Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – Means to assemble electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-29
2002-08-06
Arbes, Carl J. (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
Means to assemble electrical device
C029S741000, C029S742000, C029S739000, C029S750000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06427320
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic component-mounting apparatus of a multi-function type for mounting electronic components supplied by using a pallet, on a circuit board.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, an electronic component-mounting apparatus of this kind is known in which electronic components are directly fed to a main block thereof by bringing a pallet to a predetermined position in a pickup area of the main block, the pallet carrying thereon a single or a plurality of trays on which a lot of electronic components are juxtaposed (as disclosed e.g. in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 3-257896). Such an electronic component-mounting apparatus includes an elevating mechanism for lifting and lowering pallets each carrying trays thereon to selectively guide the pallets to the level of a transfer path of the main block of the apparatus, a pallet guide device for drawing out the selected pallet from the elevating mechanism to the predetermined position in the pickup area along the transfer path, and a component-mounting device for picking up electronic components from the drawn-out pallet and mounting the same on a circuit board by using mounting heads thereof. Each pallet is lifted or lowered to the level of the transfer path by the elevating mechanism to be horizontally drawn out to the predetermined position in the pickup area by the pallet guide device.
The pallet guide device includes an engaging arm unit having an engaging arm rotatable to engage with a front edge of a pallet from above and a solenoid for actuating the engaging arm for engagement with and disengagement from the pallet, and a unit-moving device for moving the engaging arm unit forward and backward along the transfer path by using a motor as a drive source therefor. To draw out a pallet from the elevating mechanism, first the unit-moving device is driven to advance the engaging arm and the solenoid. When the engaging arm has reached the pallet, the engaging arm and the solenoid are stopped. Then, the solenoid is energized (or deenergized) to rotate the engaging arm to engage the same with the pallet. In this state, the engaging arm and the solenoid are moved backward to thereby draw out the pallet to the predetermined position in the pickup area. When a used pallet is returned to the elevating mechanism, the returning operation is carried out by completely reversing the above procedure.
The elevating mechanism and the pallet guide device are adjusted to operate at respective low speeds so as to prevent electronic components from leaving or jumping out of each component-holding groove in the tray. That is, each pallet is guided far more slowly than each mounting head carries out a sequence of operations required to pick up and mount an electronic component on the circuit board. When pallets are replaced, each mounting head has to wait until it is permitted to operate, resulting in an increase in tact time as a whole.
Further, in the case of the above-mentioned conventional electronic component-mounting apparatus, the pallet guide device is required to have two actuators (drive sources), i.e. a motor for the unit-moving device and a solenoid for the engaging arm unit, so that the conventional electronic component-mounting apparatus is complicated in construction. Moreover, the motor and the solenoid are driven in a manner interlocked with each other, which complicates the control of the apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the invention to provide an electronic component-mounting apparatus which is capable of minimizing a time period during which each mounting head has to wait to start operation.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a component-feeding device for an electronic component-mounting apparatus, which is capable of guiding a pallet to a pickup position by a simple construction and control system.
To attain the first object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an electronic component-mounting apparatus comprising:
a pallet-storing block for storing a plurality of pallets each carrying thereon a tray containing a large number of electronic components;
transfer means for moving a desired pallet selected from the pallets along a transfer path, in a manner such that the desired pallet is advanced to be introduced into a pickup area which extends to cover almost all of the transfer path or withdrawn from the pickup area toward the pallet-storing block;
component-mounting means for sequentially picking up desired electronic components from the desired pallet introduced into the pickup area and mounting the desired electronic components on a circuit board; and
control means for controlling the transfer means in a manner such that at least part of the desired pallet is moved to a desired position in the pickup area.
According to this electronic component-mounting apparatus, the pickup area from which electronic components are picked up is expanded to substantially the whole area of the transfer path, whereby it is possible to pick up electronic components from a pallet introduced to or positioned at any location on the transfer path the pallet is guided. Further, a desired pallet drawn out from the pallet-storing block can be introduced to a desired position in the transfer path, which makes it possible to introduce the desired pallet to a suitable position in the above transfer path, while taking into account a speed at which the component-mounting means carries out its electronic component-pickup and mounting operations such that the electronic component-mounting means does not have to wait for the desired pallet to be brought to a proper or predetermined position.
Preferably, the component-mounting means includes a mounting head,
the mounting head sequentially picking up and mounting the desired electronic components on the circuit board.
According to this electronic component-mounting apparatus, a desired pallet drawn out from the pallet storing block can be introduced to a desired position in the transfer path, which makes it possible to introduce the desired pallet to a suitable position in the above passage, while taking into account a speed at which the mounting head carries out its electronic component-pickup and mounting operations such that the mounting head does not have to wait for the desired pallet to be brought to a proper or predetermined position.
More preferably, the electronic components are juxtaposed within the tray in a plurality of rows,
the control means controlling the transfer means in a manner such that the desired pallet is stepwise advanced to thereby sequentially introduce each of the rows into the pickup area,
the mounting head picking up desired electronic components from the each of the rows, as the each of the rows is sequentially brought into the pickup area.
According to this preferred embodiment, electronic components carried on a pallet can be sequentially picked up as each of rows of electronic components is sequentially brought into the pickup area, whereby it is possible to reduce the traveling distance of each pallet. Although this increases the traveling distance of the mounting head, the mounting head travels much faster than the pallet and hence it is possible to reduce the tact time (mounting time per circuit board) as a whole.
Alternatively, the control means controls the transfer means in a manner such that the desired pallet is advanced along the transfer path to a position at which the desired pallet is not completely drawn out of the pallet-storing block,
the mounting head sequentially picking up and mounting the desired electronic components on the circuit board when the desired pallet is in the position.
According to this preferred embodiment, the traveling distance of the desired pallet can be reduced similarly to the above embodiment, which makes it possible to reduce the tact time as a whole.
Further preferably, the electronic components are juxtaposed in the tray in a plurality of rows,
the control means controlli
Fukushima Yoshiharu
Oyama Kazuyoshi
Seto Katsuyuki
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
Smith Sean
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