MY121159A - Electronic component handler. - Google Patents

Abstract

A HIGH-SPEED HANDLER FOR RECEIVING A HEAP OF RANDOMLY ORIENTED PARALLEL-PIPED-SHAPED CERAMIC COMPONENTS (2), EACH COMPONENT OF THE TYPE HAVING AT LEAST ONE SET OF METAL TERMINATIONS (6) LOCATED ON OPPOSITE EDGES THEREOF, PRESENTING THEM IN INDIVIDUAL SEATS IN CONTROLLED ORIENTATION FOR ELECTRICAL PARAMETRIC TESTING, AND SORTING THEM ACCORDING TO THEIR TEST RESULTS, COMPRISING A ROTATING FEED WHEEL (16), MOUNTED ON A CENTRAL SHAFT AND DEFINED BY AN OUTER RIM CONCENTRIC WITH THE AXIS OF THE CENTRAL SHAFT, THE WHEEL INCLINED TO THE HORIZONTAL AND INCLUDING AN UPPER SURFACE ON WHICH TO RECEIVE A HEAP OF RANDOMLY ORIENTED CERAMIC COMPONENTS (2), A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY-POINTING, SPACED-APART BOSSES (28) EXTENDING UPWARD AND OUTWARD ON THE UPPER WHEEL SURFACE TERMINATING AT COMPONENT-SIZED CAVITIES FORMED IN THE WHEEL ADJACENT THE OUTER RIM AND ARRANGED TO RECEIVE THEREIN A SINGLE CERAMIC COMPONENT IN SPECIFIC ORIENTATION, A ROTATING CARRIER PLATE (10) MOUNTED PLANAR TO AND SPACED-APART FROM THE FEED WHEEL (16) HAVING AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING CIRCULAR PERIPHERAL WALL (12) ARRANGED IN TANGENTIAL ADJACENCY AND SYNCHRONOUS PERIPHERAL VELOCITY WITH THE FEED WHEEL, THE PERIPHERAL WALL HAVING FORMED THEREIN A PLURALITY OF TEST SEAT NOTCHES (14) IN SPACED-APART ARRANGEMENT AND ADJACENT ALIGNMENT WITH THE CAVITIES IN THE FEED WHEEL, THE NOTCHES OF A SIZE AND SHAPE TO RECEIVE A CERAMIC COMPONENT THEREIN WITH ITS OPPOSED TERMINALS (6) FACING INWARD AND OUTWARD FROM THE WALL (12), FIRST VACUUM PRESSURE DEVICE (36) TO DRAW THE CERAMIC COMPONENT RADIALLY FROM THE CAVITY INTO THE TEST SEAT NOTCH (14) AND A SECOND VACUUM PRESSURE DEVICE (42) TO HOLD THE COMPONENT IN THE TEST SEAT NOTCH DURING FURTHER ROTATION OF THE CARRIER PLATE (10), A DEVICE (22) FOR TESTING INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE ROLLER ASSEMBLY ARRANGED TO CONTACT THE TERMINALS OF THE CERAMIC COMPONENTS AS THEY ARE MOVED IN THE TEST SEAT NOTCHES ON THE CARRIER PLATE, AND A DEVICE (26) FOR SEPARATELY EJECTING THE CERAMIC COMPONENTS FROM THE TEST SEAT NOTCHES AND TRANSFERRING THEM TO SEPARATE LOCATIONS ACCORDING TO THEIR TEST RESULTS.