JP2002148307A - Conveyance method of ic handler - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten to the limit the exchanging time of an IC at the socket position where the IC is inserted, namely, the time for supply discharge, relative to an IC handler. SOLUTION: Adsorption mechanisms and press mechanisms of the IC, and conveyance hands combined with mechanism parts composing the mechanisms are plurally driven individually, and plural sockets are arranged on a straight line, and the waiting conveyance hand is allowed to adjoin, as much as possible, the conveyance layout for exchanging the IC from the orthogonal direction to the array direction and the conveyance hand executing an exchanging work with the socket, to thereby minimize the conveyance time and the conveyance distance.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an IC transport method in an IC handler.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional method and apparatus for transporting an IC in an IC handler, there is a configuration in which an IC suction mechanism, a push mechanism, and a single transport hand having a mechanical component constituting the IC are independently driven. are doing. A configuration having a plurality of transport heads is described in, for example, JP-A-6-293434.
In the known example, two or more transfer hands are integrated, and supply and discharge of ICs are efficiently improved.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned known example, two or a plurality of transport hands are integrated,
The position of the socket for inserting C and the position of the transport mechanism for supplying or discharging the IC are necessarily fixed.

Further, in an IC handler in which a plurality of sockets are arranged in a straight line, there is a transport layout in which ICs are exchanged in the same direction as the arrangement direction.

[0005]

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to minimize the time required for exchanging ICs at the socket position where ICs are inserted, that is, the time required for supply and discharge, in the IC handler.

The distance from the supply / discharge tray on which the IC is mounted to the socket position for inspecting and measuring the IC cannot be adjacent to each other due to the configuration of the handler. A transfer mechanism is provided, and the IC is once transferred to the vicinity of the IC socket. A transfer hand is used to transfer an IC from the shuttle to the IC socket. However, with one transfer hand, the reciprocating movement time of the transfer hand involved in the operation of replacing the IC is involved, which is expected to improve supply and discharge efficiency. It is difficult.

Further, even if two or more transfer hands are provided, as long as a plurality of transfer hands are integrated, a reciprocating movement time corresponding to a pitch movement distance between the transfer hands is involved, and supply and discharge are performed. There was a limit to the improvement of the efficiency.

Further, in an IC handler in which a plurality of sockets are arranged in a straight line, in a transfer layout in which ICs are exchanged in the same direction as the arrangement direction, a reciprocating movement time corresponding to a pitch movement distance between transfer hands is involved, and supply and discharge are performed. There were limits to improving efficiency.

Further, the problem to be solved by the present invention is that when two or more transfer hands are provided, an IC
And, when the specification of the IC socket is changed, in a configuration in which a plurality of transfer hands are integrated, the position of the socket for inserting the IC and the transfer mechanism for supplying or discharging the IC, that is, the position of the shuttle, are necessarily restricted, The IC, the IC socket, and the position thereof could not be easily changed and corrected.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a plurality of IC hands are provided for independently driving an IC suction mechanism and a pushing mechanism, and a plurality of transfer hands each having a mechanical component constituting these mechanisms. The transfer layout in which the sockets are arranged in a straight line and the ICs are exchanged in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction, and the transfer hands that are waiting for the transfer hands that are replacing the ICs in the IC sockets are made as close as possible. This is possible by minimizing the transport time and transport distance.

[0011] Furthermore, as for the problem of changing the handler accompanying the change of the specifications of the IC and the IC socket, similarly to the above, an IC suction mechanism, a pushing mechanism, and a transfer hand having both mechanical components constituting these mechanisms are provided. This can be easily achieved by independently driving a plurality of units.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the structure and effect of an embodiment of the present invention. A plurality of transfer hands 4a and 4b having both a suction mechanism and a pushing mechanism of the IC 1 and mechanical components constituting the same. When driven independently, the IC
1 is inserted into the IC socket 3, the transfer hand 4b in the standby state is made as close as possible to the transfer hand 4a performing the inspection and measurement work of the IC 1,
2 is a drawing in which the transfer time and the transfer distance of No. 1 are minimized.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a conventional technique, and is a means for transporting the IC 1 by a configuration in which a plurality of transport hands 4a and 4b are integrated.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a transport layout according to the present invention, which is a means for arranging a plurality of IC sockets 3a on a straight line and replacing ICs 1a in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a conventional transport layout, in which a plurality of IC sockets 3a are arranged in a straight line.
This is a means for replacing the ICs 1a in the same direction as the arrangement direction.

A concrete operation sequence as a work flow of the present invention starts with a front view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. IC1 is a transport mechanism 2b for supply.
Is transported to the vicinity of the IC socket 3. The transport mechanism is referred to as a shuttle, for example, and a linear motion bearing or the like is often used. In FIG. 2, the IC 1 is transported, for example, from the back side to the front side by the transport mechanism 2b. Note that, for example, a motor for driving the transport mechanism 2b is not shown in the drawing.

The transport hand 4b, the guide component 6b when the transport hand 4b moves in the horizontal direction, and the component 7b that holds the guide component when the transport hand moves in the horizontal direction, It is lowered by a mechanical component 8b for moving in the vertical direction and a driving component 9b for moving the transport hand in the vertical direction. For example, a linear motion bearing or the like is often used as the guide component 6b when the transport hand 4b moves in the horizontal direction. In addition, a mechanical component 8b for moving the transport hand 4b in the vertical direction includes:
For example, a ball screw or the like is often used. Further, a driving component 9 for moving the transport hand in the vertical direction.
For b, for example, a servomotor is often used, but these parts are one example and are not limited.

The transport hand 4b that has descended is
It is adsorbed by the adsorbing mechanism of IC1 provided in b. The sucked IC 1 is raised as the transport hand 4b is raised as shown in FIG. 1, and a mechanical component 10b for moving the transport hand 4b in the horizontal direction and a driving component for moving the transport hand in the horizontal direction. 11b, the transfer hand is horizontally moved so as to be as close as possible to the transfer hand 4a waiting for inspection and measurement while pushing the IC 1 on the IC socket 3 while being engaged with the guide component 6b when the transfer hand moves in the horizontal direction. Waiting at an adjacent position is an IC of the present invention.
This greatly contributes to shortening of the work time for replacing 1. The mechanism component 1 for moving the transport hand in the horizontal direction
For example, a driving screw 1b for moving the transport hand in the horizontal direction is often used as a ball screw or the like.
For 1b, for example, a servomotor is often used, for example, but these components are one example and are not limited.

The transport hand 4a for picking up the IC 1 after the inspection and measurement is lifted by a mechanical component 8a for vertically moving the transport hand 4a and a driving component 9a for vertically moving the transport hand. Transfer hand 4a
The mechanism component 8a for moving the in the vertical direction is, for example,
Ball screws and the like are often used. Further, for example, a servomotor is often used as the driving component 9a for moving the transport hand in the vertical direction, but these components are one embodiment and are not limited.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lifted transfer hand 4a has a mechanical part 10a for moving the transfer hand in the horizontal direction and a drive part for moving the transfer hand in the horizontal direction in order to discharge the IC1 which has been inspected and measured. The guide component 6a when the transport hand 4a moves in the horizontal direction by the component 11a
And moves on the transport mechanism 2a while being engaged in. And
The transport hand 4a descends to release the IC1, and the IC1 is moved by the transport mechanism 2a similar to the transport mechanism 2b, for example,
It is transported from the near side to the far side. Note that, for example, a motor for driving the transport mechanism 2a is not shown in the drawing.

[0022]

According to the present invention, there is provided an effective transfer method and apparatus for minimizing the time required for exchanging ICs at the socket position where ICs are inserted, that is, the time required for supply and discharge, in the IC handler.

Further, the present invention can be widely used as a means for maximizing efficiency even in, for example, a test machine or a production facility other than the IC handler.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a transfer device of an IC handler according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a transfer device of the IC handler according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a transfer device of the IC handler according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a transfer device of a conventional IC handler.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the configuration of a transport layout according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a configuration of a transport layout according to the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... IC, 1a ... IC, 2a ... Transport mechanism, 2b ... Transport mechanism, 3 ... IC socket, 3a ... IC socket, 4a ... Transport hand, 4aa ... Transport hand, 4b ... Transport hand, 4
ba: conveying hand, 5a: guide component (for example, linear bearing), 5b: guide component (for example, linear bearing), 6a ...
Guide parts (for example, linear bearings), 6b ... guide parts (for example, linear bearings), 7a ... parts holding guide parts, 7b ... parts holding guide parts, 8a ...
Mechanical parts (for example, ball screws), 8b ... mechanical parts (for example, ball screws), 9a ... drive parts (for example, servo motors), 9b ... drive parts (for example, servo motors),
10a ... mechanical component (for example, ball screw), 10b ... mechanical component (for example, ball screw), 11a ... drive component (for example, servo motor), 11b ... drive component (for example, servo motor), 12 ... base of the handler body Face, 13 ...
Base surface of the handler body, 14a ... Transfer hands 4aa,
4ba operation, 14b ... operation of the transport hands 4aa, 4ba.

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Kazushi Yabe 390 Muramatsu, Shimizu-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture Inside Hitachi Shimizu Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Yoshinori Kurita 390 Muramatsu, Shimizu-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture Inside Hitachi Shimizu Engineering Co., Ltd. 72) Inventor Yoshikatsu Nomura 390 Muramatsu, Shimizu-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture Inside Hitachi Shimizu Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Masashi 390 Muramatsu, Shimizu-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture F-term in Hitachi Shimizu Engineering Co., Ltd. (Reference) 2G003 AA07 AG01 AG10 AG11 AH04 3C007 DS06 FS01 FT01 NS17 3F061 AA04 CA01 CB01 DB06

Claims (1)

[Claims] As means for replacing an IC with a socket at a predetermined position in the shortest time, a plurality of IC pick-up mechanisms and push-in mechanisms, and a plurality of transport hands each having a mechanical component constituting them are independently driven, and A method of transporting a horizontal transport type IC handler, wherein the transport is performed by waiting.