industrial robots

Abstract

To provide an industrial robot that includes an elevating mechanism that elevates an arm support member, and a housing in which the elevating mechanism is arranged; in which an opening for connecting the arm support member and the elevating mechanism arranged outside the housing is formed on the side of the housing; and that can reduce costs while preventing dust generated inside the housing from flowing out of the housing through the opening.SOLUTION: In an industrial robot 1, an elevating mechanism 9 for elevating an arm support member 4 is arranged inside a housing 10. The side surface of the housing 10 is formed with an opening 10b for connecting the arm support member 4 arranged outside the housing 10 and the elevating mechanism 9 arranged inside the housing 10, and plate-like cover members 14 and 15 for closing the opening 10b are fixed to the arm support member 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an industrial robot that transports an object such as a semiconductor wafer. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a transfer robot (substrate transfer device) that transfers semiconductor wafers and the like in a clean environment such as the inside of a clean room (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The transfer robot described in Patent Document 1 comprises an arm support member that supports a hand and an arm, and a support column that supports the arm support member. The arm support member is capable of rising and falling along the support column. A linear guide mechanism that raises and lowers the arm support member is disposed inside the support column. An opening is formed on the side of the support column for connecting the arm support member disposed outside the support column with the linear guide mechanism disposed inside the support column.

[0003] In the transport robot described in Patent Document 1, an opening on the side of the support pillar is formed in the range where the arm support member moves up and down. In this transport robot, the opening of the support pillar is covered with a seal belt to prevent dust generated inside the support pillar from the linear guide mechanism or the like from flowing out of the support pillar through the opening. The seal belt is disposed inside the support pillar. A roller (pulley) for guiding the seal belt is installed inside the support pillar. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-28078 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The transport robot described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a seal belt that closes the opening of the support pillar, and therefore, as described above, this transport robot can prevent dust generated inside the support pillar from escaping from the opening to the outside of the support pillar. However, this transport robot requires a seal belt and rollers to prevent dust generated inside the support pillar from escaping from the opening to the outside of the support pillar, which increases the number of parts in the transport robot and increases the cost of the transport robot.

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an industrial robot that is equipped with a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers an arm support member and a housing in which the lifting mechanism is located, and in which an opening is formed on the side of the housing for connecting the arm support member located outside the housing to the lifting mechanism, and that is capable of reducing costs while preventing dust generated inside the housing from leaking out of the housing through the opening. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the industrial robot of the present invention comprises an arm, an arm support member that supports the arm, and a main body that holds the arm support member so that it can be raised and lowered, the main body comprising a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the arm support member, and a housing in which the lifting mechanism is disposed, the arm support member is disposed outside the housing, and an opening is formed in the side of the housing for connecting the arm support member disposed outside the housing with the lifting mechanism disposed inside the housing, and a flat cover member for closing the opening is fixed to the arm support member or the lifting member that rises and falls together with the arm support member and is disposed inside the housing The cover member is fixed only to the arm support member or the lifting member. It is characterized by:

[0008] In the industrial robot of the present invention, a flat cover member for closing an opening formed in a side of the housing is fixed to the arm support member or to a lifting member that moves up and down together with the arm support member and is disposed inside the housing. Therefore, in the present invention, an inexpensive flat cover member can be used to close the opening in the side of the housing, preventing dust generated inside the housing from escaping through the opening to the outside of the housing. Therefore, in the present invention, even though it is possible to prevent dust generated inside the housing from escaping through the opening to the outside of the housing, it is possible to reduce the cost of the industrial robot.

[0009] In the present invention, it is preferable that the cover member is fixed to the arm support member and disposed outside the housing. With this configuration, it is not necessary to provide installation space for the cover member inside the housing. Therefore, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in arranging various components disposed inside the housing and to make the housing more compact.

[0010] In the present invention, it is preferable that a first cover member for covering an upper portion of the opening and a second cover member for covering a lower portion of the opening are fixed to the arm support member, and that the upper end of the first cover member is located lower than the upper end of the main body when the arm support member is moved to its upper limit position relative to the housing, and the lower end of the second cover member is located higher than the lower end of the main body when the arm support member is moved to its lower limit position relative to the housing. With this configuration, even if the first and second cover members that rise and fall together with the arm support member are fixed to the arm support member, it is possible to prevent the industrial robot from becoming larger in size in the vertical direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] As described above, in the present invention, in an industrial robot that includes a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers an arm support member and a housing in which the lifting mechanism is located, and an opening is formed on the side of the housing for connecting the arm support member located outside the housing to the lifting mechanism, it is possible to reduce the cost of the industrial robot even if it is possible to prevent dust generated inside the housing from leaking out of the housing through the opening. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an industrial robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the industrial robot shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a front view of the industrial robot shown in FIG. 2 with a cover member removed. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a connecting portion between an arm support member and a connecting member shown in FIG. 1. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] (Configuration of industrial robots) Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an industrial robot 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the industrial robot 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view of the industrial robot 1 shown in Fig. 2 with cover members 14 and 15 removed. Fig. 4 is a schematic view for explaining the configuration of the connecting portion between the arm support member 4 and connecting member 11 shown in Fig. 1.

[0015] The industrial robot 1 (hereinafter referred to as "robot 1") of this embodiment is a horizontal articulated robot for transporting objects such as semiconductor wafers. The robot 1 transports the objects in a clean environment such as the inside of a clean room. The robot 1 includes an arm 3, an arm support member 4 that supports the arm, and a main body 5 that holds the arm support member 4 so that it can be raised and lowered. In the following description, the X direction in FIG. 1, etc., which is perpendicular to the up-down direction, is referred to as the "front-to-back direction," and the Y direction in FIG. 1, etc., which is perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-to-back direction, is referred to as the "left-to-right direction." Furthermore, the X1 direction in FIG. 1, etc., which is one side of the front-to-back direction, is referred to as the "front" side, and the opposite X2 direction in FIG. 1, etc., is referred to as the "rear" side.

[0016] The arm 3 is composed of a first arm section 7 whose base end is rotatably connected to the arm support member 4, and a second arm section 8 whose base end is rotatably connected to the tip end of the first arm section 7. In other words, the arm 3 is composed of two arm sections. The base end of the first arm section 7 is rotatably connected to the front end side of the arm support member 4. A hand (not shown) on which an object to be transported is placed is rotatably connected to the tip end side of the second arm section 8. The arm 3 may be composed of three or more arm sections.

[0017] The main body 5 includes a lifting mechanism 9 for lifting and lowering the arm support member 4, a housing 10 in which the lifting mechanism 9 is disposed (i.e., the lifting mechanism 9 is housed), and a connecting member 11 (see FIG. 4) that connects the arm support member 4 and the lifting mechanism 9. The arm support member 4 is disposed outside the housing 10. The arm support member 4 is also disposed on the front side of the housing 10. In other words, the arm support member 4 is disposed on the front side of the main body 5. Both left and right ends of the arm support member 4 serve as fixed portions 4a that are fixed to the connecting member 11. In this embodiment, the amount of lifting and lowering of the arm support member 4 is relatively small. For example, the amount of lifting and lowering of the arm support member 4 is approximately 40 mm.

[0018] The housing 10 has a front surface 10a that constitutes the front side of the housing 10. The front surface 10a is formed in the shape of a thin flat plate, and the thickness direction of the front surface 10a coincides with the front-rear direction. The front surface 10a has an opening 10b formed therein for connecting the arm support member 4 arranged outside the housing 10 with the lifting mechanism 9 arranged inside the housing 10. That is, the opening 10b is formed in the side surface (front surface) of the housing 10. The openings 10b are formed at both ends of the front surface 10a in the left-right direction. That is, two openings 10b are formed in the front surface 10a. The openings 10b penetrate the front surface 10a in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the openings 10b are formed in the shape of a rectangle that is elongated in the up-down direction.

[0019] The connecting member 11 includes a fixed portion 11a to which the arm support member 4 is fixed, and a lifting portion 11b arranged inside the housing 10. The fixed portion 11a is connected to the lifting portion 11b and is integral with the lifting portion 11b. The fixed portion 11a protrudes forward from both left and right ends of the lifting portion 11b. The fixed portion 11a is arranged in the opening 10b so as to pass through the opening 10b in the front-rear direction. The front end of the fixed portion 11a is arranged forward of the front surface of the front portion 10a. The rear surface of the fixed portion 4a of the arm support member 4 is fixed to the front end of the fixed portion 11a. The connecting member 11 rises and falls together with the arm support member 4. The lifting portion 11b in this embodiment is a lifting member that rises and falls together with the arm support member 4 and is arranged inside the housing 10.

[0020] As described above, the opening 10b is formed in a rectangular shape that is elongated in the vertical direction. The opening 10b is formed over substantially the entire movable range of the fixing part 11a in the vertical direction so that the arm support member 4 can move in the vertical direction. The upper end of the opening 10b is positioned above the upper end of the fixing part 11a and the upper end of the fixing part 4a when the arm support member 4 is positioned at a predetermined reference position. The lower end of the opening 10b is positioned below the lower end of the fixing part 4a and the lower end of the fixing part 11a when the arm support member 4 is positioned at the reference position.

[0021] Note that a portion of the fixed portion 4a of the arm support member 4 may be disposed in the opening 10b so as to pass through the opening 10b in the front-to-rear direction. In this case, the rear end of this portion of the fixed portion 4a is disposed rearward of the rear surface of the front surface portion 10a, and the rear end of this portion of the fixed portion 4a is fixed to the front surface of the lifting unit 11b. In this case, the connecting member 11 does not include the fixing portion 11a. In this case, the opening 10b is formed over substantially the entire range of movement in the vertical direction of the portion of the fixed portion 4a disposed in the opening 10b, so that the arm support member 4 can move in the vertical direction. In this specification, even in this case, the arm support member 4 is considered to be disposed outside the housing 10.

[0022] The lifting mechanism 9 includes a drive mechanism that raises and lowers the arm support member 4, and a guide mechanism that guides the arm support member 4 in the up and down direction. The drive mechanism includes, for example, a ball screw and a motor that rotates the screw shaft of the ball screw. The screw shaft of the ball screw is arranged with its axial direction aligned in the up and down direction and is rotatably held in the housing 10. The guide mechanism includes, for example, a guide shaft that is arranged with its axial direction aligned in the up and down direction and a guide bush that engages with the guide shaft. The guide shaft is fixed to the housing 10.

[0023] The nut member and guide bush of the ball screw are fixed to the lifting / lowering unit 11b. The drive mechanism may include a belt partially fixed to the lifting / lowering unit 11b, a pulley around which the belt is stretched, and a motor for rotating the pulley. The guide mechanism may include a guide rail arranged with its longitudinal direction extending vertically, and a guide block fixed to the lifting / lowering unit 11b and engaging with the guide rail.

[0024] Flat cover members 14 and 15 for covering the opening 10b are fixed to the arm support member 4. Specifically, cover member 14 for covering the upper portion of opening 10b and cover member 15 for covering the lower portion of opening 10b are fixed to the arm support member 4. Cover members 14 and 15 are disposed outside the housing 10. In this embodiment, cover member 14 serves as a first cover member, and cover member 15 serves as a second cover member.

[0025] The cover members 14, 15 are rectangular metal plates. That is, the cover members 14, 15 are rectangular metal sheets. The cover members 14, 15 are fixed to the arm support member 4 so that the thickness direction of the cover members 14, 15 coincides with the front-to-rear direction. The cover members 14, 15 are also fixed to the arm support member 4 with screws. The cover members 14, 15 move up and down together with the arm support member 4 and the connecting member 11.

[0026] The cover members 14 are fixed to the upper ends of the fixed portions 4a on both the left and right sides of the arm support member 4. The cover members 14 extend upward from the upper ends of the fixed portions 4a, with the upper end of the cover member 14 positioned higher than the upper ends of the fixed portions 4a. The cover member 14 covers the portion of the opening 10b above the fixed portions 4a and the fixing portion 11a from the front, and blocks the portion of the opening 10b above the fixed portions 4a and the fixing portion 11a. The upper end of the cover member 14 is positioned lower than the upper end of the main body 5 when the arm support member 4 is moved to its uppermost position relative to the housing 10 (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2). In other words, when viewed from the front-to-rear direction, the cover member 14 remains within the outline of the main body 5 even when the arm support member 4 is moved to its uppermost position relative to the housing 10.

[0027] The cover members 15 are fixed to the lower ends of the fixed portions 4a on both the left and right sides of the arm support member 4. The cover members 15 extend downward from the lower ends of the fixed portions 4a, with the lower end of the cover member 15 positioned lower than the lower end of the fixed portions 4a. The cover member 15 covers the portion of the opening 10b below the fixed portions 4a and the fixing portions 11a from the front, and blocks the portion of the opening 10b below the fixed portions 4a and the fixing portions 11a. The lower end of the cover member 15 is positioned higher than the lower end of the main body 5 when the arm support member 4 is moved to its lowest position relative to the housing 10 (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2). In other words, when viewed from the front-to-rear direction, the cover member 15 remains within the outline of the main body 5 even when the arm support member 4 is moved to its lowest position relative to the housing 10.

[0028] (Main effect of this form) As described above, in this embodiment, the flat cover members 14, 15 for closing the opening 10b formed in the side surface of the housing 10 are fixed to the arm support member 4. Therefore, in this embodiment, the opening 10b of the housing 10 can be closed using the inexpensive flat cover members 14, 15, and it is possible to prevent dust generated inside the housing 10 from the lifting mechanism 9 and the like from flowing out of the housing 10 through the opening 10b. Therefore, in this embodiment, even though it is possible to prevent dust generated inside the housing 10 from flowing out of the housing 10 through the opening 10b, it is possible to reduce the cost of the robot 1.

[0029] In this embodiment, the cover members 14 and 15 are disposed outside the housing 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to provide installation space for the cover members 14 and 15 inside the housing 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in arranging the various components disposed inside the housing 10, and it is also possible to reduce the size of the housing 10.

[0030] In this embodiment, even when the arm support member 4 is moved to its upper limit position relative to the housing 10, the cover member 14 remains within the range of the external shape of the main body 5 when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. Also, in this embodiment, even when the arm support member 4 is moved to its lower limit position relative to the housing 10, the cover member 15 remains within the range of the external shape of the main body 5 when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the cover members 14, 15 that rise and fall together with the arm support member 4 are fixed to the arm support member 4, it is possible to prevent the robot 1 from becoming larger in the vertical direction.

[0031] (Other embodiments) The above-described embodiment is one example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0032] In the above-described embodiment, cover members 14 and 15 may be fixed to lifting / lowering portion 11b of connecting member 11 and disposed inside housing 10. Alternatively, one of cover members 14 and 15 may be fixed to fixed portion 4a of arm support member 4 and disposed outside housing 10, while the other of cover members 14 and 15 may be fixed to lifting / lowering portion 11b and disposed inside housing 10. Even in these cases, inexpensive, flat cover members 14 and 15 can be used to close opening 10b of housing 10, thereby preventing dust generated by lifting mechanism 9 and the like inside housing 10 from flowing out of housing 10 through opening 10b.

[0033] In the above-described embodiment, when the arm support member 4 is moved to the upper limit position relative to the housing 10, the upper end of the cover member 14 may protrude upward from the upper end of the main body 5. Also, in the above-described embodiment, when the arm support member 4 is moved to the lower limit position relative to the housing 10, the lower end of the cover member 15 may protrude downward from the lower end of the main body 5.

[0034] In the above-described embodiment, as long as the cover members 14, 15 can close the opening 10b, the cover members 14, 15 may be formed in a quadrangular shape other than a rectangular shape, or in a polygonal shape other than a quadrangular shape. Furthermore, the cover members 14, 15 may be formed from a material other than metal, such as resin. Furthermore, the industrial robot to which the configuration of the present invention is applied may be a robot other than a horizontal articulated robot. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1. Robots (industrial robots) 3 Arm 4 Arm support member 5 Main body 9 Lifting mechanism 10. Cabinet 10b opening 11b Lifting section (lifting member) 14 Cover member (first cover member) 15 Cover member (second cover member)

Claims

1. an arm; an arm support member that supports the arm; and a main body that holds the arm support member so that the arm can be raised and lowered; the main body includes a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the arm support member, and a housing in which the lifting mechanism is disposed, the arm support member is disposed outside the housing, an opening is formed in a side surface of the housing for connecting the arm support member disposed outside the housing and the lifting mechanism disposed inside the housing; a flat cover member for closing the opening is fixed to the arm support member or to a lifting member that moves up and down together with the arm support member and is disposed inside the housing; The industrial robot is characterized in that the cover member is fixed only to the arm support member or the lifting member.

2. 2. The industrial robot according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is fixed to the arm support member and disposed outside the housing.

3. a first cover member for covering an upper portion of the opening and a second cover member for covering a lower portion of the opening are fixed to the arm support member; an upper end of the first cover member is disposed below an upper end of the main body when the arm support member is moved to an upper limit position relative to the housing; 3. The industrial robot according to claim 2, wherein a lower end of the second cover member is positioned above a lower end of the main body when the arm support member is moved to a lower limit position relative to the housing.

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