CONVEYOR TRANSFER SYSTEM

摘要

A transport system for conveying articles (170) along conveyance paths including straight, curvilinear, horizontal, vertical, inclined and declined conveyance sections (100) optionally physically offset from one another horizontally, vertically or combinations thereof. The articles are conveyed between a pair of transport belts (110, 120) or rollers and/or by conveyance elements such as a gripper (810), a robotic hoist, a lift (210) or an elevator while optionally supported by protrusions extending from the belts or rollers, secured via a kinematic interface, grasped by a gripper, or supported by air bearings. The articles conveyed may include semiconductor wafers, substrates for the manufacture of display devices or photovolaics.