Single Ball Screw Shaft for Substrate Transfer Guide Block Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate transfer apparatuses using multiple ball screw shafts increase manufacturing costs and suffer from structural inefficiencies, including sagging and spatial restrictions, when adjusting the position and width of guide blocks for accommodating printed circuit boards of varying sizes.
Innovation Solution
A substrate transfer apparatus utilizing a single ball screw shaft to move and adjust the gap between guide blocks, with a first drive unit rotating the ball screw shaft to move both guide blocks and a second drive unit adjusting the gap between them, simplifying the structure and preventing sagging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple ball screw shafts are used to move and adjust guide blocks, then the guide blocks can be positioned and width-adjusted independently, but the manufacturing cost increases and structural sagging occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two separate ball screw shafts into a single shared ball screw shaft that serves both guide blocks. The first and second ball screw nuts are both engaged with the same ball screw shaft, allowing one shaft to simultaneously control the movement and width adjustment of both guide blocks, thereby reducing component count and eliminating sagging while maintaining full positioning capability
Solution Approach 2:
The single ball screw shaft is designed to perform multiple functions: it enables independent positioning of the first guide block via the first ball screw nut, independent positioning of the second guide block via the second ball screw nut, and width adjustment between the guide blocks. This multi-functional design replaces what previously required two separate shafts
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple ball screw shafts are used for guide block adjustment, then positioning precision is maintained, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging two ball screw shafts into one shared shaft with two separate nuts, the patent reduces the number of precision-machined shafts from two to one, directly lowering manufacturing cost while the independent nut mechanisms preserve positioning precision for each guide block
3Device complexity
If a single ball screw shaft is used to move both guide blocks, then the structure is simplified and costs are reduced, but the ability to independently adjust guide block positions is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control mechanism by using two independent ball screw nuts (first and second ball screw nuts) that both engage with the single ball screw shaft. This segmentation allows each guide block to be controlled independently through its respective nut, preserving full positioning capability while using a unified shaft structure
Solution Approach 2:
The ball screw nuts act as intermediaries between the single ball screw shaft and the two guide blocks. Each nut translates the rotational motion of the shared shaft into linear motion for its associated guide block, enabling independent positioning control through a common actuator
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 solution reduces manufacturing costs, simplifies the apparatus structure, and prevents sagging of the ball screw shaft, enabling efficient handling of printed circuit boards with varying widths without spatial restrictions.
Implementation Method 1
a ball screw shaft (130) connected to the guide blocks (110, 120) to move the guide blocks (110, 120) in an axial direction of the ball screw shaft (130)
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate transfer apparatus and a method of driving the same includes a first guide block and a second guide block, and a single ball screw shaft connected to the first and second guide blocks moves the guide blocks in an axial direction thereof. A first drive unit rotates the ball screw shaft to concurrently move the pair of guide blocks, and a second drive unit connected to the second guide block separately moves the second guide block with respect to the first guide block.