Transfer apparatus using electrostatic attraction and transfer method using electrostatic attraction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10957934-B2
Application number	US-201916257274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2019
Priority date	Feb 8, 2018
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A transfer apparatus using an electrostatic attraction includes an electrostatic chuck for attracting and placing a workpiece as a transfer member on a placement surface by electrostatic attraction. The electrostatic chuck is grounded by an earth via a ground electrode after the electrostatic chuck receives electric power from a power supply surface of a power source via power receiving electrodes of the electrostatic chuck, so that the electrostatic chuck is configured to attract and place the workpiece on the placement surface by electrostatic attraction in a state where electrostatic balance is broken.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transfer apparatus using an electrostatic attraction comprising:
an electrostatic chuck including an electrostatic electrode disposed at a placement surface and including a power receiving electrode and a ground electrode disposed at a surface different from the placement surface, the electrostatic chuck configured to attract and place a transfer member on the placement surface by electrostatic attraction;
a conveyor configured to move the electrostatic chuck;
a power source having a power supply surface configured to apply a voltage to the electrostatic electrode by coming in contact with the power receiving electrode when the electrostatic chuck moves on the conveyor;
an earth configured to ground the electrostatic chuck by coming in contact with the ground electrode when the electrostatic chuck moves on the conveyor; and
a putting apparatus configured to put the transfer member on the placement surface, wherein:
a power supply start position where the power supply surface starts to come in contact with the power receiving electrode is provided upstream of a putting position where the transfer member is put on the placement surface by the putting apparatus;
a grounding start position where the earth starts to come in contact with the ground electrode is provided downstream of the power supply start position;
a grounding end position where the earth ends to come in contact with the ground electrode is provided upstream of a power supply end position where the power supply surface ends to come in contact with the power receiving electrode; and
the electrostatic chuck is grounded by the earth via the ground electrode after the electrostatic chuck receives electric power from the power supply surface via the power receiving electrode, the electrostatic chuck configured to attract and place the transfer member on the placement surface by the electrostatic attraction in a state where electrostatic balance is broken.

2. The transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the putting position is provided between the grounding start position and the grounding end position.

3. The transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the electrostatic chuck includes an aluminum plate;
the power receiving electrode passes through the aluminum plate and is electrically connected to the electrostatic electrode; and
the ground electrode is electrically connected to the aluminum plate.

4. The transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply surface and the earth are disposed across the conveyor from each other.

5. The transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the conveyor is provided in an endless annular shape; and
the electrostatic chuck is configured to circulate on the conveyor, and a polarity-reversing power supply surface for reversing polarity of voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck moving on the conveyor is provided.

6. The transfer apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein:
the polarity-reversing power supply surface is provided separately from the power supply surface; and
the polarity-reversing power supply surface and the power supply surface are both configured to use voltage of the power source.

7. The transfer apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein:
the power source is formed by a pulse power source; and
the polarity-reversing power supply surface is formed on the power supply surface by the pulse power source.

8. A transfer method using an electrostatic attraction comprising:
causing an electrostatic chuck to receive electric power from a power supply surface by bringing a power receiving electrode into contact with the power supply surface when the electrostatic chuck moves on a conveyor configured to move the electrostatic chuck, the electrostatic chuck including an electrostatic electrode disposed at a placement surface and including the power receiving electrode and a ground electrode disposed at a surface different from the placement surface, the electrostatic chuck configured to place a transfer member on the placement surface by electrostatic attraction, the power supply surface included in a power source and configured to apply a voltage to the electrostatic electrode;
grounding the electrostatic chuck by bringing the ground electrode into contact with an earth after the electrostatic chuck receives the electric power, the earth configured to ground the electrostatic chuck;
putting the transfer member on the placement surface by a putting apparatus configured to put the transfer member on the placement surface, and attracting the transfer member on the placement surface by the electrostatic attraction in a state where electrostatic balance in the electrostatic chuck is broken; and
transferring the transfer member attracted on the placement surface.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hisano Hirohiko

Classifications

• H01M50/256

  Carrying devices, e.g. belts · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

  characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65G54/02

  electrostatic, electric, or magnetic · CPC title

• B23B31/28

  using electric or magnetic means in the chuck · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title