Tray flipper, tray, and method for parts inspection
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a first tray adapted to carry a first plurality of devices;
means for machine-vision optical inspecting a first side of each of the first plurality of devices while in the first tray; and
means for simultaneously flipping an orientation of each of the first plurality of devices from a first inspection orientation that allows machine-vision optical inspection of the first side of each of the first plurality of devices while in the first tray to a second inspection orientation that allows machine-vision optical inspection of a second side of each of the first plurality of devices while in the first tray.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Manufacturing lines include inspection systems for monitoring the quality of parts produced. Manufacturing lines for making semiconductor devices generally inspect each fabricated part. The information obtained is used to fix manufacturing problems in the semiconductor fab plant. A machine-vision system for inspecting devices includes a flipper mechanism. After being inspected at a first station, a tray-transfer device moves the tray from the first inspection station to a flipper mechanism. The flipper mechanism includes two jaws, a mover, and a rotator. The flipper mechanism turns the devices over and places the devices in a second tray so that another surface of the device can be inspected. A second tray-transfer device moves the second tray from the flipper to a second inspection station. The mover of the flipper mechanism removes the tray from the first inspection surface and places a tray at the second inspection surface.
71 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a first tray adapted to carry a first plurality of devices; means for machine-vision optical inspecting a first side of each of the first plurality of devices while in the first tray; and means for simultaneously flipping an orientation of each of the first plurality of devices from a first inspection orientation that allows machine-vision optical inspection of the first side of each of the first plurality of devices while in the first tray to a second inspection orientation that allows machine-vision optical inspection of a second side of each of the first plurality of devices while in the first tray. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for machine-vision inspecting a first plurality of devices and for inverting the plurality of devices from an initial position in a first tray and for placing the first plurality of inverted devices back in the first tray, each of the first plurality of devices having a first side and an opposite second side, the method comprising:
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providing a first tray adapted to carry a first plurality of devices; machine-vision optical inspecting a first side of each of the first plurality of devices while in the first tray; and after the machine-vision optical inspection of the first side of each of the first plurality of devices, simultaneously flipping an orientation of each of the first plurality of devices with respect to the first tray from a first orientation that allowed the machine-vision optical inspection of the first side of each of the first plurality of devices while in the first tray to a second orientation that allows machine-vision optical inspection of a second side of each of the first plurality of devices while in the first tray. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for machine-vision inspecting a first plurality of devices in a first tray and for inverting each one of the first plurality of devices from a first inspection position that allows machine-vision optical inspection of a first side of each of the first plurality of devices while in the first tray to a second inspection position that allows machine-vision optical inspection of a second side of each of the first plurality of devices while in the first tray, the apparatus comprising:
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a first machine-vision inspection station configured to perform a first inspection of the first side of the first plurality of devices while held in the first tray in the first inspection position; and a device-inverting mechanism that, after the first inspection, simultaneously inverts each of the first plurality of devices while the devices are held in the first tray, wherein the device-inverting mechanism is adapted to then hold the inverted devices, and operable to position the first tray under the devices and to place each one of the inverted first plurality of devices into the first tray such that the devices are in their second inspection position. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification