# US 2014/0190875 A1 · Systems and methods for handling electrical components

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- Number: US 2014/0190875 A1
- Document ID: US20140190875A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/147,867
- Filed: 2014-01-06
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-07
- Assignees: Electro Scientific Industries, Inc.
- Applicants: Electro Scientific Industries, Inc.
- Inventors: Douglas J. Garcia
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190875A1

## CPC

- B07C 5/344: according to electric or electromagnetic properties {(sorting according to size measured electrically or electronically B07C5/08; material testing by magnetic means G01N24/00, G01N27/00, by electrical means G01N27/00; electrical measuring devices in general G01R; coin testing G07D5/00)}
- G01R 31/2893: {Handling, conveying or loading, e.g. belts, boats, vacuum fingers (G01R31/2867 takes precedence; handling semiconductor devices or wafers during manufacture or treatment H10P72/00)}
- G01R 31/01: Subjecting similar articles in turn to test, e.g. "go/no-go" tests in mass production; Testing objects at points as they pass through a testing station (testing of cables continuously passing the testing apparatus G01R31/59; testing dielectric strength or breakdown voltage G01R31/12)
- B07C: POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING (specially adapted for a specific purpose covered by another class, see the relevant place, e.g. A43D33/06, B23Q7/12)
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)

## 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).

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The component handler of claim 1, wherein each component-seating site has a seating surface region against which an electrical component is retainable; wherein the seating surface region is spaced apart from the second surface; wherein each seating surface region comprises a seating plane and an passageway that is transverse to the seating plane; wherein the test plate is supported by a vacuum plate that has a vacuum plate support surface, a vacuum plate bottom surface, and vacuum channels in communication with a vacuum source and with the passageway in each seating surface region, such that vacuum suction supplied by the vacuum source through the passageways is operable to assist retention of the electrical components within the component-seating sites; wherein the vacuum channels have a recessed channel surface and ejection nozzles disposed in alignment with the passageways in the component-ejection region; wherein the ejection nozzles are in communication with a pressurized-air source; and wherein each ejection nozzle has an ejection outlet that is closer to the passageway than to the bottom surface of the vacuum plate such that pressurized air supplied by the pressurized vacuum source and selectively delivered through the nozzle and the passageway is operable to overcome concurrent vacuum suction and dislodge the component from the component-seating site.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The component handler of claim 2, wherein the vacuum suction supplied by the vacuum source through the passageways is operable to assist retention of first and second electrical components within adjacent component-seating sites, and wherein the ejection outlet is positioned at an outlet elevation with respect to the passageway and the recessed channel surface such that the pressurized air supplied by the pressurized vacuum source and selectively delivered through the nozzle and the passageway leading to the first electrical component is operable to dislodge the first electrical component without dislodging the second electrical component.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The component handler of claim 1, 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.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The component handler of claim 4, wherein each protrusion has a protrusion surface between adjacent seating walls of different component-seating sites, wherein the component-receiving system further comprises a fence corresponding to each component-seating track in the component-loading region, each fence having a ceiling portion operable to cover the protrusion surfaces and component-seating sites as they move beneath the fence.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The component handler of claim 5, wherein each component-seating site is accessible by a radially distal aperture between adjacent protrusions, wherein the radially distal aperture is closer to the peripheral edge than to the center, wherein the fence has an overhanging ridge that extends downward from the ceiling portion and is operable to slide along and occlude the radially distal aperture as it moves along the fence.

### Claim 7

A test plate for supporting multiple 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 test plate comprising:
a body portion having a first surface and a second surface that is opposite the first surface; and
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.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The test plate of claim 7, wherein the test plate has a plate thickness dimension that is longer than the component length dimension.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The test plate of claim 7, wherein each component-seating site has a seating surface region against which an electrical component is retainable, wherein the seating surface region is spaced apart from the second surface.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The test plate of claim 9, wherein the seating surface region is flush with the first surface.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The test plate of claim 9, wherein the seating surface region is recessed with respect to the first surface.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The test plate of claim 9, wherein each seating surface region comprises a seating plane and a passageway that is transverse to the seating plane.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The test plate of claim 7, 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.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The test plate of claim 13, wherein each component-seating site is accessible by a radially distal aperture between adjacent protrusions, and wherein the radially distal aperture is closer to the peripheral edge than the center.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The test plate of claim 14, wherein each protrusion has an outer wall that is radially farther from the center than is the loading wall, wherein each component-seating site has an auxiliary seating wall that is radially closer than is the outer wall.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The test plate of claim 14, wherein each protrusion has a protrusion surface between adjacent seating walls of different component-seating sites, wherein the protrusion surface and the adjoining seating walls have probe recesses positioned so as to be adjacent to lateral terminations of an electrical component.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The test plate of claim 14, wherein each protrusion has a protrusion surface between adjacent seating walls of different component-seating sites, wherein the protrusion surface has a height with respect to the seating surface region such that the height is less than the width dimension of an electrical component seated on the seating surface region.

### Claim 18

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.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein testing of the electrical components comprises contacting terminations on the face of the electrical with one or more probes of a testing module assembly.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein loading multiple electrical components onto a test plate further comprises:
inclining the test plate at a nonzero angle with respect to horizontal;
introducing a stream of electrical components onto the test plate as it is rotating along a rotation path; and
confining electrical components within the component-loading region to tumble randomly, due to gravity, over the radially proximal apertures of empty component-seating sites that passing through an arc of the component-loading region of the rotation path of the test plate, the random tumbling over the passing component-seating sites resulting in the seating of the electrical components.