Universal box build

• US 9,958,847 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2015
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bright Machines, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Inventors: Mercado, Raymundo Alatorre, Kurwa, Murad, Mutarelli, Gervasio, Wang, Xiuchuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARLEY, JEFFREY T.
• Application Number:
  US14/666,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20160286663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/00 Manipulators not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/04 with provision for the remote detachment or exchange of the head or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0005 for designing circuits by computer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0008 for aligning or positioning of tools relative to the circuit board H05K3/4638, H05K3/4679 take precedence; for manufacturing assemblages of components H05K13/0015

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating consumer electronics using a Universal Box Build (UBB) are disclosed herein. The method may include entering specifications of a product comprised of a printed circuit board (PCB), additional components (such as Central Processing Units (CPUs), memory modules, and heatsinks) into a chassis module, inserting a set of required components in the UBB, and generating the PCB assembly based on the entered specifications, wherein a robot is operatively connected to the interface module to automatically generate a product assembly.

Claims

1. A Universal Box Build (UBB) comprising:

an interface module;

a product chassis comprising a printed circuit board;

a kitting tray comprising a plurality of components;

a tool box comprising a plurality of tools, wherein each tool of the plurality of tools is configured to add a specific component of the plurality of components to the printed circuit board;

a robot, wherein the robot comprises a robotic arm configured to pick up the plurality of tools, one tool at a time;

a tool changer configured to facilitate attachment of the plurality of tools to the robotic arm; and

a screw tool configured to attach the plurality of components to the printed circuit board;

wherein

a user enters specifications of a product recipe into the interface module, and

the robot is operatively connected to the interface module and configured to assemble a printed circuit according to the product recipe, wherein the product recipe includes instructions to;

direct the robot to pick up a specific tool of the plurality of tools from the tool box,

direct the robot to move to the kitting tray and pick up a specific component of the plurality of components that corresponds with the specific tool, and

direct the robot to place the specific component on the printed circuit board such that the plurality of components are assembled onto a printed circuit board in series based on the entered specifications.

2. The UBB of claim 1, further comprising a rolling cart and at least one gate, wherein

the product chassis and the printed circuit board are located on a top surface of the rolling cart at least prior to and following assembly of the plurality of components onto the printed circuit board.

3. The UBB of claim 1, wherein the product chassis is inserted into the UBB in an unpopulated state.

4. The UBB of claim 1, wherein the robot includes an end of arm tool that is used to assemble the product.

5. The UBB of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tools includes at least one of a heatsink gripper, an inertia resistant screw bit, a memory modules gripper, a central processing unit (CPU) gripper, a mother board (MB) gripper, an original design manufacturer (ODM) MB gripper, a CPU cover gripper, and a CPU socket latch.

6. The UBB of claim 1, wherein the plurality of components includes at least one of a heatsink, a CPU, a CPU cover, and a memory module.

7. The UBB of claim 1, wherein the screw tool attaches the specific component of the plurality of components to the printed circuit board.

8. The UBB of claim 1, wherein the kitting tray further comprises at least a reinforcement, printed circuit board supports, memory module support, memory module slots, a printed circuit board reference corner, an operator handle, position lockdown holes, CPU holders, and heatsink holders.

9. The UBB of claim 1, wherein the kitting tray comprises multiple spaces to accommodate multiple families of components.

10. The UBB of claim 5, wherein the heatsink gripper comprises at least a first tool changer adaptor, a first connector, a first jaw gripper, a first auto switch, a first elbow fitting, a prox switch, a cordset, and a sock cap screw.

11. The UBB of claim 5, wherein the inertia resistant screw bit comprises at least one of a first Phillips bit, a bushing, a screw centering sleeve, a dowel pin, and a cylinder magnet.

12. The UBB of claim 5, wherein the memory modules gripper comprises at least a second tool changer adaptor, a finger adaptor, a gripper finger, a module block, and a second elbow fitting.

13. The UBB of claim 5, wherein

the ODM MB gripper comprises at least a third tool changer adaptor, a MB gripper finger, a MB gripper pin, a quick connect (QC-20) tool, a second connector, a second jaw gripper, a second auto switch, and a third elbow fitting, and

the citrix MB gripper comprises at least a fourth tool changer adaptor, a citrix MB gripper finger, a MB support finger, a second QC-20 tool, a third connector, a third jaw gripper, a third auto switch, and a fourth elbow fitting.

14. The UBB of claim 5, wherein

the CPU gripper comprises at least a fifth tool changer adaptor, a spring pin block, a third QC-20 tool, a fourth connector, a first contact probe, a first receptacle, second contact probe, a second receptacle, a vacuum chip, and a fifth elbow fitting,

the CPU cover gripper comprises at least a sixth tool changer adaptor, a CPU cover gripper arm, a finger holder, a cover gripper finger, a fourth QC-20 tool, a fifth connector, a fourth jaw gripper, a fourth auto switch, and a sixth elbow fitting, and

the CPU socket latch comprises at least a seventh tool changer adaptor, a latch tool adaptor, a CPU latch tool, a fifth QC-20 tool, and a sixth connector.