IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0077526
(2008-03-19)
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등록번호 |
US-8172063
(2012-05-08)
|
우선권정보 |
KR-10-2007-0046602 (2007-05-14) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Jenkins, Wilson, Taylor & Hunt, P.A.
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
2 인용 특허 :
13 |
초록
▼
An apparatus for transporting substrates and a guide unit are disclosed herein. A guide unit can prevent a substrate from shaking in a side direction when the substrate is transported by the rotation of a transporting roller. The guide unit includes an inner ring and an outer ring. The outer ring in
An apparatus for transporting substrates and a guide unit are disclosed herein. A guide unit can prevent a substrate from shaking in a side direction when the substrate is transported by the rotation of a transporting roller. The guide unit includes an inner ring and an outer ring. The outer ring includes a ring-shaped guide protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the outer ring in a side direction. The outer circumferential surface of the outer ring comes in contact with the bottom edge of a substrate to support the substrate, and a side surface of the guide comes in contact with the side of the substrate to prevent the substrate from traveling in a side direction. The inner ring rotates with the shaft, and the outer ring rotates by a friction force with the substrate.
대표청구항
▼
1. A substrate transporting apparatus comprising: a plurality of rotatable shafts arranged in a row;one or more transporting rollers fixedly coupled with each shaft of the plurality of shafts to rotate with the shaft, the transporting rollers comprising an outer circumferential surface having a firs
1. A substrate transporting apparatus comprising: a plurality of rotatable shafts arranged in a row;one or more transporting rollers fixedly coupled with each shaft of the plurality of shafts to rotate with the shaft, the transporting rollers comprising an outer circumferential surface having a first diameter; anda guide unit located proximate an end of a first shaft of the plurality of shafts, the guide unit configured to guide the linear movement of a substrate transported by the transporting rollers, the guide unit comprising: an outer ring having a first circumferential surface and a second circumferential surface each comprising a diameter that is equal to the first diameter of the outer circumferential surface of the transportation rollers, the outer ring further comprising a guide disposed between the first and second circumferential surfaces and protruding outwardly from the first and second circumferential surfaces for contacting a side of the substrate, the outer ring further comprising an axis that is perpendicular to each of the first and second circumferential surfaces such that at least a portion of the bottom surface of the substrate contacts one of the first or second circumferential surfaces and such that the guide is symmetrically disposed about the axis; andan inner ring fixedly coupled to the first shaft to rotate with the first shaft and the transporting rollers;wherein the guide unit is configured for installation in a first direction and a second direction, when installed in the first direction a portion of the bottom surface of the substrate contacts the first circumferential surface, and when installed in the second direction a portion of the bottom surface of the substrate contacts the second circumferential surface. 2. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide unit further comprises: one or more bearings disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring to allow the inner ring and the outer ring to rotate independently; andwherein the outer ring comprises a first through-hole into which the inner ring is inserted, and the inner ring comprises a second through-hole into which the first shaft is inserted. 3. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the guide unit further comprises a ring-shaped retainer which is disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring, the retainer comprising a circumference having one or more holes disposed therein, wherein the one or more bearings are inserted into the one or more holes. 4. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one or more bearings are provided to protrude outwardly and inwardly from the retainer, and wherein grooves are formed at the inner ring and the outer ring, respectively and the bearings protruding from the retainer ring are partially inserted into the grooves. 5. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one or more bearings are arranged to form a plurality of annular columns. 6. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide unit further comprises a fixing member configured to fix the inner ring to the first shaft. 7. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the inner ring comprises: a main body comprising a constant diameter through-hole formed in a length direction and having a same diameter as the shaft; anda sub-body comprising a variable diameter through-hole that increases in diameter away from the main body, the sub-body extending from the main body,wherein the fixing member comprises: a wedge having the same shape as the variable diameter through-hole of the sub-body and including a side portion cut in its length direction to form a first stage and a second stage facing each other, andwherein a distance between the first stage and the second stage decreases as the wedge travels toward the main body from the inside of the sub-body. 8. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wedge comprises an elastic material. 9. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wedge has a conic shape. 10. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 7, wherein the fixing member further comprises a cap configured to push the wedge toward the main body from the inside of the sub-body. 11. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 10, wherein a screw thread is formed at an outer circumferential surface of the sub-body, wherein a through-hole is formed at the center of the cap and the shaft is inserted into the through-hole, andwherein a screw thread is formed at the inner circumferential surface to correspond to the screw thread of the sub-body. 12. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sub-body is provided at both sides of the main body. 13. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide comprises an inclined surface provided at an obtuse angle to the first circumferential surface of the outer ring. 14. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide protrudes from a central portion of the outer ring. 15. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 14, wherein an inclined surface is provided at both sides of the guide. 16. A substrate transporting apparatus comprising: a plurality of rotatable shafts arranged in a row;a plurality of transporting rollers fixedly coupled with each shaft of the plurality of rotatable shafts to rotate with the shaft; anda guide unit located proximate an end of a first shaft of the plurality of shafts, the guide unit configured to guide the linear movement of a substrate transported by the transporting rollers, the guide unit comprising: first and second outer circumferential surfaces for contacting a bottom edge of a substrate; anda guide protruding outwardly from the first and second outer circumferential surfaces, the guide comprising a first inclined surface provided at an obtuse angle to the first outer circumferential surface and a second inclined surface provided at the obtuse angle to the second circumferential surface, the first and second inclined surfaces for contacting a side of the substrate, wherein the guide decreases in thickness as a distance from the first and second outer circumferential surfaces increases, wherein the first and second inclined surfaces of the guide are symmetrically disposed about an axis of the outer ring that is perpendicular to each of the first and second outer circumferential surfaces;wherein the guide unit is configured for installation on the first shaft in a first direction and in a second direction, when installed in the first direction the first outer circumferential surface contacts the bottom edge of the substrate and the first inclined surface contacts the side of the substrate, and when installed in the second direction the second outer circumferential surface contacts the bottom edge of the substrate and the second inclined surface contacts the side of the substrate. 17. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the guide unit comprises: an outer ring comprising a first through-hole into which an inner ring is inserted;the inner ring comprising a second through-hole into which the shaft is inserted and installed to rotate with the shaft by the rotation of the shaft; andone or more bearings provided between the inner ring and the outer ring to allow the inner ring and the outer ring to rotate independently. 18. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 17, wherein the inner ring comprises: a main body comprising a constant diameter through-hole formed in a length direction to have the same diameter as the shaft; anda sub-body comprising a variable diameter through-hole formed to have a diameter increasing away from the main body, the sub-body extending from the main body,wherein the guide unit comprises: a wedge having the center where formed is a third through-hole into which the shaft is inserted and a side portion cut in its length direction to form a first stage and a second stage facing each other, the wedge being inserted into the variable diameter through-hole of the sub-body to fix the shaft to the inner ring, andwherein a distance between the first stage and the second stage decreases as the wedge travels toward the main body from the inside of the sub-body. 19. The substrate transporting apparatus of claim 18, wherein the guide unit further comprises: a cap configured to push the wedge toward the main body from the inside of the sub-body, the cap having the center where formed is a fourth through-hole into which the shaft is inserted,wherein a screw thread is formed at the outer circumferential surface of the sub-body, andwherein a screw thread is formed at the inner circumferential surface of the cap to correspond to the screw thread of the sub-body. 20. A guide unit provided at a substrate transporting apparatus to guide the linear movement of a substrate, the guide unit comprising: an outer ring comprising a first through-hole centrally disposed in the outer ring and the outer ring further comprising a guide extending outwardly from an outer circumferential surface thereof, the guide comprising a first inclined surface provided at an obtuse angle to a first outer circumferential surface and a second inclined surface provided at the obtuse angle to a second circumferential surface, wherein the first and second inclined surfaces of the guide are symmetrically disposed about an axis of the outer ring that is perpendicular to each of the first and second outer circumferential surfaces;an inner ring inserted into the first through-hole of the outer ring, the inner ring comprising a second through-hole that is centrally disposed in the inner ring; anda plurality of bearings provided between the outer ring and the inner ring;wherein the guide unit is configured for installation on a shaft in a first direction and in a second direction, when installed in the first direction the first outer circumferential surface contacts a bottom edge of the substrate and the first inclined surface contacts a side of the substrate, and when installed in the second direction the second outer circumferential surface contacts the bottom edge of the substrate and the second inclined surface contacts the side of the substrate. 21. The guide unit of claim 20, further comprising: a retainer disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring,wherein holes are formed at the outer circumferential surface of the retainer and the bearings are inserted into the holes. 22. The guide unit of claim 21, wherein the plurality of bearings are arranged at the retainer ring to form a plurality of annular columns. 23. The guide unit of claim 21, wherein a plurality of grooves is formed at the inner ring and the outer ring and the plurality of bearings is partially inserted into the plurality of grooves. 24. The guide unit of claim 21, wherein the guide protrudes from a central region of the outer ring. 25. The guide unit of claim 21, wherein the guide has a ring-shape. 26. The guide unit of claim 21, wherein the inner ring comprises a main body comprising a constant diameter through-hole formed in a length direction, the constant diameter through-hole having a same diameter as the shaft transporting the substrate; and a sub-body comprising a variable diameter through-hole that increases in diameter away from the main body, the sub-body extending from the main body,the guide unit comprising:a wedge inserted into the through-hole of the sub-body and having a side cut in its length direction to form a first stage and a second stage facing each other, andwherein a distance between the first stage and the second stage decreases as the wedge travels toward the main body from the inside of the sub-body. 27. The guide unit of claim 26, further comprising: a cap configured to push the wedge toward the main body from the inside of the sub-body. 28. The guide unit of claim 27, wherein a screw thread is formed at an outer circumferential surface of the sub-body, wherein the cap has the center where formed is a fourth through-hole into which the shaft is inserted, andwherein a screw thread is formed at an inner circumferential surface of the cap to correspond to the screw thread of the sub-body.
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