Multilead Component Patents (Class 29/741)
  • Patent number: 6490784
    Abstract: An automatic electronic component-mounting apparatus is provided. A nut member is slidably arranged between a pair of rails. A head-lifting/lowering member is lowered and lifted with respect to the main block via the pair of rails and the nut member. A mounting head is attached to the head-lifting/lowering member. The head-lifting/lowering member is lowered and lifted to cause the mounting head to pick up an electronic chip component and then mount the electronic chip component on a printed circuit board. The head-lifting/lowering member is formed of a metal-ceramic composite material produced by combining a ceramic reinforcing material with a metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Kano, Yoshinao Usui, Takahiro Nagata
  • Patent number: 6477766
    Abstract: An axial type electronic component inserting apparatus is provided for inserting into holes of a board a pair of lead wires of each of axial type electronic components connected by a tape at regular intervals. A first kind of the components have a larger tape interval and a second kind of the components have a smaller tape interval. The apparatus includes a pair of centering chucks having recesses for contacting both sides of the body of the component, and being movable in a symmetrical manner with respect to the center to adjust the body of the component from both sides of the main body while the recesses come in contact with both sides of the body of the component, thus resulting in centering of the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Imai, Hideaki Watanabe, Hiromi Kinoshita, Dai Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 6453548
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wataru Hidese
  • Patent number: 6438818
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrical terminal implementation device that fabricates individual terminals, positions the terminals at their point of use, and connects the terminals to the subject components. The present device may also include apparatus for attaching the terminals to a component, testing the connection between the terminal and the component, coating the terminals with flux, shaping the terminals, and burnishing the component. More specifically, the present invention includes a terminal feeder by which integrated terminals are fed into the device. The integrated terminals are directed from the feeder toward a punch by a selector assembly. Before an individual terminal is cut from the integrated terminals by the punch, a loader assembly grips the individual terminal. Once separated from the integrated terminals, the individual terminal is moved by the loader assembly to the positioner assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Inventor: Larry J. Costa
  • Patent number: 6427320
    Abstract: A pallet-storing block of an electronic component-mounting apparatus stores a plurality of pallets each carrying thereon a tray containing a large number of electronic components. A desired pallet selected from the pallets is moved along a transfer path, in a manner such that the desired pallet is advanced to be introduced into a pickup area which extends to cover almost all of the transfer path or withdrawn from the pickup area into the pallet-storing block. Desired electronic components are sequentially picked up from the desired pallet introduced into the pickup area and mounted on a circuit board. The desired pallet is moved to a desired position within the pickup area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Seto, Kazuyoshi Oyama, Yoshiharu Fukushima
  • Publication number: 20020092157
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a control device and a circuit board moving device controlled in operation by the control device for holding a circuit board are provided, whereby the circuit board moving device is moved to bring a component mount position on the circuit board closest to a recognition device after the circuit board moving device is moved to bring the component mount position closest to a component feed position. In the state, a circuit board mark formed on the circuit board is detected, thereby recognizing a position of the circuit board. A transfer distance for the component by a component hold device from the recognition device to the component mount position is thus shortened, enabling high-speed mounting with higher accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2002
    Publication date: July 18, 2002
    Inventors: Noriaki Yoshida, Makoto Sueki, Koji Odera, Yoshihiro Yoshida, Osamu Okuda, Naoyuki Kitamura, Akira Kabeshita
  • Patent number: 6412166
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided with a component feeding member for feeding electronic components having lead wires in a tape-bonded state, an insertion head for separating the electronic components fed from the feeding member from the tapes and inserting to holes of a board, and a fixing head facing the insertion head via the board for cutting and folding the lead wires of the inserted electronic component in the board thereby fixing the electronic component to the board. AC servo motors operating independently of each other are individually set in the insertion head and the fixing head, which are controlled by a device so as to be synchronous with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuzuru Inaba, Kiyoshi Imai, Hideaki Watanabe, Hiromi Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 6409642
    Abstract: An assembling device for supplying and assembling a part on an object has a table and a first moving portion disposed above the table, where the first moving portion includes a guide and a movable body. The guide extends in a first direction parallel to a surface of the table out of a range in which the table is positioned. The movable body is movable to a position out of the range in which the table is positioned. The assembling device also has a second moving portion disposed on the table and movable in a second direction transverse to the first direction, the object being mounted on the second moving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Morio Tominaga, Katsuya Arai, Shoichi Hayashi, Kenichi Kato, Tsuyoshi Inoue, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Tetsuo Higewake, Hideaki Tomikawa, Takeshi Tokita, Norifumi Otsuka, Hiroshi Teranishi
  • Patent number: 6401330
    Abstract: A system includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having multiple bonding sites and a packaged integrated circuit (IC) having multiple conductive portions for electrically contacting respective bonding sites when the IC is mounted thereon. A portion of the package is formed of a magnetic material. The system also includes a magnet to controllably induce a magnetic field at the PCB having a strength sufficient to attract the magnetic material provided in the IC package and to hold the packaged IC onto the PCB. The system also includes a testing unit for evaluating the PCB and packaged IC while the packaged IC is held onto the PCB by the magnetic field induced by the magnet. The IC package comprises a semiconductor IC chip encapsulated within a casing and a lead frame electrically coupled to the semiconductor IC chip. The lead frame includes the magnetic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald D. Baldwin
  • Patent number: 6393694
    Abstract: A gripping device for positioning a component (47) on a substrate, comprising three fingers (1, 2, 3) arranged in a triangle (7), and a drive device for moving the fingers along parallel paths (4, 5, 6) relative to each other to grip or release a component. A middle finger (2) is movable in opposite directions with respect to the outer fingers (1, 3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Cornelis J. G. Roovers
  • Patent number: 6389683
    Abstract: A solvent transfer unit is made a slide type and a plurality of nozzles at a head part which suck and hold components are moved down simultaneously to transfer the flux to electronic components. In comparison with an electronic component mounting method including a transfer operation whereby nozzles are lowered one by one by a conventional electronic component mounting apparatus equipped with a rotary type solvent transfer unit, a time for moving the nozzles up, down is shortened and a total cycle time is reduced, so that production efficiency is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Mori, Osamu Okuda, Hiroshi Uchiyama, Akira Kabeshita
  • Patent number: 6385842
    Abstract: A tube feeder for feeding a plurality of components to a pick and place machine includes an elongated channel having a first end and a second end; the first end of the channel arranged so as to receive a component from a source of the component; the second end of the channel having a pick-up location; and the pick-up location including an elevated zone on which the component can pivot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Delaware Capital Formation, Inc.
    Inventor: Maurice M. Davis, III
  • Patent number: 6374484
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a control device and a circuit board moving device controlled in operation by the control device for holding a circuit board are provided, whereby the circuit board moving device is moved to bring a component mount position on the circuit board closest to a recognition device after the circuit board moving device is moved to bring the component mount position closest to a component feed position. In the state, a circuit board mark formed on the circuit board is detected, thereby recognizing a position of the circuit board. A transfer distance for the component by a component hold device from the recognition device to the component mount position is thus shortened, enabling high-speed mounting with higher accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriaki Yoshida, Makoto Sueki, Koji Odera, Yoshihiro Yoshida, Osamu Okuda, Naoyuki Kitamura, Akira Kabeshita
  • Patent number: 6370764
    Abstract: An electronic-parts mounting apparatus includes an electronic-parts feeder. A mounting head operates for carrying electronic parts from the electronic-parts feeder. The mounting head includes a plurality of nozzles for holding the electronic parts respectively. An electronic-parts mounting portion operates for enabling the mounting head to mount the electronic parts on a circuit board. A first mechanism operates for rotating each of the nozzles. A second mechanism operates for moving each of the nozzles upward and downward. The first mechanism may include a pinion provided on an outer circumferential surface of each of the nozzles, and a rack meshing with the pinion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Kinoshita, Takashi Munezane, Kunio Tanaka, Shigeki Nakatsuka, Toshihiko Nagaya
  • Patent number: 6367149
    Abstract: An IC socket adapted to establish an electrical connection between an IC package and a printed board includes a socket body having a mount portion on which the IC package is mounted, a number of contact pins disposed on the socket body in substantially equally adjacent arrangement, each of the contact pins having one end to be connected to a terminal of the IC package and another end to be connected to the printed board, and an interval widening member provided for the socket body for widening a pitch interval between the other ends of adjacent contact pins so as to provide a predetermined distance therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Enplas Corporation
    Inventor: Kentaro Mori
  • Patent number: 6349465
    Abstract: A tool which accurately controls the thickness of a thermal grease applied to an integrated circuit that is mounted to a printed circuit board. The tool includes a bracket that supports the printed circuit board and the integrated circuit. A thermal grease is applied to the top surface of the integrated circuit. A lid is attached to the bracket to capture the printed circuit board. The lid has a platen that is separated from the integrated circuit by a space which has a predetermined thickness. The space defines the thickness of the thermal grease. Any excess thermal grease is pushed out of the space by the lid so that a consistent thickness of thermal grease is applied for each integrated circuit assembly. The bracket, lid, integrated circuit and printed circuit board can be mounted to a motherboard as a single integrated circuit module. Alternatively, the lid can be detached from the base so that the grease covered integrated circuit can be removed from the tool for subsequently assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Brownell, Gregory Turturro, Dan McCutchan
  • Patent number: 6338192
    Abstract: The safety device includes an opening/closing cover which isolates a takeout part and an accommodating part of a component feeder unit from each other and which has a sensor for detecting a closed state. The component feeder unit includes the component accommodating part, a feed-out part and the takeout part, and sensors for transmission through voids common to the plurality of set component feeder units. Upon a detection by any one of the sensors during the operation of the machine, the machine is halted. For replacement of the component feeder units, a changeover switch is pressed, by which the detecting function is paused for a specified time period. Thus, a safety device which allows the component feeder units to be replaced even during the operation of the machine can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Kanai, Naoto Mimura, Yuji Miyata, Akira Kabeshita
  • Patent number: 6339733
    Abstract: It is provided an automatic MDF control system comprising: a plurality of matrix boards provided with openings in locations where a plurality of first wires and second wires cross without electrical connections; a robot which inserts electrically conductive connecting pins into the openings and connects the first wires with the second wires where the pins are inserted; a path data conversion unit converting connection requests from an operating terminal into path data having a plurality of addresses of the openings; a robot command conversion unit receiving the path data and converting the path data into robot commands for controlling activity of the robot as a distance moved by the robot moving between the plurality of addresses being reduced by a selected sequence of the converted path data; and a robot control unit controlling the activity of the robot based on the robot commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2002
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Takashi Mizutani, Masaaki Muraai, Hitoshi Isobe, Atsuhiro Makino, Masahiro Ito
  • Patent number: 6336266
    Abstract: An electronic parts insertion head including a supporting block, an insertion guide movable between first and second positions with respect to the supporting block and configured to guide a lead wire of an electronic part to an attaching hole of a printed wiring board in the first position, an insertion guide moving mechanism configured to move the insertion guide between the first and second positions, a cam capable of moving with respect to the supporting block, a cam follower arranged on the insertion guide and positioned to move along a cam face of the cam, and a cam position changing mechanism configured to change a position of the cam with respect to the support block, wherein the insertion guide changes a movement locus when the position of the cam is changed by the cam position changing mechanisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Masayoshi Kobayashi, Atsushi Shindo
  • Publication number: 20010045007
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) device is mounted onto a printed circuit board (PCB) by inducing a magnetic field of a selected strength at the surface of the PCB to temporarily hold the IC device onto the PCB. The IC device is provided with magnetic material which is attracted by the magnetic field. The magnetic field is maintained while the IC device and PCB are tested, and then subsequently during soldering when the IC device is permanently bonded to the PCB.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 1999
    Publication date: November 29, 2001
    Inventor: DONALD D. BALDWIN
  • Publication number: 20010039726
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a workpiece implementation device that fabricates individual workpieces, positions them at their point of use on a component, and connects the workpieces to the components. The device further comprises an accessory assembly capable of shaping the workpieces, coating the workpieces with an adhesive or solderable material, burnishing the point of use on the component, and testing the connection between the workpieces and the component. The positioning, attaching, and accessory assemblies of the workpiece implementation device are adapted to selectively perform their individual functions without the necessity of first repositioning the component or the implementation device. Accordingly, the present invention increases overall production efficiency by integrating several separate implementation tools and workstations into a single, adaptable device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Publication date: November 15, 2001
    Inventor: Larry J. Costa
  • Publication number: 20010037568
    Abstract: This invention is related to a method for encapsulating bond regions in electronic components comprising, for example, metallic bond regions, the method comprising the steps of exposing an electronic component having at least one bond region through a primary gas atmosphere comprising unstable or excited gaseous species, the gaseous species being substantially devoid of any electrical charges, the primary gas atmosphere having a pressure ranging from about 0.5×105 Pa to about 3.0×105 Pa, thereby forming a treated, non-encapulated electronic component, then encapsulating the electronic component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2001
    Publication date: November 8, 2001
    Inventors: Jason R. Uner, Thierry Sindzingre, Claude Carsac
  • Patent number: 6305076
    Abstract: An apparatus for transferring of integrated circuit devices or other devices into and/or out of a plurality of sockets includes at least one guide rod; a presser housing slidingly coupled to the at least one guide rod; a socket presser block movably coupled to the presser housing and a handle assembly. The presser block defines a matrix of cutouts and ribs and is configured to assume a first position in which the presser housing is slideable on the guide rod and a second position in which the matrix of cutouts is aligned with corresponding underlying sockets mounted to a board and in which at least some of the ribs push on the underlying sockets to retract contacts thereof to allow the devices to be transferred into and/or out of the underlying sockets through the cutouts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventor: Larry N. Bright
  • Patent number: 6301778
    Abstract: The fixture for dismounting a CPU from a portable-type computer system having a motherboard with a CPU-mounting location is provided. The fixture includes a first device capable of displacing, a second device and a third device. The second device receives the first device and limits the displacement of the first device. The third device is responsive to an external force and forces the first device to make displacement such that CPU is dismounted from the motherboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: ASUSTek Computer Inc.
    Inventors: Yu-Shi Yo, Tsung-Hsing Fang, Teh-Chuan Ou
  • Patent number: 6295483
    Abstract: One matrix board aggregate accommodating two matrix boards is made one unit of a switch. Three of the matrix board aggregates are vertically located, groups of such three vertically-located matrix board aggregates are laterally located and robots are provided between the matrix board aggregates. By providing a number of robots, the switch operation speeds up. The robots are controlled by a control circuit/power supply RMC/POW. I/O cables for connecting an MDF apparatus to an exchange or to lines are provided at the back. In a three-stage switching configuration, by devising the location of primary, secondary and tertiary switches, interconnection between matrix board aggregates can be made using BWBs made of a printed wiring board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Hitoshi Isobe, Masahiro Ito, Takashi Murakami
  • Patent number: 6282777
    Abstract: In a component placement machine, a placement head (4) is driven by a linear motor (5). The stationary part (7) of the motor is attached to the machine frame (1) on which a PCB (8) is attached. The movable part (6) of the motor is connected to a slide (2) on which the placement head (4) is attached. During driving the placement head, reactive forces of the motor generate vibrations in the stationary part (7) of the motor and thus in the machine frame (20). This causes inaccuracies during the placement of components (9) on the PCB (8). To diminish this problem, the reactive forces are intercepted in a separate force frame (10) which is dynamically disconnected from the machine frame (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Johannes Hubertus Antonius Van De Rijdt
  • Patent number: 6276051
    Abstract: An electric-component transferring apparatus including a component holder which holds an electric component, a shaft member whose lower end portion supports the component holder, a movable member having a support hole which supports the shaft member such that the shaft member is rotatable about an axis line relative to the movable member and is movable relative to the movable member in an axial direction parallel to the axis line, a moving device which moves the movable member in a direction intersecting the axis line of the shaft member, a piston which is supported by the shaft member such that the piston is not movable relative to the shaft member in the axial direction of the shaft member, the support hole including a portion defining a cylinder bore which cooperates with the piston to provide an air-pressure-operated cylinder device, a driven wheel which is substantially integral with the shaft member, and a drive wheel which is supported by the movable member such that the drive wheel is meshed with the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Fuji Machine Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Asai, Kazufumi Suga
  • Patent number: 6266873
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for mounting electronic components in which components are efficiently fed and transferred for enhancing productivity is provided. Tray draw-out device (6) is disposed at a component feeding unit (4) for pulling out a tray (3) accommodating electronic components (2) from the component feeding unit (4) to a given pick-up position, where the electronic components (2) are transferred by the transfer mechanism (11) on to a temporary holder (8) disposed on a draw-out arm (7) of the tray draw-out device (6). Mounting head (5) has a plurality of mounting nozzles (5a), with which the mounting head (5) picks up several electronic components (2) aligned on the temporary holder (8) at a time and mount them on to a circuit board (1) which has been loaded and located at a prescribed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoyuki Kitamura, Osamu Okuda, Akira Kabeshita, Takeshi Takeda
  • Patent number: 6266869
    Abstract: The present invention provides an assembly system employing at least a robotic or automated assembly apparatus to manipulate the components to be assembled and at least a first vision alignment system to align the components prior to their assembly. An adhesive dispense system is provided to connect, attach or otherwise adhere the components together. In a method in accord with the present invention for assembling components, a source of the components is provided is located relative to a global reference system. The components held by the source are then located relative to the global reference system based upon the determined location of the source. An adhesive is dispensed onto a first of the components and a second component is manipulated into an initial attachment position relative to the first component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Applied Kinetics, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Patrick Tracy, Mark T. Girard, Ryan A. Jurgenson, Roger Rhea Livermore, David Richard Swift
  • Patent number: 6267020
    Abstract: A drive mechanism for a variable center distance component insertion machine having a pair of component insertion tooling assemblies mounted adjacent each other so as to be laterally adjustable inwardly and outwardly relative to each other. Each tooling assembly has a gear rack mounted at its top. The racks engage an elongated pinion gear mounted proximate the toolings so as to engage the pair of tooling assembly gear racks. A servo motor rotates the pinion and, thereby, reciprocates the tooling assemblies toward and away from a circuit board. The tooling assemblies are adjusted laterally by a second servo motor coupled to the tooling assemblies by a double screw lead. During the lateral adjustment of the tooling assemblies the pair of rack gears remain in constant mesh with the elongated pinion gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Universal Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Macchiarella, Peter J. Dionne
  • Patent number: 6263559
    Abstract: The behavior of a nozzle tip is measured with a jig when the suction nozzle moves vertically and rotatively before the start of production. The nozzle tip displacement is formulated from the results with a component thickness and a mounting angle used as parameters, and the parameters are corrected according to the component thickness and the final mounting angle of the electronic component to be mounted in the production stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Mimura, Noriaki Yoshida, Osamu Okuda
  • Patent number: 6260260
    Abstract: A method of supplying electric components (“ECs”) with an EC supplying apparatus including an EC-supply table including a displaceable table displaceable in a reference direction, and EC-supply units provided on the displaceable table such that respective EC-supply portions of the units are arranged along a line parallel to the reference direction, each of the EC-supply units including a driven member and a carrier-tape feeding device which feeds, based on the driven member being driven, a carrier tape carrying the ECS at a EC-carry pitch, at a tape-feed pitch equal to a quotient obtained by dividing the EC-carry pitch by an integral number, so that the ECs are positioned, one by one, at the EC-supply portion of each unit, a table displacing device which displaces the displaceable table and positions the EC-supply portion of each EC-supply unit, at an EC-supply position, a drive member which is provided near the EC-supply position, and a drive device which drives the drive member which in turn dri
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Fuji Machine Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinsuke Suhara
  • Patent number: 6260261
    Abstract: An assembly tool for attaching components such as connector plugs or receptacles to a printed circuit board includes a printed circuit board support plate and a sliding member. The sliding member is movable between a first position and a second position relative to the support plate. A holder is pivotally connected to the sliding member and carries a component to be attached to the printed circuit board. A first actuator is connected to a sliding member and moves the sliding member between the first and second positions. A second actuator is connected to the holder and pivots the holder between a receiving position and a mounting position. A component is brought into proximity with the holder and checked for alignment and polarity. Once checked, the component is placed on the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Universal Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Marks, Andrzej H. Lux
  • Patent number: 6257391
    Abstract: A component feed apparatus includes a first feed table (9, 9a) loaded with a plurality of component feed cassettes (1) thereon and moving in a manner so that the first feed table can be positioned in a right-left direction as an arrangement direction of the component feed cassettes. A second feed table (10, 10a) is located at the rear of the first feed table and is loaded and arranged with a plurality of component feed cassettes (1) in the right-left direction. Also, a component transfer unit (8) which is located at the lateral side of the first feed table and moves so that the component transfer unit can be positioned in the right-left direction, thereby receiving components from the component feed cassettes on the second feed table and sending the components forward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuzo Nishimori, Makito Seno, Masato Tanino
  • Patent number: 6256870
    Abstract: A circuit-component supplying apparatus including a plurality of feeders each of which stores a plurality of circuit components of a same sort and which supplies the components one by one from a component-supply portion thereof, a movable table which holds the feeders such that the respective component-supply portions of the feeders are arranged along a line and which is movable in a direction parallel to the line, and a table-driving device which moves and stops the movable table to position the component-supply portion of each of the feeders at a predetermined component-supplying position, the feeders including at least one connected feeder which includes a main portion which is held by the movable table and which supports a feeding mechanism which feeds the circuit components one by one to the component-supply portion of the connected feeder, a component-holding portion which holds the circuit components and from which the components are fed to the main portion by the feeding mechanism, and a connecting de
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Fuji Machine Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Asai, Shinsuke Suhara
  • Patent number: 6247226
    Abstract: In a pickup head (1) for an automatic component assembly machine a house (5) is provided, which and a transmission (27, 29) is movable in a vertical direction (z-direction) by means of a drive motor (25) and is arranged on a horizontally (x-direction) movable wagon (3). The house (5) carries several pickup devices (11), which are movably mounted in the house and during the movement of the house (5) can be made to selectively accompany this in order to pick components. Therefor, the pickup devices (11) are resiliently biassed to a pulled down position by compression springs (21) and they can further be locked in an upper position by activating solenoids (31). These have locking pins (37), which during activation engage abutments (23) of each pickup device (11). The pickup head (1) can hereby, by driven by a single motor (25) simultaneously pick several components, what gives a quick picking function and hereby a quicker mounting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Mydata Automation AB
    Inventors: Marten Lundberg, Mikael Bergman, Ulf Weibahr
  • Patent number: 6240633
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an electronic device includes placing a plurality of components on a printed wiring board (204), detecting a defect in a component (210) and, in response, producing a defect indication including a defect location on the printed wiring board. Subsequently, additional components are placed on the printed wiring board (220) but placement of all additional components having a location which has a predetermined relation with the defect location is suspended. The defective printed wiring board may then be repaired by a technician who subsequently places the additional components over the defect location. This reduces the need to apply a large amount of heat to the printed wiring board to remove subsequently placed components such as radio frequency shields. This further reduces the possibility of additional defects occurring during repair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Kent, John Kivlin, Eric Gasmann
  • Patent number: 6237218
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing multi-layered wiring board in which the positions of alignment marks are detected by irradiating a base material with X rays, and the position of the base material is corrected in accordance with the detected positions of the alignment marks. Then, the aligned base material is successively laminated upon another so as to improve the lamination accuracy. In the method, in addition, such a constitution is adopted that, when the laminating process is repeated twice or more, the position of each base material is corrected by offsetting the base material from the laminating position and the base material is laminated upon another base material at the laminating position by backing the base material to the laminating position. Namely, the positional displacement between the base materials to be laminated upon another is corrected by deciding the position of each base material against the preset optical axis of X rays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akira Ogawa, Yoshitaka Fukuoka
  • Patent number: 6232149
    Abstract: Temporary connections to spring contact elements extending from an electronic component such as a semiconductor device are made by urging the electronic component, consequently the ends of the spring contact elements, vertically against terminals of an interconnection substrate, or by horizontally urging terminals of an interconnection substrate against end portions of the spring contact elements. A variety of terminal configurations are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: FormFactor, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas H. Dozier, II, Benjamin N. Eldridge, Gary W. Grube, Igor Y. Khandros, Gaetan L. Mathieu, David V. Pedersen, Michael A. Stadt
  • Patent number: 6230392
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for mounting an electrical connector on a printed wiring board. The printed wiring board is initially positioned on locating projections on a tooling plate. Eyelets are positioned in hold down apertures in the connector. The hold down apertures initially engage the locating projections to align the connector pins with pin receiving apertures on the printed wiring board. Engagement continues until the pins are positioned in the apertures and the lower end of the eyelet is deformed to engage the innerside of the down aperture and the lower side of the printed wiring board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Berg Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. Clark, David C. Horchier, Stuart C. Stoner, Glenn J. Pontius, William K. Nailor, III
  • Patent number: 6216336
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic parts mounting device designed to mount chip type electronic parts on a printed board. It is an object of the invention to provide a compact and high-speed electronic parts mounting device. To achieve this object, the present invention provides first and second drive systems (12) and (13) for driving first and second supplying portions (2) and (3) arranged on both sides of a table portion (6) and has arrangement pitches of suction nozzles (18) of each supplying portion, each of the drive systems (12) and (13), and each cassette (4) of the supplying portions identical with each other. This structure provides the compact and high-speed electronic parts mounting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takatoshi Mitsushima, Kunio Tanaka, Takashi Munezane
  • Patent number: 6205655
    Abstract: In a method of inserting, into a board, axial-type electronic components, wherein each of the electronic components has a pair of lead wires extending from a main body and belongs to an assembly of electronic components connected by a tape as arranged at regular intervals, the components are grasped with a plurality of chucks which are intermittently moved to a component supplying position and a component transferring position, respectively. Each of these chucks comprises grasping pieces having first and second grasping grooves, the first grasping grooves having inner surfaces for grasping end portions of each of a first kind of the components whose taped portions are of a first tape interval, the second grasping grooves having inner surfaces for grasping end portions of each of a second kind of the components whose taped portions are of a second tape interval smaller than the first tape interval, the second grasping grooves being slightly deeper than the first grasping grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Imai, Hideaki Watanabe, Hiromi Kinoshita, Dai Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 6195879
    Abstract: A wire-wound component to be mounted on a printed circuit board. The wire-wound component is formed by winding a wire on the body of the wire-wound component and by winding both end portions of the wire on terminals. The terminals and the body of the wire-wound component are formed as one unit by molding a heat-resistant resin material. The molded terminals, on which both end portions of the wire are wound, are inserted into the printed circuit board, and then connected to a circuit pattern on the printed circuit board by soldering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Funai Electric Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Osamu Maeda
  • Patent number: 6189210
    Abstract: A fixture for aligning the leads of SMT components with the corresponding pads of the printed circuit board, which is to receive such components, before soldering the leads to the pads. The fixture includes clamps for applying forces directly to the leads of the SMT components, alone or in conjunction with the clamping forces which are traditionally applied to the body of the component, the applied forces sufficient to seat the leads on the corresponding pads. In a preferred embodiment, the forces are applied by providing the fixture with a series of rocker-type clamps, each having an edge for engaging the several leads associated with a particular SMT component to be joined to the printed circuit board. The clamp is preferably constructed of a non-wettable material so that the edge of the clamp will not be wet by the molten solder during the soldering procedure, and the edge is preferably thin so that the clamping surface in contact with a particular lead is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wilton L. Cox, Terry R. Richards, Robert W. Wagner
  • Patent number: 6190115
    Abstract: A component suction method including feeding components (8) accommodated in component storage spaces (9c) of a tape base (9a) to a predetermined position, lowering a nozzle (7) capable of sucking the components supplied to the predetermined position, stopping the nozzle (7) at a predetermined distance from an upper surface of the tape base, pushing an undersurface of the component up when the nozzle is at a bottom dead center position or a position adjacent to the center, vacuum-sucking the component by the nozzle at the bottom dead center position or at the position adjacent to the center, and moving the component sucked by the nozzle to a predetermined position of a board after the vacuum-sucking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Suzuki, Mamoru Inoue, Takashi Ando
  • Patent number: 6186440
    Abstract: A wire guide nozzle 1 is provided by a single member. The wire guide nozzle 1 is provided by a piece of long-size body 5 which has a nozzle 2 formed to penetrate the body 5 in the longitudinal direction and a wire check pin 4 assembled so as to cross the nozzle 2 and slide in the lateral direction. Provided at proper intervals in the longitudinal direction of the long-size body 5 are a plurality of wire nipping spaces 6, 7, 8 which allow rollers for interposing a wire 3 to enter the spaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuaki Yamakawa, Atsushi Hoshino
  • Patent number: 6185815
    Abstract: A “pick-and-place” apparatus has a first pivoted lever driven in alternating directions of pivoting, the drive shaft of which is mounted centrally between a first location and a second location. In the end positions, which delimit the pivoting range, the pivoted lever always faces towards one location or the other location. A second pivoted lever is mounted at the end of the first lever and driven in the opposite direction thereto and with a predetermined gear ratio thereto, for example, resulting from a fixed toothed wheel by means of a toothed belt and a further toothed wheel. The chip gripper is connected to the end of the second lever. The gear ratio and the lengths of the two levers are matched to each other such that in both end positions, the two levers are in an extended position with respect to one another and the chip gripper is over the one location or the other location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Esec SA
    Inventor: Samuel Schindler
  • Patent number: 6178627
    Abstract: The method consists in aligning a printed-circuit board 2 with respect to an insertion die 4 containing grooves 8, and an anvil 3 containing grooves 6 of a manually operated press, in order for at least one electronic component 1, which is provided with projecting contact pins 7 with elastic attachment zones, to be inserted into a selected insertion zone in the PCB 2, the insertion die 4 and the anvil 3 always being aligned with respect to one another along an insertion center line c, and the printed-circuit board being attached to a manually displaceable X-Y table, the position of the center point p of the selected insertion zone being respectively defined by means of a Y-coordinate and an X-coordinate with respect to the insertion center line c, the table being moveable within a first tracking zone, the area of which extends over a great distance with respect to the insertion center line c, and within a second tracking zone, the area of which extends over a limited distance with respect to the insertion cen
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors International
    Inventor: Robert A. Wuyts
  • Patent number: 6178620
    Abstract: A transmission mechanism includes a pressing stroke controller for changing the effective pressing stroke of each feed lever of a component feeder unit corresponding to a predetermined pitch of carrying electronic components in respective component feeder unit, whereby the vibration generated when the transmission mechanism is in operation is reduced. Adverse effects on a component feeder unit having small components thereon at a fine pitch which is susceptible to the vibration will be prevented, and the feeding speed can be increased to be more productive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Yoshida, Kanji Hata, Naoyuki Kitamura
  • Patent number: 6176007
    Abstract: The cycle time for mounting electronic components supplied from a tray can be shortened. An electronic component feeder (16) for mounting electronic components has a plurality of height levels (L1, L2, and L3) and can move tables (19, 20, 21) horizontally at the respective levels (L1, L2, and L3). A plurality of conveyers (22, 23, 24) are provided for the respective tables to move them to a pickup stage (A) from a standby stage (B). Transfer head (13) includes nozzles (14a, 14b, 14c) for attracting electronic components by suction, and an upward-downward moving mechanism which moves the nozzles in accordance with the height level of each tray on the pickup stage (A). Since the trays are arranged at the different height levels at the pickup stage position, the conveyers can be moved independently and the transfer heads can individually move the nozzles between the position at which each nozzle picks up electronic components and another position at which the nozzle does not interfere with the pickup operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kashiwagi, Kazuhide Nagao, Jun Yamauti, Takeshi Morita