Process and apparatus for finishing electronic device

Claim 1

A machine for finishing electronic devices, such as lead frames for integrated circuit chips, comprising: supply means for said electronic devices including a substantially horizontal turntable rotatable about a substantially vertical axis, and a plurality of upright cassettes mounted on said turntable adjacent the periphery thereof, said cassettes being disposed in uniformly angularly spaced relationship on said turntable relative to said axis, each of said cassettes defining a vertically oriented chamber adapted to support therein a plurality of electronic devices disposed in vertically stacked relationship, the chamber having an elongated rectangular cross-section corresponding to the size of the electronic devices, the chamber having its elongate dimension extending generally in the peripheral direction of the turntable; horizontally elongated transfer means extending from a first location disposed tangentially adjacent said turntable to a second location for permitting individual electronic devices to be moved away from said turntable, said transfer means including conveyor means for effecting movement of individual electronic devices in an elongated direction thereof along a substantially straight path of movement which extends substantially tangentially of said turntable between said first and second locations; abrasive-particle blasting means associated with said transfer means at a third location disposed intermediate said first and second locations for subjecting said electronic devices to a blasting media, said blasting means including a housing defining therein a blasting chamber, and gun means within said chamber for directing a fluid-abrasive particle stream against said electronic devices; said conveyor means including an elongate endless main conveyor which extends horizontally through the blasting chamber for individually transporting the electronic devices therethrough, said main conveyor including a pair of endless conveyor elements having inner reaches which are disposed in generally parallel but sidewardly spaced relationship for individually horizontally supporting said electronic devices therebetween, said endless conveyor elements having means thereon for supportingly engaging solely opposite longitudinally extending edges of the electronic devices so that upper and lower surfaces of the electronic devices are exposed as they travel through the blasting chamber; and a transfer mechanism associated with said first location for individually and sequentially removing a lowermost electronic device from the cassette as disposed at a dispensing position adjacent said first location by moving said lowermost electronic device radially outwardly of said turntable along a direction which generally parallels a shorter width dimension of the electronic device until the device is deposited onto the upstream end of said transfer means at said first location; said transfer mechanism including a plurality of ejector units movably mounted on said turntable, one of said ejector units being associated with each of said cassettes, said transfer mechanism also including drive means drivingly coupled to solely the ejector unit disposed in said dispensing position for actuating same to cause sequential discharge of the electronic devices from said cassette as disposed in said first location, said ejector unit including a pusher member slidably supported on said turntable for reciprocal displacement radially thereof, said pusher member being disposed closely adjacent and radially inwardly from the respective said cassette, said cassette having guide slot means adjacent the lower end thereof for permitting said pusher means to slide radially outwardly relative to said turntable into the lower end of the respective cassette for ejecting the lowermost electronic device sidewardly from the cassette radially outwardly of said turntable into engagement with said transfer means.

Claim 3

An apparatus for handling electronic devices, such as lead frames for integrated circuit chips, comprising: indexing turntable means supported for rotation about a substantially vertical axis; a plurality of cassettes mounted on said turntable means in radially spaced relationship from and substantially uniformly angularly spaced around said vertical axis, each cassette defining a vertically extending chamber for permitting a plurality of electronic devices to be supported therein in vertically stacked relationship; driving means coupled to said turntable means for angularly displacing the turntable means in an indexing manner through selected angular increments to sequentially position one of said cassettes at a preselected location; and a transfer mechanism for individually and sequentially removing electronic devices from the cassette as disposed at said preselected location and transferring the removed electronic device radially outwardly of the turntable means to a transfer position disposed radially outwardly thereof; said transfer mechanism including a plurality of ejector units movably mounted on said turntable, one of said ejector units being associated with each of said cassettes, said transfer mechanism also including drive means drivingly coupled to solely the ejector unit disposed in said preselected location for actuating same to cause sequential discharge of the electronic devices from said cassette as disposed in said preselected location; said ejector unit including a pusher member slidably supported on said turntable for reciprocal displacement radially thereof and a driven portion coupled to said pusher member, said pusher member being disposed closely adjacent and radially inwardly from the respective said cassette, said cassette having guide slot means adjacent the lower end thereof for permitting said pusher member to slide radially outwardly relative to said turntable into the lower end of the respective cassette for ejecting the lowermost electronic device sidewardly from the cassette radially outwardly of said turntable into said transfer position; said drive means including a drive portion which is releasably engaged only with the driven portion of the ejector unit disposed in said preselected location.

Claim 4

An apparatus for handling electronic devices, such as lead frames for integrated circuit chips, comprising: indexing turntable means supported for rotation about a substantially vertical axis; a plurality of cassettes mounted on said turntable means in radially spaced relationship from and substantially uniformly angularly spaced around said vertical axis, each cassette defining a vertically extending chamber for permitting a plurality of electronic devices to be supported therein in vertically stacked relationship; driving means coupled to said turntable means for angularly displacing the turntable means in an indexing manner through selected angular increments to sequentially position one of said cassettes at a preselected location; and a transfer mechanism for individually and sequentially removing electronic devices from the cassette as disposed at said preselected location and transferring the removed electronic device radially outwardly of the turntable means to a transfer position disposed radially outwardly thereof; said transfer mechanism including a plurality of ejector units movably mounted on said turntable, one of said ejector units being associated with each of said cassettes, said transfer mechanism also including drive means drivingly coupled to solely the ejector unit disposed in said preselected location for actuating same to cause sequential discharge of the electronic devices from said cassette as disposed in said preselected location; said ejector unit including a pusher member slidably supported on said turntable for reciprocal displacement radially thereof and a driven portion coupled to said pusher member, said pusher member being disposed closely adjacent and radially inwardly from the respective said cassette, said cassette having guide slot means adjacent the lower end thereof for permitting said pusher member to slide radially outwardly relative to said turntable into the lower end of the respective cassette for ejecting the lowermost electronic device sidewardly from the cassette radially outwardly of said turntable into said transfer position; said drive means including a drive portion which is releasably engaged only with the driven portion of the ejector unit disposed in said preselected location.