US 2014/0190875 A1Published application

Systems and methods for handling electrical components

AssigneeElectro Scientific Industries, Inc.

InventorDouglas J. Garcia

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Abstract

A component handler (100) may include: a test plate (102) including multiple circular component-seating tracks (104) each including multiple component-seating sites (500) configured to retain an electrical component (510) such that its face (522) faces away from the test plate (102); a component receiving system (114, 106, 300, 302, 306, 308, 310, 400, 402, 502, and/or 508) positioned along a rotation path of the seating tracks (104); a component test module assembly (1502) for electrically contacting each electrical component (510) seated in a component-seating site (500); one or more collection bins (124); and a collection assembly (120) for collecting some of the electrical components (510) from component-seating sites (500) and directing the electrical components (510) into the bins (124) based on one or more tests conducted at the component test module assembly (1502).

Claims20

Dependent claims

A component handler comprising:

a test plate for supporting multiple electrical components, wherein each electrical component has a length dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension, wherein each electrical component has a face defined by at least the length dimension, wherein the thickness dimension is shorter than the length dimension and the width dimension, wherein the test plate has a body portion having a first surface and a second surface that is opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface has a center, wherein the test plate has multiple circular component-seating tracks arranged on the first surface of the body portion, wherein the circular component-seating tracks are concentric about the center of the first surface, wherein the circular component-seating tracks each include multiple component-seating sites, each configured to retain an electrical component such that the face of the electrical component faces away from the first surface, and wherein the test plate is operable to rotate the component-seating sites along a rotation path about the center of the first surface;
a component-receiving system, positioned in a component-loading region along the rotation path of the component-seating track, for receiving a stream of components and seating them in the component-seating sites;
a component-testing station, positioned downstream of the component-receiving system and along the rotation path of the component-seating track, for electrically contacting each electrical component seated in a component-seating site;
a collection bin;
and
a collection assembly, positioned in a component ejection region that is downstream of the component-testing station and along the rotation path of the component-seating track, for collecting at least some of the electrical components from their respective component-seating sites and directing them into the bin after the electrical components have been tested at component-testing station.

3 more elements

A method of handling electrical components, wherein each electrical component has a component length dimension, a component width dimension, and a component thickness dimension, wherein each electrical component has a face defined by at least the component length dimension, and wherein the component thickness dimension is shorter than the component length dimension and the component width dimension, the method comprising:

loading multiple electrical components onto a test plate, wherein the test plate includes a body portion having a first surface and a second surface that is opposite the first surface, wherein the test plate includes multiple component-seating tracks arranged on the first surface of the body portion, wherein each component-seating track includes multiple component-seating sites, wherein each of the component-seating sites is configured to retain an electrical component such that the face of the electrical component faces away from the first surface, wherein the test plate has a center and a peripheral edge, wherein the test plate comprises protrusions between adjacent component-seating sites, wherein adjacent protrusions have seating walls that face each other on opposite sides of each component-seating site, wherein each protrusion has a loading wall that is closer to the center than to the peripheral edge, wherein each component-seating site is accessible by a radially proximal aperture between adjacent protrusions, and wherein the radially proximal aperture is closer to the center than to the peripheral edge;
and
retaining the electrical components at respective component-seating sites of the test plate during testing of the electrical components.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/147,867Filed 6 Jan 2014
Priority: 7 Jan 2013
Published: 10 Jul 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B07C 5/344
Sorting according to other particular properties: according to electric or electromagnetic properties
G01R 31/2893
Testing of integrated circuits [IC]: handling, conveying or loading, e.g. belts, boats, vacuum fingers
G01R 31/01
Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by…
B07C
Postal sorting

Family

Application61/749,558Us provisional application · filed 7 Jan 2013
US 9,636,713 B2Related patent
US 2014/0190875 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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