JPH0211487B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a transport mechanism for an IC handler, and more particularly to a suitable transport mechanism for classifying and transporting ICs sorted at an inspection station.

[Background of the invention]

The IC handler is used by being incorporated into an automatic IC inspection device, and sequentially transports a large number of ICs, preheats or precools them to the temperature specified by the inspection conditions, supplies them to the inspection station, and eliminates defective products based on the inspection results. This is a mechanical device that has the function of grading and transporting products based on inspection results.

A plurality of the above-mentioned inspection stations are provided in order to increase processing efficiency, and correspondingly, a plurality of lanes for preheating or precooling are also provided. In addition, multiple transport lanes are provided for each grade after sorting and classification.

Therefore, the transport mechanism of the IC handler must receive ICs from multiple lanes, distribute them to multiple inspection stations, and distribute inspected ICs to multiple lanes.

Furthermore, the transport lanes are generally arranged in a curved manner in order to reduce the installation space required. For this reason, it is desirable to have a transport device that has a function of changing the transport direction before and after the inspection station.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and
Receives ICs from 4 preheating or precooling lanes and supplies them to 4 inspection stations, where they are inspected.
An IC handler with the function of sorting ICs into 2 to 4 lanes based on inspection results, and carrying them out in a direction different from the transport direction of the preheating or preheating lanes (for example, at right angles, in the opposite direction, etc.). The purpose is to provide a transport mechanism.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve the above object, the transport mechanism of the present invention is provided with a revolving arm that rotates intermittently around a vertical (meaning perpendicular to the earth) axis, and a revolving arm that rotates intermittently around a vertical axis (perpendicular to the earth). a central part of a rotating arm that rotates around its own axis is pivotally supported, a central part of a small arm that further rotates is pivotally supported at each end of the rotating arm, and IC suction means are provided near both ends of each of the small arms, IC due to the revolution of the revolving arm
The material was carried in through four rows of preheating lanes (or precooling lanes) provided in the tangential direction of the rotation locus circle of the suction means.
The IC is configured to be suction-held and supplied to an inspection station provided on a rotation trajectory circle, and the inspected IC is carried out in a tangential direction of the rotation trajectory circle, and
The present invention is characterized in that a defective product discharge station is provided in the middle of the conveyance path along the rotation locus circle.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the principle of the present invention.

4 rows of belt conveyors 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d
are provided in parallel with an interval L. The center of a rotating arm 4 having a length of 2L is rotatably supported at the tip of a revolving arm 3 that rotates intermittently around a central axis 2.

The center of a small arm 5 having a length L is supported at both ends of the rotating arm 4 so as to be rotatably driven. Four vacuum suction pads 6a, 6 are attached to both ends of each of the pair of small arms 5a, 5b.
One each of b, 6c, and 6d is attached.

In the illustrated state, on the belt conveyor 1c
The IC7 is opposed to the suction pad 6c, but when the small arm 5b is rotated by 1/2 rotation, the suction pad 6d is opposed to the IC7. In this way, by rotating the small arm 5b, the suction pads 6c,
IC by any suction pad of 6d.
7 can be held by suction. When the rotating arm 4 is further rotated by 1/2 rotation, the suction pad 6a,
The IC 7 on the belt conveyor 1c can be held by suction by any one of the suction pads 6b.

As is clear from the above action, the rotating arm 4
The central part of the arm is rotatably supported, and the centers of small arms 5a and 5b which rotate on their own axis are also pivotally supported at both ends of the rotating arm, and suction pads 6a to 6d are provided at both ends of the small arms, respectively. The IC 7 on the conveyor 1c can be held by suction with any one of the four suction pads 6a to 6d. For the same reason, ICs (not shown) on any one of the four conveyors 1a to 1d can also be attracted.

In addition, when the suction pad 6b suction-holds the IC7', the IC7' is transferred to the four rows of conveyors 1a to 1.
It can also be mounted on any conveyor in d.

For the same reason, the four suction pads 6a to 6
ICs each of d holds by suction (not shown)
can also be loaded on any conveyor (one of 1a to 1d).

Furthermore, when the revolving arm shown in FIG. 1 is rotated, the ICs (not shown) suctioned and held by the respective suction pads 6a to 6d are conveyed in a concentric trajectory around the central axis 2. Ru.

In order to adsorb, mount, and transport the IC as described above, the revolving arm 3, the rotating arm 4, and the small arm 5 have a structure that allows them to rotate intermittently under control.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Figure 2 shows the 4
The ICs 7 transported by the rows of preheaters 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d are transferred to four inspection stations 9a,
9b, 9c, 9d, and the IC7 is transferred to four transport lanes 10a, 10b, 10 according to the inspection results.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of an embodiment of the conveying mechanism of the present invention configured to distribute the information into two groups: c and 10d.

The preheaters 8a to 8d are devices that preheat the IC to the temperature of the inspection conditions while conveying it, and are connected to the belt conveyors 1a to 1d shown in the principle diagram of FIG.
This is the component corresponding to .

The central axis 2, the revolving arm 3, the rotating arm 4, the small arms 5a, 6a, and the vacuum suction pads 6a to 6d, which are given the same drawing reference numbers as in the principle diagram of FIG. 1, are the same components as explained in the principle diagram. This is a corresponding member.

The illustrated concentric arcs 11a, 11b, 11c,
11d shows that when the pair of small arms 5a and 5b are placed in a parallel position with the rotating arm 4 and the rotating arm 4 is placed in a parallel position with the revolving arm 3, the four vacuum suction pads 6a to 6d move around the rotating axis 3. It shows the trajectory drawn as a result.

The preheaters 8a to 8d and the transport lanes 10a to 10d each follow the trajectory arc 11a.
- Install in the direction of the tangential line of 11d.

In this embodiment, with respect to the transport direction arrow a of the preheaters 8a to 8d on the side into which the ICs are transported,
The transport direction of the transport lane 10a on the side where ICs are taken out is reversed by 180 degrees as shown by arrow b, but when carrying out the present invention, the transport direction on the transport side is reversed by 90 degrees as shown by arrow c, or It is also possible to transform in any direction as shown in d.

Inspection stations 9a to 9d are arranged on the concentric arcs 11a to 11d in the direction of the normal line E, and inspection defective product unloading stations 12a to 12d are arranged in the direction of the normal line F. When carrying out the present invention, the above-mentioned stations (9a to 9d and 12a to 12d) are installed on the concentric arcs 11a to 11d, respectively, but they do not necessarily have to be aligned in the directions of the normals E and F.

1. How to use the transport mechanism configured as above
An example will be explained next. In this usage example, ICs that are clearly determined to be defective as a result of the inspection at the inspection stations 9a to 9d are dropped to one of the defective product unloading stations 12a to 12d, and as a result of the inspection, it is determined that they should be re-inspected. The ICs that have been selected are placed in the transport lane 10a, and the ICs that have been determined to be specially selected items are placed in the transport lane 10b.
It is assumed that second-class products that pass the inspection are distributed to the transport lane 10c, and first-class products that pass the test are distributed to the transport lane 10d.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the small arms 5a, 5b and the rotating arm 4 are placed in a posture parallel to the revolving arm 3, the distance between the four vacuum suction pads 6a to 6d becomes L. In this state, when the revolving arm 3 is rotated in a direction perpendicular to the preheaters 8a to 8d as per the normal line G in FIG. . In this state, the rotation of the revolving arm 3 is momentarily stopped, the four ICs 7 are adsorbed and held, the revolving arm 3 is rotated to the normal E position and temporarily stopped, and the four ICs that were being held are IC7 is supplied to each of the inspection stations 9a to 9d.

The IC that has been inspected is sucked and held again, rotated clockwise in the figure, and as it passes on the normal line F, the IC determined to be defective is transferred to one of the defective product unloading stations 12a to 12d. Drop them all together and transport them.

After passing through the normal F while holding ICs other than inspection defective products by suction, the rotating arm 4 and the small arm 5
Rotate a and 5b and remove the four vacuum suction pads 6a.
The suction pads 6a to 6d are placed opposite to one of the transport lanes 10a to 10d to transfer the ICs, depending on the grade of the ICs that are suctioned and held by the suction pads 6a to 6d.

When multiple ICs cannot be delivered at the same time, such as when there are two or more ICs to be delivered to one transport lane (any one of 10a to 10d), the rotating arm 4 and small arms 5a, 5b are used. The parts are sequentially rotated by 180° and delivered in sequence.

As is clear from the above embodiments, the transport mechanism of the present invention has the function of supplying ICs received from four rows of preheating or precooling lanes to four inspection stations, and distributing inspected ICs to four rows of transport lanes. However, it is of course possible to suspend some of the four lanes or four stations, or omit the installation of some of them.

It is also clear that by providing two or more sets of the mechanisms of the present invention, it is possible to perform transportation and distribution between lanes in multiples of 4 and stations in multiples of 4, and furthermore, it is possible to suspend or omit part of them. You can also do that.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As detailed above, the rotary transport mechanism of the present invention receives ICs from four rows of preheating or precooling lanes and supplies them to four inspection stations.
It is an excellent product that can discharge inspected ICs to a defective product discharge station based on the inspection results, or sort them into 2 to 4 lanes, and carry them out in a direction different from the transport direction of the preheating or preheating lanes. It has practical effects.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the principle of the rotary conveyance mechanism of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of one embodiment of the rotary conveyance mechanism of the present invention. 1a to 1d...belt conveyor, 2...center shaft, 3
...Revolving arm, 4...Rotating arm, 5a, 5b...Small arm, 6a-6d...Vacuum suction pad, 7, 7'
...IC, 8a-8d...Preheater, 9a-9d...
Inspection station, 10a-10d...transport lane, 11a-11d...concentric arc, 12a-12d
...Inspection defective product unloading station.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A transport mechanism for an IC handler equipped with an IC transport and sorting function, which includes (a) a revolving arm that rotates intermittently around a vertical axis, and a distal end of the revolving arm; The central part of a rotating arm that rotates around a vertical axis is pivotally supported, and the central part of a small arm that further rotates is pivotally supported at both ends of the rotating arm, and ICs are installed near both ends of the small arm. (b) At least four rows of preheating lanes and precooling lanes are installed in parallel in the tangential direction of the locus circle of the IC suction means as the revolving arm revolves; A plurality of unloading conveyance lanes are installed in parallel in the tangential direction, and further, (c) an IC inspection station is installed on the trajectory circle, and
A rotary transport mechanism for an IC handler, characterized by the following: a defective product discharge station is provided.