Patent ID: 9636713
Date: 2017-05-02
CPC Classifications: B07C,G01R

Claim:
1. A component handler comprising: a test plate including: a body portion having a first surface and a second surface that is opposite the first surface; a plurality of protrusions extending from the first surface of the body portion; and a plurality of component-seating sites, wherein each of the plurality of component-seating sites is disposed between a pair of adjacent protrusions and is configured to retain a component, wherein adjacent protrusions have seating walls that face each other on opposite sides of each component-seating site, wherein each protrusion has a protrusion surface between adjacent seating walls of different component-seating sites, wherein the test plate is movable such that the plurality of component-seating sites are conveyable along a component seat travel path, and wherein the test plate is inclined at a non-horizontal angle; and a component-receiving system for receiving a stream of components and seating them in the component-seating sites, the component-receiving system including a fence extending along a component seat travel path in a component-loading region, the fence having a ceiling portion operable to cover the protrusion surfaces and component-seating sites as they move beneath the fence, and wherein a distance between the ceiling portion of the fence and the protrusion surface of at least one of the plurality of protrusions is less than a thickness of the component retainable at one of the plurality of component-seating sites.