Component locating apparatus
First Claim
1. Apparatus for locating components of different kinds on a substrate surface, comprising:
- first and second magazines arranged in mutually spaced relation;
a plurality of elongated trays arranged in two sets on said first and second magazines in side-by-side relation, each tray including a plurality of components in end-to-end arrangement along the tray length;
a table carrying the substrate situated between said first and second magazines;
a pair of vacuum retainers mounted in fixed spaced relation on a plate;
means for moving said plate and vacuum retainers along a first path from a first extreme with one of said vacuum retainers disposed spaced above the first magazine and the other retainer spaced above the substrate to a second extreme with the other retainer spaced above the second magazine and the first recited retainer spaced above the substrate, and along a second path toward and then away from the substrate and magazines each time the plate and vacuum retainers are located at the first and second extremes of the first path; and
means for establishing a vacuum in the retainers to secure components thereto and for breaking the vacuum in each retainer at the conclusion of its movement toward the substrate.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A quantity of circuit chips are slidingly received in end to end relation in an elongated receptacle or "stick". The required number of such sticks are located in parallel groups at each side of a substrate mounted on an adjustable support. A pair of vacuum heads reciprocate along a path transversely of the substrate a fixed amount from a first extreme with the vacuum head located immediately over the endmost chip in a stick, to a second extreme which is a constant distance from the first position and lying over the substrate. The substrate is positioned to the proper x-y location such that when the transfer mechanism moves a chip to the position over the substrate, it will be properly located at the correct part of the substrate circuit. The sticks are indexable as needed to a position presenting the endmost chip of the selected stick underneath the outer extreme of the movement of the vacuum head. Control apparatus positions the substrate in any desired series of x-y locations.
17 Citations
9 Claims
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1. Apparatus for locating components of different kinds on a substrate surface, comprising:
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first and second magazines arranged in mutually spaced relation; a plurality of elongated trays arranged in two sets on said first and second magazines in side-by-side relation, each tray including a plurality of components in end-to-end arrangement along the tray length; a table carrying the substrate situated between said first and second magazines; a pair of vacuum retainers mounted in fixed spaced relation on a plate; means for moving said plate and vacuum retainers along a first path from a first extreme with one of said vacuum retainers disposed spaced above the first magazine and the other retainer spaced above the substrate to a second extreme with the other retainer spaced above the second magazine and the first recited retainer spaced above the substrate, and along a second path toward and then away from the substrate and magazines each time the plate and vacuum retainers are located at the first and second extremes of the first path; and means for establishing a vacuum in the retainers to secure components thereto and for breaking the vacuum in each retainer at the conclusion of its movement toward the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. In a process of locating components on a substrate where a vacuum retainer is cyclically moved toward a component, securing contact between the retainer and the components is established, and the so-secured component is moved to the substrate and the retainer disengages the component, leaving it resting on the substrate, comprising the steps of:
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arranging the components in an end-to-end line in a holder having open ends facing the ends of the line of components, said components being freely slidable in a direction along the components line toward either of the holder open ends and restrained from movement in all other directions; continuously forcing the line of components toward one of the holder open ends such that an endmost component tends to move toward the holder open end; moving the holder to align the endmost component with the retainer; securingly engaging said endmost components with the retainer; and removing said endmost component from the retainer securingly engaged with said endmost component whereby the next adjacent component in the line of components is forced into the endmost position.
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Specification