Fixtures

Abstract

To provide a fixing device capable of precisely fixing a differential screw.SOLUTION: In a fixing device for fixing a differential screw, the differential screw includes: a first screw part whose pitch is a first pitch; a first screw part whose pitch is a second pitch; a third screw part which is screwed to the first screw part; and an inclusion member having a fourth screw part screwed to the second screw part in a same shaft. One of first and second screw members is a first slit member in which a first slit crossing the first or second screw part in a flat surface orthogonal to a shaft of the first or second screw part formed therein is formed. The other one of the first and second screw members or the inclusion member is a deformation member which can be deformed in their diameter direction. Both plays of at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth screw parts formed in the deformation member and at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth screw parts screwed thereto are eliminated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot hand, a robot, and a fixing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, robot hands for holding substrates have been known. Such a robot hand has been proposed, for example, in a wafer transfer device in Patent Document 1. The wafer transfer device in Patent Document 1 is disposed adjacent to a cassette in which a plurality of wafers are stored and an inspection device for inspecting the wafers. The wafer transfer device includes a plurality of Y-shaped or U-shaped wafer support members, first and second support stages connected to the base ends of the wafer support members and supporting the wafer support members, and a moving device connected to the first and second support stages and moving the wafer support members in a linear direction.

[0003] Also, a fixing device for fixing a differential screw has been conventionally known. Such a fixing mechanism is proposed, for example, in a clamping device in Patent Document 2. Patent Document 2 describes that the differential screw does not come into contact with the collet by being engaged with an adjustment sledge. It also describes that this can minimize wear between the collet adapter and the collet. It also describes that the differential screw is replaceably disposed in the collet adapter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-141158 A [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2014-530118 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the problem with the robot hand disclosed in Patent Document 1 and other conventional robot hands for holding substrates is that it is difficult to adjust the inclination of the blade, which has a defined holding position for holding the substrate.

[0006] In addition, in the case of Patent Document 2 and other conventional fixing devices for fixing the differential screw, the differential screw may move during fixing, which causes a problem that the conventional fixing devices cannot fix the differential screw accurately.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a robot hand that is capable of easily adjusting the inclination of a blade that has a defined holding position for holding a substrate, and a robot equipped with the same.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a fixing device capable of accurately fixing a differential screw. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, the robot hand of the present invention is a robot hand for holding a substrate, comprising: a base body; a blade having a defined holding position for holding the substrate and having its base attached to the base body; and a differential screw having a central axis perpendicular to a main surface of the substrate at the holding position and for attaching the base of the blade to the base body, wherein the differential screw has a first screw portion having a first pitch, a second screw portion having a second pitch different from the first pitch, and an intervening member having coaxially therewith a third screw portion screwed into the first screw portion, and a fourth screw portion screwed into the second screw portion, wherein the first screw portion is provided on the base body, and the second screw portion is provided on the base of the blade.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the robot hand of the present invention can move the part of the base of the blade where the second screw portion is provided by the difference between the first distance, which is the product of the first pitch of the first screw portion and the rotation speed of the intervening member, and the second distance, which is the product of the second pitch of the second screw portion and the rotation speed of the intervening member, thereby making it possible to easily adjust the inclination of the blade, which has a defined holding position for holding a substrate.

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a fixing device according to the present invention is a fixing device for fixing a differential screw, the differential screw having a first screw portion having a first pitch, a first screw portion having a second pitch different from the first pitch, and an intervening member having a coaxially arranged third screw portion that screws into the first screw portion, and a fourth screw portion that screws into the second screw portion, and when a member on which the first screw portion is formed is defined as a first screw member and a member on which the second screw portion is formed is defined as a second screw member, one of the first and second screw members is further formed with a first slit that intersects with the first or second screw portion in a plane perpendicular to an axis of the first or second screw portion formed therein. a fixing member is attached to the first slit member for eliminating play between the first or second screw portion formed in the first slit member and the third or fourth screw portion screwed thereto by changing the distance between the inner walls of the first slit, the other of the first and second screw members or the intervening member is a deformable member that is deformable in its diameter direction, and by deforming the deformable member in the diameter direction, play is eliminated between at least one of the first, second, third and fourth screw portions formed in the deformable member and at least one of the first, second, third and fourth screw portions screwed thereto.

[0012] According to the above configuration, the fixing device according to the present invention can fix the differential screw without applying an external force in the axial direction to the differential screw, and as a result, the fixing device according to the present invention can fix the differential screw accurately. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a robot hand that is capable of easily adjusting the inclination of a blade that has a defined holding position for holding a substrate, and a robot equipped with the same.

[0014] Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fixing device capable of fixing a differential screw accurately. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view showing an overall configuration of a robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention and a robot equipped with the robot hand; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view of a differential gear provided in a robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a differential gear provided in a robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention when attached to a blade. FIG. [Diagram 5] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing how to adjust the inclination of a blade provided on a robot hand according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a diagram before the inclination is adjusted, and (B) is a diagram after the inclination is adjusted. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a first modified example of a robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a second modified example of a robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a third modified example of a robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a fourth modified example of a robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10]10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing a state before a fixing device according to one embodiment of the present invention fixes a differential screw, in which (A) is a cross-sectional view along the axial direction, and (B) is a view taken along the XB arrow shown in FIG. 10A. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are schematic diagrams showing the state after a fixing device according to one embodiment of the present invention has fixed a differential screw, in which (A) is a cross-sectional view along the axial direction, and (B) is a view taken along the XIB arrow shown in FIG. 11A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] (Overall composition) Hereinafter, a robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention, a robot including the robot hand, and a fixing device will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In the following, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0017] (Robot 10) Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the overall configuration of a robot hand according to this embodiment and a robot equipped with the same. As shown in Fig. 1, the robot 10 is configured as a horizontal articulated robot for holding and transporting a substrate S. Specifically, the robot 10 can hold the substrate S accommodated in a accommodating device C and remove it from the accommodating device C, and can accommodate the held substrate S into the accommodating device C.

[0018] The robot 10 includes a base 12, a vertically extendable lift shaft (not shown) provided on the base 12, and a robot arm 20 provided at the upper end of the lift shaft. The robot 10 further includes a robot hand 30A provided at the tip of the robot arm 20. The robot 10 further includes a robot control device 90 for controlling the operations of the robot arm 20 and the robot hand 30A.

[0019] (Base 12 and robot arm 20) The lifting shaft provided on the base 12 is configured to be extendable and retractable in the vertical direction by a ball screw (not shown) or the like. This lifting motion is performed by a servo motor (not shown) provided inside the base 12. The lifting shaft is also provided to be rotatable about a joint axis JT2 extending vertically relative to the base 12, and this rotational motion is performed by a servo motor (same as above) provided inside the base 12.

[0020] The robot arm 20 has a first link 22, a second link 24, and a third link 26, each of which is formed of a long member extending horizontally.

[0021] The first link 22 has a base end in the longitudinal direction attached to the upper end of the lift shaft. The first link 22 moves up and down integrally with the lift shaft and rotates integrally with the lift shaft about a joint axis JT2 that coincides with the central axis of the lift shaft.

[0022] The second link 24 has a base end in the longitudinal direction thereof rotatably attached to a vertically extending joint axis JT4 at a tip end in the longitudinal direction of the first link 22. The rotational movement of the second link 24 relative to the first link 22 is performed by a servo motor (not shown) provided inside the first link 22.

[0023] The third link 26 has a base end in the longitudinal direction thereof attached to the tip end in the longitudinal direction of the second link 24 so as to be rotatable about a joint axis JT6 extending vertically. The rotational movement of the third link 26 relative to the second link 24 is performed by a servo motor (not shown) provided inside the second link 24.

[0024] (Robot control device 90) The robot control device 90 includes a memory (not shown) and a processor (not shown) for executing a program stored in the memory. The processor can servo-control the operation of the robot 10 using the two servo motors provided inside the base 12, the servo motor provided inside the first link 22, and the servo motor provided inside the second link 24.

[0025] (Robot Hand 30A) Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of a robot hand according to this embodiment. The robot hand 30A includes a blade 32 in which a holding position 38 for holding a substrate S is defined, and three differential gears 40A attached to a base portion 34 of the blade 32. The holding position 38 is indicated by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 2. The blade 32 is further defined with a central axis L1 extending from the base end to the tip end in the center in the width direction. The central axis L1 is indicated by a one-dot chain line in Fig. 2. The blade 32 has a base portion 34 attached to a base body 42 (first female screw member) described later, and two tip portions 35a, 35b branching off from the base portion 34 and extending toward the tip end.

[0026] The tip portion 35a protrudes from one end in the width direction of the base portion 34 into a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction, and the tip portion 35b protrudes from the other end in the width direction of the base portion 34 into a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction. The blade 32 has the base portion 34 and the tip portions 35a and 35b, and thus is Y-shaped when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0027] The robot hand 30A has a movable member 36 provided at the base 34 of the blade 32 and capable of reciprocating on a central axis L1, a fixed member 37a provided at the tip 35a, and a fixed member 37b provided at the tip 35b. The robot hand 30A can hold the substrate S by moving the movable member 36 to the tip side of the central axis L1 and sandwiching the substrate S between the movable member 36 and the fixed members 37a and 37b.

[0028] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a differential gear provided in the robot hand according to this embodiment. Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the differential gear attached to the blade. The three differential gears 40A have the same structure. Therefore, only one differential gear 40A will be described here, and similar descriptions of the other two differential gears 40A will not be repeated.

[0029] 3 and 4, the differential gear 40A has a base body 42 fixed to the tip of the third link 26, and a differential screw 50A for attaching the base portion 34 of the blade 32 to the base body 42. The differential gear 40A further includes a fixing device 80 for fixing the differential screw 50A to the base body 42.

[0030] 4, the differential screw 50A is disposed so that its central axis L2 is perpendicular to the main surface of the substrate S located at the holding position 38. The differential screw 50A has a first female thread portion 52 (first thread portion) having a first pitch and drilled into the base body 42, and a first male thread portion 58 (second thread portion) having a second pitch smaller than the first pitch and protruding from the base portion 34 of the blade 32. In this embodiment, the first female thread portion 52 and the first male thread portion 58 are both right-handed threads.

[0031] The first female thread portion 52 is formed on the inner wall of a through hole that passes through the center in the width direction of the base body 42 in the height direction. The first male thread portion 58 is formed on the outer wall of a shaft portion 57 of a first bolt 55 that is screwed into a through hole that passes through the base portion 34 of the blade 32 in the height direction. The base end surface of the head 56 of the first bolt 55 is at the same position in the height direction as the upper surface of the base portion 34 of the blade 32. The base portion 34 of the blade 32 is attached to the base body 42 via a differential screw 50A.

[0032] The differential screw 50A further includes an intervening member 60A. The intervening member 60A has a cylindrical portion and an annular operating portion 66 formed at the end of the cylindrical portion on the blade 32 side. The cylindrical portion has a second male screw portion 62 (third screw portion) that screws into the first female screw portion 52 formed on its outer wall, and a second female screw portion 64 (fourth screw portion) that screws into the first male screw portion 58 formed on its inner wall. The second male screw portion 62 and the second female screw portion 64 are coaxial. The operating portion 66 is provided for rotational operation. The operating portion 66 is axially aligned with the cylindrical portion, has the same inner diameter as the cylindrical portion, and has a larger outer diameter than the cylindrical portion.

[0033] 2, the three differential gears 40A are disposed at different positions in a plane parallel to the main surface of the substrate S at the holding position 38 (the multiple differential screws are disposed at different positions in a plane parallel to the main surface of the substrate S at the holding position). Specifically, one of the three differential gears 40A is disposed at one end in the width direction of the base end of the base 34 of the blade 32. Another of the three differential gears 40A is disposed at the other end in the width direction of the base end of the base 34 of the blade 32. And still another of the three differential gears 40A is disposed at one end in the width direction of the center of the base 34 of the blade 32.

[0034] (One example of how to adjust the inclination of the blade 32) An example of a mode for adjusting the inclination of the blade 32 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The effects of the robot hand 30A according to this embodiment will also be described. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the inclination of the blade provided in the robot hand according to this embodiment is adjusted, where (A) is a diagram before the inclination is adjusted, and (B) is a diagram after the inclination is adjusted.

[0035] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the base 34 of the robot hand 30A cut along a plane perpendicular to the central axis L1. In FIG. 5, the left side is the side where the tip 35a of the blade 32 is provided, and the right side is the side where the tip 35b of the blade 32 is provided. It is assumed that the blade 32 is tilted with the tip 35b of the blade 32 being higher than the tip 35a of the blade 32.

[0036] In order to adjust the inclination of the blade 32 as described above, the tip 35b of the blade 32 is lowered. Specifically, the operation unit 66 of the differential gear 40A disposed on the right side in FIG. 5 is rotated counterclockwise to move the intervening member 60A downward.

[0037] In other words, the intervening member 60A is moved downward by a first distance relative to the base body 42, and the intervening member 60A is moved downward by a second distance smaller than the first distance relative to the blade 32. Here, the first distance is the product of the first pitch of the first female thread portion 52 and the number of rotations of the intervening member 60A. Moreover, the second distance is the product of the second pitch of the first male thread portion 58 and the number of rotations of the intervening member 60A.

[0038] In the robot hand 30A of this embodiment, by rotating the operating part 66 as described above, the part of the base 34 of the blade 32 where the first male threaded part 58 is provided can be moved downward by the difference between the first distance and the second distance, making it possible to easily adjust the inclination of the blade 32.

[0039] In particular, for example, when the accommodation device C accommodates a plurality of substrates S densely packed in the height direction, it is necessary to precisely adjust the inclination of the blade 32 in advance so that the blade 32 does not collide with the inner wall of the accommodation device C or the substrates S in the accommodation device C. With the recent miniaturization of the substrates S, it is desired to further improve the accuracy at this time. However, currently, for example, the inclination of the blade 32 is adjusted by simply applying an external force to the blade 32 by hand. This makes it quite time-consuming to adjust the inclination of the blade 32. Therefore, by using the robot hand 30A according to this embodiment, it is possible to obtain effects such as shortening the work time and reducing the labor, and it becomes possible to easily adjust the inclination of the blade 32 with high accuracy.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, multiple differential gears 40A (in other words, multiple differential screws 50A) are arranged at different locations in a plane parallel to the main surface of the substrate S at the holding position 38, making it possible to more easily adjust the inclination of the blade 32 compared to, for example, a case in which only one differential gear 40A is provided.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the interposed member 60A is provided with the operating portion 66 for rotational operation, the inclination of the blade 32 can be adjusted even more easily.

[0042] (Modification) From the above description, many improvements and other embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the above description should be construed as merely illustrative and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode for carrying out the present invention. Details of the structure and / or function thereof may be substantially changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0043] (First Modification) 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a first modified example of the robot hand according to the embodiment. The robot hand 30B according to this modified example has the same structure as the robot hand 30A according to the embodiment, except for the structure of the differential screw 50B. Therefore, the same parts are given the same reference numerals, and the same description will not be repeated.

[0044] 6, the differential screw 50B according to this modification has a third female screw portion 102 (first screw portion) having a first pitch and drilled into the base body 42, and a fourth female screw portion 104 (second screw portion) having a second pitch smaller than the first pitch and drilled into the blade 32. In this modification, the third female screw portion 102 and the fourth female screw portion 104 are both right-handed threads.

[0045] The third female screw portion 102 is formed on the inner wall of a through hole that passes through the height direction of the center in the width direction of the base body 42. The fourth female screw portion 104 is formed on the inner wall of a through hole that passes through the blade 32 in the height direction.

[0046] In this embodiment, the interposed member 60B has a disk-shaped operating portion 66, a third male screw portion 106 (third screw portion) that protrudes from the center of the operating portion 66 toward the base body 42 and screws into the third female screw portion 102, and a fourth male screw portion 108 (fourth screw portion) that protrudes from the center of the operating portion 66 toward the blade 32 and screws into the fourth female screw portion 104. The third male screw portion 106 and the fourth male screw portion 108 are coaxial.

[0047] The robot hand 30B according to this modification includes the differential screw 50B having the above-described structure, and thus achieves the same effects as the robot hand 30A according to the above-described embodiment.

[0048] (Second Modification) 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a second modified example of the robot hand according to the embodiment. The robot hand 30C according to this modified example has the same structure as the robot hand 30A according to the embodiment and the robot hand 30B according to the modified example, except for the structure of the differential screw 50C. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used for the same parts, and the same description will not be repeated.

[0049] 7, the differential screw 50C according to this modification has a fifth male screw portion 110 (first screw portion) which has a first pitch and protrudes from the base body 42, and a sixth male screw portion 112 (second screw portion) which has a second pitch smaller than the first pitch and protrudes from the blade 32. In this modification, the fifth male screw portion 110 and the sixth male screw portion 112 are both right-handed threads.

[0050] The fifth female thread portion 114 is formed on the outer wall of the shaft portion protruding from the center in the width direction of the base body 42. The sixth male thread portion 112 is formed on the outer wall of the shaft portion protruding from the base portion 34 of the blade 32.

[0051] In this modification, the interposition member 60C has a cylindrical portion and a disk-shaped operating portion 66 that is provided at the center of the cylindrical portion in the axial direction and is coaxial with the cylindrical portion. The diameter of the operating portion 66 is larger than that of the cylindrical portion.

[0052] An axial hole is formed in the cylindrical portion of the interposition member 60C. A fifth female screw 114 (third screw) that screws with the fifth male screw 110 is formed in the inner wall of the axial hole on the base body 42 side, and a sixth female screw 116 (fourth screw) that screws with the sixth male screw 112 is formed in the inner wall of the axial hole on the blade 32 side. The fifth female screw 114 and the sixth female screw 116 are coaxial.

[0053] The robot hand 30C according to this modification is provided with the differential screw 50C having the above-described structure, and thus provides the same effects as the robot hand 30A according to the above-described embodiment.

[0054] (Third Modification) 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a third modified example of the robot hand according to the embodiment. The robot hand 30D according to this modified example has the same structure as the robot hand 30A according to the embodiment and the robot hands 30B and 30C according to the modified examples, except for the structure of the differential screw 50D. Therefore, the same parts are given the same reference numerals, and the same description will not be repeated.

[0055] 8, the differential screw 50D according to this modification has a seventh male screw portion 118 (first screw portion) which has a first pitch and protrudes from the base body 42, and a seventh female screw portion 120 (second screw portion) which has a second pitch smaller than the first pitch and protrudes from the bracket 70. In this modification, the seventh male screw portion 118 and the seventh female screw portion 120 are both right-handed threads.

[0056] The seventh male thread portion 118 is formed on the outer wall of the shaft portion protruding from the center in the width direction of the base body 42. The seventh female thread portion 120 is formed on the inner wall of a through hole that passes through the center in the width direction of the base end of the bracket 70 in the height direction.

[0057] In this embodiment, the interposition member 60D has a cylindrical portion and a disk-shaped operating portion 66 that is provided at the center of the cylindrical portion in the axial direction and is coaxial with the cylindrical portion. The diameter of the operating portion 66 is larger than that of the cylindrical portion.

[0058] An axial hole is formed in the cylindrical portion of the intervening member 60D. An eighth female screw portion 122 (third screw portion) that screws with the seventh male screw portion 118 is formed on the inner wall of the axial hole. An eighth male screw portion 124 that screws with the seventh female screw portion 120 is formed on the outer wall of the cylindrical portion of the intervening member 60D, closer to the blade 32 than the operating unit 66. The eighth female screw portion 122 and the eighth male screw portion 124 are coaxial.

[0059] The robot hand 30D according to this modification is provided with the differential screw 50D having the above-described structure, and thus exhibits the same effects as the robot hand 30A according to the above-described embodiment.

[0060] (Fourth Modification) 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a fourth modified example of the robot hand according to the above embodiment. The robot hand 30E according to this modified example has the same structure as the robot hand 30A according to the above embodiment and the robot hands 30B to 30D according to the modified examples, except for the structure of the differential screw 50E. Therefore, the same parts are given the same reference numerals, and similar descriptions will not be repeated.

[0061] 9, the differential screw 50E according to this modification has a ninth male screw portion 126 (first screw portion) having a first pitch and protruding from the base body 42, and a ninth female screw portion 128 (second screw portion) having a second pitch smaller than the first pitch and protruding from the base portion 34 of the blade 32. In this modification, the ninth male screw portion 126 and the ninth female screw portion 128 are both right-handed threads.

[0062] The ninth male thread portion 126 is formed on the outer wall of a shaft portion protruding from the center in the width direction of the base body 42. The ninth female thread portion 128 is formed on the inner wall of a through hole that penetrates the base portion 34 of the blade 32 in the height direction.

[0063] In this embodiment, the interposition member 60E has a cylindrical portion and a disk-shaped operating portion 66 that is provided at the center of the cylindrical portion in the axial direction and is coaxial with the cylindrical portion. The diameter of the operating portion 66 is larger than that of the cylindrical portion.

[0064] A recess is formed in the cylindrical portion of the intervening member 60D from the center of the bottom surface (i.e., the surface on the base body 42 side) to near the top surface (i.e., the surface on the blade 32 side), and a tenth female screw portion 130 that screws with the ninth male screw portion 126 is formed on the inner wall of the recess. In addition, a shaft portion is protruded from the center of the top surface of the cylindrical portion of the intervening member 60D, and a tenth male screw portion 132 that screws with the ninth female screw portion 128 is formed on the outer wall of the shaft portion.

[0065] The robot hand 30E according to this modification includes the differential screw 50E having the above-described structure, and thus achieves the same effects as the robot hand 30A according to the above-described embodiment.

[0066] (Other variations) In the above embodiment, the case where the base body 42 and the third link 26 are separate members has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this case, and the third link 26 may be configured as the base body. As a result, the first screw portion may be formed in the third link 26 itself.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the blade 32 and the first bolt 55 are separate members. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the blade 32 and the first bolt 55 may be integrally formed. As a result, the second screw portion may be formed in the blade 32 itself.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the case where the inclination state of the blade 32 is adjusted when the tip 35b of the blade 32 is higher than the tip 35a of the blade 32 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this case, and the inclination state of the blade 32 can be adjusted in a similar manner when the tip 35a of the blade 32 is higher than the tip 35b of the blade 32. Furthermore, in order to adjust the inclination state of the blade when the tip of the blade 32 is lower or higher than the base end of the blade 32, the operating unit 66 of the differential gear 40A disposed at one end in the width direction at the center of the base 34 of the blade 32 may be rotated.

[0069] In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the robot hand 30A is provided with three differential gears 40A at different locations in a plane parallel to the main surface of the substrate S located at the holding position 38. However, this is not limited to this case, and the robot hand 30A may be provided with one or two differential gears 40A, or four or more differential gears 40A.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the robot hand 30A holds the substrate S by sandwiching the substrate S between the movable member 36 provided on the base 34 thereof and capable of reciprocating on the central axis L1 of the blade 32, and the fixed members 37a, 37b provided on the tip ends 35a, 35b thereof. However, the present invention is not limited to this case, and the robot hand 30A may hold the substrate S by placing the substrate S on it, sucking it, or the like.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the robot arm 20 has three joint axes JT2, JT4, and JT6. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the robot arm 20 may have one or two joint axes, or may have four or more joint axes.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the blade 32 is illustrated as being integrally formed from a single member including the base 34 and the tips 35a and 35b. However, this is not limited to the above case, and for example, only the portion of the base 34 of the blade 32 where the differential screw 50A is provided may be formed from a separate member, and the separate member and the other portions of the blade 32 may be fixed to each other. Furthermore, the blade 32 may be formed from three or more separate members that are fixed to each other.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the robot 10 is described as having one robot hand 30A and one third link 26. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the robot 10 may have a plurality of robot hands 30A and a third link 26 connected to each of the plurality of robot hands 30A (i.e., a plurality of third links 26). In such a case, the base end of each of the plurality of third links 26 in the longitudinal direction may be independently rotatable about the joint axis JT6.

[0074] In such a case, for example, if the inclination of the blade 32 is adjusted simply by manually applying an external force to the blade 32, it will take a considerable amount of work to adjust the inclination of the blade 32 in proportion to the number of the blades 32. Therefore, when a plurality of robot hands 30A are provided as described above, the work time can be further shortened, and the labor can be further reduced.

[0075] (Fixing device 80) A fixing device 80 for fixing the differential screw 50A described in the above embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a state before the fixing device according to the above embodiment fixes the differential screw, (A) is a cross-sectional view along the axial direction, and (B) is a view seen from the arrow XB shown in Fig. 10(A). Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a state after the fixing device fixes the differential screw, (A) is a cross-sectional view along the axial direction, and (B) is a view seen from the arrow XIB shown in Fig. 11(A).

[0076] As described in the above embodiment, the differential screw 50A has a first female screw portion 52 (first screw portion) having a first pitch, and a first male screw portion 58 (second screw portion) having a second pitch smaller than the first pitch. The differential screw 50A is cylindrical and further has an intervening member 60A having a second male screw portion 62 (third screw portion) formed on its outer wall and screwed into the first female screw portion 52, and a second female screw portion 64 (fourth screw portion) formed on its inner wall and screwed into the first male screw portion 58, coaxially.

[0077] The fixing device 80 is provided with a first slit 82 formed in the base body 42 (first screw member, first slit member) on which the first female thread portion 52 is formed, and intersects with the first female thread portion 52 in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the first female thread portion 52. The fixing device 80 further includes a second bolt 85 (fixing member) for eliminating play between the first female thread portion 52 formed in the base body 42 and the second male thread portion 62 of the intervening member 60A (deformable member) screwed thereto by shortening the distance between the inner walls of the first slit 82 (by changing the distance between the inner walls of the first slit).

[0078] The second bolt 85 is disposed so that its shaft portion 87 intersects with the first slit 82 in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the differential screw 50A.

[0079] The fixing device 80 further includes two second slits 68 formed at an end of the intervening member 60A on the base body 42 side in the axial direction. One of the two second slits 68 is formed on a first straight line passing through the center of the intervening member 60A when the intervening member 60A is viewed from the end of the intervening member 60A on the base body 42 side. The other of the two second slits 68 is formed on a second straight line passing through the center of the intervening member 60A when the intervening member 60A is viewed from the end of the intervening member 60A on the base body 42 side. The first straight line and the second straight line are perpendicular to each other.

[0080] The intervening member 60A is capable of deforming in its radial direction due to having the two second slits 68 as described above, and the second bolt 85 shrinks the intervening member 60A in the radial direction (deforms the deformable member in the radial direction), thereby eliminating play between the second male threaded portion 62 and the second female threaded portion 64 formed in the intervening member 60A and the first female threaded portion 52 and first male threaded portion 58 that screw into them.

[0081] In the fixing device 80 according to the present embodiment, as the inner walls of the first slits 82 approach each other, the first female screw portion 52 deforms so as to shrink in the diametrical direction. This allows the differential screw 50A to be fixed without applying an external force in the axial direction to the differential screw 50A. As a result, the fixing device 80 according to the present invention can accurately fix the differential screw 50A.

[0082] In particular, for example, as in this embodiment, when the differential screw 50A is used to adjust the inclination of the blade 32, the fixing device 80 is effective. That is, for example, when a nut is attached to an end of the differential screw 50A in the axial direction to fix the differential screw 50A after adjusting the inclination of the blade 32, an external force in the axial direction is applied to the differential screw 50A, so that the blade 32 will be tilted again. On the other hand, by fixing the differential screw 50A using the fixing device 80 according to this embodiment, an external force in the axial direction is not applied to the differential screw 50A, so that the blade 32 will not be tilted again.

[0083] Furthermore, in the fixing device 80 according to this embodiment, the second bolt 85 is attached to the base body 42 as a fixing member, so that it is possible to bring the inner walls of the first slits 82 closer to each other with a simple structure.

[0084] Furthermore, since the fixing device 80 according to this embodiment includes two second slits 68 formed at the end of the intervening member 60A on the base body 42 side in the axial direction, the intervening member 60A can be deformed so as to shrink in the diametrical direction as the inner walls of the first slits 82 approach each other. This allows the first female screw portion 52, the second female screw portion 64, the first male screw portion 58, and the second male screw portion 62 of the differential screw 50A to be firmly fixed to each other. In addition, by arranging the two second slits 68 as described above, the intervening member 60A can be deformed so as to shrink in the diametrical direction, regardless of the rotational position of the intervening member 60A.

[0085] (Modification) From the above description, many improvements and other embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the above description should be construed as merely illustrative and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode for carrying out the present invention. Details of the structure and / or function thereof may be substantially changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the first female screw portion 52 (first screw portion) is formed in the base body 42, the base body 42 being the first screw member, and the first male screw portion 58 (second screw portion) is formed in the blade 32, the blade 32 being the second screw member. Then, the first slit 82 is formed in the base body 42 (first screw member), the base body 42 being the first slit member.

[0087] However, this is not limited to the above, and the first threaded portion may be a male thread and the second threaded portion may be a female thread, or both the first and second threaded portions may be male threads, or both the first and second threaded portions may be female threads. Also, the base body 42 may be a second threaded member having a second threaded portion formed therein, and the blade 32 may be a first threaded member having a first threaded portion formed therein.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the intervening member 60A is a deformable member, and the second bolt 85 (fixing member) shrinks the intervening member 60A in the diametrical direction, thereby eliminating play between the second male threaded portion 62 and the second female threaded portion 64 formed in the intervening member 60A and the first female threaded portion 52 and the first male threaded portion 58 that screw into them.

[0089] However, this is not limited to this case, and for example, as in a robot hand 30B shown in Fig. 6, the blade 32 (the other of the first and second screw members) may be a deformable member, and a fixing member may be stretched across the base body 42 (first slit member) and the blade 32 (deformable member), thereby reducing the distance between the inner walls of the first slit 82 and shrinking the blade 32 in the diameter direction of the differential screw 50B. In this manner, the differential screw 50B may be fixed.

[0090] 7, the blade 32 (the other of the first and second screw members) may be a deformable member, and a fixing member may be stretched across the base body 42 (first slit member) and the blade 32 (deformable member) to increase the distance between the inner walls of the first slit 82 and to expand the blade 32 in the diameter direction of the differential screw 50B. As a result, the fifth male screw portion 110 protruding from the base body 42 and the sixth male screw portion 112 protruding from the blade 32 also expand in the diameter direction. In this manner, the differential screw 50C may be fixed.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the case where two second slits 68 are formed at the end of the intervening member 60A on the base body 42 side in the axial direction has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this case, and the second slits 68 may be formed on the side surface of the intervening member 60A, for example. Also, even if the second slits 68 are not formed in the intervening member 60A, it is sufficient that the intervening member 60A is formed of a flexible material. The intervening member 60A as described above is deformable so as to shrink in the diametrical direction, similar to the case where two second slits 68 are formed.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the case has been described where the fixing member is the second bolt 85. However, the present invention is not limited to this case, and the fixing member may be, for example, a fastening member that tightens the base body 42 inward from both ends in the width direction, or another fixing member, as long as the fixing member is attached to the base body 42 (first member) so that the inner walls of the first slits 82 approach each other.

[0093] (summary) The robot hand of the present invention is a robot hand for holding a substrate, comprising: a base body; a blade having a defined holding position for holding the substrate and having its base attached to the base body; and a differential screw whose central axis is perpendicular to a main surface of the substrate at the holding position and for attaching the base of the blade to the base body, wherein the differential screw has a first threaded portion having a first pitch, a second threaded portion having a second pitch different from the first pitch, and an intervening member having coaxially therewith a third threaded portion that screws into the first threaded portion, and a fourth threaded portion that screws into the second threaded portion, wherein the first threaded portion is provided on the base body, and the second threaded portion is provided on the base of the blade.

[0094] According to the above configuration, the robot hand of the present invention can move the part of the base of the blade where the second screw portion is provided by the difference between the first distance, which is the product of the first pitch of the first screw portion and the rotation speed of the intervening member, and the second distance, which is the product of the second pitch of the second screw portion and the rotation speed of the intervening member, thereby making it possible to easily adjust the inclination of the blade, which has a defined holding position for holding a substrate.

[0095] The differential screw may be multiple, and the multiple differential screws may be arranged at different positions from each other within a plane parallel to a main surface of the substrate at the holding position.

[0096] According to the above configuration, the robot hand according to the present invention can more easily adjust the inclination of the blade, the holding position for holding the substrate being defined.

[0097] The intervening member may be provided with an operating portion for rotational operation.

[0098] According to the above configuration, the robot hand according to the present invention can more easily adjust the inclination of the blade, the holding position for holding the substrate being defined.

[0099] For example, the first threaded portion may be configured as a first female threaded portion drilled into either the base body or the blade, the second threaded portion may be configured as a first male threaded portion protruding from the other of the base body or the blade, and the intervening member may be cylindrical, with a second male threaded portion formed on its outer wall as the third threaded portion, and a second female threaded portion formed on its inner wall as the fourth threaded portion.

[0100] The differential screw may further include a fixing device for fixing the differential screw to either the base body or the blade, and the fixing device may have a slit that is drilled into either the base body or the blade and intersects with the first and second female thread portions and the first and second male thread portions in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the differential screw, and a fixing member that is attached to either the base body or the blade so that inner walls of the slit approach each other.

[0101] According to the above configuration, as the inner walls of the slits approach each other, the first female screw portion deforms so as to shrink in the diametrical direction. This makes it possible to fix the differential screw without applying an external force in the axial direction to the differential screw. As a result, the robot hand according to the present invention can fix the differential screw accurately.

[0102] The robot according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a robot hand having any of the above-described configurations, and a robot arm having at least one joint axis and having the robot hand attached to its tip.

[0103] According to the above configuration, the robot of the present invention is equipped with a robot hand having any of the above configurations, making it possible to easily adjust the inclination of the blade, which has a defined holding position for holding a substrate.

[0104] For example, the robot according to claim 7 is configured as a horizontal articulated robot.

[0105] The fixing device of the present invention is a fixing device for fixing a differential screw, wherein the differential screw has a first female threaded portion having a first pitch, a first male threaded portion having a second pitch different from the first pitch, and an intervening member that is cylindrical and has a second male threaded portion formed on its outer wall and screwed into the first female threaded portion, and a second female threaded portion formed on its inner wall and screwed into the first male threaded portion, coaxially arranged therebetween. The fixing device is characterized in that it comprises: a fixing member that is drilled into a first member in which the first female threaded portion is formed, and which has a slit that intersects with the first and second female threaded portions and the first and second male threaded portions in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the differential screw, and is attached to the first member so that the inner walls of the slit approach each other.

[0106] According to the above configuration, in the fixing device according to the present invention, as the inner walls of the slits approach each other, the first female thread portion deforms so as to shrink in the diametrical direction. This makes it possible to fix the differential screw without applying an external force in the axial direction to the differential screw. As a result, the fixing device according to the present invention can fix the differential screw accurately.

[0107] The fixing member may be configured as a bolt arranged such that a shaft portion thereof intersects with the slit in a plane perpendicular to an axial direction of the differential screw.

[0108] According to the above configuration, the fixing device according to the present invention can bring the inner walls of the slits closer to each other with a simple structure.

[0109] The intervening member may further include a recess formed at least at an axial end portion thereof on the first member side.

[0110] According to the above configuration, as the inner walls of the slits approach each other, the interposed member can be deformed so as to shrink in the diameter direction, whereby the first female threaded portion, the second female threaded portion, the first male threaded portion and the second male threaded portion of the differential screw are firmly fixed to each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 10. Robot 12 Foundation 20 Robot Arm 22 First link 24 Second Link 26 Third Link 30 Robot Hand 32 Blade 34 Base 35 Tip 36 Movable parts 37 Fixing member 38 Holding position 40 differential gear 42 Base body 50 Differential Screw 52 First female thread 55 First Bolt 56 Head 57 Shaft 58 First male thread 60 Intervening members 62 Second male thread 64 Second female thread 66 Operation section 68 Recess 80 Fixation device 82 First Slit 85 Second Bolt 87 Shaft 90 Robot control device 102 Third female thread 104 4th female thread 106 Third male thread 108 4th male thread 110 5th male thread 112 6th male thread 114 5th female thread 116 6th female thread 118 No. 7 male thread 120 7th female thread 122 No. 8 female thread 124 No. 8 male thread 126 No. 9 male thread 128 9th female thread 130 10th female thread 132 No. 10 male thread C. Containment Device L center axis S-substrate

Claims

1. A fixing device for fixing a differential screw, comprising: The differential screw a first thread portion having a first pitch; a second threaded portion having a second pitch different from the first pitch; an intervening member having a third threaded portion that threads into the first threaded portion and a fourth threaded portion that threads into the second threaded portion, the intervening member being coaxial with the first threaded portion, When a member on which the first screw portion is formed is defined as a first screw member and a member on which the second screw portion is formed is defined as a second screw member, one of the first and second screw members is a first slit member further formed with a first slit that intersects with the first or second screw portion in a plane perpendicular to an axis of the first or second screw portion formed therein, A fixing member is attached to the first slit member to eliminate play between the first or second screw portion formed in the first slit member and the third or fourth screw portion screwed thereto by changing the distance between inner walls of the first slit, the other of the first and second screw members or the intervening member is a deformable member capable of deforming in a diametrical direction, and by deforming the deformable member in the diametrical direction, play between at least one of the first, second, third and fourth screw portions formed in the deformable member and at least one of the first, second, third and fourth screw portions screwed thereto is eliminated; A fixing device, characterized in that the other of the first and second screw members is a blade of a robot hand having a defined holding position for a substrate, and the differential screw is attached to a base of the blade.

2. the intermediate member is the deformable member, The fixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing member changes a distance between inner walls of the first slit, thereby deforming the interposed member in a diametrical direction.

3. A fixing device for fixing a differential screw, comprising: The differential screw a first thread portion having a first pitch; a second threaded portion having a second pitch different from the first pitch; an intervening member having a third threaded portion that threads into the first threaded portion and a fourth threaded portion that threads into the second threaded portion, the intervening member being coaxial with the first threaded portion, When a member on which the first screw portion is formed is defined as a first screw member and a member on which the second screw portion is formed is defined as a second screw member, one of the first and second screw members is a first slit member further formed with a first slit that intersects with the first or second screw portion in a plane perpendicular to an axis of the first or second screw portion formed therein, A fixing member is attached to the first slit member to eliminate play between the first or second screw portion formed in the first slit member and the third or fourth screw portion screwed thereto by changing the distance between inner walls of the first slit, the other of the first and second screw members or the intervening member is a deformable member capable of deforming in a diametrical direction, and by deforming the deformable member in the diametrical direction, play between at least one of the first, second, third and fourth screw portions formed in the deformable member and at least one of the first, second, third and fourth screw portions screwed thereto is eliminated; the other of the first and second screw members is the deformable member, A fixing device in which the fixing member is stretched across the first slit member and the deformable member, thereby changing the distance between inner walls of the first slit and deforming the deformable member in the radial direction of the differential screw.

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