An apparatus for managing trays

Abstract

The application relates to a device for managing Tray plates, comprising: a storage cabinet, which is internally provided with a plurality of storage compartments independent of each other and is configured to be capable of stacking and storing Tray plates of multiple specifications; a transfer device, which is provided with a manual tray loading and unloading area, a mechanical hand carrying area and a conveying belt connecting the manual tray loading and unloading area and the mechanical hand carrying area; a mechanical hand, which is configured to be capable of carrying Tray plates between each of the storage compartments and the mechanical hand carrying area; a Tray plate identification module, which is used for identifying the specification of Tray plates located in the mechanical hand carrying area; and a man-machine interface, which can be used by an operator to input a tray taking or storing instruction. The device for managing Tray plates can realize automatic management of Tray plates and facilitate the operator to take or store Tray plates.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of semiconductor testing equipment, and particularly relates to an equipment capable of managing Tray used in the semiconductor testing link. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the semiconductor testing link, Tray is a standardized container used for carrying, transporting and positioning chips. Tray can be transferred between testing stations by automated equipment (such as mechanical arms, conveyors) to realize continuous testing and improve efficiency. Therefore, Tray capable of realizing safe handling, efficient testing and accurate sorting of chips is an indispensable standardized carrier on the automated production line.

[0003] Currently, Tray is mainly stored by Tray rack. Since the Tray rack is mostly open and has no closed identification function, the operator can take Tray at will. Since there are many types of Tray in use, the operator's efficiency in searching for Tray is low. Moreover, since there are many types of Tray on the production line, there is a risk that similar Tray will be taken by the operator. In addition, the open Tray rack has the risk of dust pollution of Tray. In order to solve these problems, the current non-mixing Tray type needs to arrange full-time personnel for inspection, which increases the additional labor cost of the production line. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide an equipment for managing Tray, which solves the technical problems of the open Tray rack in the prior art without control, low efficiency and easy to take wrong Tray by the operator.

[0005] To this end, the present application provides an equipment for managing Tray, comprising: a storage cabinet, which is internally provided with a plurality of storage compartments independent of each other, and the plurality of storage compartments are configured to be capable of stacking and storing multiple specifications of Tray; a transfer device, which is provided with a manual tray loading and unloading area, a mechanical hand carrying area and a conveyor belt connecting the manual tray loading and unloading area and the mechanical hand carrying area; a mechanical hand, which is configured to be capable of carrying Tray between each of the storage compartments and the mechanical hand carrying area; a Tray identification module, which is used for identifying the specification of Tray located in the mechanical hand carrying area; a tray stacking / dispensing device, which is arranged in the manual tray loading and unloading area and is used for sequentially separating each Tray in a Tray stack located in the manual tray loading and unloading area and outputting to the transfer device, and stacking multiple Tray input from the transfer device to the manual tray loading and unloading area into a Tray stack; and a human-computer interface, which can be used by the operator to input tray taking or storing instructions.

[0006] In some embodiments, the tray sorting device comprises a tray mechanism configured to selectively support a Tray or a stack of Trays to be sent to the artificial tray area, and a top mechanism configured to selectively carry the Tray or the stack of Trays in the artificial tray area up and down; wherein the tray mechanism comprises a plurality of tray components capable of moving horizontally.

[0007] In some embodiments, the tray mechanism comprises a plurality of tray cylinders distributed on the left and right sides of the artificial tray area, and the piston rod of each tray cylinder is configured to move left and right.

[0008] In some embodiments, the Tray identification module comprises a camera.

[0009] In some embodiments, each of the storage compartments is provided with a compartment door configured to be opened from the outside of the storage cabinet.

[0010] In some embodiments, the Tray management device further comprises a status prompt light for an operator to observe the working status of the Tray management device from the outside, and the status prompt light is configured to display at least three different colors of light.

[0011] In some embodiments, the Tray management device further comprises a gantry module, and the mechanical hand is loaded on the gantry module.

[0012] In some embodiments, the Tray management device further comprises a cleaning device arranged on the conveying path of the transfer device and used for cleaning the Tray passing through.

[0013] In some embodiments, the cleaning device comprises a brush transversely arranged above the conveying belt.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the Tray management device of the present application can realize the automatic management of the Tray, facilitate the operator to store and take the Tray in batches, and through management, can effectively improve the efficiency of storing and taking the Tray and significantly reduce the error rate of the operator when manually taking the Tray. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to make the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application or the prior art clearer, the accompanying drawings needed in the embodiments or prior art description will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description only show some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained without creative effort based on these drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the tray management device of one embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal composition of the tray management device of one embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the transfer device of one embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the tray stacking / dispensing device of one embodiment of the present application when performing a dispensing operation;

[0020] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the tray mechanism in the tray stacking / dispensing device of Figure 4 when lifting a tray;

[0021] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the upward lifting mechanism in the tray stacking / dispensing device of Figure 5 when lifting a tray upward;

[0022] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the operation process of the transfer device of one embodiment of the present application when transporting a tray;

[0023] wherein: 100, tray management device; 1, storage cabinet; 2, transfer device; 3, manual tray loading / unloading area; 4, mechanical hand carrying area; 5, mechanical hand; 6, tray identification module; 7, human-machine interface; 11, storage bin; 8, gantry module; 10, status prompt light; 21, conveying belt; 22, transfer device motor; 23, cleaning device; 9, tray stacking / dispensing device; 91, tray mechanism; 92, upward lifting mechanism; 911, tray cylinder; 912, tray component; 921, lifting cylinder; 922, lifting plate; 800, tray stack; 801, tray. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to make the person skilled in the art better understand the technical solutions in the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely in the following with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, not all. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by the person skilled in the art without creative labor should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1 , Figure 2 The device 100 for managing Tray is shown in accordance with one embodiment of the present application. The device includes a storage cabinet 1, a transfer device 2, a mechanical hand 5, a Tray identification module 6 and a man-machine interface 7. The storage cabinet 1 includes a plurality of storage bins 11 that can store Tray of various specifications. The mechanical hand 5 is used to transfer Tray between the storage cabinet 1 and the transfer device 2. The transfer device 2 includes a manual Tray loading and unloading area 3 and a mechanical hand handling area 4 connected by a conveyor belt 21. The transfer device 2 is used to temporarily store Tray taken out from the storage cabinet 1 for use, and to temporarily store Tray to be stored. The Tray identification module 6 is used to identify the specifications of Tray input into or output from the device 100. The man-machine interface 7 can be used by an operator to input Tray taking or storing instructions. The man-machine interface 7 is usually a PC (Personal Computer), and the operator can send instructions to the control system of the device through the PC. When the device 100 is working, the operator inputs Tray taking instructions through the man-machine interface 7 to take the required Tray out of the storage cabinet 1 and send it to the manual Tray loading and unloading area 3 for the operator to pick up. The operator can also input Tray storing instructions through the man-machine interface 7 to send the Tray placed in the manual Tray loading and unloading area 3 into the storage cabinet 1 for storage.

[0026] The storage cabinet 1 is provided with a plurality of storage bins 11 independent of each other, and the plurality of storage bins 11 are configured to be able to stack and store Tray of various specifications. In some embodiments, each storage bin is provided with a bin door configured to be opened from the outside of the storage cabinet. This can enable direct opening of each storage bin in an emergency such as power failure. The outer surface of the storage cabinet 1 can be treated for corrosion resistance, such as powder coating, nickel plating and anodizing. Taking the length, width and height of the entire device 100 as 3300mm, 1280mm and 2000mm respectively, 60 storage bins can be designed, each of which can accommodate 50-60 Tray. In this way, the total capacity of the storage cabinet can reach 3000-3600.

[0027] The Tray management device 100 can also include a gantry module 8. The gantry module 8 can provide a moving guide rail along the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions. The robot 5 is mounted on the gantry module 8 and can move along the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions, so that the robot 5 can move to each storage bin 11.

[0028] The robot 5 is configured to carry the Tray between each storage bin 11 and the robot handling area 4. In a typical robot embodiment, the robot includes a robotic arm and a Tray gripper attached to the end effector of the robotic arm. For example, the Tray gripper includes two clamping blades that can be extended and retracted along the length of the Tray to clamp or release the Tray. In some embodiments, the Tray gripper of the robot delivers the Tray to the designated storage bin 11 according to the scanning information.

[0029] The Tray identification module 6 is usually arranged in the robot handling area 4 and can identify the specifications of the Tray located in the robot handling area 4. Based on the identification result, the control system of the device 100 can check the specifications of the Tray output from the storage bin 11 or identify the specifications of the Tray about to be delivered to the storage bin 11, so that the robot can carry it to the appropriate storage bin. In a typical Tray identification module embodiment, the Tray identification module 6 includes a camera. The camera takes a picture and compares the current Tray information based on the Tray database stored in the device, to ensure the correctness of the robot accessing the Tray. The Tray management device 100 also includes a status prompt light 10. The status prompt light 10 is used for the operator to observe the current working status of the device 100 from the outside. The status prompt light 10 is configured to display at least three different colors of light, such as red, yellow and green. Through the light prompt of the status prompt light 10, the operator can directly know whether the device is in the Tray storage working state, the Tray retrieval working state or the standby state.

[0030] As Figure 3As shown, the transfer device 2 is capable of transporting trays in the front, back, and upper directions. The transfer device 2 also includes a transfer device motor 22. The transfer device motor 22 rotates forward or reversely according to the tray loading and unloading signal, thereby driving the conveyor belt 21 to transport the tray from the manual loading and unloading area 3 to the robot handling area 4 or to transport the tray from the robot handling area 4 to the manual loading and unloading area 3. A cleaning device 23 is also arranged on the conveying path of the transfer device 2. The cleaning device 23 is used to wipe the dust from the tray passing through here to reduce the dust residue on the surface of the tray. In one embodiment, the cleaning device 23 includes a brush, which is placed horizontally above the conveyor belt 21. A tray in place detection component is also provided on the transfer device 2 to detect whether the tray has moved to the target position of the robot handling area 4.

[0031] like Figure 4 As shown, the apparatus 100 for managing trays further includes a tray stacking / separating device 9. The tray stacking / separating device 9 is disposed at the manual loading and unloading area 3 and is configured to sequentially separate individual trays 801 from a tray stack 800 located in the manual loading and unloading area 3 and output them to the transfer device 2, or to stack multiple trays 801 inputted from the transfer device 2 into a tray stack 800.

[0032] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the tray stacking / separating device 9 includes a tray mechanism 91 and a lifting mechanism 92. The tray mechanism 91 is configured to selectively lift a tray or a stack of trays fed into the manual loading and unloading area 3. The lifting mechanism 92 is configured to selectively carry a stack of trays or a single tray in the manual loading and unloading area 3 and move it up and down.

[0033] The tray mechanism 91 includes multiple tray cylinders 911 and tray components 912 fixed to the top ends of the piston rods of the multiple tray cylinders 911. These tray cylinders 911 and tray components 912 are distributed on the left and right sides of the manual upper and lower tray area 3. The piston rods of each tray cylinder 911 are constructed to be movable in the left and right directions. When the piston rods of these tray cylinders 911 are extended, they apply force to the corresponding tray component 912, thereby lifting the tray stack or tray and maintaining it at the current height; when the piston rods of these tray cylinders 911 are retracted, the tray component 912 will be removed from the tray stack or tray.

[0034] The upper lifting mechanism 92 comprises a plurality of lifting cylinders 921 and a supporting plate 922. The supporting plate 922 is fixed on the top of the piston rods of the plurality of lifting cylinders 921. The plurality of lifting cylinders 921 and the supporting plate 922 are distributed on the underside of the artificial tray stacking area 3, and the piston rods of the plurality of lifting cylinders 921 are configured to move in the up-down direction. When the piston rods of the plurality of lifting cylinders 921 are all extended upward, they jointly apply force to the supporting plate 922, so as to lift the tray or tray stack upward by the supporting plate 922; when the piston rods of the plurality of lifting cylinders 921 are all retracted, a tray not constrained by the clamping block 912 will be lowered together with the supporting plate 922 onto the conveying belt 21 of the transfer device 2.

[0035] When the tray stacking / dispensing device 9 is used to dispense the tray stack stacked in the artificial tray stacking area 3, the operation process of the tray mechanism 91 and the upper lifting mechanism 92 is as follows: the tray stack stacked in the artificial tray stacking area 3 is lifted by the plurality of tray components 912 of the tray mechanism 91; after the entire tray stack is lifted by the upper lifting mechanism 92, the tray cylinder of the tray mechanism 91 is retracted; then, the upper lifting mechanism 92 is lowered by a distance of one tray height, the tray cylinder is extended again to support the second tray from the bottom in the tray stack, and then the upper lifting mechanism 92 with the lowest tray is lowered onto the conveying belt 21 of the transfer device 2, thereby completing the separation of one tray. After the tray is separated, the transfer device motor 22 of the transfer device 2 is started to send the tray to the robot handling area 4. After the robot handling area 4 takes away the tray, the next-to-last tray, the next-to-last tray, and so on are separated in the same way as described above, until all the trays are separated.

[0036] When the tray stacking / dispensing device 9 is used to stack the tray disks in the robot handling area 4 one by one to the manual tray loading / unloading area 3 for tray stacking operation, the operation process of the tray mechanism 91 and the lifting mechanism 92 is as follows: when the first tray disk is carried to the robot handling area 4 by the robot 5, the transfer device motor 22 of the transfer device 2 is started to transport the first tray disk to the manual tray loading / unloading area 3, the lifting cylinders 921 of the lifting mechanism 92 are raised and the first tray disk is pushed upward away from the conveyor belt 21 by the tray plate 922, when the first tray disk is lifted to the height of the tray components 912 of the tray mechanism 91, the tray cylinders 911 of the tray mechanism 91 are extended to replace the tray plate 922 to lift the first tray disk, the lifting cylinders 921 and the tray plate 922 of the lifting mechanism 92 are lowered to the initial position (under the conveyor belt 21), and then when the second tray disk is transported to the manual tray loading / unloading area 3, the lifting cylinders 921 of the lifting mechanism 92 are raised again and the second tray disk is pushed upward away from the conveyor belt 21 by the tray plate 922 and moved to the position under the first tray disk, the tray cylinders 911 of the tray mechanism 91 are retracted, and then the lifting cylinders 921 continue to lift the tray plate 922 to the height of the tray components 912 of the tray mechanism 91, the tray cylinders 911 of the tray mechanism 91 are extended again to lift the first and second tray disks, and the third tray disk, the fourth tray disk, and so on are stacked in the manual tray loading / unloading area 3 in the same way until the required number of tray disks (or the maximum number of stacked tray disks) are stacked.

[0037] Figure 7 The process of operating a tray disk 801 on the transfer device 2 is shown in the schematic diagram. When the operator places the tray disk in the manual tray loading / unloading area 3, the lifting mechanism 92 of the tray stacking / dispensing device 9 lifts the tray disk 801 upward, and at the same time, the tray cylinders of the tray mechanism 91 retract; then the lifting mechanism 92 moves downward with the tray disk 801 to the conveyor belt 21 of the transfer device 2, the transfer device motor 22 of the transfer device 2 is started to transport the tray disk 801 to the robot handling area 4, and in this process, the brush of the cleaning device 23 completes the dust removal work on the tray disk 801.

[0038] When the Tray management device 100 is performing a storage operation, the operator places the Tray stack to be stored in the manual tray loading area 3, the tray stacking / dispensing device 9 separates the Tray in the Tray stack one by one and transfers them to the mechanical hand carrying area 4 using the transfer device 2, each Tray transferred to the mechanical hand carrying area 4 will be photographed by the Tray identification module's camera for comparison, and the mechanical hand 5 will accurately deliver each Tray to the appropriate storage bin 11 based on the comparison result. During this process, the status prompt light 10 is on, representing the Tray management device 100 is in a tray storage state.

[0039] When the Tray management device 100 is performing a storage operation, the operator places the Tray stack to be stored in the manual tray loading area 3, the tray stacking / dispensing device 9 separates the Tray in the Tray stack one by one and transfers them to the mechanical hand carrying area 4 using the transfer device 2, each Tray transferred to the mechanical hand carrying area 4 will be photographed by the Tray identification module's camera for comparison, and the mechanical hand 5 will accurately deliver each Tray to the appropriate storage bin 11 based on the comparison result. During this process, the status prompt light 10 is on, representing the Tray management device 100 is in a tray storage state.

[0040] The Tray management device 100 of the present application can facilitate the operator's access to the Tray, automate management, and reduce error rates; the mechanical hand can quickly locate and access the Tray, improving efficiency, reducing personnel operations, and real-time monitoring of the Tray state in each storage bin, recording access information for easy abnormal tracking; the Tray surface can be cleaned during the access process to avoid dust contamination of the Tray and reduce abnormal outflow.

[0041] It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present application is not limited to the details of the above exemplary embodiments, and can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the present application. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the present application is defined by the appended claims, not the above description, and therefore all changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims are intended to be included in the present application. Any reference signs in the claims should not be considered limiting of the claims involved.

[0042] Furthermore, it should be understood that although the specification is described in terms of embodiments, not every embodiment includes every feature or implementation described herein. The specification can include implicit combinations of explicitly mentioned features and / or implicit combinations of implicitly mentioned features. Such combinations are also expressly included within the scope of the specification and an embodiment.

Claims

1. A device for managing Tray disks, characterized in that: include: The storage cabinet is provided with a plurality of independent storage compartments, wherein the plurality of storage compartments are configured to accommodate trays of various specifications; The transfer device is provided with a manual loading and unloading area, a robot handling area, and a conveyor belt connecting the manual loading and unloading area and the robot handling area in series; A robot is configured to transport trays between each of the storage bins and the robot transport area; A tray identification module is used to identify the specifications of the tray located in the handling area of ​​the robot; a tray stacking / separating device, arranged in the manual loading and unloading area, and used to sequentially separate the individual trays in the tray stack located in the manual loading and unloading area and output them to the transfer device, and to stack the multiple trays input from the transfer device to the manual loading and unloading area into a tray stack; and The human-machine interface allows operators to input disk retrieval or storage instructions.

2. The device for managing Tray disks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tray stacking / separating device includes: a tray mechanism, which is constructed to selectively support the tray or tray stack sent into the manual upper and lower tray area; and a lifting mechanism, which is constructed to selectively carry the tray or tray stack located in the manual upper and lower tray area and move it up and down; wherein, the tray mechanism includes a plurality of tray components that can move in the horizontal direction.

3. The device for managing Tray disks according to claim 2, characterized in that: The pallet mechanism includes a plurality of pallet cylinders, which are distributed on the left and right sides of the manual upper and lower panel area, and the piston rod of each pallet cylinder is configured to be movable in the left and right directions.

4. The device for managing Tray disks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tray identification module includes a camera.

5. The device for managing Tray disks according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the storage bins is provided with a bin door, and the bin door is configured to be openable from an external side of the storage cabinet.

6. The device for managing Tray disks according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A status indicator light is used for an operator to observe the working status of the device managing the tray from the outside; The status indicator light is configured to display at least three different colors of light.

7. The device for managing Tray disks according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: Gantry module, the manipulator is loaded on the gantry module.

8. The device for managing Tray disks according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: The cleaning device is arranged on the conveying path of the transfer device and is used to clean the tray passing through the transfer device.

9. The device for managing Tray disks according to claim 8, characterized in that: The cleaning device comprises a brush which is placed horizontally above the conveyor belt.

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