System for assembling electronic component kits

• US 4,651,863 A
• Filed: 10/23/1985
• Issued: 03/24/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Inventors: Murphey, Dennis D., Reuter, Howard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bucci, David A.
• Application Number:
  US06/790,765
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 414/222, 414/223, 414/225, 414/226, 414/273, 414/277, 414/280, 414/283, 414/331, 414/662, 414/665, 414/666, 414/787, 414/416, 414/282, 414/266, 414/661, 198/339.1, 198/346.1, 198/465.1, 53/155, 53/238
• US Class Current: 198/339.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/133 the circuit being confined in a horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/021 Loading or unloading of containers H05K13/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/086 Supply management, e.g. supply of components or of substrates

Abstract

A system for machine assembly of component kits for electronic printed circuit boards is disclosed. Components for assembling the kits are stored in a plurality of standardized machine recoverable trays, more specifically a multi-level carousel. An elevator transports trays between storage and an automated work station where components are removed to construct the component kits.

Claims

1. A system for assembling component kits, comprising:

(A) a multi-level carousel means, each of said multi-levels of said carousel being selectively movable in at least a first direction along a first closed path independently of any other multi-level, each level of said carousel having a plurality of storage bins such that when a selected level of said carousel is rotated, a selected storage bin is selectively positioned with respect to the said first path along which said carousel is rotated;

(B) first and second elevators in fixed, horizontally spaced-apart relation adjacent said first path,

each elevator including a vertically movable carriage for movement between selected heights corresponding to selected multi-levels,

each carriage having a horizontal, rotatable turntable thereon and carrying,

first and second retractable-extendable tray engaging means located on one and the opposite sides, respectively, of the axis of rotation of said turntable and equally spaced therefrom, said tray engaging means being in parallel and reversed relation to each other so that movements of retraction and extension are in 180°

opposite directions, said rotatable turntables being operable to one and a 180°

opposite position in which said movements are perpendicular to said first path;

(C) component handling robot apparatus including a first tray receiving area longitudinally aligned with one of said sides of one of said turntables, and a second tray receiving area longitudinally aligned with one of said sides of the other of said turntables,

and further including a robot intermediate said first and second areas and having a working range extending thereto,

said working range further including a component collection kit area having kits there located to which components obtained from said first and second areas are delivered by said robot;

(D) means controlling said carousel means, said elevator carriages and turntables, said tray engaging means, and said robot, for

positioning a first selected storage bin carried by said carousel at a selected position and

for elevating said carriage to a position in which an empty side of said first turntable is aligned with said first selected tray from which components are to be obtained, and for operating one tray engaging means to draw said first selected tray onto said first turntable, and then rotating said first turntable 180° and

operating the other tray engaging means on the other side of said first turntable to place a second, at least partly used tray in the location from which said first selected tray was removed, and

to then lower said first turntable and to align the empty side thereof with said first tray receiving area and drawing a third tray from said first tray receiving area onto the previously empty side of said first turntable, then rotating said first turntable 180° and

placing said first tray on said first tray receiving area,

and then repeating the operation beginning with positioning a selected storage bin at a selected position,

operating said second elevator carriage and turntable and associated parts in the same sequence, but in alternating relation to the first carriage, and in connection with the second tray receiving area so at least one of the first and second tray receiving areas has a tray thereon at any given time,

and operating said robot to remove components from said first and second trays alternately and to place them in said component collection kits.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein:

said working range for said robot further includes a component preparation apparatus area to which components obtained from said first and second areas may be selectively delivered from component preparation, before delivery of the components to the kits.