Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Electrical device making
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-24
2001-08-14
Arbes, Carl J. (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Electrical device making
C029S740000, C029S840000, C414S331090
Reexamination Certificate
active
06272743
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a board transfer method and apparatus, in particular, of the return-back system in which a board prior to a process, for example, component placement, is transferred onto a board positioning table such as an X-Y table by a loader unit, while another board after the component placement is transferred to the loader unit. The method and apparatus is for use in electronic component pick-and-place equipment in which electronic components are inserted or placed onto a printed circuit board.
BACKGROUND ART
In the recent years, the electronic component pick-and-place equipment is in many cases operated for batch production in terms of the flexible manufacturing system (wide-variety-of-types, low-volume production) and for environmental improvement for the production of printed circuit boards. As a result, there have arisen cases, in particular, where boards are transferred to and from a board stock rack and the electronic component pick-and-place equipment by using one robot. In the board transfer method and apparatus of this return-back system, advantageously, the installation space can be saved, while one robot will be sufficient for both the transfer of a board prior to component placement and the transfer of a board after the component placement, because the board after the component placement is returned to the position from where the board prior to component placement was transferred.
Conventionally, a board transfer apparatus of the return-back system as shown in
FIG. 10
comprises a pair of guide rails
2
having a drive device for guiding and transferring a board
1
, a link mechanism
3
for supporting the guide rails rotatably about a fulcrum, an air cylinder
4
for driving the link mechanism
3
to rotate about the fulcrum and thereby move the guide rails
2
up and down, and an X-Y table
5
for positioning the board.
With this arrangement, the board
1
on the X-Y table
5
after the component placement thereon is transferred onto the guide rails
2
that have been lowered by the air cylinder
4
and coupled with rails of the X-Y table
5
. The board
1
is then moved to the other end of the guide rails
2
. Subsequently, the board
1
after the component placement thereon is removed by a robot or the like, and then a board prior to component placement thereon is newly placed on the guide rails
2
.
Next, the board prior to component placement thereon is transferred onto the X-Y table
5
, and the guide rails
2
are driven by the air cylinder
4
so as to be moved up, and thereby separated from the X-Y table. This is the process in which boards are exchanged and transferred.
In such a conventional board transfer apparatus, on the X-Y table
5
, the board
1
after the component placement thereon is transferred from the X-Y table
5
via the guide rails
2
, and thereafter, a board prior to component placement thereon is transferred to the X-Y table via the guide rails
2
. Therefore, much time is required for the replacement of boards, which has been an obstacle to reducing the production cycle time.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a board transfer apparatus of the return-back system which allows the replacement of boards from and to a board positioning table to be accomplished in short time.
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a board transfer method in which a board is transferred from a loader unit into a position where a process is carried out on the board and, after the process is carried out, the processed board is returned back to the loader unit and removed therefrom.
The method comprises:
after the process is carried out on the board in the position, moving the processed board from the position onto an unloader unit, while simultaneously transferring a succeeding board prior to the process being performed thereon from the loader unit into the position;
thereafter, relatively moving the unloader unit or the loader unit above the board that is in the position until the unloader unit is coupled with the loader unit; and
delivering to the loader unit, and then discharging therefrom, the processed board that has been moved to the unloader unit.
delivering to the loader unit, and thereby discharging out, the processed board that has been moved to the unloader unit.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a board transfer method according to the first aspect, wherein a succeeding board prior to the process being performed thereon is positioned in the position during a period in which the unloader unit or the loader unit is moved above the board in the position so as to be coupled with the loader unit, and further the processed board that has been moved to the unloader unit is delivered to the loader unit.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a board transfer method according to the first aspect, wherein the process is to place components on the board and the processed board is a board after the placement of components thereon.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a board transfer method according to the second aspect, wherein the process is to place components on the board and the processed board is a board after the placement of components thereon.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a board transfer apparatus in which a board is transferred from a loader unit into a position where a process is carried out on the board and, after the process is carried out, the processed board is returned back to the loader unit and discharged therefrom.
The apparatus comprises:
an unloader unit for guiding and transferring a board;
a driver for moving the unloader unit or a loader unit along a direction in which the board is transferred;
a positioning table for positioning the board; and
a loader unit for transferring the board, wherein the unloader unit is coupled with the loader unit above the positioning table so that the board can be delivered therebetween.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a board transfer apparatus according to the fifth aspect, wherein the unloader unit is equipped with a pair of first guide rails having a drive device for guiding and transferring a board, the loader unit is equipped with a pair of second guide rails having a drive device for transferring the board, and the first guide rails of the unloader unit can be coupled with the second guide rails of the loader unit above the positioning table so that the board can be delivered therebetween.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a board transfer apparatus according to the fifth aspect, wherein the process is to place components on the board and the processed board is a board after the placement of components thereon.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a board transfer apparatus according to the sixth aspect, wherein the process is to place components on the board and the processed board is a board after the placement of components thereon.
According to the aspects of the invention, the board after the process such as component placement thereon is temporarily transferred from the position to the unloader unit, and then in this state a succeeding board is transferred from the loader unit to the position. The unloader unit is then coupled with the loader unit over the position, and the board is then discharged from the unloader unit to the loader unit. Therefore, the replacement of boards can be accomplished smoothly without uselessness.
This board transfer method allows the succeeding board prior to the process performed thereon to be positioned during the discharge process of the preceding board after the process has been performed thereon. Thus, the production efficiency can be enhanced.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4558983 (1985-12-01), Freeman et al.
patent: 4621967 (1986-11-01), Masada
patent
Nishimori Yuzo
Takaichi Susumu
Arbes Carl J.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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