Electric wiring forming system

• US 6,519,824 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2001
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Kitahara, Toshihiro, Kobayashi, Hiroyoshi, Nagasaki, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): BRIGGS, WILLIAM R
• Application Number:
  US09/816,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20010032387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 29/33.M, 298/29, 298/40, 298/46, 427/96, 228/254, 228/180.22, 228/33, 248/362, 222/590, 222/593, 222/591, 219/121.63, 219/209, 164/113, 164/271, 164/462
• US Class Current: 29/33.00M
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/14 using spraying techniques to apply the conductive material , e.g. vapour evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49144 by metal fusion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49798 Dividing sequentially from leading end, e.g., by cutting or breaking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5193 Electrical connector or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53178 Chip component

Abstract

A wiring board manufacturing system, which is an electric wiring forming system, utilizes a magnesium alloy as a conductive metal for wiring pattern forming, and mixes and heats the magnesium alloy chips thereof in a cylinder (feeding unit) with a built-in screw, melting same into an alloy slurry of a thixotropic state. The alloy slurry thereof is discharged onto a board. The board is mounted on a work stage of a stage unit, which is driven and controlled in accordance with wiring pattern data inputted by a CAD or the like, and a wiring pattern is formed on the board with the discharged alloy. According to this system, it is possible to provide an electric wiring forming system, which does away with the effects on the environment resulting from waste liquid at manufacturing, enables manufacturing time to be shortened, and moreover, uses an inexpensive metallic material for forming a wiring pattern.

Claims

1. An electric wiring forming system, comprising:

a cylinder including a heater for melting a conductive metal;

a screw provided in said cylinder for mixing and discharging said conductive metal;

a drawing die for forming a variable discharge opening diameter in a discharge opening for discharging the conductive metal onto a board for mounting electrical elements;

a moving stage for moving either said board for mounting electrical elements, or said drawing die; and

a controlling device for controlling the movement of said moving stage,

wherein said conductive metal, which is melted, is discharged via said drawing die onto said board for mounting electrical elements, which is mounted on said moving stage, and is disposed so as to have a predetermined clearance relative to said drawing die, and a desired wiring pattern is formed.

2. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 1, wherein said conductive metal is one of magnesium, magnesium alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy.

3. An electric wiring forming system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a wiring pattern surface protecting device which uses an inert gas to shield the wiring pattern surface from the outside air.

4. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling gas spray opening in a vicinity of the discharge opening of said drawing die.

5. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a changing device for automatically changing the discharge opening diameter of said drawing die.

6. An electric wiring forming system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a solder bonding device which solder-bonds electrical elements on said board having the wiring pattern formed therein.

7. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 6, wherein a solder utilized in said solder bonding device comprises an aluminum solder flux as a constituent.

8. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 6, wherein said solder bonding device carries out soldering using one of ultrasonic waves or friction.

9. The electric wiring forming system according claim 1, further comprising a movable pin disposed inside the discharge opening provided in said drawing die.

10. An electric wiring forming system according to claim 1, wherein

the discharging of a conductive metal by the drawing die is performed onto the surface of the board for mounting electrical elements which has been subjected to a treatment for preventing the peeling off of said desired wiring pattern.

11. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a scanner for introducing a wiring pattern which is formed on said board for mounting electrical elements.

12. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of suction openings formed in a surface of said moving stage, which faces said board for mounting electrical elements, and a vacuum device linked to the suction openings.

13. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a through-hole unit for forming a through-hole in said board for mounting electrical elements.

14. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 13, wherein said through-hole unit comprises an end mill.

15. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 13, further comprising a concave portion corresponding to said wiring pattern formed on said board for mounting electrical elements by said through-hole unit, and wherein said conductive metal is discharged into said concave portion.

16. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a pattern defect inspecting device for inspecting said board for mounting electrical elements on which said desired wiring pattern is formed.

17. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 1, wherein said board for mounting electrical elements is formed from one of a super engineering plastic or a heat-resistant fiber.

18. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a feed/take-up mechanism constituting a feeding portion for holding said board for mounting electrical elements in a roll shape, and, in addition, for feeding said board for mounting electrical elements beneath the discharge opening of said drawing die, and a taking-up portion for taking up said board for mounting electrical elements, which has been fed.

19. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 18, further comprising cutting means for cutting an essential part of the board for mounting electrical elements, which has been fed from said feeding portion.

20. An electric wiring forming system according to claim 19, further comprising:

a controlling portion which controls the sequence of stacking the boards for mounting electrical elements, which have been cut by said cutting means in accordance with through-holes formed in the boards for mounting electrical elements.

21. An electrical wiring forming system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for inverting the front and back sides of the board for mounting electrical elements to be fed.

22. An electrical wiring forming system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a discharge clog removing mechanism for removing said conductive metal which has solidified in the vicinity of the discharge opening of said drawing die.

23. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 1, wherein said electric wiring forming system comprises a plurality of sets having said cylinder, said screw, and said drawing die as one set.

24. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 23, wherein said drawing die of each of said sets has a plurality of discharge openings.

25. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a dispenser for discharging ink onto said board for mounting electrical elements.

26. The electric wiring forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a board inverting unit for inverting the front and back sides of said board for mounting electrical elements.