CN112387627A

CN112387627A - Cleaning mechanism, cleaning vehicle and automatic material carrying system

Info

Publication number: CN112387627A
Application number: CN201910764118.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 路通
Original assignee: Changxin Memory Technologies Inc
Current assignee: Changxin Memory Technologies Inc
Priority date: 2019-08-19
Filing date: 2019-08-19
Publication date: 2021-02-23

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductors, a clean mechanism, cleaning cart and material automatic handling system is proposed, clean mechanism is used for the reflector panel on the clean overhead buffer, and clean mechanism includes: a carrier assembly and a cleaning member, the carrier assembly being adjustably positionable relative to the overhead bumper; the cleaning piece is detachably arranged on the bearing component. The cleaning mechanism can automatically clean the reflector on the top buffer through the bearing assembly and the cleaning piece. When the reflector is cleaned specifically, the bearing assembly drives the cleaning piece to move to a specific cleaning position, and then the cleaning piece finishes cleaning the reflector. Since the carrier assembly is movable relative to the overhead bumper, i.e., substantially self-cleaning is achieved throughout the cleaning process, the overall cleaning process is relatively efficient.

Description

Cleaning mechanism, cleaning vehicle and automatic material carrying system

Technical Field

The disclosure relates to the technical field of semiconductors, in particular to a cleaning mechanism, a cleaning trolley and an automatic material handling system.

Background

In the prior art, an Automatic Material Handling System (AMHS) in a semiconductor integrated circuit includes:

overhead unmanned transport vehicle (OHT): the Overhead home Transport transports a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) to a destination station along a track provided below a ceiling.

Overhead buffer (OHB): and an Over Head Buffer installed below the ceiling for storing the FOUP.

OHB reflector: mounted on an OHB. The device is used together with a double carry-in detection device (sensor) carried by the OHT and is used for detecting whether the corresponding OHB has a FOUP or not by the OHT, and then whether the established FOUP taking/placing action is required to be executed or not is judged according to the FOUP.

During a specific use, the OHB reflector needs to be cleaned regularly, which is necessary: in order to ensure normal operation, the intensity of the emitted light of the OHT double-input sensor needs to be kept in a reasonable range, and if the reflected light intensity is insufficient due to the factors of dirt, water stain and the like on the surface of the corresponding OHB reflector, the OHT may misjudge the stock condition on the OHB, so that the use efficiency of the OHB is reduced. The solution to this situation is to clean the OHB reflector. In the background of the known art, OHB reflector cleaning is performed manually, and there is no apparatus for automatically performing OHB reflector cleaning.

However, manual cleaning of the OHB reflector requires an ascending operation of three meters or more, and requires an arrangement of at least four persons (one cleaner, one safety guard, two support persons). In addition, the manual cleaning of the OHB requires more attention, is complicated in process, and takes a lot of time to manually stop/start the operation area OHT, hang a safety barrier, and the like, and the process is a necessary process for both the personnel safety and the production efficiency in the manual cleaning mode.

Disclosure of Invention

It is a primary object of the present disclosure to overcome at least one of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art and to provide a cleaning mechanism, a cleaning cart, and an automatic material handling system.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning mechanism for cleaning a reflector plate on an overhead bumper, the cleaning mechanism comprising:

a carrier assembly adjustably positionable relative to the overhead bumper;

the cleaning piece is detachably arranged on the bearing assembly.

In one embodiment of the invention, the cleaning member is arranged on the side of the bearing component facing the overhead bumper, so that the cleaning member is arranged opposite to the plane of the reflector;

wherein at least part of the cleaning member is movably disposed in a direction approaching or separating from the reflector.

In one embodiment of the invention, the cleaning member comprises:

the first cleaning part is arranged on the bearing assembly and comprises a brush for cleaning the reflector.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first cleaning part further includes:

the mechanical arm is arranged on the bearing component, and the brush is arranged at one end of the mechanical arm far away from the bearing component;

wherein, the mechanical arm can be movably arranged to drive the brush to move relative to the reflector.

and the control module is arranged on the bearing assembly and is connected with the mechanical arm so as to control the mechanical arm to move relative to the reflector.

In one embodiment of the invention, the cleaning member comprises:

the second cleaning part is arranged on the bearing component;

the driving arm is arranged on the bearing assembly and connected with the second cleaning part, and the driving arm is movably arranged to drive the second cleaning part to move relative to the light reflecting plate.

In one embodiment of the invention, the cleaning member comprises:

the mechanical arm is arranged on the bearing component;

the brush is arranged at one end of the mechanical arm far away from the bearing component;

the mechanical arm is connected with the dust collector;

the control module is arranged on the bearing component;

the control module is connected with the mechanical arm, the brush and the dust collector to control the operation states of the mechanical arm, the brush and the dust collector.

In one embodiment of the invention, the cleaning mechanism has an automatic mode and a manual mode;

when the cleaning mechanism is in a manual mode, the cleaning mechanism is connected with a handheld terminal, the handheld terminal controls the bearing assembly to move to a preset cleaning position and then controls the mechanical arm to move to the cleaning position, and the control module records and stores the cleaning position; when the cleaning mechanism is in the automatic mode, the control module receives a control signal to move the mechanical arm to the cleaning position.

In one embodiment of the invention, the cleaning mechanism further comprises:

the adapter portion, adapter portion detachably installs on carrier assembly, and the cleaning member is installed on the adapter portion to make the cleaning member pass through the adapter portion and set up on carrier assembly.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a cleaning vehicle comprising a cleaning mechanism as described above and a track on which the carrier assembly is movably arranged, the track being adapted to be arranged above the overhead bumper.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic material handling system, comprising the cleaning mechanism and the wafer cassette gripping mechanism;

wherein, the wafer box grabbing mechanism is detachably arranged on the bearing component.

The cleaning mechanism can automatically clean the reflector on the top buffer through the bearing assembly and the cleaning piece. When the reflector is cleaned specifically, the bearing assembly drives the cleaning piece to move to a specific cleaning position, and then the cleaning piece finishes cleaning the reflector. Since the carrier assembly is movable relative to the overhead bumper, i.e., substantially self-cleaning is achieved throughout the cleaning process, the overall cleaning process is relatively efficient.

Drawings

Various objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the different views. Wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an application configuration from a first perspective of a cleaning mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an application of a cleaning mechanism from a second perspective according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a cleaning vehicle mounting arrangement according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a portion of an automated material handling system according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a load bearing assembly of an AMHS according to an exemplary embodiment.

The reference numerals are explained below:

10. an overhead buffer; 20. a reflector; 30. a load bearing assembly; 31. a switching part; 40. a cleaning member; 41. a first cleaning section; 411. a brush; 412. a mechanical arm; 413. a control module; 42. a second cleaning section; 421. a dust collection pipe; 422. a cleaner body; 50. a guide rail; 60. a ceiling; 70. wafer box snatchs mechanism.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments that embody features and advantages of the present disclosure are described in detail below in the specification. It is to be understood that the disclosure is capable of various modifications in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosure, and that the description and drawings are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

In the following description of various exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration various exemplary structures in which aspects of the disclosure may be practiced. Other specific arrangements of systems and steps, and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, although the terms "over", "between", "within", and the like may be used in this specification to describe various example features and elements of the disclosure, these terms are used herein for convenience only, e.g., in accordance with the orientation of the examples in the drawings. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three dimensional orientation of structures in order to fall within the scope of this disclosure.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a cleaning mechanism, referring to fig. 1 and 2, for cleaning a reflector 20 on an overhead bumper 10, the cleaning mechanism comprising: a carrier assembly 30, the carrier assembly 30 being adjustably positionable relative to the overhead bumper 10; cleaning members 40, the cleaning members 40 being removably disposed on the carrier assembly 30.

The cleaning mechanism of one embodiment of the present invention can automatically clean the reflective plate 20 on the top bumper 10 through the carrier assembly 30 and the cleaning member 40. During specific cleaning, the carrying assembly 30 carries the cleaning member 40 to a specific cleaning position, and then the cleaning member 40 finishes cleaning the reflector 20. Since the carrier assembly 30 can be moved relative to the overhead bumper 10, i.e., substantially self-cleaning is achieved throughout the cleaning process, the overall cleaning process is more efficient.

The bearing assembly 30 of the cleaning mechanism of one embodiment of the present invention can be used for installing the cleaning member 40 or the wafer cassette grasping mechanism 70, that is, the bearing assembly 30 can load different components, and has relatively strong universality, and the use scene of the bearing assembly is expanded to a certain extent.

In one embodiment, the carrier assembly 30 is equipped with a drive for driving the carrier assembly 30 to move relative to the overhead bumper 10. Wherein the driving part may be a motor.

In one embodiment, the carrier assembly 30 is adapted to be disposed above the overhead bumper 10 and is movably disposed in a direction parallel to the plane of the overhead bumper 10. In view of the high cleaning efficiency, the positional relationship between the carrier assembly 30 and the overhead bumper 10 is defined such that the distance therebetween is kept constant, so that the carrier assembly 30 is moved according to the position of the reflector 20 during cleaning, while the moving direction of the carrier assembly 30 is parallel to the plane of the reflector 20. The plane of the overhead bumper 10 may be interpreted as the plane of the reflector 20.

As shown in fig. 1, the cleaning member 40 is disposed on the side of the carrier assembly 30 facing the overhead bumper 10 such that the cleaning member 40 is disposed opposite to the plane of the reflector 20; wherein at least a portion of the cleaning member 40 is movably disposed in a direction approaching or separating from the reflector 20.

In one embodiment, to ensure that the cleaning members 40 do not interfere with the overhead bumper 10 during movement with the carrier assembly 30, but contact the reflector 20 during cleaning, at least a portion of the cleaning members 40 are movably disposed in a direction toward or away from the reflector 20, whereby the distance between the cleaning members 40 and the reflector 20 can be adjusted as desired, with different cleaning intervals being adjusted as desired.

In one embodiment, when the portion of the cleaning member 40 is movably disposed in a direction approaching or separating from the reflector 20, it is necessary to ensure that the portion of the cleaning member 40 approaching the reflector 20 is movable.

As shown in fig. 3, the cleaning member 40 includes: a first cleaning part 41, the first cleaning part 41 being disposed on the carrier assembly 30, the first cleaning part 41 including a brush 411 for cleaning the reflector 20.

In one embodiment, the first cleaning portion 41 cleans the reflector 20 through the brush 411, which may be a square or circular brush as a whole, and the reflector 20 is cleaned through movement and rotation.

As shown in fig. 3, the first cleaning portion 41 further includes: a mechanical arm 412, wherein the mechanical arm 412 is arranged on the bearing assembly 30, and the brush 411 is arranged at one end of the mechanical arm 412 far away from the bearing assembly 30; wherein the mechanical arm 412 is movably disposed to drive the brush 411 to move relative to the reflector 20.

In one embodiment, the first cleaning part 41 comprises a mechanical arm 412 and a brush 411 disposed on the mechanical arm 412, wherein the mechanical arm 412 is mainly used for adjusting the relative position between the brush 411 and the reflector 20, and the mechanical arm 412 may be a telescopic arm or a plurality of joint arms, so that multi-angle rotation and adjustment on the arm can be achieved.

As shown in fig. 3, the first cleaning portion 41 further includes: a control module 413, wherein the control module 413 is disposed on the carrier assembly 30, and the control module 413 is connected to the robot 412 to control the movement of the robot 412 relative to the reflector 20.

In one embodiment, the first cleaning part 41 is an automatic cleaning part, which includes a robot 412, a brush 411 and a control module 413, wherein the control module 413 is used to control a specific motion state of the robot 412, such as driving the robot 412 to extend or retract or driving the robot 412 to rotate so as to adjust a relative position relationship between the brush 411 on the robot 412 and the reflector 20.

In one embodiment, the cleaning mechanism has an automatic mode and a manual mode; when the cleaning mechanism is in the manual mode, the cleaning mechanism is used for being connected with a handheld terminal, the handheld terminal controls the bearing assembly 30 to move to a preset cleaning position, the mechanical arm 412 is controlled to move to the cleaning position, and the control module 413 records and stores the cleaning position; when the cleaning mechanism is in the automatic mode, the control module 413 receives a control signal to move the robot arm 412 to the cleaning position.

In one embodiment, the control module 413 of the first cleaning portion 41 includes a memory that records and stores the cleaning position.

In one embodiment, the carrying assembly 30 includes a walking control part and a walking motor, the robot arm 412 includes a robot arm motor, and the operation state of the cleaning mechanism can be switched between a manual mode and an automatic mode, when the cleaning mechanism is used for the first time, since it is necessary to adjust the optimal cleaning positions of the brush 411 and the reflector 20, an initial adjustment, which may also be referred to as working position learning, is required, and at this time, it is preferable to make the cleaning mechanism in the manual mode, that is, to operate the cleaning mechanism through a handheld terminal, in view of the convenience of adjustment. The handheld terminal is in signal communication with the walking control part and the walking motor to control the bearing assembly 30 to move to a preset cleaning position, namely, the cleaning piece 40 and the reflector 20 are basically in a relative state, at this time, the handheld terminal is in signal communication with the mechanical arm motor of the mechanical arm 412 to control the mechanical arm 412 to move relative to the reflector 20 until the brush 411 reaches an optimal cleaning position, at this time, the mechanical arm 412 is in the cleaning position, and the memory of the control module 413 records and stores various data information when the mechanical arm 412 is in the cleaning position, which is called as the working position learning of the mechanical arm 412. After the work position learning is completed, in the subsequent cleaning process, in order to reduce the manual involvement, the cleaning mechanism may be switched to an automatic mode, the carrying assembly 30 and the mechanical arm 412 automatically complete the whole moving process by inputting an execution command, and after the brush 411 reaches the optimal cleaning position, various cleaning actions are sequentially completed. The cleaning mechanism further comprises a signal receiving module for receiving a control signal of an external terminal, such as an instruction sent by an execution system in a handheld terminal or an automatic mode.

In one embodiment, the first cleaning portion 41 further includes a positioner, the positioner is mounted on the mechanical arm 412, the control module 413 is connected to the positioner, when the control module 413 controls the mechanical arm 412 to adjust the position, the positioner is used to determine the specific position of the reflector 20, when the mechanical arm 412 reaches a preset position, the positioner sends a feedback signal, and the control module 413 controls the mechanical arm 412 to stop operating, so that the brush 411 and the reflector 20 are located at the cleaning position. Wherein the locator may be a distance sensor. The robot 412 includes a robot motor for providing power and receiving control from the control module 413.

In one embodiment, the overhead bumper 10 is provided with a positioner, when the control module 413 controls the robot 412 to adjust the position, the positioner is used to determine the specific position of the reflector 20, when the robot 412 reaches a preset position, the positioner sends a feedback signal, and the control module 413 controls the robot 412 to stop operating, so that the brush 411 and the reflector 20 are located at the cleaning position. Wherein the locator may be a distance sensor. Wherein, the positioning device is arranged to ensure the accurate positioning of the brush 411 and the reflector 20.

In one embodiment, the brush 411 is an electric brush, and the control module 413 is connected to the electric brush to control the operation state of the electric brush. After the control module 413 controls the mechanical arm 412 to drive the electric brush to reach the preset position, the control module 413 controls the electric brush to operate, so as to clean the reflector 20.

In one embodiment, the brush 411 requires multiple position adjustments for the cleaning process of the reflector 20, and the whole adjustment process can be realized by moving the carrying assembly 30, or can be realized by adjusting the mechanical arm 412, although the two adjustment processes are also feasible.

In one embodiment, the brush 411 may be provided with a plurality of mechanical arms 412 at the same time, and a plurality of brushes 411 may be provided on one mechanical arm 412, so as to simultaneously clean the reflector 20 by a plurality of brushes 411.

As shown in fig. 3, the cleaning member 40 includes: a second cleaning portion 42, the second cleaning portion 42 being disposed on the carrier assembly 30; and a driving arm disposed on the carrier assembly 30, the driving arm being connected to the second cleaning portion 42, the driving arm being movably disposed to drive the second cleaning portion 42 to move relative to the reflector 20.

In one embodiment, the second cleaning portion 42 includes a dust suction pipe 421 for cleaning the reflector 20, and the second cleaning portion 42 mainly cleans the reflector 20 through the dust suction pipe 421, i.e. directly sucks dust on the reflector 20.

In one embodiment, the second cleaning portion 42 includes a cleaner body 422 and a suction pipe 421 disposed on the cleaner body 422, the cleaner body 422 is disposed on the bearing assembly 30, and the suction pipe 421 is connected to the cleaner body 422; wherein the cleaning member 40 further comprises: and the driving arm is arranged on the bearing assembly 30, connected with the dust collection pipe 421 and movably arranged to drive the dust collection pipe 421 to move relative to the reflector 20. The dust collector is arranged not to contact with the reflector 20, and scratch on the reflector 20 can be avoided to a certain extent.

In one embodiment, the suction pipe 421 is a hollow hose, and the suction pipe 421 is adjusted to a specific position by a driving arm, where the driving arm may be a mechanical arm having a flexible motion state.

In one embodiment, the driving arm is disposed on the carriage assembly 30, which can be understood as the driving arm is disposed directly on the carriage assembly 30, or disposed on the carriage assembly 30 through the cleaner body 422, i.e., the driving arm is disposed on the cleaner body 422.

In one embodiment, the second cleaning portion 42 includes a control portion for controlling the activation and deactivation of the cleaner body 422 and for controlling the positional adjustment of the drive arm.

In one embodiment, the cleaning mechanism has an automatic mode and a manual mode; when the cleaning mechanism is in a manual mode, the cleaning mechanism is connected with a handheld terminal, the handheld terminal controls the bearing assembly 30 to move to a preset cleaning position and then controls the driving arm to move to the cleaning position, and the control part records and stores the cleaning position; when the cleaning mechanism is in the automatic mode, the control part receives a control signal to enable the driving arm to move to the cleaning position.

In one embodiment, the control section of the second cleaning section 42 includes a memory that records and stores the cleaning position.

In one embodiment, the carrying assembly 30 includes a travel control portion and a travel motor, the drive arm includes a drive arm motor, and the operation state of the cleaning mechanism can be switched between a manual mode and an automatic mode, when the cleaning mechanism is used for the first time, since it is necessary to adjust the optimal cleaning position of the dust suction pipe 421 and the reflector 20, it is necessary to perform an initial adjustment, which may also be referred to as working position learning, when it is preferable to make the cleaning mechanism in the manual mode, that is, operate the cleaning mechanism through a handheld terminal, in consideration of the convenience of adjustment. The handheld terminal is in signal communication with the walking control portion and the walking motor, the bearing assembly 30 is controlled to move to a preset cleaning position, namely the cleaning piece 40 and the reflector 20 are basically in a relative state, at the moment, the handheld terminal is in signal communication with a driving arm motor of the driving arm, the driving arm is controlled to move relative to the reflector 20 until the dust collection pipe 421 reaches an optimal cleaning position, at the moment, the driving arm is in the cleaning position, the memory of the control portion can record and store various data information when the driving arm is in the cleaning position, and the process is called as the working position learning of the driving arm. After the working position learning is completed, in the subsequent cleaning process, in order to reduce the manual participation, the cleaning mechanism can be switched to an automatic mode, the whole moving process is automatically completed by the bearing assembly 30 and the driving arm through inputting an execution command, and various cleaning actions are sequentially completed after the dust suction pipe 421 reaches the optimal cleaning position. The cleaning mechanism further comprises a signal receiving module for receiving a control signal of an external terminal, such as an instruction sent by an execution system in a handheld terminal or an automatic mode.

In one embodiment, the second cleaning portion 42 further includes a positioner, the positioner is mounted on the driving arm, the control portion is connected to the positioner, when the control portion controls the driving arm to perform position adjustment, the positioner is used to determine the specific position of the reflector 20, when the driving arm reaches a preset position, the positioner sends a feedback signal, and the control portion controls the driving arm to stop operating, so that the dust suction pipe 421 and the reflector 20 are located at the cleaning position. Wherein the locator may be a distance sensor.

In one embodiment, the top buffer 10 is provided with a positioner, when the control portion controls the driving arm to perform position adjustment, the positioner is used to determine the specific position of the reflector 20, and when the driving arm reaches a preset position, the positioner sends a feedback signal, and the control portion controls the driving arm to stop operating, so that the dust collection pipe 421 and the reflector 20 are located at a cleaning position. Wherein the locator may be a distance sensor. The positioning device can ensure the dust collection tube 421 and the reflector 20 to be accurately positioned.

In one embodiment, when the cleaning member 40 includes the first cleaning portion 41 and the second cleaning portion 42, the driving arm may be the same component as the robot arm 412, and the control portion and the control module 413 may also be the same component.

In one embodiment, the second cleaning portion 42 is a plurality of second cleaning portions 42, and the plurality of second cleaning portions 42 are disposed at intervals on the carrier assembly 30.

In one embodiment, the cleaning member 40 comprises a first cleaning portion 41 and a second cleaning portion 42, the first cleaning portion 41 and the second cleaning portion 42 are both disposed on the carrier assembly 30, the first cleaning portion 41 comprises a brush 411 for cleaning the reflector 20, and the second cleaning portion 42 comprises a dust suction pipe 421 for cleaning the reflector 20, wherein the dust suction openings of the brush 411 and the dust suction pipe 421 face the reflector 20.

Further, the first cleaning portion 41 further includes a robot arm 412 for adjusting the position of the brush 411, the second cleaning portion 42 is a vacuum cleaner, the robot arms 412 are two, two robot arms 412 are used to connect one brush 411, and the vacuum cleaner is also two.

For one embodiment of the cleaning member 40, the cleaning member 40 includes: a robot 412, the robot 412 being disposed on the carrier assembly 30; a brush 411, wherein the brush 411 is arranged at one end of the mechanical arm 412 far away from the bearing assembly 30; a vacuum cleaner, to which the robot arm 412 is connected; a control module 413, the control module 413 being disposed on the carrier assembly 30; the control module 413 is connected to the robot 412, the brush 411 and the vacuum cleaner to control the operation states of the robot 412, the brush 411 and the vacuum cleaner. In this embodiment, the cleaning structure of the cleaning member 40 is formed by the brush 411 and a vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner is formed by a dust suction pipe 421 and a vacuum cleaner body 422, and after the control module 413 controls the brush 411 to clean the reflector 20, the control module 413 controls the vacuum cleaner body 422 to operate, and at this time, the vacuum cleaner body 422 sucks the dust brushed by the brush 411 through the dust suction pipe 421.

In this embodiment, during the whole cleaning process, the control module 413 may control the mechanical arm 412 to adjust the position, may control the brush 411 to rotate, and may also control the vacuum cleaner 422 to start and close. Wherein the brush 411 is an electric brush, and the dust suction pipe 421 is a hollow hose.

In one embodiment, the control module 413 includes a memory that records and stores the cleaning locations.

In one embodiment, the carrying assembly 30 includes a walking control part and a walking motor, the robot arm 412 includes a robot arm motor, and the operation state of the cleaning mechanism can be switched between a manual mode and an automatic mode, when the cleaning mechanism is used for the first time, since it is necessary to adjust the optimal cleaning positions of the brush 411 and the reflector 20, an initial adjustment, which may also be referred to as working position learning, is required, and at this time, it is preferable to make the cleaning mechanism in the manual mode, that is, to operate the cleaning mechanism through a handheld terminal, in view of the convenience of adjustment. The handheld terminal is in signal communication with the walking control part and the walking motor to control the bearing assembly 30 to move to a preset cleaning position, namely, the cleaning piece 40 and the reflector 20 are basically in a relative state, at this time, the handheld terminal is in signal communication with the mechanical arm motor of the mechanical arm 412 to control the mechanical arm 412 to move relative to the reflector 20 until the brush 411 reaches an optimal cleaning position, at this time, the mechanical arm 412 is in the cleaning position, and the memory of the control module 413 records and stores various data information when the mechanical arm 412 is in the cleaning position, which is called as the working position learning of the mechanical arm 412. After the work position learning is completed, in the subsequent cleaning process, in order to reduce the manual involvement, the cleaning mechanism may be switched to an automatic mode, the carrying assembly 30 and the mechanical arm 412 automatically complete the whole moving process by inputting an execution command, and after the brush 411 reaches the optimal cleaning position, various cleaning actions are sequentially completed.

In one embodiment, the cleaning mechanism further comprises a signal receiving module for receiving a control signal from an external terminal, such as a hand-held terminal or an instruction sent by the execution system in an automatic mode.

As shown in fig. 3, the cleaning mechanism further includes: the adapter part 31, the adapter part 31 is detachably installed on the bearing component 30, and the cleaning piece 40 is installed on the adapter part 31, so that the cleaning piece 40 is arranged on the bearing component 30 through the adapter part 31.

In one embodiment, the adapter 31 greatly facilitates the installation of the cleaning element 40, when the cleaning element 40 is required to work, the cleaning element can be installed on the bearing assembly 30 through the adapter 31, and when the cleaning element needs to be repaired or is not used for a long time, the cleaning element can be detached, namely the cleaning element 40 can be detached integrally by detaching the adapter 31 directly.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, the cleaning member 40 is detachably mounted on the adapter 31 so that the adapter 31 can be used to mount the wafer cassette gripping mechanism 70. The arrangement of the adapter portion 31 can meet the installation requirements of two components, the cleaning piece 40 is installed on the bearing assembly 30 through the adapter portion 31 when the cleaning piece is needed, the wafer cassette grabbing mechanism 70 is installed on the bearing assembly 30 through the adapter portion 31 when the wafer cassette grabbing mechanism works, multiple effects of one component are achieved through the arrangement of the adapter portion 31, the universality is high, and the overall installation cost can be reduced.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, the wafer cassette catching mechanism 70 is mounted on the carrier assembly 30, and fig. 5 is a state diagram after the wafer cassette catching mechanism 70 is detached from the carrier assembly 30 by detaching the adapter 31.

An embodiment of the present invention also provides a cleaning vehicle comprising the above-described cleaning mechanism and a rail 50, the carrier assembly 30 being movably disposed on the rail 50, the rail 50 being adapted to be disposed above the overhead bumper 10.

The cleaning vehicle of one embodiment of the present invention is composed of a cleaning mechanism and a guide rail 50, i.e. the cleaning mechanism is adjusted in position by moving along the guide rail 50 during the specific cleaning process, i.e. the installation position of the guide rail 50 is determined according to the setting position of the overhead bumper 10, thereby ensuring that the cleaning mechanism and the reflector 20 on the overhead bumper 10 have a conveniently adjusted positional relationship. In particular use, the cleaning mechanism is caused to move relative to the track 50, depending on the position of the reflector 20.

In one embodiment, the guide rail 50 is adapted to be disposed on the ceiling 60, and the guide rail 50 extends in a direction corresponding to the length direction of the overhead bumper 10. The guide rail 50 is provided on the ceiling 60 in order to match the position of the overhead bumper 10, so that the utilization of the entire space is more reasonable.

An embodiment of the present invention further provides an automatic material handling system, which includes the above cleaning mechanism and a wafer cassette gripping mechanism 70, wherein the wafer cassette gripping mechanism 70 is detachably mounted on the carrier assembly 30.

In one embodiment, the automated material handling system further comprises an overhead bumper 10, and the carrier assembly 30 is located above the overhead bumper 10.

The automatic material handling system of one embodiment of the invention comprises a cleaning mechanism and an overhead buffer 10, wherein a reflecting plate 20 is arranged on the overhead buffer 10, and the overhead buffer 10 is used for bearing a wafer box.

In one embodiment, at least the pod pick mechanism 70 or the cleaning member 40 is mounted on the carrier assembly 30, i.e., the cleaning member 40 may be mounted after the pod pick mechanism 70 is removed.

In one embodiment, the cassette catching mechanism 70 is an important part of the AMHS, which is responsible for transporting the cassettes on the overhead buffer 10, and the reflector 20 is provided to cooperate with the dual carry-in detection apparatus of the cassette catching mechanism 70, so that it is required to ensure sufficient cleanliness, and thus the cleanliness of the reflector 20 is ensured by the cleaning member 40.

In one embodiment, the carrier assembly 30 may be selectively mounted with the wafer cassette catching mechanism 70 or the cleaning member 40 according to the operation state.

In one embodiment, the automated material handling system further comprises: the guide 50, the guide 50 and the overhead bumper 10 are all adapted to be disposed on the ceiling 60; wherein the carriage assembly 30 is movably disposed on a rail 50, the rail 50 being located above the overhead bumper 10.

In one embodiment, the cassette grasping mechanism 70 includes a lift portion, a swing portion, and a traverse portion, primarily to ensure accurate transfer of the cassette.

In one embodiment, the carrying assembly 30 includes a U-shaped structure, the U-shaped structure can be regarded as being formed by splicing a plurality of plate bodies, the cleaning element 40 is disposed in a U-shaped cavity of the U-shaped structure, and a traveling part, i.e., a component for connecting with the guide rail 50, which includes a traveling motor, a traveling wheel and the like, is disposed above the U-shaped structure.

In one embodiment, the rails 50 are connected to the ceiling 60 and the overhead bumper 10 is connected to the ceiling 60 by means of connecting rods and fasteners. The overhead bumper 10 is provided on a support plate which is suspended from the ceiling 60.

The cleaning mechanism is an automatic cleaning vehicle for the OHB reflector, has the function of traveling on a track, but only provides convenience for automatically cleaning the OHB reflector, and is different from the function of carrying FOUP by OHT; the electric brush and the dust collector form a cleaning part of the automatic cleaning vehicle; in order to facilitate the automatic OHB reflector cleaning vehicle to run on the track, the cleaning part is retracted into the cleaning vehicle under the normal condition, and the extension/retraction of the cleaning part is realized by a small mechanical arm; the position of the OHB reflector on the OHB is relatively fixed, so that the cleaning vehicle can be suitable for cleaning the reflector at each OHB as long as adjustment and working position learning are well carried out on the extension/contraction of the cleaning part.

The cleaning mechanism can greatly reduce the manpower and time required by the OHB reflector plate; manpower required for cleaning the OHB reflector: original 4 people → existing 1 person. Time required for OHB reflector cleaning: use the first 2min/port → use the last 30 s/port.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This invention is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains. It is intended that the specification and exemplary embodiments be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements described above and shown in the drawings and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cleaning mechanism for cleaning a reflector on an overhead bumper, the cleaning mechanism comprising:

a carrier assembly adjustably positionable relative to the overhead bumper;

the cleaning piece is detachably arranged on the bearing assembly.

2. The cleaning mechanism of claim 1, wherein said cleaning member is disposed on a side of said carrier assembly facing said overhead bumper such that said cleaning member is disposed opposite a plane in which said reflector is disposed;

wherein at least a part of the cleaning member is movably disposed in a direction approaching or departing from the reflector.

3. The cleaning mechanism of claim 1, wherein the cleaning member comprises:

4. The cleaning mechanism of claim 3, wherein the first cleaning portion further comprises:

the mechanical arm is arranged on the bearing component, and the brush is arranged at one end of the mechanical arm, which is far away from the bearing component;

the mechanical arm is movably arranged to drive the brush to move relative to the reflector.

5. The cleaning mechanism of claim 4, wherein the first cleaning portion further comprises:

the control module is arranged on the bearing assembly and connected with the mechanical arm so as to control the mechanical arm to move relative to the reflector.

6. The cleaning mechanism of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cleaning member comprises:

a second cleaning portion disposed on the carrier assembly;

the driving arm is arranged on the bearing assembly and connected with the second cleaning part, and the driving arm is movably arranged to drive the second cleaning part to move relative to the reflector.

7. The cleaning mechanism of claim 1, wherein the cleaning member comprises:

the mechanical arm is arranged on the bearing component;

the brush is arranged at one end of the mechanical arm far away from the bearing assembly;

the mechanical arm of the dust collector is connected with the dust collector;

a control module disposed on the carrier assembly;

8. The cleaning mechanism of claim 7, wherein the cleaning mechanism has an automatic mode and a manual mode;

when the cleaning mechanism is in a manual mode, the cleaning mechanism is connected with a handheld terminal, the handheld terminal controls the bearing assembly to move to a preset cleaning position and then controls the mechanical arm to move to the cleaning position, and the control module records and stores the cleaning position; the control module receives a control signal to move the robotic arm to the cleaning position when the cleaning mechanism is in the automatic mode.

9. The cleaning mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

the adapter part is detachably arranged on the bearing assembly, and the cleaning piece is arranged on the adapter part so that the cleaning piece is arranged on the bearing assembly through the adapter part.

10. A cleaning vehicle comprising the cleaning mechanism of any one of claims 1 to 9 and a rail on which the carriage assembly is movably disposed, the rail being adapted to be disposed above the overhead bumper.

11. An automated material handling system comprising the cleaning mechanism of any one of claims 1 to 9 and a wafer cassette grasping mechanism;

the wafer box grabbing mechanism is detachably arranged on the bearing component.