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US 6,547,510 B1Granted
Substrate transport apparatus with coaxial drive shafts and dual independent scara arms
AssigneeBrooks Automation, Inc.
InventorDavid R. Beaulieu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A substrate transport apparatus having a drive section and a movable arm assembly connected to the drive section. The drive section has a coaxial drive shaft assembly with independently rotatable drive shafts. The movable arm assembly has two scara arms. Each scara arm has an inner arm connected to a separate respective one of the drive shafts. An outer arm of each scara arm is connected to a rotationally stationary pulley on the drive section by respective transmission belts.
Claims25
A substrate transport apparatus comprising:
- a drive section having a rotationally stationary housing;
- and
- a movable arm assembly connected to the drive section, the movable arm assembly having two driven arm assemblies, each driven arm assembly having an inner arm connected on a common axis of rotation with the drive section, an outer arm rotatably connected to the inner arm to form a general cantilevered arm configuration, and a transmission belt connected between the outer arm and a pulley on the drive section,
- wherein the pulley is fixedly stationarily connected to the housing of the drive section such that the pulley is rotationally stationary.
1 more element
A substrate transport apparatus comprising:
- a drive section having a rotationally stationary housing, a coaxial drive shaft assembly with two independently rotatable drive shafts rotatably connected to the housing, and a pulley stationarily connected to the housing such that the pulley is rotationally stationary;
- and
- a movable arm assembly connected to the drive section, the movable arm assembly having a first driven arm assembly connected to a first one of the drive shafts and a second driven arm assembly connected to a second one of the drive shafts, wherein the first driven arm assembly has an inner arm connected to the first drive shaft, an outer arm pivotably connect to the inner arm to form a general cantilevered arm configuration, and a transmission member connecting the outer arm to the rotationally stationary pulley.
A method of transporting substrates comprising steps of:
- providing a substrate transport apparatus with a robot having a drive section with a rotationally stationary housing, a coaxial drive shaft assembly rotatably connected to the housing, and a pulley stationarily connected to the housing to form a rotationally stationary pulley, and a movable arm assembly connected to the drive section, the movable arm assembly having two driven arm assemblies individually connected to respective drive shafts of the coaxial drive shaft assembly;
- and
- rotating a first one of the drive shafts to thereby move a first one of the driven arm assemblies, the first driven arm assembly having an inner arm that is rotated with the first drive shaft and an outer arm that is rotated relative to the inner arm, wherein the outer arm is rotated relative to the inner arm by a first transmission belt connected between the outer arm and the rotationally stationary pulley of the drive section.
A method of transporting substrates comprising steps of:
- providing a substrate transport apparatus with a drive section having a coaxial drive shaft assembly and movable arm assembly connected to the drive section, the movable arm assembly having two driven arm assemblies individually connected to respective drive shafts of the coaxial drive shaft assembly;
- and
- independently rotating the drive shafts to independently move the two driven arm assemblies, wherein each of the two driven arm assemblies is a general cantilevered arm assembly with an inner arm and an outer arm, and transmission belts connect the outer arms to a permanently rotationally stationary pulley on the drive section such that rotation of the inner arms cause the outer arms to rotate relative to their respective inner arms, wherein the permanently rotationally stationary pulley limits the two driven arm assemblies to only two fully extended positions relative to the drive section which are about 180° apart.
A method of transporting substrates comprising steps of:
- providing a substrate transport apparatus with a drive section having a coaxial drive shaft assembly and a movable arm assembly connected to the drive section, the movable arm assembly having two driven arm assemblies individually connected to respective drive shafts of the coaxial drive shaft assembly, wherein the two driven arm assemblies are provided as separate general cantilevered arms;
- rotating a first one of the drive shafts in a first direction to extend a first one of the driven arm assemblies in a first direction;
- rotating the first drive shaft in a second direction to extend the first drive arm assembly in a second direction, wherein the second direction is generally opposite the first direction;
- rotating a second one of the drive shafts in the second direction to extend a second one of the driven arm assemblies in the second direction;
- and
- rotating the second drive shaft in the first direction to extend the second drive arm assembly in the first direction, wherein portions of the first and second drive arm assemblies are located in separate horizontal planes with a first one of the portions of the first drive arm assembly passing over a second one of the portions of the second drive arm assembly as the drive arm assemblies are moved between generally opposite extended positions.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.