Famous Patents
3M employee and church chorister Art Fry needed something to temporarily mark pages in his hymnal. He was in luck because his colleague, Spencer Silver, accidentally developed a glue that was too weak for other purposes. After initially discouraging consumer response, Post-it Notes became a hit in 1979.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7422411 | Gripping mechanisms, apparatus and methods The present invention provides grasping mechanisms, gripper apparatus/systems, and related methods. Grasping mechanisms that include stops, support surfaces, and height adjusting surfaces to determine three translational axis positions of a grasped object are provid... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7407208 | Joint drive mechanism and robot hand A joint drive mechanism includes a plurality of link members linked via a joint portion. A drive portion is associated with the joint portion for driving the joint portion such that the link members attached thereto can be moved relative to one another in a controll... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7386366 | Feedback estimation of joint forces and joint movements Apparatus and methods are provided for estimating joint forces and moments in human beings. A forward dynamics module determines simulated kinematic data. An error correction controller forces tracking error between the simulated kinematic data and measured (or desi... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7377028 | Electrical connector insertion and removal tool A connector insertion and removal tool for an electrical system including a circuit board and at least one electrical connector therefor includes a first portion configured for coupling to a first surface of the circuit board, and a second portion configured for cou... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7370896 | Robotic hand with extendable palm A robotic hand comprises a base having fingers and a palm. The fingers define a working volume. The hand is able to grasp objects between the fingers and the palm by varying a distance from the palm to the working volume. Varying this distance can be achieved by eit... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7330776 | System, apparatus, and method for managing and controlling robot competitions A system and method for operating robots in a robot competition. One embodiment of the system may include operator interfaces, where each operator interface is operable to control movement of a respective robot. A respective operator interface may be in communicatio... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7328924 | Adjustable tip assembly A clamp having an adjustable tip assembly is provided. The adjustable tip assembly includes a finger, wedge and spreader. The finger is configured to engage the workpiece. The wedge is configured to engage the finger. The spreader is configured to engage the wedge, ... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7281741 | End-effectors for handling microelectronic workpieces End-effectors may be used to grasp microelectronic workpieces for handling by automated transport devices. One such end-effector includes a plurality of end-effectors and a detector adapted to detect engagement of the edge of the workpiece by at least one of the abu... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7264289 | Articulated robotic serial mechanism and method A robotic device may include a plurality of concatenated assemblies, a tendon slidably connected to the plurality of concatenated assemblies, and an actuator that moves the tendon. Each assembly of the concatenated plurality may include a joining member that neighbo... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7260450 | Apparatus and method for controlling elastic actuator An internal pressure of a hydropneumatic drive actuator is measured by a pressure measurement device, a displacement amount of a movable mechanism is measured, a desired value and a measurement value of the displacement are inputted so that a position error is compe... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7234913 | Fast swapping station for wafer transport An apparatus for accepting and transferring at least one disk-like member is provided. The apparatus includes a pick- and place-mechanism including gripping means. In effect, the mechanism is adapted to provide pick- and/or place-cycles, which during operation provi... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7229110 | Bottle loading and unloading tool with extendable arms A device for grabbing bottles comprises a frame, a first set of gripping heads, shoulder pads, extendable arms, a second set of gripping heads. The frame has a first and a second parallel elongated support structure. The first set of gripping heads is mounted on the... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7184858 | Apparatus and method for controlling elastic actuator An internal pressure of a hydropneumatic drive actuator is measured by a pressure measurement device, a displacement amount of a movable mechanism is measured, a desired value and a measurement value of the displacement are inputted so that a position error is compe... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7118147 | Handling robot system having robot hand In a robot hand according to the present invention, a first-type grasping claw driven by a servo motor on a hand base and a second-type grasping claw having no actuator are used with the grasping claws mounted on each holding unit. The second-type grasping claw is m... | 10/10/2006 |
| 6979034 | Workpiece handling end-effector and a method for processing workpieces using a workpiece handling end-effector A two sided wafer handling end-effector provides for the efficient loading and unloading of wafers into and out of a wafer processing apparatus. Each side of the end-effector includes spaced apart rotatable catch mechanisms between which a wafer is firmly grasped. W... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6941192 | Robot machining tool position and orientation calibration A robot having a spindle is calibrated by disposing a calibration tool in the robot spindle. The position of the calibration tool is measured. An axis of the spindle is determined based on the measured position. A calibration tool center point is determined based on... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6932557 | Gripping mechanisms, apparatus, and methods The present invention provides grasping mechanisms, gripper apparatus/systems, and related methods. Grasping mechanisms that include stops, support surfaces, and height adjusting surfaces to determine three translational axis positions of a grasped object are provid... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6934606 | Automatic calibration of a wafer-handling robot In one embodiment, a wafer-handling robot in a wafer processing system is automatically calibrated by determining an orientation of the robot relative to a chassis of the wafer processing system, determining hand-off coordinates of a load port in the wafer processin... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6913302 | Robot arm edge gripping device for handling substrates An edge gripping device grips and ungrips a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer. A blade extends in a distal direction from a base of the device. At least one distal contact member is provided at the tip of the blade. Two proximal lever arms are pivotally coupl... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6909940 | Method and apparatus for the exchange of batteries in a robot located in an automated library An apparatus and a method for the exchange of power-supplied batteries which are arranged in a media-conveying untethered robot which is located in an automated data-storage library. ... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6817640 | Four-bar linkage wafer clamping mechanism The wafer clamping mechanism comprises a linkage mechanism and a wafer contact point coupled to the linkage mechanism. The linkage mechanism includes a four-bar linkage having: a first link having a first fixed pivot and a first floating pivot remote from the first ... | 11/16/2004 |
| 6779253 | Grip tip of gripper for parts having different shape in surface mount device A gripper having a grip tip for parts having different shapes is provided for a surface mount device. The gripper includes a piston installed inside of a through hole formed in a holder, and lifted or lowered by air flown in/out through the through hole, a moving un... | 08/24/2004 |
| 6752442 | Workpiece handling end-effector and a method for processing workpieces using a workpiece handling end-effector A two sided wafer handling end-effector provides for the efficient loading and unloading of wafers into and out of a wafer processing apparatus. Each side of the end-effector includes spaced apart rotatable catch mechanisms between which a wafer is firmly grasped. W... | 06/22/2004 |
| 6691586 | Micro actuator A micro actuator including: a translationally driving section having a moving portion which is incorporated in a case 14 and moves translationally; and a displacement enlarging member 1 having one end portion 1g connected to the moving portion of the tran... | 02/17/2004 |
| 6685422 | Pneumatically actuated flexure gripper for wafer handling robots The present invention generally provides a robot that can transfer workpieces, such as silicon wafers, at increased speeds and accelerations and decelerations. More particularly, the present invention provides a robot wrist associated with the robot arm f... | 02/03/2004 |
| 6678581 | Method of calibrating a wafer edge gripping end effector A method of calibrating a wafer edge gripping end effector. A wafer calibration tool is held in a stationary position simulating the position of a semiconductor wafer to be picked up by the wafer edge gripping end effector. A controller associated with a ... | 01/13/2004 |
| 6652015 | Gripper device The invention relates to a gripper device. According to one aspect, the gripper device includes fingers with grasping ends. The gripper device includes a mechanism to cause the grasping ends to open and close. When the mechanism is engaged, the grasping e... | 11/25/2003 |
| 6623235 | Robot arm edge gripping device for handling substrates using two four-bar linkages An edge gripping device for a robot arm grips and ungrips substrates, such as semiconductor wafers. A base is fixed to an end of the robot arm. A blade, having a distal contact location thereon, and a pusher bar, having preferably two proximal contact loc... | 09/23/2003 |
| 6612589 | Holding device A holding device includes a support frame; multiple pairs of holding fixtures mounted on the support frame; a holding fixture pulley attached to one holding fixture of each one pair of holding fixtures; at least one frame pulley attached to the support fr... | 09/02/2003 |
| 6611734 | Robot capable of gripping objects A robot which incorporates a body, arms with a hand grip, legs, several sensors, light elements, an audio system, and a video system. The sensors allows the robot to interact with objects in the room, and prevents the robot from traveling off an edge or b... | 08/26/2003 |
| 6607227 | Sawtooth terminal blade gripper and method of gripping A gripping apparatus is disclosed. The gripping apparatus includes a first finger including a plurality of first sawteeth along a first longitudinal end and a receiving area being located between adjacent sawteeth and a second finger including a plurality... | 08/19/2003 |
| 6598917 | Double roller robot wheel gripper bracket A device for clamping onto an end of a wheel casting rim and transporting the wheel casting includes a pair of movable arms mounted upon an end of a robot arm. A pair of brackets are mounted upon the ends of each arm. A roller is mounted upon each end of ... | 07/29/2003 |
| 6592324 | Gripper mechanism A gripper apparatus for grasping an object such as a specimen holder. The gripper apparatus comprises two arms. In one embodiment the arms are pivotable, and in a second embodiment, each arm includes a pivotable member. The arms are moveably coupled to ea... | 07/15/2003 |
| 6578257 | Semi-automated media rework tool A media rework tool for discs and/or a spindle motor carrying a disc pack is disclosed that has a slider plate mounted on a base for lateral movement between a retracted position and an extended position. The slider plate holds a spindle motor with a disc... | 06/17/2003 |
| 6579053 | Robotic containerization and palletizing system A robotic containerization and palletizing system having a multiple-fingered end effector. The system includes a frame that defines one or more cells. Each cell has one gantry-type robot, which is mounted in a set of tracks on top of the frame. The robot ... | 06/17/2003 |
| 6572164 | Structure for absorbing positional displacement of an article clamped by robot arms A positional displacement absorbing structure for absorbing the positional displacement of an article 21 clamped by a pair of robot arms 22, 22 is provided. The pair of the robot arms include recesses 32, 33 on their faces 31, 31 opposed to the article. T... | 06/03/2003 |
| 6522942 | Transfer apparatus for semiconductor process A semiconductor processing system includes a transfer apparatus for transferring a wafer. The transfer apparatus has a pick arm member with wings. The reference distances between the wafer located at the normal position and the wings are stored in a memor... | 02/18/2003 |
| 6517132 | Multifinger hand device A multifinger hand device has a plurality of finger mechanisms extending from a palm unit. The finger mechanisms include a finger mechanism corresponding to a thumb and other finger mechanisms. Joints of the finger mechanism corresponding to the thumb inc... | 02/11/2003 |
| 6513213 | Method of producing a microgripper In a method of producing a microgripper including a grip finger 100 which has a coupling portion 100g that commonly owns one ends of three V-shaped edges 100v on an open end side, other ends of the V-shaped edges 100v being connected to a case 14, and in ... | 02/04/2003 |
| 6513848 | Hydraulically actuated wafer clamp The present invention is directed to a wafer clamping mechanism responsive to fluid pressure to retain wafers on a surface with minimal clamping force. The clamping mechanism houses simple operative elements within a housing proximate the wafer and can ut... | 02/04/2003 |
