Substrate transport apparatus with multiple arms on a common axis of rotation
AssigneeBrooks Automation, Inc.
InventorCHRISTOPHER A. HOFMEISTER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A substrate transport apparatus having a drive section, two independently movable arm assemblies connected to the drive section on a common axis of rotation, and substrate holders connected to the arm assemblies. The drive section includes three coaxial drive shafts with a pulley connected to one of the shafts. The arm assemblies are connected to respective ones of the two other shafts.
Claims29
A substrate transport apparatus comprising:
- a drive section;
- two independently movable arm assemblies connected to the drive section on a common axis of rotation;
- and
- substrate holders connected to the arm assemblies.
A substrate transport apparatus comprising:
- two independently movable arm assemblies;
- substrate holders connected to the arm assemblies;
- and
- a drive section having a frame, a pulley rotatably connected to the frame by a first drive, and second and third drives connected to the arm assemblies, wherein the pulley is operably connected to both the two arm assemblies by transmission members.
A substrate transport apparatus drive system comprising:
- a frame;
- magnetic driving stators stationarily connected to the frame;
- a drive shaft assembly having at least three coaxial shafts, each shaft having a magnetic driven section aligned with a separate one of the magnetic driving stators;
- and
- a pulley rotatably connected to the frame by one of the shafts.
A substrate transport apparatus comprising:
- N independently movable arm assemblies, each arm assembly having A axes of rotation about which at least a portion of the arm assembly can rotate, wherein N and A are integers greater than one;
- substrate holders connected to the arm assemblies;
- and
- means for independently rotating each of the arm assemblies about their respective A axes, the rotating means comprising M motors, wherein M is an integer less than N times the smallest value of A.
A method of moving a substrate transport apparatus comprising steps of:
- providing the apparatus with a frame, a pulley rotatably mounted to the frame, and two arm assemblies rotatably mounted to the frame;
- rotating the pulley relative to the frame as the two arm assemblies are rotated with the pulley to rotate both arm assemblies in a same direction relative to the frame;
- and
- maintaining the pulley in a stationary position on the frame as the two arm assemblies are independently rotated relative to the frame to independently extend and retract the arm assemblies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.