Locking support fixture

• US 20060151930A1
• Filed: 01/07/2005
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asmpt SMT Singapore Pte Limited
• Original Assignee: Airline Hydraulics Corporation
• Inventors: Moncavage, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,942,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 269/266
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 1/035 with an array of longitudinally movable rods defining a reconfigurable support surface
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 1/2421 the parts having a linear movement
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 5/061 with fluid drive B25B5/087, B25B5/122 take precedence

Abstract

A pin locking apparatus (1) includes a housing, at least one pin (40) and at least one locking piston (11). The housing includes at least one locking bore (12) and at least one pin bore (14). The at least one pin is slidably contained within the pin bore and is positioned by application of pressure in the pin bore. The at least one locking piston is slidably contained within the locking bore and is actuated by pressure in the locking bore to apply a locking force on the pin.

Claims

1. A pin locking apparatus comprising:

a housing having;

at least one locking bore,

at least one pin bore,

at least one pin slidably contained within the pin bore and positioned by application of pressure in the pin bore, wherein the pin has a shaft and a cap made of a material softer than the shaft; and

at least one locking piston slidably contained within the locking bore and actuated by pneumatic pressure in the locking bore to apply a locking force on the pin.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a pin locking channel fluidly connected to apply pressure or vacuum to the locking bore, and a pin adjustment channel fluidly connected to apply pressure or vacuum to the pin bore.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the locking piston, locking bore and pin locking channel are contained in a locking plate,

said locking plate includes a pin opening, and

the pin opening is aligned with the pin bore.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pin bore is contained within a cylinder block.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pin adjustment channel is contained within a bottom plate.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the pin bore is contained within a cylinder block, and wherein the pin adjustment channel is contained within a bottom plate.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the locking plate, cylinder block and bottom plate are separate pieces that are assembled together.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the locking plate, cylinder block and bottom plate are formed from a single piece of material.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the locking piston includes an o-ring seal

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pin includes a piston and a shaft, the piston having a greater diameter than the shaft.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the locking piston has a locking position for locking the pin at a desired height and an unlocking position, and wherein the locking piston engages the pin in the locking position and is remote from the pin in the unlocking position.

13. The pin locking apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the housing has a plurality of locking bores that includes the at least one locking bore,

the housing has a plurality of pin bores that includes the at least one pin bore,

the apparatus has a plurality of pins slideably contained within respective ones of the plurality of pin bores, each pin positioned by application of pressure in the corresponding pin bore, and

the apparatus has a plurality of locking pistons, each slideably contained within a respective locking bore, each locking piston actuated by pressure in the corresponding locking bore to apply a locking force on the corresponding pin in that locking bore.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the housing further comprises a pin locking channel fluidly connected to apply pressure or vacuum to the locking bores, and a pin adjustment channel fluidly connected to apply pressure or vacuum to the pin bores.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a first external air conduit which is fluidly connected to each pin locking channel and a second external air conduit which is fluidly connected to each pin adjustment channel.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the pin locking channel and the pin adjustment channel is enclosed within the pin locking apparatus.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the pin locking channel is enclosed within a locking plate of the pin locking apparatus, and wherein the pin adjustment channel is enclosed with a base plate of the pin locking apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising air connection means for connecting the pin locking channel to a pneumatic device.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the pin locking apparatus includes at least two rows of pins with opposing locking pistons.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a pneumatic device, wherein the pneumatic device is fluidly connected to one or both of the pin locking channel and the pin adjustment channel.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the pneumatic device provides one or both of pressure and vacuum to one or both of the pin locking channel and the pin adjustment channel for locking and unlocking the piston units.

22. The apparatus of claim 14 comprising first and second pneumatic devices, the first pneumatic device fluidly connected to the pin locking channel and the second pneumatic device fluidly connected to the pin adjustment channel.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the pneumatic device is controlled by a programmable controller.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the pneumatic device is controlled manually.

11. (canceled)

25. A method of positioning and locking a pin and then releasing the pin comprising the steps of:

applying a first fluid pressure to raise a pin from a pin start position to a desired position,

applying a pneumatic pressure to move a locking piston from a piston start position so that the locking piston engages and locks the pin at the desired location;

removing the first fluid pressure;

removing the pneumatic pressure to unlock the locking piston; and

applying a vacuum to the pin to retract the pin to the pin start position and to the locking piston to retract the locking piston to the piston start position.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of applying pressure to raise and vacuum to retract the pin is performed by applying fluid pressure or vacuum through a pin adjustment channel, and wherein the step of applying pressure to move and vacuum to disengage the locking piston is performed by applying fluid pressure or vacuum through a pin locking channel.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein each step is performed by a pneumatic device.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the pneumatic device is automatically controlled via a programmable controller.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the pneumatic device is controlled manually.

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

33. A method of operating a pin locking apparatus for manufacturing workpieces comprising:

(a) locking the pins of a pin locking apparatus to secure a first workpiece by;

i. applying a first fluid pressure to raise each pin from a pin start position to a desired position,

ii applying a pneumatic pressure to move a locking piston from a piston start position so that the locking piston engages and locks the pin at the desired location; and

iii removing the first fluid pressure;

(b) unlocking the pins of the pin locking apparatus by;

i. removing the pneumatic pressure to unlock the locking piston; and

ii applying a vacuum to the pin to retract the pin to the pin start position and to the locking piston to retract the locking piston to the piston start position; and

(c) automatically relocking the pins of the pin locking apparatus to secure a second workpiece.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of automatically relocking the pins is performed without operator intervention.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of automatically relocking occurs no more than three seconds after the pins are unlocked.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the pins are locked in a different configuration in relocking step (c) than the pins are configured in locking step (a).

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the workpiece is a circuit board.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the locking and relocking of the pin locking apparatus is triggered by a host machine device that is involved in the manufacture of the workpiece.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the work piece is a circuit board and the host machine is one of a solder paste printer, a pick and place machine, a milling machine, a board clamp device, and a drill press.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the pins of the pin locking apparatus conformably support the first and second workpieces.

41. The method of claim 33, wherein the locking, unlocking, and relocking of the pin locking apparatus is triggered by a sensing mechanism.

42. The method of claim 33, wherein steps (a) and (b) are performed automatically.

43. A system for setting, unlocking and/or resetting pins for use in manufacturing a workpiece comprising:

at least one pin locking apparatus having a plurality of pins and a like plurality of locking pistons, wherein the plurality of pins are operable by a first pneumatic pressure and wherein the plurality of locking pistons are operable by a second pneumatic pressure, wherein the pins and the locking pins are resettable by activation of a vacuum on both the pins and the locking pins; and

a host machine that provides a signal to the pin locking apparatus to facilitate the automatic setting and resetting of the pins of the pin locking apparatus.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the signal from the host machine is provided to the pin locking apparatus via a controller.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the signal from the host machine is provided to the pin locking apparatus via a programmable controller.

46. The system of claim 43, wherein the workpiece is a circuit board and the host machine is a solder paste printer, a pick and place machine, a milling machine, a board clamp device, or a drill press.

47. The system of claim 43, further including a workpiece supported by the pins of the pin locking apparatus, and wherein the pins of the pin locking apparatus comfortably support the workpiece.

48. A system for setting, unlocking, and/or resetting pins for use in manufacturing a workpiece comprising:

at least one pin locking apparatus having a plurality of pins and a like plurality of locking pistons, wherein the plurality of pins are operable by a first pneumatic pressure, wherein the plurality of locking pistons are operable by a second pneumatic pressure, and wherein the plurality of pins and the plurality of locking pistons are resettable by activation of a vacuum on both the pins and the locking pins; and

a controller which is capable of automatically setting and resetting the pins of the pin locking apparatus.

49. The system of claims 48, further including a sensing mechanism, wherein the sensing mechanism triggers the controller to set, unlock and/or reset the pins.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the sensing mechanism is one or more of an optical sensor or a pressure sensor.

51. The system of claim 48, further including a manual input device, wherein the manual input device triggers the controller to set, unlock, and/or reset the pins.

52. The system of claim 48, further including a pneumatic device which is connected to the controller.

53. The system of claim 52, further including a distribution manifold which is connected to the controller and the at least one pin locking apparatus.