JP4307342B2 - Substrate support mechanism, component mounting apparatus using the mechanism, and cream solder printing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a board support mechanism and a board support method for supporting a circuit board from below at a predetermined height when mounting components on the circuit board. The present invention further relates to a component mounting apparatus and method using the mechanism and method, and a cream solder printing apparatus and method.

  A component mounting apparatus is widely used for mounting components such as electronic components on a circuit board. FIG. 7 shows an example of a component mounting apparatus. In the figure, a component mounting apparatus 1 includes a component supply unit 2 that supplies a component 11 to be mounted, a mounting head 4 that is mounted with a nozzle 3 that takes out the component 11 from the component supply unit 2 and mounts it on a circuit board 8, A robot 5 that transports the head 4 to a predetermined position, an imaging device 6 that captures an image of the component 11 held by the nozzle 3, a substrate transport and holding unit 7 that carries the circuit board 8 into and holds the circuit board 8 in the component mounting device 1, and a component It is comprised from the control apparatus 9 which controls operation | movement of the mounting apparatus 1 whole.

  During the operation of the component mounting apparatus 1 according to the above configuration, the mounting head 4 that has moved right above the component supply unit 2 lowers the nozzle 3 and picks up and extracts the component 11. Next, the mounting head 4 is conveyed to a position facing the imaging device 6 by the robot 5 while holding the component 11, and the imaging device 6 images the component 11 that is sucked and held by the nozzle 3. The position and angle deviation amount of the component 11 is measured based on the imaged image, and the mounting head 4 corrects the deviation amount based on a command from the control device 9 to bring the component 11 to a predetermined position on the circuit board 8. Is implemented.

  During component mounting, the rectangular flat circuit board 8 is held substantially horizontally by the board transfer holding unit 7. However, if the pair of opposing end faces of the circuit board 8 are simply held from both sides by the board transfer holding unit 7, for example, the central portion of the circuit board 8 vibrates due to the vibration of the apparatus or the like, or due to pressure during component mounting. Since it becomes unstable, such as being deformed, the entire circuit board 8 is normally supported uniformly from below by the board support mechanism 10 to enable accurate component mounting.

  In the series of component mounting processes, in addition to the component mounting apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 7, a generally mounted component 11 is fixed to the circuit board 8 and cream for ensuring electrical connection between the electrodes of the circuit board 8. A cream solder printing apparatus (not shown) for printing solder is used. In a cream solder printing apparatus, printing is performed by covering a positioned circuit board with a screen having an opening and transferring cream solder from the screen. At the time of printing, a squeegee (a spatula-like member) driven by the head unit moves on the screen on which the cream solder is placed, and the cream solder is uniformly diffused and printed. In this printing, in order to prevent uneven distribution and fading of the cream solder and to ensure uniform cream solder printing, the circuit board 8 is also connected to the pair of opposing end surfaces from both sides by the substrate transport holding unit 7 in the same manner. At the same time, it is supported by the substrate support mechanism 10 from the lower surface.

  FIG. 8 shows a schematic cross section of the circuit board 8 supported by the board support mechanism 10. In the figure, the circuit board 8 is fitted and transported between the grooves of a pair of opposed transport rails 7a and 7b of the substrate transport holding section 7 located at both ends, and is held at a predetermined position. In order to be able to transport the circuit boards 8 having various widths, the moving-side transport rails 7b are generally configured to be movable in the width direction of the circuit board 8 in the figure with respect to the fixed-side transport rails 7a. The board support mechanism 10 that supports the circuit board 8 from the lower side includes a base plate 13 and a plurality of holder pins 14 fixed to the base plate 13. The entire substrate support mechanism 10 can be moved in the vertical direction in the figure by a cylinder 15 disposed under the base plate 13.

  During the operation of the substrate support mechanism 10, the circuit board 8 is transported in the direction perpendicular to the drawing by the transport rails 7a and 7b of the substrate transport holding unit 7, and stops at a predetermined position. After the circuit board 8 is stopped, the cylinder 15 is operated to lift the entire board support mechanism 10, whereby the remote end (the upper end in the figure) of the holder pin 14 fixed to the base plate 13 is the circuit board. 8 is in contact with the back surface. As a result of this operation, the circuit board 8 is lifted by the holder pins 14, and the upper surface of the circuit board 8 is brought into close contact with the upper inner walls of the grooves in the transport rails 7a and 7b. As a result, the circuit board 8 is firmly secured by the holder pins 14 and the transport rails 7a and 7b. Positioning is supported. While the circuit board 8 is held in this way, component mounting or cream solder printing is performed from above. After the mounting or printing is completed, the cylinder 15 drives the base plate 13 downward, the contact of the holder pin 14 with the back surface of the circuit board 8 is released, the circuit board 8 is released from the support, and the pair of transport rails 7a. , 7b can be carried out (in the figure, the conveyance mechanism of the substrate conveyance holding unit 7 is omitted).

  Although FIG. 8 shows only one row of holder pins 14, in general, a plurality of rows of holder pins 14 are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the drawing, and the number of holder pins 14 in the horizontal direction in the drawing is also targeted. Any setting can be made according to the circuit board 8 to be formed. If the circuit board 8 is small, only one holder pin 14 may be used.

  By the way, depending on the specification of the circuit board 8 to be processed, the plate thickness may change in addition to the change in the width direction dimension described above. Since the stroke of the cylinder 15 is generally fixed, when the same holder pin 14 is used as it is, the circuit board 8 is stably supported without the effect of pushing up by the holder pin 14 being sufficiently applied to the thin circuit board 8. Can not do it. On the contrary, for the thick circuit board 8, the holder pins 14 push the circuit board 8 upward by a predetermined amount or more, and the circuit board 8 is deformed in relation to the transport rails 7a and 7b, and is extremely damaged. Sometimes.

  Also, depending on the circuit board 8, there are cases where components are mounted on both sides. For example, if the component 11 is already mounted on the back surface as shown in FIG. 8, the length of the holder pin 14 must be adjusted accordingly. If this happens, the part 11 is pressed and destroyed.

  In order to deal with the above, conventionally, a large number of holder pins 14 of various heights are prepared in advance, and the holder pins 14 are replaced according to the specifications of the circuit board 8 to be processed. For replacement, it is common to provide a male screw at the proximal end (the lower end in the figure) of the holder pin 14 and screw it into the base plate 13, but any number of holder pins 14 are manually operated anyway. Therefore, a lot of man-hours were required at the time of setup change.

  In order to solve this problem, a technique has been disclosed in which the required height of each holder pin 14 can be adjusted without replacing the holder pin 14 in the prior art (see, for example, Patent Document 1). FIG. 9 shows the disclosed substrate support mechanism 10a. In the figure, the disclosed substrate support mechanism 10 a biases the base plate 13 a, the holder pin 14 a fitted in the hole 16 provided in the base plate 13 a, and the holder pin 14 a upward in the hole 16. A lock plate 18 that is disposed on the upper surface of the spring 17 and the base plate 13a and can be moved relative to the base plate 13a in the horizontal direction in the drawing, and a lock cylinder 19 that drives the lock plate 18 in the horizontal direction in the drawing. It consists of and. The lock plate 18 is provided with through holes according to the arrangement pattern of the holder pins 14a, and the holder pins 14a pass through the corresponding holes with a certain gap. In FIG. 9, the conveyance rail 7b on the right side (moving side) of the substrate conveyance holding unit 7 is omitted, but the arrangement is the same as that shown in FIG.

  During the operation of the substrate support mechanism 10a disclosed above, the cylinder 15 extends to lift the entire substrate support mechanism 10a with respect to the circuit board 8 that has been transferred and stopped by the substrate transfer holding unit 7, and each holder pin 14a is connected to the circuit board 8 Advance towards the back of the. When the remote end of the holder pin 14 a comes into contact with the back surface of the circuit board 8, the subsequent extension of the cylinder 15 is absorbed by the compression of the spring 17. As a result, the variation in the thickness of the circuit board 8 can be automatically adjusted by the action of the elastic force of the spring 17. Further, even when the component 11 is already mounted on the back surface of the circuit board 8 as shown in the figure, the holder pin 14a is prevented from further moving upward when the holder pin 14a contacts the component 11. Then, as a result of the spring 17 absorbing this, the component 11 does not cause the compression failure.

  When all the holder pins 14a are in contact with the circuit board 8, the extension of the cylinder 15 is completed. In this state, the lock cylinders 19 are contracted to lock the holder pins 14a at the adjusted height, and the holder pins 14a Is moved to the right in the figure. By this movement, the holder pin 14a is pressed in the direction (lateral direction in the figure) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the holder pin 14a by the hole of the lock plate 18 that penetrates (the state shown in the figure). On the other hand, since the proximal end of the holder pin 14a is fitted in the hole 16 of the base plate 13a, the holder pin 14a remains held in its original position, and the holder pin 14a is restrained by both of them, and its height Is restrained while adjusting. Thereafter, as long as the circuit board 8 having the same specification is processed, it is not necessary to readjust the height of the holder pin 14a, and the processing is continued while maintaining this restrained state. That is, when the processing of one circuit board 8 is finished, the cylinder 15 contracts in this locked state, and when the next same circuit board 8 is loaded, the cylinder 15 expands again to support the circuit board 8. This operation is repeated during the same lot.

When a different circuit board 8 is carried in to change the model, the lock cylinder 19 extends and the restraint state of the holder pin 14 by the lock plate 18 is released. As a result, the holder pins 14 can move in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction), a new circuit board 8 is carried in, the above-described procedure is repeated, and the height of each holder pin 14 is adjusted again.
JP-A-4-64296

  However, there is a problem with the substrate support mechanism 10a disclosed above. First, a shearing force and a bending force are always applied to the holder pin 14a in the same direction by the base plate 13a and the lock plate 18 during the restraint. That is, the holder pin 14a is in a cantilever state. For this reason, if the frequency of use increases, the holder pin 14a is likely to be deformed. Further, as shown in the figure, the movement of the holder pin 14a is restrained by the frictional force between the outer periphery of the shaft portion of the holder pin 14a and the hole of the lock plate 18 pressed from the lateral direction, and thus acts in the axial direction of the holder pin 14a. In order to prevent the holder pin 14a from shifting against the force to be applied and to keep it in the adjusted position, it is necessary to apply a considerable pressing force to the lock plate 18. At this time, the holder pin 14a, the lock plate 18 and the hole 16 are always subjected to a force in the same direction at the same location, and only a specific portion where the force acts is worn and deformed. When these members are worn or deformed, the smooth vertical movement of the holder pin 14a is hindered, which may cause a loss of reliability when the circuit board 8 is supported.

  Furthermore, about 30 holder pins 14a are attached to one substrate support mechanism 10a as an example, and when the deformation amount and wear amount of each holder pin 14a or the hole 16 supporting the holder pin 14a vary, the lock plate 18 Even if the pressing force in the lateral direction is constant, the force that restrains the movement of the individual holder pins 14a varies. For this reason, the restraining force of the specific holder pin 14a is reduced, and the circuit board 8 of the corresponding portion is reduced. May be allowed to deform.

  In addition, the lock plate 18 restrains each holder pin 14a by the contraction force of the lock cylinder 19. However, for example, when the power supply to the apparatus is stopped for some reason, the contraction force of the lock cylinder 19 decreases. The holder pin 14a may not have sufficient restraining force, and the adjusted heights may be shifted. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, since the lock plate 18 is exposed upward, foreign matter and dust fall into the holes penetrating the holder pins 14a and bite, and the holder pins 14a are evenly locked. Could be difficult to do.

  In other words, the technical contents disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 still have problems with respect to durability, stability, and reliability. For this reason, it is still common in the market to replace the holder pins by hand as usual. There has been a demand from the market to provide a durable and reliable substrate support mechanism that eliminates such manual labor-intensive replacement of holder pins.

  As described above, the present invention can be used for a component mounting apparatus, a cream solder printing apparatus, etc., and can automatically adjust the height of the holder pin instead of manually, and has excellent durability, reliability, and stability. An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate support mechanism and a substrate support method.

  The present invention holds the holder pin from both sides with respect to the lock plate by a lock plate for locking each holder pin of the substrate support mechanism from the lateral direction and a pair of plates arranged on both sides in the axial direction of the holder pin with respect to the lock plate. By doing so, the above-mentioned problems are solved by preferably pressing the holder pin in the lateral direction with the lock plate through the elastic material. Specifically, the following contents are included.

  That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a supporting means for supporting the circuit board held by the board transport holding portion from the bottom at a single point or a plurality of points, and the supporting means according to the specifications of the circuit board to be supported. A height adjusting means for adjusting the height of the support, and a fixing means for restraining the support means at the adjusted height in order to maintain the adjusted height of the support means. A board support mechanism for supporting the circuit board at a predetermined height, wherein the support means causes one end to abut the lower surface of the circuit board when the whole board support mechanism is driven in a direction approaching the circuit board. The adjustment means is configured to support a predetermined height while urging the single or plural holder pins upward to absorb variations in their heights. With each holder pin The fixing means is disposed on both sides of the lock pin in the longitudinal axis direction of the holder pin with respect to the lock plate and a lock plate that presses the holder pin in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the holder pin. And a pair of plates that hold the holder pins in a fixed position against the pressing force of the lock plate.

  One of the pair of plates includes a through hole through which the holder pin passes, and is configured to hold the holder pin by preventing the holder pin biased by the elastic material from coming off upward. It can be a base plate arranged on the lower side. The other of the pair of plates may be a cover plate provided with a through hole through which the holder pin passes, and disposed on the upper side of the lock plate.

  The base plate includes a first plate that passes through the holder pin and stops upward, and a second plate that holds the elastic material and stops downward of the elastic material and the holder pin, The first and second plates can be configured as a base plate assembly including a fixing member that fixes the first and second plates at a predetermined interval. In this case, the fixing member can be formed integrally with one of the first plate and the second plate.

  The lock plate includes at least one elongated hole through which the group of holder pins arranged in a straight line penetrates, or a round hole through which the one or more holder pins individually penetrate, and is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the holder pin. By moving the lock plate in the direction, the long hole or the round hole can be configured to press the penetrating holder pin in the lateral direction. In this case, the lateral pressing of the holder pin by the lock plate can be configured to act via an elastic member disposed in the elongated hole or the round hole.

  One end of the lock plate may include a toggle mechanism capable of moving the lock plate in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the holder pin and fixing the lock plate at a position where the holder pin is restrained. The toggle mechanism has knob plates that are fixed on both sides in the rotational direction of an operation lever that operates the toggle mechanism, and by simultaneously pinching the operation flange that rises from the operation lever and the one of the knob plates. A simple operation mechanism that allows easy operation of the toggle mechanism can be further provided.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a component supply unit that supplies components, a mounting head unit that picks up and mounts components, a robot that transports the mounting head unit, and a substrate transport that loads and positions a circuit board A component mounting apparatus configured to take out a component from the component supply unit by the mounting head and mount the component at a mounting position of the circuit board, the circuit board being held by the substrate transport holding unit The substrate mounting mechanism according to any one of the above-described ones is provided to support the component mounting apparatus from below.

  Still another aspect of the present invention includes a solder supply unit that supplies cream solder, a head unit that diffuses the cream solder and prints it on a circuit board, a drive unit that drives the head unit, and a circuit board. A solder paste printing apparatus configured to transfer cream solder onto the circuit board through a screen disposed on the circuit board by the head unit, and to print the solder paste. The present invention relates to a cream solder printing apparatus comprising the substrate support mechanism according to any one of the above-mentioned to support a circuit board held by a holding unit from below.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a substrate support mechanism that holds one or a plurality of holder pins biased upward by an elastic material is driven in a direction approaching the circuit board, and the holder pins are moved to the back surface of the circuit board. The height of each holder pin is adjusted by absorbing the variation in the height of each holder pin by the elastic material, and each holder pin having the adjusted height is restrained at its height position. In the substrate support method of supporting the circuit board from below with the constrained single or plural holder pins according to the specifications of the circuit board held by the board transport holding unit, at least three of the holder pins are overlapped. Only the lock plate disposed in the middle of the three plates is moved in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the holder pin. It relates to a substrate supporting method characterized by restraining the holder pin by pressing the holder pin from the side with the through hole provided in the lock plate by.

  The through hole provided in the lock plate can be either a round hole through which the holder pin penetrates each piece or a long hole through which a group of holder pins arranged in a straight line. Moreover, the pressing from the side to the holder pin by the through hole can be performed via an elastic member arranged in the through hole.

  Still another aspect of the present invention is a component mounting method for mounting a component taken out from a component supply unit using a mounting head unit at a regulated mounting position of a circuit board, wherein the circuit board is mounted at the time of mounting. The present invention relates to a component mounting method using the above-described substrate support method in order to hold in a predetermined position.

  Yet another aspect of the present invention is a cream solder printing method for transferring and printing cream solder supplied from a solder supply unit onto a regulated circuit board via a screen, and the circuit board at the time of printing. The present invention relates to a cream solder printing method using the above-described substrate support method in order to hold the substrate in a predetermined position.

  By implementing the present invention, it is possible to automatically adjust the height of each holder pin by contacting the circuit board by eliminating the height adjustment of the holder pin manually performed according to the specifications of the circuit board. can do. Further, stability, reliability, and durability can be improved for the adjustable substrate support mechanism disclosed in the prior art. This greatly improves the productivity by significantly reducing the setup time that accompanies circuit board model changes, and improves product yield by enabling stable component mounting and cream solder printing. The product quality can be stabilized.

  A substrate support mechanism according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view including a partial cross section of the substrate support mechanism 20 of the present embodiment, FIG. 2 (a) is a side cross sectional view, and FIG. 2 (b) is a plan view. In each figure, the substrate support mechanism 20 of the present embodiment includes a base plate 21, a lock plate 22, a cover plate 23, a holder pin 24, and a toggle mechanism 25. The entire substrate support mechanism 20 is driven in the vertical direction by a cylinder 15 (not shown) as in the prior art (see FIG. 9).

  As best shown in the partial cross section of FIG. 1, the holder pin 24 is fitted into a hole 26 provided in the base plate 21 and is urged upward by a spring 27 from below. The holder pin 24 has an enlarged stepped portion, and this enlarged stepped portion is restrained by a reduced diameter portion of the hole 26 to constitute an upward stopper. After the holder pin 24 and the spring 27 are assembled in the hole 26, the bottom plate 28 is put on and the spring 27 and the holder pin 24 are prevented from coming out downward. The spring 27 may be another elastic material such as rubber.

  A lock plate 22 is placed on the base plate 21. The lock plate 22 locks each holder pin 24 at a predetermined height position and prevents its movement in the axial direction. For this reason, long holes 31 are formed in the lock plate 22 at positions corresponding to a group (three in the illustrated example) of holder pins 24 arranged in a straight line. FIG. 3 shows an overall view including the lock plate 22. Here, the cover plate 23 is removed from the plan view shown in FIG. 2B, and the lock plate 22 with a number of long holes 31 appears on the front surface. Is shown. Each holder pin 24 penetrates the elongated hole 31 and protrudes further upward.

  In the present embodiment, an elastic member 32 is fitted into the elongated hole 31, and the holder pin 24 is constrained via the elastic member 32 when locked. The elastic member 32 can be formed of, for example, rubber having a cross section such as a rectangle, a square, a circle, an ellipse, and the like. ing. In the figure, the elastic member 32 is disposed only at one position where the side surface of the holder pin 24 is constrained. A toggle mechanism 25 that drives and locks the lock plate 22 is provided at one end of the lock plate 22, details of which will be described later.

  Returning to FIG. 1, a cover plate 23 is further placed on the lock plate 22. The cover plate 23 is provided with through holes 33 through which the corresponding holder pins 24 can pass. In order to make the holder pin 24 move up and down smoothly, the through hole 33 can be simultaneously formed (co-processed) with the hole 26 of the base plate 21. Alternatively, the through hole 33 can be formed by punching by punching. The base plate 21, the lock plate 22, and the cover plate 23 are overlaid and fixed by, for example, fixing pins 34 (only one is shown in FIG. 1). At this time, the fixing hole 35 of the lock plate 22 in the middle is a long hole, and can be slid in the long axis direction of the long hole even after the fixing. The elastic member 32 is prevented from falling off by attaching the cover plate 23.

  During operation of the substrate support mechanism 20 configured as described above, the circuit board 8 is stopped at a predetermined position after being transported by the substrate transport fixing unit 7 of the prior art, and the substrate support mechanism 20 is moved by the cylinder 15 (not shown). 8 is driven (see FIG. 9). When the remote end of each holder pin 24 comes into contact with the back surface of the circuit board 8, the subsequent extension of the cylinder 15 is absorbed by the compression of the spring 27, and the required height of each holder pin 24 is caused by the expansion and contraction action of the spring 27. Adjusted automatically.

  When the height of each holder pin 24 is determined, the operator operates the toggle mechanism 25 to move the lock plate 22 to restrain each holder pin 24 at the same height. FIG. 2B and FIG. 3 show an outline of the operation of the toggle mechanism 25. In both figures, the toggle mechanism 25 is rotated by a follower lever 36 rotatably attached to the moving lock plate 22 via a moving pin 43 and a fixed pin 44 on the fixed base plate 21. The operation lever 37 is mounted so as to be movable, and the follower lever 36 is rotatably mounted by a connecting pin 45.

  In the relaxed state of the toggle mechanism 25 shown in FIG. 3, the holder pin 24 can freely move in a direction perpendicular to the drawing. When the operator operates the operating lever 37 in the direction of the arrow 38 from this state, the connecting pin 45 supported by the operating lever 37 rotates around the fixed pin 44, and as a result, the peristaltic lever connected by the connecting pin 45. 36 rotates in the same direction around the moving pin 43. The lock plate 22 moves in the direction of the arrow 39 shown in FIG. 3 due to the shift of the rotational center position of the levers 36 and 37 connected by the connecting pin 45. As a result, the toggle mechanism 25 is in the locked state shown in FIG. In the locked state, further rotation of the operation lever 37 is prevented by the stopper pin 40 at a position slightly beyond the dead point, and the lock plate 22 itself is also fixed at that position.

  In FIG. 1, as a result of the movement of the lock plate 22 in the direction indicated by the arrow 39, the elastic member 32 fitted in the elongated hole 31 presses the side surface of the holder pin 24 in the lateral direction, and the holder pin 24 Is restricted. At this time, since the friction coefficient of the elastic member 32 can be made much higher than that of the steel material of the lock plate 22, it is possible to obtain a larger restraining force with a slight pressing force compared to the prior art. it can. Further, by using the elastic member 32, the contact area when the holder pin 24 is pressed increases, and the holder pin 24 can be prevented from being worn by being restrained by a flexible material. Further, even if there is a variation between the distances between the elastic member 32 and the plurality of holder pins 24, the elastic member 32 can absorb this, so that each holder pin 24 can be restrained with a substantially equal force. Further, when the elastic member 32 is damaged due to long-term use, it can be easily replaced. The use of the elastic member 32 in this way is preferable because several advantages are obtained. However, depending on the situation, this elastic member is not used, and only the elongated hole 31 is used as in the conventionally disclosed technique. It is also possible to constrain.

  As is clear from the above operation, the substrate holding mechanism 20 according to the present embodiment includes a supporting unit that supports the circuit board 8 held by the substrate transfer holding unit 7 at one or more points from below. Height adjusting means for adjusting the respective supporting heights of the supporting means in accordance with the specifications of the circuit board to be supported, and the adjusting means for maintaining the adjusted respective heights of the supporting means. It is comprised from the fixing means restrained by the height made. The supporting means is composed of one or a plurality of holder pins 24 that contact and support the circuit board 8 from below, and the adjusting means urges the holder pins 24 from below to absorb variations in height. The fixing means is formed of a lock plate 22 that presses the holder pin 24 in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the holder pin 24, and a pressing force of the lock plate 22. The holder pin 24 is composed of a pair of plates, a base plate 21 and a cover plate 23, which hold the holder pins 24 at fixed positions on both sides of the lock plate 22.

  According to the substrate support mechanism 20 according to the present embodiment, the base plate 21 and the cover plate 23 are arranged on both sides of the holder pin 24 in the longitudinal direction with respect to the lock plate 22, respectively. On the other hand, the holder pin 24 can be supported on both sides of the holder pin 24 in the axial direction, and the holder pin 24 can be stably restrained by eliminating the disadvantages disclosed in the prior art and found in the cantilever mechanism. It becomes possible.

  In addition, by adopting a toggle mechanism 25 as a mechanism for locking the lock plate 22 in a restrained state of the holder pin 24, the restrained state can be maintained even when energization to the apparatus is stopped, and the holder pin 24 can be held again when the operation is resumed. This eliminates the need for height adjustment and is efficient. Further, since the substrate support mechanism 20 is covered with the cover plate 23, foreign matters and dust do not fall into the long holes 31 of the lock plate 22, and the restraining force of the holder pins 24 is not adversely affected. Can be realized.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 1 and others, in the present embodiment, a terminal member 12 made of a flexible material is attached to the remote side end portion of the holder pin 24 that contacts the circuit board 8. This terminal portion pushes up the circuit board 8, but electrodes and wires are arranged on the surface of the circuit board 8, and there are cases where the component 11 is already mounted, and the holder pin 24 abuts against these. The urging force of the spring 27 may damage the circuit board 8 and the component 11 that are precision members. Such a risk is avoided by using the terminal member 12 made of a flexible material. The flexible material may be rubber or plastic, and these materials are preferably conductive in order to eliminate static electricity.

  Further, the configuration of the substrate support mechanism 20 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, for example, the number of holder pins 24, the number of columns, the number of rows, and the like are examples, and combinations of these numbers are free. Further, the substrate support mechanism 20 shown in the figure shows one unit, and a larger substrate can be supported by arranging a plurality of the units in parallel. In the illustrated example, the diameter of the holder pins 24 is 3 mm, and the pitch (distance between the centers) between the holder pins 24 is 10 mm. However, these specifications are also arbitrary.

  Further, in the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a toggle mechanism 25 is used to move the lock plate 22, which is a preferable mode as described above. It may be moved using a cylinder as found in the prior art, or may be moved using another manipulator having a stepping motor or the like as a driving force.

  Next, a substrate support mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 4A is a cross-sectional side view of the substrate support mechanism 20a of the present embodiment, and FIG. 4B is a plan view. FIG. 4B shows a state in which the cover plate is removed and the lock plate 22a appears on the front surface (corresponding to FIG. 3). The cover plate removed here can be the same as the cover plate 23 shown in FIG. 2B of the first embodiment.

  The substrate support mechanism 20a according to the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of round holes 41 through which the holder pins 24 individually penetrate, instead of the long holes 31 of the lock plate 22 shown in the previous embodiment. The round holes 41 have an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the holder pin 24, and ring-shaped elastic members 42 are fitted in the respective round holes 41. The holder pin 24 can penetrate the center hole of the ring-shaped elastic member 42. Other configurations may be the same as in the previous embodiment.

  The annular elastic member 42 fitted into the round hole 41 is sized so as to be able to penetrate the holder pin 24 with a margin as shown in the figure, and the holder pin 24 can freely pass through the center of the annular elastic member 42 in the longitudinal axis direction. Can be moved to. More specifically, this annular elastic member 42 can be used by selecting an appropriate one from various commercially available O-rings. By covering the cover plate 23 in the state shown in FIG. 4B, the annular elastic member 42 such as an O-ring is restrained in the round hole 41 and does not fall off.

  The operation of the substrate support mechanism 20a configured as described above is basically the same as that of the previous embodiment. The entire substrate support mechanism 20a is moved by the cylinder 15 (see FIG. 9) toward the back surface of the circuit board 8 positioned on the substrate transport fixing portion 7, and the remote end of each holder pin 24 is placed on the back surface of the circuit board 8. Abut. In this state, the operator operates the toggle mechanism 25 to move the lock plate 22a in the direction indicated by the arrow 39 in FIG. 4 (b) perpendicular to the axis of the holder pin 24. By this movement, the inside of each round hole 41 of the lock plate 22 a presses the outer periphery of the holder pin 24 via the annular elastic member 42, and the longitudinal axis of the holder pin 24 is caused by the frictional force between the annular elastic member 42 and the holder pin 24. Constrain direction movement. By the action of the toggle mechanism 25, the lock plate 22a is locked in a state in which the holder pin 24 is restrained (the state shown in FIG. 4B). To release this restrained state, the toggle mechanism 25 is operated in the reverse direction, and the lock plate 22a is moved in the reverse direction to return the annular elastic member 42 to the free state.

  By configuring the substrate support mechanism 20a as described above, the long hole 31 of the lock plate 22 can be replaced with the round hole 41 as compared with the previous embodiment, and the processing becomes easy, and generally, it is a dedicated component. A general-purpose member such as an O-ring that can be selected from the belt-like elastic member 32 can be utilized, and any of them has an effect of reducing the cost. Other effects are the same as those of the substrate support mechanism 20 of the previous embodiment.

  In the previous embodiment, the belt-like elastic member 32 is fitted into the elongated hole 31 to restrain the holder pin 24. However, the elongated hole 31 is left as it is, and the belt-like elastic member 32 is used instead of the strip-shaped elastic member 32. An annular elastic member 42 such as an O-ring according to the embodiment may be fitted to each holder pin 24 and used.

  Further, in the substrate support mechanism 20a according to the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, a simplified operation mechanism that can easily operate the toggle mechanism 25 is provided. In both figures, the operation lever 37 of the toggle mechanism 25 is provided with an operation flange 37a bent from the lever portion. A base plate 47 extends from the base plate 21 under the toggle mechanism 25, and both sides of the base plate 47 are bent to form knob plates 47a and 47b on both sides of the operation flange 37a. When operating the lock plate 22a to either the locked state or the unlocked state using the toggle mechanism 25, the operator can easily operate by pinching the operation flange 37a and one of the knob plates 47a and 47b. can do. This simplified operation mechanism can also be employed in the substrate support mechanisms 20 and 20b shown in other embodiments.

  Next, a substrate support mechanism according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 shows a side cross-sectional view of the substrate support mechanism 20b of the present embodiment. Whereas the base plate 21 in the first and second embodiments is configured to cut and process blocks, for example, the substrate support mechanism 20b according to the present embodiment has a pair of plates at both ends. The structure has been changed to a fixed assembly, facilitating processing and reducing costs. Other configurations can be the same as in any one of the previous embodiments.

  In FIG. 5, the base plate assembly 21 b includes a first plate 51 provided with a large number of through holes 52 that allow the holder pins 24 to pass therethrough and can be prevented from being pulled out by a step of a large diameter portion of the holder pins 24, and positioning of the springs 27. And a pair of fixing members 56a and 56b that hold the first and second plates 51 and 53 facing each other with a predetermined distance therebetween. Yes.

  As shown in the figure, in a state where the first and second plates 51 and 53 are fixedly held, the base assembly 21b projects the holder pin 24 from the first plate 51, and the lower end of the holder pin 24 and the second plate The holder pin 24 is urged upward by the action of the spring 27 compressed between 53. The protrusion 54 of the second plate 53 can be easily formed by embossing the plate 53, for example.

  The operation of the substrate support mechanism 20b according to the present embodiment configured as described above is exactly the same as that in the previous embodiments, and the obtained effects are also the same. In addition to these, the substrate support mechanism 20b has the effect of making the base assembly 21b lighter and more affordable.

  In the example shown in FIG. 5, the base assembly 21 b has a structure in which a pair of fixing members 56 a and 56 b are sandwiched and fixed between two plate-like members of a first plate 51 and a second plate 53. 6 (a) and 6 (b) show this alternative mode, FIG. 6 (a) is a side cross-sectional view, and FIG. 6 (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. 6 (a). Show. In both figures, the second plate 53 is formed into a container shape (lunch box shape) by drawing, and the first plate 51 is configured to cover the second plate 53 that is in the container shape. . Then, the holder pin 24 and the spring 27 are housed in an intermediate hollow portion constituted by the first and second plates 51 and 53 to constitute the base assembly 21b.

  The structure of the base assembly 21b can be further simplified by replacing the fixing members 56a and 56b shown in FIG. 5 and integrally forming the second plate 53 in a container shape. In the example shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the second plate 53 is formed in a container shape, but conversely, the first plate 51 is formed in a container shape. A flat plate-like second plate may be covered. Further, in the illustrated example, the second plate 53 is formed into a container shape by drawing, but as an alternative, for example, the second plate 53 is formed in a bowl shape as shown in FIG. 6B. Also good. In this case, the second plate 53 is formed integrally with the side walls 57a and 57b by bending, and the processing becomes easier with respect to the drawing.

  In addition, the flat follower lever 36a extended linearly is used for the toggle mechanism 25a with which the base assembly 21b shown to Fig.6 (a) is equipped. For example, in the toggle mechanism 25 shown in FIG. 2A, the follower lever 36 is bent in a key shape, and the lock plate 22 is pulled using the elastic force at the bent portion. In the case of this type, depending on the thickness and rigidity of the follower lever 36 and the operation lever 37, there is a possibility that the force for holding the lock plate 22 by the bending force may be difficult to stabilize. By using a non-bending follower lever 36a as shown in FIG. 6A, such a possibility is eliminated, and the three plates connected by the pins 43 to 45 in the toggle mechanism 25a are in close contact with each other without a gap. As a result, the holding force can be stabilized.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the base assembly 21b is shown in combination with the lock plate 22a provided with the round hole 41 shown in the second embodiment. It is also possible to use it in combination with the lock plate 22 provided with the long hole 31 of one embodiment.

  As mentioned above, although the board | substrate support mechanism of each embodiment which concerns on this invention has been demonstrated, this invention further comprises the board | substrate support mechanism mentioned above, and a circuit board is predetermined position at the time of component mounting or cream solder printing. In addition, a substrate support method for supporting from below is also included. In the substrate holding method according to the present invention, the holder pins pass through through holes provided in at least three stacked plates, respectively, and only the lock plate at the center of the three plates is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the holder pins. The holder pin is restrained by a through hole provided in the lock plate that is moved in the direction of pressing and pressing the holder pin from the side.

  In addition, the present invention uses a component mounting apparatus and a component mounting method for mounting components on a circuit board using the substrate support mechanism or the substrate support method described above, and further utilizes the substrate support mechanism or the substrate support method described above. A cream solder printing apparatus and a cream solder printing method for printing cream solder on a circuit board are also included.

  The substrate support mechanism and the substrate support method according to the present invention are widely used in the industrial field of component mounting, such as mounting electronic components on a circuit board by supporting the circuit board from below, or printing cream solder on the circuit board surface. Can be used.

It is a fragmentary perspective view which shows the outline | summary of the board | substrate support mechanism of embodiment concerning this invention. It is side surface sectional drawing (a) of the board | substrate support mechanism shown in FIG. 1, and a top view (b). It is a top view which shows the state which removed the cover plate from the top view shown in FIG.2 (b). It is side surface sectional drawing (a) which shows the board | substrate support mechanism of other embodiment concerning this invention, and the top view (b) of the state which removed the cover plate. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the board | substrate support mechanism of further another embodiment which concerns on this invention. FIG. 6 is a side and front sectional view showing an alternative embodiment of the substrate support mechanism shown in FIG. 5. It is a perspective view which shows the outline | summary of a component mounting apparatus. It is front sectional drawing which shows the board | substrate support mechanism by a prior art. It is front sectional drawing which shows the board | substrate support mechanism provided with the height adjustment function of the holder pin disclosed by the prior art.

Explanation of symbols

1. 6. Component mounting device Substrate transport holder, 7a, 7b. Transport rail, 8. Circuit board 10, 10a. 10. substrate support mechanism; Parts, 12. A terminal member, 13, 13a. Base plate, 14, 14a. 15. holder pin; Cylinder, 16. Hole, 17. Spring, 18. Lock plate, 19. Lock cylinder 20, 20a, 20b. Substrate support mechanism, 21. Base plate, 21a. Base plate assembly, 22, 22a. Lock plate, 23. Cover plate, 24. Holder pin, 25. Toggle mechanism, 26. Hole, 27. Spring, 28. Bottom plate, 31. Long hole, 32. Elastic member, 33. Through hole, 34. Fixing pin, 35. Fixing hole, 36. Following lever, 37. Operating lever, 37a. Operation flange, 40. Stopper pin, 41. Round hole, 42. Elastic member, 47. Base plate, 47a, 47b. Knob plate 51. First plate, 52. Through hole, 53. Second plate, 54. Protrusions, 56a, 56b. Fixed member.

Claims (6)

Support means for supporting the circuit board held by the substrate transport holding unit from below at one or more points, and height adjustment for adjusting each height supported by the support means according to the specifications of the circuit board to be supported And a fixing means for restraining the support means at the adjusted heights in order to maintain the adjusted heights of the support means, and supporting the circuit board at a predetermined height. In the support mechanism,
The support means is composed of one or a plurality of vertically movable holder pins that support one end against the lower surface of the circuit board when the entire board support mechanism is driven in a direction approaching the circuit board.
The adjusting means is composed of an elastic material that holds each holder pin at a predetermined height while urging the single or plural holder pins upward to absorb variations in the respective heights.
The fixing means is disposed on both sides in the longitudinal axis direction of the holder pin with respect to the lock plate and presses the holder pin in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the holder pin, so as to reduce the pressing force of the lock plate. Consists of a pair of plates that hold the holder pin in place against it ,
The lock plate includes at least one elongated hole that penetrates the group of holder pins arranged in a straight line, and one of the elongated holes is formed by moving the lock plate in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the holder pin. The long side is configured to press the group of holder pins penetrating through in a lateral direction,
The substrate support mechanism is configured so that the lateral pressing of the holder pin by the lock plate acts via an elastic member disposed in the elongated hole. It includes a toggle mechanism capable of moving the lock plate at one end of the lock plate in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the holder pin and fixing the lock plate at a position where the lock plate restrains the holder pin. The substrate support mechanism according to claim 1. The toggle mechanism has knob plates that are fixed on both sides in the rotational direction of an operation lever that operates the toggle mechanism, and by simultaneously pinching the operation flange that rises from the operation lever and one of the knob plates. The substrate support mechanism according to claim 2, further comprising a simplified operation mechanism that enables easy operation of the toggle mechanism. The substrate support mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a tip member made of a conductive flexible material is attached to a tip of the holder pin on the side in contact with the circuit board. A component supply unit that supplies components, a mounting head unit that takes out and mounts components, a robot that transports the mounting head unit, and a substrate transport holding unit that loads and positions a circuit board, and the mounting In a component mounting apparatus that takes out a component from the component supply unit by a head and mounts the component on a mounting position of the circuit board.
5. The component mounting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the board support mechanism for supporting the circuit board held by the board conveyance holding unit from below is the board support mechanism according to claim 1. . Consists of a solder supply section for supplying cream solder, a head section for diffusing cream solder to print on a circuit board, a drive section for driving the head section, and a board transport holding section for loading and positioning the circuit board. In the cream solder printing apparatus for transferring and printing cream solder onto the circuit board through a screen disposed on the circuit board by the head unit,
The board soldering mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the board supporting mechanism for supporting the circuit board held by the board conveying / holding unit from below is the cream solder. Printing device.

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