Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7988398?dq=4740761
Timestamp: 2016-07-24 20:58:53
Document Index: 424329858

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 229', 'art 1557', 'art 700', 'art 1557', 'art 1557', 'art 1557']

Patent US7988398 - Linear substrate transport apparatus - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsSubstrate processing apparatus having a chamber, a generally linear array of process modules, a substrate transport, and a drive system. The chamber is capable of being isolated from the outside atmosphere. Each process module of the array is communicably connected to the chamber to allow a substrate...http://www.google.com/patents/US7988398?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7988398 - Linear substrate transport apparatusAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7988398 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 10/962,787Publication dateAug 2, 2011Filing dateOct 9, 2004Priority dateJul 22, 2002Fee statusPaidAlso published asCN101091241A, CN101091241B, EP1805792A1, EP1805792A4, EP1805792B1, US8371792, US8827617, US20050105991, US20110280693, US20130230369, WO2006042273A1Publication number10962787, 962787, US 7988398 B2, US 7988398B2, US-B2-7988398, US7988398 B2, US7988398B2InventorsChristopher Hofmeister, Robert T. CaveneyOriginal AssigneeBrooks Automation, Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (70), Non-Patent Citations (20), Referenced by (35), Classifications (33), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetLinear substrate transport apparatus
As noted before, the transport apparatus or carts suitable for use in the transport chambers 18, 602-624 (see for example FIGS. 2-3, and 7-7A) may comprise carts with or without a transfer arm for transferring semiconductor workpieces between the cart and a desired location in the apparatus. FIGS. 12 and 13A respectively show, as described before, two exemplary embodiments of transport carts 229, 700 with transfer arms for handling semiconductor workpieces in the apparatus. Referring now ahead to FIGS. 22 and 23, there is shown another embodiment of a transport cart mechanism 1557 suitable for use in the chambers of apparatus 10. Cart 1557 may include base section or base plate 1558 and transfer arm 1577 mounted to the base plate. As shown in FIG. 22, the cart mechanism base plate 1558 with two coupled magnet arrays 1502 on opposite sides of the plate, but not limited to opposite corners of the plate. On the opposing corners of the robot base plate 1558, two addition magnet arrays 1502 are coupled to linear bearing carriages 1560 and are made to slide on linear bearing rails 1562. These linear bearing rails 1562 are coupled to the base plate 1558. A drive belt 1564 or other means of converting linear motion to rotary motion is attached to the linear bearing carriage 1560. In the case shown, the drive belt 1564 is wrapped around an idler pulley 1566 and then a pulley tensioner 1568 and attached to a drive pulley 1570. The linear motion applied to the bearing carriage 1560 through the magnet array 1502, will result in rotary motion of the driven pulley 1572. In the case of a two degree of freedom application, a redundant version of the mechanism described is applied to the opposite side of the robot cart mechanism and a duplicate circuit is attached to drive pulley 1572. This combination yields a concentric pulley assembly. The relative motion between the fixed magnet array 1502 and the combined magnet array 1502 and linear bearing carriage 1560 provides a means of driving the transfer arm linkage. In the case of linear transport of the robot carriage, the linear bearing/magnet array 1560/1502 and the coupled magnet array/cart base plate 1502/1558 are driven as a fixed set and no rotation of the driven pulleys 1570 & 1572 is seen. The drive mechanism of base plate 1558 may be used for operating other suitable transfer arm linkages, some examples are shown in FIGS. 24-24C, 25-25C). The transfer arm 1577 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 23, has a general single SCARA arm configuration. Drive pulley 1572 is coupled to the lower link arm 1574 and drive pulley 1570 is tied to forearm drive pulley 1586. The rotation motion of the forearm pulley 1586 is coupled to the forearm 1578 through the drive belt 1582 and the elbow pulley 1576. The wrist/end effector 1584 is driven by the resulting relative rotation motion of the forearm 1578 with respect to the wrist elbow pulley 1580 as it is grounded to the lower link arm 1574. Typically, this motion is achieved by the pulley ratio at each joint with respect to the input drive ratio of pulleys 1572 and 1570. Referring also to FIGS. 23A-23B, the transfer arm linkage 1577 is shown respectively in retracted and extended positions. The movement between retracted and extended positions is achieved (in a manner as described above) by moving the movable magnet arrays 1502 as desired relative to the base plate. The movement of the arm linkage may be performed with the cart stationary or moving relative to the transport chamber. FIGS. 23A-23B show the transfer arm 1577 positioned so that when extended the arm 1577 extends to the lateral side 1576R (i.e. the side of the cart facing a chamber wall) of the cart. This is similar to the extension/retraction movement of the transfer mechanism 724A,B of cart 700 in FIG. 13A. As can be realized, the transfer arm 1577 on cart 1557 may be rotated as a unit (using movable magnet arrays 1502) about axis of rotation S (see FIG. 22) to any desired orientation relative to the cart base plate. For example, if rotated about 180� from the orientation shown in FIGS. 23A-23B, the transfer arm 1577 may be extended to the opposite side 1575L from that shown in FIG. 23B. Further, the transfer arm may be rotated about 90� so that the arm extension is along the linear direction of the chamber (indicated by arrow 15X in FIG. 22). Any number of arm linkages may be employed with such a cart. Other examples of suitable arm linkages that may be used with the cart are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,180,276; 5,647,724; 5,765,983; and 6,485,250 all incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
FIG. 24 is an elevation view of another embodiment of the cart mechanism 1557′ with dual rotary end effectors mounted to the cart base plate 1558′. Cart 1557′ is otherwise similar to cart 1557 described before and shown in FIGS. 22-23. Similar features are similarly numbered. FIGS. 24A-24C show the use of both linear transport and couple relative motion of the bearing carriage array as the cart is moving. As described before with reference to FIG. 22, the rotation of pulleys 1570′ and 1572′ results from the bearing carriage and magnet array moving with respect to the fixed magnet arrays which are coupled to the cart's base plate. In the combined case, the robot cart transport is moving along the linear chamber, in the direction indicated by arrows 15X′, and the bearing carriage and magnet array move with respect to the grounded arrays. This motion enables the end effector (s) 1588′ and 1590′ to rotate thereby causing the robot end effector to extend substantially perpendicular to the linear direction of the cart similar to FIGS. 23A-23B, described before. FIGS. 24A-24C show the end effectors 1588′ and 1590′ extended to one side for example purposes. As can be realized however, the end-effectors 1588′, 1590′ may be extended to any side of the base plate. Further, the end effectors 1588′, 1590′ may be extended to any side of the base plate. Further, the end effectors 1588′, 1590′ may be extended to a position where the end effector is oriented at an angle more or less than about 90� as shown in FIGS. 24A-24C.
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payment: 4May 31, 2016ASAssignmentOwner name: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, MASSACHUSEFree format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNORS:BROOKS AUTOMATION, INC.;BIOSTORAGE TECHNOLOGIES;REEL/FRAME:038891/0765Effective date: 20160526RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services