Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Endless conveyor
Reexamination Certificate
2006-10-31
2008-05-06
Deuble, Mark A. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Endless conveyor
C198S844100, C414S935000
Reexamination Certificate
active
07367446
ABSTRACT:
According to a first aspect, a first conveyor system is provided that is adapted to deliver substrate carriers within a semiconductor device manufacturing facility. The first conveyor system includes a ribbon that forms a closed loop along at least a portion of the semiconductor device manufacturing facility. The ribbon is adapted to (1) be flexible in a horizontal plane and rigid in a vertical plane; and (2) transport a plurality of substrate carriers within at least a portion of the semiconductor device manufacturing facility. Numerous other aspects are provided, as are systems, methods and computer program products in accordance with these and other aspects.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2157283 (1939-05-01), Dyson
patent: 2268542 (1942-01-01), Bergmann
patent: 2689638 (1954-09-01), Mojonnier
patent: 3664491 (1972-05-01), Scanlon et al.
patent: 3682295 (1972-08-01), Roinestad
patent: 3710921 (1973-01-01), Petiet
patent: 3710923 (1973-01-01), Fromme et al.
patent: 3722656 (1973-03-01), Loomis, Jr. et al.
patent: 3730331 (1973-05-01), Goldberg
patent: 3734263 (1973-05-01), Dirks
patent: 3737024 (1973-06-01), Gelzer
patent: 3788455 (1974-01-01), Dieckmann
patent: 3815723 (1974-06-01), Wright et al.
patent: 3865229 (1975-02-01), Velander
patent: 3901376 (1975-08-01), Dardaine et al.
patent: 3967721 (1976-07-01), Rhoden
patent: 3990569 (1976-11-01), Aiuola
patent: 4006813 (1977-02-01), Fluck
patent: 4029194 (1977-06-01), Feurstein et al.
patent: 4033403 (1977-07-01), Scalon et al.
patent: 4040302 (1977-08-01), Katarao
patent: 4044886 (1977-08-01), Sender
patent: 4084687 (1978-04-01), Lapeyre
patent: 4166527 (1979-09-01), Beezer
patent: 4222479 (1980-09-01), Dugan et al.
patent: 4261236 (1981-04-01), Verjux
patent: 4266652 (1981-05-01), Bald
patent: 4294344 (1981-10-01), van Maanen
patent: 4340137 (1982-07-01), Foster
patent: 4394901 (1983-07-01), Roinestad
patent: 4401522 (1983-08-01), Buschow et al.
patent: 4450950 (1984-05-01), Foote, Jr.
patent: 4506779 (1985-03-01), Seragnoli
patent: 4524858 (1985-06-01), Maxey
patent: 4534843 (1985-08-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 4538720 (1985-09-01), Limousin
patent: 4540088 (1985-09-01), Bergh
patent: 4549647 (1985-10-01), Cosse
patent: 4552261 (1985-11-01), Raudat et al.
patent: 4584944 (1986-04-01), Dehne
patent: 4585126 (1986-04-01), Paddock et al.
patent: 4603770 (1986-08-01), Hartness
patent: 4650264 (1987-03-01), Dahnert
patent: 4653630 (1987-03-01), Bravin
patent: 4667809 (1987-05-01), Raybuck
patent: 4679685 (1987-07-01), Inoko
patent: 4680919 (1987-07-01), Hirama et al.
patent: 4693359 (1987-09-01), Mattei et al.
patent: 4702365 (1987-10-01), Pak
patent: 4708727 (1987-11-01), Cardenas-Franco et al.
patent: 4711346 (1987-12-01), Breher et al.
patent: 4720006 (1988-01-01), Lenherr
patent: 4750605 (1988-06-01), Brems et al.
patent: 4759439 (1988-07-01), Hartlepp
patent: 4765453 (1988-08-01), Bucher
patent: 4775046 (1988-10-01), Gramarossa et al.
patent: 4813528 (1989-03-01), Hartlepp
patent: 4830180 (1989-05-01), Ferguson et al.
patent: 4850102 (1989-07-01), Hironaka et al.
patent: 4852717 (1989-08-01), Ross et al.
patent: 4854440 (1989-08-01), Laube et al.
patent: 4869637 (1989-09-01), deGroot
patent: 4898373 (1990-02-01), Newsome
patent: 4901843 (1990-02-01), Lashyro
patent: 4921092 (1990-05-01), Crawford et al.
patent: 5048164 (1991-09-01), Harima
patent: 5052544 (1991-10-01), Anderson
patent: 5086909 (1992-02-01), Powell, Jr.
patent: 5092450 (1992-03-01), Schommartz et al.
patent: 5099896 (1992-03-01), Ritola
patent: 5110249 (1992-05-01), Norman
patent: 5113992 (1992-05-01), Sadamori
patent: 5123518 (1992-06-01), Pfaff
patent: 5135102 (1992-08-01), Sjogren et al.
patent: 5184712 (1993-02-01), Leypold et al.
patent: 5207309 (1993-05-01), Simpkin et al.
patent: 5226211 (1993-07-01), Jones
patent: 5231926 (1993-08-01), Williams et al.
patent: 5261935 (1993-11-01), Ishii et al.
patent: 5269119 (1993-12-01), Tolson
patent: 5275275 (1994-01-01), Boldrini et al.
patent: 5303818 (1994-04-01), Gruettner et al.
patent: 5339938 (1994-08-01), Patin
patent: 5341915 (1994-08-01), Cordia et al.
patent: 5377819 (1995-01-01), Horton et al.
patent: 5439091 (1995-08-01), Mason
patent: 5549195 (1996-08-01), Aulagner et al.
patent: 5558198 (1996-09-01), Juarez
patent: 5560471 (1996-10-01), Prochut et al.
patent: 5573106 (1996-11-01), Stebnicki
patent: 5603777 (1997-02-01), Ohashi
patent: 5617944 (1997-04-01), McTaggart
patent: 5628614 (1997-05-01), Pazdernik et al.
patent: 5653327 (1997-08-01), Buday, Jr. et al.
patent: 5664254 (1997-09-01), Ohkura et al.
patent: 5667056 (1997-09-01), Kimmet
patent: 5762544 (1998-06-01), Zuniga et al.
patent: 5782338 (1998-07-01), Schuster et al.
patent: 5797249 (1998-08-01), Hartness
patent: 5823319 (1998-10-01), Resnick et al.
patent: 5827118 (1998-10-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 5829574 (1998-11-01), DelSanto
patent: 5829939 (1998-11-01), Iwai et al.
patent: 5865292 (1999-02-01), Aguilar et al.
patent: 5887701 (1999-03-01), Spatafora
patent: 5980183 (1999-11-01), Fosnight
patent: 5996776 (1999-12-01), Van Zijderveld
patent: 6036426 (2000-03-01), Hillman
patent: 6054181 (2000-04-01), Nanbu et al.
patent: 6092979 (2000-07-01), Miselli
patent: 6171672 (2001-01-01), Koike et al.
patent: 6183186 (2001-02-01), Peltola et al.
patent: 6209710 (2001-04-01), Mueller et al.
patent: 6223887 (2001-05-01), Andou
patent: 6227345 (2001-05-01), Miyamoto
patent: 6227346 (2001-05-01), Lecomte et al.
patent: 6227348 (2001-05-01), Frei et al.
patent: 6234300 (2001-05-01), De Vos et al.
patent: 6235634 (2001-05-01), Law et al.
patent: 6283692 (2001-09-01), Perlov et al.
patent: 6431347 (2002-08-01), Gossner
patent: 6435331 (2002-08-01), Olson et al.
patent: 6439822 (2002-08-01), Kimura et al.
patent: 6511065 (2003-01-01), Cote et al.
patent: 6579052 (2003-06-01), Bonora et al.
patent: 6581750 (2003-06-01), Tweedy et al.
patent: 6607073 (2003-08-01), Buchi et al.
patent: 7051870 (2006-05-01), Schoendienst et al.
patent: 7077264 (2006-07-01), Rice et al.
patent: 2002/0090282 (2002-07-01), Bachrach
patent: 2003/0010449 (2003-01-01), Gramarossa et al.
patent: 2003/0173191 (2003-09-01), Hammock et al.
patent: 0 277 536 (1988-08-01), None
patent: 0 582 019 (1994-02-01), None
patent: 0717717 (1999-07-01), None
patent: 00735927 (1999-11-01), None
patent: 0 987 750 (2000-03-01), None
patent: 00912426 (2000-08-01), None
patent: 1 134 641 (2001-09-01), None
patent: 1 445 794 (2004-01-01), None
patent: 63020151 (1988-01-01), None
patent: 02098157 (1990-04-01), None
patent: 03132691 (1991-06-01), None
patent: 10-256346 (1998-09-01), None
patent: 00062949 (2000-02-01), None
patent: 00335799 (2000-12-01), None
patent: 2003072835 (2003-03-01), None
patent: WO 97/09256 (1997-03-01), None
patent: WO 99/64207 (1999-12-01), None
patent: WO 99/67158 (1999-12-01), None
patent: WO 00/69724 (2000-11-01), None
patent: WO 01/73678 (2001-10-01), None
patent: WO 02/19392 (2002-03-01), None
Virvalo, T.K., “Cylinder Speed Synchronization”, Dec. 1978, Hydraulics and Pneumatics, vol. 31, No. 12, pp. 55-57.
Cheng, et al., “Adaptive Synchronization Control of a Robotic Manipulator Operating in an Intelligent Workcell”, Apr. 1990, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 119-126.
Shih-Hung Li, et al. “An Ultrahigh Speed Assembly Robot System. Part 1. Design”, 1994, Proceedings 1994 Japan-U.S.A. Symposium on Flexible Automation—A Pacific Rim Conference, vol. 2, pp. 465-472.
Roberts, et al., “Feed Chute Geometry for Minimum Belt Wear”, Sep. 1998, 6th International Conference on Bulk Materials Storage, Handling and Transportation, pp. 153-159.
Saigo, et al., “Drive Control Systems for Processing Lines”, Nov. 10, 2000, Fuji Jiho (Fuji Electric Journal), vol. 73, No. 11, pp. 45-49, Japanese language (Abstract only).
Saigo, K., “Variable-speed Drive Systems for Industrial Plants”, Nov. 10, 2000, Fuji Jiho (Fuji Electric Journal), vol. 73, No. 11, pp. 10-14, Japanese language (Abstract only).
Park, et al., “Task Sequence Optimization for a Dual-Robot Assembly System
Elliott Martin R.
Englhardt Eric A.
Hudgens Jeffrey C.
Lowrance Robert B.
Rice Michael R.
Applied Materials Inc.
Deuble Mark A.
Dugan & Dugan PC
LandOfFree
Methods and apparatus for transporting substrate carriers does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Methods and apparatus for transporting substrate carriers, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Methods and apparatus for transporting substrate carriers will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3986823