Head module having linear motor

Details Head module having linear motor Head module having linear motor

2000-07-28

2002-07-30

Ramirez, Nestor (Department: 2834)

Electrical generator or motor structure

Dynamoelectric

Linear

C700S247000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06426573

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a head module incorporating linear motors, and more particularly to a head module having a plurality of linear motors applied to the head module and arranged to be interlaced with each other, thereby providing smaller head module in size and higher thrust, as well as fast and precisely controlled movement of the heads.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
With the advancement of technologies for fabricating semiconductor devices, the mass production of highly integrated semiconductor devices becomes made possible. There has been provided a surface mounting apparatus for meeting the need to fast and precisely mount such semiconductor devices into the printed circuit board (PCB).
The surface mounting apparatus comprises a feeder for supplying electronic components, a head for receiving the electronic component supplied from the feeder, a transferring means for moving the head carrying the electronic component and mounting the electronic component onto the PCB, and a carrier means for transferring the PCB. The surface mounting apparatus thus structured will be described below, with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1
shows a front view of a conventional surface mounting apparatus. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the apparatus comprises a base cabinet
50
, a pair of Y frames
52
arranged on the base frame
50
, and an X frame
54
bridging the two Y frames
52
. A head module
10
is located at a predetermined position of the X frame
54
. The pick and place operation of the head module
10
seats the electronic component
58
supplied from a tape feeder
60
onto the PCB
56
. A vision device
62
is used to properly position the electronic component at its origin location, and then the head module
10
mounts the electronic component onto the PCB
56
.
FIG. 2
shows a front view of the conventional head module shown in FIG.
1
. As shown in
FIG. 2
, the head module
10
comprises a plurality of heads
11
,
12
,
13
,
14
each of which employs each linear motor. The heads
11
,
12
,
13
,
14
have the linear motors
11
a
,
12
a
,
13
a
and
14
a
, air valves
11
b
,
12
b
,
13
b
,
14
b
and hollow shafts
11
c
,
12
c
,
13
c
,
14
c
, respectively.
To pick and hold the electronic component, the heads
11
,
12
,
13
,
14
vertically moves the hollow shafts
11
c
,
12
c
,
13
c
,
14
c
until leading ends of the hollow shafts
11
c
,
12
c
,
13
c
,
14
c
arrive at positions where the electronic components to be mounted are present. After the movements of the heads, air is controllably taken in through the air valves
11
b
,
12
b
,
13
b
,
14
b
, and then supplied into the hollow shafts
11
c
,
12
c
,
13
c
,
14
c
, so that the electronic components can be picked or seated at the predefined locations.
The heads of the head module
10
as described above are arranged to be separated at a constant distance ‘m’, as shown in FIG.
2
. The constantly maintained distance between the heads limits the dimension of the linear motors
11
a
,
12
b
,
13
a
,
14
a
, thus results in the provision of limited thrust from the motors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a head module in which a plurality of linear motors, applied to the head module for the surface mounting apparatus, are arranged to be interlaced with each other, and thus provides smaller head module in size and higher thrust, as well as fast and precisely controlled movement of the heads.
According to the present invention, there is provided a head module for use in a surface mounting apparatus and having a plurality of heads, the head module comprising: a plurality of heads each employing a linear motor as a driving source for vertically moving each of hollow shaft; the plurality of hollow shafts for holding surface-mounted parts; and a plurality of linear motors having the plurality of hollow shafts mounted therein and for vertically moving the shafts, respectively, wherein the linear motors are arranged to be interlaced with each other.
According to the present invention, there is provided a head module in which a plurality of linear motors, applied to the head module for the surface mounting apparatus, are arranged to be interlaced with each other, and thus provides smaller head module in size and higher thrust, as well as fast and precisely controlled movement of the head.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3730090 (1973-05-01), Lamberg et al.
patent: 4426907 (1984-01-01), Scholz
patent: 4508410 (1985-04-01), Canham
patent: 4927380 (1990-05-01), Reynolds
patent: 5515731 (1996-05-01), Weisshaar et al.
patent: 5889834 (1999-03-01), Vilsmeier et al.
patent: 5899373 (1999-05-01), Kamei
patent: 5960821 (1999-10-01), Johnson
patent: 6252705 (2001-06-01), Lo et al.
patent: 405041596 (1993-02-01), None

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