# US 12,600,039 B2 · Robot, conveying system, and robot-controlling method

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- Number: US 12,600,039 B2
- Document ID: US12600039B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/622,015
- Filed: 2024-03-29
- Published: 2024-10-03
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2023-03-30
- Assignees: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Takeshi Shibata; Yuya Muroi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12600039B2

## CPC

- B25J 9/1666: {Avoiding collision or forbidden zones}
- B25J 9/042: {comprising an articulated arm}
- B25J 9/102: {Gears specially adapted therefor, e.g. reduction gears (gearings in general F16H)}
- B25J 9/1612: {characterised by the hand, wrist, grip control}
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})

## Abstract

A robot according to this disclosure includes a controller configured to control operations of a hand(s) and a robot arm to convey a workpiece(s) with distances between a center(s) of the hand(s) and end surfaces of the workpiece(s) being uneven so as to prevent interference of the workpiece with a wall.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A robot comprising:
a base;
a horizontal multi-joint robot arm connected to the base;
a plurality of hands arranged in a distal end part of the robot arm and configured to hold a rectangular plate-shaped workpiece, wherein the hands include a first hand and a second hand arranged above the first hand and configured to operate independently of the first hand; and
a controller configured to control operations of the hands and the robot arm so as to convey a plurality of the workpieces between a plurality of receiving parts, wherein
the hands and the robot arm are arranged in a conveying space surrounded by a plurality of walls,
the controller is configured to control the operations of the hands so as to move, when one of the first hand and the second hand enters a first receiving part of the plurality of receiving parts as an entry hand, the other of the first hand and the second hand as a leaving hand away from the first receiving part, and
the controller is configured to control the operations of the hands and the robot arm to convey the workpieces with a first distance between the center of each hand and a first end surface of each workpiece being different from a second distance between the center of each hand and a second end surface of each workpiece, by deviating each workpiece by a predetermined distance with respect to the center of the entry hand in a direction in which the leaving hand moves away from the first receiving part so as to prevent interference of the workpiece that is held by the leaving hand with a first wall of the plurality of walls, wherein the predetermined distance is set based on a third distance between an interior surface of the first wall of the conveying space and a part of each workpiece that interferes with the first wall in a case in which each workpiece is centered on each hand.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The robot according to claim 1, wherein
the robot arm includes a plurality of links, and a plurality of joints; and
each of the plurality of joints includes an electric motor, and a speed reducer including gears.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The robot according to claim 2, wherein
the plurality of links include a first link connected to the base, and a second link connected to the first link and connected to the hands;
the plurality of joints include a first joint configured to drive the first link, a second joint configured to drive the second link, and a third joint configured to drive the hands;
the electric motor and the speed reducer of each of the first joint and the second joint are arranged in the first link; and
the electric motor and the speed reducer of the third joint are arranged in the second link.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The robot according to claim 3, wherein
a surface of the electric motor of the first joint is arranged to face a proximal end part in the first link in an orientation parallel to an extension direction of the first link;
a surface of the electric motor of the second joint is arranged to face a distal end part in the first link in an orientation parallel to the extension direction of the first link; and
a surface of the electric motor of the third joint is arranged to face a distal end part in the second link in an orientation parallel to an extension direction of the second link.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The robot according to claim 1, wherein
the robot arm includes a plurality of links;
the plurality of links include a first link connected to the base, and a second link connected to the first link and connected to the hands; and
the first link and the second link have axis-to-axis distances different from each other so as to prevent interference of the hands with the first wall.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The robot according to claim 5, wherein the axis-to-axis distance of the second link is greater than the axis-to-axis distance of the first link so that the hands do not interfere with the first wall.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The robot according to claim 1, wherein the base is positioned at a position deviated from a center line of the conveying space.

### Claim 8

A conveying system comprising:
a substrate conveyor including conveying space; and
a robot arranged in the substrate conveyor, wherein
the robot includes
a base,
a horizontal multi-joint robot arm connected to the base,
a plurality of hands arranged in a distal end part of the robot arm and configured to hold a rectangular plate-shaped workpiece, wherein the hands include a first hand and a second hand arranged above the first hand and configured to operate independently of the first hand, and
a controller configured to control operations of the hands and the robot arm so as to convey a plurality of the workpieces between a plurality of receiving parts, and wherein
the hands and the robot arm are arranged in the conveying space surrounded by a plurality of walls,
the controller is configured to control the operations of the hands so as to move, when one of the first hand and the second hand enters a first receiving part of the plurality of receiving parts as an entry hand, the other of the first hand and the second hand as a leaving hand away from the first receiving part, and
the controller is configured to control the operations of the hands and the robot arm to convey the workpieces with a first distance between the center of each hand and a first end surface of each workpiece being different from a second distance between the center of each hand and a second end surface of each workpiece, by deviating each workpiece by a predetermined distance with respect to the center of the entry hand in a direction in which the leaving hand moves away from the first receiving part so as to prevent interference of the workpiece that is held by the leaving hand with a first wall of the plurality of walls, wherein the predetermined distance is set based on a third distance between an interior surface of the first wall of the conveying space and a part of each workpiece that interferes with the first wall in a case in which each workpiece is centered on each hand.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The conveying system according to claim 8, wherein
the robot arm includes a plurality of links, and a plurality of joints; and
each of the plurality of joints includes an electric motor, and a speed reducer including gears.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The conveying system according to claim 9, wherein
the plurality of links include a first link connected to the base, and a second link connected to the first link and connected to the hands;
the plurality of joints include a first joint configured to drive the first link, a second joint configured to drive the second link, and a third joint configured to drive the hands;
the electric motor and the speed reducer of each of the first joint and the second joint are arranged in the first link; and
the electric motor and the speed reducer of the third joint are arranged in the second link.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The conveying system according to claim 10, wherein
a surface of the electric motor of the first joint is arranged to face a proximal end part in the first link in an orientation parallel to an extension direction of the first link;
a surface of the electric motor of the second joint is arranged to face a distal end part in the first link in an orientation parallel to the extension direction of the first link; and
a surface of the electric motor of the third joint is arranged to face a distal end part in the second link in an orientation parallel to an extension direction of the second link.

### Claim 12

A method for controlling a robot including a base, a horizontal multi-joint robot arm connected to the base; a plurality of hands arranged in a distal end part of the robot arm and configured to hold a rectangular plate-shaped workpiece, the hands including a first hand and a second hand arranged above the first hand and configured to operate independently of the first hand, and the hands and the robot arm being arranged in a conveying space surrounded by a plurality of walls,
the method comprising:
controlling operations of the hands and the robot arm so as to convey a plurality of the workpieces between a plurality of receiving parts, wherein
the controlling operations include:
controlling the operations of the hands so as to move, when one of the first hand and the second hand enters a first receiving part of the plurality of receiving parts as an entry hand, the other of the first hand and the second hand as a leaving hand away from the first receiving part, and
controlling the operations of the hands and the robot arm to convey the workpieces with a first distance between the center of each hand and a first end surface of each workpiece being different from a second distance between the center of each hand and a second end surface of each workpiece, by deviating each workpiece by a predetermined distance with respect to the center of the entry hand in a direction in which the leaving hand moves away from the first receiving part so as to prevent interference of the workpiece that is held by the leaving hand with a first wall of the plurality of walls, wherein the predetermined distance is set based on a third distance between an interior surface of the first wall of the conveying space and a part of each workpiece that interferes with the first wall in a case in which each workpiece is centered on each hand.