Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Electrical device making
Patent
1998-02-24
2000-03-28
Young, Lee
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Electrical device making
29721, 29740, 29741, 29837, H05K 330
Patent
active
060414944
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a method implemented in an electronic component mounting apparatus for mounting electronic components automatically onto a circuit board.
BACKGROUND ART
A conventional electronic component mounting apparatus will be explained referring to FIGS. 9 and 10 which are a schematic view of the apparatus and a flowchart of controlling the same, respectively.
An electronic component feeding means 1 comprises a movable table 2, component feeders 3, and a drive mechanism 4. The component feeders 3 are mounted in a row parallel to each other on the movable table 2 which is driven in the X-axis direction by the drive mechanism 4 including a motor. Each of the component feeders 3 includes a reel 5 for storage of a tape on which a multiplicity of electronic components are carried in a row. As the tape is drawn out to a component feeding position 6, the electronic components are picked up one by one.
An electronic component mounting means 7 comprises a drive mechanism 8, a speed reducer 9, an input shaft 10, an indexing device 11, a rotary body 12, and nozzles 13 (13a to 13d) for picking up electronic components by suction. As power is transmitted from the drive mechanism 8 via the speed reducer 9 to the indexing device 11, a continuous rotating motion of the input shaft 10 is converted to an intermittent rotation of the rotary body 12. The nozzles 13 (13a to 13d) are located at equal intervals about the rotary body 12, each nozzle being separately driven for rotation and vertical movements around and along their respective shafts.
When the component feeding position 6 of the component feeder 3 is defined just below one of the nozzles 13, the nozzle 13 is descended to pick up an electronic component 14 by suction (Step #1). After the nozzle 13 is lifted up, the rotary body 12 rotates to convey the electronic component 14 towards this side in FIG. 9. While being conveyed, the electronic component is examined by an electronic component suction detecting mechanism (not shown) whether it is held by suction or not (Step #2). The nozzle 13 is then positioned just above an imaging means 15 which takes an image of the electronic component 14 held by suction on the nozzle 13. The state of the electronic component 14 being attracted by suction is checked by analyzing the image of the electronic component 14 with a recognition controlling means 16 (Step #3). Based on the analyzed result, the position and angle of the electronic component 14 are corrected (Step #4). The correction is intended for determining the optimum mounting position and angle of the electronic component 14 to a circuit board 17.
The circuit board 17 on which electronic components are mounted is horizontally supported on a board support 18 which is linked to an X-axis drive mechanism 19 and a Y-axis drive mechanism 20 for moving and positioning the circuit board 17 at a desired position in the horizontal plane.
For mounting the electronic component 14 onto the circuit board 17, the circuit board 17 is adjusted to position a mounting location thereon just below the nozzle 13. When the nozzle 13 is descended, it releases and places the electronic component 14 at the mounting location on the circuit board 17 (Step #5). Then, the nozzle 13 is lifted up and returned.
A single electronic component 14 is mounted through carrying out such series of actions. For mounting a plurality of electronic components 14, the series of actions as described above are repeated for each one of the electronic components 14 (Step #6) according to the predetermined data on mounting positions and order.
After a long run of operation for mounting electronic components 14 onto the circuit board 17, the nozzle 13 may be fouled at its tip or damaged inside (e.g. nozzle choking or valve failure), hence failing to perform stable sucking action of the electronic component 14. For example, if the tip of the nozzle 13 attracting the electronic component 14 is fouled, its image taken by the imaging means 15 may appear different from a normal state
REFERENCES:
patent: 5383270 (1995-01-01), Iwatsuka
patent: 5704897 (1998-01-01), Truppe
Hada Junichi
Mimura Yoshihiro
Yoshida Noriaki
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Smith Sean
Young Lee
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