Robot having two arms with unequal link lengths

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10224232-B2
Application number	US-201615017970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2016
Priority date	Jan 18, 2013
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus including at least one drive; a first robot arm having a first upper arm, a first forearm and a first end effector. The first upper arm is connected to the at least one drive at a first axis of rotation. A second robot arm has a second upper arm, a second forearm and a second end effector. The second upper arm is connected to the at least one drive at a second axis of rotation which is spaced from the first axis of rotation. The first and second robot arms are configured to locate the end effectors in first retracted positions for stacking substrates located on the end effectors at least partially one above the another. The first and second robot arms are configured to extend the end effectors from the first retracted positions in a first direction along parallel first paths located at least partially directly one above the other. The first and second robot arms are configured to extend the end effectors in at least one second direction along second paths spaced from one another which are not located above one another. The first upper arm and the first forearm have different effective lengths. The second upper arm and the second forearm have different effective lengths.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
at least one drive;
a first robot arm comprising a first upper arm, a first forearm and a first end effector, where the first upper arm is connected to the at least one drive at a first axis of rotation; and
a second robot arm comprising a second upper arm, a second forearm and a second end effector, where the second upper arm is connected to the at least one drive at a second axis of rotation which is spaced from the first axis of rotation;
where the first and second robot arms are configured to locate the end effectors in first retracted positions for stacking substrates located on the end effectors at least partially one above the another, where the first and second robot arms are configured to extend the end effectors from the first retracted positions in a first direction along parallel first paths located, at least partially, directly one above the other, and where the first and second robot arms are configured to extend the end effectors in at least one second direction along second paths spaced from one another which are not located above one another,
where the first upper arm and the first forearm have different effective lengths, and where the second upper arm and the second forearm have different effective lengths.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a mechanical drive transmission connecting the at least one drive to the first forearm at a first joint between the first upper arm and the first forearm for the at least one drive to rotate the first forearm, where the mechanical drive transmission comprises at least one non-circular pulley and a first band.

3. An apparatus as in claim 2 further comprising a second band connecting the first end effector, at a wrist joint of the first end effector to the first forearm, to the first joint.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the at least one drive comprises only four motors for rotating first and second upper arms.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a first circular pulley and a first band connecting the at least one drive to a second circular pulley at a first joint between the first upper arm and the first forearm, where the first and second pulleys have different diameters.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the at least one drive comprises only five motors for rotating first and second upper arms.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the first and second robot arms are configured to provide second retracted positions to locate the end effectors such that the substrates located on the end effectors are not stacked one above the another.

8. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a controller configured to controller the at least one drive to move the first and second robot arms substantially simultaneously from the first retracted positions along the first paths and move the first and second robot arms individually or simultaneously along the second paths.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the second axis of rotation is laterally offset from and parallel to the first axis of rotation.

10. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the second paths are at least partially laterally offset from one another and parallel to one another.

11. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the second paths are at least partially laterally offset from one another and angled relative to one another.

12. An apparatus comprising:
a first robot arm comprising a first upper arm, a first forearm and a first end effector;
a second robot arm comprising a second upper arm, a second forearm and a second end effector; and
a drive connected to the first and second robot arms, where the first upper arm is connected to the drive at a first axis of rotation, where the second upper arm is connected to the drive at a second axis of rotation which is spaced from the first axis of rotation, where the drive comprises only three motors for rotating first and second upper arms,
where the first and second robot arms are configured to locate the end effectors in first retracted positions for stacking substrates located on the end effectors at least partially one above the another, where the first and second robot arms are configured to extend the end effectors from the first retracted positions in a first direction along parallel first paths located, at least partially, directly one above the other, and where the first and second robot arms are configured to extend the end effectors in at least one second direction along second paths spaced from one another which are not located above one another.

13. An apparatus as in claim 12 where the first upper arm and the first forearm have different effective lengths, and where the second upper arm and the second forearm have different effective lengths.

14. An apparatus as in any one of claim 12 further comprising at least one non-circular pulley and a first band connecting the drive to the first forearm at a first joint between the first upper arm and the first forearm.

15. An apparatus as in any one of claim 12 further comprising a second band connecting the first end effector, at a wrist joint of the first end effector to the first forearm, to the first joint.

16. An apparatus as in claim 12 further comprising a first circular pulley and a first band connecting the drive to a second circular pulley at a first joint between the first upper arm and the first forearm, where the first and second pulleys have different diameters.

17. An apparatus as in any one of claim 12 where the first and second robot arms are configured to provide second retracted positions to locate the end effectors such that the substrates located on the end effectors are not stacked one above the another.

18. An apparatus as in any one of claim 12 further comprising a controller configured to control the drive to move the first and second robot arms substantially simultaneously from the first retracted positions along the first paths and move the first and second robot arms individually or simultaneously along the second paths.

19. An apparatus as in any one of claim 12 where the three motors are aligned in a common axis.

20. An apparatus as in any one of claim 12 where the three motors are located in three respective spaced axes.

21. An apparatus as in any one of claim 12 further comprising a z-axis motor connected to the drive to move the drive and the first and second robot arms vertically.

22. An apparatus as in claim 12 where the second axis of rotation is laterally offset from and parallel to the first axis of rotation, and where the drive is configured to move the first and second robot arms to extend the end effectors in the at least one second direction along the second paths at least partially at a same time.

23. An apparatus as in claim 12 where the second paths are at least partially laterally offset from one another and parallel to one another, and where the drive is configured to move the first and second robot arms to extend the end effectors in the at least one second direction along the second paths at least partially at a same time.

24. An apparatus as in claim 12 where the second paths are at least partially laterally offset from one another and angled relative to one another, and where the drive is configured to move the first and second robot arms to extend the end effectors in the at least one second direction along the second paths at least partially at a same time.

25. An appara

Assignees

• Persimmon Technologies Corp
• Persimmon Tech Corporation

Inventors

• Hosek Martin

Classifications

• H10P72/3302

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/7611 Primary

  characterised by edge profile or support profile · CPC title

• H01L21/68735 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B25J18/04 Primary

  rotatable · CPC title

• B25J9/042

  comprising an articulated arm · CPC title