Sym-tek Systems, Inc.

Bruce O'Connor

Thomas E Toth

Steve Swendrowski

A transport medium for orderly, in-process transportation of assembled electrical devices during backend processing. A carrier tray is comprised of a plurality of carrier units held in coplanar relationship by a frame. Preferably the carrier units are polyethersulfone inserts latchable into a coordinate matrix of carrier unit holes defined by a metallic sheet. Each carrier unit carries one or more electrical devices in device seats which expose a top and a bottom of each device sufficiently to eliminate any necessity for removing the devices from the medium during all backend processing. Each carrier unit has a standardized perimeter but a core which is adapted to a particular device size and form, and there can be as many different carrier units as there are different device forms and sizes, but all carrier units fit into a standard carrier unit hole. The frames and carrier units are robotically manipulable. Each tray, each carrier unit and each device in a carrier unit are uniquely identifiable by a combination of bar code indicia on the frame and a series of indexing holes along the frame perimeter and centered on each line of carrier units.

Electrical device transport medium

An involuted track is defined by a spiralled wall normal to a planar surface. The planar surface is rotated coaxially with respect to the wall while the wall remains stationary with respect to the surface. Objects are loaded into the track through entrance, conducted along the track by means of the rotating planar surface, and leave the track via an exit. En route, the heat level of the objects are altered to bring them to a desired temperature by the time they reach the exit. The objects are preferably heated or cooled by a forced fluid of suitable temperature.

Thermal conditioner

A plurality of shuttle means receive untested devices from a feed track and position the devices in electrical contact with a contactor for testing. The shuttle means also discard tested devices via an exit track. Each shuttle means has a test track and a by-pass track. When all the shuttle means are in a load position, each track acts as a segment in a continuous track between the feed track and the exit track. When all the shuttle means are in a test position, each by-pass track acts as a segment in a continuous track between the feed track and the exit track. As long as each shuttle is either in its load position or test position, there is a continuous track between the feed track and the exit track, the segments of the track comprising either by-pass tracks, test tracks or any combination thereof. Defective devices can be pulled from test and discarded while others are undergoing testing.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Bruce O'Connor