Tray for component packaging

Abstract

A tray for component packaging that allows components having varying heights to be automatically removed from the tray. The packaging tray allows for all or most removal systems to function regardless of the component height. The packaging tray includes a base tray for holding a component and a removable spacer tray that extends upward from the base tray to cover and protect the component. During automatic removal of the component from the tray, the spacer tray may be removed to reduce and/or minimize the vertical lift travel required to remove the component from the tray. The spacer tray may be left in place during the removal process and is constructed to allow removal of the component. The spacer tray may provide a top surface that is substantially flush with the top of the component and may be left in place during the removal process for removal systems that require that the over sized (height) components be substantially flush with the top surface of the tray during removal from the tray.

1 . A tray for component packaging comprising: 
 a base tray having a base tray height that is less than a height of a component contained within said base tray;    a spacer tray mounted on top of said base tray, said spacer tray having a spacer tray height;    an overall tray height comprising at least a portion of said base tray height and at least a portion of said spacer tray height, wherein said overall height extends flush with or above a top of said component contained with in said tray;    wherein said component may be removed from said tray either with said spacer tray removed from said base tray and/or with said spacer tray in place on said base tray.    
   
   
       2 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein said spacer tray is removable and is removed from said base tray prior to removal of said component from said base tray, wherein said removal of said spacer tray reduces an effective lift travel required to remove said component from said base tray.  
   
   
       3 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein said spacer tray is left in place on said base tray during removal of said component from said base tray, wherein a top surface of said spacer tray is used as a reference for removal of said component from said tray.  
   
   
       4 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein said base tray further comprises: 
 a bottom portion;    a periphery wall extending around and generally upward from said bottom portion;    one or more interior walls extending generally upward from said bottom portion and extending between opposite walls of said periphery wall;    a plurality of base pockets formed by one or more of said periphery wall and/or said one or more interior walls, each of said base pockets comprises a base pocket height;    an open end of each pocket defined by distal ends of one and/or more of said periphery wall and said one or more interior walls;    wherein said spacer tray further comprises:    a top portion;    a periphery wall extending around and generally downward from said top portion;    one or more beams extending between opposite walls of said spacer tray periphery wall;    a plurality of spacer pockets formed by one or more of said spacer tray periphery wall and/or said one or more beams, each of said spacer pocket comprising a spacer pocket height; and    a pocket comprising said base pocket and said spacer pocket, said pocket having an overall pocket height comprising at least a portion of said base pocket height and at least a portion of said spacer pocket height;    wherein said overall pocket height is flush and/or slightly above a top of said component seated in said pocket.    
   
   
       5 . The tray of  claim 4 , wherein said spacer tray further comprises a plurality of openings defined by one or more of said spacer tray periphery wall and/or said beams, wherein said spacer tray openings correspond to and are aligned over said open ends of said based tray pockets, wherein said spacer tray openings are sized to allow removal of said component from said pocket.  
   
   
       6 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein said spacer tray is adapted to be left in place for use with automated component removal systems having adequate vertical lift travel available to clear a top of said spacer tray, wherein one of said components may be lifted from said pocket and removed from said tray through an opening in said spacer tray; and 
 wherein said spacer tray is adapted to be removed from said base tray for use with automated component removal systems having inadequate vertical lift travel available to clear a top of said spacer tray but that do have adequate vertical lift travel available to clear a top of said base tray once said spacer tray has been removed from said base tray, wherein one of said components may be lifted from said base pocket and removed from said base tray.    
   
   
       7 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein said base tray comprises base pockets having standard base pocket sizes and wherein said spacer tray comprises spacer pockets having varying spacer pocket sizes, wherein said varying spacer pocket sizes provide for storage of different height components within said tray and allows said tray to be used with automated pick and place systems having varying vertical lift travel.  
   
   
       8 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein multiple trays may be stacked one on top on another, wherein a bottom portion of said base tray of a vertically upward successive tray stacked on top of a spacer tray of a vertically downward successive tray covers over openings in a top portion of said spacer tray upon which said vertically upward successive base tray is stacked.  
   
   
       9 . The tray of  claim 8 , wherein said trays further comprise an engagement mechanism disposed between adjacent trays for holding said trays with respect to one another in both a vertical and horizontal direction.  
   
   
       10 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein said tray further comprises a component orientation feature in said base pocket, wherein said orientation feature of said base pocket are aligned with corresponding orientation feature on said component to be stored in said pocket to ensure proper orientation of one of said components within each of said pockets.  
   
   
       11 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein said base tray further comprises: 
 a recess in a bottom portion of said base pocket; and    a shelf formed around a perimeter of said recess;    wherein terminal ends extending from a housing of said component may extend into said recess and said component housing may engage said shelve.    
   
   
       12 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein said tray further comprises: 
 component positioning features located in corner areas of each of said pockets;    wherein said component positioning features provide point contact of said component within said pocket for improved positioning of one of said components within each of said pockets.    
   
   
       13 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein said tray further comprises an engagement mechanism disposed between said base tray and said spacer tray for holding said spacer tray and said base tray with respect to one another in both a vertical and horizontal direction, wherein said engagement mechanism further comprises: 
 a base tray shelf formed on an upper, outer portion of said base tray peripheral wall, said base tray shelf comprising a vertical portion and a horizontal portion; and    a spacer tray shelf formed on a lower, inner portion of said spacer tray peripheral wall, said spacer tray shelf comprising a corresponding vertical portion and horizontal portion that contacts and engages said base tray vertical and horizontal portions.    
   
   
       14 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein said component further comprises a surface mount technology component designed to be applied to a mounting surface.  
   
   
       15 . A multiple part packaging tray comprising: 
 a base tray having a plurality of pockets, wherein each pocket is adapted to receive and for hold a component;    a spacer tray mounted on top of said base tray, wherein a top of said spacer tray is substantially flush with a top of said component, wherein said spacer tray covers and protects said components when said spacer tray is mounted on said base tray;    wherein spacer tray is adapted to be either:    removed from said base tray during removal of said components from said multiple part packaging tray, wherein removal of said spacer tray accommodates varying lift travel available for removing components having different heights out of said multiple part packaging tray, wherein removal of said spacer tray reduces an effective lift travel required to remove said components from said base tray; or    left in place on said base tray during removal of said components from said multiple part packaging tray, wherein said spacer tray accommodates location of said components by reference to said spacer tray.    
   
   
       16 . The multiple part packaging tray of  claim 15 , wherein said base tray height is minimized with respect to a height of said components to reduce vertical lift travel required to lift and remove said components from said base tray.  
   
   
       17 . The multiple part packaging tray of  claim 15 , wherein 
 said base tray further comprises: 
 a standard height of a base pocket that is less than a height of said component;  
 a recess in a bottom of each base pocket, wherein each recess provides a clearance between a bottom portion of said component and said bottom of said recess;  
   said spacer tray further comprises: 
 a height of said spacer tray that varies based on a height of said components packaged in said tray;  
 wherein said spacer tray height is sufficient to ensure that a top surface of said spacer tray is slightly above a top of said components in said pockets.  
   
   
   
       18 . The multiple part packaging tray of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of pockets in said tray, wherein each pocket holds one component;    a plurality of openings in a top portion of said spacer tray, wherein said openings correspond and are aligned above said pockets;    wherein components may be removed through said openings in said spacer tray while said spacer tray is mounted on said base tray.    
   
   
       19 . The multiple part packaging tray of  claim 18 , further comprising a plurality of multiple part packaging trays staked one on top of another, wherein each vertically successive base tray covers said openings in an adjacent spacer tray upon which said base tray is stacked.  
   
   
       20 . A method of packaging a surface mount component designed to be applied to a mounting surface, said method comprising: 
 providing a base tray having a plurality of base pockets for receiving a component, wherein said base tray pockets comprise a base pocket height that is less than a height of said components to be stored in said base pockets;    mounting a spacer tray on top of said base tray to cover said components, wherein said spacer tray comprises a top surface that is flush with or slightly above a top of said components;    providing openings in said top surface of said spacer tray, wherein said openings are sized to allow removal of said components from said pockets;    wherein said method of packaging addresses multiple pick and place equipment needs by:    removing said spacer tray prior to placement of said packaging tray in said pick and place equipment, wherein removing of said spacer tray reduces an effective vertical lift travel required to remove said component from said base tray; and/or    leaving said spacer tray in place on said base tray during placement of said packaging tray in said pick and place equipment, wherein leaving said spacer tray in place provides a reference point for said pick and place equipment to located said components to be removed.