Electricity: motive power systems – Positional servo systems – Program- or pattern-controlled systems
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-27
2004-09-14
Masih, Karen (Department: 2837)
Electricity: motive power systems
Positional servo systems
Program- or pattern-controlled systems
C318S568120, C318S568110, C318S568210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06791291
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-joint type industrial robot with a plurality of arms respectively coupled by a plurality of revolving joints, which is used, for example, for conveying semiconductor wafers in manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, and relates to an arm unit of the industrial robot.
2. Description of the Related Art
An industrial robot with a plurality of revolving joints which are horizontally arranged is conventionally used for conveying works such as semiconductor wafers in a manufacturing facility of semiconductor devices. A configuration of the conventional industrial robot
81
with a plurality of joints is illustrated in
FIGS. 4 and 5
. In the industrial robot
81
, a first motor
83
is provided in a mounting base
82
. A first arm
84
is coupled with a drive shaft
83
a
of the first motor
83
in the vicinity of an end of the first arm
84
. A second motor
85
is provided in the vicinity of another end of the first arm
84
. A second arm
86
is coupled with a drive shaft
85
a
of a second motor
85
in the vicinity of an end of the second arm
86
. A third motor
87
is provided in the vicinity of another end of the second arm
86
. A robotic hand
88
for nipping a work such as a semiconductor wafer is coupled with a drive shaft
87
a
of the third motor
87
in the vicinity of an end of the robotic hand
88
.
The first arm
84
is revolved by rotation force of the first motor
83
. The second arm
86
is revolved by rotation force of the second motor
85
. The robotic hand
88
is revolved by rotation force of the third motor
87
. A sensor
89
for sensing the existence of the work is provided in the vicinity of a top end of the robotic hand
88
.
A driving controller
90
is further provided in the mounting base
82
. Electric cables
91
,
92
and
93
are respectively provided for supplying the electric powers and driving signals to the first to third motors
83
,
85
and
87
. Furthermore, an electric cable
94
is provided for coupling the sensor
89
and the driving controller
90
.
In the conventional industrial robot
81
, the electric cables
92
to
94
are directly connected from the driving controller
90
to the motors
85
and
87
and the sensor
89
, which are provided on the arms
84
and
86
and the robotic hand
88
, so that the number of electric cabled drawn out from the mounting base
82
becomes larger. Since the electric cables
92
to
94
are aligned along the lengthwise directions of the arms
84
and
86
and the robotic hand
88
, the electric cables
92
to
94
are easily broken down, and the alignment of the electric cables
92
to
94
becomes complex. And especially, when the number of the arms increases, the number of the motors also increases. Thus, the number of the electric cables drawn out from the mounting base and the coupled with the electric elements such as the motors will be increased in proportion to the number of arms. In the industrial robot with many arms, the breaking of electric cables is incident much easier, and the arrangement of the electric cables becomes much more complex.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an industrial robot with a plurality of joints, by which the number of electric cables directly drawn out from the mounting base can be reduced so that the breaking of electric cables rarely occurs and the arrangement of the electric cables becomes easier.
An industrial robot in accordance with an aspect of the present invention has a plurality of arms coupled by a plurality of revolving joints, each of the arms can be moved by a driving force of a motor which drives each of the revolving joints. The industrial robot comprises a plurality of control circuits for controlling the motors which are provided on respective of the arms. The control circuits are respectively provided on the same arms as the motors are provided.
By such a configuration, the control circuit for controlling the driving of the motor, which is separated from a main control circuit for controlling whole of the industrial robot, is provided on the same arm as the motor is provided, so that a signal cable used for controlling the motor is only connected between the motor and the control circuit, so that the signal cable can be shortened. Since, there is no need to connect the signal cables between the motors and the main control circuit, the alignment of the control signal cables can be simplified, and the breaking of cables rarely occurs even when the arm is moved and the total length of the cables can be shortened.
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patent: 5789890 (1998-08-01), Genov et al.
patent: 6339969 (2002-01-01), Salcudean et al.
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patent: 6377013 (2002-04-01), Suzuki
patent: 6454624 (2002-09-01), Duff et al.
Kikuchi Noriyoshi
Kobiki Takahiro
Shimizu Shinji
Yamazoe Katsuhiro
Japan Servo Co. Ltd.
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Masih Karen
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