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:
Sep. 05, 2006
Filed:
Dec. 03, 2003
William John Fosnight, Carlisle, MA (US);
Michael Bufano, Belmont, MA (US);
Gerald Friedman, New Ipswich, NH (US);
Robert Sullivan, Wilmington, MA (US);
William John Fosnight, Carlisle, MA (US);
Michael Bufano, Belmont, MA (US);
Gerald Friedman, New Ipswich, NH (US);
Robert Sullivan, Wilmington, MA (US);
Brooks Automation, Inc., Chelmsford, MA (US);
Abstract
An automated material handling system that includes an extractor/buffer apparatus capable of simultaneously accessing multiple Work-In-Process (WIP) parts, thereby providing a highly efficient interface between WIP storage locations and transport equipment. The extractor/buffer apparatus includes multiple extractor/buffer modules, each module being configured to interface with a location for holding WIP parts that is a number of WIP parts deep. Each module includes a platform for holding multiple WIP parts. Further, multiple modules may be disposed side-by-side to form an extractor/buffer apparatus capable of handling multiple rows of WIP parts.