Abstract: An electric-component holding apparatus including a component holder which holds an electric component and includes an engaging portion, a holder-holding member to which the component holder is detachably attached, a lock member which consists of a substantially rigid body, and which is supported by the holder-holding member such that the lock member is movable relative to the holder-holding member, and is engaged with the engaging portion of the component holder to lock the component holder to the holder-holding member, and a locked-state maintaining device which includes an operable member and an elastic member and which maintains, owing to an elastic force of the elastic member, a locked state in which the lock member is engaged with the engaging portion of the component holder.

Abstract: A highly-viscous-fluid applying apparatus including a fluid supply device operable to supply a highly viscous fluid, a delivery nozzle from which the highly viscous fluid is delivered, a pump disposed between the fluid supply device and the delivery nozzle and operable to feed the highly viscous fluid received from the fluid supply device, to the delivery nozzle, and a pump control device operable to control the pump, for controlling an amount of delivery of the highly viscous fluid to be delivered from the delivery nozzle.

Abstract: A suction nozzle for applying a suction to an object and thereby holding the object, the suction nozzle including a nozzle portion having an end surface, and a suction passage formed in the nozzle portion and opening in the end surface thereof, the end surface providing a suction surface that applies the suction to the object and thereby holds the object. At least a free end portion of the nozzle portion has a shape whose diameter gradually increases in a direction from the end surface thereof toward a base end thereof opposite to the end surface.

Abstract: A system for performing an operation relating to a printed wiring board, including a first supporting table having a planar first supporting surface, a portion of the first supporting table that defines the first supporting surface being formed of a ferromagnetic material; a plurality of supporting members each of which has a seat portion having a bottom surface which is seated on the first supporting surface, and a support surface opposite to the bottom surface, a portion of the seat portion being formed of a permanent magnet, each supporting member being attached, owing to a magnetic force of the permanent magnet, to the first supporting surface to support a back surface of the wiring board; an operation performing device which performs an operation for a front surface of the wiring board whose back surface is supported by the respective support surfaces of the supporting members; a second supporting table which is provided in a vicinity of the first supporting table and has a second supporting surface whic

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting a screen of a screen printing machine, including the steps of taking, with an image taking device, an image of at least one opening of the screen, and judging, based on image data representing the taken image, whether the opening of the screen is clogged.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically resetting a printed-wiring-board supporting device including a supporting table and a plurality of supporting members which are set on a surface of the supporting table to support a back surface of a printed wiring board, the apparatus including a supporting-member storing device in which the supporting members are stored, a holding head which can hold each of the supporting members, a moving device which moves the holding head relative to each of the supporting table and the storing device, in a direction parallel to the surface of the supporting table, so that the holding head takes a prescribed one of the supporting members from the storing device and sets the supporting member at a prescribed setting position on the surface of the supporting table, and takes the supporting member from the setting position and stores the supporting member in the storing device, and a control device which controls the moving device.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically resetting a printed-wiring-board supporting device including a supporting table and at least one supporting member which is set on a supporting surface of the supporting table to support a back surface of a printed wiring board, the apparatus including a storing device in which the supporting member is stored, a holding head which holds the supporting member, a moving device which moves the holding head relative to each of the supporting table and the storing device, and a control device which controls, according to prescribed control information, the moving device so that the holding head takes the supporting member from a storing position in the storing device and sets the supporting member at a setting position on the supporting surface of the supporting table, and takes the supporting member from the setting position and stores the supporting member at the storing position.

Abstract: An electric-component transferring apparatus including a plurality of component holders each of which holds an electric component, and having the function of exchanging the component holders, the apparatus including a holder chuck which holds each of the component holders such that each component holder is removable therefrom; a chuck moving device which moves the holder chuck to transfer the electric component held by each component holder held by the holder chuck; a holder holding member which holds the component holders such that each of the component holders is allowed to be removed therefrom; a holding-member holding device which holds the holder holding member such that the holder holding member is removable therefrom; and a holder-exchange moving device which moves at least one of the holder chuck and the holder holding member relative to each other so that the holder chuck exchanges one of the component holders that is held thereby, with another of the component holders that is held by the holder hold

Abstract: An electric-component mounting head, including a support member, a suction nozzle which applies a suction to an electric component and thereby holds the component, and a nozzle holder which is supported by the support member, which holds the nozzle such that the nozzle is movable relative to the support member in a direction parallel to an axis line of the nozzle, and which comprises a housing and a piston fitted in the housing such that one of the housing and the piston that is connected to the nozzle is movable relative to the other of the housing and the piston that is connected to the support member, the nozzle holder having at least one pressure chamber which is defined by at least one of axially opposite end surfaces of the piston and the housing, at least one communication opening which communicates with the one pressure chamber, two guide surfaces which are supported by the housing and the piston, respectively, and cooperate with each other to guide the relative movement of the housing and the piston,

Abstract: A chuck for holding an object, including one or more linear motors which include one or more linear stators, two or more moving members which are movable along the linear stator or stators, independent of each other, and one or more guide members which guide each of the two or more moving members along the linear stator or stators, and two or more holding members which are supported by the two or more moving members, respectively, and which cooperate with each other to hold the object.

Abstract: A printed-board conveying apparatus including a first belt conveyor including first stationary and movable guide rails and two first belts which are circulated while being guided by the two first guide rails, respectively, and which support opposite end portions of a first printed board, respectively, and cooperate with each other to convey the first printed board, and a second belt conveyor which is arranged in parallel with the first belt conveyor and which includes second stationary and movable guide rails and two second belts which are circulated while being guided by the two second guide rails, respectively, and which support opposite end portions of a second printed board, respectively, and cooperate with each other to convey the second printed board. The first and second stationary and movable guide rails extend parallel to one another such that the first and second stationary guide rails are provided outside the first and second movable guide rails, respectively.

Abstract: A creamed-solder printing machine for printing a creamed solder on a printed circuit board, including a screen having a plurality of holes, a squeegee which prints the creamed solder on the printed circuit board through the holes of the screen, a frame which supports the squeegee such that the squeegee is movable toward, and away from, the screen, and an elastic member which is provided between the frame and the squeegee and which produces a biasing force to bias the squeegee in a direction toward the screen.

Abstract: An electronic component transferring apparatus for transferring electronic components, including at least one movable member, a movable-member moving device which moves the movable member, a rotary head which is supported by the movable member such that the rotary head is rotatable about an axis line thereof, a plurality of component holders which are supported by the rotary head such that the component holders are provided along a circle whose center is positioned on the axis line of the rotary head, a drive source which is supported by the movable member and which provides a motion, and a motion transmitting device which is selectively operable in a component-holder selecting state in which the motion transmitting device transmits the motion of the drive source to the rotary head, to rotate the rotary head about the axis line thereof and thereby position one of the component holders at an operating position in which the one component holder holds one of the electronic components, and in a component-holder r

Abstract: A screen apparatus including a screen plate including a screen and a screen frame to which the screen is fixed, a support table having a support surface which supports the screen frame, an adjusting device which adjusts a position of the screen plate relative to the support table in a direction parallel to the screen, a fixing device which, when the adjusting device adjusts the position of the screen plate, permits the screen plate to be moved relative to the support table and, after the adjustment, presses the screen frame against the support surface of the support table, thereby fixing the screen plate to the support table, at least three balls which are supported by the screen frame and/or the frame-support table such that each of the balls is movable between its advanced position and its retracted position, at least three biasing devices each of which supports a corresponding one of the balls such that the one ball is rollable and which biases the one ball toward its advanced position, and at least three

Abstract: An apparatus for printing a printing material on a substrate, such as a printed circuit board includes: a squeegee which extends in a first direction parallel to a plane screen and which slides on the screen to squeeze the printing material into through-holes of the screen; and an outlet-defining member which is opposed to the squeegee and which cooperates with the squeegee to define an elongate printing-material outlet. A printing-material container has a printing-material chamber which extends parallel to the printing-material outlet, has a length substantially equal to a length of the outlet and communicates with the outlet over a substantially entire length thereof. A printing-material thrust member is provided in the printing-material chamber such that the printing-material thrust member is substantially fluid-tightly movable relative to the printing-material container.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning a screen of a screen printing machine, including an ultrasonic vibrator which vibrates at an ultrasonic frequency, a cleaning-sheet supporting device which supports a portion or an entirety of a porous cleaning sheet between the screen and the vibrator, such that the portion or entirety of the cleaning sheet is contactable with the screen and the vibrator, and a washing-agent supplying device which supplies a washing agent to the cleaning sheet.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning a screen of a screen printing machine, including an ultrasonic vibrator which vibrates at an ultrasonic frequency, a cleaning-sheet supporting device which supports a portion or an entirety of a porous cleaning sheet between the screen and the vibrator, such that the portion or entirety of the cleaning sheet is contactable with the screen and the vibrator, and a washing-agent supplying device which supplies a washing agent to the cleaning sheet.