Compound fork device and system including the same
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsCheng-Lung WU, Chih-Hung HUANG, Yang-Ann CHU, Jiun-Rong PAI
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compound fork device includes a first prong and a second prong spaced apart from the first prong. Each of the first and second prongs has an upper surface and a lower surface which is depressed relative to the upper surface. The upper surfaces of the first and second prongs are configured to cooperatively retain a first type container. The lower surfaces of the first and second prongs are configured to cooperatively retain a second type container having a configuration different from that of the first type container. A method and a system using the compound fork device are also disclosed.
Claims20
A compound fork device comprising:
- a first prong and a second prong spaced apart from the first prong in a first direction, each of the first prong and the second prong having
- a bottom surface,
- an upper surface which is at a level higher than a level of the bottom surface, and
- a lower surface which is at a level between the level of the bottom surface and the level of the upper surface;
- two first upper guide blocks mounted on the upper surface of the first prong, and spaced apart from each other in a second direction different from the first direction;
- two second upper guide blocks mounted on the upper surface of the second prong, and spaced apart from each other in the second direction;
- two first lower guide blocks mounted on the lower surface of the first prong;
- and
- two second lower guide blocks mounted on the lower surface of the second prong.
A compound fork device comprising:
- a first prong and a second prong spaced apart from the first prong, each of the first prong and the second prong having an upper surface and a lower surface which is located below the upper surface, the upper surface of the first prong and the upper surface of the second prong being configured to cooperatively retain a first type container, the lower surface of the first prong and the lower surface of the second prong being configured to cooperatively retain a second type container which has a configuration different from a configuration of the first type container;
- a rear frame, a rear end of each of the first prong and the second prong being mounted to a lower portion of the rear frame;
- and
- an auxiliary retaining unit coupled to the rear frame, and operable to retain the first type container on the first prong and the second prong.
A compound fork device comprising:
- a first prong and a second prong spaced apart from the first prong, each of the first prong and the second prong having an upper surface and a lower surface which is located below the upper surface, the upper surface of the first prong and the upper surface of the second prong being configured to cooperatively retain a first type container, the lower surface of the first prong and the lower surface of the second prong being configured to cooperatively retain a second type container which has a configuration different from a configuration of the first type container;
- a rear frame, a rear end of each of the first prong and the second prong being mounted to a lower portion of the rear frame;
- and
- two links, each of which interconnects an upper portion of the rear frame and a respective one of the first prong and the second prong.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.