The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 29, 1999
Filed:
Mar. 07, 1996
Ronald Allen, San Jose, CA (US);
Peter S Bae, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Kenneth D Fukui, San Jose, CA (US);
Gen E Oshiro, Fremont, CA (US);
Komag, Incorporated, San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A robotic end effector for loading and unloading a magnetic information storage circular disk on a grinder or polisher carrier surface includes an effector block, an annular vacuum cup, including vacuum apertures, attached to and extending from the block and a vacuum source for attaching the cup to the disk. The cup surrounds and abuts against a periphery of a central aperture of the disk. A bore in the block conveys pressurized air through the cup axial interior, through the disk central aperture to overcome surface tension (stiction) between the carrier surface or platen of the grinder or polisher and the disk underside during unloading. A disk-carrying effector is aligned by including a lens surrounded by a ring of light-emitting diodes directed to fiducial holes on the carrier surface providing for a comparative reflection of light from the diodes by dark holes and a light colored carrier surface. The lens is protected from impingement of water droplets and grinding debris by an air flow within the ring, past the lens and through a an apertured cap in the interior of the ring.