Mounter and Board Positioning Method

• US 20070277369A1
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawazoe, Masaru, Masaki, Shigeo, Mimura, Yoshihiro, Tani, Noriyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,591,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/729
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0061 Tools for holding the circuit boards during processing; handling transport of printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/082 Integration of non-optical monitoring devices, i.e. using non-optical inspection means, e.g. electrical means, mechanical means or X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5136 Separate tool stations for selective or successive operation on work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5137 including assembling or disassembling station
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5313 Means to assemble electrical device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53178 Chip component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53187 Multiple station assembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53191 Means to apply vacuum directly to position or hold work part

Abstract

A mounter including at least two mounting stages 109 and 110 where components are mounted onto boards transported from the upstream side in transportation direction of the board 120 and then transport the boards to the downstream side, and the mounter includes a first stopping unit 135 for stopping the board to place a board edge on the downstream side on a first fixed position which is in the downstream side from a first mountable area A, the first mountable area A being a mountable region where the components can be mounted on the first mounting stage 109 on the upstream side, and a second stopping unit 136 for stopping the board to place a board edge on the upstream side on a second fixed position which is the upstream side from a second mountable area A, the second mountable area A being a mountable region where the components can be mounted on the second mounting stage 110.

Claims

1. A mounter, including at least two mounting stages where components are mounted onto boards transported from the upstream side in transportation direction of the board and then transport the boards to the downstream side, said mounter comprising

a stopping unit operable to stop board edges, facing each other, on a first mounting stage on the upstream side and a second mounting stage on the downstream side respectively.

2. The mounter according to claim 1,

wherein said stopping unit includes:

a first stopping unit operable to stop the board so as to place a board edge on the downstream side on a first fixed position near an end of a first mounting area on the downstream side, the first mounting area being a mounting range where the component can be mounted on the first mounting stage on the upstream side; and

a second stopping unit operable to stop the board so as to place a board edge on the upstream side on a second fixed position near an end of a second mounting area on the upstream side, the second mounting area being a mounting range where the component can be mounted on the second mounting stage on the downstream side.

3. The mounter according to claim 2,

wherein said first stopping unit includes:

a first board sensor operable to detect the board edge on the downstream side; and

a first transportation control unit operable to stop the transportation of the board based on information detected by said first board sensor, and

wherein said second stopping unit includes;

a second board sensor operable to detect the board edge on the upstream side; and

a second transportation control unit operable to stop the transportation of the board based on information detected by said second board sensor.

4. The mounter according to claim 3,

wherein each of said first board sensor and said second board sensor is an extending and retracting contact sensor operable to detect contact with a board edge, and the board sensor is extendable and retractable.

5. The mounter according to claim 3,

wherein said second transportation control unit is operable to transport the board that has passed through said second board sensor in a reverse direction, so that the transportation direction of the board is changed, and make said second board sensor detect the board edge on the upstream side.

6. A board positioning method for a mounter including at least two mounting stages where components are mounted onto boards transported from the upstream side in transportation direction of the board and then transport the boards to the downstream side, said method comprising

a stopping step of stopping board edges, facing each other, on a first mounting stage on the upstream side and a second mounting stage on the downstream side respectively.

7. The board positioning method according to claim 6,

wherein said stopping step includes:

a first stopping step of stopping the board so as to place a board edge on the downstream side on a first fixed position near an end of a first mounting area on the downstream side, the first mounting area being a mounting range where the component can be mounted on the first mounting stage on the upstream side; and

a second stopping step of stopping the board so as to place a board edge on the upstream side on a second fixed position near an end of a second mounting area on the upstream side, the second mounting area being a mounting range where the component can be mounted on the second mounting stage on the downstream side.

8. The board positioning method according to claim 7,

wherein said first stopping step includes:

a first obtainment step of obtaining a signal indicating a detect of the board edge on the downstream side from a first board sensor; and

a first transportation control step of stopping the transportation of the board based on the signal obtained from the first board sensor, and

wherein said second stopping step includes;

a second obtainment step of obtaining a signal indicating a detect of the board edge on the upstream from a second board sensor which; and

a second transportation control step of stopping the transportation of the board based on the signal obtained from the second board sensor.

9. The board positioning method according to claim 8,

wherein said second transportation control step further includes:

a pass detection step of detecting that the board passes over the second board sensor, and

a reverse direction transportation step of changing the transportation direction of the board to the reverse direction of the passed direction, and transporting the passed board.

10. The board positioning method according to claim 6 further comprising

a converting step of converting Numerical Control (NC) data created based on a coordinate system with a program origin into coordinate systems with machine origins, which are positions of stopping units for the first mounting stage and the second mounting stage respectively.

11. A board position control unit for controlling a mounter including at least two mounting stages where components are mounted onto boards transported from the upstream side in transportation direction of the board and then transport the boards to the downstream side, said unit comprising

a stopping unit operable to stop board edges, facing each other, on a first mounting stage on the upstream side and a second mounting stage on the downstream side respectively.

12. A program of board positioning for a mounter including at least two mounting stages where components are mounted onto boards transported from the upstream side in transportation direction of the board and then transport the boards to the downstream side, said program causing a computer to execute

stopping board edges, facing each other, on a first mounting stage on the upstream side and a second mounting stage on the downstream side respectively.

13. A component mounting method for a mounter including at least two mounting stages where components are mounted onto boards transported from the upstream side in transportation direction of the board and then transport the boards to the downstream side, said method comprising:

a stopping step of stopping board edges, facing each other, on a first mounting stage on the upstream side and a second mounting stage on the downstream side respectively;

a first mounting step of mounting, on the first mounting stage, a component onto a board stopped in said stopping step; and

a second mounting step of mounting, on the second mounting stage, a component onto a board stopped in said stopping step.