Parts mounting method and apparatus

• US 6,374,484 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2000
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kabeshita, Akira, Yoshida, Yoshihiro, Okuda, Osamu, Kitamura, Naoyuki, Odera, Koji, Yoshida, Noriaki, Sueki, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): MALSAWMA, LALRINFAMKIM HMAR
• Application Number:
  US09/486,661
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 438/125, 297/29, 297/39, 297/40, 297/41, 297/43, 297/59, 298/33
• US Class Current: 29/740
• 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: H05K 13/0853 Determination of transport trajectories inside mounting machines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49131 by utilizing optical sighting device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5313 Means to assemble electrical device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53174 Means to fasten electrical component to wiring board, base, or substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53178 Chip component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53183 Multilead component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53191 Means to apply vacuum directly to position or hold work part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53261 Means to align and advance work part

Abstract

According to the present invention, a control device and a circuit board moving device controlled in operation by the control device for holding a circuit board are provided, whereby the circuit board moving device is moved to bring a component mount position on the circuit board closest to a recognition device after the circuit board moving device is moved to bring the component mount position closest to a component feed position. In the state, a circuit board mark formed on the circuit board is detected, thereby recognizing a position of the circuit board. A transfer distance for the component by a component hold device from the recognition device to the component mount position is thus shortened, enabling high-speed mounting with higher accuracy.

Claims

1. A component mounting apparatus comprising:

a transfer device for transferring an object in a transfer direction along a transfer path having a first side and a second side, said transfer device being capable of additionally moving the object in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction;

a component feed device disposed at the first side of the transfer path, said component feed device arranged so as to supply components to be mounted to the object in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction;

a component holding device movable in the transfer direction and the direction orthogonal to the transfer direction, said component holding device being capable of taking a component from said component feed device, moving the component in the transfer direction and the direction orthogonal to the transfer direction, and mounting the component to the object;

an object moving device disposed along the transfer path, the object moving device being capable of holding the object and moving the object in the transfer direction and the direction orthogonal to the transfer direction; and

a control device for controlling said transfer device so as to position the object next to said component feed device, said control device controlling a recognition operation for an arrangement position of the object in order to correct a movement amount of the component holding device with respect to a component mounting position on the object after the object is moved next to said component feed device but before the component is mounted to the object,

wherein the control device is operable to perform the recognition operation for the arrangement position of the object by picking up an image of a position detection mark formed on the object by means of an image pickup device installed in the component holding device, and

wherein a shift amount of the position detection mark is to be a correction amount in movement of the component holding device.

2. A component mounting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer path is linear.

3. A component mounting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second component feed device disposed at the second side of the transfer path, said second component feed device being arranged so as to supply a second set of components to be mounted to the object in a second direction orthogonal to the transfer direction,

wherein said component holding device is capable of taking a second component of the second set of components from said second component feed device, moving the second component in the transfer direction and the second direction orthogonal to the transfer direction, and mounting the second component to the object,

wherein said object moving device is capable of moving the object in the transfer direction and the first direction orthogonal to the transfer direction, and

wherein said control device is capable of controlling said transfer device so as to position the object next to said second component feed device, said control device controlling a second recognition operation for a second arrangement position of the object in order to correct a second movement amount of said second component holding device with respect to a second component mounting position on the object after the object is moved next to said second component feed device but before the second component is mounted to the object.

4. A component mounting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recognition device disposed adjacent to said component feed device.

5. A component mounting apparatus comprising:

a transfer device for transferring an object, having an image detection mark formed thereon, in a transfer direction along a transfer path having a first side and a second side, said transfer device being capable of additionally moving the object in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction;

a first component feed device disposed at a first side of the transfer path, said first component feed device arranged so as to supply a first set of components to be mounted to the object in a first direction orthogonal to the transfer direction;

a second component feed device disposed at a second side of the transfer path, said second component feed device arranged so as to supply a second set of components to be mounted to the object in a second direction orthogonal to the transfer direction;

a component holding device movable in the transfer direction, in the first direction orthogonal to the transfer direction, and the second direction orthogonal to the transfer direction, said component holding device being capable of taking a first component of said first set of components from said first component feed device, moving the first component in the transfer direction and the first direction orthogonal to the transfer direction, and mounting the first component to the object, said component holding device being capable of taking a second component of said second set of components from said second component feed device, moving the second component in the transfer direction and the second direction orthogonal to the transfer direction, and mounting the second component to the object;

an image pickup device in said component holding device, said image pickup device being capable of detecting an image of the position detection mark;

an object moving device disposed along the transfer path, the object moving device being capable of holding the object and moving the object in the transfer direction, in the first direction orthogonal to the transfer direction, and in the second direction orthogonal to the transfer direction;

a control device for controlling said transfer device so as to position the object next to said first component feed device, controlling a recognition operation for an arrangement position of the object in order to correct a movement amount of the component holding device with respect to a first component mounting position on the object after the object is moved next to said first component feed device but before the first component is mounted to the object, said control device controlling said transfer device so as to position the object next to said second component feed device, controlling a recognition operation for an arrangement position of the object in order to correct a movement amount of the component holding device with respect to a second component mounting position on the object after the first component is mounted to the object and after the object is moved next to said second component feed device, but before the second component is mounted to the object; and

a first recognition device arranged at the first side of the transfer path, said first recognition device for recognizing the first component held by said first component holding device,

a second recognition device arranged at the second side of the transfer path, said second recognition device for recognizing the second component held by said second component holding device,

wherein after said control device controls said transfer device so as to position the object next to said first component feed device, but before the first component is mounted, said control device further controls said transfer device so as to arrange the object at a position that minimizes a distance between said first recognition device and the first component mounting position on the object,

wherein after said control device controls said transfer device so as to position the object next to said second component feed device, but before the second component is mounted, said control device further controls said transfer device so as to arrange the object at a position that minimizes a distance between said second recognition device and the second component mounting position on the object,

wherein the control device controls a first recognition operation for a first arrangement position of the object in order to correct a first movement amount of the component holding device with respect to the first component mounting position on the object before the first component is mounted after said control device further controls said transfer device go as to arrange the object at a position that minimizes a distance between said first recognition device and the first component mounting position on the object,

wherein the control device controls a second recognition operation for a second arrangement position of the object in order to correct a second movement amount of the component holding device with respect to the second component mounting position on the object before the second component is mounted after said control device further controls said transfer device so as to arrange the object at a position that minimizes a distance between said second recognition device and the second component mounting position on the object,

wherein the control device is operable to perform the first recognition operation for the first arrangement position and the second recognition operation for the second arrangement position with the image of the position detection mark by means of said image pickup device,

wherein the control device is operable to perform the second recognition operation for the second arrangement position of the object by picking up the image of the position detection mark formed on the object by means of said image pickup device installed in said component holding device, and

wherein a shift amount of the position detection mark is to be a correction amount in movement of the component holding device.

6. A component mounting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the transfer path is linear.