Electronic Device Transfer Apparatus with Offset Compensation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for transferring electronic devices from a holding unit to a processing station involve multiple transfers, increasing the risk of device damage due to misalignment and requiring manual adjustments, which are time-consuming and skilled-labor intensive, especially for small devices.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a plurality of handlers and holders, an imaging mechanism to capture images, and an adjusting mechanism to calculate and compensate for offsets between handlers and holders, ensuring precise alignment and reducing the need for manual adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple transfers are used to flip and transfer electronic devices, then the devices can be oriented correctly for processing, but the risk of device damage increases due to misalignment and dropping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the flipping operation and the transfer operation into a single integrated action. The handler simultaneously flips the electronic device and transfers it to the holder in one motion, eliminating the need for separate transfer steps. This merging of operations reduces the number of times the device is handled and transferred, thereby reducing the risk of misalignment and dropping while maintaining the ability to correctly orient devices for processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a transfer mechanism that acts as an intermediary between the handler and the holder. This intermediary mechanism includes alignment features and guidance structures that ensure the device is correctly positioned during the flip and transfer operation. The intermediary transfer mechanism absorbs misalignment errors and prevents them from causing device dropping, thus improving reliability without requiring perfectly precise manual alignment.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual adjustments of pick heads are performed to compensate for fabrication errors, then alignment precision can be improved, but time consumption and skilled labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-aligning features where the handler and holder automatically compensate for fabrication errors through built-in mechanical guidance structures and alignment features. The system self-corrects for positional variations without requiring external manual adjustment. This self-service alignment mechanism eliminates the need for skilled workers to perform time-consuming manual adjustments while maintaining precise alignment, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates adjustable parameters in the handler and holder design that allow for automatic compensation of fabrication tolerances. The mechanism can adapt its positioning parameters dynamically during operation to account for variations in component dimensions and positions. This parameter-based adaptation enables precise alignment without manual intervention, improving manufacturing precision while reducing adjustment time and skilled labor requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If suction holes in pick heads are made small to handle smaller electronic devices, then handling capability for small devices is improved, but misalignment risk increases causing device dropping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic alignment and adjustment mechanisms that adapt in real-time during the transfer operation. The handler and holder include movable components that can dynamically correct for misalignment between the suction hole and the device during the flipping and transfer process. This dynamic compensation ensures that even with small suction holes necessary for handling small devices, the system can maintain reliable device retention by actively correcting positioning errors rather than relying solely on static precision.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an apparatus for transferring electronic devices from a holding unit to a processing station. The apparatus comprises first and second rotating mechanisms having a plurality of handlers and a plurality of holders respectively, an imaging mechanism, a processor and an adjusting mechanism. In use, a handler retrieves an electronic device from the holding unit and moves the device to a transfer position. A holder retrieves the electronic device from the handler at the transfer position and transfers the electronic device to the processing station. Prior to this retrieval, the adjusting mechanism adjusts a relative position between the holder and the handler at the transfer position. This adjustment is based on offsets calculated by the processor using images of the handler and holder captured by the imaging mechanism. The adjustment allows the electronic device to be retrieved more securely by the holder.