Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – Means to assemble electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-02
2001-02-06
Harrison, Jessica J. (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
Means to assemble electrical device
C029S834000, C029S833000, C029S721000, C348S087000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182355
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The increased complexity of integrated circuits resulted in packages with large numbers of terminals for connection with printed circuit boards (PCBs) and other types of carriers interconnecting integrated circuits with each other and devices external to such carriers. A number of placement apparatuses are available on the market or disclosed in the literature, including German patent document DD 242 320 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,304. Placement apparatuses are used for proper positioning of electronic components, especially components with large numbers of terminals, on a recipient, such as on PCBs and other carriers, using surface mount technologies. Part of such an apparatus is an X-Y table for holding the recipient and a placement arm for handling the electronic component using e.g. a vacuum holder. The bottom side of the component held by the placement arm in a first position and the mounting side of the carrier are illuminated by a light source. A semipermeable optical component such as a prism is arranged in such a fashion that a combined view is generated showing the real picture of the positioning location of the electronic component on the mounting side of the carrier and the virtual picture of the bottom side of the electronic component. By movement of the X-Y table the picture of the positioning location is moved relative to the picture of the underside of the electronic component until corresponding elements in both pictures match. Thereafter, without further movement of the X-Y table the placement arm with the electronic component is rotated from its first position by 90° towards the placement position opposite the mounting surface side of the carrier until the terminals of the electronic component contact the corresponding pads on the carrier. After performing a solder operation the electronic component is released from the placement arm, which then returns to its original first position.
During the 90° rotation of the placement arm the terminals of the electronic component located close to the rotational axis of the placement arm touch the surface of the carrier first, while the terminals further away from the rotational axis of the placement arm are last to touch the surface of the carrier. This means that the electronic component is not coplanar with the surface of the carrier while it is placed on the carrier. Significant errors in placement may result.
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The component placement apparatus of the present invention includes means for advancing the electronic component to be placed so that the component is held by the placement arm coplanar to the surface of the carrier just prior to its placement, and then is placed in position on the carrier in a linear movement normal to the carrier surface.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide for coplanar positioning of an electronic component relative to the surface of a component carrier prior and during final placement of the component.
It is another object of the invention to provide for coplanar placement of an electronic component relative to the surface of a component carrier prior and during placement of the component in a placement apparatus having a rotating placement arm.
It is another object of the invention to provide for an apparatus for placement of electronic components on a component carrier using a rotational placement arm with combined rotational and linear placement movement for the electronic component.
It is another object of the invention to provide for an apparatus for placement of electronic components on a component carrier using a rotational placement arm having a near-placement position and a placement position.
It is another object of the invention to provide for an apparatus for placement of electronic components on a component carrier using a rotational placement arm in which the electronic component is moved between the base or loading position of the placement arm and the near-placement position substantially on a circular path, and in which the component is moved linearly between the near-placement position and the placement position.
It is another object of the invention to provide for an apparatus for placement of electronic components on a component carrier using a rotational placement arm in which the electronic component is moved from the base position of the placement arm in a substantially quarter circle into a near-placement position coplanar with the surface of the carrier, and in which the component is moved linearly between the near-placement position and the placement position.
It is another object of the invention to provide for an apparatus for placement of electronic components on a component carrier using a rotational placement arm in which the electronic component is moved from the base position of the placement arm in a substantially quarter circle into a near-placement position in which the electronic component is positioned coplanar with the surface of the carrier, wherein the substantially quarter circle is less than 90° and includes a first part which is rotational and a second part which consists of a combination of a rotational movement and an eccentric controlled second movement.
It is another object of the invention to provide for an apparatus for placement of electronic components on a component carrier using a rotational placement arm in which the electronic component is moved from the base position of the placement arm in a substantially quarter circle into a near-placement position in which the electronic component is positioned coplanar with the surface of the carrier, wherein the substantially quarter circle movement is less than 90° and includes a first part which is rotational and a second part which consists of a combination of a rotational movement and an eccentric controlled linear movement.
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patent: 5942083 (1999-08-01), Sugiyama
patent: 5992013 (1999-11-01), Morita
patent: 5-152356 (1993-06-01), None
Harrison Jessica J.
Schenck Paul F.
Trinh Minh
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