With Signal, Scale, Illuminator, Or Optical Viewer Patents (Class 29/720)
  • Patent number: 7422675
    Abstract: A process for changing an anode of a cell for the production of aluminum by fused bath electrolysis including a plurality of anodes. According to the invention, an anode handling tool is used including a positioning device, a gripping device and a sensor detecting the vertical position of the gripping device, and the position sensor is used to measure the vertical distances traveled by the gripping device with respect to a reference level N. At least one sound or electromagnetic waves beam is then produced in a determined reference line or plane and the passage of the anode in the beam is used to measure the distances. The vertical position of the replacement anode in the cell is determined starting from the values obtained for the traveled distances and the replacement anode is put into this position in the place initially occupied by the spent anode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: E.C.L.
    Inventors: Alain Van Acker, Patrick Marchand
  • Publication number: 20080194047
    Abstract: A disclosed observation apparatus for observing a void generated in an underfill resin upon mounting a body to be mounted on a substrate via the underfill resin in flip-chip mounting includes: a mounting unit mounting the body to be mounted on the substrate; and an observation unit observing behavior of the underfill resin while the mounting unit is mounting the body to be mounted on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Masahiko SATO, Kazuyuki IKURA, Toru NISHINO
  • Publication number: 20080104828
    Abstract: A collector mirror exchanging apparatus capable of safely and easily exchanging a collector mirror for collecting extreme ultra violet light emitted from plasma generated within a chamber of an extreme ultra violet light source apparatus. The collector mirror exchanging apparatus includes: a supporting base for supporting a collector mirror or a collector mirror structure; and a guiding rail disposed on the supporting base and regulating a moving direction of the collector mirror or the collector mirror structure; wherein at least the collector mirror is taken out of the chamber by moving the collector mirror or the collector mirror structure along the guiding rail on the supporting base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2007
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Inventors: Hiroshi Someya, Tamotsu Abe, Takashi Suganuma, Hideo Hoshino, Akira Sumitani
  • Patent number: 7353589
    Abstract: A component mounting apparatus includes one head unit which has a component holding member capable of holding a component and which is selected from among a plurality of types of head units according to a type of the fed component, a head moving unit which has a head fitting portion onto which the selected one head unit is removably loaded and which moves the head unit loaded on the head fitting portion in a direction extending generally along a surface of the board, and a head control unit which is provided for each of the head units and which performs control for component mounting operation by a head unit corresponding to the loaded head unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kensuke Kawasumi, Kunio Tanaka, Hiroto Miyazaki, Nobuhiro Nakai
  • Patent number: 7340814
    Abstract: In a method of installing spiral threaded inserts (38), in which method a first threaded insert (38) is inserted into an installation tool (20) and is screwed into a tapped hole by the installation tool (20), safe use is achieved even at locations where access is difficult by virtue of the fact that the first threaded insert (38) is secured in the installation tool (20) to prevent it from falling out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Eduard Bruehwiler, Graham Christopher Young
  • Patent number: 7299544
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for separating culls coupled to a lead frame when a semiconductor chip is molded. The apparatus includes a lower plate, on which culls coupled to a lead frame are placed, an upper plate pressing culls placed on the lower plate in order to separate culls from the lead frame, a pilot pin installed in the upper plate by passing through the upper plate in order to press culls together with the upper plate when the upper plate presses the culls, and a sensor unit installed adjacent to the movement path of the pilot pin so as to detect a movement of the pilot pin. When culls are separated, faults of articles caused by a molding material insufficiently filled in a mold are checked through detecting a movement of the pilot pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Su Gueon Lee
  • Patent number: 7299539
    Abstract: An apparatus has a holder that receives a component from a component supply and then places the component on a substrate. In operation, it is determined whether the holder would make an interference with another component already mounted on the substrate. If this judgement is affirmative, mounting of the component held by the holder is prohibited. If, on the other hand, this judgement is negative, the component held by the holder is mounted onto the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Hada, Shozo Fukuda, Shigeki Imafuku, Akira Noudo, Yoshiyuki Hattori
  • Patent number: 7278194
    Abstract: A tool, in particular a shaft tool, is inserted into and fixed in a clamping chuck. The actual position of the tool, particularly in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the tool or in the direction of insertion, is determined before and/or during the insertion of the tool into the clamping chuck. Based on the determined actual position, the tool is inserted into the clamping chuck until a setpoint position has been reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignees: E. Zoller GmbH & Co. KG, Einstell- und Messgeraete
    Inventor: Christian Pfau
  • Patent number: 7275314
    Abstract: In an electronic component mounting apparatus for taking out a chip 6 from a component supply portion 4 to mount to a board 16 held by a board holding portion 10, an image of a supply portion reference mark provided at a mark post 18 of the component supply portion 2 is taken by a second camera 35 moved by a camera moving mechanism, a camera coordinates system is calibrated based on a result of taking the image, thereafter, a position of the chip 6 is recognized by the second camera 35 and the chip 6 is picked up by a mounting head based on a result of the recognition. Thereby, stable pick up accuracy can be ensured by calibrating an aging variation of the coordinates system owing to thermal elongation or contraction of the camera moving mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Yakiyama, Yasuhiro Emoto, Tadashi Shinozaki
  • Patent number: 7269891
    Abstract: A system provides a zero interconnection height in a board-to-board interconnect while maintaining efficient space allocation for multiple axis connections by providing a floating connection in one plane thereby enabling a connection in another plane. A first circuit board having a first plurality of through-holes is aligned with a second circuit board having a second plurality of through-holes so that the first plurality of through-holes is matched with the second plurality of through-holes. An interconnection height of zero is provided between the first circuit board and the second circuit board. At least one pass-through socket, which includes pass-through socket through-holes, is aligned with the combination of the first circuit board and second circuit board. One or more pins disposed on a pin header are inserted through the pass-through socket, the first circuit board, and the second circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew L. Heston, James T. Theodoras, II
  • Patent number: 7257890
    Abstract: A method for registering a plurality of substrates that are retained on a workpiece carrier onto an exposure mask for carrying out a photolithography process has the steps of registering and immobilizing the exposure mask onto an alignment panel having precisely fitting passthrough orifices for reception of one substrate for each passthrough orifice and inserting into the passthrough orifices of the alignment panel the substrates that are retained on the workpiece carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Volker Wingsch, Joachim Gluck
  • Patent number: 7257887
    Abstract: A die holding apparatus to form electrical contacts on individual dies is described. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device holder is used to hold individual dies for processing and reprocessing. The semiconductor device holder holds each individual die in a separate processing cavity configured to hold each individual die in a predetermined processing position. In one embodiment, a vacuum force is used to hold one or more dies in respective processing cavities with a predetermined level of force even if other adjacent die processing cavities are unoccupied by other individual dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Inventor: David Lee
  • Patent number: 7246429
    Abstract: The invention is directed to performing of an effective checking and aligning operation of component pick-up positions at component feeding units used for manufacturing by performing the operation sequentially at a time. A board recognition camera takes an image of a feeding position of a component feeding unit and the image is displayed being superimposed over a graphic image of a suction nozzle on a CRT. When an operator operates a trackball to move a cursor to an “execute visual alignment” menu and clicks a left button there, the stored image (memory image) becomes movable freely in any direction according to a trackball operation. The stored image (memory image) is moved to match a cross line and an outline of a graphic suction nozzle (component pick-up position) for visual alignment with a component feeding position. Then, the operator clicks both right and left buttons of the trackball to store an alignment value of the position in a RAM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Instruments Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuyoshi Oyama
  • Patent number: 7243420
    Abstract: In an electronic component mounting method, a camera transporting mechanism transports a camera to a component supplying unit to take an image of a component. Thereafter the camera is evacuated from an upper area of the component. The image taken by the camera is processed by a recognition processing unit to acquire a position of the component. A mounting head transporting mechanism positions the mounting head to the component based upon the recognition processing unit, and the component is picked up by the mounting head. Another camera transporting mechanism transports another camera over a board to take an image of the board. Thereafter, the camera is evacuated from an upper area of the board. The image taken of the board is processed by another recognition processing unit to determine a mounting position. The mounting head then positions the component on the board based upon the determined mounting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Haji, Wataru Hidese
  • Patent number: 7237326
    Abstract: A device for applying balancing weights to vehicle wheels in wheel balancing machines, comprising: a detector for the position of an indicator that can slide on rectilinear guides with respect to a wheel supported rotatable on the frame of a balancing machine; removable locking elements the indicator in at least one direction of sliding activatable when a preset position of the indicator is reached and comprising at least one first and second gears, supported rotatable on the wheel machine which mesh with each other; transmission elements for transmitting motion of the indicator to the first gear; and motion elements for moving a third gear between an inactive configuration, in which it is disengaged from the first and second gears, and a locking configuration, in which the third gear is engaged with the teeth of the first and second gears to prevent their rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Sicam S.R.L.
    Inventors: Dido Boni, Marco Montanari
  • Patent number: 7228192
    Abstract: According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for manufacturing an item. The method comprises the steps of creating a build schedule; creating a first portion of the item for manufacture; causing the first portion of the item to pass in close proximity to a first individual; which said individual assembles at least one of the several components on the first portion; notifying a second individual of the existence and location of the first portion of the item proximate to the first individual; causing the first portion of the item to pass in close proximity to the second individual whereby said second individual assembles at least one of the several components onto the first portion of the item. The method further includes applying dataforms or other such markings on individual components to uniquely identify them and, through such markings, tracking the application of those components to the item being manufactured at each manufacture step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Agentware Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Hal Popplewell
  • Patent number: 7213332
    Abstract: A method of mounting a component on electrodes on a board. Mounting coordinates for mounting the component are calculated. A determination is made of printing positions where solders for the component is situated on the electrodes. The printing positions of the solders are stored. Mounting position data for where the component is to be mounted on the solders is prepared based on the previous steps. The component is mounted using the information gathered in the previous steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masafumi Inoue, Yusuke Yamamoto, Hikaru Onizaki, Youichi Yanai, Yasuhiro Morimitsu
  • Patent number: 7200910
    Abstract: A method of making a gas treatment device, the method includes projecting a laser line onto a side of substrate from a laser line generator angled away from a viewing source; projecting a laser dot onto the substrate from a laser dot generator located above the viewing source; verifying an alignment of the substrate with at least one of: another substrate and a housing by comparing the laser line projection on the substrate to the laser dot projection on the substrate, wherein the alignment is verified when the laser line projection and the laser dot projection are co-linear; and stuffing the substrate into the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan E. Kasten, Bruce E. Mattrisch, Jeff S. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7191511
    Abstract: An electronic component placement machine and an electronic component placement method are disclosed. A takeout and transfer head, provided on rotary chip takeout and transfer mechanism, removes a chip from a feeder and flips it. A placement head receives the flipped chip and places it onto a board. An image of the chip at a pre-centering recognition position is captured during a takeout and transfer operation, during which the takeout and transfer head transfers the chip to the placement head at a receiving position, so as to recognize the position. Based on this positional recognition result, the chip and the placement head are positioned by controlling a placement head driving mechanism. Moreover, the takeout and transfer head is rotated to a position which does not hinder image capturing of the electronic component for placement positioning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Noda, Hitoshi Mukojima, Yasuhiro Narikiyo, Toshiro Hirakawa, Hiromi Kanaki, Akira Nishimura, Osamu Uchida, Takatoshi Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 7188409
    Abstract: The present invention features a method wherein a component in a multi-head component placement machine is rejected during the placement cycle. A component is imaged and the image processed using an automated vision system. The image processing determines whether the component is placeable based upon a comparison of the component image to preprogrammed mechanical parameters for the component. A non-placeable component is rejected into a reject station, which is contiguous with the head. Because a component can be rejected during the placement cycle, there is no slowdown of the placement machine cycle rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Universal Instruments Corp.
    Inventor: Koenraad Gieskes
  • Patent number: 7181942
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device and method obtains desirable crimp connections between a crimp connector and a wire, or bundle of wires, by assessing the desirability of connections made in a wire-to-wire connection and in other situations where two materials with good acoustic propagation characteristics are joined together via deformation. An embodiment of the device as a crimping tool comprises a compressing means, pulse-generating circuitry, at least one ultrasonic transmitting transducer, at least one ultrasonic receiving transducer, receiving circuitry, and a display. The user may return to a previously crimped connection and assess the desirability of the connection by compressing the device about the connection, sending an acoustic signal through the crimp, and comparing the received signal to a signal obtained from known desirable connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: William T. Yost, K. Elliott Cramer, Daniel F. Perey
  • Patent number: 7181832
    Abstract: A valve stem installation system includes a robotic arm for moving a valve stem insertion device around the lip of wheel. The system also includes a pair of valve stem aperture sensors positioned on the robotic arm adjacent the valve stem insertion device and moveable around the lip of the wheel. The sensors can be positioned on opposite sides of the valve stem insertion device. When the first sensor locates the valve stem aperture, movement of the robotic arm can be slowed. When the second sensor locates the valve stem aperture, movement of the robotic arm can be stopped. The conveyor unit can include an identification station to sense the configuration of the wheel. A controller can select the appropriate valve stem to insert in the valve stem aperture in response to the sensed configuration of the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Durr Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Dan Pellerin, Chad A. Sinke, Brian Hoy
  • Patent number: 7178215
    Abstract: Aspects of the invention relate to a fixture and a method to assist in the alignment of the inlet end of a transition duct and a combustor component in a turbine engine. The fixture includes a plurality of pressure transducers spaced on a mandrel so as to correspond to the target alignment location of the transition. The plurality of pressure transducers produce signals, which can be converted by a signal processor into an actual alignment location signal. A display can be provided for presenting graphical images of the target alignment location and the actual alignment location responsive to the actual alignment location signal received from the signal processor. Thus, a user can view the movement of the graphical image of the actual alignment location relative to the graphical image of the target alignment location such that the user can adjust the transition's position until the graphical images are substantially aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Power Generation, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Alan Main
  • Patent number: 7165318
    Abstract: A substantial apparatus width along a board carrying direction of an electronic component placing apparatus for placing electronic components on a board having a length L along the board carrying direction is a total dimension 4L+SL. Specifically, 4L denotes a length of the sum of the lengths of a first board retreat position, a first component placement position, a second board retreat position and a second component placement position. Further, SL denotes a length of the sum of the lengths of the spaces for positioning a board stop mechanism provided at each of the first board retreat position, the first component placement position, the second board retreat position and the second component placement position. Finally, the substantial apparatus width is between 450 mm and 1000 mm inclusively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Youichi Nakamura, Kunio Sakurai, Kazumasa Okumura, Ken Takano, Minoru Yamamoto, Hirokazu Honkawa, Kentaro Nishiwaki, Yoshihiko Misawa
  • Patent number: 7162799
    Abstract: A method for notifying installers 14–22 of the existence, type, and location of a portion 26 of an item within an assembly line 10. The notification allows the installers 14–22 to respectively ensure that the components 40 which are needed to be placed upon the portion 26 are available for use by the installer 14–22 in a timely manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Diane E. Moore, John J. Lubash
  • Patent number: 7159305
    Abstract: An electronic component mounting apparatus is configured to adjust a positional relationship between two axes when an error occurs in the positional relationship between the axes when a beam is moved by two drive sources. According to movement of the beam for component picking and mounting operations, linear scale signals from linear scale reading heads are inputted to a Y2 driver and a Y1 driver, respectively. Each of the Y2 driver and the Y1 driver calculates a difference between positions of the drive axes of the beam and controls a moving member of a linear motor based on the difference so as to increase thrust of one drive axis when the one drive axis is in a more backward position than another drive axis and to reduce the thrust of one drive axis when the one drive axis in a more forward position than another drive axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Instruments Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Aoki, Hideaki Fukushima, Kazuyoshi Oyama, Shuji Nushiyama, Takuya Imoto
  • Patent number: 7159754
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for soldering an object comprising several soldered joints. The method comprises the steps of mechanically soldering of at least some of the soldered joints, visually assessing the soldered joints, and correctively soldering the visually assessed soldered joints that do not meet the relevant quality requirements. The visual assessment takes place by means of a video camera and a computing device connected to the video camera. The assessment criteria for the soldered joints are stored in the computing device. The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Vitronics Soltec B.V.
    Inventors: Johannes Coleta Maria Van Den Broek, Lambertus Petrus Christinus Willemen, Gerardus Johannes Adrianus Maria Diepstraten
  • Patent number: 7124608
    Abstract: A pressing tool (13) includes a fluid pump (4), a cylinder element (5) arranged connecting with this and a piston which can be slid forward in the cylinder element (5) by pressure fluid of the fluid pump (4) and reset by a return spring (20a). A piston rod (6) is passed out to the cylinder element (5) as an activation part. The pressing tool (13) is moreover outfitted with a position measuring device (12, 12a; 112, 212, 212a) which measures without contact which makes the piston position continuously detectable over a positioning range free of disturbance and with a presence sensor (52). The presence sensor (52) verifies the presence of a jointing clamp (51) and issues an indicator signal in the event that a jointing clamp (51) is missing or improperly fastened and shuts the pressing tool (13) off following a delay period to the extent that no orderly inserted jointing clamp (51) is yet available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventor: Hans-Jörg Goop
  • Patent number: 7114245
    Abstract: An electronic component holding head, an electronic component mounting apparatus using same, and a method for mounting an electronic component, are provided for use in mounting an electronic component having a positioning mark formed on a film member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Shibaura Mechatronics Corporation
    Inventor: Shinichi Ogimoto
  • Patent number: 7076860
    Abstract: An optical component manipulation system has two opposed jaws, which can each be independently positioned relative to each other in a coordinate plane to thereby effect the desired positioning of optical components within the larger system. Z-axis rigidity is provided by air-bearings. Laser heating of the jaws is used for solder, or similar heat driven bonding, processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Axsun Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert K. Jenner, Dale C. Flanders, Peter S. Whitney, Jonathan R. Coppeta
  • Patent number: 7043813
    Abstract: In a bond step, one end of ground electrode is bonded to a metallic housing. In a provisional bending step performed after the bonding step, an intermediate portion of the ground electrode is bent with a pressing die so that the other end of the ground electrode is opposed to a distal end surface of a center electrode. In a regular bending step performed after the provisional bending step, the position of the other end of the ground electrode is adjusted so as to adjust the dimension of a spark gap. Receiving dies are prepared for regulating a shift range of a distal end surface of the other end of the ground electrode in a direction perpendicular to an axial line of the center electrode in the process of bending the intermediate portion of the ground electrode in the provisional bending step. In the provisional bending step, the intermediate portion of the ground electrode is bent until the distal end surface of the other end of the ground electrode is brought into contact with the receiving dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Hanai
  • Patent number: 7032299
    Abstract: An apparatus for mounting electronic parts and a method of mounting electronic parts capable of effectively performing image capturing at the time of position recognition of the electronic parts. In the apparatus, when images of electronic parts are taken for position recognition of the parts in the mounting of a plurality of the electronic parts held by a mounting head on a circuit board, it is adapted such that pixel signals are output only from specific necessary pixels. More specifically, pixel selecting information for allowing image signals to be selectively output from a plurality of specific pixels of a photodetecting section (10) of a CMOS area sensor is generated based on mounting schedule data (16C) related to a mounting sequence of the electronic parts and part data of the electronic parts stored in data storage (16). A pixel selector (11) is operated in accordance with the pixel selecting information, and thus the image signals are output from the selected specific pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Arase, Takayuki Hatase
  • Patent number: 7032303
    Abstract: A method of sequentially mounting, on a printed-wiring board supported by a board supporting device, a plurality of electric components which are sucked and held by respective ends of a plurality of suction nozzles which are supported by a rotatable body such that the suction nozzles are provided along a circle whose center is located on an axis line of the rotatable body and such that each of the suction nozzles is not rotatable relative to the rotatable body and is movable relative to the body in a direction parallel to the axis line of the body, the rotatable body being attached to a movable member which is movable to an arbitrary position on a movement plane parallel to the printed-wiring board supported by the board supporting device, such that the rotatable body is rotatable about the axis line thereof perpendicular to the movement plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Machine Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tosuke Kawada
  • Patent number: 6993832
    Abstract: A chip mounting device of the present invention includes: an adhesive application unit 11; a temporary crimp unit 12; and a main crimp unit 13. In the unit 11, a camera 21 is used for detecting base material marks for each section region on a film base material 1 and substrate marks for each substrate pattern in the section region. The detected results are transferred to the unit 12. In the unit 12, a camera 45 is used for detecting base material marks, and the position of each substrate pattern is recognized on the basis of on the detection results and the positional data of each substrate pattern transmitted from the unit 11, thereby crimping chips temporarily. This enables the chips to be mounted with high precision even when the film base material 1 is expanded and contracted. In the unit 12, there is no detection of substrate marks, which minimizes a decrease in processing efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Toray Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 6979288
    Abstract: A production system for manufacturing a workpiece comprises an index system including a plurality of index devices removably mounted on the workpiece at known longitudinally spaced locations therealong, and a longitudinally extending index member releasably engaged with at least two of the index devices such that a position and orientation of the index member are fixed relative to the workpiece by the index devices, the index member having position-indicating features distributed therealong. The production system further comprises a machine module mounted for longitudinal movement along the index member and operable to perform an operation, the machine module being operable to detect the position-indicating features on the index member and thereby determine a position of the machine module relative to the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Laurance N. Hazlehurst, Bobby C. Philpott, Jr., James N. Buttrick, Darrell D. Jones, Kostadinos D. Papanikolaou, David P. Banks, Terrence J. Rowe, Ronald Outous, Charles H. Glaisyer, Harry E. Townsend, Mark Boberg, Paul Elfes Nelson, John R. Porter
  • Patent number: 6976304
    Abstract: A substantial apparatus width along a board carrying direction of an electronic component placing apparatus for placing electronic components on a board having a length L along the board carrying direction is a total dimension 4L+SL. Specifically, 4L denotes a length of the sum of the lengths of a first board retreat position, a first component placement position, a second board retreat position and a second component placement position. Further, SL denotes a length of the sum of the lengths of the spaces for positioning a board stop mechanism provided at each of the first board retreat position, the first component placement position, the second board retreat position and the second component placement position. Finally, the substantial apparatus width is between 450 mm and 1000 mm inclusively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Youichi Nakamura, Kunio Sakurai, Kazumasa Okumura, Ken Takano, Minoru Yamamoto, Hirokazu Honkawa, Kentaro Nishiwaki, Yoshihiko Misawa
  • Patent number: 6971157
    Abstract: When two mounting units for performing a series of component mounting operations constituted of component holding, component recognition, and component placing are arranged, operational control is executed so that, while a component recognition or board recognition operation is performed in either one of the two mounting units, the component placing or component holding operation is not performed in the other of the mounting units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriaki Yoshida, Osamu Okuda, Akira Kabeshita, Takeyuki Kawase
  • Patent number: 6961994
    Abstract: A mounting device including a plurality of heads, each holding a chip, arranged on a circle, is used to realize accurate and high-speed mounting. A mounting device comprises a plurality of heads with calibration marks, first recognition mechanism fixed in a chip mounting position, and second recognition mechanism fixed in another position. Prior to mounting operation, the first recognition mechanism and the second recognition mechanism recognize and store the positions of the calibration marks of the heads. In mounting operation, the first recognition mechanism recognizes the positions of a substrate and the calibration marks of the heads, whereas the second recognition mechanism recognizes the positions of chips attracted on the heads. The heads are moved vertically to adjust plane to be recognized. The chip and the substrate are aligned according to the position information obtained by the recognition mechanisms, and the chips are mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Toray Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Terada, Akira Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 6959484
    Abstract: A vibration control system comprising an actuator, and a sensor useful for controlling vibrations in systems for fabricating electronics equipment. The actuator may comprise one or more plates or elements of electro-active material bonded to an electroded sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Cymer, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald Spangler, Emanuele Bianchini, Baruch Pletner, Betsy Marsh, Robert Jacques
  • Patent number: 6952869
    Abstract: An electric-component mounting system including a component-holding device for holding an electric component, a board-supporting device for supporting a printed-wiring board on which the electric component is mounted, a first relative-movement device operable to move the component-holding device and the board-supporting device relative to each other in a first direction parallel to a surface of the board supported by the board-supporting device, a second relative-movement device operable to move the component-holding device and the board-supporting device relative to each other in a second direction which intersects the surface of the board; and a control device including a positioning portion operable to select one of a plurality of different control targets which is used for the first relative-movement device to establish a predetermined relative position between the component-holding device and the board-supporting device, and wherein the positioning portion selects one of the different control targets, de
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Fuji Machine Mfg. Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Suhara, Toshiya Ito, Hirokazu Koike
  • Patent number: 6941647
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a transfer for a tray feeder comprising: a base frame; a support frame installed at both sides of the base frame; first and second linear motion guiders installed oppositely and longitudinally to the inside of the support frame and having a plurality of first and second linear motion guide rails; first and second plates installed to an upper portion of the first and second linear guides and having a cylinder block capable of supporting a side of the tray received an electronic parts and the like; and a driving unit installed to a side portion of the support frame and for making the movement of the first and second plates; wherein the first and second plates can move along the first and second guide rails, crossing with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Mirae Corporation
    Inventors: Jae Hyuk Cho, Sang Won Lee, Dong Suh Lee
  • Patent number: 6938335
    Abstract: A component mounting method recognizes reference marks on a printed circuit board and an electronic component, and uses these reference marks to determine a shift between a position of the circuit board and a position of the electronic component. This shift is corrected and then the electronic component is mounted to the printed circuit board such that electrical connecting portions of the circuit board are connected to electrical connecting portions of the electronic component. The reference marks are formed simultaneously with corresponding electrical connecting portions via a mask, such that in order to accurately position the electrical connecting portions, it is only necessary to accurately relatively position the reference marks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kuribayashi, Kazuyuki Nakano
  • Patent number: 6931714
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide an apparatus for pressing an optical component into an optical housing. The apparatus generally includes a fixture configured to support the optical housing, a press tool configured to press the optical component into the optical housing, and a controller in electrical communication with the press tool, the controller being configured to control the press operation. The apparatus may further include a camera positioned in an optical path of the optical housing, the camera being configured to receive an optical output of the optical component and transmit data representative of the output to the controller for use in controlling the press operation. The controller is generally configured to use the optical measurements taken by the camera to control the pressing operation such that the optical source or lens is pressed to an optimal longitudinal position within the optical housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Finisar Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Wisecarver, Charles Hu
  • Patent number: 6931716
    Abstract: In an electric-component mounting system including an illuminating device including a light source which emits a light for illuminating an object, a camera which takes an image of the object, and a processing and controlling device which includes a data processing portion that processes image data representing the image of the object taken by the camera, at least one of the camera and the illuminating device includes a brightness controlling device which controls a brightness of an image taken by the camera, and the processing and controlling device includes a brightness detecting portion which detects a brightness of at least a portion of the image of the object taken by the camera, and a control-parameter varying portion which varies, based on the brightness detected by the brightness detecting portion, at least one control parameter of the brightness controlling device so that a brightness of at least a portion of an image taken by the camera is equal to a preset brightness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Fuji Machine Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Suhara, Mitsutaka Inagaki, Toshiya Ito, Yusuke Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 6918175
    Abstract: A supply module for feeding electrical components to an automatic component-mounting machine has a locking element which is a piezoceramic bending transducer that extends in the longitudinal direction of the supply module along a supply path for the components. A free end of the locking element projects into a window of the supply module to an extent such that the locking element is located slightly above the component which has been conveyed there and is ready for removal. By applying an operating voltage to the locking element, the locking element can be deflected laterally to an extent such that it is moved out of the coverage region over the component transversely with respect to the component advancing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Liebeke, Johann Melf
  • Patent number: 6915565
    Abstract: A method of detecting a position of a rotation axis of a suction nozzle of an electric-component mounting apparatus, the suction nozzle holding, by suction, an electric component, and being rotated about the rotation axis thereof to rotate the electric component held thereby, so that the electric component rotated is mounted on a component-mounting surface of a circuit substrate, the method including the step of detecting, on a position-detecting plane including the component-mounting surface of the circuit substrate, the position of the rotation axis of the suction nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Fuji Machine Mfg., Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeyoshi Isogai, Kimihiko Yasuda, Noriaki Iwaki, Hiroshi Katsumi
  • Patent number: 6892444
    Abstract: An optical component manipulation system has two opposed jaws, which can each be independently positioned relative to each other in a coordinate plane to thereby effect the desired positioning of optical components within the larger system. Z-axis rigidity is provided by air-bearings. Laser heating of the jaws is used for solder, or similar heat driven bonding, processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Axsun Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert K. Jenner, Dale C. Flanders, Peter S. Whitney, Jonathan R. Coppeta
  • Patent number: 6883228
    Abstract: A turret-like insertion head having at least one twisting device for mounting electrical components. The insertion head has a stator, a rotor and an optical measuring device. A plurality of circularly distributed grippers are mounted on the rotor such that the grippers can rotate about a mounting axis. The optical measuring device detects the position of the components held on the grippers, and as a result, a component can be twisted into its approximate mounting position during forward movement of the gripper before making a final position measurement, thereby saving time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wolfgang Huber, Mohammad Mehdianpour, Ralf Schulz
  • Patent number: 6862803
    Abstract: A parts mounting method employing a suction section having a plurality of suction nozzles is provided. The suction section is moved to a parts supply section in which a plurality of parts are suctioned by the suction nozzles at the same time. The parts are then mounted onto a board. The suction nozzles are divided into groups: a first group having a shift amount within an allowable range in which simultaneous suction is possible; and a second group having a shift amount outside the allowable range in which simultaneous suction is possible. The parts are then sucked at the same time for each of the groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeyuki Kawase, Junkei Shimizu, Hiroshi Uchiyama, Noriaki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 6860002
    Abstract: When both first and second preferred nozzles are set up as valid, and both nozzles are stored in a nozzle stocker, the replacement with the recommended nozzle stored in the stocker is made and a CPU controls the operation based on control data. When both are set up as valid, but only the second preferred nozzle, not the first preferred nozzle, is stored in the stocker, the CPU 20 recognizes which nozzle is available by using nozzle positioning data stored in a RAM, and then the replacement with an alternative nozzle is made, and the CPU controls the operation according to the control data of the alternative nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuyoshi Oyama