Scanning acoustic microscope system and method for handling small parts
AssigneeSonoscan, Inc.
InventorsDaniel M. Erickson, Bryan P. Schackmuth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved tray-scanning station for a tray-fed scanning acoustic microscope prevents the dislodging of small, loosely held parts from the trays by coupling fluid as the trays pass through an inspection station, or by the action of a dryer as the trays pass through a drying station.
Claims13
In a tray-fed scanning acoustic microscope, an improved tray-scanning station for handling trays of small, loosely held parts, comprising:
- an ultrasonic beam generator;
- a coupling fluid dispenser, the dispensed coupling fluid undesirably tending to dislodge the parts from the trays;
- and
- a stationary parts-hold-down channel situated between said ultrasonic beam generator and trays being conveyed through said station and closely contiguous to the trays, said device having at least one opening therein which is sized and positioned to pass an ultrasound beam from said ultrasonic beam generator, but not to pass the small parts from the trays, whereby the trays of small parts are insonified without the parts being dislodged from the trays by the coupling fluid as they traverse said scanning station.
In a tray-fed scanning acoustic microscope for inspecting trays of small, loosely held parts, an improved drying station for drying trays of such parts which have been insonified through a coupling fluid, comprising:
- a parts dryer, the dryer undesirably agitating the parts and tending to dislodge them from the trays;
- and
- a stationary parts-hold-down device situated closely contiguous to the trays, said hold-down device having a pattern of openings sized and positioned to preclude the small parts from being dislodged from the trays by the parts dryer as the trays move past the device.
In a tray-fed scanning acoustic microscope for inspecting trays of small, loosely held parts, an improved drying station for drying trays of such parts which have been insonified through a coupling fluid, comprising:
- a parts dryer for directing a stream of forced gas onto wet trays of parts passing through the drying station, the forced gas undesirably agitating the parts and tending to dislodge them from the trays;
- and
- a stationary parts-hold-down device situated between said dryer and the trays and closely contiguous to the trays, said hold-down device having a pattern of openings sized and positioned to pass the stream of forced gas to the trays while precluding the small parts from being dislodged from the trays by the dryer as the trays move past the device.
In a tray-fed scanning acoustic microscope for inspecting trays of small, loosely held parts, the improvement comprising:
- a scanning station, comprising:
- an ultrasonic beam generator,
- a coupling fluid dispenser, the dispensed coupling fluid undesirably tending to dislodge the parts from the trays, and
- a stationary parts-hold-down channel situated between said ultrasonic beam generator and trays being conveyed through said scanning station and closely contiguous to the trays, said channel conducting coupling fluid from said dispenser to the trays of small parts through at least one opening therein which is sized and positioned to also pass an ultrasound beam from said ultrasonic beam generator but not to pass small parts from the trays, whereby the trays of small parts are insonified without the parts being dislodged from the trays by the coupling fluid as they traverse said scanning station;
- and
- a drying station for drying the trays of parts which have been insonified through a coupling fluid in said scanning station, comprising:
- a parts dryer, the dryer undesirably agitating the parts and tending to dislodge them from the trays, and
- a stationary parts-hold-down device located closely contiguous to the trays, said hold-down device having a pattern of openings sized and positioned to preclude the small parts from being dislodged from the trays by the dryer as the trays move past the device.
In a tray-fed scanning acoustic microscope, an improved tray-scanning station for handling trays of small, loosely held parts, comprising:
- an ultrasonic beam generator;
- a coupling fluid dispenser;
- and
- re-nesting means for re-nesting parts which have been partially dislodged from their holding trays before being scanned by an ultrasonic beam from the beam generator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.