Substrate transport apparatus with multiple independent end effectors

• US 6,737,826 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2002
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brooks Automation Ltd. (United Kingdom) (Azenta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brooks Automation Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilchrist, Ulysses
• Primary Examiner(s): Duda, Rina I
• Application Number:
  US10/196,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20030011338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 318/560, 318/567, 318/568.12, 318/568.21, 414/751.1, 414/753.1, 414/744.8, 744/900.1, 744/900.3, 744/900.5, 744/900.6
• US Class Current: 318/568.21
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0052 multiple gripper units or multiple end effectors
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 18/04 rotatable
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/042 comprising an articulated arm
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1045 comprising tensioning means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67742 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20305 Robotic arm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20317 including electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20329 Joint between elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20335 Wrist

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus comprising a frame, a drive section, an articulated arm, and at least one pair of end effectors. The drive section is connected to the frame. The articulated arm is connected to the drive section. The articulated arm has a shoulder and a wrist. The arm is pivotally mounted to the drive section at the shoulder. The drive section is adapted to rotate the articulated arm relative to the frame about an axis of rotation at the shoulder, and to displace the wrist relative the shoulder. The pair of end effectors is connected to the articulated arm. The pair of end effectors is pivotally jointed to the wrist of the articulated arm to rotate relative to the articulated arm about a common axis of rotation at the wrist. Each end effector is independently pivotable relative to each other about the common axis of rotation at the wrist. At least one end effector is independently pivotable about the common axis of rotation of the wrist relative to the articulated arm.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a frame;

a drive section connected to the frame;

an articulated arm connected to the drive section, the articulated arm having a shoulder and a wrist, the articulated arm being pivotally mounted to the drive section at the shoulder, the drive section being adapted to rotate the articulated arm relative to the frame about an axis of rotation at the shoulder, and to displace the wrist relative to the shoulder; and

at least one pair of end effectors connected to the articulated arm, the at least one pair of end effectors being pivotally jointed to the wrist of the articulated arm to rotate relative to the articulated arm about a common axis of rotation at the wrist, wherein each of the at least one pair of end effectors is independently pivotable relative to each other about the common axis of rotation at the wrist and at least one of the at least one pair of end effectors is independently pivotable about the common axis of rotation at the wrist relative to the articulated arm.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the articulated arm has an upper arm and a forearm connected to the upper arm, the at least one pair of end effectors being movably mounted to the forearm.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the drive section has a drive motor for independently driving each end effector of the at least one pair of end effectors.

4. The apparatus as in claim 3, wherein each end effector is drivingly connected to the drive motor independently driving the end effector by a corresponding transmission.

5. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the drive section has a co-axial shaft assembly in a drive section casing located at the shoulder of the articulated arm, and wherein the drive section has another section with at least one motor for moving the at least one of the at least one pair of end effectors, the at least one motor being located in an upper arm of the articulated arm.

6. The apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the at least one motor is located on the upper arm proximate to the co-axial shaft assembly.

7. The apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the upper arm has structure that substantially encases the at least one motor.

8. The apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the upper arm supports a forearm at an elbow end of the upper arm, and wherein the upper arm has an extension section extending from the shoulder in a direction opposite from the elbow end, the at least one motor being mounted to extension section of the upper arm.

9. The apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the upper arm has another motor mounted thereon for independently rotating another end effector of the at least one pair of end effectors about the common axis of rotation.

10. The apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the at least one motor and the other motor are located adjacent one another in the extension section of the upper arm, drive shafts of the at least one motor and the other motor being offset and substantially parallel to each other.

11. The apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the at least one motor and the other motor are mounted to the upper arm substantially equidistant from the shoulder.

12. A substrate transport apparatus comprising:

a drive section;

an upper arm connected to the drive section;

a forearm movably connected to the upper arm; and

at least one pair of end effectors movably connected to the forearm so that the at least one pair of end effectors is movable relative to the forearm, the at least one pair of end effectors being located on the forearm, and being operably connected to the drive section for moving the at least one pair of end effectors relative to the forearm, wherein each end effector of the at least one pair of end effectors is independently movable relative to each other.

13. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein at least one end effector of the at least one pair of end effectors is moved independently by the drive section relative to the forearm.

14. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the at least one pair of end effectors rotate relative to the forearm about a common axis of rotation.

15. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein drive section has a pair of end effector drive motors, each end effector drive motor independently driving a corresponding end effector from the at least one pair of end effectors.

16. The apparatus as in claim 15, wherein the pair of drive motors are located on the upper arm proximate a shoulder axis of rotation of the upper arm.

17. The apparatus as in claim 15, wherein the pair of end effector drive motors are located side by side in the upper arm.

18. The apparatus as in claim 15, wherein at least one of the pair of end effector drive motors is located on the upper arm offset from a shoulder of the upper arm, the at least one motor being offset on an opposite side of the shoulder from and elbow joint formed between the upper arm and the forearm.

19. The apparatus in claim 12, wherein the upper arm has an extended section sized to accommodate a pair of end effector drive motors.

20. The apparatus as in claim 19, wherein each end effector drive motor of the pair of motors has a shaft with a pulley wheel drivingly connected to a corresponding end effector of the at least one pair of end effectors, and wherein the pulley wheel on each shaft is located between an uppermost pulley wheel on the co-axial shaft assembly and a lower surface of the upper arm.

21. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the upper arm has a first section extending between a shoulder of the upper arm and an elbow joint between the upper arm and forearm, and a second section extending from the first section on an opposite side of the shoulder from the first section and wherein the drive section has a pair of motors inside the second section for driving the end effectors.

22. The apparatus as in claim 21, wherein the second section and the first section define a recess in which the forearm is located.

23. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the upper has a general wedge shape accommodating converging transmissions linking the end effectors to drive motors of the drive section located in the upper arm.

24. A substrate transport apparatus comprising:

a drive section having a co-axial shaft assembly;

an articulated arm operably connected to the co-axial shaft assembly at a shoulder of the arm for rotating the arm about the shoulder and extending or retracting the arm relative to the shoulder;

at least one pair of end effectors movably connected to the articulated arm so that each end effector of the at least one pair of end effectors is independently pivotable relative to the articulated arm about a common axis of rotation; and

another drive section operably connected to the at least one pair of end effectors for moving the end effectors relative to the arm, the other drive section having at least one motor mounted on the arm proximate the shoulder.

25. The apparatus as in claim 24, wherein the at least one motor is mounted on the arm on an opposite side of the shoulder from an elbow joint of the articulated arm.

26. The apparatus as in claim 24, wherein the other drive section has a pair of motors mounted on the arm for moving the at least one pair of end effectors.

27. The apparatus as in claim 26, wherein each motor of the pair of motors has a shaft with a pulley wheel drivingly connected to a corresponding end effector of the at least one pair of end effectors, and wherein the pulley wheel on each shaft is located between an uppermost pulley wheel on the co-axial shaft assembly and a lower surface of the arm.

28. A substrate transport apparatus comprising:

a drive section;

an upper arm connected to the drive section;

a forearm movably connected to the upper arm; and

at least one pair of end effectors movably connected to the forearm;

wherein the forearm has a support member fixed thereto, the at least one pair of end effectors being movably mounted to the support member to allow each end effector of the at least one pair of end effectors to rotate independently of each other relative to the forearm, the drive section being operably connected to each end effector so that each end effector is moved independently of each other by the drive section.

29. The apparatus as in claim 28, wherein the drive section has a drive motor for independently rotating one end effector of the at least one pair of end effectors, the drive motor being located in the upper arm and connected to the one end effector by a transmission at least part of which extends through the upper arm from one end of the upper arm located proximate a shoulder of the upper arm to an elbow end of the upper arm.

30. A substrate transport apparatus comprising:

a drive section having a co-axial shaft assembly;

an articulated arm operably connected to the co-axial shaft assembly at a shoulder of the arm for rotating the arm about the shoulder and extending or retracting the arm relative to the shoulder;

at least one end effector movably connected to the articulated arm so that the at least one end effector is independently pivotable relative to the articulated arm about an axis of rotation; and

another drive section operably connected to the at least one end effector for moving the end effector relative to the arm, the other drive section having at least one motor mounted on the arm proximate the shoulder.