Electric heating – Metal heating – By arc
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-23
2001-10-16
Dunn, Tom (Department: 1764)
Electric heating
Metal heating
By arc
C219S121600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06303902
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a processing apparatus and a processing method used in processing thin sheet-like articles for multilayer boards of electric appliances, etc. with the use of, e.g., a laser.
Processing with laser light has been considered for thin sheet articles of resin or metal used for multilayer boards or the like where high-density electronic circuits are to be formed, so as to process fine patterns at required points at high speed with high accuracy. In producing three-dimensional highly integrated boards, high process accuracy is required particularly to form through holes (via holes) for via electrodes of the multilayer board. At the same time, the laser processing is required to be carried out to each of as many circuits as possible arranged in matrix on one base thin sheet article of a large area to meet low-cost production.
In order to accurately process surfaces of thin sheet bodies of a large area by a laser, the sheet article is placed and held on a table and then the laser light is projected on the article to process it.
However, since the article is placed on the table, via holes can not be formed in the article with the laser light because the surface of the table might be subjected to some damage when the via holes are formed in the article.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is devised to solve the above-described inconvenience, and has for its object to provide an apparatus and a method whereby via holes can be formed in thin sheet-like articles with laser light without any damage to a member for supporting the articles.
In accomplishing these and other aspects, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus for sheet-like articles, which comprises:
a tension device for holding a sheet-like article while applying a tensile force to the sheet-like article;
a holding member for holding a part of a periphery of a process area of the sheet-like article when the sheet-like article is processed at the processing area;
a moving device for relatively moving the sheet-like article and the holding member to form a plurality of the process areas in the sheet-like article in a state wherein the sheet-like article is pulled by the tension device and held by the holding member; and
a control device for letting the moving device relatively move the sheet-like article and the holding member with preventing the holding member from rubbing the process areas already formed in the sheet-like article.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus for sheet-like articles according to the first aspect, wherein the part of the periphery of the process area held by the holding member is located in parallel to a row direction of the sheet-like article in the case of the relative movement by the moving device in the row direction and at a forward side of the movement in the case of the relative movement in a column direction of the sheet-like article so that the holding member does not rub the already processed areas of the sheet-like article.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus for sheet-like articles according to the first or second aspect, wherein the sheet-like article is processed by laser light, and the apparatus further comprising a laser light projection device for projecting the laser light for the processing to the sheet-like article.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus for sheet-like articles according to the third aspect, wherein the sheet-like article is processed to form a through hole by laser light, and the apparatus further comprising a laser light projection device for projecting the laser light for the processing to the sheet-like article.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus for sheet-like articles according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the holding of the sheet-like article by the holding member is achieved through a suction operation, and the apparatus further comprising a sucking device for performing the suction operation.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for processing sheet-like articles, which comprises:
holding a sheet-like article while applying a tensile force to the sheet-like article to be processed and holding a part of a periphery of a process area to be processed of the sheet-like article by a holding member; and
relatively moving the sheet-like article and the holding member in order to form a plurality of the process areas in the sheet-like article in such manner that the process areas already formed in the sheet-like article are not rubbed by the holding member while the part of the periphery of the process area is held.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for processing sheet-like articles according to the sixth aspect, whereby the sheet-like article is processed by laser light.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for processing sheet-like articles according to the seventh aspect, whereby the sheet-like article is processed to form a through hole by laser light.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for processing sheet-like articles according to the sixth, seventh or eighth aspect, whereby the holding of the part of the periphery of the process area is achieved through a suction operation.
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Muneyuki Ken
Nakai Izuru
Dunn Tom
Johnson Jonathan
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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