UNIVERSAL BOX BUILD

• US 20160286663A1
• Filed: 03/24/2015
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bright Machines, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Inventors: Mutarelli, Gervasio, Wang, Xiuchuan, Mercado, Raymundo Alatorre, Kurwa, Murad
• Granted Patent: US 9,958,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/00 Manipulators not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/04 with provision for the remote detachment or exchange of the head or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0005 for designing circuits by computer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0008 for aligning or positioning of tools relative to the circuit board H05K3/4638, H05K3/4679 take precedence; for manufacturing assemblages of components H05K13/0015

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating consumer electronics using a Universal Box Build (UBB) are disclosed herein. The method may include entering specifications of a product comprised of a printed circuit board (PCB), additional components (such as Central Processing Units (CPUs), memory modules, and heatsinks) into a chassis module, inserting a set of required components in the UBB, and generating the PCB assembly based on the entered specifications, wherein a robot is operatively connected to the interface module to automatically generate a product assembly.

Claims

1. A method for generating consumer electronics using a Universal Box Build (UBB), the method comprising:

entering specifications of a product recipe into a chassis, wherein the product recipe includes a printed circuit board (PCB) and additional components;

inserting a set of required components into the UBB; and

generating the PCB assembly based on the entered specifications;

wherein a robot is operatively connected to an interface module to automatically generate a product assembly.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the specifications are input into an interface module by a user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a kitting tray includes various pieces used to populate the PCB.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the robot includes a robotic arm that is used to generate the PCB.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the robotic arm uses at least one of a heatsink gripper, an inertia resistant screw bit, a memory modules gripper, a CPU gripper, an ODM MB gripper, a citrix MB gripper, a CPU cover gripper, and a CPU socket latch.

6. A Universal Box Build (UBB) comprising:

an interface module;

a kitting tray;

a robot, wherein the robot is operatively connected to the interface module;

a tool changer;

a tool box; and

a screw tool;

wherein a user enters specifications of a product recipe into the interface module; and

wherein a series of components are assembled onto a printed circuit board (PCB) based on the entered specifications.

7. The UBB of claim 6, wherein the specifications are input into the interface module by a user.

8. The UBB of claim 6, wherein an unpopulated chassis is inserted into the UBB.

9. The UBB of claim 6, wherein the kitting tray includes various components to assemble onto the PCB.

10. The UBB of claim 6, wherein the robot includes an end of arm tool that is used to assemble the product.

11. The UBB of claim 10, wherein the end of arm tool uses at least one of a heatsink gripper, an inertia resistant screw bit, a memory modules gripper, a CPU gripper, an ODM MB gripper, a MB gripper, a CPU cover gripper, and a CPU socket latch.