Patent ID: 8970244
Filing Date: 2015-03-03
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for processing a plurality of devices comprises: two or more processing pods each comprising a processing head, and two fixed rails adapted to support a flexible carrier adjacent the processing head, which flexible carrier comprises a frame and a tray with apertures for holding a plurality of devices, which tray is resiliently depended from the frame by flexural springs connected therebetween; a transport mechanism comprising two or more movable rails, a linear actuator and an engagement mechanism adapted to link the linear actuator to one of a plurality of flexible carriers; and an elevator mechanism for moving the movable rails of the transport mechanism into alignment with corresponding fixed rails of a selected one of the processing pods; wherein: the flexible carriers are adapted to be moved into a selected one of the processing pods by activating the linear actuator of the transport mechanism; and the processing head of the selected one of the processing pods is adapted to be moved toward the tray of the flexible carrier in the selected one of the processing pods.