Industrial robots

Abstract

To provide an industrial robot that carries objects to be carried, which can carry out objects to be carried from a storage part and carry the objects to be carried into the storage part, capable of coping with even a narrower interval in a vertical direction between the plurality of objects to be carried which are stored in the storage part so that the objects overlap with each other with the interval in a vertical direction.SOLUTION: The industrial robot comprises: a first hand 5 having an engagement part 23 that engages with an end part of an object 2 to be carried; a second hand 6 having a placement part 30 on which the object 2 to be carried is placed; an arm which is connected on a tip side thereof with the first hand 5 and the second hand 6 turnably; and a main body part which is connected with a base end side of the arm turnably connected. The first hand 5 executes at least either of pull-out operation of pulling out the object 2 to be carried which is stored in the storage part to a position where the object can be placed on the placement part 30 from the storage part storing the object 2 to be carried and push-in operation of pushing in the object 2 to be carried placed on the placement part 30 to a position where the object is stored in the storage part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an industrial robot for transporting an object to be transported.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an industrial robot for transporting semiconductor wafers has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The industrial robot described in Patent Document 1 is used by being incorporated into a semiconductor manufacturing system. This industrial robot includes two hands on which semiconductor wafers are mounted, an arm to which the two hands are rotatably connected on the tip side, and a main body portion to which the base end side of the arm is rotatably connected. The hand includes a wafer placement portion having a thin flat plate shape in the vertical direction, and the semiconductor wafer is placed on the wafer placement portion.

[0003] The industrial robot described in Patent Document 1 transports semiconductor wafers between a storage cassette (FOUP) in which a plurality of semiconductor wafers are stored and a semiconductor wafer processing apparatus. That is, this industrial robot unloads semiconductor wafers from the storage cassette or loads semiconductor wafers into the storage cassette. In the storage cassette, a plurality of semiconductor wafers are stored so as to overlap with a space therebetween in the vertical direction. When unloading a semiconductor wafer from the storage cassette, the wafer placement portion of the hand enters between the semiconductor wafers stored in the storage cassette so as to overlap in the vertical direction (that is, the wafer placement portion enters to the back side of the storage cassette), and the semiconductor wafer is lifted and unloaded. Also, when loading a semiconductor wafer into the storage cassette, the wafer placement portion on which the semiconductor wafer is placed enters to the back side of the storage cassette, and the semiconductor wafer is placed in the storage cassette.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0005] In the case of the industrial robot described in Patent Document 1, if the vertical spacing (pitch) of the semiconductor wafers housed in the storage cassette becomes narrow, the wafer-holding part of the hand may not be able to reach the back of the storage cassette, which could prevent the removal of semiconductor wafers from the storage cassette or the loading of semiconductor wafers into the storage cassette.

[0006] Therefore, the object to be addressed by the present invention is to provide an industrial robot that can transport objects, even when the vertical spacing between multiple objects stored in the storage section, which are stacked with vertical spacing between them, becomes narrow, and is capable of transporting objects from the storage section and loading objects into the storage section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an industrial robot for transporting an object, comprising: a first hand having an engagement portion that engages with the end of the object to be transported; a second hand having a mounting portion on which the object to be transported is placed; an arm to which the first hand and the second hand are rotatably connected at the tip end; and a main body to which the base end of the arm is rotatably connected, wherein the arm is a multi-joint arm composed of a plurality of arm portions that are rotatable relative to each other, and the first hand is characterized by performing at least one of the following: a pulling operation to pull the object to be transported from the storage portion to a position where it can be placed on the mounting portion, and a pushing operation to push the object to be transported from the mounting portion to a position where it can be stored in the storage portion.

[0008] In the industrial robot of the present invention, the first hand, which has an engaging portion that engages with the end of the object to be transported, performs at least one of the following: a pulling operation, which pulls the object to be transported, which is housed in the housing, out of the housing to a position where it can be placed on the mounting portion of the second hand; and a pushing operation, which pushes the object to be transported, which was placed on the mounting portion of the second hand, to a position where it can be housed in the housing.

[0009] Therefore, in the present invention, even without inserting the first and second hands all the way to the back of the storage section, it becomes possible to remove the transported object from the storage section by pulling out the first hand, which has an engaging portion engaged with the end of the transported object, and then placing the transported object on the placement portion of the second hand, or to load the transported object that was placed on the placement portion into the storage section by pushing in the first hand, which has an engaging portion engaged with the end of the transported object. Thus, in the present invention, even if the vertical spacing between the transported objects stored in the storage section is narrow and the first and second hands cannot be inserted all the way to the back of the storage section, it becomes possible to remove the transported object from the storage section and load the transported object into the storage section.

[0010] In the present invention, the industrial robot includes, for example, an arm drive mechanism for extending and retracting an arm, an arm lifting mechanism for raising and lowering an arm, a first hand drive mechanism for rotating a first hand relative to the arm, and a second hand drive mechanism for rotating a second hand relative to the arm, wherein the second hand includes a hand body to which a mounting portion is mounted so as to be able to move up and down, and a mounting portion lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the mounting portion relative to the hand body.

[0011] In the present invention, the engaging portion preferably includes a gripping mechanism for gripping the end of the object to be transported. With this configuration, the gripping mechanism can grip the end of the object to be transported during pulling out or pushing in operations, thereby stabilizing the state of the object to be transported during these operations. Furthermore, with this configuration, the gripping mechanism can grip the end of the object to be transported when the object is placed on the mounting portion, thereby stabilizing the state of the object to be transported when the object is placed on the mounting portion.

[0012] In the present invention, for example, the first hand performs a pulling operation and moves linearly in the horizontal direction relative to the housing during the pulling operation, with one side of the direction of movement of the first hand relative to the housing being the front side and the opposite side being the back side, and the surface of the mounting section on which the object to be transported is placed being the mounting surface, then the industrial robot is positioned on the front side of the housing, and in the pulling operation, the first hand performs a first movement operation to move to the back side until the front end of the object to be transported stored in the housing is in a position where it can be grasped by the gripping mechanism, a gripping operation after the first movement operation in which the gripping mechanism grasps the front end of the object to be transported, and a second movement operation after the gripping operation to move to the front side until the back end of the object to be transported is resting on the front end of the housing. The second hand performs a first rotational movement in which it rotates relative to the arm to a position where it does not interfere with the housing when the first hand is performing the first movement; a second rotational movement in which it rotates relative to the arm to a position where the mounting surface is lowered below the bottom surface of the object to be transported during or after the second movement; and a mounting section raising movement in which it raises the mounting section to a position where the mounting surface contacts the bottom surface of the object to be transported after the second rotational movement. The arm performs an arm raising movement in which it raises to a position where the bottom surface of the far end of the object to be transported is lifted off the housing after the mounting section raising movement; and a first arm extension / retraction movement in which it moves the first hand and the second hand towards the front during or after the arm raising movement. In this case, a smooth pulling operation becomes possible.

[0013] In the present invention, for example, the first hand performs a pushing operation and moves linearly in the horizontal direction relative to the housing during the pushing operation, with one side in the direction of movement of the first hand relative to the housing being the front side and the opposite side being the back side, and the surface of the mounting section on which the object to be transported is placed being the mounting surface, the industrial robot is positioned on the front side of the housing, and the arm performs a second arm extension and retraction operation, which moves the first hand and the second hand to the back side before the pushing operation, to a position where the back end of the object to be transported, which is placed on the mounting section and whose front end is gripped by the gripping mechanism, enters the interior of the front side of the housing, and during the second arm extension and retraction operation or the second arm extension and retraction operation In the pushing operation, the first hand performs a lowering arm movement, where the rear end of the object to be transported is positioned to rest on the front end of the storage section. The second hand then performs a lowering of the storage section, where the storage section is lowered to a position where it is separated from the underside of the object to be transported. After the lowering of the storage section, the second hand performs a third rotation movement, where it rotates a predetermined amount relative to the arm. In the pushing operation, the first hand performs a third movement, where it moves towards the rear until the front end of the object to be transported is positioned to rest on the front end of the storage section. During the third rotation, the second hand rotates to a position where it does not interfere with the storage section while the first hand is performing the third movement. In this case, a smooth pushing operation becomes possible.

[0014] In the present invention, for example, the arm comprises, as an arm portion, a first arm portion whose base end is rotatably connected to the main body portion, a second arm portion whose base end is rotatably connected to the tip end of the first arm portion, and a third arm portion whose base end is rotatably connected to the tip end of the second arm portion, and to which a first hand and a second hand are rotatably connected.

[0015] In the present invention, the first hand performs pulling and pushing operations, and moves linearly in the horizontal direction relative to the storage section during pulling and pushing operations. If the first direction is defined as the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first hand relative to the storage section and the vertical direction, it is preferable that the placement section is formed with guide sections that restrict the movement of the object to be transported in the first direction, at least immediately after the pulling operation and immediately before the pushing operation. With this configuration, it becomes possible to stabilize the state of the object to be transported when the object placed on the placement section is transported. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] As described above, the industrial robot of the present invention makes it possible to unload and load objects into the storage section even when the vertical spacing between multiple objects to be transported, which are stored in the storage section overlapping with vertical spacing between them, becomes narrow. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of an industrial robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a manufacturing system in which an industrial robot is used. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the industrial robot shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the industrial robot during the transport of an object to be transported to its storage compartment. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the industrial robot during the transport of an object to be transported to its storage compartment. [Figure 6] Figure 5(B) is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the mounting section and the arm after the first hand is pulled out and before it is pushed in. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] (Overall Configuration of Industrial Robot) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an industrial robot 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a manufacturing system 4 in which the industrial robot 1 shown in FIG. 1 is used. FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the industrial robot 1 shown in FIG. 1.

[0020] The industrial robot 1 of this embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "robot 1") is a horizontal articulated robot for conveying a predetermined conveyance object 2 (see FIG. 4 etc.). The conveyance object 2 is, for example, formed in a rectangular flat plate shape. Also, the conveyance object 2 is formed in a thin flat plate shape. The robot 1 is used in a predetermined manufacturing system 4 in which a storage cassette 3 as a storage unit for storing a plurality of conveyance objects 2 is set. The robot 1 performs the unloading of the conveyance object 2 from the storage cassette 3 and the loading of the conveyance object 2 into the storage cassette 3.

[0021] The thickness direction of the conveyance object 2 stored in the storage cassette 3 coincides with the vertical direction (up and down direction). A plurality of conveyance objects 2 are stored in the storage cassette 3 so as to overlap with a gap in the vertical direction. Inside the storage cassette 3, a plurality of cassette-side placement portions 3a (see FIG. 6) on which the conveyance object 2 is placed are formed. The vertical interval (pitch) between the conveyance objects 2 stored in the storage cassette 3 is narrow.

[0022] In the following description, the Y direction, as shown in Figure 2, which is perpendicular to the vertical direction, will be referred to as the "left-right direction," and the X direction, as shown in Figure 2, which is perpendicular to both the left-right and vertical directions, will be referred to as the "front-back direction." Furthermore, the X1 direction side in Figure 2, which is one side of the front-back direction, will be referred to as the "front" side or "near side," and the X2 direction side in Figure 2, which is the opposite side, will be referred to as the "rear" side or "back." In this embodiment, for example, two storage cassettes 3 are arranged with a gap between them in the left-right direction. Also, the storage cassettes 3 are located behind the robot 1. That is, the robot 1 is located in front of the storage cassettes 3. When the transport object 2, which is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape, is stored in the storage cassette 3, the direction of the longer side of the transport object 2 approximately coincides with the front-back direction, and the direction of the shorter side of the transport object 2 approximately coincides with the left-right direction.

[0023] Robot 1 comprises two hands 5 and 6, an arm 7 to which hands 5 and 6 are rotatably connected at the tip, and a main body 8 to which the base end of arm 7 is rotatably connected. The main body 8 comprises a lifting body 9 to which the base end of arm 7 is rotatably connected, and a case body 10 that holds the lifting body 9 so that it can move up and down. In this embodiment, hand 5 is the first hand, and hand 6 is the second hand.

[0024] Arm 7 is a multi-jointed arm that extends and retracts horizontally. Arm 7 is composed of three arm sections: a first arm section 11, a second arm section 12, and a third arm section 13. The second arm section 12 is rotatable relative to the first arm section 11, and the third arm section 13 is rotatable relative to the second arm section 12. In other words, Arm 7 is composed of three arm sections that are rotatable relative to each other. The base end of the first arm section 11 is rotatably connected to the main body section 8. Specifically, the base end of the first arm section 11 is rotatably connected to the upper end of the lifting body 9. The base end of the second arm section 12 is rotatably connected to the tip end of the first arm section 11. The base end of the third arm section 13 is rotatably connected to the tip end of the second arm section 12.

[0025] The first arm portion 11 is positioned above the main body portion 8. The second arm portion 12 is positioned above the first arm portion 11. The third arm portion 13 is positioned above the second arm portion 12. In the horizontal direction, the distance between the pivot center of the first arm portion 11 relative to the main body portion 8 and the pivot center of the second arm portion 12 relative to the first arm portion 11 is equal to the distance between the pivot center of the second arm portion 12 relative to the first arm portion 11 and the pivot center of the third arm portion 13 relative to the second arm portion 12.

[0026] Hands 5 and 6 are rotatably connected to the tip of the third arm 13. Specifically, the base ends of hands 5 and 6 are rotatably connected to the tip of the third arm 13. Hands 5 and 6 are positioned above the third arm 13. Also, hand 5 is positioned above hand 6. The pivot point of hand 5 relative to the third arm 13 and the pivot point of hand 6 relative to the third arm 13 coincide. Each of hands 5 and 6 is individually rotatable relative to the third arm 13.

[0027] Furthermore, the robot 1 includes a hand drive mechanism 16 as a first hand drive mechanism for rotating the hand 5 relative to the arm 7, a hand drive mechanism 17 as a second hand drive mechanism for rotating the hand 6 relative to the arm 7, an arm drive mechanism 18 for rotating the first arm section 11 and the second arm section 12 to extend and retract a part of the arm 7, which consists of the first arm section 11 and the second arm section 12, and a third arm drive mechanism 19 for rotating the third arm section 13 relative to the second arm section 12. In this embodiment, the arm drive mechanism 20 for extending and retracting the arm 7 is formed by the arm drive mechanism 18 and the third arm drive mechanism 19. The robot 1 also includes an arm lifting mechanism 21 for raising and lowering the arm 7 together with the lifting body 9 relative to the case body 10, and a control unit 22 for controlling the robot 1.

[0028] The hand drive mechanism 16 includes a motor that serves as a drive source and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the motor's power to the hand 5. The hand drive mechanism 17, similar to the hand drive mechanism 16, includes a motor that serves as a drive source and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the motor's power to the hand 6. The motors of the hand drive mechanisms 16 and 17 are located inside the third arm section 13. The hand drive mechanisms 16 and 17 are electrically connected to the control unit 22. Specifically, the motors and other components of the hand drive mechanisms 16 and 17 are electrically connected to the control unit 22.

[0029] The arm drive mechanism 18 includes a motor that serves as a drive source and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the motor's power to the first arm 11 and the second arm 12. The arm drive mechanism 18 rotates the first arm 11 and the second arm 12 such that the pivot point of the third arm 13 relative to the second arm 12 moves linearly in the left-right direction. The motor of the arm drive mechanism 18 is located inside the lifting body 9. The arm drive mechanism 18 is electrically connected to the control unit 22. Specifically, the motor and other components of the arm drive mechanism 18 are electrically connected to the control unit 22.

[0030] The third arm drive mechanism 19 includes a motor that serves as a drive source and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the motor's power to the third arm 13. The motor of the third arm drive mechanism 19 is located on the base end side of the second arm 12. The third arm drive mechanism 19 is electrically connected to the control unit 22. Specifically, the motor and other components of the third arm drive mechanism 19 are electrically connected to the control unit 22.

[0031] The arm lifting mechanism 21 includes a motor that serves as the drive source and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the motor's power to the lifting body 9. The arm lifting mechanism 21 is housed in the case body 10. The arm lifting mechanism 21 is electrically connected to the control unit 22. Specifically, the motor and other components of the arm lifting mechanism 21 are electrically connected to the control unit 22.

[0032] The arm drive mechanism 20 extends and retracts the arm 7 so that the hands 5 and 6 move linearly in the horizontal direction relative to the main body 8 when the object to be transported 2 is unloaded from the storage cassette 3 and when the object to be transported 2 is loaded into the storage cassette 3 (hereinafter referred to as "when the object to be transported 2 is being transported to the storage cassette 3"). In other words, the hands 5 and 6 move linearly in the horizontal direction when the object to be transported 2 is being transported to the storage cassette 3.

[0033] Specifically, when transporting the object to be transported 2 to the storage cassette 3, hands 5 and 6 move linearly in the front-rear direction relative to the storage cassette 3. Furthermore, the hand drive mechanism 16 rotates hand 5 so that, when transporting the object to be transported 2 to the storage cassette 3, hand 5 moves linearly in the front-rear direction while facing a constant direction relative to the main body 8. In other words, when transporting the object to be transported 2 to the storage cassette 3, hand 5 moves linearly in the front-rear direction relative to the storage cassette 3 while facing a constant direction. In this embodiment, the front-rear direction (X direction) is the direction of movement of hands 5 and 6 relative to the storage cassette 3.

[0034] As described above, when transporting the object to be transported 2 to the storage cassette 3, the hand 5 moves linearly in the front-rear direction relative to the storage cassette 3. Furthermore, as will be described later, the hand 5 performs a pulling operation when the robot 1 unloads the object to be transported 2 from the storage cassette 3, and a pushing operation when the robot 1 loads the object to be transported 2 into the storage cassette 3. In other words, the hand 5 moves linearly in the front-rear direction relative to the storage cassette 3 during the pulling and pushing operations. In this embodiment, the left-right direction (Y direction) is a first direction that is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the hand 5 relative to the storage cassette 3 and the up-down direction.

[0035] (Hand composition) The hand 5 is equipped with an engaging portion 23 that engages with the end of the object to be transported 2. The engaging portion 23 constitutes the tip of the hand 5. The base end of the hand 5 is connected to the arm 7. The engaging portion 23 is equipped with a gripping mechanism 24 that grips the end of the object to be transported 2. The gripping mechanism 24 includes, for example, an upper gripping member 25 and a lower gripping member 26 that grip the end of the object to be transported 2 by sandwiching it from above and below, and a gripping member lifting mechanism 27 (see Figure 3) that raises and lowers the upper gripping member 25. The upper gripping member 25 is positioned above the end of the object to be transported 2 that is gripped by the gripping mechanism 24, and the lower gripping member 26 is positioned below the end of the object to be transported 2 that is gripped by the gripping mechanism 24. The end of the object to be transported 2 rests on the upper surface of the lower gripping member 26.

[0036] The gripping member lifting mechanism 27 raises and lowers the upper gripping member 25 between a gripping position in which the upper gripping member 25 contacts the upper surface of the end of the object to be transported 2 and the gripping mechanism 24 grips the object to be transported 2, and a retracted position in which the upper gripping member 25 moves away from the upper surface of the end of the object to be transported 2. The gripping member lifting mechanism 27 includes a drive source such as a motor, solenoid, or air cylinder, and a power transmission mechanism that transmits power from the drive source to the upper gripping member 25. The gripping member lifting mechanism 27 is electrically connected to the control unit 22. Specifically, the drive source and other components of the gripping member lifting mechanism 27 are electrically connected to the control unit 22. The gripping member lifting mechanism 27 may also raise and lower two gripping members, the upper gripping member 25 and the lower gripping member 26.

[0037] As described above, when transporting the object to be transported 2 relative to the storage cassette 3, the hand 5 moves linearly in the front-rear direction relative to the storage cassette 3 while facing a certain direction. When transporting the object to be transported 2 relative to the storage cassette 3, the engaging portion 23 constitutes the rear end of the hand 5 and engages with the front end (the end on the near side) of the object to be transported 2. That is, when transporting the object to be transported 2 relative to the storage cassette 3, the gripping mechanism 24 grips the front end of the object to be transported 2. When transporting the object to be transported 2 relative to the storage cassette 3, the width of the upper gripping member 25 and the lower gripping member 26 in the left-right direction is narrower than the width of the object to be transported 2 in the short-side direction. When transporting the object to be transported 2 relative to the storage cassette 3, the upper gripping member 25 and the lower gripping member 26 grip the left-right central portion of the front end of the object to be transported 2.

[0038] The hand 6 comprises a mounting section 30 on which the object to be transported 2 is placed, a hand body section 31 to which the mounting section 30 is attached so as to be able to move up and down, and a mounting section lifting mechanism 32 (see Figure 3) for raising and lowering the mounting section 30 relative to the hand body section 31. The hand body section 31 is formed in the shape of a flat rectangular parallelepiped with a thin thickness in the vertical direction. The hand body section 31 is also formed in the shape of an elongated rectangular parallelepiped, and when viewed from above, the shape of the hand body section 31 is rectangular. In the following description, the direction of the long side of the hand body section 31, which has a rectangular shape when viewed from above, will be referred to as the "hand long side direction," and the direction of the short side of the hand body section 31 will be referred to as the "hand short side direction."

[0039] The base end of the hand body 31, which is one end of the hand body 31 in the direction of the long side of the hand, is connected to the arm 7. The mounting part 30 is attached to the upper surface of the tip of the hand body 31, which is the other end of the hand body 31 in the direction of the long side of the hand. The mounting part 30 is positioned above the hand body 31. The horizontal distance from the pivot center of the hands 5 and 6 relative to the arm 7 to the mounting part 30 is longer than the horizontal distance from the pivot center of the hands 5 and 6 relative to the arm 7 to the tips of the upper gripping member 25 and the lower gripping member 26.

[0040] When the object to be transported 2 is placed on the placement section 30 after the pull-out operation described later, and before the push-in operation described later, the hand body 31 is positioned so that the long side direction of the hand coincides with the front-to-back direction, and the short side direction of the hand coincides with the left-to-right direction. At this time, the center of the placement section 30 in the left-to-right direction and the center of the engagement section 23 in the left-to-right direction are located at the same position in the left-to-right direction. Also at this time, the placement section 30 constitutes the rear end of the hand 6.

[0041] The mounting section 30 has a mounting surface 30a on which the object to be transported 2 is placed. The ends of the object to be transported 2 in the direction of its short side are placed on the mounting surface 30a. The mounting surface 30a is formed at two locations on both ends in the direction of the short side of the hand. That is, mounting surfaces 30a are formed on both ends of the mounting section 30 in the direction of the short side of the hand, on which the ends of the object to be transported 2 in the direction of its short side are placed. The mounting surface 30a is a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. The lower surface of the object to be transported 2 is in contact with the mounting surface 30a.

[0042] The mounting surface 30a is formed in an elongated rectangular shape in the direction of the long side of the hand. The length of the mounting surface 30a in the direction of the long side of the hand is shorter than the length of the long side of the object to be conveyed 2. The upper surface 30b of the mounting section 30, which is the portion of the upper surface of the mounting section 30 between the two mounting surfaces 30a in the direction of the short side of the hand, is a plane that is positioned below the mounting surfaces 30a. That is, the portion of the upper surface of the hand 6 between the two mounting surfaces 30a in the direction of the short side of the hand is positioned below the mounting surfaces 30a. The upper surface 30b of the mounting section is a plane that is perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0043] Furthermore, the mounting section 30 has guide sections 30c formed therein that restrict the movement of the object to be transported 2 in the direction of the short side of the hand (i.e., restrict the movement of the object to be transported 2 in the direction of the short side of the object to be transported 2). The guide sections 30c are formed at two locations, at both ends of the mounting section 30 in the direction of the short side of the hand. The guide sections 30c are also formed on the outside of the mounting surface 30a in the direction of the short side of the hand. The guide sections 30c protrude upward. The end faces of the object to be transported 2 parallel to the long side can come into contact with the guide sections 30c. The guide sections 30c perform the function of restricting the movement of the object to be transported 2 in the left-right direction at least immediately after the pulling-out operation and immediately before the pushing-in operation, as described later.

[0044] The lifting mechanism 32 raises and lowers the lifting section 30 between a lifting position (see Figure 6(B)) where the lifting surface 30a is in contact with the lower surface of the object to be transported 2 and the object to be transported 2 is placed on the lifting surface 30a, and a retracted position (see Figure 6(A)) where the lifting surface 30a is retracted downward so as to be away from the lower surface of the object to be transported 2. The lifting mechanism 32 includes a drive source such as a motor, solenoid, or air cylinder, and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the power from the drive source to the lifting section 30. The lifting mechanism 32 is electrically connected to the control unit 22. Specifically, the drive source and other components of the lifting mechanism 32 are electrically connected to the control unit 22.

[0045] (Operation of industrial robots) Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the operation of the robot 1 shown in Figure 1 when transporting the object 2 to the storage cassette 3. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the mounting section 30 and the arm 7 after the pulling-out operation and before the pushing-in operation of the hand 5 shown in Figure 5(B). Although the storage cassette 3 is not shown in Figures 4 and 5, Figure 4 illustrates the state in which the entire object 2 is stored in the storage cassette 3, and Figure 5 illustrates the state in which only the rear end of the object 2 is stored in the storage cassette 3.

[0046] When robot 1 unloads the object to be transported 2 from the storage cassette 3, hand 5 performs a pulling operation to pull the object to be transported 2, which is stored in the storage cassette 3, out of the storage cassette 3 to a position where it can be placed on the mounting section 30 of hand 6. In the pulling operation, hand 5 pulls out the object to be transported 2, whose front end is engaged with the engaging section 23, from the storage cassette 3.

[0047] In the pulling operation, first, the hand 5 performs a first movement operation from a predetermined standby position shown in Figure 4(A) to a position where the front end (front end) of the object to be transported 2, which is to be stored in the storage cassette 3, can be grasped by the gripping mechanism 24 (see Figure 4(B)). That is, the arm 7 extends and retracts to a position where the front end of the object to be transported 2 can be grasped by the gripping mechanism 24. After the first movement operation, the hand 5 performs a gripping operation in which the gripping mechanism 24 grasps the front end of the object to be transported 2 (see Figure 4(B)). That is, the engaging portion 23 engages with the front end of the object to be transported 2 during the pulling operation.

[0048] After the gripping operation, the hand 5 performs a second movement operation, moving forward (towards the front) until the rear end (far end) of the object to be transported 2 is resting on the front end (front end) of the storage cassette 3 (see Figure 5(A)). In other words, the arm 7 extends and retracts until the rear end of the object to be transported 2 is resting on the front end of the storage cassette 3. Once the second movement operation is complete, the rear end of the object to be transported 2 is resting on the front end of the cassette-side mounting section 3a, as shown in Figure 6(A). Also, once the second movement operation is complete, the pulling operation by the hand 5 is completed.

[0049] The hand 6 performs a first rotational movement relative to the arm 7 to a position where it does not interfere with the storage cassette 3 while the hand 5 is performing the first movement (see Figure 4(B)). The hand 6 performs the first rotational movement before or during the first movement. The hand 6 also performs a second rotational movement relative to the arm 7 during or after the second movement, in which the mounting surface 30a is lowered below the lower surface of the object to be transported 2, and the mounting portion 30a is positioned below the object to be transported 2 (see Figures 5(A) and (B)). When the hand 6 performs the second rotational movement, the upper end of the guide portion 30c (i.e., the upper end of the hand 6) is positioned below the lower surface of the object to be transported 2.

[0050] Figure 6(A) shows the state when the second rotation is completed. When the second rotation is completed, the mounting section 30 is positioned below the object to be transported 2, with its rear end resting on the front end of the cassette-side mounting section 3a. Also, when the second rotation is completed, the hand 6 is positioned in front of the storage cassette 3. After the second rotation, the hand 6 performs a mounting section raising operation, raising the mounting section 30 until the mounting surface 30a contacts the underside of the object to be transported 2 (see Figure 6(B)). The second movement operation is completed before the mounting section raising operation.

[0051] After the mounting section is raised, the arm 7 performs an arm raising operation to a position where the lower surface of the rear end of the object to be transported 2 is lifted off the storage cassette 3 (specifically, a position where it is lifted off the upper surface of the front end of the cassette-side mounting section 3a) (see Figure 6(C)). At this time, the gripping mechanism 24 is gripping the front end of the object to be transported 2. The arm 7 also performs a first arm extension / retraction operation, moving the hands 5 and 6 forward during or after the arm raising operation. Subsequently, the robot 1 performs the raising and lowering operation of the lifting body 9 and the extension / retraction operation of the arm 7, etc., to transport the object to be transported 2, which has been unloaded from the storage cassette 3, to a predetermined position. At this time, the gripping mechanism 24 is gripping the end of the object to be transported 2.

[0052] Furthermore, when the robot 1 loads the object to be transported 2 into the storage cassette 3, the hand 5 performs a pushing operation to push the object to be transported 2, which was placed on the mounting section 30, to a position where it will be stored in the storage cassette 3. In the pushing operation, the hand 5 pushes the object to be transported 2, whose front end is gripped by the gripping mechanism 24, into the storage cassette 3. That is, the engaging section 23 engages with the front end of the object to be transported 2 during the pushing operation.

[0053] Before the pushing operation, the arm 7 performs a second arm extension / retraction operation, moving the hands 5 and 6 inward until the rear end of the object to be transported 2, which is placed on the mounting section 30 and whose front end is gripped by the gripping mechanism 24, enters the front part of the storage cassette 3 (see Figure 6(C)). Also, during or after the second arm extension / retraction operation, the arm 7 performs an arm lowering operation, lowering until the rear end of the object to be transported 2 rests on the front end of the storage cassette 3 (specifically, on the front end of the cassette-side mounting section 3a) (see Figure 6(B)).

[0054] After the arm lowering operation, the hand 6 performs a mounting section lowering operation, lowering the mounting section 30 until the mounting surface 30a is separated from the lower surface of the object to be transported 2 (see Figure 6(A)). After the mounting section lowering operation, the hand 6 also performs a third rotation operation, in which the hand 6 rotates a predetermined amount relative to the arm 7. In the third rotation operation, the hand 6 rotates to a position where it does not interfere with the storage cassette 3 when the hand 5 is performing the third movement operation described later (see Figures 5(A) and 4(B)).

[0055] During the pushing operation, the hand 5 performs a third movement operation during or after the third rotation operation, moving backward until the front end of the object to be transported 2 rests on the front end of the storage cassette 3. (See Figures 5(A) and 4(B)). In other words, during the third movement operation, the hand 5 pushes the object to be transported 2 backward until it is placed in the storage cassette 3. After the third movement operation, the hand 5 releases the gripping state of the object to be transported 2 by the gripping mechanism 24. Once the gripping state of the object to be transported 2 is released, the pushing operation by the hand 5 is completed. After that, the hands 5 and 6 move forward, for example.

[0056] (Main effects of this form) As described above, in this embodiment, the hand 5, which has an engaging portion 23 that engages with the front end of the object to be transported 2, performs a pulling operation to pull the object to be transported 2, which is stored in the storage cassette 3, out of the storage cassette 3 to a position where it can be placed on the mounting portion 30 of the hand 6, and a pushing operation to push the object to be transported 2, which was placed on the mounting portion 30, to a position where it can be stored in the storage cassette 3.

[0057] Therefore, in this configuration, even without inserting the hands 5 and 6 all the way to the back of the storage cassette 3, the object to be transported 2 can be pulled out of the storage cassette 3 by the pulling motion of the hand 5, which has an engaging portion 23 engaged with the front end of the object to be transported 2, and placed on the mounting portion 30, thereby enabling the object to be transported 2 to be removed from the storage cassette 3. At the same time, the object to be transported 2 that was placed on the mounting portion 30 can be loaded into the storage cassette 3 by the pushing motion of the hand 5, which has an engaging portion 23 engaged with the front end of the object to be transported 2. Consequently, in this configuration, even if the vertical spacing of the objects to be transported 2 stored in the storage cassette 3 is narrow and the hands 5 and 6 cannot be inserted all the way to the back of the storage cassette 3, it is possible to remove the object to be transported 2 from the storage cassette 3 and to load the object to be transported 2 into the storage cassette 3.

[0058] In this embodiment, the engaging portion 23 is equipped with a gripping mechanism 24 that grips the end of the object to be transported 2, and the end of the object to be transported 2 is gripped by the gripping mechanism 24 during the pulling operation and the pushing operation by the hand 5. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to stabilize the state of the object to be transported 2 when pulling or pushing operations are performed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the end of the object to be transported 2 is gripped by the gripping mechanism 24 even when the object to be transported 2 is placed on the mounting portion 30, it is possible to stabilize the state of the object to be transported 2 when the object to be transported 2 is placed on the mounting portion 30.

[0059] In this embodiment, a guide portion 30c is formed on the mounting portion 30 to restrict the movement of the object to be transported 2 in the direction of the short side of the hand. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to stabilize the state of the object to be transported 2 when it is transported while it is placed on the mounting portion 30.

[0060] (Other embodiments) The above-described embodiments are examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, but are not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without altering the essence of the invention.

[0061] In the above-described configuration, if the object to be transported 2 placed on the mounting section 30 can be gripped more stably by the gripping mechanism 24, then it is not necessary for the mounting section 30 to have a guide section 30c. Also, in the above-described configuration, the end of the object to be transported 2 is gripped by being sandwiched vertically between two gripping members, the upper gripping member 25 and the lower gripping member 26. However, for example, if the width in the direction of the shorter side of the object to be transported 2 is narrow, the end of the object to be transported 2 may be gripped by being sandwiched in the direction of the shorter side of the object to be transported 2 by the two gripping members.

[0062] In the above-described configuration, the engaging portion 23 does not necessarily have to include a gripping mechanism 24. In this case, for example, an engaging hole is formed at the end of the object to be transported 2, and the engaging portion 23 is equipped with an engaging claw that is inserted into and engages with this engaging hole. In this case, the engaging claw of the engaging portion 23 engages with the engaging hole of the object to be transported 2 during the pulling and pushing operations of the hand 5. Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, the hand 5 may perform only a pulling operation or only a pushing operation.

[0063] In the above-described configuration, the arm 7 may be composed of two arm sections: a first arm section 11 and a second arm section 12. In this case, hands 5 and 6 are rotatably connected to the tip of the second arm section 12. In this configuration, the robot 1 is equipped with a horizontal movement mechanism that moves the main body section 8 in the left-right direction, for example. In the above-described configuration, the object to be transported 2 may be formed in a flat plate shape other than a rectangle. For example, the object to be transported 2 may be formed in a square flat plate shape or in a circular disc shape.

[0064] (Configuration of this technology) Furthermore, this technology can be configured as follows: (1) In an industrial robot that transports objects, The system comprises a first hand having an engaging portion that engages with the end of the object to be transported, a second hand having a mounting portion on which the object to be transported is placed, an arm to which the first hand and the second hand are rotatably connected at the tip, and a main body to which the base end of the arm is rotatably connected. The aforementioned arm is a multi-joint arm composed of multiple arm sections that can rotate relative to each other. The industrial robot is characterized in that the first hand performs at least one of the following operations: a pulling operation, which pulls the object to be transported from the storage unit to a position where it can be placed on the aforementioned storage unit; and a pushing operation, which pushes the object to be transported, which was placed on the aforementioned storage unit, to a position where it can be stored in the storage unit. (2) comprising an arm drive mechanism for extending and retracting the arm, an arm lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the arm, a first hand drive mechanism for rotating the first hand relative to the arm, and a second hand drive mechanism for rotating the second hand relative to the arm, The industrial robot according to (1), characterized in that the second hand comprises a hand body to which the aforementioned mounting portion is mounted so as to be able to move up and down, and a mounting portion lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the aforementioned mounting portion relative to the hand body. (3) The industrial robot according to (2), characterized in that the engaging portion is equipped with a gripping mechanism for gripping the end of the object to be conveyed. (4) The first hand performs the pulling operation and moves linearly in the horizontal direction relative to the housing during the pulling operation. If we define one side of the first hand's movement direction relative to the storage section as the front side, the opposite side as the back side, and the surface of the aforementioned storage section on which the object to be transported is placed as the placement surface, The aforementioned industrial robot is positioned on the front side of the housing section. In the aforementioned pulling operation, the first hand performs a first movement operation to move the front end of the object to be transported, which is to be stored in the storage section, to the rear side to a position where it can be gripped by the gripping mechanism; a gripping operation to grip the front end of the object to be transported with the gripping mechanism after the first movement operation; and a second movement operation to move the rear end of the object to be transported to the front side to a position where it rests on the front end of the storage section after the gripping operation. The second hand performs a first rotational movement in which the second hand rotates relative to the arm to a position where it does not interfere with the housing when the first hand is performing the first movement; a second rotational movement in which the aforementioned mounting portion rotates relative to the arm to a position where the aforementioned mounting surface is lowered below the lower surface of the object to be transported, during or after the second movement; and a mounting portion raising movement in which the aforementioned mounting portion is raised to a position where the aforementioned mounting surface contacts the lower surface of the object to be transported after the second rotational movement. The industrial robot according to (3), characterized in that the arm performs an arm raising operation in which, after the above-described raising operation of the storage unit, the lower surface of the rear end of the object to be conveyed is lifted away from the storage unit, and a first arm extension and retraction operation in which the first hand and the second hand are moved towards the front during or after the arm raising operation. (5) The first hand performs the pushing operation and moves linearly in the horizontal direction relative to the housing during the pushing operation. If we define one side of the first hand's movement direction relative to the storage section as the front side, the opposite side as the back side, and the surface of the aforementioned storage section on which the object to be transported is placed as the placement surface, The aforementioned industrial robot is positioned on the front side of the housing section. The arm performs a second arm extension / retraction operation, before the pushing operation, which moves the first hand and the second hand backward to a position where the rear end of the object to be transported, which is placed on the aforementioned storage unit and whose front end is gripped by the gripping mechanism, enters the front side of the storage unit; and an arm lowering operation, which lowers the arm during or after the second arm extension / retraction operation to a position where the rear end of the object to be transported rests on the front side of the storage unit. The second hand performs a mounting portion lowering operation, which lowers the mounting portion to a position where the mounting surface is separated from the lower surface of the object to be transported after the arm lowering operation, and a third rotation operation, which rotates the second hand by a predetermined amount relative to the arm after the mounting portion lowering operation. In the pushing operation, the first hand performs a third movement operation in which, during or after the third rotation operation, the front end of the object to be transported moves backward to a position where it rests on the front end of the storage section. The industrial robot according to (3) or (4), characterized in that, in the third rotational movement, the second hand rotates to a position where it does not interfere with the housing when the first hand is performing the third movement. (6) The industrial robot according to any one of (1) to (5), characterized in that the arm comprises, as the arm portion, a first arm portion whose base end is rotatably connected to the main body portion; a second arm portion whose base end is rotatably connected to the tip end of the first arm portion; and a third arm portion whose base end is rotatably connected to the tip end of the second arm portion and to which the first hand and the second hand are rotatably connected. (7) The first hand performs the pulling out operation and the pushing in operation, and moves linearly in the horizontal direction relative to the housing during the pulling out operation and the pushing in operation. If the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first hand relative to the housing and the vertical direction is defined as the first direction, The industrial robot according to any one of (1) to (6), characterized in that the mounting portion is provided with a guide portion that restricts the movement of the object to be transported in the first direction at least immediately after the pulling-out operation and immediately before the pushing-in operation. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0065] 1. Robots (Industrial Robots) 2. Objects to be transported 3. Cassette storage (storage compartment) 5th hand (1st hand) 6th hand (2nd hand) 7 Arms 8 Main body 11. First arm section (arm section) 12. Second arm section (arm section) 13. Third arm section (arm section) 16. Hand drive mechanism (first hand drive mechanism) 17. Hand drive mechanism (second hand drive mechanism) 20 Arm drive mechanism 21 Arm lifting mechanism 23 Engaging part 24 Gripping mechanism 30 Mounting section 30a Mounting surface 30c Guide section 31 Hand Body 32 Mounting section lifting mechanism Direction of movement of the first hand relative to the X housing X1 (front side) X2 back side Y First direction

Claims

1. In industrial robots that transport objects, The system comprises a first hand having an engaging portion that engages with the end of the object to be transported, a second hand having a mounting portion on which the object to be transported is placed, an arm to which the first hand and the second hand are rotatably connected at the tip, and a main body to which the base end of the arm is rotatably connected. The aforementioned arm is a multi-joint arm composed of multiple arm sections that can rotate relative to each other. The first hand is characterized by performing at least one of the following operations: a pulling operation, which pulls the object to be transported from the storage unit to a position where it can be placed on the aforementioned storage unit; and a pushing operation, which pushes the object to be transported, which was placed on the aforementioned storage unit, to a position where it can be stored in the storage unit.

2. The system comprises an arm drive mechanism for extending and retracting the arm, an arm lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the arm, a first hand drive mechanism for rotating the first hand relative to the arm, and a second hand drive mechanism for rotating the second hand relative to the arm. The industrial robot according to claim 1, characterized in that the second hand comprises a hand body to which the aforementioned mounting portion is mounted so as to be able to move up and down, and a mounting portion lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the aforementioned mounting portion relative to the hand body.

3. The industrial robot according to claim 2, characterized in that the engaging portion includes a gripping mechanism for gripping the end of the object to be conveyed.

4. The first hand performs the pulling-out operation and moves linearly in the horizontal direction relative to the housing during the pulling-out operation. If we define one side of the first hand's movement direction relative to the storage section as the front side, the opposite side as the back side, and the surface of the aforementioned storage section on which the object to be transported is placed as the placement surface, The aforementioned industrial robot is positioned on the front side of the housing section. In the aforementioned pulling operation, the first hand performs a first movement operation to move the front end of the object to be transported, which is to be stored in the storage section, to the rear side until it is in a position where it can be grasped by the gripping mechanism; a gripping operation to grasp the front end of the object to be transported with the gripping mechanism after the first movement operation; and a second movement operation to move the rear end of the object to be transported to the front side until it is in a position where it is resting on the front end of the storage section after the gripping operation. The second hand performs a first rotational movement in which the second hand rotates relative to the arm to a position where it does not interfere with the housing when the first hand is performing the first movement; a second rotational movement in which the aforementioned mounting portion rotates relative to the arm to a position where the aforementioned mounting surface is lowered below the lower surface of the object to be transported, during or after the second movement; and a mounting portion raising movement in which the aforementioned mounting portion is raised to a position where the aforementioned mounting surface contacts the lower surface of the object to be transported after the second rotational movement. The industrial robot according to claim 3, characterized in that the arm performs an arm raising operation in which, after the above-described raising operation of the storage unit, the lower surface of the rear end of the object to be conveyed is lifted off the storage unit, and a first arm extension and retraction operation in which the first hand and the second hand are moved towards the front during or after the arm raising operation.

5. The first hand performs the pushing operation and moves linearly in the horizontal direction relative to the housing during the pushing operation. If we define one side of the first hand's movement direction relative to the storage section as the front side, the opposite side as the back side, and the surface of the aforementioned storage section on which the object to be transported is placed as the placement surface, The aforementioned industrial robot is positioned on the front side of the housing section. The arm performs a second arm extension / retraction operation, before the pushing operation, which moves the first hand and the second hand backward until the rear end of the object to be transported, which is placed on the aforementioned resting part and whose front end is gripped by the gripping mechanism, enters the front part of the storage section; and an arm lowering operation, which lowers the arm until the rear end of the object to be transported rests on the front end of the storage section, either during or after the second arm extension / retraction operation. The second hand performs a mounting portion lowering operation, which lowers the mounting portion to a position where the mounting surface is separated from the lower surface of the object to be transported after the arm lowering operation, and a third rotation operation, which rotates the second hand by a predetermined amount relative to the arm after the mounting portion lowering operation. In the pushing operation, the first hand performs a third movement operation in which, during or after the third rotation operation, the front end of the object to be transported moves backward to a position where it rests on the front end of the storage section. The industrial robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, in the third rotational movement, the second hand rotates to a position where it does not interfere with the housing when the first hand is performing the third movement.

6. The industrial robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the arm comprises, as the arm portion, a first arm portion whose base end is rotatably connected to the main body portion, a second arm portion whose base end is rotatably connected to the tip end of the first arm portion, and a third arm portion whose base end is rotatably connected to the tip end of the second arm portion and to which the first hand and the second hand are rotatably connected.

7. The first hand performs the pulling-out operation and the pushing-in operation, and moves linearly in the horizontal direction relative to the housing during the pulling-out operation and the pushing-in operation. If the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first hand relative to the housing and the vertical direction is defined as the first direction, The industrial robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the mounting portion is provided with a guide portion that restricts the movement of the object to be transported in a first direction at least immediately after the pulling-out operation and immediately before the pushing-in operation.

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