Patents Examined by Gerald McClain
  • Patent number: 11521881
    Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus includes a carrier platform, a transport mechanism, and a controller. The carrier platform places a carrier thereon. The carrier includes a plurality of shelves arranged in an up-down direction. The shelves are each configured to place one substrate thereon in a horizontal posture. The transport mechanism is configured to transport a substrate to a carrier placed on the carrier platform. The controller controls the transport mechanism. The transport mechanism includes a hand and a hand driving unit. The hand supports a substrate. The hand driving unit moves the hand. The controller changes a height position of the hand when the hand is inserted between two of the shelves adjacent to each other in the up-down direction, depending on a shape of a substrate taken from or placed on one of the shelves by the transport mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Inventors: Yuichi Takayama, Kazuhiko Nakazawa, Hiromichi Kaba, Toshihito Morioka, Takuya Sato
  • Patent number: 11498778
    Abstract: Magnetic coupling mechanisms for robotic arm end effectors are disclosed. In particular, a magnetic coupling mechanism couples a detachable tool, such as a suction gripper, to a tool changer base of a robotic arm tool of an end effector. Magnetic coupling between the robotic arm tool and the detachable tool allows for breakaway when a sufficient force is applied to the robotic arm tool and/or the detachable tool to separate the two. The decoupling may be achieved via a tool rack. An exemplary system for coupling a detachable tool to a motion device includes a first magnetic ring affixed to a distal end of the motion device, where an inside of the first magnetic ring forms a first hollow chamber; and a second magnetic ring affixed to a proximal end of the detachable tool, where an inside of the detachable tool forms a second hollow chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: XYZ Robotics Global Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Chua Yap, Kuan-Ting Yu
  • Patent number: 11491531
    Abstract: A workpiece conveyance device includes a base body disposed adjacent to a press machine, a pair of first arms, a pair of second arms, and a first holding portion and a second holding portion independent of each other. Each of the first holding portion and the second holding portion includes a plurality of holding members configured to hold a workpiece W. The first holding portion includes a first support member, a second support member, and an absorption member. The second support member movably supports the first support member along an intersection direction. The absorption member allows movement of the second support member caused in the intersection direction relative to the first support member, and makes it possible for the second support member to return to an initial position in the intersection direction relative to the first support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: AIDA ENGINEERING, LTD.
    Inventor: Keisuke Takeda
  • Patent number: 11491640
    Abstract: An apparatus including a robot drive, a first arm connected to the robot drive, and a second arm connected to the robot drive. The first arm includes a first upper arm, a first forearm and a first end effector. The second arm includes a second upper arm, a second forearm and a second end effector. The first and second upper arms are connected to a first drive shaft of the robot drive. The first and second upper arms are either a same member or two members stationarily connected to one another. While the first arm is being extended and retracted, straight movement of the first end effector is provided relative to the robot drive along an axis which intersects a drive axis of the robot drive, where a wrist joint of the first arm does not intersect the drive axis while the first arm is being extended and retracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Persimmon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Hosek, Christopher Hofmeister
  • Patent number: 11488854
    Abstract: An adjustable joint for insertion into a linkage of a substrate handler utilized for substrate processing. The adjustable joint allows for adjusting the pitch and roll of an attached link. Such adjustment may permit aligning a pickup surface of an end effector to a desired plane. Once adjusted, the joint may be fixed to maintain the desired orientation of the attached link. The adjustable joint allows for correcting deflection of a pickup surface of an end effector relative to a desired pickup plane due to, for example, drooping caused by high temperature usage, mechanical tolerances and/or installation errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: KiHyun Kim, Sam Kim, Rutvij Naik
  • Patent number: 11482436
    Abstract: A rotational indexer that is rotatable to allow semiconductor wafers or other items to be moved between various stations arranged in a circular array; the items being moved may be supported by arms of the indexer during such movement. The rotational indexer may be further configured to also cause the items being moved to rotate about other rotational axes to cause rotation of the items relative to the arms supporting them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Richard M. Blank, Karl Frederick Leeser
  • Patent number: 11469125
    Abstract: A device for linearly moving bases with respect to an object, includes first and second bases, a linear scale provided with graduations at pitches in the moving direction, first and second encoder heads attached to the first and second bases, and a control unit. The control unit maintains an interval between the first and second encoder heads to be constant, and moves the first and second bases while sequentially detects a first and second graduation numbers, and calculates a distance on the scale between the first and second encoder heads by multiplying a difference between the first and second graduation numbers by the pitch, and calculates a position correction coefficient of the scale as a ratio of the interval with respect to the calculated distance, and controls the movement amount of the first movable body and the second movable body based on the position correction coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: SHINKAWA LTD.
    Inventors: Kohei Seyama, Tetsuya Utano, Yuichiro Noguchi
  • Patent number: 11443974
    Abstract: A device for removing a framed wafer from a wafer tray is described. The wafer tray including a wafer receptacle for receiving the framed wafer. The wafer receptacle being configured to hold the wafer perpendicular to the wafer plane and to remove it from the wafer tray in this manner. The wafer receptacle including at least one wafer receptacle edge contact element arranged and configured to abut against the front frame edge. The device including a drive and control device configured to guide the wafer receptacle along a predetermined path of movement into the access to the wafer tray. Each wafer receptacle edge contact element is spring-mounted in the direction of the path of movement and the wafer receptacle is movable from a first position to a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: MueTec Automatisierte Mikroskopie und Meßtechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Josef Ammerl, Michael Froeschl
  • Patent number: 11434087
    Abstract: A transfer device comprises a transfer arm to which a pick is attached and an inclination adjusting mechanism disposed below the transfer arm and configured to adjust an inclination of the transfer arm. The inclination adjusting mechanism includes an upper portion fixed to a lower portion of the transfer arm, a lower portion disposed below the upper portion to face the upper portion, a support portion that rotatably supports the upper portion with respect to the lower portion, and at least two actuators disposed between the upper portion and the lower portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Toshiaki Kodama
  • Patent number: 11430683
    Abstract: A conveying device includes a transport body configured to carry or hold a wafer, and a stator relative to which the conveying device is designed to move the transport body at least two-dimensionally on a conveying surface. The stator includes several movably arranged actuating magnets, each of which is connected to the stator via an actuating element, and the actuating element is configured to change a position and/or an orientation of the connected actuating magnets relative to the stator. The transport body includes at least two stationary magnets which are connected to the transport body such that the stationary magnets are immovable relative to the transport body, and the stator and the transport body are magnetically coupled by the stationary magnets and the actuating magnets. The device conveys the transport body relative to the stator by controlled positioning and/or orientation of the actuating magnets via the actuating elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Heike Raatz, Bas Verhelst, Joachim Frangen
  • Patent number: 11432446
    Abstract: A holder including syringe configured to move up and down as the lifting and lowering section moves up and down, a first displacement portion configured to move up and down with respect to the syringe and to which the component holding section is attached, and a second displacement portion provided separately from the first displacement portion and configured to move up and down with respect to the syringe and the first displacement portion. The second displacement portion includes an engaging portion configured to engage the first displacement portion urged downward by the first urging portion in a vertical direction, and a target detection portion coupled to the engaging portion and positioned above the syringe. The contact determination section determines that an electronic component has contacted the circuit board when displacement of the target detection portion is detected with the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenzo Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 11420778
    Abstract: A machine for filling and packaging containers including but not limited to bottles, cartridges, and syringes includes a wall that delimits an operating chamber in which at least one handling arm is arranged and which is facing at least one station placed externally to the operating chamber for the treatment of one or more of the containers. An intermediate element includes at least one coupling member configured to be alternatively operatively associable to the station and to the handling arm, with the intermediate element further including a coupling assembly integral to the intermediate element itself and different than coupling member. The coupling assembly is configured to removably hold one or more of the containers to be treated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: I.M.A. INDUSTRIA MACCHINE AUTOMATICHE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Claudio Trebbi, Gabriele Gabusi
  • Patent number: 11383289
    Abstract: A high-speed stamping transfer robot, including a Y-axis portion, a Z1-axis portion, a Z2-axis portion (upper arm), a mechanical lower arm portion and a tooling portion, wherein the Z1-axis portion is fixedly connected to the Y-axis portion; the Z2-axis portion (upper arm) is in rotational connection with the Z1-axis portion and the Y-axis portion and is capable of moving vertically relative to the Z1-axis portion while moving horizontally relative to the Y-axis portion; the mechanical lower arm portion is in rotational connection with the Z2-axis portion (upper arm) and is capable of rotating relative to the Z2-axis portion (upper arm); and the tooling portion is fixedly connected to the mechanical lower arm portion. Through linkage among the respective axis portions, high-speed and high-load stable transfer of sheets between presses can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: JINAN HAOZHONG AUTOMATION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuxin Hao, Jun Li, Xipeng Zhao, Qingshan Zhan
  • Patent number: 11377815
    Abstract: A construction machine capable of reducing a resistance that a bucket receives from the ground and improving smoothness of a construction surface includes a working device including a working device body and a bucket, first and second bucket actuators that rotationally move the bucket, and a control device. The control device controls the second bucket actuator to make the second bucket actuator periodically oscillate the bucket in a direction of a yaw motion during excavation work or ground leveling work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Koji Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11377812
    Abstract: A connection system for coupling a working assembly to a work vehicle includes a frame having a mounting portion at a first longitudinal end of the frame. The mounting portion is configured to directly couple to a frame of the work vehicle. The connection assembly also includes a mounting assembly at a second longitudinal end of the frame of the connection system. Additionally, the connection system includes a receiver assembly movably coupled to the frame of the connection system. The receiver assembly is configured to rotate about a point of rotation positioned along the frame of the connection system. The receiver assembly is configured to couple to a connector assembly on an arm of the work vehicle. A top part of the receiver assembly is substantially longitudinally aligned with the point of rotation while the receiver assembly is in a receiving position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Owen Seacat
  • Patent number: 11358809
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices including a robot apparatus with at least one lower arm configured to rotate about a first rotational axis and at least one upper arm rotatably coupled to the at least one lower arm at a second rotational axis that is spaced away from the first rotational axis. The robot apparatus further include a first end effector coupled to the upper arm. The robot apparatus further includes a second end effector coupled to the at least one upper arm. The robot apparatus is suitable for accommodating varying pitches between two adjacent processing chambers or between two adjacent load lock chambers. The robot apparatus may operate in dual substrate handling mode, single substrate handling mode, or a combination thereof. The robot apparatus may also be an off-axis robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Rajkumar Thanu, Jeffrey C. Hudgens, Karuppasamy Muthukamatchi
  • Patent number: 11358810
    Abstract: Tooling (100) for picking up two-dimensional workpieces comprises a main body (110) and a plurality of holding elements (131, 132) arranged on the main body (110), wherein the holding elements (131, 132) are movable relative to the main body (110) independently of one another. Each of the holding elements (131, 132) is fastened in an end region of an arm (121.1 . . . 10, 122.1 . . . 10). The arms (121, 122) are movable passively relative to the main body (110) along a linear movement path in a longitudinal extension of each particular arm (121, 122). The tooling (100) comprises, for each of the arms (121, 122) a fixing apparatus, by means of which a position of each particular arm (121, 122) along the movement path is fixable. On account of its passive character, the tooling (100) according to the invention is lightweight and can be produced cost-effectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Güdel AG
    Inventors: Adrian Stauffer, Markus Gerber, Lukas Müller
  • Patent number: 11358843
    Abstract: A retractable pallet fork carriage assembly is provided that enhances the safe operation of a lift vehicle, such as a loader or telehandler. A carriage assembly is coupled to a fork tyne assembly through scissor links that expand and retract the tynes relative to the carriage assembly. When the scissor links are closed, the fork tynes extend through the carriage assembly to receive a payload (e.g., a pallet). When an operator wants to remove the payload, the fork tynes retract while the payload is supported against the carriage assembly. In this way, the load remains in one stationary position while pallet fork tynes are retracted under the payload to release the payload. Various sensors generate and/or send signals to limit the operation of the boom lift, boom, and/or retractable attachment when a distance or load is out of a threshold range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Manitou Equipment America, LLC
    Inventors: Amitkumar D. Ekshinge, Paul Gilbert, Steven Kiskunas
  • Patent number: 11346074
    Abstract: A skid-steer implement allows for the rotation of a tool attachment relative to the body of the skid-steer by coupling an attaching element and a rotation attachment device with a shaft and force generating devices. The slim construction of the device allows for bucket rotation while limiting the tipping load change caused by the extension of the implement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Babl Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Gary L. Babl, Helen Pich
  • Patent number: 11348823
    Abstract: Substrate transfer robot blades used to engage and support a substrate during transfer include a blade body having a blade support surface and at least one pad having a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, a central opening extending from the top surface to the bottom surface, and a resilient portion formed from the at least one pad. The resilient portion formed from the at least one pad extends from and cantilevers from a side surface of the central opening of the at least one pad that is disposed directly on the side surface at the end of a long axis of the resilient portion. The resilient portion further includes a curved substrate contact surface on an outermost end of the resilient portion on which a substrate is supported when disposed on the substrate transfer robot blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Steven V. Sansoni, Jeffrey Brodine, Glen Mori