Work handling mechanism and work inspection system

In the present invention, through a provision of a relay stand including a first relaying point, a second relaying point and a plurality of work mounting bases, a discharge/feed process of works between the relay stand and the work feed container and the work accommodation container is performed at the first relaying point and a load/unload process of works between the relay stand and the plurality of work inspection machines is performed at the second relaying point.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a work handling mechanism and a work inspection system and more specifically, in a disk inspection system in which by means of handling robots a magnetic disk (herein after will be referred to as disk) before inspection is taken out from a feed side disk cassette (herein after will be referred to as feed cassette) to load the same on a magnetic disk inspection machine (herein after will be referred to as disk inspection machine) and a disk after inspection is unloaded from the disk inspection machine, classified according to the inspection result and accommodated in a classed disk cassette (herein after will be referred to as classed cassette) corresponding to the classification, relates to a disk handling mechanism that enhances an inspection efficiency when inspecting small sized disks required of a comparatively short inspection time in parallel at a plurality of inspection machines.

BACKGROUND ART

In an inspection of disks, disks before inspection accommodated in a feed cassette are taken out one by one and loaded on disk inspection machines, and when the inspection is completed, disks after inspection are unloaded from the disk inspection machines and accommodated in one of classed cassettes corresponding to classification according to the inspection result.

In order to enhance the inspection efficiency, when a disk inspection system uses a plurality of disk inspection machines to perform parallel disk inspection, number of disks inspected in a unit of time can be increased. However, when doing so, number of respective cassettes at feed side and at accommodation side increases correspondingly. In such instance, a handling system that efficiently performs an exchange of the respective cassettes and loading and unloading of the disks to the respective disk inspection machines is also necessitated.

Therefore, a disk inspection system in which feed cassettes and classed cassettes are arranged on a turntable has been proposed. In the system, disks before inspection can be continuously fed to a plurality of disk inspection machines and disks completed of the inspection are accommodated in one of the classed cassettes corresponding to the classification according to the inspection result.

For such instance, respective provisions in a disk inspection system of a relaying stand (herein after will be referred to as relay stand) for transferring disks before inspection and a relay stand for disks completed of inspection between the turntable and the plurality of disk inspection machines are disclosed and known in JP-A-4-122554 of the present assignee. The relay stands in this disk inspection system can compensate for a deviation of processing timing at the side of disk inspection machines with respect to disk feed timing from respective cassettes provided at the side of the turntable and disk accommodation timing to the respective cassettes. Further, the transferring distance for loading/unloading disks to the plurality of disk inspection machines is shortened up to the relay stand to thereby enhance the inspection efficiency.

The relay stand disclosed in JP-A-4-122554 is provided in common for the plurality of disk inspection machines. Moreover, the relay stand moves to a predetermined fixed position as a relaying point of disks by a handling robot. Further, since the loading of disks to the respective disk inspection machines has to be performed after disks after inspection are unloaded and detached therefrom, two relay stands, one relay stand for placing a disk of unloaded and the other relay stand for placing a disk before inspection are necessitated and such are respectively provided in the system.

For this reason, this disk inspection system necessitates a moving mechanism of the relay stands in which a disk after inspection set on a first relay stand and a disk before inspection set on a second relay stand are moved to relaying points where handling robots handle respective disks in response to respective transferring timings.

As a result, a disk is kept placed on the relay stand until the handling robot moves to a subsequent disk handling process, which prolongs residence time of the disk on the relay stand. Therefore, for a small disk inspection system in which small disks less than 2.5 inches required of a comparatively short inspection time are inspected in parallel, a problem of reducing inspection efficiency raises.

Further, since the quality of disks has been improved now a day, an inspection of tracks other than thinned out is performed not for an inspection of all tracks partly in view of the density increase of tracks. In this manner, since the inspection time is shortened even for disks of more than 2.5 inches, the residence time of the disk set on the relay stand in the above disk inspection system disturbs efficiency of the disk inspection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to resolve such problem in the conventional art and to provide a work handling mechanism in a work inspection system inspecting works such as disks in parallel that enhances the inspection efficiency of the works.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an inspection system for small works in an inspection system inspecting works in parallel that enhances the inspection efficiency of the works.

A constitution of a work handling mechanism or a work inspection system of the present invention that achieves these objects is provided with, in the work handling mechanism including a relay stand that performs relaying for transferring a work before inspection taken out from a work feed container to one of a plurality of inspection machines and further performs relaying for transferring a work after inspection received from one of the plurality of inspection machines to a work accommodation container,

the relay stand includes a first relaying point, a second relaying point and a plurality of work mounting bases and, when one of the plurality of work mounting bases is placed at the first relaying point, the relay stand receives a work before inspection thereon and when another of the plurality of work mounting bases is placed at the second relaying point, the relay stand receives a work after inspection thereon,

a mounting base moving mechanism which transfers a work before inspection to the second relaying point as well as transfers a work after inspection to the first relaying point by moving a work mounting base located at the first relaying point to the second relaying point and a work mounting base located at the second relaying point to the first relaying point,

a first handling robot which takes out a work before inspection from the work feed container and mounts the same on a work mounting base located at the first relaying point after transferring a work after inspection from the work mounting base located at the first relaying point to the work accommodation container, and

a second handling robot which transfers a work after inspection from one of the plurality of inspection machines to a work mounting base located at the second relaying point and mounts the same thereon after transferring a work before inspection from the work mounting base located at the second relaying point to one of the plurality of inspection machines.

In the present invention as has been explained above, through the provision of the relay stand including the first relaying point, the second relaying point and the plurality of work mounting bases, a discharge/feed process of works between the relay stand and the work feed container and the work accommodation container is performed at the first relaying point and a load/unload process of works between the relay stand and the plurality of work inspection machines is performed at the second relaying point.

In the present invention, at the first relaying point, after transferring a work after inspection to the work accommodation container, a work before inspection is received on the work mounting base from the work feed container. At the second relaying point, after transferring a work before inspection from the work mounting base to one of the plurality of inspection machines, a work after inspection is received on the work mounting base from one of the plurality of inspection machines.

Further, in the present invention, the plurality of work mounting bases provided at the relay stand move alternatively between the first relaying point and the second relaying point through a drive by the mounting base moving mechanism, thereby, a work at the first relaying point to be fed is transferred to the second relaying point and oppositely a work at the second relaying point to be discharged is transferred at the same time to the first relaying point.

Further, in this instance, when constituting the mounting base moving mechanism as a rotative mechanism and when rotating the work mounting bases therewith, the works are transferred at the same time between the first relying point and the second relaying point, and the efficiency of work handling process is further enhanced.

Thereby, with regard to the work feed/discharge process, a successive feed of a work before inspection after discharge of a work after inspection can be realized through the work mounting base at the first relaying point. With regard to the load/unload in the work handling process at the side of the work inspection machines, a successive feed of a work before inspection after discharge of a work after inspection can be realized through the work mounting base at the second relaying point.

As a result, in the present invention, the feed/discharge or oppositely the discharge/feed of a work before inspection and a work after inspection can be performed successively and since the waiting time of a work at the relay stand until the same is transferred to the next stage is decreased, the work inspection efficiency of the work inspection system in which works are inspected in parallel can be enhanced.

In particular, when the work is a small disk, the processing efficiency of the disk inspection system is particularly enhanced.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

Numeral10is a disk inspection system, wherein1is a disk,2is a disk handling mechanism,6is an inspection stage,7is a data process/control unit,8is a cassette accommodation turntable on which feed cassettes and accommodation cassettes are mounted.

The disk handling mechanism2is constituted by a rotatable relay stand3, a disk handling robot4at inspection side and a disk handling robot5at cassette side. At the inspection stage6, disk inspection machines6a˜6dare provided.

In the present embodiment, between the cassette accommodation turntable8and the respective disk inspection machines6a˜6d, the rotatable relay stand3is provided on which a disk1before inspection or a disk1after inspection is mounted. The rotatable relay stand3includes crossed arms31and the four top ends of the crossed arms31respectively constitute disk mounting bases34a˜34d. When the crossed arms31are rotated, two opposing mounting bases among the four disk mounting bases34a˜34dare respectively positioned at positions of two relaying points, in that a relaying point P1(herein after will be referred to as point P1) and a relaying point P2(herein after will be referred to as point P2). The points P1and P2are disposed on a same circumference and the rotatable relay stand3rotates the disk mounting bases34a˜34dat the same time.

Further, in the present embodiment, although four disk inspection machines6a˜6dare provided, any plural number can be selected therefor. Likely, with regard to the number of disk mounting bases34a˜34d, any plural number can be selected therefor and it is not required to select four so as to correspond to the number of the disk inspection machines. The number of arms can be increased or decreased according to the number of disk mounting bases.

The rotatable relay stand3is constituted by the crossed arms31, a rotative suction mechanism32and a stepping motor33for rotating the crossed arms31. As shown inFIG. 2, the disk mounting bases34a˜34dpositioned at the top end sides of the crossed arms31are respectively provided with mechanisms for holding disks1through suction. Further, the rotative suction mechanism32and the stepping motor33constitute a rotative mechanism in the present embodiment.

The crossed arms31as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2are rotatively driven in anticlockwise direction by a unit of 90° by the stepping motor33. The disk mounting base (the top end side of the crossed arms31) set at the position of point P1serves as a mounting base for the disk feed/discharge at the cassette side and the disk mounting base (the top end side of the crossed arms31) set at the position of point P2serves as a mounting base for the disk load/unload at the disk inspection machine side.

FIG. 2is an exploded perspective view showing a relationship between the crossed arms31and the suction mechanism32in the rotatable relay stand3. As shown inFIG. 2, each of the disk mounting bases34a˜34dis provided with a disk shaped protrusion341to which a center opening portion1aof the respective disks1is fitted and at the root of the protrusion341four suction holes342which suck the chamfered portion of the respective disks1.

The two opposing disk mounting bases among the four disk mounting bases34a˜34dare successively and selectively positioned at positions of point P1and point P2through the drive of the stepping motor33.

Herein, the positions of point P1and point P2are spaced apart along the direction of Y axis by a distance between the top ends of the opposing arms in the crossed arms31and locate on a same coordinate position of X axis.

The rotative suction mechanism32disposed at the bottom side center portion of the crossed arms31is constituted by a stator disk plate321and a rotor disk plate322rotatably mounted on the stator disk plate321, and is attached to a rotatable shaft33aof the stepping motor33. The rotatable shaft33apasses through a center hole321aof the stator disk plate321, further passes through a center hole322aof the rotor disk plate322above the stator disk plate321, reaches the crossed arms31and is fitted in a center hole310of the crossed arms31. Then the rotatable shaft33ais secured to the center portion of the crossed arms31by a screw323from the upper side thereof. Thereby, the crossed arms31and the rotor disk plate322are rotatively driven by the stepping motor33via the rotatable shaft33a.

Further, the rotatable shaft33aloosely fits with the center hole321aof the stator disk plate321but closely fits or couples through a key groove with center hole322aof the rotor disk plate322and the center hole310of the crossed arms31. Thereby, the rotor disk plate322and the crossed arms31rotate integrally with the rotatable shaft33ain the rotating direction of the rotatable shaft33a.

In contrast, the stator disk plate321is secured to the housing side of the stepping motor33and does not rotate when the rotatable shaft33arotates. On the surface of the stator disk plate321an open groove324running along a straight line passing the center hole321aand semicircular suction grooves325and326formed at both sides of the open groove324are provided. The open groove324faces and communicates with atmosphere and extends linearly in a V shape. The open groove324is provided so as to position on a line connecting the relaying points of point P1and point P2. The V shaped open groove324releases the suction of disks1. On the other hand, at the bottoms of the suction grooves325and326, a plurality of suction holes are bored. These suction holes are connected to such as a vacuum pump (not shown) via a conduit (not shown) to suck air and to always keep the suction grooves325and326in negative pressure.

The crossed arms31are provided with four communication holes31a˜31dwhich respectively communicate with the suction holes342on the respective disk mounting bases34a˜34d. The communication holes31a˜31dare respectively formed in a manner to orient from the center portion of the crossed arms31to the top end sides inside the respective arms.

The rotor disk plate322is provided with suction holes32a˜32din a manner so as to correspond to the positions of the respective arms. The respective top end ports of the suction holes32a˜32dfit to the respective center side ports of the communication holes31a˜31d. Thereby, the suction holes32a˜32drespectively communicate with the communication holes31a˜31d. Thus the respective suction holes32a˜32din the rotor disk plate322communicate with the suction holes342on the respective disk mounting bases34a˜34d.

The rotor disk plate322and the crossed arms31are rotated in step by a unit angle of 90° by the stepping motor33. Through every rotation of 90° by the stepping motor33opposing two suction holes among the suction holes32a˜32din the rotor disk plate322are positioned on the open groove324. The remaining two suction holes are positioned on the semicircular suction grooves325and326. The suction holes342to which the two suction holes among the suction holes32a˜32dpositioned on the open groove324respectively communicate are placed in atmospheric pressure and the suction holes342to which the remaining two suction holes positioned on the suction grooves325and326respectively communicate are placed in a suction state under negative pressure.

Therefore, among the respective disks1mounted on the disk mounting bases34a˜34d, since the suction holes342on the disk mounting bases corresponding to the two suction holes among the suction holes32a˜32dpositioned on the open groove324is rendered to atmospheric pressure, the suction of the disks1mounted on the disk mounting bases is released. Since the suction holes342on the disk mounting bases corresponding to the remaining two suction holes is rendered to negative pressure for suction, the disks1mounted on these disk mounting bases are placed in suction state. Moreover, since the suction grooves325and326are in a semicircular shape, during the rotation of the rotor disk plate322including immediately after starting the rotation, the suction states for the disks1mounted on the disk mounting bases of which suction holes342communicates with the remaining two suction holes are respectively maintained so as to permit transferring the disks1through rotation.

Now, returning toFIG. 1, the respective disk inspection machines6a˜6dare constituted by such as respective spindles61a˜61dand respective head carriages (not shown), and inspect disks1mounted on the respective spindles61a˜61dthrough control of the data process/control unit7.

The cassette turntable8is sectioned into a plurality of areas, and feed cassettes A D filled with disks before inspection and classed cassettes F˜H accommodating disks after inspection are respectively mounted on predetermined sectioned areas corresponding thereto. Then, when one of the classed cassettes in which disks after inspection are filled is discharged, a new classed cassette is mounted on the vacated position. On the other hand, when one of the feed cassettes A˜D is vacated, a new feed cassette filled with disks before inspection is set at the vacated position.

The load/unload of disks on to the disk inspection machines6a˜6dis performed by the disk handling robot4. The take out and accommodation of disks1from the respective cassettes is performed by the disk handling robot5at the cassette side.

The disk handling robot4is constituted by an in X axis moving mechanism41, a moving stand41afor the in X axis moving mechanism41with an in Y axis direction position correcting mechanism, an in Z axis moving mechanism42provided on the moving stand41aand an outer circumference chuck mechanism43for chucking the outer circumference of a disk and attached to a moving stand42aof the in Z axis moving mechanism42. The disk handling robot4handles a disk1by moving the outer circumference chuck mechanism43along X axis as well as moving the same up and down in Z axis between a disk mounting base (one of disk mounting bases34a˜34d) set at a relaying position of point P2and the disk inspection machines. In this instance, the disk handling robot4reciprocates the outer circumference chuck mechanism43between the disk mounting base set at the relaying position of point P2and the respective disk inspection machines6a˜6d.

Namely, when the outer circumference chuck mechanism43is at the side of the disk inspection machines, and when the disk inspection has been completed at one of the respective disk inspection machines6a˜6d, the outer circumference chuck mechanism43chucks the outer circumference of a disk1on the disk inspection machine of which disk inspection has been completed, to receive the disk1, moves to a disk mounting base positioned at point P2and transfers the disk1after inspection to the disk mounting base at the relaying position of point P2to mount the same thereon. Then, when the crossed arms31are rotated by 90° through control by the data process/control unit7and the subsequent disk mounting base is positioned at point P2, the outer circumference chuck mechanism43receives a disk1before inspection from this disk mounting base, transfers the same to the side of the disk inspection machines and load the same on a disk inspection machine from which a disk1is detached due to inspection completion.

Thus the outer circumference chuck mechanism43returns to the side of the disk inspection machines. As a result, after a disk inspection has been completed at one of the disk inspection machines6a˜6dand a disk after inspection has been discharged on the rotatable relay stand3, a disk before inspection is immediately fed to that disk inspection machine.

The disk handling robot5at the cassette side is constituted by an in X axis moving mechanism51, a moving stand51afor the in X axis moving mechanism51with an in Y axis direction position correcting mechanism, an in Z axis moving mechanism52provided on the moving stand51a, an outer circumference chuck mechanism53attached to a moving base52aof the in Z axis moving mechanism52and a rotative mechanism54for lifting down the outer circumference chuck mechanism53in vertical direction by rotating the moving base52aby 90° in anticlockwise direction by the rotative mechanism54.

The disk handling robot5at the cassette side causes to reciprocate the outer circumference chuck mechanism53along X axis and to move the same vertically along Z axis between the disk mounting base at the relaying position of point P1and the accommodation cassettes and the feed cassettes on the cassette accommodation turntable8. The disk handling robot5at the cassette side receives a disk1after inspection from the disk mounting base at the relaying position of point P1and accommodates the same in a concerned classed cassette, and thereafter receives a disk1before inspection from the feed cassette and mounts the same on the disk mounting base at the relaying position of point P1.

Further, as seen fromFIG. 1, the outer circumference chuck mechanism43in the in X axis moving mechanism41and the outer circumference chuck mechanism53in the in X axis moving mechanism51are respectively arranged at front and back sides of the crossed arms31in the rotatable relay stand3so as to dispose the same therebetween. The outer circumference chuck mechanism53chucks the outer circumference of a disk1and reciprocates between the rotatable relay stand3and the feed cassette or the classed cassette. Further, when transferring a disk1to and from the feed cassette or the classed cassette, the chucked disk1is lifted down. The lifting down is performed because the feed cassette and the classed cassette respectively accommodate disks1therein vertically with a predetermined gap.

Now, the handling process of transferring disks1before inspection between the feed cassettes A˜D and the disk inspection machines6a˜6dand of transferring disks1after inspection between the disk inspection machines6a˜6dand the classed cassettes (accommodation cassettes) E˜H by the disk handling robots4and5will be explained with reference toFIGS. 3A and 3B.

FIG.3A(a)˜(f) are for explaining an initial setting operation, and relate to loading disks1before inspection to the respective four disk inspection machines6a˜6d. Further, FIG.3A(a)˜(f) and FIG.3B(g)˜(l) are plane views of the crossed arms31seen from upward thereof.

Now, the initial setting process will be explained for the first time, wherein it is assumed that the disk mounting base34ais located at the relaying position of point P1inFIG. 1and the disk1mounted thereon is an object of the handling process in the rotatable relay stand3for the discharge/feed of disks at the cassette side.

For the first time, as shown in FIG.3A(a), a disk1before inspection is transferred from a feed cassette by the outer circumference chuck mechanism53and mounted on the disk mounting base34a.

Subsequently, the crossed arms31are rotatively driven by 90° in anticlockwise direction by the data process/control unit7. As result, the disk mounting base34bis located at the relaying position of point P1and the disk mounting base34apositions at the left side of the crossed arms31in a condition of holding the disk1thereon by sucking from the start of the rotation. Then, another disk1before inspection is transferred from a feed cassette by the outer circumference chuck mechanism53and mounted on the disk mounting base34b(see FIG.3A(b)).

The crossed arms31are rotatively driven by further 90° in anticlockwise direction by the data process/control unit7. As result, the disk mounting base34cis located at the relaying position of point P1and the disk mounting base34bpositions at the left side of the crossed arms31in a condition of holding the disk1thereon by sucking from the start of the rotation. At this instance, the disk mounting base34arotates to the relaying position of point P2(the lower side position of the crossed arms31) in a condition of sucking the disk1and wherein the sucking condition of the disk1is released.

Subsequently, a disk1before inspection is transferred from a feed cassette by the outer circumference chuck mechanism53and mounted on the disk mounting base34c(see FIG.3A(c)). At this moment, as shown inFIG. 3A(d), the disk1before inspection on the disk mounting base34ais chucked by the outer circumference chuck mechanism43, transferred to one of the disk inspection machines6a˜6dwhere no disk is mounted by the disk handling robot4and is mounted in the spindle thereof.

When repeating the rotation of the crossed arms31by 90° in anticlockwise direction by the data process/control unit7in the above manner and disks1before inspection are mounted on all of the disk inspection machines6a˜6d, a condition of waiting completion of disk inspection is reached as shown in FIG.3A(d). However, the disk mounting base locating at the relaying position of point P2(the lower side position of the crossed arms31) at this moment is not the disk mounting base34abut34d, because the disks1have been already transferred four times (see FIG.3A(e)).

Further, at this moment, different from FIG.3A(e), no disk is mounted on the disk mounting base43dat the relaying position of point P2(the lower side position of the crossed arms31)

The above is the initial setting process for loading the disks1before inspection to the respective four disk inspection machines6a˜6d.

When the disk inspection is completed in one of the respective disk inspection machines6a˜6d, the disk1after inspection is detached from the concerned disk inspection machine. The disk1unloaded from the disk inspection machine through chucking by the outer circumference chuck mechanism43is transferred to the relaying position of point P2(the lower side position of the crossed arms31) by the disk handling robot4and mounted on the disk mounting base34dat the point P2(see FIG.3A(e)).

Further, hatched disks1in the drawing indicate disks after inspection that is also true in the followings.

A rotation of 90° of the crossed arms31herein after is performed by the data process/control unit7when a logical product condition is fulfilled that a disk1before inspection is mounted on the disk mounting base at the position of the point P1(the upper side position of the crossed arms31) and a disk1after inspection is mounted on the disk mounting base at the position of point P2(the lower side position of the crossed arms31).

Therefore, the mounting of the disk1after inspection on the disk mounting base at the relaying position of point P2is waited until the disk inspection in one of the disk inspection machines6a˜6dis completed. This waiting time is normally longer than the time after a disk1after inspection at the relaying position of point P1(see FIG.3B(i)) is discharge and until a disk1before inspection is fed to the relaying position of point P1and mounted on the disk mounting base thereat (see FIG.3B(k)) Therefore, in a normal process, the crossed arms31are rotatively driven by 90° in anticlockwise direction by the data process/control unit7at a timing after a disk1after inspection is mounted on the disk mounting base located at the relaying position of point P2.

The above is the 90° rotating operation of the rotatable relay stand3in a steady state. Therefore, a disk handling process at the rotatable relay stand3under this condition will be explained herein below.

As shown in FIG.3A(e), when a disk1after inspection is mounted on the disk mounting base34d, the data process/control unit7rotatively drives the crossed arms31by 90° in anticlockwise direction to assume a condition as shown in FIG.3A(i). The disk1after inspection mounted on the disk mounting base34dlocates at the right side of the crossed arms31and the disk mounting base34amounting a disk1before inspection comes to the relaying position of point P2. Further, the disk mounting base34cis located at the relaying position of point P1.

The disk1before inspection on the disk mounting base34aat the relaying position of point P2as shown in FIG.3A(f) is transferred to a disk inspection machine from which a disk1completed of the inspection is detached by the disk handling robot4. After the disk1before inspection is loaded on the disk inspection machine from which the disk has been detached, the disk handling robot4enters in period of waiting for inspection completion by one of the respective disk inspection machines6a˜6d.

At the same time as above, a disk1before inspection is transferred from a feed cassette to the relaying position of point P1by the disk handling robot5and is mounted on the disk mounting base34c(see FIG.3B(g)).

Meantime, the disk inspection is completed at one of the respective disk inspection machines6a˜6d. At this time, the disk1after inspection is detached from the concerned disk inspection machine by the disk handling robot4. The detached disk1is chucked by the outer circumference chuck machine43, transferred to the relaying position of point P2by the disk handling robot4and mounted on the disk mounting base34alocated at point P2(see FIG.3B(h)).

When the disk1after inspection is mounted on the disk mounting base34a, the data process/control unit7rotatively drives the crossed arms31by 90° in anticlockwise direction. Thus, the crossed arms31assume a condition as shown in FIG.3B(i), the disk1before inspection mounted on the disk mounting base34bcomes to the relaying position of point P2at the lower side of the crossed arms31and the disk1after inspection mounted on the disk mounting base34ais located at the right side of the crossed arms31. Then, the disk1after inspection mounted on the disk mounting base34dis located on the relaying position of point P1.

Subsequently, a disk1before inspection mounted on the disk mounting base34bis transferred by the disk handling robot4to a disk inspection machine from which a disk1completed of the inspection is detached and loaded thereon. At the same time, a disk1after inspection mounted on the disk mounting base34dat the relaying position of point P1is chucked by the outer circumference chuck mechanism53and is transferred to a classed cassette by the disk handling robot5(see FIG.3B(j)).

On the other hand, the disk handling robot4enters in period of waiting for inspection completion by one of the respective disk inspection machines6a˜6d. In this inspection waiting period, a disk1before inspection is transferred to the relaying position of point P1by the disk handling robot5and mounted on the disk mounting base34d(see FIG.3B(k)).

Meantime, when the disk inspection is completed at one of the respective disk inspection machines6a˜6d, the disk1after inspection is detached from the concerned disk inspection machine. The detached disk1is chucked by the outer circumference chuck machine43, transferred to the relaying position of point P2by the disk handling robot4and mounted on the disk mounting base34blocated at point P2(see FIG.3B(l)).

Then, When the disk1after inspection is mounted on the disk mounting base34b, the data process/control unit7rotatively drives the crossed arms31by 90° in anticlockwise direction. Thus, the crossed arms31assume the previous condition as shown in FIG.3B(i).

However, at this moment, the disk mounting base34clocates at the position of point P2and the disk mounting base34alocates at the position of point P1. In that, the crossed arms31assume a condition where the same rotate further 90° in anticlockwise direction from the previous condition as shown in FIG.3B(i).

After this, in response to rotative drive of the crossed arms31by 90° in anticlockwise direction by the data process/control unit7at a timing after a disk1after inspection is mounted on a disk mounting base at the relaying position of point P2at the lower side of the crossed arms31, the conditions as shown in FIG.3B(i)˜(l) are successively repeated with regard to the respective disk mounting bases34a˜34d. As a result, the feed of disks1before inspection, discharge of disks1after inspection and the load/unload of the disks1to the disk inspection machines are continuously performed.

Further, the selection of a classed cassette is performed by the data process/control unit7according to the inspection result of the disk1after inspection mounted on the disk mounting base34d.

Further, when the discharge of a disk1after inspection to the cassette side and the feed of a disk1before inspection at point P1are delayed from the mounting of a disk1after inspection at the point P2, the rotative drive by 90° in anticlockwise direction of the crossed arms31is performed after the delayed feed at the point P1of a disk1before inspection from the cassette side is completed.

Although four disk mounting bases are used in the embodiment as has been explained hitherto, the number of disk mounting bases is not limited to four, but the number of two or more than two is sufficient in the present invention.

Further, in the embodiment, as the accommodation cassettes for accommodating disks after inspection, a plurality of classed cassettes corresponding to the classification according to the inspection result are prepared on the turntable. However, in the present invention, a single accommodation cassette to be prepared is also acceptable. Because even with the single accommodation cassette, data management which allocates the inspection result depending on the disk accommodation positions in the single accommodation cassette can be realized in a data processing unit.

Further, in the present invention, two kinds of accommodation cassettes can be provided, in that one for disks after inspection determined as good and the other for disks after inspection determined as no good.

Still further, in the embodiment, as an embodiment to which the work handling mechanism is applied, a disk inspection system is exemplified, however, the present invention is, of course, applicable such as to a magnetic head inspection system in which magnetic heads serve as works and to handlings of other electronic parts (works).