An ATE probe pre-assembly needle cylinder loader and its handler

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of semiconductor testing and ATE probe pre-assembly, and discloses an ATE probe pre-assembly needle cylinder loader and a sorter thereof. The loader comprises a base, a jig plate, a mechanical arm, a feeder and a sorter. The jig plate is placed on the base, the mechanical arm is arranged on the base, the sorter is arranged on the mechanical arm, and the feeder is arranged on the sorter. Through the structure, the jig plate is placed on the base, the feeder and the sorter are driven by the mechanical arm to move along the leakage hole on the jig plate in sequence, the feeder and the sorter adjust the needle cylinder to a normal posture, and the needle cylinder is fed into the leakage hole one by one. Compared with manual loading of the needle cylinder in the jig plate, the automatic loading of the needle cylinder jig plate can be realized, manual inspection and re-loading are not needed, the accuracy of loading the needle cylinder is improved, the waste rate is reduced, the loading can be directly performed in the normal posture, the process of turning over the jig plate to adjust the direction of the needle cylinder is omitted, and the loading efficiency of the needle cylinder is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The ATE probe pre-assembly needle cylinder loader and its sorting device of the present application relates to the field of semiconductor testing and ATE probe pre-assembly technology. BACKGROUND

[0002] ATE (Automatic Test Equipment) refers to the general IC test equipment. It contains the combination of software and hardware, and is generally composed of a large number of test machines that are collectively controlled by a computer to test the functionality of semiconductor chips. A large number of ATE probes are required on the test equipment, which puts forward new requirements for the production of ATE probes.

[0003] The ATE probe is mainly composed of a needle tube, a needle head, a spring and a needle tail. In the production process, the four components need to be pre-assembled, and the needle tail, spring and needle head are sequentially loaded into the needle tube. After pre-assembly, a rivet pit is punched on the outer wall of the needle tube to realize assembly.

[0004] In order to improve the pre-assembly efficiency, combined with the problems existing in the prior art, Figure 12 As shown in the prior art, usually first a jig plate is used to batch load the needle cylinder. A plurality of holes are arrayed on the jig plate. Since the diameter of the lower part of the hole is larger than the diameter of one end of the needle cylinder and smaller than the maximum diameter of the outer wall of the other end of the needle cylinder, the lower end of the needle cylinder is easily dropped into the hole, while the needle cylinder cannot enter in the opposite direction. Therefore, a plurality of needle cylinders are scattered in the jig plate, and after shaking, most of the needle cylinders can fall into the holes in the correct direction. Since it cannot be guaranteed that all the needle cylinders can fall into the holes, after shaking, manual inspection is required to pick out the needle cylinders that do not fall into the holes and load the needle cylinders into the empty holes. Then the jig plate loaded with the needle cylinders is buckled with another empty jig plate and turned over, so that the needle cylinders fall into the other jig plate in the reversed direction. Finally, the needle tail, spring and needle head are sequentially loaded into the needle cylinder in the reversed direction to complete the pre-assembly.

[0005] However, the jig plate batch loads the needle cylinder, which still has the following disadvantages:

[0006] Firstly, the process of loading the needle cylinder into the jig plate needs to be done manually, and the loading efficiency is low.

[0007] Secondly, after the needle cylinder is loaded into the jig plate, manual inspection and reloading are required, and the accuracy of manual inspection and reloading is low, which is easy to miss and cause waste in the subsequent process.

[0008] Thirdly, the needle cylinder jig plate after manual inspection and reloading needs to be turned over to adjust the direction of the needle cylinder, which increases the process of pre-assembly. SUMMARY

[0009] During the batch loading process of the existing ATE probe jig plate to the needle cylinder, manual loading, checking and supplementing are inefficient, easy to miss and have technical deficiencies such as the process of turning over the jig plate of the needle cylinder, the present application provides a needle cylinder loading machine for ATE probe pre-assembly and its sorter and loading method, compared with the existing pre-assembly process, the automatic loading of the jig plate of the needle cylinder can be realized, manual checking and supplementing are not required, the accuracy of loading the needle cylinder is improved, the scrap rate is reduced, the needle cylinder can be directly loaded in a normal posture, the process of turning over the jig plate to adjust the direction of the needle cylinder is omitted, and the loading efficiency of the needle cylinder is improved.

[0010] To achieve the above object, the present application provides the following technical scheme:

[0011] A needle cylinder loading machine for ATE probe pre-assembly, comprising: a base, a jig plate, a mechanical arm, a feeder and a sorter, the jig plate is placed on the base, the base is further provided with a mechanical arm, the mechanical arm is provided with a sorter, and the sorter is provided with a feeder;

[0012] The base is used for containing the jig plate;

[0013] The jig plate is provided with a plurality of holes capable of containing the needle cylinder in an array;

[0014] The mechanical arm is used to drive the sorter to move between the holes on the jig plate one by one;

[0015] The feeder is used to vertically feed a single needle cylinder into the sorter;

[0016] The sorter is used to sort and feed the needle cylinder fed by the feeder into the hole, and the sorting includes: discharging the needle cylinder in an inverted posture in a normal posture, and discharging the needle cylinder in a normal posture in a normal posture.

[0017] Further, the base comprises a base body, a conveyor belt and a sliding groove, the base body is provided with a sliding groove for the jig plate to slide, and the bottom of the sliding groove is provided with a conveyor belt for driving the jig plate.

[0018] Further, the jig plate comprises a plate body, a through hole and a stepped port, a plurality of through holes are arranged on the plate body in an array, each through hole is provided with a stepped port, and one through hole and one stepped port constitute a hole.

[0019] Further, the mechanical arm is a two-axis mechanical arm.

[0020] Furthermore, the dispenser includes: a funnel section, a cylindrical section, a dispensing roller, and a dispensing section. The lower end of the funnel section is connected to the cylindrical section. The bottom of the cylindrical section is provided with a dispensing roller, and the bottom of the dispensing roller is provided with a dispensing section. The cylindrical section can accommodate a single syringe in the width direction and multiple syringes in the height direction. An opening is provided on the side of the cylindrical section, and the dispensing roller is disposed at the opening.

[0021] Further, the sorter includes: an outer ring, a follower ring, an inner ring, a flip ring, an inlet, a card interface, a bottom opening, a sorting port, a flipping outlet, a flipping port, a first outlet, a second outlet, and a third outlet. The outer ring, follower ring, and inner ring are nested together sequentially from the outside in. The top of the outer ring has an inlet, and the bottom of the inlet is connected to a card interface on the follower ring. The bottom of the card interface is connected to a bottom opening on the inner ring. The bottom opening has a stepped section inside, which satisfies the following conditions: when the syringe falls into the bottom opening in an upright position, the upper end of the syringe is located inside the card interface; when the syringe falls into the bottom opening in an inverted position, the upper end of the syringe is located inside the card interface. The upper end of the syringe is located inside the bottom opening. The bottom of the outer ring is provided with a flip-out outlet and a first outlet in a clockwise direction. A sorting port is provided on the follower ring corresponding to the first outlet. A flip-out ring is provided at the bottom of the flip-out outlet, and a flip-out port is provided on the flip-out ring that communicates with the flip-out outlet. A second outlet is provided below the flip-out ring. Both the first outlet and the second outlet are connected to a third outlet. The inner ring can rotate clockwise to the first outlet and return. The follower ring can rotate with the inner ring and can automatically reset. The flip-out ring can rotate counterclockwise to the second outlet and return.

[0022] A sorter for a syringe loader for ATE probe pre-assembly includes: an outer ring, a follower ring, an inner ring, a flip ring, an inlet, a card interface, a bottom opening, a sorting port, a flipping outlet, a flipping port, a first outlet, a second outlet, and a third outlet. The outer ring, follower ring, and inner ring are nested together from the outside in. The top of the outer ring has an inlet, and the bottom of the inlet is connected to a card interface on the follower ring. The bottom of the card interface is connected to a bottom opening on the inner ring. The bottom opening has a stepped section inside, which satisfies the following conditions: when the syringe falls into the bottom opening in an upright position, the upper end of the syringe is located inside the card interface; when the syringe falls into the bottom opening in an inverted position... When the syringe falls into the bottom opening, the upper end of the syringe is located inside the bottom opening. The bottom of the outer ring is provided with a flip-out outlet and a first outlet in a clockwise direction. The follower ring is provided with a sorting port corresponding to the first outlet. The bottom of the flip-out outlet is provided with a flip ring, and the flip ring is provided with a flip opening that communicates with the flip-out outlet. The bottom of the flip ring is provided with a second outlet. Both the first outlet and the second outlet are connected to a third outlet. The inner ring can rotate clockwise to the first outlet and return. The follower ring can rotate with the inner ring and can automatically reset. The flip ring can rotate counterclockwise to the second outlet and return.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a syringe loader for ATE probe pre-assembly, its sorter, and loading method, which has the following advantages:

[0024] First, the present invention provides a syringe loader for ATE probe pre-assembly, comprising: a base, a fixture plate, a robotic arm, a dispenser, and a sorter. The fixture plate is placed on the base, and the robotic arm is also mounted on the base. The sorter is mounted on the robotic arm, and the dispenser is mounted on the sorter. With this structure, by placing the fixture plate on the base, the robotic arm drives the dispenser and sorter to move sequentially along the holes on the fixture plate. The dispenser and sorter adjust the syringes to an upright position and dispense the syringes one by one into the holes until all the holes on the fixture plate are filled with syringes. After the holes on the fixture plate are filled, the fixture plate is removed. The resulting fixture plate has a 100% loading rate and the syringes are in an upright position. Compared with manually loading syringes into the fixture plate, this invention enables automatic loading of the syringe fixture plate, eliminating the need for manual inspection and reloading, improving the accuracy of syringe loading, reducing the scrap rate, and allowing direct loading in an upright position. This eliminates the step of flipping the fixture plate to adjust the direction of the syringes, thus improving the loading efficiency of the syringes.

[0025] Secondly, the sorter of the syringe loader for ATE probe pre-assembly of the present invention includes: an outer ring, a follower ring, an inner ring, a flip ring, an inlet, a card interface, a bottom opening, a sorting port, a flipping outlet, a flipping port, a first outlet, a second outlet, and a third outlet. When the syringe enters the inner ring in an upright or inverted position, the inner ring and the follower ring, or only the inner ring, rotate to select different outlets to discharge the syringe, thereby sorting the syringes inserted by the dispenser and placing them into the drain hole. Syringes that enter the sorter upright or inverted can be discharged into the dispenser in an upright position, realizing the automatic adjustment of the upright and inverted positions of the syringes to the upright position and discharge, which facilitates the automatic loading of the syringe fixture plate.

[0026] Third, the present invention provides a syringe loading method for ATE probe pre-assembly, comprising: step a, loading the fixture plate; step b, selecting the leak hole; step c, adjusting the vertical posture of the syringe; step d, adjusting the forward and backward orientation of the syringe; step e, switching the leak hole; and step f, removing the fixture plate. This method enables the syringe fixture plate to be manually inspected and reinstalled during the ATE probe pre-assembly process, avoiding the process of flipping the syringe fixture plate to adjust the syringe orientation, improving the accuracy of syringe loading, reducing the scrap rate, and improving the loading efficiency of probe pre-assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the syringe loader of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 for Figure 1A schematic diagram of the base structure;

[0029] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the fixture plate in the diagram;

[0030] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the external structure of the dispenser in the diagram;

[0031] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the dispenser in the diagram;

[0032] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the sorting process for upright syringes Figure 1 ;

[0033] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the sorting process for upright syringes Figure 2 ;

[0034] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the sorting process for upright syringes Figure 3 ;

[0035] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the sorting process for inverted syringes Figure 1 ;

[0036] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the sorting process for inverted syringes Figure 2 ;

[0037] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the sorting process for inverted syringes Figure 3 ;

[0038] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an existing syringe fixture plate;

[0039] Figure 13 This is a flowchart of the syringe loading method of the present invention.

[0040] The components are as follows: 1. Base; 2. Fixture plate; 3. Robotic arm; 4. Dispenser; 5. Sorter; 1-1. Base body; 1-2. Conveyor belt; 1-3. Slide chute; 2-1. Plate body; 2-2. Through hole; 2-3. Stepped opening; 4-1. Funnel section; 4-2. Cylindrical section; 4-3. Dispensing roller; 4-4. Dispensing section; 4-5. Scraper; 5-1. Outer ring; 5-2. Follower ring; 5-3. Inner ring; 5-4. Tilting ring; 5-5. Inlet; 5-6. Card interface; 5-7. Bottom opening; 5-8. Sorting opening; 5-9. Tilting outlet; 5-10. Tilting opening; 5-11. First outlet; 5-12. Second outlet; 5-13. Third outlet. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] Method 1

[0043] The following is a specific implementation of a syringe loader for ATE probe pre-assembly.

[0044] Combination Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment discloses a syringe loader for ATE probe pre-assembly, including: a base 1, a fixture plate 2, a robotic arm 3, a dispenser 4 and a sorter 5. The fixture plate 2 is placed on the base 1, and the robotic arm 3 is also provided on the base 1. The sorter 5 is provided on the robotic arm 3, and the dispenser 4 is provided on the sorter 5.

[0045] By placing the fixture plate 2 on the base 1, the robotic arm 3 drives the dispenser 4 and sorter 5 to move sequentially along the holes on the fixture plate 2. The dispenser 4 and sorter 5 adjust the syringes to an upright position and dispense the syringes one by one into the holes until all the holes on the fixture plate 2 are filled with needles. Then the fixture plate 2 is removed. The fixture plate 2 has a 100% loading rate and the syringes are in an upright position. Compared with manually loading syringes into the fixture plate 2, it can realize automatic loading of syringe fixture plates without the need for manual inspection and reloading. This improves the accuracy of loading syringes, reduces the scrap rate, and can directly load in an upright position, avoiding the process of flipping the fixture plate 2 to adjust the direction of the syringes, thus improving the loading efficiency of syringes.

[0046] The base 1 is used to hold the fixture board 2;

[0047] The fixture plate 2 is provided with an array of several leakage holes that can accommodate syringes;

[0048] The robotic arm 3 is used to drive the sorter 5 to move one by one between the holes on the fixture plate 2;

[0049] The dispenser 4 is used to vertically insert a single syringe into the sorter 5;

[0050] The sorter 5 is used to sort the syringes inserted by the dispenser 4 and insert them into the drain hole. The sorting includes: discharging syringes that entered in an inverted position into an upright position, and discharging syringes that entered in an upright position into an upright position.

[0051] Specifically, in combination Figure 2 As shown, the base 1 includes: a base body 1-1, a conveyor belt 1-2 and a slide 1-3. The base body 1-1 is provided with a slide 1-3 for sliding the fixture plate 2, and the bottom of the slide 1-3 is provided with a conveyor belt 1-2 for driving the fixture plate 2.

[0052] The chute 1-3 has openings at both ends of the base body 1-1. The jig plate 2 is placed into the conveyor belt 1-2 through the opening at the front end of the base body 1-1. The conveyor belt 1-2 moves the jig plate 2 to the middle position of the base body 1-1 for loading. After loading, the conveyor belt 1-2 moves the jig plate 2 to the rear end of the base body 1-1 and removes the jig plate 2 through the opening at the rear end of the base body 1-1.

[0053] Specifically, in combination Figure 3 As shown, the fixture plate 2 includes: a plate body 2-1, through holes 2-2 and stepped openings 2-3. Several through holes 2-2 are arranged in an array on the plate body 2-1. Each through hole 2-2 is provided with a stepped opening 2-3. One through hole 2-2 and one stepped opening 2-3 constitute a drain hole.

[0054] The diameter of the lower end of the stepped opening 2-3 inside the through hole 2-2 is smaller than the maximum diameter of the lower outer wall of the syringe when it is upright, and the diameter of the upper end of the stepped opening 2-3 is larger than the maximum diameter of the lower outer wall of the syringe when it is upright, so that the syringe can fall into the leakage hole in an upright position.

[0055] Specifically, the robotic arm 3 is a two-axis robotic arm.

[0056] Combination Figure 1 As shown, the free end of the robotic arm 3 can move along the horizontal X-axis and the vertical Y-axis to drive the sorter 5 to move one by one between the holes on the fixture plate 2.

[0057] Specifically, the dispenser 4 includes: a funnel section 4-1, a cylindrical section 4-2, a dispensing roller 4-3, and a dispensing section 4-4. The lower end of the funnel section 4-1 is connected to the cylindrical section 4-2. The bottom of the cylindrical section 4-2 is provided with the dispensing roller 4-3. The bottom of the dispensing roller 4-3 is provided with the dispensing section 4-4. The cylindrical section 4-2 can accommodate a single syringe in the width direction and multiple syringes in the height direction. An opening is provided on the side of the cylindrical section 4-2, and the dispensing roller 4-3 is disposed at the opening.

[0058] Combination Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, by inserting the syringe into the funnel section 4-1, the inclined inner wall of the funnel section 4-1 causes the syringe to slide to the bottom of the funnel section 4-1. Since the bottom opening diameter of the funnel section 4-1 is larger than the maximum diameter of the syringe and smaller than the length of the syringe, the syringe can only fall into the bottom opening in a vertical position, either upright or inverted. The syringe that falls into the bottom opening is stored in the cylindrical section 4-2. The side of the syringe at the bottom of the cylindrical section 4-2 contacts the feeding roller 4-3. The surface of the feeding roller 4-3 undergoes elastic deformation, squeezing and fixing the syringe. As the feeding roller 4-3 rotates, it drives the syringe to slide until the syringe loses contact with the feeding roller 4-3 and falls into the feeding section 4-4. The bottom of the feeding section 4-4 is connected to the sorter 5, realizing the vertical insertion of a single syringe into the sorter 5.

[0059] To prevent the syringe from getting stuck in the bottom opening of the funnel section 4-1, a scraper 4-5 is installed inside the funnel section 4-1. The scraper 4-5 is driven to rotate by a scraper motor located at the top of the funnel section 4-1. The scraper 4-5 rotates along the inner wall of the funnel section 4-1, thereby agitating the syringe inside the funnel section 4-1.

[0060] Specifically, the sorter 5 includes: an outer ring 5-1, a follower ring 5-2, an inner ring 5-3, a flip ring 5-4, an inlet 5-5, a locking interface 5-6, a bottom opening 5-7, a sorting port 5-8, a flipping outlet 5-9, a flipping port 5-10, a first outlet 5-11, a second outlet 5-12, and a third outlet 5-13. The outer ring 5-1, the follower ring 5-2, and the inner ring 5-3 are nested together from the outside in. The top of the outer ring 5-1 has an inlet 5-5, and the bottom of the inlet 5-5 is connected to a locking interface 5-6 located on the follower ring 5-2. The bottom of the locking interface 5-6 is connected to a bottom opening 5-7 located on the inner ring 5-3. The bottom opening 5-7 has a stepped section inside, which satisfies the following conditions: when the syringe falls into the bottom opening 5-7 in an upright position, the upper end of the syringe is located inside the locking interface 5-6; when the syringe falls into the bottom opening 5-7 in an inverted position... At this time, the upper end of the syringe is located inside the bottom opening 5-7. The bottom of the outer ring 5-1 is provided with a flipping outlet 5-9 and a first outlet 5-11 in a clockwise direction. The follower ring 5-2 is provided with a sorting port 5-8 corresponding to the first outlet 5-11. The bottom of the flipping outlet 5-9 is provided with a flipping ring 5-4. The flipping ring 5-4 is provided with a flipping port 5-10 communicating with the flipping outlet 5-9. The second outlet 5-12 is provided below the flipping ring 5-4. The first outlet 5-11 and the second outlet 5-12 are both connected to the third outlet 5-13. The inner ring 5-3 can rotate clockwise to the first outlet 5-11 and return. The follower ring 5-2 can rotate with the inner ring 5-3 and can automatically reset. The flipping ring 5-4 can rotate counterclockwise to the second outlet 5-12 and return.

[0061] The syringe falls from the bottom of the delivery section 4-4 into the sorter 5. The syringe passes through the inlet 5-5 on the outer ring 5-1 and the locking interface 5-6 on the follower ring 5-2 in sequence before falling into the bottom opening 5-7 on the inner ring 5-3. The inner ring 5-3 rotates clockwise.

[0062] Combination Figure 6 As shown, when the syringe falls into the bottom opening 5-7 in an upright position, the upper end of the syringe is located inside the locking interface 5-6;

[0063] Combination Figure 7 As shown, the follower ring 5-2 is driven by the syringe embedded inside it to rotate clockwise along the inner ring 5-3 until the locking interface 5-6 aligns with the flip-out port 5-9 on the outer ring 5-1. To facilitate the syringe falling out, the inner ring motor drives the inner ring 5-3 to rotate counterclockwise and clockwise to generate vibration. At this time, the follower ring 5-2 remains stationary due to friction, and the syringe embedded in the follower ring 5-2 is easy to fall out. After the syringe falls out, the inner ring motor continues to drive the inner ring 5-3 to rotate clockwise. The syringe passes through the locking interface 5-6 from the bottom port 5-7 and enters the flip-out port 5-10 on the flip ring 5-4 in an inverted position.

[0064] Combination Figure 8 As shown, the rotating ring motor drives the rotating ring 5-4 to rotate counterclockwise until the rotating port 5-10 aligns with the second outlet 5-12. The syringe passes through the second outlet 5-12 from the rotating port 5-10 and enters the third outlet 5-13 in an upright position. Subsequently, the inner ring motor drives the inner ring 5-3 to reset, the follower ring motor drives the follower ring 5-2 to reset, and the rotating ring motor drives the rotating ring 5-4 to reset.

[0065] Combination Figure 9 As shown, when the syringe falls into the bottom opening 5-7 in an inverted position, the upper end of the syringe is located inside the bottom opening 5-7.

[0066] Combination Figure 10 As shown, the follower ring 5-2 is fixed, and the inner ring motor drives the inner ring 5-3 to rotate clockwise, passing through the flip-outlet 5-9 which is blocked by the follower ring 5-2; when the inner ring motor drives the inner ring 5-3 to rotate counterclockwise and clockwise to generate vibration, since the follower ring 5-2 remains fixed, the flip-outlet 5-9 is blocked and closed by the follower ring 5-2, and the syringe inside the inner ring 5-3 cannot fall out, and the inner ring motor continues to drive the inner ring 5-3 to rotate clockwise;

[0067] Combination Figure 11As shown, the inner ring 5-3 continues to rotate until the bottom opening 5-7 aligns with the sorting port 5-8 on the follower ring 5-2. Since the follower ring 5-2 remains stationary, the sorting port 5-8 and the first outlet 5-11 remain aligned. The syringe passes through the sorting port 5-8 and the first outlet 5-11 on the outer ring 5-1 sequentially from the bottom opening 5-7 and enters the third outlet 5-13 in an upright position. Subsequently, the inner ring motor drives the inner ring 5-3 to reset.

[0068] The syringes inserted by the dispenser 4 are sorted and placed into the drain hole. Syringes that enter the sorter 5 upright or upside down can be discharged into the dispenser 4 in an upright position. The syringes are automatically adjusted from upright and upside down to upright position and discharged, which facilitates the automatic loading of the syringe fixture plate.

[0069] Method 2

[0070] The following is a specific implementation of a sorter for a syringe loader for ATE probe pre-assembly. This sorter can be implemented independently or as a key structure of a syringe loader for ATE probe pre-assembly disclosed in Specific Implementation One.

[0071] Combination Figures 6 to 11As shown in this embodiment, a sorter for a syringe loader for ATE probe pre-assembly includes: an outer ring 5-1, a follower ring 5-2, an inner ring 5-3, a flip ring 5-4, an inlet 5-5, a locking interface 5-6, a bottom opening 5-7, a sorting port 5-8, a flipping outlet 5-9, a flipping port 5-10, a first outlet 5-11, a second outlet 5-12, and a third outlet 5-13. The outer ring 5-1, follower ring 5-2, and inner ring 5-3 are nested together from the outside in. The top of the outer ring 5-1 has an inlet 5-5, and the bottom of the inlet 5-5 is connected to a locking interface 5-6 on the follower ring 5-2. The bottom of the locking interface 5-6 is connected to a bottom opening 5-7 on the inner ring 5-3. The bottom opening 5-7 has a stepped section inside, which satisfies the following condition: when the syringe falls into the bottom opening 5-7 in an upright position, the upper end of the syringe is located inside the locking interface 5-6. When the syringe falls into the bottom opening 5-7 in an inverted position, the upper end of the syringe is located inside the bottom opening 5-7. The bottom of the outer ring 5-1 is provided with a flipping outlet 5-9 and a first outlet 5-11 in a clockwise direction. The follower ring 5-2 is provided with a sorting port 5-8 corresponding to and connected to the first outlet 5-11. The bottom of the flipping outlet 5-9 is provided with a flipping ring 5-4. The flipping ring 5-4 is provided with a flipping port 5-10 connected to the flipping outlet 5-9. The second outlet 5-12 is provided below the flipping ring 5-4. The first outlet 5-11 and the second outlet 5-12 are both connected to the third outlet 5-13. The inner ring 5-3 can rotate clockwise to the first outlet 5-11 and return. The follower ring 5-2 can rotate with the inner ring 5-3 and can automatically reset. The flipping ring 5-4 can rotate counterclockwise to the second outlet 5-12 and return.

[0072] The syringe falls from the bottom of the delivery section 4-4 into the sorter 5. The syringe passes through the inlet 5-5 on the outer ring 5-1 and the locking interface 5-6 on the follower ring 5-2 in sequence before falling into the bottom opening 5-7 on the inner ring 5-3. The inner ring 5-3 rotates clockwise.

[0073] Combination Figure 6 As shown, when the syringe falls into the bottom opening 5-7 in an upright position, the upper end of the syringe is located inside the locking interface 5-6;

[0074] Combination Figure 7As shown, the follower ring 5-2 is driven by the syringe embedded inside it to rotate clockwise along the inner ring 5-3 until the locking interface 5-6 aligns with the flip-out port 5-9 on the outer ring 5-1. To facilitate the syringe falling out, the inner ring motor drives the inner ring 5-3 to rotate counterclockwise and clockwise to generate vibration. At this time, the follower ring 5-2 remains stationary due to friction, and the syringe embedded in the follower ring 5-2 is easy to fall out. After the syringe falls out, the inner ring motor continues to drive the inner ring 5-3 to rotate clockwise. The syringe passes through the locking interface 5-6 from the bottom port 5-7 and enters the flip-out port 5-10 on the flip ring 5-4 in an inverted position.

[0075] Combination Figure 8 As shown, the rotating ring motor drives the rotating ring 5-4 to rotate counterclockwise until the rotating port 5-10 aligns with the second outlet 5-12. The syringe passes through the second outlet 5-12 from the rotating port 5-10 and enters the third outlet 5-13 in an upright position. Subsequently, the inner ring motor drives the inner ring 5-3 to reset, the follower ring motor drives the follower ring 5-2 to reset, and the rotating ring motor drives the rotating ring 5-4 to reset.

[0076] Combination Figure 9 As shown, when the syringe falls into the bottom opening 5-7 in an inverted position, the upper end of the syringe is located inside the bottom opening 5-7.

[0077] Combination Figure 10 As shown, the follower ring 5-2 is fixed, and the inner ring motor drives the inner ring 5-3 to rotate clockwise, passing through the flip-outlet 5-9 which is blocked by the follower ring 5-2; when the inner ring motor drives the inner ring 5-3 to rotate counterclockwise and clockwise to generate vibration, since the follower ring 5-2 remains fixed, the flip-outlet 5-9 is blocked and closed by the follower ring 5-2, and the syringe inside the inner ring 5-3 cannot fall out, and the inner ring motor continues to drive the inner ring 5-3 to rotate clockwise;

[0078] Combination Figure 11 As shown, the inner ring 5-3 continues to rotate until the bottom opening 5-7 aligns with the sorting port 5-8 on the follower ring 5-2. Since the follower ring 5-2 remains stationary, the sorting port 5-8 and the first outlet 5-11 remain aligned. The syringe passes through the sorting port 5-8 and the first outlet 5-11 on the outer ring 5-1 sequentially from the bottom opening 5-7 and enters the third outlet 5-13 in an upright position. Subsequently, the inner ring motor drives the inner ring 5-3 to reset.

[0079] The syringes inserted by the dispenser 4 are sorted and placed into the drain hole. Syringes that enter the sorter 5 upright or upside down can be discharged into the dispenser 4 in an upright position. The syringes are automatically adjusted from upright and upside down to upright position and discharged, which facilitates the automatic loading of the syringe fixture plate.

[0080] Method 3

[0081] The following is a specific implementation of a syringe loading method for ATE probe pre-assembly. This method can be implemented alone or applied to an ATE probe pre-assembly syringe loader disclosed in Specific Implementation 1.

[0082] Combination Figure 13 As shown, a syringe loading method for ATE probe pre-assembly includes the following steps:

[0083] Step a, jig plate loading; place jig plate 2 on the slide groove 1-3 of base 1, and move jig plate 2 to below robotic arm 3 by conveyor belt 1-2;

[0084] Step b, hole selection; the sorter 5 is moved to a hole on the fixture plate 2 by the robotic arm 3;

[0085] Step c, adjust the vertical posture of the syringe; the syringe in the funnel section 4-1 of the dispenser 4 enters the cylindrical section 4-2 vertically from the bottom of the funnel section 4-1, and the dispensing roller 4-3 rotates so that the syringe at the bottom of the cylindrical section 4-2 enters the dispensing section 4-4.

[0086] Step d: Adjust the syringe's orientation (forward / inverted). The syringe falls from the bottom of the delivery section 4-4 into the sorter 5. It passes sequentially through the inlet 5-5 on the outer ring 5-1 and the locking interface 5-6 on the follower ring 5-2 before falling into the bottom opening 5-7 on the inner ring 5-3. The inner ring 5-3 rotates clockwise. When the syringe falls into the bottom opening 5-7 in an upright position, the upper end of the syringe is located within the locking interface 5-6. The follower ring 5-2 rotates clockwise with the inner ring 5-3 until the locking interface 5-6 aligns with the flip outlet 5-9 on the outer ring 5-1. The syringe then passes through the locking interface 5-6 from the bottom opening 5-7 and enters the flip opening 5-10 on the flip ring 5-4 in an inverted position. The flip ring 5-4 rotates counterclockwise... Rotate until the flip-up opening 5-10 aligns with the second outlet 5-12. The syringe passes through the flip-up opening 5-10 and the second outlet 5-12, then enters the third outlet 5-13 in an upright position. When the syringe falls into the bottom opening 5-7 in an inverted position, the upper end of the syringe is located inside the bottom opening 5-7. The follower ring 5-2 remains fixed. The inner ring 5-3 rotates clockwise and passes through the flip-up outlet 5-9, which is blocked by the follower ring 5-2. The inner ring 5-3 continues to rotate until the bottom opening 5-7 aligns with the sorting port 5-8 on the follower ring 5-2. The syringe passes through the sorting port 5-8 and the first outlet 5-11 on the outer ring 5-1 in sequence from the bottom opening 5-7, then enters the third outlet 5-13 in an upright position.

[0087] Step e, Slot switching; The sorter 5 is moved to another slot on the fixture plate 2 by the robotic arm 3;

[0088] Step f: Remove the jig plate; repeat steps b to e until all the holes on jig plate 2 are filled with syringes, then remove jig plate 2.

[0089] Specifically, the method is applied to a syringe loader for ATE probe pre-assembly, the syringe loader comprising: a base 1, a fixture plate 2, a robotic arm 3, a dispenser 4, and a sorter 5.

[0090] After obtaining a syringe fixture plate with a 100% loading rate and the syringes placed in an upright position;

[0091] The needle tail needs to be inserted into the syringe;

[0092] Several needle tails are inserted into the needle tail fixture plate a, and the needle tail fixture plate a is shaken so that the needle tails fall into the holes of the needle tail fixture plate a.

[0093] The needle tail needs to be reversed;

[0094] Attach needle tail fixture plate b to needle tail fixture plate a filled with needle tails, then flip the attached needle tail fixture plate a and needle tail fixture plate b together, so that the needle tails in needle tail fixture plate a fall into needle tail fixture plate b after flipping.

[0095] To facilitate the batch loading of needle tails, the drainage holes on needle tail fixture plate a and needle tail fixture plate b are set to correspond to the drainage holes on the needle tube fixture plate.

[0096] After covering the needle tail fixture plate b with a mask, flip it over. Then, fasten the flipped needle tail fixture plate b and the mask onto the needle tube fixture plate. Remove the mask and the needle tail falls into the needle tube.

[0097] Next, the springs are installed. Since the springs have no right or wrong orientation, in order to facilitate the batch installation of the springs, the holes on the spring fixture plate b are all set to correspond to the holes on the needle fixture plate.

[0098] Several springs are inserted into the spring fixture plate b, and the spring fixture plate b is shaken so that the springs fall into the holes of the spring fixture plate b.

[0099] After covering the spring fixture plate b with a mask, flip it over. Then, fasten the flipped spring fixture plate b and the mask onto the syringe fixture plate. Remove the mask, and the spring will fall into the syringe.

[0100] Finally, insert the needle;

[0101] Insert several needles into the needle fixture plate a, shake the needle fixture plate a to make the needles fall into the holes of the needle fixture plate a;

[0102] The needle needs to be reversed;

[0103] Attach needle fixture plate b to needle fixture plate a filled with needles, then flip the attached needle fixture plate a and needle fixture plate b together. The needles in needle fixture plate a will fall into needle fixture plate b after flipping.

[0104] To facilitate the batch loading of needles, the drainage holes on needle fixture plate a and needle fixture plate b are set to correspond to the drainage holes on needle tube fixture plate b.

[0105] After covering the needle fixture plate b with a mask, flip it over. Then, fasten the flipped needle fixture plate b and the mask onto the syringe fixture plate. Remove the mask and the needle will fall into the syringe.

[0106] Complete the pre-assembly of the probe.

[0107] Throughout the entire probe pre-assembly process, by adopting this syringe loading method, the syringe fixture plate does not require manual inspection and reassembly, avoiding the process of flipping the syringe fixture plate to adjust the syringe direction, improving the accuracy of syringe loading, reducing the scrap rate, and improving the loading efficiency of probe pre-assembly.

[0108] It should be noted that the above are merely specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

[0109] It should also be noted that all the technical features listed in the above specific embodiments can be arranged and combined, as long as they are not contradictory. Those skilled in the art can exhaustively calculate the result of each arrangement and combination based on the mathematical knowledge of permutations and combinations learned in high school. All the results of permutations and combinations should be understood as being disclosed in this application.

Claims

1. A syringe loader for pre-assembling ATE probes, characterized in that, include: The base (1), fixture plate (2), robotic arm (3), dispenser (4) and sorter (5) are provided. The fixture plate (2) is placed on the base (1), and the robotic arm (3) is also provided on the base (1). The sorter (5) is provided on the robotic arm (3), and the dispenser (4) is provided on the sorter (5). The base (1) is used to hold the fixture plate (2); The fixture plate (2) is provided with an array of several leakage holes that can accommodate syringes; The robotic arm (3) is used to drive the sorter (5) to move one by one between the holes on the fixture plate (2); The dispenser (4) is used to insert a single syringe into the sorter (5) in a vertical position. The sorter (5) is used to sort the syringes fed into the dispenser (4) and feed them into the drain hole. The sorting includes: discharging syringes that entered in an inverted position in an upright position and discharging syringes that entered in an upright position in an upright position. The sorter (5) includes: an outer ring (5-1), a follower ring (5-2), an inner ring (5-3), a flip ring (5-4), an inlet (5-5), a card interface (5-6), a bottom opening (5-7), a sorting port (5-8), a flip outlet (5-9), a flip port (5-10), a first outlet (5-11), a second outlet (5-12), and a third outlet (5-13). The outer ring (5-1), the follower ring (5-2), and the inner ring (5-3) are nested together from the outside in. The outer ring (5-1) has an inlet (5-5) at its top, and the bottom of the inlet (5-5) is connected to a locking interface (5-6) on the follower ring (5-2). The bottom of the locking interface (5-6) is connected to a bottom opening (5-7) on the inner ring (5-3). The bottom opening (5-7) has a stepped section inside, which satisfies the following conditions: when the syringe falls into the bottom opening (5-7) in an upright position, the upper end of the syringe is located inside the locking interface (5-6); when the syringe falls into the bottom opening (5-7) in an inverted position, the upper end of the syringe is located inside the locking interface (5-6). -7) When the upper end of the syringe is located inside the bottom opening (5-7), the bottom of the outer ring (5-1) is provided with a flipping outlet (5-9) and a first outlet (5-11) in a clockwise direction. The follower ring (5-2) is provided with a sorting port (5-8) corresponding to the first outlet (5-11). The bottom of the flipping outlet (5-9) is provided with a flipping ring (5-4), and the flipping ring (5-4) is provided with a flipping port (5-10) communicating with the flipping outlet (5-9). A second outlet (5-12) is provided below the ring (5-4). The first outlet (5-11) and the second outlet (5-12) are both connected to the third outlet (5-13). The inner ring (5-3) can rotate clockwise to the first outlet (5-11) and return. The follower ring (5-2) can rotate with the inner ring (5-3) and can automatically reset. The flip ring (5-4) can rotate counterclockwise to the second outlet (5-12) and return.

2. The syringe loader for ATE probe pre-assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base (1) includes: a base body (1-1), a conveyor belt (1-2) and a chute (1-3). The base body (1-1) is provided with a chute (1-3) for sliding the fixture plate (2), and the bottom of the chute (1-3) is provided with a conveyor belt (1-2) for driving the fixture plate (2).

3. A syringe loader for ATE probe pre-assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fixture plate (2) includes: a plate body (2-1), through holes (2-2) and stepped openings (2-3). The plate body (2-1) is provided with a plurality of through holes (2-2), and each through hole (2-2) is provided with a stepped opening (2-3). One through hole (2-2) and one stepped opening (2-3) constitute a drain hole.

4. A syringe loader for ATE probe pre-assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The robotic arm (3) is a two-axis robotic arm.

5. A syringe loader for ATE probe pre-assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, The dispenser (4) includes: a funnel section (4-1), a cylindrical section (4-2), a dispensing roller (4-3), and a dispensing section (4-4). The lower end of the funnel section (4-1) is connected to the cylindrical section (4-2). The bottom of the cylindrical section (4-2) is provided with the dispensing roller (4-3), and the bottom of the dispensing roller (4-3) is provided with the dispensing section (4-4). The cylindrical section (4-2) can accommodate a single syringe in the width direction and can accommodate multiple syringes in the height direction. The side of the cylindrical section (4-2) is provided with an opening, and the dispensing roller (4-3) is located at the opening.

6. A sorter for a syringe loader for ATE probe pre-assembly, characterized in that, include: Outer ring (5-1), follower ring (5-2), inner ring (5-3), flip ring (5-4), inlet (5-5), card interface (5-6), bottom opening (5-7), sorting port (5-8), flip outlet (5-9), flip port (5-10), first outlet (5-11), second outlet (5-12), and third outlet (5-13). The outer ring (5-1), follower ring (5-2), and inner ring (5-3) are nested and connected sequentially from the outside to the inside. 1) has an inlet (5-5) at the top, and the bottom of the inlet (5-5) is connected to a locking interface (5-6) on the follower ring (5-2). The bottom of the locking interface (5-6) is connected to a bottom opening (5-7) on the inner ring (5-3). The bottom opening (5-7) has a stepped section inside, which satisfies the following conditions: when the syringe falls into the bottom opening (5-7) in an upright position, the upper end of the syringe is located inside the locking interface (5-6); when the syringe falls into the bottom opening (5-7) in an inverted position, The upper end of the syringe is located inside the bottom opening (5-7). The bottom of the outer ring (5-1) is sequentially provided with a flip-outlet (5-9) and a first outlet (5-11) in a clockwise direction. A sorting port (5-8) is provided on the follower ring (5-2) corresponding to and connected to the first outlet (5-11). A flip-outlet ring (5-4) is provided at the bottom of the flip-outlet (5-9). A flip-outlet (5-10) is provided on the flip-outlet ring (5-4) and communicates with the flip-outlet (5-9). A second outlet (5-12) is provided below 5-4. The first outlet (5-11) and the second outlet (5-12) are both connected to the third outlet (5-13). The inner ring (5-3) can rotate clockwise to the first outlet (5-11) and return. The follower ring (5-2) can rotate with the inner ring (5-3) and can automatically reset. The flip ring (5-4) can rotate counterclockwise to the second outlet (5-12) and return.

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