Substrate transport apparatus
AssigneeBrooks Automation US, LLC
InventorsRobert T. Caveney, Ulysses Gilchrist, Alexander Krupyshev
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A transfer apparatus including a frame, multiple arms connected to the frame, each arm having an end effector and an independent drive axis for extension and retraction of the respective arm with respect to other ones of the multiple arms, a linear rail defining a degree of freedom for the independent drive axis for extension and retraction of at least one arm, and a common drive axis shared by each arm and configured to pivot the multiple arms about a common pivot axis, wherein at least one of the multiple arms having another drive axis defining an independent degree of freedom with respect to other ones of the multiple arms.
Claims20
A transfer apparatus comprising:
- a frame forming a sealed chamber having a chamber atmosphere;
- multiple arms connected to the frame and disposed within the sealed chamber, each arm having an independent drive axis for extending and retracting the respective arm;
- an outside drive section located outside the sealed chamber and connected to the multiple arms for moving the multiple arms about a common axis;
- and
- an inside drive section located inside the sealed chamber, the inside drive section including a sealed housing configured to hold a sealed atmosphere different than the chamber atmosphere;
- wherein the sealed housing has different sealed portions distributed in the sealed chamber, the different sealed portions including a first sealed motor housing portion, for a first drive axis that moves at least one arm about a first axis of motion, and a second sealed motor housing portion sealed apart from the first sealed motor housing portion and providing a second drive axis that is different than the first drive axis, where the second drive axis moves the at least one arm along a second axis of motion that is different than the first axis of motion,
- wherein the independent drive axis, the first drive axis, and second drive axis are each independent of each other and outside the sealed housing.
A method comprising:
- providing a transfer apparatus comprising:
- a frame forming a sealed chamber having a chamber atmosphere, multiple arms connected to the frame and disposed within the sealed chamber, each arm having an independent drive axis for extending and retracting the respective arm,
- an outside drive section located outside the sealed chamber and connected to the multiple arms, and
- an inside drive section located inside the sealed chamber, the inside drive section including a sealed housing configured to hold a sealed atmosphere different than the chamber atmosphere, where the sealed housing has different sealed portions distributed in the sealed chamber, the different sealed portions comprising:
- a first sealed motor housing portion for a first drive axis, and
- a second sealed motor housing portion sealed apart from the first sealed motor housing portion, and providing a second drive axis that is different than the first drive axis;
- moving, with the outside drive section, the multiple arms about a common axis;
- moving, with the first drive axis, at least one arm about a first axis of motion;
- and
- moving, with the second drive axis, the at least one arm along a second axis of motion that is different than the first axis of motion;
- wherein the independent drive axis, the first drive axis, and second drive axis are each independent of each other and outside the sealed housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.