Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – Means to assemble electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-04
2004-08-03
Trinh, Minh (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
Means to assemble electrical device
C029S743000, C029S742000, C029S741000, C029S721000, C029S832000, C029S833000, C029SDIG004, C414S737000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06769172
ABSTRACT:
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-062862 filed on Mar. 7, 2001, the contents of which are incorporated hereinto by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an electric-component mounting system arranged to mount electric components (typically, electronic components) on a circuit substrate, and more particularly to techniques for improving the efficiency of mounting of the electric components.
2. Discussion of Related Art
JP-A-6-342998 discloses an example of an electric-component mounting system including a plurality of component-holding heads which are arranged around a common axis of turning and turned about this common axis, to mount electric components on a circuit substrate. The component-holding heads are disposed on an indexing body rotatable about a vertical axis, such that the component-holding heads are equiangularly spaced apart from each other along a circle having a center on the vertical axis of rotation of the indexing body. With a rotary intermittent motion of the indexing body, the component-holding heads are turned about the vertical axis of rotation of the indexing body (which is the above-indicated common axis of turning of the heads). The indexing body has a plurality of working positions or stations at which the component-holding heads are temporarily stopped. These working positions includes a component-receiving position and a component-mounting position. At the component-receiving position, the component-holding head receives an electric component from a component supply device. At the component-mounting position, the electric component is transferred from the component-holding head onto the circuit substrate.
Each of the component-holding heads includes a plurality of suction nozzles, and a nozzle holder which holds those suction nozzles and is rotatable about an axis thereof to bring a selected one of the suction nozzles into the operating position. The nozzle holder is rotated by a nozzle-holder rotating device, and has an engaging portion. The nozzle-holder rotating device is disposed at one of the above-indicated plurality of working positions, and includes an engaging member engageable with and disengageable from the engaging portion of the nozzle holder, for rotating the nozzle holder so as to select one of the suction nozzles held by the nozzle holder. Conventionally, a head turning device including the indexing body for turning the component-holding heads about the above-indicated common axis of turning is held off until the desired suction nozzle has been brought into the operating position by the nozzle-holder rotating device. Where a nozzle-selecting time required for bringing the desired suction nozzle into the operating position is longer than the times required for completing the other working operations such as the time required for the component-holding heads to receive and hold the electric components and the time required for the heads to mount the electric components on the circuit substrate, the time during which the head turning device must be held off is determined by the nozzle-selecting time, which is the longest required working time. Thus, the nozzle-selecting time may be one of factors that lower the efficiency of component-mounting operations of the electric-component mounting system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electric-component mounting system which assures an improvement in the efficiency of mounting of electric components. This object may be achieved according to any one of the following modes of the present invention in the form of an electric-component mounting system, each of which is numbered like the appended claims and depends from the other mode or modes, where appropriate, to indicate and clarify possible combinations of elements or technical features. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the technical features or any combinations thereof which will be described for illustrative purpose only. It is to be further understood that a plurality of elements or features included in any one of the following modes of the invention are not necessarily provided all together, and that the invention may be embodied without some of the elements or features described with respect to the same mode.
(1) An electric-component mounting system comprising:
a plurality of nozzle holders each of which carries a plurality of suction nozzles and is rotatable to bring a selected one of the suction nozzles into an operating position thereof, the each nozzle holder having an engaging portion:
a turning device operable to turn the plurality of nozzle holders about a common axis of turning, for sequentially stopping each of the nozzle holders at a plurality of predetermined working positions including a nozzle-selecting position, a component-receiving position and a component-mounting position, so that the each nozzle holder receives an electric component at the selected one suction nozzle placed in the operating position, when the each nozzle holder is located at the component-receiving position, and mounts the electric component onto a circuit substrate when the each nozzle holder is located at the component-mounting position;
a holder rotating device including an engaging member engageable with and disengageable from the engaging portion of the each nozzle holder, the holder rotating device being disposed at the nozzle-selecting position and operable to rotate the nozzle holder located at the nozzle selecting position, while the engaging member is in engagement with the engaging portion; and
an engaging-and-disengaging device operable to move the engaging member for engagement and disengagement with and from the engaging portion,
wherein the holder rotating device is arranged to rotate the engaging member, while permitting a movement of the engaging member in at least a direction of turning of each nozzle holder by turning device.
In the electric-component mounting system according to the above mode (1) of this invention, the holder rotating device is arranged to rotate the engaging member, while permitting a movement of the engaging member in the direction of turning of the nozzle holders by the turning device. This arrangement permits a rotary motion of the engaging member to be transmitted to the engaging portion of each nozzle holder, while the engaging member is moved in the direction of turning of the nozzle holder. Accordingly, at least a portion of the rotary motion of the nozzle holder to bring a selected one of the suction nozzles into the operating position can be effected while the nozzle holder is turned by the turning device. Conventionally, the rotation of the nozzle holder to select the desired suction nozzle is effected only while the nozzle holder is stopped at the nozzle-selecting position, that is, only while the turning of the nozzle holder is suspended. In this conventional arrangement, the nozzle holder is required to be stopped at the nozzle-selecting position for a comparatively long time, and this long stop time of the nozzle holder may be a factor that lowers the efficiency of mounting of the electric components. The holder rotating device arranged according to the present invention makes it possible to effectively avoid such a drawback. The holder rotating device may have a specific arrangement as described below with respect to the following mode (2), for rotating the engaging member while permitting the engaging member to be moved in at least the direction of turning of the nozzle holder by the turning device. However, the arrangement of the holder rotating device according to the following mode (2) is not essential. For instance, the holder rotating device may be arranged to rotate the engaging member while the holder rotating device as a whole is permitted to be moved in the direction of turning of the nozzle holder.
(2) An electric-component mounting system according to the above mode (1), wherein the holder rotati
Mizuno Takayuki
Suhara Shinsuke
Tsuchiya Yusuke
Fuji Machine Mfg. Co. Ltd.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Trinh Minh
LandOfFree
Electric-component mounting system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Electric-component mounting system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Electric-component mounting system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3358321