, and belt member 54 in the base link 11 of the robot arm 10, respectively. Furthermore, the configurations of the pulleys 65, 66, and belt member 67 in the tip link 22 of the robot arm 20 are the same as those of the pulleys 55, 56, and belt member 57 in the tip link 12 of the robot arm 10, respectively.

[0027] Similar to the robot arm 10, the pulley 61 located on the base end side of the base link 21 is connected to a rotating shaft that transmits the driving force of the drive unit 72. The rotating shaft to which the pulley 51 of the robot arm 10 is connected and the rotating shaft to which the pulley 61 of the robot arm 20 is connected are different. In the robot arm 20, the base link 21 and the tip link 22 are connected to each other via a hollow shaft portion 23. Inside the shaft portion 23, a shaft portion 24 is fixed to the base link 21 and is located in the arm space S20 independently of the shaft portion 23. The pulley 65 is supported on the upper end side of the shaft portion 24. The pulley 66 is connected via a shaft portion 25 to a hand 40 attached to the tip of the tip link 22. In the robot arm 20, as in the robot arm 10, when the rotating shaft extending from the base portion 90 to the robot arm 20 is rotated by the drive unit 72, the pulley 61 rotates along the horizontal plane. The rotation of pulley 61 is transmitted by belt members 63 and 64, causing pulley 62 to rotate along the horizontal plane inside the base link 21. When pulley 62 rotates, the tip link 22 rotates via the shaft 23. When pulley 62 rotates and the tip link 22 rotates, pulley 65 rotates along the horizontal plane inside the tip link 22 via the shaft 24 fixed to the base link 21. The rotation of pulley 65 is transmitted by belt member 67, causing pulley 66 to rotate. When pulley 66 rotates, the hand 40 rotates via the shaft 25. In this way, similar to the robot arm 10, the pulleys 61, 62, belt members 63, 64, 65, 66, and 67 work together, causing the drive unit 72 to drive joints JT22 and JT23 of the robot arm 20 in conjunction.

[0028] (Joint structure) Next, with reference to Figure 3, the details of the configuration of joint JT12 and its surroundings in the robot arm 10 will be described. Note that the configuration of joint JT22 and its surroundings in the robot arm 20 is the same as that of joint JT12 and its surroundings in the robot arm 10, so a detailed explanation of it will be omitted.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, the joint JT12, which is the joint between the base link 11 and the tip link 12, includes a shaft portion 13 and a shaft portion 14 located in the arm space S10. The shaft portion 13 extends along the Z direction, which is the vertical direction. The shaft portion 13 has an upper member 131 and a lower member 132 connected to the upper member 131. The upper member 131 is located on the Z1 side, which is upward relative to the lower member 132. The upper member 131 is connected to the housing 12a of the tip link 12. The upper member 131 is fastened and fixed to the housing 12a of the tip link 12 by fastening members 101 such as bolts. The lower member 132 is located on the Z2 side, which is downward relative to the upper member 131. The lower member 132 is connected to the pulley 52. ​​The lower member 132 is fastened and fixed to the pulley 52 by fastening members such as bolts (not shown). Furthermore, the lower member 132, together with the upper member 131, is fastened to the housing 12a of the tip link 12 by the fastening member 101.

[0030] The shaft portion 14 extends along the Z direction, which is the vertical direction. The shaft portion 14 has an upper member 141 and a lower member 142 connected to the upper member 141. The upper member 141 is positioned on the Z1 side, which is upward relative to the lower member 142. The upper member 141 is connected to the pulley 55. The upper member 141 is fastened and fixed to the housing 12a of the tip link 12 by fastening members 102 such as bolts. The lower member 142 is positioned on the Z2 side, which is downward relative to the upper member 141. The lower member 142 is fastened and fixed to the upper member 141 by fastening members 103 such as bolts.

[0031] The lower member 142 is supported by the shaft support portion 110. That is, the robot 100 is equipped with a shaft support portion 110 that supports the shaft portion 14. The shaft support portion 110 supports the lower end of the shaft portion 14. Specifically, the shaft support portion 110 supports the lower end of the shaft portion 14 from the side facing the shaft portion 14 in the Z direction, which is the axial direction of the shaft portion 14. The shaft support portion 110 is also formed circumferentially and has a through hole 110a that penetrates the center of the shaft support portion 110 in the Z direction, which is the vertical direction, and supports the lower end of the shaft portion 14 circumferentially. The through hole 110a of the shaft support portion 110 communicates with a through hole 143 that penetrates the center of the shaft portion 14 in the Z direction, which is the vertical direction. The through hole 110a and the through hole 143 constitute a path for arranging wiring that is to be placed in the arm space S10. The lower member 142 is fastened and fixed to the shaft support portion 110 by fastening members such as set screws 104 and bolts (not shown).

[0032] In this embodiment, the pulley 52 is positioned on the shaft portion 14. Specifically, the pulley 52 is attached to the lower member 142 of the shaft portion 14 via a bearing 120. The pulley 52 rotates around the shaft portion 14. The shaft support portion 110 is positioned radially inward of the pulley 52.

[0033] The shaft support portion 110 is composed of members that constitute the housing 11a of the base link 11. Specifically, the housing 11a includes an upper member 111, a lower member 112, and cover portions 113 and 114. The upper member 111 is positioned on the Z1 side, which is upward relative to the lower member 112. The upper member 111 has an upper portion 111a and a lateral portion 111b. The upper portion 111a extends in the longitudinal direction of the base link 11. The lateral portion 111b extends downward in the Z2 direction from the tip end of the upper portion 111a.

[0034] The upper member 111 has an opening 111c that opens in the upward direction, Z1. A cover portion 113 is positioned over the opening 111c. The cover portion 113 includes an outer cover member 113a and an inner cover member 113b. The outer cover member 113a is positioned outside the inner cover member 113b. The outer cover member 113a is fastened and fixed to the upper member 111 by a fastening member 105. The inner cover member 113b is positioned inside the outer cover member 113a. The inner cover member 113b is fastened and fixed to the outer cover member 113a by a fastening member 106.

[0035] The lower member 112 is positioned on the Z2 side, which is downward relative to the upper member 111. The lower member 112 has a lower portion 112a and a lateral portion 112b. The lower portion 112a extends in the longitudinal direction of the base link 11. The lateral portion 112b extends upward in the Z1 direction from the tip end of the lower portion 112a. The lower member 112 also has a portion 112c that extends from the lower end of the lateral portion 112b to the shaft portion 14. A shaft support portion 110 is formed on portion 112c. That is, the shaft support portion 110 is integrally formed with the lower member 112.

[0036] The lower member 112 has an opening 112d that opens downward in the Z2 direction. A cover portion 114 is positioned over the opening 112d. The cover portion 114 is fastened and fixed to the lower member 112 by fastening members (not shown).

[0037] In this embodiment, a gap C is formed between the portion 114a of the housing 11a facing the shaft support portion 110 and the shaft support portion 110 in the Z direction, which is the axial direction of the shaft portion 14. Specifically, the shaft support portion side facing surface 110b of the shaft support portion 110, which faces the housing 11a in the Z direction, which is the axial direction of the shaft portion 14, is spaced apart from the housing side facing surface 114ab of the housing 11a, which faces the shaft support portion 110 in the Z direction, which is the axial direction of the shaft portion 14. A gap C is formed between the shaft support portion side facing surface 110b and the housing side facing surface 114ab.

[0038] The portion 114a of the housing 11a facing the shaft support portion 110 constitutes the cover portion 114. The cover portion 114 has a housing-side facing surface 114ab. The shaft support portion 110 is located inside the cover portion 114, separately from the cover portion 114. In other words, the cover portion 114 is located outside the shaft support portion 110, separately from the shaft support portion 110. In the Z direction, which is the axial direction of the shaft portion 14, a gap C is formed between the shaft support portion 110 and the cover portion 114. In the Z direction, which is the axial direction of the shaft portion 14, the length of the gap C is smaller than the thickness of portion 114a of the cover portion 114. That is, in the Z direction, which is the axial direction of the shaft portion 14, the gap C is formed to be relatively small. In the radial direction of the shaft portion 14, the gap C extends to the outside of the shaft portion 14.

[0039] (The effect of gaps) Next, the function of the gap C in the robot arm 10 will be explained with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Note that the function of the gap C in the robot arm 20 is the same as that of the gap C in the robot arm 10, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0040] Figure 4 shows a comparative example. In the comparative example shown in Figure 4, the cover portion 114 is not provided, and no gap C is formed. As shown in Figure 5, the robot arm 10 is placed in a vacuum environment and the arm space S10 is under atmospheric pressure, so the housing 11a of the base link 11 of the robot arm 10 may deform due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the housing 11a of the base link 11. Specifically, an upward pressure P is applied to the upper member 111 and the cover portion 113 of the housing 11a, so the upper member 111 and the cover portion 113 of the housing 11a may deform by bending upward, as shown by the dashed line 201. Similarly, a downward pressure P is applied to the lower member 112 and the cover portion 114 of the housing 11a, so the lower member 112 and the cover portion 114 of the housing 11a may deform by bending downward, as shown by the dashed line 202.

[0041] In the comparative example where the gap C shown in Figure 4 is not formed, when the lower member 112 of the housing 11a deforms to bend downward, the shaft support portion 110 and the shaft portion 14 tilt along with the deformation of the lower member 112 of the housing 11a. In this case, the deformation of the lower member 112 of the housing 11a has a large influence on the tilting of the shaft support portion 110 and the shaft portion 14, and therefore the deformation of the lower member 112 of the housing 11a has a large influence on the tilting of the joint JT12. On the other hand, in this embodiment where the gap C shown in Figure 5 is formed, even when the lower member 112 and the cover portion 114 of the housing 11a deform to bend downward, the gap C structurally separates the portion 114a of the housing 11a facing the shaft support portion 110 from the shaft support portion 110, thus reducing the tilting of the lower member 112 and the cover portion 114 of the housing 11a together. In this case, the influence of deformation of the lower member 112 and cover portion 114 of the housing 11a on the tilt of the shaft support portion 110 and shaft portion 14 can be reduced, thus reducing the influence of deformation of the lower member 112 and cover portion 114 of the housing 11a on the tilt of the joint JT12. As a measure against deflection, the thicknesses of the upper member 111 and the lower member 112 may be made the same. In addition, in this embodiment, the thicknesses of the upper member 111 and the lower member 112 may be made different, as this reduces the effect of deflection. The thicknesses of the upper member 111 and the lower member 112 can be optimally designed considering the required strength of the upper member 111 and the lower member 112 and the need to secure space.

[0042] [Effects of this embodiment] In this embodiment, as described above, a gap C is formed between the portion 114a of the housing 11a facing the shaft support portion 110 and the shaft support portion 110 in the axial direction of the shaft portion 14. As a result, the gap C structurally separates the portion 114a of the housing 11a facing the shaft support portion 110 from the shaft support portion 110. Therefore, even if the housing 11a deforms due to a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the housing 11a, the influence of the deformation of the housing 11a on the tilt of the shaft support portion 110 and the shaft portion 14 supported by the shaft support portion 110 can be reduced. Consequently, the influence of the deformation of the housing 11a on the tilt of the joint JT12 can be reduced.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the shaft support side facing surface 110b of the shaft support portion 110, which faces the housing 11a in the axial direction of the shaft portion 14, is spaced apart from the housing side facing surface 114ab of the housing 11a, which faces the shaft support portion 110 in the axial direction of the shaft portion 14. As a result, a gap C can be easily formed between the shaft support side facing surface 110b and the housing side facing surface 114ab, so that the influence of deformation of the housing 11a on the inclination of the joint JT12 can be easily reduced.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, a gap C is formed between the shaft support side opposing surface 110b and the housing side opposing surface 114ab. As a result, the gap C formed between the shaft support side opposing surface 110b and the housing side opposing surface 114ab makes it easy to reduce the influence of deformation of the housing 11a on the tilt of the joint JT12.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the robot 100 further includes a pulley 52 positioned on the shaft portion 14, and the shaft support portion 110 is positioned radially inward of the pulley 52. ​​This allows the pulley 52 positioned on the shaft portion 14 to easily transmit the driving force that drives the robot arm 10. In addition, because the shaft support portion 110 is positioned radially inward of the pulley 52, the shaft support portion 110 can be positioned appropriately.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the robot arm 10 is placed in a vacuum environment, and the arm space S10 is under atmospheric pressure. As a result, the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the housing 11a is relatively large, and in cases where the housing 11a is relatively prone to deformation due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the housing 11a, the influence of the deformation of the housing 11a on the tilt of the joint JT12 can be effectively reduced.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the shaft portion 14 extends along the vertical direction, and the shaft portion support portion 110 supports the lower end of the shaft portion 14. As a result, since the shaft portion support portion 110 supports the lower end of the shaft portion 14, it is easy to secure space for arranging the shaft portion support portion 110.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the robot arm 10 includes a horizontally articulated robot arm. This makes it possible to reduce the influence of deformation of the housing 11a on the tilt of the joint JT12 in the horizontally articulated robot arm 10.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the robot arm 10 has a base link 11 and an end link 12 that rotate relative to each other along the horizontal direction, and the joint JT12 is the joint between the base link 11 and the end link 12. This reduces the influence of deformation of the housing 11a on the tilt of the joint JT12 between the base link 11 and the end link 12, thereby reducing the influence of the tilt of the joint JT12 between the base link 11 and the end link 12 on the end side of the joint JT12.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the robot 100 further includes a hand 30 attached to the tip of the robot arm 10 for holding the substrate. This reduces the influence of deformation of the housing 11a on the tilt of the joint JT12 when transporting the substrate held by the hand 30, thereby reducing the influence of the tilt of the joint JT12 on the transport of the substrate.

[0051] The effects of robot arm 10 have been explained above, but the effects of robot arm 20 are the same as those of robot arm 10.

[0052] [Differentiation] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of this disclosure is indicated by the claims rather than the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (modifications) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0053] For example, in the above embodiment, the hands 30 and 40, which serve as substrate holding hands, are shown to hold a workpiece W which is a disc-shaped substrate, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, the workpiece may be a jig that mimics a disc-shaped substrate. Alternatively, the workpiece may be a plate-shaped member having a shape other than a disc, such as a rectangle. Furthermore, the hands may be configured to hold a workpiece that is not a plate-shaped substrate.

[0054] Furthermore, although the above embodiments show examples in which a belt and pulley mechanism is arranged in the robot arms 10 and 20, the disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, a gear mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the drive unit may be arranged in the robot arm. In this case, a gear may be arranged on the shaft. Also, the shaft support may be arranged on the inside or outside in the radial direction of the gear.

[0055] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example in which the shaft support portion 110 is located inside the pulley 52, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, the shaft support portion may be located outside the pulley.

[0056] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example in which the shaft support portion 110 supports the lower end of the shaft portion 14, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, the shaft support portion may support the upper end of the shaft portion. In this case, a gap may be formed on the upper side of the shaft support portion. Also, as in the above embodiment, when a drive by a belt and pulley mechanism is adopted, the shaft support portion may be configured to support the lower end of the shaft portion, and unlike the above embodiment, when a drive by a gear mechanism is adopted, the shaft support portion may be configured to support the upper end of the shaft portion.

[0057] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which a gap C is formed between the shaft support portion 110 that supports the shaft portion 14 of the joint JT12 between the base link 11 and the tip link 12, and the portion 114a of the housing 11a that faces the shaft support portion 110, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, a gap may be formed between the shaft support portion that supports the shaft portion of the joint between the tip link and the hand, and the portion of the housing that faces the shaft support portion. That is, the joint in the present disclosure may be the joint between the tip link and the hand. The tip side of the robot has a thinner housing and weaker strength compared to the base side, making it more susceptible to pressure, but the effect of housing deformation on the tilt of the joint can be effectively reduced in areas susceptible to pressure. Also, since the tilt of the hand can cause transport errors such as dropping the substrate or scratching the substrate, greater precision is required on the tip side of the robot, but the effect of housing deformation on the tilt of the joint can be effectively reduced in areas where greater precision is required.

[0058] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example in which the housing 11a includes a cover portion 114, the disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, the housing does not have to include a cover portion. In this case, the shaft support portion and the gap may be integrally formed in the lower member of the housing.

[0059] In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the shaft portion support portion 110 is constituted by a member constituting the housing 11a has been shown, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the present disclosure, the shaft portion support portion may be constituted by a member separate from the member constituting the housing. In this case, the material of the housing and the material of the shaft portion support portion may be different from each other. That is, the portion of the housing facing the shaft portion support portion and the shaft portion support portion may be constituted by different materials. Further, the portion of the housing facing the shaft portion support portion and the shaft portion support portion may be constituted by materials having different hardnesses. Also, the shaft portion support portion may be constituted by a material having a higher hardness than the portion of the housing facing the shaft portion support portion. For the housing, a relatively soft material such as aluminum that is easy to mold may be used, while for the shaft portion support portion, a relatively hard material such as stainless steel that is difficult to deform may be used.

[0060] In the above-described embodiment, the robot arms 10 and 20 and the hands 30 and 40 are in a high-vacuum environment of 10 -1 Pa to 10 -5 Pa, and the arm spaces inside the robot arms 10 and 20 and the hand spaces inside the hands 30 and 40 are filled with air at an atmospheric pressure of about 10 5 Pa. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the present disclosure, the robot arms and the hands may be arranged in an ultra-high vacuum environment with a pressure lower than 10 -5 Pa, or may be arranged in a medium vacuum with a pressure higher than 10 -1 Pa and up to 10 2 Pa, or in a low vacuum environment from 10 -1 Pa to 10 5 Pa. Also, the robot arms and the hands may be arranged in an environment that is not a vacuum. Further, the arm spaces and the hand spaces are 10 2 Pa to 10 5The arm space and hand space may be filled with a gas at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure (approximately Pa), or with a gas at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, the interior of the arm space and hand space may be filled with a gas other than air, such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide. Also, the pressure outside the arm space and hand space may be higher than the pressure inside.

[0061] Furthermore, although the above embodiments show examples in which hands 30 and 40 include a bifurcated plate-shaped blade member, the disclosure is not limited thereto. In the disclosure, the blade member of the hand does not have to be bifurcated. The blade member may be a rectangular plate. Also, the blade member may be branched into three or more parts. Also, multiple blade members may be arranged in a single hand. Also, by arranging a chuck portion for fixing a workpiece in the hand, it may be made into an active type hand.

[0062] Furthermore, while the above embodiment shows an example where the robot 100 is a dual-arm transport robot equipped with a pair of robot arms 10 and 20, the disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, the robot may have only one robot arm, or it may have three or more robot arms. Also, multiple hands may be attached to one robot arm. Moreover, the robot does not have to be a transport robot. That is, the end effector attached to the tip of the robot arm does not have to be a hand that holds a workpiece. For example, an end effector that performs processing or painting on a workpiece may be attached to the robot arm.

[0063] Furthermore, although the above embodiments show examples in which the robot arms 10 and 20 are horizontally articulated, this disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, the robot arms may have configurations other than horizontally articulated, such as vertically articulated.

[0064] Furthermore, while the above embodiments show examples in which the elbow joint and wrist joint of the robot arms 10 and 20 are controlled in conjunction, this disclosure is not limited to this. In this disclosure, each of the multiple joints in the robot arm may be controlled independently.

[0065] Furthermore, while the above embodiment shows an example in which a pair of robot arms 10 and 20 have a common structure, and a pair of hands 30 and 40 have a common structure, the disclosure is not limited to this. In this disclosure, a pair of robot arms may have different structures. Also, a pair of hands may have different structures.

[0066] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general-purpose processors, dedicated processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. A processor is considered a processing circuit or circuit because it includes transistors and other circuits. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the enumerated functions, or hardware programmed to perform the enumerated functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein, or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the enumerated functions. If the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, then the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or the processor.

[0067] [Pattern] Those skilled in the art will understand that the exemplary embodiments described above are specific examples of the following embodiments.

[0068] (Aspect 1) A robotic arm having a housing and an airtight, hollow arm space, A joint including a shaft portion arranged in the aforementioned arm space, It comprises a shaft support portion that supports the aforementioned shaft portion, A robot in which a gap is formed between the portion of the housing facing the shaft support portion and the shaft support portion in the axial direction of the shaft portion.

[0069] (Aspect 2) The robot according to embodiment 1, wherein the shaft support side of the shaft support portion facing the housing in the axial direction of the shaft portion is spaced apart from the housing side of the housing facing the shaft support portion in the axial direction of the shaft portion.

[0070] (Aspect 3) The robot according to embodiment 2, wherein the gap is formed between the opposing surface on the shaft support side and the opposing surface on the housing side.

[0071] (Aspect 4) The shaft portion further comprises a pulley or gear, The robot according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the shaft support is located radially inside or outside the pulley or gear.

[0072] (Appendix 5) The robot arm is placed in a vacuum environment. The robot according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the arm space is under atmospheric pressure.

[0073] (Aspect 6) The aforementioned shaft portion extends along the vertical direction, The robot according to any one of embodiments 1 to 5, wherein the shaft support portion supports the lower or upper end of the shaft.

[0074] (Aspect 7) The robot arm is a robot according to any one of embodiments 1 to 6, wherein the robot arm includes a horizontally articulated robot arm.

[0075] (Pattern 8) The robot arm has a base link and an end link that rotate relative to each other along the horizontal direction. The robot according to embodiment 7, wherein the joint is a joint between the proximal link and the tip link.

[0076] (Aspect 9) The robot arm has a base link and an end link that rotate relative to each other along the horizontal direction. A hand is attached to the aforementioned tip link. The robot according to embodiment 7, wherein the joint is the joint between the tip link and the hand.

[0077] (Aspect 10) The robot according to any one of embodiments 1 to 9, further comprising a substrate holding hand attached to the tip of the robot arm for holding a substrate.

[0078] (Aspect 11) The robot according to any one of embodiments 1 to 10, wherein the portion of the housing facing the shaft support portion and the shaft support portion are made of different materials.

[0079] (Aspect 12) The robot according to embodiment 11, wherein the portion of the housing facing the shaft support portion and the shaft support portion are made of materials with different hardnesses.

[0080] (Aspect 13) The robot according to embodiment 12, wherein the shaft support portion is made of a material with higher hardness than the portion of the housing facing the shaft support portion. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0081] 10, 20 Robot arms 11, 21 Base Link 11a, 21a enclosure 12, 22 Advanced Links 14, 24 shaft section 30, 40 Hand (Circuit board holding hand) 52, 62 Pulley 100 robots 110 Shaft support part 110b Opposite surface on shaft support side 114a The part of the housing facing the shaft support 114ab Housing side, opposite side C Gap JT12, JT22 joints S10, S20 Arm Space

Claims

1. A robotic arm having a housing and an airtight, hollow arm space, A joint including a shaft portion arranged in the aforementioned arm space, It comprises a shaft support portion that supports the aforementioned shaft portion, A robot in which a gap is formed between the portion of the housing facing the shaft support portion and the shaft support portion in the axial direction of the shaft portion.

2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the shaft support side of the shaft support portion facing the housing in the axial direction of the shaft portion is spaced apart from the housing side of the housing facing the shaft support portion in the axial direction of the shaft portion.

3. The robot according to claim 2, wherein the gap is formed between the opposing surface on the shaft support side and the opposing surface on the housing side.

4. The shaft portion further comprises a pulley or gear, The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shaft support is located radially inside or outside the pulley or gear.

5. The robot arm is placed in a vacuum environment. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the arm space is under atmospheric pressure.

6. The aforementioned shaft portion extends along the vertical direction, The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shaft support portion supports the lower or upper end of the shaft portion.

7. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the robot arm includes a horizontally articulated robot arm.

8. The robot arm has a base link and an end link that rotate relative to each other along the horizontal direction. The robot according to claim 7, wherein the joint is the joint between the proximal link and the tip link.

9. The robot arm has a base link and an end link that rotate relative to each other along the horizontal direction. A hand is attached to the aforementioned tip link. The robot according to claim 7, wherein the joint is the joint between the tip link and the hand.

10. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a substrate holding hand attached to the tip of the robot arm for holding a substrate.

11. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the portion of the housing facing the shaft support portion and the shaft support portion are made of different materials.

12. The robot according to claim 11, wherein the portion of the housing facing the shaft support portion and the shaft support portion are made of materials with different hardnesses.

13. The robot according to claim 12, wherein the shaft support portion is made of a material with higher hardness than the portion of the housing facing the shaft support portion.

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