Tray carrier and system including the tray carrier for handling and transporting semiconductor packages

A system for facilitating the handling and transporting of semiconductor devices, the system comprising the combination of a stock of trays that are stackable one atop the other;

• and a tray carrier for handling and transporting a stack of the trays, wherein the trays have pockets in upper surfaces thereof the pockets configured to accommodate semiconductor devices, and the tray carrier includes:
• a frame having an open bottom end whose width is at least about equal to that of the trays,
• at least one resilient belt of material mounted to the frame and spanning the open bottom end of the frame in the width-wise direction thereof, whereby when the tray carrier is set on top of a stack of the trays, the belt surrounds the top and sides of the stack of trays, and
• at least one pair of fork blocks mounted to the frame, the fork blocks being disposed at opposite sides of the bottom end of the frame in the width-wise direction thereof, each of the fork blocks including a fixed fork block body that is fixed to the frame, and a movable fork member comprising a prong, the movable fork member being supported by the fixed block body so as to be movable between a first position at which the prong thereof extends into the space constituting the open bottom end of the frame and a second position at which the prong is located outside said space, whereby the prongs can be inserted under and support a stack of the trays when the tray carrier is set on top of the stack of trays.