Patents Examined by Gerald McClain
  • Patent number: 11969885
    Abstract: A robotic system includes an end-effector configured for grasping an object, the end-effector including a suction cup assembly configured to engage the object, and a contact limit sensor configured to detect a pressure associated with the engagement between the suction cup assembly and the object, wherein the contact limit sensor transmits contact information when the contact limit sensor detects the pressure exceeding a contact threshold, a sensor unit monitoring contact information received from the contact limit sensor, and a controller, coupled to the sensor unit, configured to execute an operation for controlling the end-effector to limit movement of the end-effector toward the object based on the contact information received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: MUJIN, INC.
    Inventor: Hironori Mizoguchi
  • Patent number: 11967518
    Abstract: Disclosed are a substrate treating apparatus and a substrate reversing method. The substrate treating apparatus includes a supporting portion, a transport mechanism, and a reversing mechanism. The transport mechanism includes a first suction portion and a hand driving unit. The reversing mechanism includes a second suction portion and a rotation driving unit. When the transport mechanism transports a substrate to the supporting portion, the first suction portion is located above the substrate and sucks the substrate upward while causing gas to flow along a top face of the substrate, and the hand driving unit moves the first suction portion to the supporting portion. When the reversing mechanism receives the substrate from the supporting portion, the second suction portion is located above the substrate supported by the supporting portion and sucks the substrate upward while causing gas to flow along the top face of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuichi Takayama
  • Patent number: 11952213
    Abstract: An overhead transport vehicle temporarily places a FOUP at a ceiling suspended shelf while transporting the FOUP to a target position by traveling along a rail on a ceiling of a building from which the ceiling suspended is suspended. The ceiling suspended shelf includes an upper shelf including an upper support surface that supports the FOUP. A level of the upper support surface is the same or substantially the same as a level of the rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: MURATA MACHINERY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Torazawa, Masataka Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11952739
    Abstract: A skid-steer implement allows for the rotation of a tool attachment relative to the body of the skid-steer by coupling an attaching element and a rotation attachment device with a shaft and force generating devices. The slim construction of the device allows for bucket rotation while limiting the tipping load change caused by the extension of the implement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: BABL INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Gary L. Babl, Helen Pich
  • Patent number: 11955364
    Abstract: A telescoping linear extension robot includes a base configured to support the telescoping linear extension robot, a first driven platform, drivingly coupled to the base, a second driven platform, drivingly coupled to the first driven platform, and a floating intermediate platform. The intermediate platform is configured to increase the extendable range of the driven extensions by facilitating additional extension using force generated by the driven platforms of the robot. This, in turn, allows for long-reach robot solutions with reduced physical footprint, complexity and cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Kimball Electronics Indiana, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Wise, Anthony J. Kilaita
  • Patent number: 11948822
    Abstract: A substrate transfer device includes: a planar motor provided in a transfer chamber and including an array of coils, a transfer unit configured to move above the planar motor, and a controller configured to control supply of a current to the array of the coils, wherein the transfer unit includes a first base including an array of first magnets and configured to move above the planar motor, a second base including an array of second magnets and configured to move above the planar motor, the second base being arranged coaxially with the first base, and at least one arm configured to be extended or contracted by rotating the second base relative to the first base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Dongwei Li, Takehiro Shindo
  • Patent number: 11948823
    Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus includes a carrier platform, a transport mechanism, and a controller. The carrier platform places a carrier thereon. The carrier includes a plurality of shelves arranged in an up-down direction. The shelves are each configured to place one substrate thereon in a horizontal posture. The transport mechanism is configured to transport a substrate to a carrier placed on the carrier platform. The controller controls the transport mechanism. The transport mechanism includes a hand and a hand driving unit. The hand supports a substrate. The hand driving unit moves the hand. The controller changes a height position of the hand when the hand is inserted between two of the shelves adjacent to each other in the up-down direction, depending on a shape of a substrate taken from or placed on one of the shelves by the transport mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuichi Takayama, Kazuhiko Nakazawa, Hiromichi Kaba, Toshihito Morioka, Takuya Sato
  • Patent number: 11935779
    Abstract: Various example embodiments provide a transfer hand for transferring a substrate. The transfer hand for transferring the substrate comprises: a body; and a vacuum assembly installed in the body and providing decompression to the bottom surface of a substrate to support the substrate at the upper part of the body; wherein the vacuum assembly comprises: an vacuum pad with conductivity contacting the substrate; and a sealing member provided between the vacuum pad and the body, the sealing member electrically connected to the vacuum pad; wherein the sealing member is grounded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: SEMES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tae Hoon Lee, Ju Won Kim, Jin Sung Sun, Bo Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 11926051
    Abstract: A cable-driven parallel robot (CDPR) includes at least two sets of rotors each coupled to a respective one of at least two supports. The sets of the rotors are positioned above a surface, an effector is positioned at a horizontal planar location between the sets of the rotors and at a vertical location above the surface. At least two sets of cables each have cables coupled to a respective one of the sets of the rotors at first ends of the respective set of the cables and to an effector at second ends of the respective set of the cables. Each set of the sets of rotors is configured to control tension to the respective one set of the sets of cables for moving the horizontal planar location. Each set of the sets of rotors is vertically movable on the respective one of the supports for moving the vertical location when the sets of rotors are vertically moved, e.g., moved synchronously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Inventor: Cameron Reed McRoberts
  • Patent number: 11920322
    Abstract: A system to couple an implement to a work vehicle includes a first lock assembly coupled to an arm of the work vehicle. The first lock assembly includes a latch. The first lock assembly also includes a first hook and a second hook positioned on opposite lateral sides of the latch. The first lock assembly further includes a first actuator configured to drive rotation of the latch to trap a laterally-extending bar of the implement between a curved inner surface of the latch and respective curved bar-contacting surfaces of the first and second hooks to form a first connection that couples the implement to the work vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Kenneth Herrig
  • Patent number: 11915957
    Abstract: A multiple die container load port may include a housing with an opening, and an elevator to accommodate a plurality of different sized die containers. The multiple die container load port may include a stage supported by the housing and moveable within the opening of the housing by the elevator. The stage may include one or more positioning mechanisms to facilitate positioning of the plurality of different sized die containers on the stage, and may include different portions movable by the elevator to accommodate the plurality of different sized die containers. The multiple die container load port may include a position sensor to identify one of the plurality of different sized die containers positioned on the stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Hung Huang, Cheng-Lung Wu, Yi-Fam Shiu, Yu-Chen Chen, Yang-Ann Chu, Jiun-Rong Pai
  • Patent number: 11908722
    Abstract: A teaching substrate is loaded into a load port of an equipment front-end module (EFEM) of a fabrication or inspection tool. The EFEM includes a substrate-handling robot. The teaching substrate includes a plurality of sensors and one or more wireless transceivers. The tool includes a plurality of stations. With the teaching substrate in the EFEM, the substrate-handling robot moves along an initial route and sensor data are wirelessly received from the teaching substrate. Based at least in part on the sensor data, a modified route distinct from the initial route is determined. The substrate-handling robot moves along the modified route, handling the teaching substrate. Based at least in part on the sensor data, positions of the plurality of stations are determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: KLA Corporation
    Inventors: Avner Safrani, Shai Mark, Amir Aizen, Maor Arbit
  • Patent number: 11891781
    Abstract: A loading vehicle is capable of improving work efficiency by adjusting engine rotational speed with high accuracy in accordance with an operation state of the working device. An HST traveling driven wheel loader has an electrically controlled HST pump. A controller is configured to control input torque of the HST pump 31 and solenoid proportional pressure reducing valve is configured to generate control pressure for controlling displacement volume of the pump based on a control signal from the controller. The controller is configured to calculate the displacement volume q of the HST pump based on discharge pressure Pf of a loading hydraulic pump so that maximum input torque Thst of the HST pump decreases as the discharge pressure Pf or input torque of the loading hydraulic pump increases, and output a control signal corresponding to the calculated displacement volume q to the solenoid proportional pressure reducing valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Hyodo, Fumihiro Nakao, Yasunori Miyamoto, Masaki Nukii
  • Patent number: 11881427
    Abstract: A module of a processing system for flipping a substrate in vacuum includes a clamp assembly for securing the substrate, a first motor assembly coupled to the clamp assembly for rotating the clamp assembly, and a second motor assembly coupled to the first motor assembly for raising and lowering the first motor assembly and the clamp assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Harish Penmethsa, Suresh Palanisamy, Dinesh Rajamanickam, Naresh Kumar Asokan
  • Patent number: 11877591
    Abstract: A device for transferring rod articles of the tobacco industry from a longitudinal conveyor, the rod articles having an axis, the longitudinal conveyor having a first transport direction, which transports rod articles in the transport direction, along the axis of rod articles, to a transverse conveyor, the transverse conveyor having a second transport direction, which transports rod articles in the second transport direction transverse to the axis of rod articles, or inversely, containing a rotary transport device with a horizontal rotation axis, equipped with rotary arms on which brackets maintaining a horizontal position during rotation of the transport device, with grippers for gripping rod articles attached to the brackets, characterized in that the gripper is rotationally mounted on the bracket, so that the gripper's axis of rotation is directed vertically during the entire duration of the bracket's movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: International Tobacco Machinery Poland Sp. z o. o.
    Inventors: Robert Zadecki, Leszek Sikora
  • Patent number: 11865661
    Abstract: A device for loading and unloading and for operating a machine vise (10) of a machine tool (02), the device having a positioning device (13) mounted so as to be displaceable along a longitudinal direction (L), a coupling unit (14) movable together with the positioning device (13) being disposed at one end of the positioning device (13) in the longitudinal direction (L) for the detachable mechanical coupling to a machine vise (10) of the machine tool (02) and for the operation, in particular opening and closing, of the machine vise (10) and a workpiece handling unit (15), in particular a multiaxial robot unit, being disposed on the positioning device (13) behind the coupling unit (14) in the longitudinal direction (L) so as to be movable together with the positioning device (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: WST PRÄZISIONSTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Rudolf Martin, Markus Pfeifer
  • Patent number: 11869789
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a carrier block, a first processing block including first lower and upper processing blocks to deliver a substrate to and from the carrier block, a second processing block including second lower and upper processing blocks provided adjacent to the first lower and upper processing blocks, a relay block including a lifting and transferring mechanism that delivers the substrate between the second lower and upper processing blocks, a controller that controls an operation of each main transfer mechanism such that one of upper and lower processing blocks forms an outward path through which the substrate is transferred from the carrier block to the relay block and the other forms a return path through which the substrate is transferred from the relay block to the carrier block, and a bypass transfer mechanism provided for each of the first and second processing blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Masashi Tsuchiyama, Suguru Enokida, Taro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11866272
    Abstract: A holding device includes a supporter, a gripper, and a first driver. The supporter supports a weight of a workpiece in a first direction. The gripper includes a gripping surface that grips the workpiece in a second direction crossing the first direction. The first driver moves the supporter with respect to the gripper in the second direction. A tilt of the supporter is changeable with respect to the gripping surface along a plane including the first and second directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukihiro Ikeya, Takeshi Toyoshima, Taketo Shiba
  • Patent number: 11862494
    Abstract: A crane monitoring system includes a first detection apparatus, a processing apparatus and a second detection apparatus. The first detection apparatus is configured to detect a position of a crane, to send a first detection signal when the crane is located above a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) load port of a semiconductor processing device, and to send a second detection signal when the crane leaves a space above the FOUP load port. The processing apparatus is configured to generate a start control signal responsive to receiving the first detection signal, and to generate a stop control signal responsive to receiving the second detection signal. The second detection apparatus is configured to start a detection of whether there is a foreign matter between the crane and the FOUP load port after receiving the start control signal, and to stop the detection after receiving the stop control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Wei Feng
  • Patent number: 11851289
    Abstract: A conveyance system discriminates the front and back of a frame wafer without human intervention. A frame is partially formed asymmetrically with respect to a predetermined center line when viewed in a direction orthogonal to a surface of a wafer. The conveyance system includes a hand configured to hold the frame so that the frame extends in a predetermined virtual plane, a first sensor configured to detect a portion of the frame held on the hand and located in a predetermined first region in the virtual plane, a second sensor configured to detect a portion of the frame held on the hand and located in a second region opposite to the first region across the center line, and a controller configured to determine the front and back of the frame wafer based on a detection result obtained by the first sensor and a detection result obtained by the second sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Sinfonia Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Nakamura, Toshihiro Kawai, Kosuke Sugiura, Gengoro Ogura, Yasushi Taniyama