US 6,206,626 B1Granted

Mechanism for transferring integrated circuit packages from a source site to a destination site with minimized moving parts

AssigneeAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.

InventorsSa-Nguan Boochakorn, Supachai Vesaruch, Kitinan Chanvivakul

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A mechanism for transferring an integrated circuit package from a source site to a destination site with use of air to push the integrated circuit package to minimize use of moving parts. The integrated circuit package initially travels through an input passage when the integrated circuit package is placed into an input passage opening at the source site. In addition, an intermediate resting site is disposed at the end of the input passage. The integrated circuit package stops to rest at the intermediate resting site after traveling through the input passage. An output passage has an output passage opening at the intermediate resting site, and the integrated circuit package travels through the output passage to reach the destination site at the end of the output passage. An air nozzle is disposed at the intermediate resting site such that air from the air nozzle is blown onto the integrated circuit package when the integrated circuit package is at the intermediate resting site to push the integrated circuit package into the output passage opening. A detector may determine when the integrated circuit package is at the intermediate resting site such that the air nozzle automatically turns on to blow air onto the integrated circuit package when the detector determines that the integrated circuit passage is at the intermediate resting site.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An apparatus for transferring an integrated circuit package from a source site to a destination site disposed within an integrated circuit package manufacturing assembly, the apparatus comprising:

an input passage disposed within said integrated circuit package manufacturing assembly, and said input passage having an input passage opening at said source site, wherein said integrated circuit package travels through said input passage when said integrated circuit package is placed into said input passage opening at said source site;
and wherein said input passage has a first surface along which said integrated circuit package slides with leads of said integrated circuit package facing up and away from said first surface within said input passage;
an intermediate resting site disposed at an end of said input passage, wherein said integrated circuit package stops to rest on a second surface of said intermediate resting site with said leads of said integrated circuit package facing up and away from said second surface at said intermediate resting site after traveling through said input passage;
wherein said second surface of said intermediate resting site substantially does not move to prevent bent leads of said integrated circuit package;
an output passage disposed within said integrated circuit package manufacturing assembly, and said output passage having an output passage opening at said intermediate resting site, wherein said integrated circuit package travels through said output passage to reach said destination site at an end of said output passage;
and wherein said output passage has a third surface along which said integrated circuit package slides with said leads of said integrated circuit package facing up and away from said third surface within said output passage;
and
an air nozzle disposed at said intermediate resting site, wherein air from said air nozzle is blown onto said integrated circuit package when said integrated circuit package is at said intermediate resting site to push said integrated circuit package into said output passage opening.

5 more elements

An apparatus for transferring an integrated circuit package from a source site to a destination site disposed within an integrated circuit package manufacturing assembly, the apparatus comprising:

an input passage disposed within said integrated circuit package manufacturing assembly, and said input passage having an input passage opening at said source site, wherein said integrated circuit package travels through said input passage when said integrated circuit package is placed into said input passage opening at said source site;
and wherein said input passage has a first surface along which said integrated circuit package slides with leads of said integrated circuit package facing up and away from said first surface within said input passage;
an intermediate resting site disposed at an end of said input passage, wherein said integrated circuit package stops to rest on a second surface of said intermediate resting site with said leads of said integrated circuit package facing up and away from said second surface at said intermediate resting site after traveling through said input passage;
wherein said second surface of said intermediate resting site substantially does not move to prevent bent leads of said integrated circuit package;
an output passage disposed within said integrated circuit package manufacturing assembly, and said output passage having an output passage opening at said intermediate resting site, wherein said integrated circuit package travels through said output passage to reach said destination site at an end of said output passage;
and wherein said output passage has a third surface along which said integrated circuit package slides with said leads of said integrated circuit package facing up and away from said third surface within said output passage;
and means for pushing said integrated circuit package into said output passage opening by blowing air on said integrated circuit package when said integrated circuit package is at said intermediate resting site.

4 more elements

A method for transferring an integrated circuit package from a source site to a destination site within an integrated circuit package manufacturing assembly, the method including the steps of:

A. placing said integrated circuit package into an input passage opening of an input passage within said integrated circuit package manufacturing assembly and at said source site with leads of said integrated circuit package facing up and away from a first surface along which said integrated circuit package slides when said integrated circuit package is placed into said input passage opening at said source site;
and wherein said integrated circuit package stops to rest on a second surface of an intermediate resting site disposed at an end of said input passage with said leads of said integrated circuit package facing up and away from said second surface at said intermediate resting site after traveling through said input passage;
B. automatically pushing said integrated circuit package from said intermediate resting site to an output passage opening of an output passage at said intermediate resting site by blowing air, from an air nozzle disposed at said intermediate resting site, onto said integrated circuit package when said integrated circuit package is at said intermediate resting site to push said integrated circuit package into said output passage opening, wherein said integrated circuit package travels through said output passage when placed into said output passage opening to reach said destination site at an end of said output passage;
and wherein said integrated circuit package is pushed to slide along a third surface within said output passage with said leads of said integrated circuit packages facing up and away from said third surface as said integrated circuit package travels within said output passage;
and
C. maintaining said second surface of said intermediate resting site to substantially not move to prevent bent leads of said integrated circuit package.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.