Method and system for package orientation checking for laser...

Details Method and system for package orientation checking for laser... Method and system for package orientation checking for laser...

2000-08-03

2002-05-07

Valenza, Joseph E. (Department: 2878)

Conveyors: power-driven

Conveyor for changing attitude of item relative to conveyed...

By conveying randomly faced items and turning items to...

C193S044000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06382395

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to laser mark operations, and more particularly to ensuring proper orientation of packages for laser mark operations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It has become increasingly popular to use a laser beam to mark the surface of a chip package. Laser marking is fast, requires no curing time, and produces a consistently high-quality mark with minimal set-up time. In laser marking machines, the laser beam basically burns a mark into the surface of the article of manufacture to produce a permanent mark. In the case of a packaged chip, the laser marking creates a different reflectivity from the rest of the package surface. Thus, by holding the chip at an angle to a light source, the information inscribed on the chip by the laser can easily be read.
FIG. 1
illustrates a diagram of a tube-to-tube handler
10
and laser mark chamber
12
of a laser marking machine for marking packages of integrated circuits with logos, date, part number, and other package identifiers. To ensure correct marking, it is essential that units
14
enter the laser mark chamber
12
on the conveyor or rail
16
of the handler
12
in the proper orientation. Normally, the handler
10
of laser mark modules is either not equipped at all with a feature to detect the orientation of the packages, or it comes with a feature that uses pins to detect pin
1
on a chamfer side of the package. The feature to detect pin
1
is not very effective, however, since it needs to be set up very precisely, and needs constant readjustment.
Accordingly, a need exists for effective and efficient orientation checking of packages in a laser mark machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Aspects for package orientation checking in a laser marking machine are provided. In a system aspect, the system includes a handler, the handler including a unit loader. A laser mark chamber receives units from the handler for laser marking. A package orientation checking mechanism is positioned between the unit loader and the laser mark chamber for detecting an orientation of each unit passing to the laser mark chamber based on a chamfer side of each unit.
Through the present invention, accurate and reliable detection of wrongly oriented packages in a laser mark machine is achieved. Further, the use of the tunnel provides flexibility for package orientation detection of a variety of packages, since tunnels can be easily changed to accommodate different package sizes. These and other advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood in conjunction with the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3260363 (1966-07-01), Vukosic
patent: 3815731 (1974-06-01), Lupo et al.
patent: 3990571 (1976-11-01), Kitterman et al.
patent: 4170021 (1979-10-01), Du Bois et al.
patent: 4509646 (1985-04-01), Eitzinger
patent: 4800999 (1989-01-01), Matsuo
patent: 6051845 (2000-04-01), Uritsky

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