Electronic component mounting method

• US 6,453,548 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1999
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1998
• 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: Hidese, Wataru
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, PAUL D
• Application Number:
  US09/345,754
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 894/29, 894/30, 897/40, 897/41, 897/42, 897/84, 898/32, 198/465.1, 198/465.3, 198/817
• US Class Current: 29/832
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0061 Tools for holding the circuit boards during processing; handling transport of printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49828 Progressively advancing of work assembly station or assembled portion of work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49829 Advancing work to successive stations [i.e., assembly line]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53178 Chip component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53183 Multilead component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53187 Multiple station assembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5337 including assembly pallet

Abstract

An upstream side first conveyor 5 and a downstream side second conveyor 6 are disposed in a mounting area A capable of mounting electronic components P by a transfer head 23. When mounting electronic components P on a large substrate 30A, the large substrate 30A is positioned on the first conveyor 5 and second conveyor 6 which are used as the mounting stage, and the electronic components P are mounted by the transfer head 23. When mounting electronic components on small substrates, the second conveyor 6 is used as the mounting stage, and the small substrate is positioned, and electronic components P are mounted by the transfer head 23, while the first conveyor 5 is used as a waiting stage, and next small substrate is waiting thereon, so that efficient mounting depending on the size of substrates may be realized.

Claims

1. A method for mounting an electronic component on a substrate in a mounting area with a transfer head, wherein the mounting area contains a plurality of conveyers disposed independently of each other, said method comprising:

conveying substrates on the plurality of conveyers in the mounting area;

mounting at least one component on the substrate on one of the plurality of conveyers with the transfer head; and

if said mounting of the at least one component is disabled due to a shortage of a component while mounting components on a substrate located on a downstream side conveyer of the plurality of conveyers, mounting at least one other component on another substrate located on the plurality of conveyers in the mounting area.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising replacing or replenishing the component in shortage while said mounting of the at least one other component on the another substrate occurs.

3. A method for mounting an electronic component on a substrate in a mounting area with a transfer head, wherein the mounting area contains a plurality of conveyers disposed independently of each other, said method comprising:

conveying at least one substrate on the plurality of conveyers in the mounting area;

if the at least one substrate is a large substrate, positioning the large substrate over the plurality of conveyers which are used as a mounting stage and mounting at least one component on the large substrate with the transfer head;

if the at least one substrate is a small substrate, positioning the small substrate on a downstream side conveyer of the plurality of conveyers, using an upstream side conveyer of the plurality of conveyers as a waiting stage on which another small substrate is waiting, and mounting at least one component on the small substrate on the downstream side conveyer which is used as a mounting stage with the transfer head; and

when said mounting of the at least one component on the small substrate positioned on the downstream side conveyer is being performed, arresting delivery of the another small substrate located on the upstream side conveyer to the downstream side conveyer with a substrate stopper.

4. A method for mounting an electric component on a substrate in a mounting area with a transfer head, wherein the mounting area contains a plurality of conveyers disposed independently of each other, said method comprising:

conveying at least one substrate on the plurality of conveyers in the mounting area;

if the at least one substrate is a large substrate, positioning the large substrate over the plurality of conveyers which are used as a mounting stage and mounting at least one component on the large substrate with the transfer head; and

if the at least one substrate is a small substrate, positioning the small substrate on a downstream side conveyer of the plurality of conveyers, using an upstream side conveyer of the plurality of conveyers as a waiting stage on which another small substrate is waiting, and mounting at least one component on the small substrate on the downstream side conveyer which is used as a mounting stage with the transfer head.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising if the at least one substrate is a large substrate, raising the large substrate with substrate receiving means disposed beneath the plurality of conveyers to support the large substrate from beneath during said mounting of the at least one component on the large substrate with the transfer head.