Tray engine with slide attached to an end effector base

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9545724-B2
Application number	US-201313830692-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

A tray engine includes a vertical drive column, a rotation mechanism for rotating the vertical drive column, and an end effector attached to the vertical drive column. The end effector includes an end effector base attached to the vertical drive column. The end effector further includes a slide attached to the end effector base to support a tray, when present. The slide enables the tray to slide along a length of the end effector base. The tray engine includes a drive mechanism attached to the end effector base for moving along the length of the end effector base to enable the tray, when present, to slide linearly along the length and load or unload the tray to or from the slide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tray engine comprising:
a vertical drive column;
a rotation mechanism for rotating the vertical drive column; and
an end effector attached to the vertical drive column, the end effector including:
an end effector base attached to the vertical drive column;
a slide attached to the end effector base to support a tray, when present, and enable the tray to slide along a length of the end effector base;
a drive mechanism attached to the end effector base for moving along the length of the end effector base to enable the tray, when present, to slide linearly along the length and load or unload the tray to or from the slide; and

a grip assembly attached to the drive mechanism, wherein the grip body is assembly includes:
a grip body configured to move along the slide, wherein the grip body includes a grip mouth; and
a gripper is configured to extend into the grip mouth of the grip body, wherein the gripper is configured to move to grip the tray when present.

2. The tray engine of claim 1 , wherein the rotation mechanism includes a motor to rotate the vertical drive column in a 360 degree motion.

3. The tray engine of claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism includes a connector block that is slidably attached to the end effector base, a slider block that is fixed with respect to the connector block, and a driving plate that is fixed with respect to the slider block.

4. The tray engine of claim 3 , wherein the grip assembly is attached to the driving plate.

5. The tray engine of claim 4 , wherein the gripper is configured for vertical motion to grip the tray when present.

6. The tray engine of claim 1 , further comprising an end effector drive motor for driving the drive mechanism.

7. The tray engine of claim 1 , further comprising a piston mechanism attached to the grip body, the piston mechanism for moving along a length of the grip body with respect to the grip body.

8. A tray engine comprising:
a vertical drive column;
a rotation mechanism for rotating the vertical drive column; and
an end effector attached to the vertical drive column, the end effector including:
an end effector base attached to the vertical drive column;
a slide attached to the end effector base to support a tray, when present, and enable the tray to slide along a length of the end effector base;
a drive mechanism attached to the end effector base for moving along the length of the end effector base to enable the tray, when present, to slide linearly along the length and load or unload the tray to or from the slide,
wherein the drive mechanism includes a connector block that is slidably attached to the end effector base, a slider block that is fixed with respect to the connector block, and a driving plate that is fixed with respect to the slider block,
a grip assembly attached to the driving plate,
wherein the grip assembly includes:
a grip body attached to the driving plate, the grip body includes a slot for receiving an edge of the tray to engage the tray; and
a piston mechanism attached to the grip body, the piston mechanism for moving along a length of the grip body to lock the tray when engaged with the grip body.

9. The tray engine of claim 8 , wherein the piston mechanism includes a piston and a slide tab, wherein the slide tab is fitted to the piston, wherein the slide tab is configured to engage the tray when the tray is received within the slot.

10. The tray engine of claim 8 , wherein the end effector is located within a tray sorter and is configured to transfer the tray between a load port side and an indexer side of tray sorter, wherein the load port side is oppositely located compared to the indexer side.

11. The tray engine of claim 8 , wherein the grip body is configured to move along the slide with a movement of the drive mechanism along the slide.

12. A tray engine comprising:
a vertical drive column;
a rotation mechanism for rotating the vertical drive column; and
an end effector attached to the vertical drive column, the end effector including:
an end effector base attached to the vertical drive column;
a slide attached to the end effector base to support a tray, when present, and enable the tray to slide along a length of the end effector base;
a drive mechanism attached to the end effector base for moving along the length of the end effector base to enable the tray, when present, to slide linearly along the length and load or unload the tray to or from the slide,
wherein the drive mechanism includes a connector block that is slidably attached to the end effector base, a slider block that is fixed with respect to the connector block, and a driving plate that is fixed with respect to the slider block,
a grip assembly attached to the driving plate, wherein the grip assembly includes:
a grip body attached to the driving plate;
a piston mechanism attached to the grip body, the piston mechanism for moving along a length of the grip body;
a twist connector attached to the piston mechanism, the twist connector for pivoting when the piston mechanism moves along the length of the grip body;
an arm attached to the twist connector;
a clamp attached to the arm via a pivot mechanism; and
a grip clamp attached to the clamp via a pivot mechanism, the piston mechanism for pivoting the twist connector with respect to the grip body, the arm for extending and retracting with the pivoting of the twist connector, the clamp for moving forward and backward with the extension and retraction of the arm, the grip clamp for moving up and down with the forward and backward movement of the clamp.

13. The tray engine of claim 12 , wherein the end effector is located within a tray sorter and is configured to transfer the tray between a load port side and an indexer side of tray sorter, wherein the load port side is oppositely located compared to the indexer side.

14. The tray engine of claim 12 , wherein the grip clamp is configured to extend into a grip mouth of the grip body and is configured for motion along a vertical direction to grip the tray when present.

15. The tray engine of claim 12 , wherein the grip clamp is configured to extend into a grip mouth of the grip body, wherein the twist connector is configured to perform a twist motion and the gripper is configured to grip the tray when present.

16. The tray engine of claim 12 , wherein the end effector is located within a tray sorter and is configured to transfer the tray between a load port side and an indexer side of tray sorter, wherein the load port side is oppositely located compared to the indexer side.

17. The tray engine of claim 12 , wherein the grip body is configured to move along the slide with a movement of the drive mechanism along the slide.

Assignees

• Brooks Automation Inc

Inventors

• Bonora Anthony C
• Compian Brian
• Henderson Jeff P
• Carlson Robert W

Classifications

• H10P72/7602

  the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance · CPC title

• H10P72/3412

  Batch transfer of wafers · CPC title

• H10P72/3411

  involving loading and unloading of wafers · CPC title

• H10P72/3406

  involving removal of lid, door or cover · CPC title

• H10P72/3402

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title