MEMBERS

[002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[003] The present invention relates to an automated magazine system supporting a plurality of carrier members, each containing desired components for automated assembly, in which the magazine system can dispense the supporting carrier members to the assembly area in any desired sequence, or to facilitate automated inspection and/or loading of desired components in the carrier members.

[004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[005] There currently exist a variety of systems for the automated assembly of components into products or sub-assemblies of products ranging from the assembly of, for example, ships and automobiles to consumer products and electronic devices, such as computers. While such systems have a long developmental history, the general trend has been toward more efficient, compact and flexible systems occupying less space and being capable of nearly continuous processing. For example, and focusing primarily on production line type systems for the assembly of moderate size and weight components into a desired product, such as an electronic device or a computer, such automated assembly systems generally include one or more component handling devices and one or more component storage arrays, wherein each storage array typically includes one or more racks or stacks of "carrier members" containing the desired components to be assembled.

[006] As is well known in the field of automated assembly systems, each such carrier member is generally a tray of defined dimensions having one or more cavities, depressed areas, pockets, etc., for each holding or accommodating a desired component in a predetermined location and orientation within the carrier member. Conventional racks or stacks generally retain the carrier members at known locations and orientations within the storage area or areas so that the handling devices can thereby readily locate, acquire and handle the components as necessary during the automated assembly process. In general, the shapes and dimensions of the cavities, depressed areas, pockets, etc., of the carrier members can either be uniform, for each accommodating a plurality of the same components, or variable in shape, size and/or depth thereby to allow accommodation of as wide a range of components as possible. As is conventional in this industry, the length and the width dimensions of each of the carrier members, as well as the thickness of the carrier members are fixed according to industry standards, such as the Joint Electron Devices Engineering Council (JEDEC) standards, to thereby provide compatibility and interchangeability of the carrier members with various systems.

[007] In the earlier automated assembly systems, the component storage facilities, that is, the storage areas, tray racks and carrier members, generally resulted in an inefficient use of the system floor space, limited the speed and efficiency of the systems and also required large, complex handling devices. That is, and for example, the storage space was essentially limited to single layer storage area because the handling devices had to access all regions of the storage areas, thus requiring a large amount of floor space for each storage area. As a consequence, the associated handling devices were correspondingly large, and thus complex and expensive, and more time was required to locate, traverse to and acquire each component to be assembled, thereby slowing the production speed of such automated assembly systems. In addition, such systems were essentially limited to batch processing of the components because the assembly process had to be periodically stopped in order to restock the storage facilities, and such restocking could occur at relative short time intervals.

[008] The problems presented by component storage in the earlier automated systems where address in an early stage of development of the automated feed system, an example of which is illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 5,971,698 entitled AUTOMATED CONVEYING APPARATUS FOR WAFFLE PACK CARRIER MEMBER, hereafter referred to as the '"698 system", which is assigned to and is owned by the same owner as the present application.

[009] According to the 698 system, the carrier members are stored in the conveying apparatus as a single stack in a supply bin and a pusher element successively separates the lowermost carrier member (e.g., waffle pack) in the stack from the bottom of the stack and conveys the selected carrier member onto a conveyer mechanism. The conveyer mechanism then transports the selected carrier member to a retrieval area where a conventional handling apparatus removes the components from the selected carrier member in the desired order. The carrier member, when desired or once completely emptied, is returned by the conveyer apparatus to a lower part of the supply bin, where each returned carrier member is accumulated in a stack, generally until the original supply of the carrier members in the upper part of the supply bin, containing the components to be assembled, are retrieved and collected. At such point in time, the supply bin mechanism then conveys the stack of emptied and accumulated carrier members upwards so that they may be retrieved and removed and a new stack of carrier members, containing a fresh supply of the components to be assembled, can be inserted into the supply bin for assembly.

[010] The ^' 698 system generally requires significantly less floor space, for component storage, because the carrier members are stacked vertically one above the other rather than arranged horizontally in close proximity to one another. The component handling devices can also be significantly smaller, less complex and expensive because the handling device is normally required to acquire components only over a retrieval area no larger than the width and the length dimensions of the carrier member, thereby also increasing the rate at which components can be precisely located and retrieved by automated retrieval equipment. In addition, because all of the carrier members are loaded into and unloaded from the apparatus as a single stack, rather then as individual carrier members, the system can be replenished much more rapidly, thereby significantly reducing the batch reloading cycle time of the automated assembly system.

[011] Another carrier member handling system is described in U.S. Patent No.

6,283,703 entitled an AUTOMATED CONVEYING APPARATUS FOR JEDEC CARRIER MEMBERS, hereafter referred to as the " ^" 703 system", which is assigned to and owned by the same owner as the present application. The ^" 703 system is specifically designed to handle JEDEC carrier members, which are a later development of the waffle pack trays of the ^" 698 system. The ^" 703 system has vertically aligned upper and lower carrier member bins and either one of the bins may be selected to serve as the storage bin for storing JEDEC carrier members, stocked with the components to be assembled, and subsequent feeding of the stored JEDEC carrier members to the handling system, with the other bin being used as a collection bin for receiving and collecting the JEDEC carrier members which have had their components retrieved by the handling system. The "703 system includes an input feed mechanism for separating a stacked carrier member, from either the top or the bottom of the stack of carrier members in the supply bin, and for transferring the extracted stacked carrier member onto a conveyer mechanism for transport to the component handling mechanism. Once the desired components are retrieved from the extracted and conveyed carrier member, the conveyer system then returns that carrier member to a re-insertion mechanism, which returns the carrier member to either the bottom or the top of the collected carrier members in the collection bin, depending upon which of the upper and lower bins has been respectively selected as the storage bin and as the collection bin.

[012] It has been found, however, that there still remain certain problems with such automated assembly systems, including both the 698 system and the ^' 703 system. For example, while the shapes and the dimensions of the carrier members are standardized, the horizontal shapes and the dimensions of the component cavities, depressed areas, pockets, etc., need to vary so as to accommodate a wide array of components to be assembled, e.g., smaller, larger, taller, shorter, thicker, thinner, etc. The vertical dimensions of a carrier member loaded with components and thus the vertical dimensions of the components therein, however, are generally constrained by the pusher mechanism which, in turn, significantly limits the flexibility of the system with respect to components of different heights and/or thicknesses.

[013] That is, and as described above, the carrier members are typically loaded into the system as a stack with each carrier member being in direct contact with the next lower carrier member and supporting at least the next higher carrier member and the carrier members are sequentially withdrawn from the stack, one at a time, by a pusher mechanism that successively extracts either the lowermost or the upper most carrier member from the stack for transfer to the component access area for unloading of the component(s) loaded on the carrier member. For example, the extraction of the successive lowermost carrier member from the stack still requires, however, that the pusher mechanism identify the boundary or interface between the top of the current lowermost carrier member and, the bottom of the next higher carrier member in the stack, in order to separate the lowermost carrier member from a remainder of the stack so that the pusher mechanism can then only push the lowermost carrier member from the stack onto the conveyer mechanism. This, in turn, requires that the bottom of the lowermost carrier member to occupy a predetermined, fixed position relative to the push mechanism and conveyer mechanism and that the boundary or interface, between the top of the lowermost carrier member and the bottom of the next lowermost carrier member, be of a predetermined uniform distance above the bottom of the lowermost carrier member. This limitation, in turn, requires that the carrier members in each stack be of equal height, thereby strictly constraining the. type and the height of the components that can be accommodated within the carrier members comprising each stack, thereby significantly limiting the flexibility of the system and the ability of the system to accommodate a variety of different types, shapes and/or sizes of components.

[014] It must also be noted that because the pusher mechanism extracts only the currently lowermost carrier member from a stack, the sequence of access to the carrier members is fixed and must occur in the sequential manner in which the carrier members are stacked. This limitation, in turn, requires that either all the carrier members in a stack be loaded with identical components or that the carrier members be arranged in the stack in a predetermined sequential order, thereby further limiting the flexibility, compatibility and adaptability of such prior art systems.

[015] The present invention, on the other hand, provides a solution to these and other related problems of the prior art, including both the ^' 698 system and the 03 system.

[016] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[017] The present invention is directed to a carrier member system and a carrier member magazine for use therein which improves the handling capability of the components to be assembled.

[018] The carrier member system includes a magazine chamber having a plurality of carrier rails or slots for receiving carrier members for each temporarily storing components, a magazine positioning mechanism for vertically positioning a selected carrier slot relative to an extraction/reinsertion mechanism, a reinsertion mechanism for reinserting a carrier member into a selected carrier slot of the magazine, and a conveyer mechanism for transferring a selected carrier member between the extraction mechanism, a component access/loading area and the reinsertion mechanism. The carrier member magazine has a plurality of carrier slots each for receiving a carrier member wherein the carrier slots are vertically spaced one above or below the other, generally at equal distances from one another within the magazine, and the carrier members are stored in the carrier slots according to the component size, e.g., generally the vertical height of the component(s), accommodated within each of the carrier members.

[019] Each magazine further includes a plurality of slot indicators. Each slot indicator corresponds to and is located adjacent to an end of a carrier slot for indicating a location of a corresponding carrier slot of the magazine and also indicating the presence or the absence of a carrier member being accommodated within that corresponding carrier slot. The carrier system may further include a slot indicator sensor for detecting a carrier slot indicator and the presence or the absence of a carrier member within that corresponding carrier slot, wherein the magazine positioning mechanism is responsive to the slot indicator sensor for vertically positioning the selected carrier slot relative to the extraction/reinsertion mechanism.

[020] Each magazine may further include a carrier home indicator which is typically located adjacent an end of at least one carrier slot, opposite the insertion/withdrawal end of the magazine, through which carrier members are extracted from and inserted into the magazine, and indicating one of the presence and the absence of a carrier member at the end of at least one carrier slot adjacent the carrier home indicator. The carrier member system may further include a carrier home sensor for detecting a presence or an absence of a carrier member at the end of at least one carrier slot, adjacent the carrier home indicator, and indicating whether a carrier member is correctly seated or installed within the associated carrier slot adjacent the carrier home sensor.

[021] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[022] The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[023] Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a carrier member system;

[024] Fig. 2A is a diagrammatic isometric view of a carrier member magazine, according to the present invention;

[025] Fig. 2B is an end view of a carrier member magazine according to the present invention;

[026] Fig. 2C is a view of a portion of a carrier member, according to the present invention, illustrating one embodiment of the carrier slots and the slot indicators;

[027] Fig.3 is a diagrammatic exploded perspective view of the conveyer mechanism and a component access area, according to the present invention;

[028] Fig. 3A is a diagrammatic exploded view of area A of Fig. 3 showing the roller of the locking mechanism in a disengaged position spaced from the carrier member;

[029] Fig. 3B is a diagrammatic exploded view of area A of Fig. 3 showing the roller of the locking mechanism in a partially engaged position with the carrier member;

[030] Fig. 3C is a diagrammatic exploded view of area A of Fig. 3 showing the roller of the locking mechanism in a fully engaged position with the carrier member; [031] Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the conveyer mechanism and component access area, according to the present invention; and

[032] Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a carrier extraction mechanism. [033] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[034] Referring to Figs. 1 , 2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B and 5 of the drawings, the carrier member system 10, according to the present invention as well as certain component elements thereof, are diagrammatically shown therein. As will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the relevant arts, the carrier member system 10 may be used to implement a variety of assembly processes, such as the assembly of components into products, product sub-assemblies or packaging or, for example, sorting and loading of components into further carrier members 16 for subsequent use in further carrier member systems 10, or for inspection of components and separating acceptable components for rejected components. As is also well known in the field of automated assembly systems, a carrier member 16 is generally a standardized tray suitable for holding components for an automated assembly system and typically has exterior dimensions, namely, length, height and width dimensions conforming to industry standards, such as those dictated by the Joint Electron Devices Engineering Council (JEDEC) standards.

[035] Each carrier member 16 typically has one or more cavities, depressed areas, pockets, etc., therein with each individual cavity, depressed area, pocket, etc., capable of holding or accommodating a desired component in a predetermined location and orientation within each one of the cavities, the depressed areas, the pockets of the carrier member 16, thereby allowing a conventional handling device(s) to locate, acquire, retrieve, handle, insert and/or place the components, as necessary, to facilitate the desired sorting process, inspection process or assembly process. Each carrier member 16 has at least one cavity, depressed area or pocket therein (see Fig. 2B)— typically each carrier member 16 has a plurality of separate and spaced apart cavities, depressed areas, pockets, etc., therein which are each suitable for accommodating a wide a range of components in a desired component orientation. That is, the overall height, width and/or depth of each cavity, depressed area or pocket can vary, from carrier member to carrier member, so as to permit each carrier member 16 to carry the desired components for automated sorting, inspection and/or assembly, thereby providing improved compatibility and interchangeability between systems. Moreover, a single carrier member 16 may have different size cavities, depressed areas, pockets, etc., and/or may carry, in the same carrier member 16, two or more different components to be sorted, inspect and/or assembled. It is to be appreciated that each individual cavity, depressed area or pocket, which accommodates a desired component, typically has a cavity, depressed area or pocket depth which is normally greater then that of the desired component to be accommodated so that the desired component is preferably at least slightly recessed within the cavity, depressed area or pocket. Accordingly, when accommodating components which have greater lengths, widths or heights, a thicker carrier member 16, a carrier member having sufficiently deep cavities, depressed areas, pockets, etc., is utilized for accommodating such components.

[036] As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2A, 2B and 2C, the carrier member system 10 of the present invention includes a magazine chamber 12, generally defined by two pairs of opposed walls, for receiving a carrier member magazine 14 and each carrier member magazine 14 includes a magazine casing 14C having a plurality of pairs of parallel spaced apart carrier member rails 14R vertically arranged within the magazine casing 14C, each sized for receiving and temporarily supporting and storing a desired carrier member 16. As illustrated in Figs. 2A, 2B and 2C, the carrier member rails 14R comprise, for example, a plurality of mating pairs of spaced apart horizontal rails supported by or formed integral with the inwardly facing walls of the carrier member magazine 14 or possibly horizontally extending pairs of ledges, ridges or slots which form opposed shelves for each supporting a desired carrier member 16 within the carrier member magazine 14 at a desired vertical position.

[037] According to one embodiment of the carrier member magazine 14, each of the pair of carrier member rails 14R are equally spaced from one another so that components 8 of different heights can be readily accommodated in the magazine 14 generally according to the height of the component(s) 18 accommodated within the respective cavities, depressed areas, pockets, etc., of the carrier member 16, hereafter referred to as the "maximum carrier/component height" 16H, by storing the carrier members 16 on the carrier member rails 14R according to the carrier/component height 16H of each carrier member 16, i.e., the maximum carrier/component height is equal to a combined vertical height of the carrier member 16 plus a height of a vertically tallest component 18 extending vertically from the associated cavity of the carrier member 16, if any. For example, if the carrier member rails 14R, of a given magazine 4, are vertically spaced at one inch intervals, any carrier member 16 having a carrier/component height 16H of slightly less than one inch or less can be readily inserted and temporarily stored within any desired carrier slot 14S of the magazine 14. Alternatively, if the carrier members 16 had a carrier/component height 16H of greater than one inch but slightly less than two inches, such carrier member 16 can be readily stored in every other carrier member slot 14S so as to occupy the space of two pairs of vertically adjacent carrier member rails 14R, etc.

According to the present invention, the carrier/component heights 16H of the carrier members 16, which are stored within any given magazine 14, need not be uniform but may vary according to the height of the respective components contained or carried by the respective carrier member 16, with the carrier members 16 being inserted into the carrier member rails 14R according to the carrier/component height 16H of each carrier member 16. For example, a magazine 14 may contain two carrier members 16 having a carrier/component height 16H of slightly less than one inch, two carrier members 16 having a carrier/component height 16H of slightly less than two inches, one carrier member 16 having a carrier/component height 16H of slightly less than three inches and one carrier member 16 having a carrier/component height 16H of slightly less than four inches. The carrier members 16 may be stored in the magazine 14, for example, by inserting the first and the second one inch carrier members 16 respectively in the first and the second vertically lowermost pairs of carrier member rails 14R (i.e., the first and second carrier members 16 would occupy the first and second carrier member slots 14S), inserting the first two inch carrier member 16 so as to be supported by the next available pair of carrier member rails 14R (i.e., the first two inch carrier member 16 would occupy the third carrier member slot 14S as well as occupy the fourth carrier slot 14S), inserting the second two inch carrier member 16 so as to be supported by the next available pair of carrier member rails 14R (i.e., the second two inch carrier member 16 would occupy the fifth carrier member slot 14S as well as also occupying the sixth carrier member slot 14S), inserting the three inch carrier member 16 so as to be supported by the next available pair of carrier member rails 14R (i.e., the three inch carrier member 16 would occupy the seventh carrier member slot 14S as well as also occupying the eighth and ninth carrier member slots 14S), and inserting the four inch carrier member 16 so as to be supported by the next available pair of carrier member rails 14R (i.e., the four inch carrier member 16 would occupy the tenth carrier member slot 14S as well as also occupying the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth carrier member slots 14S), etc.

[039] It must be noted, however, that according to a present embodiment of the invention, each carrier members 16 may be placed in the magazine 14 in any desired order or carrier member slot 14S, independent of the carrier/component height 16H of the individual carrier members 16, by appropriate selection of the desired pair of carrier member rails 14R, i.e., the appropriate carrier member slot 14S, for each successive carrier members 16. In addition, the carrier members 16 may also be dispensed from the magazine 14 in any desired order simply by suitable vertical adjustment of the vertical position of the magazine 14 with respect to a dispensing and reinsertion mechanism, as discussed in further detail below.

[040] The magazine 14 is generally open along at least the front end to facilitate insertion and removal of the carrier members 16 and further includes a mechanism for precisely indicating the location of each carrier member slot 14S, which comprise a pair of carrier member rails 14R, and the presence or the absence of any carrier member 16 being accommodated therein. This mechanism thereby allows the magazine 14, and in particular the carrier member rails 14R and the carrier members 16 supported thereon, to be accurately and precisely aligned with the carrier member handling elements of the carrier member system 10 of the present invention to facilitate removal and conveyance of the carrier member 16 to and from the component handling elements, as will be discussed in further detail below.

[041] According to one embodiment of the magazine 14, the magazine 14 includes carrier slot indicators 14Ο (see Fig. 2A) and each carrier slot indicator 14Ο comprises an opening extending through the sidewall of the magazine 14, generally at the level of each carrier member slot 14S-which is typically located between an adjacent pair of vertically arranged rails 14R-and located vertically along a front edge of the magazine 14. As discussed below, a sensor of the carrier member system 10, such as an optical slot sensor 24S, is carried by an inwardly facing surface of the magazine chamber 12 and located to detect the presence or the absence of any carrier slot indicator opening 14Ο, thereby identifying the locations of each of the carrier member slots 14S of the magazine 14. According to one embodiment of the invention, a trigger edge 14T of each one of the carrier slot indicators 14Ο is aligned with and indicates the precise location of the corresponding carrier member slot 14S so as to provide a more precise alignment of a carrier member slot 14S, as well as the carrier member 16 accommodated therein, with respect to the carrier member handling mechanism of the carrier member system 10. The same or a different sensor can also operate through the carrier slot indicator opening 140 of each carrier member slot 14S to determine whether or not a carrier member 16 is presently contained within the corresponding carrier member slot 14S.

[042] Lastly, each magazine 14 further includes a carrier home indicator 14H which, according to an embodiment of the magazine 14 indicated in Fig. 2A, is an elongate opening which extends along an entire vertical length of a rear edge of the magazine 14, adjacent a second rear end 14B of the magazine 14, which is opposite to the insertion/withdrawal first open end 14A of the magazine 14 through which carrier members 16 are withdrawn from and reinserted into the magazine 14. The second rear end 14B of the magazine 14 is generally closed so as to prevent any insertion/withdrawal via that end. As in the case of carrier slot indicators 14Ο discussed above, the carrier home indicator 14H of each magazine 14 comprises an opening through the side wall of the magazine 14 that allows a sensor, carried by an inwardly facing surface of the magazine chamber 12 such as an optical sensor of the carrier member system 10 magazine handling mechanism, to detect either the presence or the absence of a corresponding end of the carrier member 16 stored within that corresponding carrier member slot 14S, thereby indicating whether or not the corresponding carrier member 16 has been correctly and fully reinserted back into the magazine 14, following removal of the carrier member 16, so that the magazine 14 can thereafter be safely moved vertically upward or downward by a system controller 26.

[043] According to the present embodiment of the carrier member system 10 as illustrated in Fig. 1 , the respective carrier member magazine 14 is normally inserted into and removed from the magazine chamber 12 via a magazine port 12P normally provided in the top portion of the magazine chamber 12. It is to be appreciated that the magazine 14 may also possibly be loaded into the magazine chamber 12 via a rear wall thereof, at a level below a carrier extraction mechanism 20 and a conveyer mechanism 22.

[044] The vertical location of a carrier member magazine 14, within the magazine chamber 12, is controlled by a magazine positioning mechanism 12V, e.g., a pair of opposed elevator rails 12R which are movable along the inwardly facing surfaces of the magazine chamber 12, for raising and lowering the magazine 14 within magazine chamber 12, to vertically position the carrier member magazine 14 at a desired height with respect to the carrier extraction mechanism 20 and thus align any desired pair of the carrier member rails 14R, of the carrier member magazine 14, with respect to both the carrier extraction mechanism 20 and the conveyer mechanism 22.

[045] As discussed above, the carrier member system 10 includes a magazine slot sensor 24S, which is typically located within or adjacent to the magazine chamber 12 for sensing the carrier slot indicators 140 of the magazine 14 and determine which carrier member slot indicator 14Ο is currently aligned with the carrier extraction mechanism 20 and the conveyer mechanism 22, whether or not there is a carrier member 16 contained within the respective carrier member slot 14S currently aligned with the carrier extraction mechanism 20 and the conveyer mechanism 22, and whether the desired carrier member slot 14S of the magazine 14 is properly and completely aligned with both the carrier extraction mechanism 20 and the conveyer mechanism 22. Although not indicated in detail in Fig. 1 , the magazine slot sensor 24S provides at least one output(s) to the system controller 26 and the carrier handler actuator 26H which, in turn, provides at least one control output(s) to the carrier extraction mechanism 20 and the conveyer mechanism 22 for controlling extraction of the aligned carrier member 16 from the magazine 14 as well as subsequent reinsertion of a full, a partially empty or a completely empty carrier member 16 back into a desired carrier member slot 14S of the magazine 14.

[046] The extraction mechanism 20, indicated generally in Fig. 1 and shown in further detail in Fig. 5, includes a pusher element 20P which pivots, via actuation of an associated hydraulic cylinder (not labeled), relative to a remainder of the extraction mechanism 20 for engaging with a rear surface of the respective carrier member 16, located in a selected carrier member slot 14S of the carrier member magazine 14 that is properly aligned with the extraction mechanism 20 and the conveyer mechanism 22, to push or transfer the aligned and selected carrier member 16 from the corresponding selected carrier member slot 14S onto a conveyer belt 22B of the conveyer mechanism 22 (see Fig. 3A). The extraction mechanism 20 is located adjacent the rear surface of the magazine chamber 12. The conveyer belt 22B then conveys the selected carrier member 16 to a component access area 22A, located adjacent a remote end of the conveyer mechanism 22, where the selected carrier member 16 is temporarily located while a conventional component handling mechanism, generally indicated as element 28H in Fig. 1 , can select and remove one or more of the components 18 from the cavities, depressed areas, pockets, etc., of the conveyed carrier member 16 during the automated assembly process, while the conveyed carrier member 16 is temporarily located within the component access area 22A. Alternatively, the component handling mechanism 28H can undertake a desired sorting and/or inspection process and return any desired components back to the appropriate cavity, recess or pocket of the conveyed carrier member 16 which is temporarily located within the component access area 22A.

[047] The carrier member system 10 is provided with a reference feature or point in order to ensure accurate placement or retrieval of the components from the desired cavities, depressed areas or pockets of the conveyed carrier member 16 temporarily located within the component access area 22A. The reference feature or point is typically a front leading corner of the conveyed carrier member 16 engaging with a mating corner of the component access area 22A. That is, the component access area 22A is also typically provided with a home sensor 22S which reliably indicates that the conveyed carrier member 16 fully and completely engages with the mating corner of the component access area 22A. A locking mechanism 22L is provided to facilitate retaining engagement between the front leading corner of the conveyed carrier member 16 and the mating corner of the component access area 22A. The locking mechanism 22L typically comprises a pneumatic controlled roller 22R which engages with the lateral side surface of the conveyed carrier member 16 (see Figs. 3A, 3B and 3C) and, as this roller 22R rolls along an inclined surface 22I of the guide rail from an disengaged end position (see Fig. 3A) , the roller 22R rotates in a clockwise rotational direction which has a tendency to bias the conveyed carrier member 16 both firmly against the stop wall 22S of the conveyer mechanism 22 as well as bias the conveyed carrier member 16 firmly against the opposed guide rail 22G of the conveyer mechanism 22, e.g., biases the front leading corner of the conveyed carrier member 16 into engagement with the mating corner of the component access area 22A and thereafter facilitates retaining such engagement. When the roller 22R reaches its end position, the conveyed carrier member 16 is firmly retained by the locking mechanism 22L (see Fig. 3C) so as to facilitate accurate removal and/or insertion of the desired components. It is to be appreciated that when the conveyed carrier member 16 is temporarily positioned within the component access carrier 22A, the conveyed carrier member 16 is generally supported only by the guide rails 22G of the component access carrier 22A and not supported by the conveyor belt 22B.

[048] Once all of the desired components are either inserted onto or removed from the conveyed carrier member 16, the locking mechanism 22L is then activated to release the conveyed carrier member 16. That is, the roller 22R is pneumatically actuated (not shown) to bias the roller 22R in a direction generally toward the magazine chamber 12, the roller 22R again rolls along inclined surface 22S of the guide rail but this time in an opposite rotational direction, i.e., the roller 22R now rotates in a counterclockwise direction, and such rotation of the rolling 22R along inclined surface 22S has the tendency of biasing the conveyed carrier member 16 away from the stop surface 22S and toward the magazine chamber 12 for transfer back to the magazine 14. That is, such rolling motion of the roller 22R partially loads the conveyed carrier member 16 back onto the conveyor belt 22B for transfer back to the magazine 14.

The conveyor belt 22B then grips, supports and conveys the conveyed carrier member 16 back toward the magazine 14 for reinsertion into a desired carrier member slot 14S. Preferably the conveyor belt 22B is able to fully load the conveyed carrier member 16 back into the desired carrier member slots 14S of the magazine 14. In the event that this does not occur, e.g., the carrier home sensor 24H does not sense a full and complete reinsertion of the conveyed carrier member 16 back into the selected carrier member slot 14S, then a reinsertion mechanism 30, which is controlled by the system controller 26 and a carrier handler actuator 26H, is activated and engages with a trailing surface of the conveyed carrier member 16 for transferring the conveyed carrier member 16 from the conveyer belt 22B completely back into the carrier member slot 14S of the carrier member magazine 14 that has been selected by the magazine positioning mechanism 12V, which is operating under control of the system controller 26. That is, the system controller 26 vertically positions the carrier member magazine 14, with respect to the conveyer mechanism 22 and the reinsertion mechanism 30, at a desired position so that the conveyed carrier member 16 is reinserted into a desired carrier member slot 14S. The reinsertion mechanism 30 generally comprises a pneumatically or hydraulically cylinder 30H for actuating an actuating element 30E which is normally in a stowed retracted position, located below a planar surface 30S of the reinsertion mechanism 30. When the hydraulic cylinder 30H is actuated, the actuating element 30E is pivoted or rotated upwardly, above the planar surface 30S of the reinsertion mechanism 30 for engagement with the trailing surface of the carrier member 16 and facilitate pushing of the same into the desired carrier member slot 14S. Once the carrier member 16 is completely pushed into the desired carrier member slot 14S, the actuating element 30E is returned back to its stowed and retracted position. [050] The carrier home sensor 24H is generally positioned in or adjacent to magazine chamber 12 at a location so as to sense a carrier home indicator 14H and detect whether the carrier member 16 is fully and correctly seated within the carrier member slot 14S and thereafter provide at least one corresponding control output(s) to the system controller 26 indicating proper seating of the returned and reinserted carrier member 16.

[051] Generally the selected carrier member slot 14S for reinsertion is the previously occupied carrier member slot 14S of the carrier member magazine 14 which initially accommodated the carrier member 16, or possibly the selected carrier member slot 14S may be another carrier member slot 14S of the carrier member magazine 14 for receiving the full or completely or partially empty carrier member 16 from the component access carrier 22A.

[052] As alluded to above with regard to the reinsertion of the conveyed carrier member 16 into the magazine 14, it is to be stressed that the conveyed carrier member 16 need not be reinserted into the carrier member slot 14S in which that carrier member 16 was originally stored, but may instead be reinserted into any open or available carrier member slot 14S of the magazine 14, and in any order within the magazine 14.

[053] It is to be appreciated that the system controller 26 typically slows down the rotational speed of the conveyor belt 22B, as the conveyed carrier member 16 is conveyed from the magazine 14 and approaches the component access area 22A, so that the conveyed carrier member 16 does not come to an abrupt stop upon reaching the stop wall 22S of the component access area 22A. In addition, the system controller 26 typically slows down the rotational speed of the conveyor belt 22B, as the conveyed carrier member 16 is conveyed from the component access area 22A and approaches the magazine 14, so that the conveyed carrier member 16 does not come to an abrupt stop upon reaching its home position within the magazine 14. Typically, one or more belt sensors (not shown in detail) are located along the guide rails of the conveyor mechanism 22 and electrically coupled with the system controller 26 to provide suitable inputs concerning the location of the conveyed carrier member 16 as the conveyed carrier member 16 travels along the conveyer belt 22B and thereby facilitate control of the conveyor belt speed and control gradual stopping of the conveyed carrier member 16.

[054] With reference now to Fig. 4, a second embodiment of the conveyor mechanism 22 will be now discussed. As this embodiment is quite similar to the previously discussed embodiment, only the differences between the conveyor mechanism of this embodiment and the first embodiment will to be will be discussed in detail.

[055] One major difference is that the conveyor belt 22B, according to this embodiment, extends the entire length of the conveyor mechanism 22. That is, the conveyor belt 22B extends continuously from a location directly adjacent the magazine 14 to a return location directly adjacent the stop wall of the component access area 22A. As a result of this arrangement, the conveyed carrier member 16 is always supported by the conveyor belt 22B, unlike the previous embodiment in which the conveyed carrier member 16 was directly supported by only the guide rails when located within the component access area 22A.

[056] According to this embodiment, the locking mechanism 22L is a hydraulically actuated cylinder which includes an elastomeric member 22M which contacts and biases with the adjacent lateral side wall of the conveyed carrier member 16, and consequently the conveyed carrier member 16, against the opposed guide rail 22G of the conveyor mechanism 22. The locking mechanism 22L prevents further relative movement once the conveyed carrier member 16 is accurately and precisely aligned with its reference feature or point in order to ensure accurate placement or retrieval of components from the desired cavity, depressed area or pocket of the conveyed carrier member 16 located within the component access area 22A. Once all of the components are either removed from or inserted into the conveyed carrier member 16, then the locking mechanism 22L is activated, by the system controller 26, to release the conveyed carrier member 16 prior to the conveyor belt 22B being activated for returning the conveyed carrier member 16 back to the magazine 14, as discussed above.

[057] Other alternate embodiments and implementations of at least certain elements and mechanisms of the carrier member system 10 of the present invention are possible and will be readily apparent by those of ordinary skill in the relevant art and will be understood as falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[058] For example, in other embodiments of the carrier member system 10 of the present invention, a completely or a partially empty carrier member 16 may be transferred from component access area 22A, via the conveyer belt 22B, by shifting the completely or the partially empty carrier member 16 into a carrier member drop area 22D where the completely or the partially empty carrier member 16 drops vertically downward onto a lower conveyor belt return path 22R in which conveyer belt 22B moves the completely or the partially empty carrier member 16 back toward magazine chamber 12 and the magazine 14. By the time the completely or the partially empty carrier member 16 reaches a point adjacent the magazine 14, the magazine positioning mechanism 12V, operating under control of the system controller 26, will have already vertically repositioned the magazine 14 so that the carrier member slot 14S, selected to receive the completely or the partially empty carrier member 16, is already properly aligned with the returning completely or the partially empty carrier member 16. At this point, the reinsertion mechanism 30X, also controlled by the system controller 26 and the carrier handler actuator 26H and generally indicated in Fig. 1 but generally similar to the reinsertion mechanism 30 as described above, can be activated for pushing or transferring the completely or the partially empty carrier member 16 back into the selected carrier member slot 14S of the magazine 14 in the event that the carrier member home sensor 24H does not detect that the conveyor belt 22B has properly seated the completely or the partially empty carrier member 16 in the carrier member slot 14S.

It will be recognized that this alternate embodiment of the carrier member system 10 may be advantageous in increasing the rate at which a loaded carrier member 16 is transferred from the magazine 14 to the component access area 22A, as well as, the rate at which the completely or the partially empty carrier member 16 is returned and transferred back from the component access area 22A to the magazine 14. That is, the magazine 14 may be positioned so that the carrier member slot 14S, containing the next carrier member 16 to be retrieved for assembly, is properly aligned with the carrier extraction mechanism 20 and the conveyer belt 22B, at the start of a cycle interval, during which the conveyer belt 22B is transporting the completely or the partially empty carrier member 16 from the component access area 22A to the carrier drop area 22D. The carrier extraction mechanism 20 may then transfer the next carrier member 16, to be retrieved from the magazine 14, onto an upper surface of the conveyer belt 22B, whereupon the next carrier member 16 to be retrieved will begin its movement toward the component access area 22A while the completely or the partially empty carrier member 16 is simultaneously being moved from the component access area 22A to the carrier member drop area 22D where the carrier member 16 falls onto the lower conveyor belt 22R, which then returns the carrier member 16 back to the magazine 14. The magazine 14 will then be positioned vertically so that the carrier member slot 14S, which is to receive the completely or the partially empty carrier member 16, is properly aligned with lower conveyor belt return path 22R and the reinsertion mechanism 30X, while simultaneously the next carrier member 16 to be retrieved is transported, by the conveyer belt 22B, to the component access area 22A, and the completely or the partially empty carrier member 16 is transported toward the magazine 14 and the reinsertion mechanism 30X, with the completely or the partially empty carrier member 16 being reinserted into the selected carrier member slot 14S of the magazine 14 by the reinsertion mechanism 30X. The simultaneous movement of a newly transported carrier member 16 to the component access area 22A concurrently with the return of the completely or the partially empty carrier member 16 to the magazine 14 thereby increases the rate at which the carrier members 16 may both be retrieved from and returned to the magazine 14.

[060] It should also be noted in this regard that in alternate implementations of the magazines 14, the carrier member rails 14R need not be equally vertically spaced apart within the magazine 14, but may be vertically spaced at desired intervals adapted to the specific needs of a specific process or product to be supplied to or retrieved from the automated assembly equipment.

[061] In still further alternate implementations of the carrier member system 10, the magazine chamber 12 and the magazine positioning mechanism 12V may be adapted to accommodate more than one magazine 14 at a time within the magazine chamber 12, and generally the software loaded within the system controller 26, or possibly the magazine slot sensor(s) 24S, is readily capable of distinguishing between and identifying the desired magazine 14 as well as the desired carrier member slot 14S of the desired magazine 14. For this embodiment, the magazine chamber 12 may be equipped to move laterally with respect to the conveyor mechanism 22 so as to select the desired magazine 14.

[062] In yet other embodiments of the magazine 14 and the carrier member system 10, the carrier member slot indicators 140 may be located at a second end 14B of the magazine 14, that is, at the end opposite insertion/withdrawal end 14Aof the magazine 14. The magazine slot sensor 24S, which is relocated in magazine chamber 12 to be adjacent to the second end 14B of the magazine 14, can thereby perform the function of both the magazine slot sensor 24S as well as the carrier member home sensor 24H. That is, both detect the presence/absence and the alignment of a carrier member slot 14S with the carrier member extraction 20 and reinsertion mechanisms 30, that is, first whether there is a carrier member 16 present in the carrier slot 14S and, secondly, whether the carrier member 16 is properly seated in the carrier slot 14S of the magazine 14, prior to the magazine 14 undergoing any vertical movement for selecting another carrier member 16 for transfer to the component access area 22A. Generally, the both the slot sensor 24S and the carrier member home sensor 24H will each perform their own separate functions.

[063] In still other alternative embodiments of the carrier member system 10, the magazine positioning mechanism 12V may be hydraulic or pneumatically powered and controlled, or may be implemented by a screw arrangement, a rack and pinion arrangement, a gearing or a chain drive mechanism, etc. In addition, the conveyer mechanism 22, the extraction mechanism 20, and the reinsertion mechanisms 30, 30X may also be hydraulic or pneumatically powered and controlled, or may be implemented by a screw arrangement, a rack and pinion arrangement, a gearing or a chain drive mechanism, etc., as is well known in the art and thus a further detail discussion concerning the same is not provided.

[064] In yet other embodiments, the carrier slot indicators 140, the trigger edges 14T and the carrier home indicators 14H may be implemented as, for example, indicator lines and codes printed on the side(s) of the magazines 14, and magazine slot sensor 24S and the carrier home sensor 24H or some other form of sensors, such as proximity or magnetic field sensors, or a combination of openings, printed indicators and remote sensors which are well known in the art may be used and thus a further detail discussion concerning the same is not provided.

[065] In yet other implementations, and as discussed above, an automated or semi- automated magazine loading mechanism (not show) may be provided or used in combination with the carrier member system 10 to facilitate automated or semi- automated loading or unloading/exchanging of the magazines 14. In addition, the access opening to the magazine port 12P may be provided in the top, the bottom, the front or the rear surface of the magazine chamber 12 so that the magazines 14 may correspondingly be loaded through the top, the bottom, the front orthe rear of the magazine chamber 12.

[066] As noted above, the conventional component handling mechanism 28H may also be utilize, in a conventional manner, for removing components contained within the carrier member 16 for inspection and then only return accepted components back to the carrier member 16 located in the component access area 22A or facilitate sorting of components either removed from or placed into the carrier member 16 located in the component access area 22A.

[067] The carrier members 16 typically have a depth or thickness of about 7.62 mm (0.30 inches) for the "thin trays" and 12.19 mm (0.48 inches) for the "thick trays". The magazine 14 is normally able to accommodate about 18 "thin trays" while only accommodating about 14 "thick trays." It is to be appreciated that the magazine 14 can readily accommodate carrier members 16 of virtually any thickness by suitable spacing of the magazine slots, ledges, ridges or rails 14R from one another by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the carrier member 16 to be accommodated. Alternatively, if the carrier member 16 is to be accommodated within the space of two or more vertically adjacent magazine slots, ledges, ridges or rails 14R, the width of the carrier member 16 can be stepped slightly inward so as to avoid the upper surface of the carrier member 16 abutting against the vertically upper, non-supporting pairs of the magazine slots, ledges, ridges or rails 14R during insertion and retrieval of the carrier member 16.

Since certain changes may be made in the above described automated carrier member system, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all of the subject matter of the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted merely as examples illustrating the inventive concept herein and shall not be construed as limiting the invention.