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US 12,370,672 B2Granted
Multi-turn drive assembly and systems and methods of use thereof
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsJeff Hudgens, Damon K. Cox, Rajkumar Thanu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed herein are multi-turn drive assemblies, systems and methods of use thereof. The multi-turn drive assemblies enable a robot link member to have a maximum rotation of at least 360 degrees about an axis. The multi-turn drive assemblies can be incorporated into a robot arm for enabling 360 degrees rotation of one or more link members about an axis. The robot arm may be located in a transfer chamber of an electronic device processing system. Also disclosed are methods of controlling the multi-turn drive assemblies and related robots.
Claims15
A robot, comprising:
- an arm rotatable about a shoulder axis;
- a forearm rotatable relative to the arm about a forearm axis at a position offset from the shoulder axis, wherein the forearm has a forearm joint rotation of at least 360 degrees about the forearm axis;
- and
- a forearm drive assembly for rotating the forearm about the forearm axis, the forearm drive assembly comprising:
- a forearm driving member comprising a first plurality of machined sections around the center point and circumference of the forearm driving member, each of the first plurality of machined sections having a different radius;
- a forearm driven member attached to the forearm, the forearm driven member comprising a second plurality of machined sections around the center point circumference of the forearm driven member, each of the second plurality of machined sections having a different radius;
- a forearm transmission assembly comprising:
- a first band comprising a tensile strength of about 200 KSI to about 300 KSI, wherein a first end of the first band is affixed to the forearm driving member and a second end of the first band is affixed to the forearm driven member, and wherein the first band wraps at least two times around the forearm driving member when the forearm is in a first forearm position;
- a second band comprising a tensile strength of about 200 KSI to about 300 KSI, wherein a first end of the second band is affixed to the forearm driving member and a second end of the second band is affixed to the forearm driven member, wherein the second band wraps at least two times around the forearm driven member when the forearm is in the first position,
- wherein the first band is wrapped around the forearm driving member in a first direction and the second band is wrapped around the forearm driving member in an opposite second direction;
- and
- at least one tensioner attached to the first band or the second band to control tension of the first band or the second band.
9 more elements
A robot, comprising:
- an arm rotatable about a shoulder axis;
- a forearm rotatable relative to the arm about a forearm axis at a position offset from the shoulder axis;
- a first wrist member rotatable relative to the forearm about a wrist axis at a position offset from the shoulder axis, wherein the first wrist member has a wrist joint rotation of at least 360° about the wrist axis;
- and
- a first wrist drive assembly for rotating the first wrist member about the wrist axis, the first wrist drive assembly comprising:
- a first wrist driving member comprising a first plurality of machined sections around the center point and circumference of the first wrist driving member, each of the first plurality of machined sections having a different radius;
- a first wrist driven member attached to the forearm, the first wrist driven member comprising a second plurality of machined sections around the center point and circumference of the first wrist driven member, each of the second plurality of machined sections having a different radius, wherein the first wrist driven member is attached to the first wrist driving member by a torsion spring;
- and
- a first wrist transmission assembly, comprising:
- a first band comprising a tensile strength of about 200 KSI to about 300 KSI, wherein a first end of the first band is affixed to the first wrist driving member and a second end of the first band is affixed to the first wrist driven member, and wherein the first band wraps at least two times around the first wrist driving member when the first wrist member is in a first wrist position;
- a second band comprising a tensile strength of about 200 KSI to about 300 KSI, wherein a first end of the second band is affixed to the first wrist driving member and a second end of the second band is affixed to the first wrist driven member, wherein the second band wraps at least two times around the first wrist driven member when the first wrist member is in the first position,
- wherein the first band is wrapped around the first wrist driving member in a first direction and the second band is wrapped around the first wrist driving member in an opposite second direction;
- and
- at least one tensioner attached to the first band or the second band of the first wrist transmission assembly.
11 more elements
A robot, comprising:
- an arm rotatable about a shoulder axis;
- a forearm rotatable relative to the arm about a forearm axis at a position offset from the shoulder axis;
- and
- a forearm drive assembly for rotating the forearm about the forearm axis, the forearm drive assembly comprising:
- a forearm driving member comprising a first plurality of machined sections around the center point and circumference of the forearm driving member, each of the first plurality of machined sections having a different radius;
- a forearm driven member attached to the forearm, the forearm driven member comprising a second plurality of machined sections around the center point circumference of the forearm driven member, each of the second plurality of machined sections having a different radius;
- a forearm transmission assembly comprising:
- a first band comprising a tensile strength of about 200 KSI to about 300 KSI, wherein a first end of the first band is affixed to the forearm driving member and a second end of the first band is affixed to the forearm driven member, and wherein the first band wraps at least two times around the forearm driving member when the forearm is in a first forearm position;
- and
- a second band comprising a tensile strength of about 200 KSI to about 300 KSI, wherein a first end of the second band is affixed to the forearm driving member and a second end of the second band is affixed to the forearm driven member, wherein the second band wraps at least two times around the forearm driven member when the forearm is in the first position,
- wherein the first band is wrapped around the forearm driving member in a first direction and the second band is wrapped around the forearm driving member in an opposite second direction,
- a first wrist member rotatable relative to the forearm about a wrist axis at a position offset from the shoulder axis, wherein the first wrist member has a wrist joint rotation of at least 360° about the wrist axis;
- and
- a second wrist member rotatable relative to the forearm about the wrist axis, wherein the second wrist member has a wrist joint rotation of at least 360° about the wrist axis.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.