Tray Engine and Methods for Transferring Trays to and From Tools and in Sorters

Abstract

A tray engine includes a vertical drive column, a rotation mechanism for rotating the vertical drive column, and an end effector attached to the vertical drive column. The end effector includes an end effector base attached to the vertical drive column. The end effector further includes a slide attached to the end effector base to support a tray, when present. The slide enables the tray to slide along a length of the end effector base. The tray engine includes a drive mechanism attached to the end effector base for moving along the length of the end effector base to enable the tray, when present, to slide linearly along the length and load or unload the tray to or from the slide.

1 . A sorter for transferring trays, comprising:
 a first side configured to load or unload a tray, when present, from a first location;   a second side configured to load or unload the tray, when present, from a second location; and   an end effector configured to tray the tray, when present, between the first side and the second side, the second side and the first side located on opposite sides of the end effector, wherein the end effector includes:
 an end effector base; and 
 a slide attached to the end effector base; 
 a linear drive mechanism coupled to the end effector base; and 
 a grip assembly attached to the linear drive mechanism, the linear drive mechanism having a driving plate that is configured to move linearly along the slide to move the grip assembly in a linear direction, wherein the grip assembly is configured to move in the linear direction to load or unload the tray, when present, at the first side or at the second side. 
   
     
     
         2 . The sorter of  claim 1 , wherein the first side is a load port side and the second side is an indexer side. 
     
     
         3 . The sorter of  claim 1 , wherein the sorter is an equipment front end module (EFEM). 
     
     
         4 . The sorter of  claim 1 , wherein the grip assembly includes:
 a grip base attached to the driving plate;   a grip connector coupled to the grip base, wherein the grip connector includes a plurality of rails;   a plurality of grip clamps coupled to the plurality of rails of the grip connector, wherein the tray includes a grip attachment,   wherein the plurality of grip clamps are configured to slide with respect to the plurality of rails to grip the grip attachment of the tray, when present.   
     
     
         5 . The sorter of  claim 1 , wherein the grip assembly includes:
 a grip base;   a grip connector coupled to the grip base;   a plurality of grip clamps coupled to the grip connector, wherein the plurality of grip clamps include a first grip clamp and a second grip clamp, wherein the tray includes a plurality of grip attachments, wherein the plurality of grip attachments include a first grip attachment and a second grip attachment,   wherein the first grip clamp is configured to slide with respect to the grip connector to grip the first grip attachment of the tray, when present, and the second grip clamp is configured to slide with respect to the grip connector to grip the second grip attachment of the tray, when present.   
     
     
         6 . The sorter of  claim 1 , wherein the grip assembly includes:
 a grip base attached to the driving plate;   a grip connector coupled to the grip base;   a plurality of grip clamps coupled to the grip connector, wherein the tray includes a grip attachment, wherein the plurality of grip clamps include a first grip clamp and a second grip clamp, wherein the tray includes a plurality of grip attachments, wherein the plurality of grip attachments include a first grip attachment and a second grip attachment,   wherein the first grip clamp is configured to pivot with respect to the grip connector to grip the first grip attachment of the tray, when present, and the second grip clamp is configured to pivot with respect to the grip connector to grip the second grip attachment of the tray, when present.   
     
     
         7 . The sorter of  claim 1 , wherein the grip assembly includes:
 a grip body attached to the driving plate;   a grip mechanism attached to the grip body, wherein the grip mechanism includes a plurality of arms;   wherein the plurality of arms are configured to extend into and retract from a plurality of through holes of the tray, when present.   
     
     
         8 . The sorter of  claim 7 , wherein the grip assembly includes:
 a grip cover configured to cover the grip body;   a block connector coupled to the driving plate;   a piston mechanism attached to the block connector;   a slider coupled to the piston mechanism;   a plurality of slide blocks located adjacent to the slider, wherein the plurality of slide blocks include a first slide block and a second slide block, wherein the plurality of arms include a first arm and a second arm, wherein the first arm extends from the first slide block and the second arm extends from the second slide block,   wherein the first arm includes a first extension and the second arm includes a second extension.   
     
     
         9 . The sorter of  claim 8 , wherein the piston mechanism includes a piston that is coupled to the slider, wherein the slider includes a plurality of translation mechanisms and a plurality of through holes, wherein the plurality of translation mechanisms include a first translation mechanism and a second translation mechanism, wherein the plurality of through holes of the slider include a first through hole and a second through hole, wherein the plurality of through holes of the tray include a first through hole and a second through hole,
 wherein the piston extends to extend the slider in the linear direction, wherein the first translation mechanism is configured to slide with respect to the first through hole of the slider to extend the first arm from the first slide block, wherein the second translation mechanism is configured to slide with respect to the second through hole of the slider to extend the second arm from the second slide block, wherein the first arm is configured to extend from the first slide block to extend the first extension into the first through hole of the tray, when present, wherein the second arm is configured to extend from the second slide block to extend the second extension into the second through hole of the tray, when present.   
     
     
         10 . The sorter of  claim 1 , further including a second slide, the second slide located above or below the slide, wherein the slide has a bottom surface for supporting the tray when present, a side surface for guiding movement of the tray when present, and a top surface for facilitating retention of the tray when present. 
     
     
         11 . The sorter of  claim 1 , wherein the slide includes two arms facing each other, the grip assembly moving in the linear direction to slide the tray, when present, between the arms of the slide to load or unload the tray, wherein each of the arms includes an edge that is tapered to facilitate a reception of the tray. 
     
     
         12 . The sorter of  claim 1 , wherein the slide includes a plurality of arms, wherein the driving plate is attached to the grip assembly, wherein the driving plate is configured to move in the linear direction to enable the tray, when present, to move linearly between the plurality of arms of the slide to facilitate a transfer of the tray between the first location and the sorter or between the second location and the sorter. 
     
     
         13 . The sorter of  claim 1 , wherein the first location is within a cassette, wherein the second location is within an indexer, wherein the first side includes a wall of the sorter and a shelf of the sorter, wherein the second side includes a wall of the sorter and a shelf of the sorter, wherein the shelf at the first side is configured to support the cassette and the shelf at the second side is configured to support the indexer. 
     
     
         14 . The sorter of  claim 1 , wherein the first location is within a cassette, the sorter further comprising:
 a door at the first side;   a sensor attached to the door to sense presence or absence of the tray, when present, within the cassette, the sensor for sensing the presence or absence with movement of the door upward or downward; and   a camera attached to the door to capture an image of information on the tray, when present, within the cassette, the camera for capturing the image with the movement of the door upward or downward.   
     
     
         15 . The sorter of  claim 1 , wherein the second location is within an indexer, wherein the indexer is attached to a reader, wherein the reader is configured to read information identifying the tray when present within the indexer or the tray when present within the sorter. 
     
     
         16 . An end effector comprising:
 a vertical drive column;   a driving plate coupled to the vertical drive column; and   a grip assembly coupled to the driving plate, wherein the grip assembly includes:
 a grip body attached to the driving plate; 
 a grip mechanism attached to the grip body, wherein the grip mechanism includes a plurality of arms, wherein the plurality of arms are configured to extend into and retract from a plurality of through holes of a tray. 
   
     
     
         17 . The end effector of  claim 16 , wherein the grip assembly includes:
 a grip cover configured to cover the grip body;   a block connector coupled to the driving plate;   a piston mechanism attached to the block connector;   a slider that is coupled to the piston mechanism;   a plurality of slide blocks located adjacent to the slider, wherein the plurality of slide blocks include a first slide block and a second slide block, wherein the plurality of arms include a first arm and a second arm, wherein the first arm extends from the first slide block and the second arm extends from the second slide block,   wherein the first arm includes a first extension and the second arm includes a second extension.   
     
     
         18 . The end effector of  claim 17 , wherein the piston mechanism includes a piston that is coupled to the slider, wherein the slider includes a plurality of translation mechanisms and a plurality of through holes, wherein the plurality of translation mechanisms include a first translation mechanism and a second translation mechanism, wherein the plurality of through holes of the slider include a first through hole and a second through hole, wherein the first arm includes a first extension and the second arm includes a second extension, wherein the tray includes a first through hole and a second through hole,
 wherein the piston extends to extend the slider, wherein the first translation mechanism is configured to slide with respect to the first through hole of the slider to extend the first arm from the first slide block, wherein the second translation mechanism is configured to slide with respect to the second through hole of the slider to extend the second arm from the second slide block, wherein the first arm is configured to extend from the first slide block to extend the first extension into the first through hole of the tray, when present, wherein the second arm is configured to extend from the second slide block to extend the second extension into the second through hole of the tray, when present.   
     
     
         19 . A grip assembly comprising:
 a grip body;   a piston coupled to the grip body;   a slide tab coupled to the piston,   wherein the grip body has a top surface in which a slot is formed, wherein the slot is configured to receive an edge of a tray, when present;   wherein the piston is configured to extend over the top surface of the grip body to extend over the tray, when present, wherein the piston is configured to extend over the tray, when present, to further grip the edge of the tray within the slot.   
     
     
         20 . The grip assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the grip body has a first extended portion and a second extended portion, wherein the slot is located between the first and second extended portions, wherein the second extended portion of the grip body is configured to receive a slot within a bottom surface of the tray, when present, to enable the gripping of the edge of the tray, when present.