Printed circuit board assembly manufacturing system

• US 6,295,728 B1
• Filed: 06/03/1999
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Seong-Deok, Kang, Doo-Won, Lee, Kyu-Dong, Kim, Tae-Ha, Kim, Bum-Suck, Kim, Yang-Koog, Shin, Eon-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Arbes, Carl J.
• Application Number:
  US09/327,159
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 298/40, 297/40, 298/32, 295/641, 198/339.1, 198/341, 198/435, 198/436, 198/520, 414/134, 414/136, 414/786, 414/224
• US Class Current: 29/840
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0061 Tools for holding the circuit boards during processing; handling transport of printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/04 Mounting of components , e.g. of leadless components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/085 Production planning, e.g. of allocation of products to machines, of mounting sequences at machine or facility level
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49144 by metal fusion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5137 including assembling or disassembling station
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53022 with means to test work or product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53178 Chip component

Abstract

A system for manufacturing a print board assembly, which is implemented in a system having a computer for storing parts insertion instruction diagrams and displaying parts insertion instructions, and a soldering unit for soldering a printed circuit board, includes: assembling different types of the printed circuit boards from pieces of parts and inspecting them in a multitude of cells; installing different types of the printed circuit boards in carriers to assemble them separately according to the parts insertion instructions displayed by the computer of each cell, and moving them to the soldering unit through a transfer conveyor line; and returning the carriers having the printed circuit boards completely soldered to each cell identified for the carriers through a return conveyor line.

Claims

1. A system for manufacturing a print board assembly, which has a spray flux for flux-coating a printed circuit board installed in a carrier, and a soldering unit for soldering the printed circuit board coated with flux, comprising:

a multitude of work frames having a multitude of work frame upper conveyors for placing each of the carriers thereon by a number of workers, installing different types of the printed circuit boards in the carriers and inserting parts into the printed circuit boards according to parts insertion instructions, the carriers with the printed circuit boards soldered being returned to the work frame upper conveyors by types of the printed circuit board;

an upper conveyor for transferring the carriers from the work frames to the soldering unit, with a multitude of transfer switch turned on;

a carrier transfer distance controller for adjusting a transfer distance of the carriers on the upper conveyor so as to prevent the carriers from colliding with each other;

a multitude of up/down and rotation units for moving the carriers up to the height of the spray flux and rotating them in a 90-degree arc;

a slope conveyor for moving one side of the carriers down so as to have a declination during soldering;

an elevator for moving the carriers down when the carriers are transferred from the slope conveyor and enter the elevator;

a rotation unit for rotating the carriers reversely in a 90-degree arc so as to change their orientations;

a lower conveyor for transferring the carriers rotated reversely by the rotation units to return, the carriers being moved down to the lower conveyor by the elevator when they are transferred from the slope conveyor;

a multitude of lifters for moving the carriers returned by the lower conveyors up to the work frame upper conveyors;

a multitude of carrier type sensing units installed in each designated position of the lower conveyor to detect positions of cell-recognizing indicators of the carriers;

a controller for controlling the carriers to return to each work frame designated in response to a determining signal received from a carrier type discrimination unit to determine a transfer status of the carriers, generating a dig control signal for the work frame upper and lower conveyors and a carrier control signal to move up or down the carriers, and generating a motor control signal to drive base boards for supplying the parts in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction; and

a multitude of sensors installed on the upper and lower conveyors to sense the transfer status of the carriers.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary conveyor for moving the carriers horizontally transferred from the spray flux, at an incline of 6 degrees to the soldering unit.

3. The system as defined in claim 2, wherein pressing the transfer switches generates a key signal to transfer the carriers.

4. The system as defined in claim 2, wherein each of the work frames comprises:

a computer for displaying the parts insertion instructions by parts on a monitor thereof in response to a clockwise and counterclockwise rotation switching signal in order for workers to insert the parts sequentially, the parts insertion instructions including information about the parts such as position to insert, name and quantity thereof;

a plurality of base boards for loading with different types of the parts;

a plurality of clockwise and counterclockwise rotation switches for generating a key signal to rotate the base boards clockwise or reversely;

a reset switch for generating a key signal to turn back the base boards to original position;

a work frame upper conveyor for placing the carriers thereon to insert the parts into the printed circuit board and transferring the carriers assembled;

a plurality of up-down units for placing the carriers from the work frame upper conveyor to the upper conveyor whenever the transfer switch is pressed;

a work frame lower conveyor for returning the carriers soldered and transferred through the lower conveyor; and

a plurality of return up-down units installed at the bottom of the lower conveyor and perpendicularly to the up-down units and returning the carriers transferred through the lower conveyor by moving them up to the work frame lower conveyor.

5. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein each of the base boards is round-shaped and separated by a plurality of partitions so as to be loaded with different kinds of parts, the base boards being rotated to supply required parts under the control of the controller.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the carrier type sensing units are photosensors.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the cell-recognizing indicators are brackets formed in different positions of the carriers.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the work frames comprises:

at least one base board installed on a base plate, for rotating by stages;

a gear installed in the lower direction of the base board, for rotating the base board clockwise or counterclockwise;

a driving motor interlocked with the gear and fixed to a support plate, for rotating the base board;

a work frame upper conveyor installed at a work plate which is installed on the base board, for conveying a carrier to a main conveyor;

a work frame lower conveyor installed in the lower direction of the base board, for conveying a soldered carrier;

clockwise and counterclockwise rotation switches for causing the base board to be rotated clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively; and

a reset switch installed beside the clockwise and counterclockwise rotation switches, for causing the base board to be situated at an initial position.

9. The system as defined in claim 8, further comprising a cut-away portion installed on the work plate, for easily taking out parts from the base board.

10. The system as defined in claim 8, further comprising a sensor installed at the inner side of the cut-away portion, for sensing that the worker'"'"'s hand is put on the cut-away portion in order to prevent the worker from damaging under the state that the base board is rotated.

11. The system as defined in claim 8, further comprising a foot switch connected to the controller and installed on the floor, for rotating the base board clockwise or counterclockwise by the worker'"'"'s foot.

12. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the base board has multiple parts containers in which a variety of parts are classified and laid and a parts information label mounting face to which a label is attached in order to prevent mis-insertion of parts.

13. The system as defined claim 12, wherein the parts information label mounting face of the base board and the label include multiple first and second rotation sensing apertures, respectively, for selecting the position of the parts, through sensing of a photo sensor installed in the work frame.

14. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein the parts information label mounting face of the base board and the label comprises first and second original point setting apertures are formed in the parts data label mounting face of the base board and the label, respectively, for making the base board return to its original position, through sensing of a sensor, after the first process is finished, and include first and second fixing apertures, respectively, for fixing the label on the parts information label mounting face of the base board.

15. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein the label is divided into equal portions, with its central axis, corresponding to the size and number of cells formed in the base board.

16. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein each equally-divided portion comprises:

a work procedure indicator indicating the work procedure of the respective parts assembled in the PCB;

a quantity indicator indicating the number of the parts according to the kind of goods;

a parts code indicator indicating the consecutive numbers of the respective parts; and

a parts name indicator indicating the names of the respective parts.

17. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises:

guide grooves formed in bars facing each other in a square frame;

first bracket means formed on the bottom of one side in a positioning bar which moves back and forth along the guide grooves; and

second bracket means formed on the bottom of one side of the frame, facing the first bracket means formed in the positioning bar,

wherein various sizes of printed circuit boards can be mounted in the carrier.

18. The system as defined in claim 17, wherein leaf springs, corresponding to the first bracket means attached to the positioning bar, are attached to the top of the positioning bar, and extend downward along the side of the positioning bar.

19. The system as defined in claim 17, wherein a solder preventive sill is attached to the frame where the guide groove is formed, and is double-curved from left to right on the bottom of the frame.

20. The system as defined in claim 17, wherein guides are inserted in the guide grooves, and both ends of the positioning bar are fastened to the guides.

21. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein clamping screws thread into holes formed at both ends of the positioning bar and the guides, and butt up against the bottoms of the guide grooves.

22. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein coupling grooves of a specified depth and width are formed in both sides where the guide grooves are formed and which face each other in the frame, to make installation and removal of the positioning bar possible.

23. The system as defined in claim 17, wherein stop grooves are cut into the outer edges of the side bars of the frame where the guide grooves are not formed.

24. The system as defined in claim 17, wherein threaded holes are symmetrically cut into the left and right top corners of the frame to attach a cell detection plate for sorting the carriers.

25. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises:

a square frame;

guide grooves formed in tops of two bars facing each other in the frame and running along the bars;

guides inserted in the guide grooves;

a positioning bar at both ends of which grooves are formed, the grooves respectively mating with the inner sides of the frame and the guides, wherein the positioning bar is attached to the guides with screws;

clamping screws threaded into holes formed in the positioning bar and the guides and butting against the bottoms of the guide grooves;

first bracket means which are attached onto the bottom of the positioning bar, and whose protrusions extend horizontally from the side of the positioning bar;

second bracket means which are attached onto the bottom of the frame, facing the first bracket means, and project toward the positioning bar;

leaf springs which are attached at the top of the positioning bar, corresponding to the brackets and extend downward along the side of the positioning bar; and

a solder preventive sill which is attached to the bottom of the frame containing guide groove and extends to a predetermined depth, then projects horizontally inward.

26. The system as defined in claim 25, wherein coupling grooves of a specified depth and width are formed in both sides where the guide grooves are formed and which face each other in the frame, to make installation and removal of the positioning bar possible.

27. The system as defined in claim 26, wherein stop grooves are cut into the outer edges of the side bars of the frame where the guide grooves are not formed.

28. The system as defined in claim 27, wherein threaded holes are symmetrically cut into the left and right top corners of the frame to attach a cell detection plate for sorting the carriers.

29. A system for assembling a plurality of printed circuit boards, said system comprising:

a printed circuit board being individually assembled by an arranger, then transported through a soldering process, and then transported back to said arranger that originally assembled said printed circuit board to check the quality and the accuracy of assembly;

a plurality of circuitry controlling said system and allowing said system to produce different types of said printed circuit boards concurrently;

a main assembly line comprising;

a first conveyor vertically aligned with and parallel to a second conveyor, said first conveyor and said second conveyor transporting a carrier securely supporting said printed circuit board;

said first conveyor having means for receiving an assembled said printed circuit board from any one of a plurality of parallel assembly lines

an automatic flux unit operating on said printed circuit board after said first conveyor receives said carrier and while said first conveyor transports said carrier to a first elevator device;

an automatic soldering unit operating on said printed circuit board during the transport of said carrier from said automatic flux unit to said first elevator device;

said first elevator device receiving said carrier from said first conveyor and transporting said carrier to said second conveyor, said second conveyor transporting said printed circuit board to a parallel assembly line that provided said printed circuit board; and

means for transferring said carrier from said second conveyor to said parallel assembly line that said carrier was received from;

said parallel line stations each connected at a distal end to said main assembly line, each of said parallel line stations, comprising;

a third conveyor vertically aligned and parallel to a fourth conveyor, said third conveyor supporting said carrier during the assembly of said printed circuit board and then providing said carrier supporting said printed circuit board to said first conveyor of said main assembly line;

a display device controlled by said circuitry and showing instructions for assembling said printed circuit board of a predetermined type;

said fourth conveyor receiving said carrier from said second conveyor of said main assembly line after the completion of said soldering process and transporting said carrier to a second elevator device;

said second elevator device transporting said carrier to said third conveyor; and

said third conveyor transporting said carrier supporting a soldered said printed circuit board to said arranger that assembled said printed circuit board; and

a plurality of sensors transmitting a plurality of data to said circuitry to allow said circuitry to control said system and to ensure that a soldered said printed circuit board is checked by said arranger that assembled said printed circuit board.

30. The system of claim 29, said main assembly line further comprising:

said first conveyor having a rotation and elevation device for loading said carrier carrying an assembled said printed circuit board into said automatic flux unit, said first conveyor having a sloped conveyor for loading said carrier into said first elevator device;

a first up-down unit attached to said first conveyor at every location where said distal end of said parallel assembly line is connected to said main assembly line, said first up-down unit capable of loading said carrier from said third conveyor of said parallel assembly line; and

a second up-down unit attached to said second conveyor at every location where said distal end of said parallel assembly line is connected to said main assembly line, said second up-down unit loading said carrier from said second conveyor onto said fourth conveyor of said parallel assembly line.

31. The system of claim 29, said carrier further comprising:

a frame having a front member, a rear member, and two side members forming a rectangular shape, said front member having a blade attached perpendicularly attached to the plane of said rectangular shape, said two side members having flanges protruding along the length of said two side members to engage a plurality of conveyors;

two recesses oppositely located on said two side members engagable with said system to secure said carrier;

a crossbar slidably attached to said front member and said rear member, said crossbar having a clamping screw at each distal end, a first plurality of brackets facing one side bar, and a plurality of leaf springs located above said first plurality brackets; and

a second plurality of brackets facing said first plurality of brackets and located on one of said two side members.

32. The system of claim 29, further comprised of said arranger being a person.

33. The system of claim 29, further comprised of said automatic soldering unit applying solder to said printed circuit board while supporting said printed circuit board at a predetermined angle.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprised of said predetermined angle being 6 degrees.

35. The system of claim 29, said parallel assembly line further comprising a plurality of circular bins divided into a plurality of compartments, each of said compartments containing a plurality of components for assembling said printed circuit board of said predetermined type, said circular bins rotated by a motor.

36. The system of claim 35, further comprised of said circular bins rotationally controlled by said circuitry and coordinated with instructions given by said display device.

37. The system of claim 35, said circular bins further comprising a hand sensor to prevent said circular bins from rotating while an appendage is inside said circular bins.

38. The system of claim 35, said circular bins rotationally controlled by a foot switch operated by said arranger for rotating said circular bins.

39. The system of claim 29, further comprised of said sensors being photosensors.