Component mounting apparatus and component mounting method, and recognition apparatus for component mount panel, component mounting apparatus for liquid crystal panel, and component mounting method for liquid crystal panel

• US 20030033034A1
• Filed: 08/12/2002
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishimoto, Tomotaka, Ida, Masayuki, Murata, Takahiko, Tsuji, Shinjiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,089,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/59
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1333 Constructional arrangements; Manufacturing methodsG02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13452 Conductors connecting driver circuitry and terminals of panels
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37555 Camera detects orientation, position workpiece, points of workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37563 Ccd, tv camera
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37572 Camera, tv, vision
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45051 Transfer line
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6838 with gripping and holding devices using a vacuum; Bernoulli devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/687 using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches using elecrostatic chucks H01L21/6831
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68707 the wafers being placed on a robot blade, or gripped by a gripper for conveyance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53 Means to assemble or disassemble
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53191 Means to apply vacuum directly to position or hold work part

Abstract

Transfer of liquid crystal panels to next processes is carried out with the panels placed on transfer arms (6) and held by suction pads (12). A small suction force can be sufficient, and a suction irregularity is prevented. Transfer arms are arranged at the lower side of liquid crystal panels, thus not obstructing the liquid crystal panels. In arranging the liquid crystal panels to an image pickup device (111), a panel hold device (112) is controlled to drive to position panel marks to a bonding height position with negating a deflection amount of the liquid crystal panels, and furthermore a component hold device is controlled to drive to position component marks to the bonding height position and to mount electronic components to the liquid crystal panels at the bonding height position. Thus, an accuracy for mounting electronic components can be improved in comparison with the conventional art.

Claims

1. A component mounting apparatus for mounting components to objects (8) through a plurality of processes, which comprises:

transfer devices (6) for transferring each of the objects between the processes, each of transfer devices having transfer arms (6) with suction devices (12, 21) on which each of the objects is loaded and at the same time held by the suction devices, when each of the objects is transferred between the processes.

2. The component mounting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer devices are arranged at positions opposite to working areas of the processes respectively, and transfer the objects completely processed at the working areas to positions opposite to next working areas after the objects are delivered to the transfer devices.

3. The component mounting apparatus according to claim 2, which comprises move devices (10, 22) for supporting the objects at their lower side and moving the objects at least in an up-and-down and back-and-forth directions, and delivering the objects completely processed at the working areas to the transfer devices.

4. The component mounting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the move devices raises each of the objects loaded on the transfer arms up from the transfer arms and transfers the object to the working areas of processes, and transfers the objects to a higher position than the transfer arms above the transfer arms after completely finished at the working areas, lowers the object and places the object again on the transfer arms.

5. The component mounting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the transfer devices has two transfer arms for supporting the object at both end parts thereof.

6. The component mounting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the suction devices hold the object by vacuum suction.

7. The component mounting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each of the suction devices has pad parts (12), formed of a buffering material with upper end faces upper than a surface of the transfer arm, for sucking the object.

8. The component mounting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object is a flat display panel.

9. A component mounting method for mounting components to objects through a plurality of processes, the method comprising:

holding lower sides of each of the objects; and

transferring the held objects between the processes.

10. The component mounting method according to claim 9, wherein the transfer is carried out with the use of transfer devices having transfer arms with suction devices in a state while the object is placed on the transfer arms and at the same time held by the suction devices.

11. The component mounting method according to claim 10, wherein the object loaded on the transfer arms is raised up, thereby being separated from the transfer arms, then transferred to working areas of the processes, transferred to a higher position than the transfer arms above the transfer arms after completely finished at the working areas of the processes, lowered the object and placed the object again on the transfer arms.

12. A recognition apparatus for component mount panel, which comprises:

an image pickup device (111) for picking up images of panel marks (191-1, 191-2) on a panel (1) to which a component (2) is to be mounted, in a state while the panel marks are arranged at a bonding height position (193) in a thickness-direction of the panel when the component is mounted on the panel;

a panel hold device (112) for holding and moving the panel to arrange the panel at the image pickup device for the image pickup; and

a control device (180) for controlling the panel hold device to move to position the panel marks to the bonding height position with negating a deflection amount generated to the panel as a result of being held by the panel hold device when the panel is to be arranged at the image pickup device.

13. The recognition apparatus for component mount panel according to claim 12, wherein the image pickup device comprises a light-passing stage (1100) where the panel is loaded to arrange the panel marks at the bonding height position when the panel marks are to be picked up, and cameras (1201, 1202) disposed opposite to the panel via the stage for picking up images of the panel marks through the stage.

14. The recognition apparatus for component mount panel according to claim 13, wherein the panel marks are set by two, and the cameras have a fixed camera (1201) for picking up the image of one of the panel marks and a moving camera (1202) for picking up the image of the other panel mark which is movable to conform to an interval between the other mark and the one mark of the panel marks.

15. A component mounting apparatus for liquid crystal panel, which comprises:

an image pickup device (111) for picking up images of panel marks (191-1, 191-2) on a panel (1) to which a component (2) is to be mounted, in a state while the panel marks are arranged at a bonding height position (193) in a thickness-direction of the panel when the component is mounted to the panel, and moreover picking up images of component marks (192-1, 192-2) on the component in a state while the component marks are arranged at the bonding height position;

a panel hold device (112) for holding and moving the liquid crystal panel to arrange the liquid crystal panel at the image pickup device for the image pickup;

a component hold device (160) for holding and moving the component to arrange the component marks of the component at the bonding height position by the image pickup device for the image pickup, and moreover mounting the held component to the liquid crystal panel at the bonding height; and

a control device (180) for controlling the panel hold device to arrange the panel marks at the bonding height position with negating a deflection amount generated to the liquid crystal panel because of being held by the panel hold device when the liquid crystal panel is to be arranged at the image pickup device.

16. The component mounting apparatus for liquid crystal panel according to claim 15, wherein the image pickup device has a light-passing stage (1100) on which the panel is loaded to arrange the panel marks at the bonding height position when the panel marks are to be picked up and which becomes a support stage in mounting the component to the liquid crystal panel, and cameras (1201, 1202) disposed opposite to the panel and the component via the stage for picking up images of the panel marks and the component marks through the stage.

17. The component mounting apparatus for liquid crystal panel according to claim 16, wherein the panel marks and the component marks are set each by two, and the cameras have a fixed camera (1201) for picking up images of either ones of the panel marks and component marks, and a moving camera (1202) for picking up images of the other ones of the panel marks and component marks which is movable to conform to an interval between the other mark and the one mark of the panel marks and component marks.

18. The component mounting apparatus for liquid crystal panel according to claim 15, wherein the deflection amount is a value set for each side of the liquid crystal panel, so that the control device controls the panel hold device on the basis of the deflection amount set for the side where the panel marks to be recognized are present.

19. The component mounting apparatus for liquid crystal panel according to claim 15, wherein the deflection amount is a value set at a mount portion for the component, so that the control device controls the panel hold device on the basis of the deflection amount set at the mount portion for the component.

20. The component mounting apparatus for liquid crystal panel according to claim 15, which further comprises a deflection detection device (250) for detecting the deflection amount of the mount portion for the component at the liquid crystal panel before the liquid crystal panel is disposed to the image pickup device, so that the control device controls the panel hold device on the basis of the deflection amount supplied from the deflection detection device.

21. A component mounting method for liquid crystal panel, which comprises:

holding a liquid crystal panel (1) to which a component (2) is to be mounted;

loading the liquid crystal panel to a light-passing stage (1100) as a support stage in a state where a deflection of the liquid crystal panel generated by the holding is eliminated; and

mounting the component onto the liquid crystal panel loaded on the stage.

22. The component mounting method for liquid crystal panel according to claim 21, whereby the liquid crystal panel is loaded to the stage in a manner to eliminate the deflection by reading out the already stored deflection amount of the liquid crystal panel.

23. The component mounting method for liquid crystal panel according to claim 21, whereby the liquid crystal panel is loaded to the stage in a manner to eliminate the deflection on the basis of the measurement result by measuring the deflection amount of the liquid crystal panel.

24. The component mounting method for liquid crystal panel according to claim 21, which further comprises:

picking up through the light-passing stage images of panel marks (191-1, 191-2) of the liquid crystal panel positioned to a bonding height position (193) when the liquid crystal panel is loaded to the stage, after placing the liquid crystal panel to the stage as the support stage in a state to eliminate the deflection of the liquid crystal panel;

picking up through the stage images of component marks (192-1, 192-2) of the component after arranging the component to position the component marks to the bonding height position; and

mounting the component to the liquid crystal panel after a position correction for mounting the component onto the liquid crystal panel is executed on the basis of the picked up results of the panel marks and component marks.