Six-bar linkage positioning mechanism

Abstract

Disclosed is a six-bar linkage positioning mechanism mounted inside a clean container formed of a locating member and a four-bar linkage and a driving module which, when moved, has the slide of the driving module stopped at the base of the cleaning container and be forced to move upwards relative to a sliding way inside the locating member and to cause the driving link of the driving module to drive the four-bar linkage upwards and to further force the second link of the four-bar linkage to push workpieces in respective insertion slots in a cassette on the clean container. The six-bar linkage positioning mechanism has only one degree of freedom so that it moves workpieces horizontally in the cassette into position by means of contact at a point, preventing contamination due to friction and also improving moving stability.

1 . A six-bar linkage positioning mechanism mounted inside a clean container, said clean container comprises a base and a cover shell covered on said base, said base holding a cassette thereon, said cassette having a plurality of insertion slots horizontally arranged at different elevations for carrying a plurality of workpieces in said insertion slots, the six-bar linkage positioning mechanism comprising:
 a locating member fixedly fastened to an inside wall of said cover shell, said locating member having a vertically extended sliding way;   a four-bar linkage, said four-bar linkage comprising a first link, a second link, a third link, and a fourth link, said fourth link being sliding along the vertically extended sliding way of said locating member, said first link and said third link being arranged in parallel and having a same length, said second link and said fourth link being arranged in parallel and having a same length; and   a supporting link, said supporting link having a first end pivoted to said locating member and a second end pivoted to one of the first, second and third links of said four-bar linkage;   wherein when covering said cover shell on said base from the top, said fourth link will be stopped at said base and be forced to slide upwards along said vertically extended sliding way, thereby causing said four-bar linkage to move upwards under the constraint of said supporting link and to further force said second link to push said workpieces in said insertion slots horizontally forwards.   
   
   
       2 . The six-bar linkage positioning mechanism as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second link of said four-bar linkage has an extension; the second end of said supporting link is pivoted to the extension of said second link. 
   
   
       3 . The six-bar linkage positioning mechanism as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second end of said supporting link is pivoted to the first link of said four-bar linkage. 
   
   
       4 . The six-bar linkage positioning mechanism as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second link of said four-bar linkage is a retainer, having at least one front thrust face for pushing said workpieces in said insertion slots horizontally forwards. 
   
   
       5 . The six-bar linkage positioning mechanism as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said retainer has a substantially U-shaped cross section, and two opposite lateral sides each forming a respective one of said at least one thrust face. 
   
   
       6 . The six-bar linkage positioning mechanism as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the fourth link of said four-bar linkage is a driving slide axially slidably slid along said vertically extended sliding way of said locating member. 
   
   
       7 . The six-bar linkage positioning mechanism as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said locating member has two mounting holes respectively formed in two distal ends of a top thereof and respectively affixed to said inside wall of said cover shell with a respective screw.