METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EXPANDING AN ARRAY OF ARTICLES

• US 3,590,462 A
• Filed: 11/18/1968
• Issued: 07/06/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Technologies Inc (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mracek Jaroslav
• Inventors: MRACEK JAROSLAV
• Application Number:
  US04/776,743
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• US Class Current: 29/559
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67 Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere processes per se H01L21/30, H01L21/46, H01L23/00; simple temporary support means, e.g. using adhesives, electric or magnetic means H01L21/68, H01L21/302; apparatus for manufacturing arrangements for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies and for methods related thereto H01L24/74;
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/02 Feeding of components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4979 Breaking through weakened portion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4981 Utilizing transitory attached element or associated separate material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49895 Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49998 Work holding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53191 Means to apply vacuum directly to position or hold work part

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for expanding a compact array of beam lead devices in such a manner as to maintain original relative orientation between the devices, thus permitting the easy removal of the devices from the expanded array. The devices are initially held by a vacuum on the ends of a compacted, flexed, array of tubes which are subsequently spread apart, either in groups or simultaneously, into an expanded configuration.

Claims

1. An apparatus for imparting relative movement to articles arranged in an array, which comprises:

an array of moveably mounted rods having ends which are arranged in a first array corresponding to the array of articles for supporting the articles thereon; and

means for moving said rod ends into a second array which is spatially proportional to said first array.

2. An apparatus for spatially altering a compact array of articles, which comprises:

a plurality of spaced rods having moveable first ends and fixed second ends;

means for moving said first ends into a compact array, corresponding to the array of articles, to individually support said array of articles on said first ends; and

means for moving said first tube ends to spatially alter the compact array of articles.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said rods are hollow tubes, which further comprises means for applying vacuum through said tubes to hold the articles on said first ends.

4. An apparatus for separating a compact, planar array of articles into a separated array, comprising:

a plurality of spaced rods having fixed first ends and movable second ends;

means for moving said second ends of said rods together to individually support the articles on said second ends;

a spreader plate normally positioned adjacent said first ends having apertures corresponding to the separated array for receiving said spaced rods; and

means for guiding said spreader plate for movement toward said second ends of said rods to separate the compact array of articles.

5. An apparatus for expanding a compact array of articles and removing the articles in the expanded array, comprising:

a plurality of rods having moveable first ends and fixed second ends;

means for moving said first ends of said rods into a compact array corresponding to the array of articles to individually support the articles on said first ends;

means for holding said supported articles on said first ends;

means, moveable along said rods, for separating said first rod ends to expand the compact array of held articles; and

means advanced by said separating means for removing the expanded array of articles from said first rod ends.

6. An apparatus for expanding a compact planar array of articles and removing the articles in the expanded array, comprising:

a plurality of spaced tubes having moveable ends thereof terminating in a concave surface;

means for moving said moveable ends of said tubes together to position said moveable ends in a plane to support the articles on said moveable ends;

means for applying a vacuum through said tubes to hold the articles on said moveable tube ends;

a spreader plate having apertures corresponding to the expanded array, for receiving said spaced tubes;

means guiding said spreader plate for movement towards said moveable ends of said tubes to spread said moveable ends to separate the compact array of articles; and

a tray seated on said spreader plate and having shallow depressions located about apertures corresponding to the apertures of said spreader plate, said tray being removable from said spreader plate to pick up said articles in said shallow depressions.

7. An apparatus for separating a compact row of articles, into a separated configuration, comprising:

a plurality of spaced tubes having moveable first ends terminating in a siNgle row;

a manifold for mounting the second ends of said spaced apart tubes;

means for moving said first ends of said tubes into a compacted row, corresponding to the compact row of articles, to support the articles on said compacted row of first ends;

means for applying a vacuum through said manifold to the second ends of the spaced tubes to hold the articles on said first ends;

a spreader plate having a multitude of apertures, corresponding to the separated configuration, through which extend the second ends of said spaced tubes; and

means guiding said spreader plate for movement toward said first ends of said tubes to spread said first ends to separate the compact array of articles into the separated configuration.

8. An apparatus for expanding the pattern of a compact array of workpieces into an expanded pattern and at the same time maintaining the original relative orientation, which comprises:

a plurality of hollow tubes of different lengths;

a base for securing second ends of said tubes and positioning moveable first ends of said tubes with the longer tubes being positioned about the shorter tubes;

means for applying a vacuum to said second ends of said tubes;

a plurality of columns projecting from the base;

a frame supported by said plurality of column and located about said first ends of said tubes;

a plurality of slides moveably mounted with said frame for holding said first ends of said tubes in a compact planar array to support the workpieces on said first ends; and

a spreader plate slidably mounted on said columns, said spreader plate having apertures corresponding to the expanded pattern for receiving said tubes, for spreading said first ends of said tubes and workpieces apart.

9. An apparatus for expanding the pattern of a compact array of articles, comprising:

a plurality of tubes;

a frame mounted about said tubes, said tubes having moveable ends which protrude through said frame;

a plurality of guideways located on said frame extending from said tubes;

a plurality of moveable slides, located in said guideways, for compacting said moveable tube ends to support the articles;

a plurality of means to frictionally bear on and oppose sliding motion of said slides; and

means for spreading said moveable ends of said tubes apart to force said moveable slides outward against the action of said friction means to expand the array of articles.

10. An apparatus for separating a compact planar array of articles, comprising:

a plurality of spaced tubes having moveable ends thereof forming a concave surface;

a frame, located about the moveable ends of said tubes, with a plurality of radial guideways;

a plurality of slides moveable within the radial guideways of said frame;

plurality of springs secured to said frame within the radial guideways and bearing against the slides for applying a frictional drag;

means for moving the slides within the radial guideways towards the moveable ends of said tubes to compact said moveable tube ends in a planar array to support said articles; and

means for spreading said moveable ends of said tubes against the effect of said frictional drag to separate the articles.

11. An apparatus for expanding a compact planar array of articles and removing the articles in the expanded array, which comprises:

a frame;

a plurality of radial guideways within said frame;

a base;

a spreader plate with a multitude of apertures;

a plurality of columns projecting from said base for supporting said frame and extending through certain said apertures in said spreader plate;

a plurality of tubes mounted in said base in spaced array and running parallel to said columns, with movable ends protruding through the apertures in said spreader plate;

a plurality of slides moveably mounted within said radial guideways to move said moveable tube ends into a compact array for receiving said articles; and

a Tray having a multitude of apertures to receive said tubes and seated on said spreader plate for movement with said spreader plate towards said articles to pick up the expanded array of articles as said spreader plate is moved to said moveable ends of said tubes.

12. A method of imparting relative movement to articles arranged in spaced array, which comprises:

supporting said articles on ends of an array of flexible rods; and

flexing the rods to move the articles into a second array with the spacing between articles being maintained in the same ratio.

13. A method of manipulating a bundle of flexible tubes to spatially alter a pattern of articles, which comprises:

arranging the ends of the bundle of tubes to correspond to the pattern of articles;

positioning the pattern of articles over first ends of the tubes;

applying vacuum through the tubes to hold the articles on said first ends; and

flexing said tubes to spatially alter the pattern of articles.

14. A method of manipulating a bundle of flexible tubes to spatially alter a pattern of articles as defined in claim 13 where the articles are arranged in rows and columns, which comprises:

flexing rows and columns of said tubes to maintain the ratio of spacing between articles in the initial position with respect to the spacing of the articles in the spatially altered pattern.

15. A method of spatially altering a compact array of articles that are bonded to a carrier while maintaining the relative orientation of the articles, comprising:

positioning the compact array of articles over a compact array of first ends of tubes to seat the articles over said first ends of said tubes;

applying a vacuum to the second ends of said tubes to hold said articles on said first tube ends;

removing said carrier to leave the articles on said first tube ends; and

moving said tubes to form a spatially altered matrix of said articles.

16. A method of expanding a compact array of articles while maintaining the relative orientation of the articles, comprising:

compacting first ends of a plurality of spaced tubes into an array conforming to the array of articles;

positioning the compact array of articles over the individual compacted ends of the tubes;

applying a vacuum to the tubes to hold said articles on said first tube ends;

inserting a plurality of rods between adjacent rows of said spaced second tube ends;

sequentially moving said rods towards said first tube ends to force said compacted first tube ends to expand into a plurality of spaced rows; and

sliding a spreader plate with a multitude of apertures for receiving said spaced second tube ends, towards said first tube ends to expand said first tube ends and the attached articles.