Bulk Feeding Disk Drives to Disk Drive Testing Systems

• US 20090262445A1
• Filed: 04/17/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Inventors: Noble, Scott, Merrow, Brian S., Polyakov, Evgeny, Garcia, Edward, Truebenbach, Eric L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,041,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/31
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/225 wherein the disks are transferred from a fixed magazine to a fixed playing unit using a moving carriage
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1816 Testing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis

Abstract

A method of supplying disk drives to a disk drive testing system includes placing a disk drive tote, carrying multiple disk drives, in a presentation position accessible to an automated transporter of the disk drive testing system. The method includes actuating the automated transporter to retrieve one of the disk drives from the disk drive tote, and actuating the automated transporter to deliver the retrieved disk drive to a test slot of the disk drive testing system and insert the disk drive in the test slot.

Claims

1. A method of supplying disk drives to a disk drive testing system, the method comprising:

placing a disk drive tote, carrying multiple disk drives, in a presentation position accessible to an automated transporter of the disk drive testing system;

actuating the automated transporter to retrieve one of the disk drives from the disk drive tote; and

actuating the automated transporter to deliver the retrieved disk drive to a test slot of the disk drive testing system and insert the disk drive in the test slot.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

actuating the automated transporter to retrieve a disk drive transporter;

actuating the automated transporter to retrieve one of the disk drives from the disk drive tote by using the disk drive transporter to carry the disk drive; and

actuating the automated transporter to deliver the disk drive transporter carrying disk drive to the test slot.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the automated transporter retrieves the disk drive from the disk drive tote with the disk drive transporter by positioning the disk drive transporter below the disk drive, lifting the disk drive off a disk drive support of the disk drive tote, and carrying the disk drive in the disk drive transporter away from the disk drive tote.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the disk drive transporter, carrying the disk drive, is inserted into the test slot, engaging the disk drive with a connector of the disk drive testing system, and provides closure of the test slot.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the disk drive tote in the presentation position comprises:

placing the disk drive tote in a loading position on a transfer station; and

actuating the transfer station to move the disk drive tote from the loading position to the presentation position for servicing by the automated transporter.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

reading a tote marking on the disk drive tote; and

actuating the transfer station to move the disk drive tote from the loading position to the presentation position based on the tote marking.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the tote marking comprises a barcode.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the tote marking comprises a color marking.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising assigning the disk drive tote a function property that affects the usage of the disk drive tote in the disk drive testing system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the function property is dynamically re-assignable during usage of the disk drive tote in the disk drive testing system.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the transfer station comprises:

a transfer station housing;

multiple tote presentation support systems disposed on the transfer station housing, each tote presentation support system being configured to receive and support a disk drive tote in the presentation position for servicing by the disk drive testing system; and

a tote mover disposed on the transfer station housing and configured to move a disk drive tote between the loading position and the presentation position at one of the tote presentation support systems.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the disk drive tote placed in the presentation position is held in the presentation position by a transfer station configured to hold multiple disk drive totes in the presentation position for servicing by the automated transporter.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the disk drive tote is supported in the presentation position by a tote presentation support system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the tote presentation support system comprises first and second opposing pairs of tote support arms configured to be received by respective arm grooves defined by a tote body of the disk drive tote.

15. A method of supplying disk drives to a disk drive testing system, the method comprising:

loading multiple disk drives into a disk drive tote;

placing the disk drive tote in a loading position on a transfer station; and

actuating a tote mover of the transfer station to move the disk drive tote from the loading position to a presentation position for servicing by the disk drive testing system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the disk drive tote is supported in the presentation position by one of multiple tote presentation support systems disposed on a transfer station housing of the transfer station.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the tote presentation support systems are arranged vertically with respect to each other.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the tote presentation support system comprises first and second opposing pairs of tote support arms configured to be received by respective arm grooves defined by a tote body of a disk drive tote.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the arm grooves are releasably locked into a predetermined position on the tote support arms, thereby holding the respective disk drive tote in its presentation position.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

reading a tote marking on the disk drive tote; and

actuating the tote mover to move the disk drive tote from the loading position to the presentation position at one of the tote presentation support systems based on the tote marking.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the tote marking comprises a barcode.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the tote marking comprises a color marking.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising assigning the disk drive tote a function property that affects the usage of the disk drive tote in the disk drive testing system.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the function property is dynamically re-assignable during usage of the disk drive tote in the disk drive testing system.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the tote marking is read by a marking reader disposed on the tote mover.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising loading multiple disk drive totes, each housing disk drives, onto the transfer station by sequentially placing each disk drive tote in the loading position on the transfer station and actuating the tote mover to move each disk drive tote to the presentation position at one of the multiple presentation positions for servicing by the disk drive testing system.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

opening a door to an open position, the door being pivotally attached to a transfer station housing of the transfer station and configured to provide closure of a tote supply opening defined by the transfer station housing;

placing the disk drive tote in a preloading position on the door, the door being operable to receive and support a disk drive tote; and

closing the door by rotating the door to a closed position, thereby placing the disk drive tote in the loading position.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the tote mover comprises a multi-axis actuator assembly configured to move the disk drive tote between the loading position and the presentation position.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the multi-axis actuator assembly comprises a vertical actuator, a horizontal actuator, and a pitch actuator.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the multi-axis actuator assembly comprises:

a first linear actuator disposed on a side wall of the transfer station housing;

a lift carriage coupled to the first linear actuator;

a second linear actuator disposed on the lift carriage and pivotally coupled to a tote loading support configured to support at least one disk drive tote; and

a third linear actuator pivotally coupled to both the second linear actuator and the tote loading support, the third linear actuator operable to rotate the tote loading support.

31. The method of claim 15, wherein the disk drive tote comprises a tote body defining multiple disk drive receptacles configured to each house a disk drive.

32. A transfer station for a disk drive testing system, the transfer station comprising:

a transfer station housing;

multiple tote presentation support systems disposed on the transfer station housing, each tote presentation support system configured to receive and support a disk drive tote in a presentation position for servicing by the disk drive testing system; and

a tote mover disposed on the transfer station housing and configured to move a disk drive tote between a loading position and the presentation position at one of the tote presentation support systems.

33. The transfer station of claim 32, further comprising a door pivotally attached to the transfer station housing and configured to provide closure of a tote supply opening defined by the transfer station housing, the door being operable to pivot between an open position, for receiving and supporting a disk drive tote, and a closed position, for placing the disk drive tote in the loading position.

34. The transfer station of claim 32, wherein the tote presentation support system comprises first and second opposing pairs of tote support arms configured to be received by respective arm grooves defined by a tote body of a disk drive tote.

35. The transfer station of claim 32, wherein the tote mover comprises a multi-axis actuator assembly having a vertical actuator, a horizontal actuator, and a pitch actuator.

36. A transfer station for a disk drive testing system, the transfer station comprising:

a transfer station housing;

multiple tote presentation support systems disposed on the transfer station housing, each tote presentation support system configured to receive and support a disk drive tote in a presentation position for servicing by the disk drive testing system;

a tote mover disposed on the transfer station housing; and

a tote loading support pivotally coupled to the tote mover and configured to receive and support a disk drive tote, the tote loading support pivoting and moving between first and second positions;

wherein the tote mover is configured to move the tote loading support between the first position, for supporting a disk drive tote in a loading position, and the second position, for supporting a disk drive tote in the presentation position at one of the tote presentation support systems.

37. The transfer station of claim 36, wherein the tote mover comprises a multi-axis actuator assembly.

38. The transfer station of claim 37, wherein the multi-axis actuator assembly comprises a vertical actuator, a horizontal actuator, and a pitch actuator.

39. The transfer station of claim 37, wherein the multi-axis actuator assembly comprises:

a first linear actuator disposed on a side wall of the transfer station housing;

a lift carriage coupled to the first linear actuator;

a second linear actuator disposed on the lift carriage and pivotally coupled to the tote loading support; and

a third linear actuator pivotally coupled to both the second linear actuator and the tote loading support, the third linear actuator operable to rotate the tote loading support.

40. The transfer station of claim 36, wherein the first position of the tote loading support is substantially horizontal and the second position of the tote loading support is substantially vertical.

41. The transfer station of claim 36, further comprising a staging platform disposed on the transfer station housing and configured to receive a disk drive tote transferred from the tote loading support.

42. The transfer station of claim 41, wherein the staging platform is disposed on an opposite side of the transfer station housing of at least one of the tote presentation support systems.

43. The transfer station of claim 41, further comprising a door pivotally attached to the transfer station housing and configured to provide a closure over the staging platform while in a closed position.

44. The transfer station of claim 36, further comprising a door pivotally attached to the transfer station housing and configured to provide closure of a tote supply opening defined by the transfer station housing, the door being operable to pivot between an open position, for receiving and supporting a disk drive tote, and a closed position, for placing the disk drive tote in the loading position.

45. The transfer station of claim 36, wherein the tote presentation support systems are each disposed on the same side of the transfer station housing and arranged vertically with respect to each other, each tote presentation support systems having a different elevation with respect to the others.

46. The transfer station of claim 36, wherein the tote presentation support system comprises first and second opposing pairs of tote support arms configured to be received by respective arm grooves defined by a tote body of a disk drive tote.

47. The transfer station of claim 36, wherein the disk drive tote comprises a tote body defining multiple disk drive receptacles configured to each house a disk drive.

48. A disk drive testing system comprising:

an automated transporter;

multiple racks arranged around the automated transporter for access by the automated transporter;

multiple test slots housed by each rack, each test slot being configured to receive a disk drive for testing; and

a transfer station arranged for access by the automated transporter, the transfer station comprising;

a transfer station housing;

multiple tote presentation support systems disposed on the transfer station housing, each tote presentation support system configured to receive and support a disk drive tote in a presentation position for servicing by the disk drive testing system; and

a tote mover disposed on the transfer station housing and configured to move a disk drive tote between a loading position and the presentation position at one of the tote presentation support systems.

49. The disk drive testing system of claim 48, wherein the tote presentation support system comprises first and second opposing pairs of tote support arms configured to be received by respective arm grooves defined by a tote body of a disk drive tote.

50. The disk drive testing system of claim 48, wherein the tote mover comprises a multi-axis actuator assembly having a vertical actuator, a horizontal actuator, and a pitch actuator.

51. The transfer station of claim 48, wherein the tote mover comprises:

a first linear actuator disposed on a side wall of the transfer station housing;

a lift carriage coupled to the first linear actuator;

a second linear actuator disposed on the lift carriage and pivotally coupled to the tote loading support; and

a third linear actuator pivotally coupled to both the second linear actuator and the tote loading support, the third linear actuator operable to rotate the tote loading support.

52. The transfer station of claim 48, wherein the transfer station further comprises a marking reader configured to read a tote marking on a received disk drive tote, the tote mover being configured to move the received disk drive tote between the loading position and the presentation position at one of the tote presentation support systems based on the marking read by the marking reader.