Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – Of individual circuit component or element
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-29
2001-04-17
Metjahic, Safet (Department: 2858)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
Of individual circuit component or element
C324S754090, C324S758010, C324S1540PB
Reexamination Certificate
active
06218852
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to parts handling equipment, and more particularly to an automated handling apparatus for testing and optionally labeling printed circuit boards such as memory boards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There is currently known in the prior art various handling devices which are used to facilitate the testing of small printed circuit boards which accommodate one or more memory devices. These “memory boards” are commonly referred to as SIMM circuit boards or SIMM boards (which include memory chips disposed on one side or face thereof) and DIMM circuit boards or DIMM boards (which include memory chips disposed on both sides or faces thereof). Also known in the prior art are handling devices which are used to facilitate the application of a label onto SIMM and/or DIMM boards subsequent to the testing thereof.
The prior art SIMM/DIMM handlers are generally similar to each other with respect to their structural details and operational methodology. Though accomplishing the task of testing SIMM and/or DIMM boards, such prior art handlers possess certain deficiencies which detract from their overall utility, with such deficiencies being related to, among other things, cost, reliability and accuracy. Many of these deficiencies are highlighted in Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,489 entitled SIMM/DIMM BOARD HANDLER issued Jan. 6, 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Perhaps the most significant deficiency of the prior art SIMM/DIMM handlers is that the feeding of the circuit board into a testing assembly of the handler requires that the circuit board travel lengthwise or longitudinally along a conveyor of the handler in only one direction and at only one height. As such, these prior art handlers are exceedingly large, and must be sized having a width which is at least four times the length of the circuit board to properly accommodate the various sub-assemblies of the handler, including the testing and sorting sub-assemblies is thereof.
A further deficiency is that the prior art SIMM/DIMM handlers are overly complex in construction and include numerous operating and coordinating elements, thus requiring excessive manual set-up time and increasing their susceptibility to general failure and high maintenance down time. More particularly, contributing to the extreme complexity of the prior art SIMM/DIMM handlers is their construction from a combination of electromechanical and pneumatic components, including stepper motors and conveyors, in addition to pneumatic actuators. Such construction causes the prior art SIMM/DIMM handlers to be noisy, bulky, slow acting, large in size, and susceptible to frequent down time. Further, in these prior art SIMM/DIMM handlers, little provision is made for machine action alternation due to malfunction, with such handlers being difficult to set-up for circuit boards of differing sizes.
In recognition of the deficiencies of the prior art SIMM/DIMM handlers, Applicant developed the SIMM/DIMM circuit board handling and testing apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,789. Though this particular SIMM/DIMM circuit board handler of the Applicant overcomes many of the deficiencies of the prior art SIMM/DIMM handlers, it lacks the ability to simultaneously test multiple SIMM or DIMM circuit boards or to apply labels thereto subsequent to the completion of the testing process, thus requiring the insertion of the tested circuit board into another circuit board handler which is adapted to facilitate the application of a label thereto. A further deficiency of Applicant's prior SIMM/DIMM circuit board handler and others similar thereto in construction is that the circuit boards are fed thereinto and ejected therefrom downwardly, which sometimes causes damage to the circuit boards.
The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art SIMM/DIMM handlers, as well as the shortcomings associated with Applicant's previous SIMM/DIMM circuit board handler, by providing an automated handling apparatus which, in addition to being adapted to concurrently test multiple SIMM or DIMM circuit boards, is further adapted to facilitate the application of a label thereto subsequent to the completion of the testing process. Additionally, the structure and operational sequence of the present automated handling apparatus is specifically adapted to facilitate the performance of the testing and labeling functions in a “gentle” manner which minimizes the risk of damage to the circuit boards.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an automated handling apparatus for testing and optionally labeling a printed circuit board, and more particularly a SIMM board or DIMM board. The SIMM or DIMM circuit boards for which the present testing and labeling apparatus is particularly suited each have generally rectangular configurations, and define opposed pairs of longitudinal and lateral edges. The present apparatus is specifically adapted to perform its testing and labeling functions concurrently on multiple circuit boards, thus substantially increasing its output speed as compared to circuit board handler devices currently known in the prior art.
In the preferred embodiment, the present testing and labeling apparatus comprises a housing having a pair of tray exchanger assemblies attached thereto. Each of the tray exchanger assemblies is configured to accommodate two (2) identically configured cassette trays, and operable to alternately move such cassette trays between first and second positions. More particularly, each tray exchanger assembly is configured such that the movement of the cassette tray originally oriented in the first position to the second position results in the concurrent movement of the remaining cassette tray originally oriented in the second position to the first position. Each cassette tray is preferably fabricated from a plastic material, and configured so as to accommodate multiple circuit boards arranged in two (2) side-by-side rows.
In addition to the tray exchanger assemblies, the present testing and labeling apparatus comprises a testing assembly which is also attached to the housing and used for conducting a testing protocol on each of the circuit boards. The testing assembly itself comprises a test fixture which defines at least one and preferably four test slots, each of which is sized and configured to partially receive a circuit board, including one longitudinal edge thereof. In addition to the test fixture, the testing assembly includes at least one and preferably four ejection mechanisms which are each cooperatively engaged to the test fixture and operable to assist in the ejection of the circuit boards from within respective ones of the test slots of the test fixture.
Each of the ejection mechanisms of the testing assembly itself comprises a pair of lift tabs which are pivotally connected to the test fixture and disposed at respective ones of the opposed ends of the corresponding test slot of the test fixture adjacent the bottom surface thereof. In addition to the lift tabs, each ejection mechanism includes a pair of cylinders which are mechanically coupled to respective ones of the lift tabs. The cylinders are operable to concurrently move the lift tabs between a testing position whereat the lift tabs are substantially continuous with the bottom surface of the corresponding test slot, and an ejection position whereat the lift tabs are pivoted upwardly so as to protrude into the test slot. The cylinders of each ejection mechanism may comprise pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders.
The present testing and labeling apparatus further comprises a labeler assembly which is attached to the housing and used for applying a label to each of the circuit boards subsequent to the completion of the testing protocol thereon. The labeler assembly comprises an elongate, rotatable labeler arm which defines opposed ends. Attached to the labeler arm adjacent respective ones of the opposed ends thereof is a pair of label grippers of the
Bauer Richard D.
Behrendt Fred R.
Callahan Michael P.
Olis Jon T.
Smith Paul E.
Metjahic Safet
Sundaram T. R.
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