Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor system for moving a specific load as a separate unit – System includes an oscillating or reciprocating load...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-31
2002-01-08
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor system for moving a specific load as a separate unit
System includes an oscillating or reciprocating load...
C198S468200, C198S803500, C198S476100, C198S477100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06336548
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for positioning an electronic component holder head and an apparatus for transferring an electronic component (“EC”).
2. Related Art Statement
Japanese Patent Application laid open for inspection under Publication No. 2-69999 discloses an EC holder head which is employed by an EC mounting system for mounting one or more ECs on an object such as a printed circuit board (“PCB”). The prior EC mounting system includes a rotatable table which is intermittently rotatable about a vertical axis line, and a plurality of head supporting devices which are supported by the rotatable table such that the head supporting devices are equiangularly spaced from each other about the vertical axis line of- the rotatable table and such that each of the head supporting devices is movable in a direction parallel to the vertical axis line. Each of the head supporting devices supports an EC holder head such that the EC holder head extends parallel to the vertical axis line of the rotatable table and such that the EC holder head is rotatable about an axis line thereof. As the rotatable table is intermittently rotated, each of the head supporting devices is sequentially stopped at each of the same number of stop stations as that of the supporting devices. At an EC sucking station as one of the stop stations, each of the head supporting devices is moved up and down by an elevating and lowering device, so that the EC holder head supported by said each head supporting device sucks up an EC from an EC supplying device. Meanwhile, at an image taking station as one of the stop stations, an image of the EC held by the EC holder head is taken by an image taking device, so that an angular position error of the EC about an axis line of the EC holder head is calculated based on the image data provided by the image taking device and the calculated angular position error of the EC is corrected by rotating the EC holder head about the axis line thereof. After the angular position error of the EC is corrected, the head supporting device is moved to an EC mounting station as one of the stop stations, where the head supporting device is lowered by another elevating and lowering device, so that the EC holder head supported thereby mounts the EC on a PCB.
However, the above-identified prior EC mounting system can stop each of the head supporting devices at only one circumferential stop position in each of the plurality of stop stations, and cannot change or move the only one circumferential stop position in the circumferential direction of the rotatable table. Likewise, the prior EC mounting system can position each of the EC holder heads at only one position relative to the corresponding head supporting device in the direction parallel to the vertical axis line of the rotatable table, and cannot change or move the only one relative position in the direction parallel to the vertical axis line. In addition, the prior EC mounting system can move each of the EC holder heads along only one movement path and cannot change or move at least a portion of the movement path to another path whose position in a direction normal to that portion of the movement path is different from that of the portion of the movement path.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus wherein at least one of (a) a circumferential or rotating-direction stop position of a rotary member which carries an EC holder head and is rotatable about an axis line while describing a circular locus and (b) a position of the EC holder head relative to the rotary member in a direction parallel to the axis line is selectively changeable.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which includes a plurality of rotary members which are rotatable about a common axis line independently of each other and each of which carries an EC holder head and wherein at least one of (a) a rotating-direction position of at least one of the rotary members and (b) a position of the EC holder head carried by at least one of the rotary members relative to said one rotary member in a direction parallel to the common axis line is selectively changeable.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which includes a drive cam and at least one cam follower which cooperate with each other to rotate a rotary member and wherein a rotating-direction stop position of the rotary member is easily and selectively changeable.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus wherein a stationary cam and at least one cam follower are employed for easily and selectively changing a position of an EC holder head relative to an rotary member in a direction parallel to an axis line about which the rotary member is rotatable.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which includes an EC holder head which is movable along a circular movement path or an EC holder head which is movable along a straight movement path and wherein at least one of (a) an on-path stop position on the circular or straight movement path and (b) an intersecting-direction stop position spaced from the circular or straight movement path in a direction intersecting the movement path is selectively changeable.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an EC transferring apparatus which can select, as at least a portion of a movement path along which an EC holder head is movable, one of a plurality of selectable paths which have different positions, respectively, in a direction intersecting that portion of the movement path.
The present invention provides an EC holder head positioning apparatus, an EC transferring apparatus, and an EC mounting system which have one or more of the technical features which are described below in respective paragraphs given parenthesized sequential numbers (1) to (25). Any technical feature which includes another technical feature shall do so by referring, at the beginning, to the number given to that technical feature. Thus, two or more of the following technical features may be combined, if appropriate. Each technical feature may be accompanied by a supplemental explanation, as needed.
(1) According to a first feature of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for positioning each of a plurality of electronic component holder heads each for holding an electronic component, at a selected one of a plurality of positions of at least one stop station, comprising a plurality of rotary members each of which is rotatable about a common axis line and is stoppable at the at least one stop station, the electronic component holder heads being carried by the rotary members, respectively, such that each of the holder heads is movable relative to a corresponding one of the rotary members in a direction parallel to the common axis line; and at least one of (a) a circumferential position selecting device which selects, for the stop station, one of a plurality of circumferential positions which are spaced from each other in a direction of rotation of the rotary members about the common axis line, so that at least one of the rotary members is stopped at the selected circumferential position and accordingly the electronic component holder head carried by the one rotary member is positioned at the selected one position, and (b) an axial position selecting device which selects, for the stop station, one of a plurality of axial positions which are spaced from each other in the direction parallel to the common axis line, so that at least one of the holder heads is positioned at the selected axial position as the selected one position. The present positioning apparatus can select one of the plurality of circumferential positions and/or one of the plurality of axial positions. Accordingly, in the case where the present positioning apparatus is employed by, e.g., an EC mounting system having an EC sucking station and an EC mounting station, the present app
Asai Koichi
Suhara Shinsuke
Dillon, Jr. Joe
Ellis Christopher P.
Fuji Machine Mfg. Co. Ltd.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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