2454results about "Article unpacking" patented technology

A substrate processing apparatus has a frame and a load port connected to the frame and adapted to mate a substrate transport container to the frame. The apparatus has transportable storage that is adapted to be removably connected to the frame and fit beneath the load port. The storage may be an enclosure housing electrical, mechanical, or electromechanical devices of the substrate processing apparatus.

A FOUP opening/closing device includes a housing containing a mounting table for mounting the FOUP thereon, an FOUP loading opening, and a delivery opening. The device further includes a rotator for rotating the mounting table, a door opening/closing unit to open or close the door of the FOUP and keep the door open, a mover for moving the FOUP and the door opening/closing unit in a reciprocating manner, to allow the FOUP and the door opening/closing unit to be connected to or separated from each other, and a controller to output control signals for moving the FOUP and the door opening/closing unit via operation of the mover to mount the door of the FOUP to the door opening/closing unit, separating the door from the FOUP, moving the FOUP and the door opening/closing unit away from each other, and rotating the mounting table to make the FOUP face the delivery opening.

A semiconductor device producing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a carrier-holding stage for placing a carrier; first, second and third stages each for holding first and second boats one at a time, each boat holding one or more substrates; a boat transfer mechanism for transferring the boats among the first, second and third stages; and a substrate transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate(s) from the carrier to the boat held by the first stage. A controller controls the first stage, the boat transfer mechanism and the substrate transfer mechanism so that the boat transfer mechanism transfers one of the boats from the second stage to the first stage, the substrate transfer mechanism then transfers the substrate(s) from the carrier to the boat held by the first stage, and the first stage then moves the boat into the processing chamber for processing.

A substrate processing equipment comprises two pod supporting stages and two independently operable pod door openers. Each pod supporting stage is capable of placing thereon a pod for containing substrates therein. Each pod door openers having means for permitting access to the substrates inside the pod placed on a corresponding pod supporting stage.

The slide handler is an instrument that automatically transfers glass microscope slides from a cassette or magazine to a motorized microscope stage and then returns the slide back into the second cassette. The use of this instrument permits the unattended computer control, measurement and inspection of specimens mounted to the slides. Full modular integration of the system components allows for the slide handler instrument to be utilized with any microscope. The instrument system has a minimum of three components; namely a slide cassette indexer, an XY-stage, and a slide exchange arm. The indexer, the arm and the XY-stage are connected together and integrated into one unitary modular instrument that can be moved from one microscope to another.

A system and method for optimizing the storage capacity of an automated material handling and storage system wherein rows of vertical columns of storage bins are spaced in opposing relationship with one another such that at least one elevator is vertically movable in engagement with the opposing columns of storage bins so that pallets, support platforms or containers may be transferred to or from the elevator to bins of the opposing rows and wherein the elevator may be selectively elevated by overhead carriers that are movable along an intersecting grid track system that is disposed above the storage bins. In one embodiment, the at least one elevator may be independently vertically movable between the opposing column of storage bins.

A method and system for controlling drive of a robot having two or more drive axes and driven in accordance with an action program transmitted from a system controller to a robot controller by a wireless transmission way, checks whether a detected current position of the robot coincides with a predetermined start position of the robot in terms of the drive axes, and allows the robot to be driven in accordance with the designated action program when the detected current position coincides with the predetermined start position. Failure in the position control of the robot due to transmission error is prevented by the position checking.

A pod loading station and method of operation are provided for enabling the transfer and introduction of wafers into a processing system from a wafer pod. The pod loading station generally includes a movable receiving platform for supporting a wafer pod and a movable pod door receiver having a pod door latch actuating mechanism disposed thereon. The movable platform supports a wafer pod, moves the wafer pod into engagement with the pod door receiver, and then retracts to enable the door supported by the door receiver to be removed from the opening of the pod. The pod door receiver then lowers the pod door below the pod to enable access to the pod opening.

A system for controlling motion of a hydraulic actuator during a portion of its range of motion is described, including a sensor on the hydraulic actuator for providing a signal indicating that the actuator is near a portion of its range of motion, and a pneumatic control valve that is configured to selectively modify a pressurized air control signal to in turn restrict flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator. The hydraulic actuator control system further includes an electronic controller for controlling the pneumatic control valve in response to a signal from the sensor. The hydraulic actuator control system thereby slows the motion of the hydraulic actuator near the portion of its range of motion.

An end effector for a robot is used to unpack flattened stackable items from a container using a fixed sized vacuum plenum and simple adjustable gripping elements. The gripping elements comprise a pair of adjustable, smooth blades. In addition, the end effector includes mechanisms for retaining and transporting the container.

An improved drink can is disclosed wherein the drink can has a drink opening and a vent opening which are positioned opposite from each other with respect to a central portion of a top end of a drink can. The tab is attached to the central portion and can be pulled upward to open the drink opening then pushed back downward to open the vent opening. To aid in opening the vent opening with the tab, the vent opening may have a ridge to provide additional leverage when the tab pushes downward on a score line that defines the vent opening. The tab may be enlarged so that upon breakage of the score line to the vent opening, the tab contacts the top end of the can and does not allow the user's finger to proceed into the vent opening and possibly cut the user's finger.

A carrier tape feeder is provided. The carrier tape feeder includes a unit for loading a carrier tape, a picking-up unit where chips are picked up, and a driving unit. The pick-up unit includes a knife portion, a folding-guiding portion, and an inversion-guiding portion. The knife portion separates a cover tape from a base tape in a first adhesive portion. The folding-guiding portion is spaced from one lateral side of the knife portion to induce folding of the cover tape separated by the knife portion in the lengthwise direction in a state in which the cover tape is partially attached to the base tape in a second adhesive portion. The inversion-guiding portion extends in an oblique direction from the knife portion and the folding-guiding portion toward the outside of the carrier tape to induce inversion of the upper and lower surfaces of the cover tape folded in the folding-guiding portion so as to be superimposed on the base tape. The distal end of the lateral side of the folding-guiding portion opposed to the knife portion extends above the second adhesive portion.

A receiver frame loads and unloads a batch of semiconductor wafers onto wafer holders in a wafer boat. The wafer holders extends continuously about the perimeter of an overlying wafer. The receiver frame is provided with a plurality of supporting arms which are immovably mounted to a vertically extending structure. The supporting arms are coaxially aligned and vertically spaced in a manner corresponding with the spacing of the wafer holders in the wafer boat. Each supporting arm is configured to be accommodated below a support ring, with its distal end extending to align with the center region of the wafer holder. The distal end of each supporting arm is provided with at least three support pins to support a wafer vertically spaced above a wafer holder. To load wafers onto the wafer holders, after placing the wafers upon the support pins, the wafer holders are moved above the support pins so that the wafer holders contact and lift the wafers off the support pins.

A container crane includes a movable trolley and a load-carrying frame pendantly connected to the trolley and comprised of a spreader and a head block, for transfer of a container from or to a transport vehicle. Plural optical detectors are mounted on the trolley for identifying longitudinal and transversal edges of the head block or spreader and the transport vehicle. Operatively connected to the detectors is a processing device for determining a spatial position of the edges and calculating a position of longitudinal and transversal center lines of the head block or spreader and the transport vehicle and their spatial positions in relation to one another. In this way a possible offset of the center lines of the head block or spreader with regard to those of the transport vehicle in longitudinal and transversal directions as well as a rotation angle of the center lines can be determined, whereby a detected offset or rotation angle is compensated by displacing the spreader relative to the head block.

There is provided a carrier tape feeder for a chip mounter, which consecutively and automatically supplies a carrier tape which retains small electronic components at regular intervals and is sealed by a vinyl cover to the chip mounter to mount the components onto a printed circuit board.

To consecutively and automatically supply components retained in a carrier tape to a chip mounter, the carrier tape feeder for the chip mounter comprises: a pickup section to separate a part of a vinyl cover from a base tape of the carrier tape so that the components retained in the base tape can be picked up, wherein the pickup section connected to an end of a tape feeder body comprises: a tape guide to secure a path of the carrier tape from which the part of the vinyl cover is separated longitudinally and to discharge the base tape and the vinyl cover together in the same direction simultaneously, wherein the tape guide comprises: a blade to separate longitudinally the vinyl cover from the base tape of the carrier tape being fed; and a vinyl cover guider to guide the separated vinyl cover.

An autonomous robot for loading and unloading cargo of a cargo container includes a first vertical member; a second vertical member spaced in substantially parallel relation to the first vertical member; and a cross-member secured to the first and second vertical members in a substantially perpendicular orientation thereto. The robot further includes a first arm and a second arm secured to the cross-member and extending in a forward direction with respect to the robot. The robot also includes means for imparting vertical movement to the cross-member along the length of the first and second vertical members and means for imparting horizontal movement to the first and second arms along the length of the cross-member. Means for imparting motive force to the robot is/are provided. A processing unit is configured to control directional movement, loading, and unloading routines of the robot. A method for loading/unloading the container is also disclosed.