Coating apparatus – Solid applicator contacting work – With work-handling or work-supporting
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-09
2003-04-15
Crispino, Richard (Department: 1734)
Coating apparatus
Solid applicator contacting work
With work-handling or work-supporting
C118S239000, C118S262000, C118S503000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06547879
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrode forming apparatus for electric parts, in particular, to an electrode forming apparatus that can easily form electrodes on board-shaped electric parts in turn by conveying the board-shaped electric parts with their attitudes kept fixed.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the prior art, electric parts are conveyed by a conveying tape that is intermittently moved.
When electrodes have to be provided on the electric parts, the electric parts are sent to an electrode forming apparatus. The electric forming apparatus carries out a predetermined electrode-forming operation to the electric parts.
In order to improve the efficiency of the electrode-forming operation, it is preferable that the electrode-forming operation is carried out to the electric parts remaining held by the conveying tape, that is, without being removed from the conveying tape.
Inventors of the present invention have developed a conveying tape
90
as shown in
FIGS. 11A and 11B
, previous to the present invention.
FIG. 11A
shows a plan view of the conveying tape
90
and
FIG. 11B
shows a cross section view taken along b—b line of the FIG.
11
A.
As shown in
FIGS. 11A and 11B
, the conveying tape
90
consists of a conveying tape body
91
, a plurality of work holders
92
attached to the conveying tape body
91
, and a plurality of feeding holes
93
formed in the conveying tape body
91
. The conveying tape body
91
is made of a material hard to stretch, in order to assure highly accurate positioning thereof. However, the work holder
92
are made of elastic rubber, in order to stably hold electric parts
94
as works.
The above conveying tape
90
can hold and convey the electric part
94
as the works stably. However, because of the elasticity of the work holders
92
, the electric parts
94
held by the conveying tape
90
may move away from their desired positions when electric conductive paste is directly applied thereto. Therefore, it is difficult that the electric conductive paste is applied to predetermined areas of the electric parts
94
.
Inventors of the present invention have conducted many examinations and investigations. Then, they have found that a mechanism for sandwiching the electric parts
94
from both sides thereof can give substantially the same pressing force to the both sides in order to prevent the electric parts
94
from moving away from their desired positions.
However, in the conveying tape
90
described above, it is difficult to form thinner work holders
92
. Thus, as shown in
FIG. 11B
, both ends of an electric part
94
(a work) may not protrude from both sides of a work holder
92
when the electric part
94
is low (the work is small).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of this invention is to solve the above problems, that is, to provide an electrode forming apparatus that can easily form electrodes on board-shaped electric parts in turn by conveying the board-like electric parts with their attitudes kept fixed.
In order to achieve the object, an electrode forming apparatus for electric parts includes: a tape having holding holes for holding board-shaped electric parts at regular intervals along a length thereof; a driving mechanism for feeding the tape in the direction of the length thereof; and a pasting unit for applying electric conductive paste to the board-shaped electric parts held by the holding holes of the tape fed by the driving mechanism, in order to form a electrode. In the case, each of the holding holes has a pair of opposite abutting edges for abutting on both opposite surfaces of the board-shaped electric parts, and at least one cutout portion formed in one of the abutting edges.
According to this invention, the board-shaped electric parts can be held by the pair of abutting edges. Thus, the electric parts can be conveyed with their attitude kept fixed regardless of adverse influences such as vibrations from the moving tape. Therefore, the electric conductive paste can be applied to predetermined areas of the electric parts more accurately without removing the electric parts from the conveying tape.
The pasting unit may have a pasting wheel that has an elastic cylindrical surface and a groove provided in the cylindrical surface. In the case, the cylindrical surface of the pasting wheel may be adapted to be deformed by the board-shaped electric parts held by the holding holes of the tape fed by the driving mechanism.
Preferably, a feeding speed of the tape and a moving speed of the cylindrical surface may be substantially identical with each other at least while the cylindrical surface is contact with the board-shaped electric parts held by the holding holes of the tape fed by the driving mechanism.
The pasting wheel may rotate continuously at a substantially constant speed. Alternatively, the pasting wheel may rotate intermittently.
The pasting wheel may have a plurality of parallel grooves provided in the cylindrical surface.
Preferably, the pasting unit may have a pair of pasting wheels. In the case, each of the pair of pasting wheels may have an elastic cylindrical surface and a groove provided in the cylindrical surface. In addition, the pair of pasting wheels may be arranged in such a manner that the cylindrical surfaces of the pasting wheels can sandwich the board-shaped electric parts held by the holding holes of the tape fed by the driving mechanism. In addition, each of cylindrical surfaces of the pasting wheels may be adapted to be deformed by the board-shaped electric parts held by the holding holes of the tape fed by the driving mechanism.
Preferably, a feeding speed of the tape and respective moving speeds of the cylindrical surfaces of the pair of pasting wheels may be substantially identical at least while the cylindrical surfaces are contact with the board-shaped electric parts held by the holding holes of the tape fed by the driving mechanism.
The pair of pasting wheels may rotate continuously at a substantially constant speed. Alternatively, the pair of pasting wheels may rotate intermittently.
Each of the pasting wheels may have a plurality of parallel grooves provided in the cylindrical surface.
For example, the tape is made of paper.
Preferably, the pair of abutting edges are parallel with each other.
Preferably, the cutout portion is formed in a central portion of each of the abutting edges so that each of the holding holes is cross-shaped.
Alternatively, the cutout portion may be formed in an end portion of each of the abutting edges so that each of the holding holes is T-shaped.
Preferably, the tape has feeding holes at regular intervals along the length thereof and the driving mechanism has engaging means for engaging the feeding holes for feeding operation.
Preferably, a drying unit is provided for drying the electric conductive paste applied to the board-shaped electric parts by the pasting unit.
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Chiba Minoru
Kobayashi Isao
Ogasawara Fukashi
Saito Akira
Crispino Richard
Jacobson & Holman PLLC
Koch, III George R.
Tokyo Weld Co., Ltd.
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