Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor arrangement for selecting among plural sources or... – One of a plurality of main line conveyors selectively moves...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-30
2001-04-24
Lillis, Eileen D. (Department: 3652)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor arrangement for selecting among plural sources or...
One of a plurality of main line conveyors selectively moves...
C198S460100, C198S463300, C198S463400, C198S459600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220420
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a semiconductor composition material conveyer module, and more particularly to such a semiconductor composition material conveyer module which is comprised of horizontal and vertical conveyer units arranged with processing machines into an automatic processing conveying production.
During fabrication of encapsulated semiconductors, press-formed components, etc., materials are delivered from one production line or processing machine to another to receive different processing procedures, for example, wire processing, cutting, or circuit printing. Processed materials tend to be damaged during conveying. In early days, composition materials are delivered from one production line or processing machine to another by workers by means of hand carts or baskets. This method is not economic because it requires much man power, and materials tend to be damaged during delivery. In recent years, various horizontal mechanical conveyers have been developed, and intensively used for conveying semiconductor composition materials. These horizontal mechanical conveyers commonly comprise a base frame, a plurality of rollers mounted on the base frame and arranged in parallel, and a belt transmission mechanism controlled to rotate the rollers. A horizontal mechanical conveyer of this design is to be installed between two processing machines, so that materials processed through a first processing machine can be quickly carried to a second processing machine to receive a secondary processing process. This design of horizontal mechanical conveyer saves much main power. However, a horizontal mechanical conveyer can only be used to deliver composition materials horizontally. For a complicated production line, many horizontal mechanical conveyers may be required. However, much floor space is needed when installing a number of horizontal mechanical conveyers in a factory or plant. In order to save floor space, adapter means may be connected between horizontal mechanical conveyers, or speed changers may be installed, enabling horizontal mechanical conveyers to be arranged into a production line for delivery materials to different processing machines to receive all processing procedures. However, this method is still not satisfactory in function due to the following reasons:
1. Because different production lines are needed for processing different components, the arrangement of conveyers for a production line for one product cannot fit another production line for another product.
2. The factory floor utilization percent according to conventional methods is limited because conventional methods are not aimed at the utilization of three-dimensional space, and additional factory floor space is needed when adding new processing machines.
3. Conventional horizontal mechanical installation methods save little main power, and do not improve yield capacity. During conveying, semiconductor composition material tends to be jammed at a turning corner or before a processing machine, and additional quality control persons must be employed to control material pitch. Conveying material tends to be forced out of place or damaged when jammed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished to provide a semiconductor composition material conveyer module which eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. It is one object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor composition material conveyer module which combines horizontal conveyer units and vertical conveyer units into an automatic production line, enabling semiconductor composition materials to be delivered from one production line or processing machine to another subject to pre-determined course and time schedule, so as to reduce semiconductor fabrication cost and efficiency. It is another object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor composition material conveyer module which enables production lines to be arranged one above another, so as to save much floor space. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor composition material conveyer module which allows horizontal conveyer units to be conveniently connected either in series or in parallel, and used with vertical conveyer units to form an automatic production line. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor composition material conveyer module which uses sensor means to detect the presence and displacement of semiconductor composition material, enabling semiconductor composition material to be carried from one production line or processing machine to another piece by piece without causing a jam. To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor composition material conveyer module which is comprised of a plurality of horizontal conveyer units and at least one vertical conveyer unit. Each vertical conveyer unit comprises a rack having two vertical sliding tracks, a carriage moved vertically between the sliding tracks at the rack, a slide moved back and forth at the carriage, a steering mechanism mounted on the slide and controlled to turn the direction of semiconductor composition material carried on the vertical conveyer unit.
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Huang Story
Jan Chalson
Lee Shin-Hsiung
Bacon & Thomas
Industrial Technology Research Institute
Lillis Eileen D.
Tran Thuy V.
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