IC package transfer

Citation

(2000), "IC package transfer", Industrial Robot, Vol. 27 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2000.04927cad.011

IC package transfer

IC package transfer

Keywords: Robots, Grippers, Integrated circuits

Applicant: Hitachi Electrical Engineering (JP)Patent number: US5950802Publication date: 14 September 1999Title: IC package transfer and relocation mechanism

This invention relates to an IC package transfer and relocation mechanism particularly suitable for use on an IC package fabrication line or on an IC package inspection line for the purpose of transferring and relocating a large number of IC device packages between different types of IC holder trays. It is an object of the present invention to provide an IC package transfer and relocation mechanism which is capable of transferring moulded packages of IC devices or the like efficiently at an increased speed between two different types of IC holder trays with IC package holder nests in arrays of different pitches or spacings. This objective is achieved by the provision of an IC package transfer and relocation mechanism comprising: a suction gripper assembly supported on a horizontally and vertically movable robot arm, and having four suction heads mounted separately on four support blocks on a mounting plate; the four support blocks including a first support block fixed in a predetermined reference position on the mounting plate, second and third support blocks movably supported on the mounting plate for movements toward and away from the first support block in two perpendicularly intersecting directions, and a fourth support block movably supported on the mounting plate and arranged to be moved toward and away from the first support block in a diagonal direction following movement of at least one of the second and third support blocks. In a preferred form of the invention, the fourth support block is slidably supported on guide rods extended out from the second and third support blocks in directions perpendicular to the directions of movements of the second and third support members. Further, the first support block is fixedly mounted on the mounting plate in a corner portion defined between a couple of vertical guide walls of the mounting plate joined at right angles with each other, and the second and third support blocks are driven from drive means to shift the respective positions toward and away from the first support block along surfaces of the vertical guide walls, simultaneously shifting the position of the fourth support block along guide rods projecting from the second and third support blocks in perpendicularly intersecting directions.