Parts mounting apparatus and parts checking method by the same

Details Parts mounting apparatus and parts checking method by the same Parts mounting apparatus and parts checking method by the same

2002-01-24

2004-06-22

Gandhi, Jayprakash N. (Department: 2125)

Data processing: generic control systems or specific application

Specific application, apparatus or process

Product assembly or manufacturing

C700S090000, C700S103000, C700S106000, C029S739000, C716S030000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06754549

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a parts mounting apparatus for mounting parts such as electronic parts on a substrate, and more particularly to a parts mounting apparatus for checking added electronic parts during addition of the parts and for controlling mounting operation and to a parts checking method by the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As shown in
FIG. 6
, in an electronic parts mounter
1
for mounting an electronic part, a parts feeding unit
2
has a parts reel
5
arranged therein, around which a tape carrier package
4
(hereinafter referred to as a parts tape
4
) is wounded that packs electronic parts
3
aligned for each kind. Each of the electronic part
3
fed from each parts reel
5
to a predetermined feeding position
6
is sucked by a nozzle (not shown) of a mounting unit
7
and mounted to a substrate
8
. Reference numeral
9
denotes a controller that is configured to have a computer as a main unit and controls operations of the parts feeding unit
2
and the mounting unit
7
.
When the parts feeding unit
2
runs out of the part or when a production substrate is changed, the parts mounter
1
is once stopped to replace the parts reel
5
with a parts reel
5
holding a necessary electronic part
3
, and then mounting is restarted. In order to avoid addition errors of the electronic part
3
, a label
10
indicating parts information such as characteristics (resistance to pressure, a temperature property, or the like), a value, a direction, a vendor, quantity, or a production lot of the electronic part
3
with a barcode
10
a
is attached to the parts reel
5
or a case thereof (not shown), and contents of the indication is read to check the electronic part
3
.
For example, in the art described in JP63-232910A, as shown in
FIG. 7
, parts information is read from a barcode
10
a
of a parts reel
5
to be replaced by a reading head
13
connected to a reading unit
12
of a parts confirmation device
11
, and sent to a parts information processing unit
14
. Information on a part to be added is previously sent from the mounting unit
7
to the parts information processing unit
14
, and based on this parts information, the parts information read by the reading head
13
is compared and determined. When it is determined that the electronic part to be added is added (in this case, when a correct parts reel
5
is located), data of quantity and a production lot of the electronic part is renewed in the parts information processing unit
14
, and this renewed data is read into the mounting unit
7
to restart mounting. When a wrong electronic part is added, which is indicated by an indication unit
15
, the parts reel
5
has to be replaced.
As described above, when the part runs out or when the kind of the production substrate is changed, there has been adopted a manner that the mounter
1
is stopped to check the part to be added and add it, and then operation of the mounter
1
is restarted. In recent years, to improve an operation rate, a parts adding manner has been also implemented that a new parts tape
4
is coupled to the parts tape
4
of the arranged parts reel
5
during operation of the mounter
1
to thereby prevent stop of the mounter
1
due to running out of the part.
However, if the electronic part
3
is added during operation of the mounter
1
as described above, when the addition part is checked by checking means such as the barcode
10
a
or the reading head
13
, check result is read by the mounting unit
7
only during the stop of the mounter
1
, and therefore timing of writing the check result obtained from the barcode
10
a
or the like is not necessarily followed by timing of reading the check result by the mounting unit
7
. If the check result is written after the mounting unit
7
reads the check result, the mounting unit
7
cannot obtain correct information on the kind or a remaining number of the part, and thus there is a problem that it is likely to be determined by mistake that the part runs out to cause the mounter
1
to be stopped or cause a wrong electronic part
3
to be mounted.
Even when the mounter
1
is once stopped for parts addition, the above described problem also occurs unless the check result is written before the mounting unit
7
reads the check result at restart of operation.
There is also a problem that it is inefficient to refer to all the information on the check result during operation of the mounter
1
that operates at high speed.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is achieved to solve the above described problems and has an object to provide a parts mounting apparatus and a parts checking method by the same that can efficiently control a parts remaining number using a check result of an electronic part that is added and whose adaptability is checked during operation, and can efficiently mount the electronic part without mistake.
To solve the above described problems, according to the present invention, controlling the check result of the added part together with arrangement information of the part in a parts feeding unit allows a necessary check result to be referred to at any time as required during operation of the mounter.
The present invention provides a parts mounting apparatus in which a mounting unit takes out and mounts a part fed from a plurality of parts feeding means arranged in a part feeding unit, comprising: parts remaining number controlling means for monitoring a parts remaining number decreasing with mounting, and issuing warning of running out of part when a predetermined remaining number is reached; parts checking means for checking and confirming whether or not an added part for the part to which the above described warning of running out of part has been issued or a part added at a time of changing a kind of part is a correct kind of part, and outputting a check result and a parts adding number; and check result determining means for monitoring whether or not the check of a part to be taken out is finished when the mounting unit takes out the part from the part feeding means, confirming the check result when it is determined as finished, and renewing the parts remaining number based on the parts adding number when the check result is correct.
According to this configuration, the check result and the parts adding number in parts addition are stored in addition to arrangement information, and the added information is taken out by each electronic part as required, thereby allowing efficient control of the remaining number and efficient mounting of the electronic part without mistake.
Further, the present invention provides a parts checking method of parts feeding means arranged in a parts feeding unit by a parts mounting apparatus in which a mounting unit takes out and mounts a part fed from a plurality of parts feeding means arranged in the part feeding unit, comprising: monitoring a part remaining number decreasing with mounting, and issuing warning of running out of part when a predetermined remaining number is reached; checking and confirming whether or not an added part for the part to which the above described warning of running out of part has been issued or a part added at a time of changing a kind of part is a correct kind of part, and outputting a check result and a parts adding number; and monitoring whether or not the check of the part to be taken out is finished when the mounting unit takes out the part from the parts feeding means, confirming the check result when the check is determined as finished, and renewing the parts remaining number based on the parts adding number when the check result is correct. According to this configuration, time required for reading the check result can be reduced.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4653664 (1987-03-01), Hineno et al.
patent: 5060366 (1991-10-01), Asai et al.
patent: 5228193 (1993-07-01), Yanagawa et al.
patent: 1 024 420 (2000-08-01), None

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