Material or article handling – Device for emptying portable receptacle – For emptying contents thereof into portable receiving means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-11
2001-02-20
Werner, Frank E. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Device for emptying portable receptacle
For emptying contents thereof into portable receiving means
C414S810000, C414S415000, C414S421000, C198S402000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06190111
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention generally relates to the inverting of devices, and particularly to the simultaneous inverting of a plurality of devices.
During the manufacture of devices such as semiconductors and similar electronic devices, such devices must be tested for operability, efficiency, and other conditions. Thus, a need exists for apparatus which mechanically handles such devices to reduce the cost of such testing. Additionally, such mechanical handling also includes the need to perform tests or other functions on both sides of the device.
When it is necessary to remove the device from the carrier or tray, inverting apparatus such as of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,158 has proven to be very effective. However, especially when it is not necessary to remove the devices from the carrier such as for mechanical vision testing, branding, or the like, inverting the devices one at a time is very time consuming and inefficient.
Thus, a need exists for simultaneously placing a plurality of devices contained in a first carrier in an inverted orientation. Past attempts to solve this need have not proven to be effective. Specifically, the positioning of the devices in the carrier is required for referencing the results of the various tests and other processing operations to individual devices. Because of warping of the carrier and for other reasons, devices tended to move in the carrier while they were being inverted so that damage to the devices such as to the leads thereof during the inverting process or during later handling operations and/or so that reference positioning was lost in the carrier. Additionally, devices also tended to fall from the carrier which is clearly undesirable due to the loss of the devices themselves but also because of the potential the devices could fall upon and short out electrical equipment in the vicinity.
SUMMARY
The present invention solves this need and other problems in the field of simultaneously inverting a plurality of devices carried in a carrier or tray by providing, in the preferred form, an input tray carrying the plurality of devices which is conveyed beneath and moved to be closely adjacent to a primer tray so that the trays can be clamped together and rotated, with the primer tray carrying the plurality of devices in an inverted orientation and after unclamping from the input tray being moved to be spaced from the input tray and conveyed from beneath of the input tray which then acts as the primer tray for the next inverting operation.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide novel methods and apparatus for simultaneously inverting a plurality of devices.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel inverting methods and apparatus utilizing standard semiconductor matrix trays.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel inverting methods and apparatus providing ease of changeover between different tray types, orientations, and directions.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel inverting methods and apparatus which maintain device positioning even when warped trays are utilized.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel inverting methods and apparatus which interrupt operation when desired, monitored conditions are not being sensed.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel inverting methods and apparatus having increased throughput.
These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of this invention described in connection with the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4773816 (1988-09-01), Fuller, Jr. et al.
patent: 4830564 (1989-05-01), Walker et al.
patent: 4880101 (1989-11-01), Wiggins
patent: 5360309 (1994-11-01), Ishiguro
Kroening James E.
Nuhlicek John C.
Aetrium Incorporated
Kamrath Alan
Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP
Werner Frank E.
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