Image analysis – Applications – Manufacturing or product inspection
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-09
2001-09-04
Boudreau, Leo (Department: 2621)
Image analysis
Applications
Manufacturing or product inspection
Reexamination Certificate
active
06285782
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic component mounting apparatus, an electronic component recognition device and an electronic component recognition method, through which electronic components can be recognized as an image when mounting them onto a substrate
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electronic component mounting apparatuses for mounting electronic components on a substrate, generally use an image recognition method to correct deviations in alignment of the electronic component in relation to its mounting position, in order to improve the accuracy of the electronic component mounting. In this method, a mounting head picks up an electronic component from a component feeder. A camera captures an image of the electronic component while it is being held by the mounting head. The captured image is visually processed to detect deviations in alignment of the electronic component in relation to the correct mounting position. When mounting the electronic component on a substrate, misalignment is corrected, and the position of the electronic component is determined correctly and accurately before the electronic component is mounted.
As a lighting method for the image recognition device which recognizes the electronic component by capturing an image, the following method is generally used. Conventionally, light is projected to a light diffuser panel employed behind an electronic component. A camera captures the light irregularly reflected from the light diffuser panel. In this method, the electronic component is located by a transmission recognition whereby the electronic component is recognized as a dark image.
The above-mentioned conventional lightening method, however, has had the following problems. Firstly, the amount of light radiated from behind the electronic component to the camera is small due to the incidence direction of the light from the light source and the nature of the light diffuser panel. Secondly, the light is not radiated evenly. This lack of light quantity and uneven radiation results in reduced accuracy in recognizing the electronic component.
The present invention aims at providing an electronic component mounting apparatus, an electronic component recognition device and an electronic component recognition method for an accurate recognition to correct misalignment in positioning of the electronic component.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The electronic component mounting apparatus of this invention comprises the following elements:
1) a mounting head;
2) a nozzle provided to the mounting head for holding the electronic component;
3) a first light source for radiating light of a first wavelength;
4) a second light source for radiating light of a different wavelength from that of the light from the first light source;
5) an image capturing device for capturing an image of the electronic component; and
6) at least one of a) a first light reflector mounted on the mounting head comprising, a first illuminating body which illuminates by absorbing the light from the first light source, and a first selectively transmitting body mounted adjacent to the first illuminating body, which transmits the light from the first light source and absorb the light from the second light source; and
b) a second light reflector mounted on the nozzle comprising, a transparent body transmitting the light from both the first light source and the second light source, a second illuminating body mounted adjacent to the transparent body, which illuminates by absorbing the light from the first light source, and a second selectively transmitting body mounted adjacent to the second illuminating body and on the opposite side from the transparent body, which transmits the light from the first light source and absorbs the light from the second light source.
An electronic component recognition device of the electronic component mounting apparatus of the present invention recognizes an image of the electronic component through the following steps,
a) lighting the electronic component being held by the nozzle provided to the mounting head by lighting means, and
b) capturing an image by the image capturing device.
The lighting means comprise the following elements;
a) the first and second light sources radiating light of different wavelengths,
b) the first light reflector mounted on the bottom face of the mounting head, and/or
c) the second light reflector mounted on the nozzle.
The first light reflector comprises the following elements;
a) the illuminating body which illuminates by absorbing the light from the first light source, and
b) the selectively transmitting body mounted on the surface of the illuminating body, which transmits the light from the first light source and absorbs the light from the second light source.
The second light reflector is defined by the following elements;
a) the transparent body which transmits light,
b) the illuminating body mounted on the surface of the transparent body, which illuminates by absorbing the light from the first light source, and
c) the selectively transmitting body mounted on the surface of the illuminating body, which transmits the light from the first light source and absorbs the light from the second light source.
The method of recognizing the electronic component of the electronic component mounting apparatus of the present invention, recognizes an image of the electronic component by steps of:
a) illuminating the electronic component being held by the nozzle provided to the mounting head by the lighting means, and
b) capturing an image of the electronic component by the image capturing device.
In the electronic component recognition method, illumination provided by reflection and transillumination for gaining an image showing the electronic component as a light image and a dark image respectively, can be switched. This switching is conducted by selecting the wavelength of the light radiated to:
a) the first light reflector which is mounted on the bottom face of the mounting head, comprising; the illuminating body which illuminates by absorbing the light from the first light source, and the selectively transmitting body mounted on the surface of the illuminating body, which transmits the light from the first light source and absorbs the light from the second light source; and/or
b) the second light reflector which is mounted on the nozzle, comprising; the transparent body which transmits light, the illuminating body mounted on the surface of the transparent body, which illuminates by absorbing the light from the first light source, and the selectively transmitting body mounted on the surface of the illuminating body, which transmits the light from the first light source and absorbs the light from the second light source.
The first light reflector to be mounted on the mounting head, is of the electronic component mounting apparatus of the present invention, which illuminates the electronic component being held by the nozzle provided to the mounting head, by the first and second light sources radiating the light of different wavelengths. The first light reflector is defined by; a) the illuminating body which illuminates by absorbing the light from the first light source, and b) the selectively transmitting body mounted on the surface of the illuminating body, which transmits the light from the first light source and absorbs the light from the second light source.
A fixing method for a light reflector of the present invention is for fixing the second light reflector which illuminates the electronic component by using the light radiated from a light source, to the nozzle which sucks up the electronic component. The fixing method comprises the following steps;
a) providing a cone-shaped section to the nozzle,
b) inserting the cone-shaped section into a fitting section, which is provided to the second light reflector in such a manner that its dimension is smaller than dimension of the cone-shaped section, and
c) allowing the second light reflector to squeeze the nozzle in axial and radial directions.
As has been described, accord
Inoue Masafumi
Kato Hideaki
Boudreau Leo
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Ratner & Prestia
Werner Brian P.
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