Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – With work-holder for assembly
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-18
2001-04-24
Scherbel, David A. (Department: 3723)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
With work-holder for assembly
C269S903000, C269S310000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06219897
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic component mounting apparatus and method for mounting electronic components on boards to thereby produce electronic circuit boards, and more particularly, to an electronic component mounting apparatus equipped with an exchange device for exchanging support blocks which support the boards, and an electronic component mounting method of exchanging support blocks supporting the boards.
A conventional system will be described with reference to
FIGS. 5A and 5B
.
FIGS. 5A and 5B
are enlarged sectional views of an essential portion of a support block in a conventional electronic component mounting apparatus. In
FIGS. 5A and 5B
, a board
14
to which electronic components, etc. are mounted is positioned at a predetermined position over a support block
16
by a transfer belt device
15
. The support block
16
is then raised and the board
14
is held on support pins
17
provided in the support block
16
. After this, electronic components, etc. are mounted to the board
14
.
Setting positions of the support pins in the support block are selected depending on the desired characteristics of rear faces of boards to be produced. In switching the kind of boards in the conventional mounting apparatus, therefore, the support blocks should be changed in accordance with the desired characteristics of the rear faces of the boards, which requires additional processing time. In the case where the volume of production is relatively low and there are a wide variety of kinds of products, namely, boards to be made, this exchange of support blocks inconveniently deteriorates the productivity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic component mounting apparatus and method which shorten a time required for switching the kinds of boards to be produced and enhance the working efficiency of the facilities, thereby improving the productivity.
In accomplishing these and other objects, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic component mounting apparatus comprising:
a plurality of support blocks one of which supports a board when mounting an electronic component, wherein a support block is automatically selected from among the plurality of support blocks and exchanged in accordance with the switching of the kind of boards to be supported by the support block.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic component mounting apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, further comprising: a storing device for storing the plurality of support blocks; and a support block moving device for selecting one of the support blocks stored in the storing device in accordance with the switching of the kind of boards and moving the selected support block from the storing device to a position where the board is supported by the selected support block.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic component mounting apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, further comprising a single support block driving device for upwardly moving the support block to support the board when the electronic component is mounted on the board, downwardly moving the support block to stop supporting the board, and exchanging the support block with another support block.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic component mounting apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the support block moving device moves the support block upward to support the board when the electronic component is mounted on the board, and moves the support block downward to stop supporting the board.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic component mounting method comprising:
selecting one of a plurality of support blocks in correspondence with a kind of board to be supported, based on data indicating relationships between kinds of boards and the support blocks corresponding to the kinds of boards; and
exchanging a present support block with the selected support block.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic component mounting method according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, further comprising, before selecting the support block, inputting the data indicating the relationship between the kinds of boards and the support blocks corresponding to the kinds of boards.
According to seventh and eighth aspects of the present invention, there is provided an electronic component mounting method according to the fifth and sixth aspects of the present invention, further comprising displaying an error when the selected support block is not stored in a support block storing device.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic component mounting apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the support blocks are different with respect to the positions of pins provided for supporting the boards.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic component mounting apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the support blocks are different with respect to the positions of pins provided for supporting the boards.
According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic component mounting method according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, wherein the support blocks are different with respect to the positions of pins provided for supporting the boards.
According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic component mounting method according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, wherein the support blocks are different with respect to the positions of pins provided for supporting the boards.
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Inutsuka Ryoji
Nagai Yoshiyuki
Nakano Tomoyuki
Ohe Kunio
Sakon Hideo
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Scherbel David A.
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
Wilson Lee
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