Patent · US Expired

Rotary to linear motion robot arm

US4897015A · kind A · utility

89Cited by
13References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 15, 1987
Grant dateJan 30, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 15, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB25J9/106
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A robot arm in which a hand or end effector placed at the end of, and pivotally joined to first and second pivotally coupled arms is caused to experience linear, straight line motion in response to a single rotary actuator at the far end of the further most arm. A series of belts and pulleys of different sizes coordinate the motion of the two arms and the hand in order to produce straight line or radial motion in response to a single rotary actuator. The robot arm has particular application in semiconductor wafer handling systems in such capacity as transferring wafers between storage cassettes and test platforms and in this application is married to Z and .theta. motion drives.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.