Package transfer unit and package management apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9927488-B2
Application number	US-201514959641-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2015
Priority date	Jan 8, 2015
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

Probe card transfer units and probe card management apparatuses including the same may be provided. The transfer unit includes a hand part including grippers holding a package and a moving part moving the hand part. Each of the grippers includes at least one locking pin protruding from a holding bar, which extends in a direction perpendicular to the holding bar, to securely hold the package.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transfer unit for loading and unloading a package, the transfer unit comprising:
a hand part including grippers and a hand body coupled to the grippers, the grippers configured to hold the package, the grippers including,
a holding bar configured to support the package, the holding bar including,
first portions connected to a lower portion of the hand body and disposed in a first direction perpendicular to the hand body, and
a second portion between the first portions and configured to support the package, the second portion being in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the second portion including a step guide wall onto which an edge of the package is to be loaded, and

at least one locking pin; protruding from the second portion of the holding bar and configured to couple the package to the holding bar;

a moving part configured to move the hand part; and
a hoisting part between the hand part and the moving part and configured to ascend or descend the hand part to and from the moving part.

2. The transfer unit of claim 1 , wherein the grippers are configured to at least one of approach each other to a distance along a lower part of the hand body or rotate downward from both edges of the hand body to hold the package.

3. The transfer unit of claim 1 , wherein the locking pin is lower than the step guide wall.

4. The transfer unit of claim 1 , wherein the hand part is between the first portions.

5. A package management apparatus comprising:
a carrier configured to load and unload a package, the package including a probe card and card jig; and
a transfer unit configured to transfer the package, the transfer unit including,
a hand part having grippers configured to hold the card jig and a hand body coupled to the grippers, each of the grippers having,
a holding bar configured to support the package, the holding bar including,
first portions connected to the hand body and disposed in a first direction perpendicular to the hand body; and
a second portion between the first portions and configured to support the package, the second portion being in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the second portion including a step guide wall onto which an edge of the package is to be loaded, and

at least one locking pin protruding from the second portion of the holding bar and configured to couple the package to the holding bar,

a moving part configured to move the hand part, and
a hoisting part between the hand part and the moving part and configured to ascend or descend the hand part to and from the moving part.

6. The package management apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the card jig comprises a locking hole configured to receive the locking pin.

7. The package management apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the grippers is configured to hold the card jig when the grippers approach each other to a distance, and the locking pin is provided in the locking hole.

8. The package management apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the hand part further comprises an alignment pin protruding from the hand body and provided between the first portions, and the card jig comprises an alignment hole into which the alignment pin is to be inserted.

9. The package management apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the carrier comprises a plurality of slots configured to accommodate the card jig, and each of the slots includes
first slots arranged in a circular shape and configured to accommodate the card jig having a circular shape; and
second slots arranged in a rectangular shape outside the first slots, being higher than the first slots, and configured to accommodate the card jig having a rectangular shape.

10. The transfer unit of claim 5 , wherein the locking pin is lower than the step guide wall.

11. A transfer unit for loading and unloading a card jig, the transfer unit comprising:
a hand part including a hand body and grippers, the grippers protruding froth and disposed under the hand body and configured to support the card jig, each of the grippers including,
a holding bar having a horizontal portion and vertical portions, the horizontal portion including a step guide wall onto which an edge of a card jig is to be loaded, and
at least one locking pin protruding from the holding bar and configured to couple the card jig with the holding bar by inserting the locking pin into a locking hole of the card jig;

a moving part configured to move the hand part; and
a hoisting part connecting the moving part with the hand part and configured to move the hand part toward and away from the moving part.

12. The transfer unit of claim 11 , wherein the hand part further includes an alignment pin protruding downward from the hand body, and the alignment pin is configured to couple the card jig to the hand part by inserting the alignment pin into an alignment hole of the card jig.

13. The transfer unit of claim 12 , wherein the locking hole of the card jig and the alignment hole of the card jig are in a same direction and adjacent to each other.

14. The transfer unit of claim 12 , wherein the locking pin and the alignment pin are in a same direction.

15. The transfer unit of claim 11 , wherein the horizontal portion and the vertical portions of the holding bar form a U-shape.

16. The transfer unit of claim 11 , wherein the locking pin is lower than the step guide wall.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Youngin
• Kim Jungho
• Kim Jongsam
• Park Byung-Soo
• Park Sookil
• Yoo Byungkook
• Jeong Seong Sil
• Choi Wooseong

Classifications

• G01R31/2893 Primary

  Handling, conveying or loading, e.g. belts, boats, vacuum fingers (G01R31/2867 takes precedence; handling semiconductor devices or wafers during manufacture or treatment H10P72/00) · CPC title

• H10P72/3216

  using a general scheme of a conveying path within a factory · CPC title

• H10P72/3212 Primary

  the substrates to be conveyed not being semiconductor wafers or large planar substrates, e.g. chips or lead frames · CPC title