Article Conveying Robot Wiring Stress Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional semiconductor wafer carrier robots face challenges in achieving a compact form while minimizing stress on wiring and piping, leading to dust generation and quality issues due to sharp curvature and friction, which affects the cleanliness and efficiency in clean room environments.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a flexible tube connected between base-side and post-side protective pipes, with a lubricating agent applied inside, and a pivot with a radial bearing to reduce bending angles and stress on wiring and piping, along with a seal member to prevent particle discharge, allowing for a more compact and efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the radius of curvature of the curved portion is enlarged to reduce stress on wiring/piping, then dust generation is reduced, but the robot's form factor increases and compactness is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The protective pipe is divided into two segments: a base-side protective pipe fixed to the horizontal base, and a post-side protective pipe that moves with the vertical post. This segmentation allows the curved portion to be distributed across both segments, reducing stress concentration while maintaining a compact overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved portion of the wiring/piping is nested within the protective pipes, which are themselves integrated into the robot's structural components. The base-side protective pipe is fixed to the horizontal base, and the post-side protective pipe is integrated with the vertical post, creating a nested arrangement that protects the wiring while maintaining compactness.
2Reliability
If a flexible cable bear is used to support the wiring/piping bundle during movement, then the wiring is protected, but friction and wear increase leading to dust generation
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful friction interface between the flexible cable bear and the wiring/piping is extracted and replaced by introducing the wiring through rigid protective pipes. The base-side protective pipe and post-side protective pipe provide a smooth, low-friction pathway for the wiring, eliminating the dust-generating friction of the flexible cable bear.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective pipes serve as intermediary structures between the moving components and the wiring/piping. Instead of the wiring directly contacting the flexible cable bear, it is introduced through the protective pipes, which mediate the movement and protect the wiring from friction and wear.
3Volume of moving object
If the wiring/piping is sharply curved to accommodate compact robot design, then the robot form factor is reduced, but stress and wear on the wiring increase causing dust generation
Solution Approach 1:
The protective pipe system is segmented into a fixed base-side portion and a moving post-side portion, connected through a pivot. This segmentation allows the wiring to follow a smoother curved path distributed across both segments, reducing stress concentration at any single point while maintaining compact robot dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The post-side protective pipe is made dynamic by allowing it to pivot relative to the base-side protective pipe. This dynamic arrangement enables the wiring to follow a smoother curved path during robot movement, reducing stress and wear while maintaining the compact form factor required for clean room applications.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration significantly reduces stress and wear on wiring and piping, minimizes dust generation, and maintains cleanliness by allowing the robot to operate with a more compact form, effectively addressing the challenges of curvature and friction, especially in semiconductor manufacturing environments.
Implementation Method 1
a lubricating agent applied inside, and a pivot with a radial bearing to reduce bending angles and stress on wiring and piping
Implementation Method 2
a pivot with a radial bearing to reduce bending angles and stress on wiring and piping
Data Source
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AI summary
An article carrier robot includes: a horizontal base; a horizontally movable unit supported by the horizontal base so as to be movable in a horizontal direction; a robot main body supported by the horizontally movable unit; at least one of wiring and piping introduced into the robot main body from the horizontal base; and a restriction unit supported by the horizontally movable unit so as to be swayable about a pivot provided to the horizontally movable unit. The restriction unit is configured to restrict deformation of a part of the at least one of wiring and piping.