Patent ID: 8752449

Claim:
A substrate transport apparatus comprising: a frame; a drive section connected to the frame and including at least one independently controllable motor; at least two substrate transport arms connected to the frame and each of the at least two substrate transport arms comprising at least one arm link and an end effector rotatably coupled to the at least one arm link, the end effector being arranged for supporting and transporting substrates; and a mechanical motion switch coupled to the at least one independently controllable motor and the at least two substrate transport arms, the mechanical motion switch including a pivoting member rotatably driven by the at least one independently controllable motor about a first axis, a first connecting link and second connecting link, each connecting link being rotatably coupled at one end to the pivoting member and rotatably coupled at a second opposite end to a respective drive link, the respective drive links being distinct from the arm links of the at least two substrate transport arms, the respective drive links being rotatably coupled to the frame about a second and third axis located side-by-side from each other and spaced apart from the first axis, each drive link being drivingly coupled to a respective upper arm link of the arm links of the at least two substrate transport arms for effecting the extension and retraction of one of the at least two substrate transport arms while the other one of the at least two substrate transport arms remains in a substantially retracted configuration.