Dual arm robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11253994-B2
Application number	US-201816043757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2018
Priority date	May 9, 2002
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

A robot assembly for transporting a substrate is presented. The robot assembly having a first arm and a second arm supported by a column, the first arm further having a first limb, the first limb having a first set of revolute joint/line pairs configured to provide translation and rotation of the distal most link of the first limb in the horizontal plane. The assembly further having a second arm further having a second limb, the second limb comprising a second set of revolute joint/link pairs configured to provide translation and rotation of a distalmost link of the second limb in the horizontal plane. The first limb and second limb further having proximal revolute joints having a common vertical axis of rotation and a proximal inner joint housed in a common housing. The assembly further having an actuator assembly coupled to the first set of revolute joint/link pairs and to the second set of revolute joint/link pairs to effect rotation and translation of the distalmost links of the first limb and the second limb, each of the first limb and the second limb defining, in conjunction with the actuator assembly, at least three degrees of freedom per limb, whereby the distalmost links of the first limb and the second limb are independently horizontally translatable for extension and retraction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot assembly comprising:
a vertical motion assembly comprising:
a column supported on a base;
a pair of vertically extending rails disposed on the column;
a rotatable driving member mounted to the column for rotation about a vertical axis parallel to the vertically extending rails;
a carriage mounted for reciprocating travel along the pair of vertically extending rails, the carriage comprising a stage configured to support a motor thereon, and a prismatic joint engageable with the column, the stage including a transmission mechanism engageable with the rotatable driving member to transfer rotary motion of the rotatable driving member to linear motion of the carriage;
at least one robot arm having an end effector mounting flange at a distal end;
the motor disposed on the stage of the carriage, the motor being in operative communication with the robot arm to provide translation and rotation of the end effector mounting flange; and
a braking mechanism configured to automatically engage the rotatable driving member so as to retain the carriage in a vertical location in automatic response to a power failure, wherein the braking mechanism comprises a magnetic brake pad adjustably mounted to the rotatable driving member and a magnetic biasing mechanism on the column, magnetically biasing the magnetic brake pad in an open position.

2. The robot assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable driving member comprises a rotatable lead screw, and the transmission mechanism comprises a nut fixed to the stage and disposed in rotatable engagement with the lead screw.

3. The robot assembly of claim 1 , wherein the motor is a motor stack and the stage includes a motor stack mounting bracket, the motor stack being disposed on the motor stack mounting bracket.

4. The robot assembly of claim 3 , wherein the motor stack mounting bracket is formed separately from the stage.

5. The robot assembly of claim 3 , wherein the motor stack mounting bracket and the stage are formed as a unitary, single piece member.

6. The robot assembly of claim 1 , wherein the prismatic joint engages the column through the vertically extending rails.

7. The robot assembly of claim 1 , wherein the prismatic joint comprises linear bearings.

8. The robot assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a protective cage mounted to the column, wherein the protective cage encloses the carriage.

9. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a frame;
a first arm connected to the frame, the first arm being a three link arm configured to extend and retract along a first radial axis and having an upper arm, a forearm and an end effector;
a second arm connected to the frame, the second arm being a three link arm configured to extend and retract along a second radial axis and having an upper arm, a forearm and an end effector, where the first and second arms have a common axis of rotation on a common base from which the first and second arms depend; and
a drive section coupled to the first and second arms, the drive section having but two degrees of freedom disposed co-axially forming a coaxial drive spindle and being configured with the but two degrees of freedom continuously engaged to extend both the first and second arms with the coaxial drive spindle along respective radial axes and, with the but two degrees of freedom continuously engaged, rotate both the first and second arms with the coaxial drive spindle about the common axis of rotation so that the extension and retraction of the first and second arms along the respective radial axes is coupled.

10. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the coaxial drive spindle is located substantially coincident with the common axis of rotation.

11. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the extension and retraction of the first and second arms is a reciprocal extension and retraction so that as one of the first and second arms extends the other one of the first and second arms retracts.

12. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each of the end effectors is mounted to a respective arm such that an angle between the end effectors substantially matches an angle between radially adjacent substrate holding stations accessible by each arm.

13. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the angle between the end effectors is an adjustable angle.

14. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the upper arm of each of the first and second arms is connected to the drive section at the common axis of rotation, the forearm of each of the first and second arms is connected to a respective upper arm at an elbow axis and the end effector of each of the first and second arms is connected to a respective forearm at a wrist axis.

15. A method comprising:
providing a frame of a substrate processing apparatus;
providing a first arm connected to the frame, the first arm being a three link arm configured to extend and retract along a first radial axis and having an upper arm, a forearm and an end effector;
providing a second arm connected to the frame, the second arm being a three link arm configured to extend and retract along a second radial axis and having an upper arm, a forearm and an end effector, where the first and second arms have a common axis of rotation on a common base from which the first and second arms depend; and
extending both the first and second arms along respective radial axes with a coaxial drive spindle of a drive section coupled to the first and second arms, the drive section having but two degrees of freedom continuously engaged and disposed co-axially forming the coaxial drive spindle, and rotating both the first and second arms with the coaxial drive spindle about the common axis of rotation so that, with the but two degrees of freedom continuously engaged, the extension and retraction of the first and second arms along the respective radial axes is coupled.

16. The method of claim 15 , the coaxial drive spindle is located substantially coincident with the common axis of rotation.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the extension and retraction of the first and second arms is a reciprocal extension and retraction so that as one of the first and second arms extends the other one of the first and second arms retracts.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein each of the end effectors is mounted to a respective arm such that an angle between the end effectors substantially matches an adjustable angle between radially adjacent substrate holding stations accessible by each arm.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the angle between the end effectors is an adjustable angle.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the upper arm of each of the first and second arms is connected to the drive section at the common axis of rotation, the forearm of each of the first and second arms is connected to a respective upper arm at an elbow axis and the end effector of each of the first and second arms is connected to a respective forearm at a wrist axis.

Assignees

• Brooks Automation Inc
• Brooks Automation Us Llc

Inventors

• Kremerman Izya

Classifications

• H10P72/33

  into and out of processing chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/3302

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• B25J9/042 Primary

  comprising an articulated arm · CPC title

• Y10S901/17

  Cylindrical · CPC title

• Y10T74/20341

  Power elements as controlling elements · CPC title