By Utilizing Optical Sighting Device Patents (Class 29/833)
  • Patent number: 5560100
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically removing electronic components mounted on printed circuit boards has a lighting device for illuminating the printed circuit boards, an optical sensor, an image processing systems and various devices for removing the electronic components therefrom. The image processing system recognizes the coordinates of the contours and, preferably, also the types of components from the output signals supplied by the optical sensor and controls the device for removing the electronic components. Alternatively, the contours of the electronic components are recognized by infrared radiation. Additionally, a process is disclosed for removing the electronic components from printed circuit boards using the disclosed apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1996
    Inventor: Klaus Englert
  • Patent number: 5553376
    Abstract: An assembly machine (10) has a plurality of slots (22) each of which hold a feeder (24) containing a component reel (30). The assembly machine (10) automatically assembles a printed circuit board from these components. When a changeover occurs the assembly machine (10) determines which components need to be added (104), which need to be removed and which can be moved (106). The assembly machine (10) then instructs an operator to first perform all the remove operations, then to perform all the move operations and last to perform all the add operations. A combination of scanning a component ID (32) and a feeder ID (32) verifies the correct component is placed on the appropriate reel (30). The location of reel (30) among the slots (22) is verified by a proximity sensor (28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Ranvir S. Solanki, Eric J. Gasmann, Joseph R. Kane, Edward P. Griffin, Andrew M. Gantt
  • Patent number: 5539977
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically mounting electronic parts in which chip-like electronic parts supplied from a parts feeding device are mounted at predetermined positions on a printed substrate. For efficiently and accurately carrying out parts mounting operation by detecting the picked-up state of the electronic parts, the lower end position of the electronic part being held by a holding nozzle is identified at a plurality of points by a lower end position detecting section, while the lower end position memory section stores the detected lower end position. A selecting section selects the lowest end position among the lower end positions detected by the lower end position detecting section, and compares the obtained lowest end position data to data stored in the data memory section including lowest end position data for each sort of electronic part, and a judging section judges if the held state of the electronic part is normal or abnormal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Kano, Kazunori Takata
  • Patent number: 5525846
    Abstract: A manually actuatable integrated contact module connecting to an output access module by means of a common communications link. The integrated contact module has an electrical contact, a logic circuit, a communications circuit and a communications terminal mounted on a common printed circuit board. The printed circuit board provides communication between the electrical contact and the logic circuit, between the logic circuit and the communications circuit, and between the communications circuit and the communications terminal. The printed circuit board is enclosed within a protective housing. A contact operator is slidably mounted with respect to the printed circuit board such that it is partially enclosed within the housing and movable between a first position and a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Assignee: Square D Company
    Inventors: Edwin R. Newell, Michael B. Carter, Jackie C. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 5502890
    Abstract: In order to determine the position and/or to check the separation of the leads (A) of components (B), a direct shadow of the region of the leads at one side of the component is generated on the photosensitive surface of a local resolution optoelectronic transducer (W4). If in each case one shadow is generated successively from two different directions, the coplanarity of the leads (A) may also be checked. Preferably, the local resolution optoelectronic transducer (W4) and the light sources for casting the shadow are directly secured to the equipping head (BK4). By integrating the determination system into the equipping head, the lead position can be determined and the separation and coplanarity of the leads can be checked without delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1996
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Doemens Gunter
  • Patent number: 5501005
    Abstract: In an apparatus for mounting electronic components, punched out from film carriers to a substrate, there is disclosed an upper die for punching the electronic components through a hole formed in a lower die. A take out nozzle is located under the through hole for sucking the punched out electronic component from the hole in the lower die. A transfer nozzle is provided for receiving the electronic component from the take out nozzle and for transmitting the electronic component to a substrate mounted on a movable table. Before any leadwires of the component are bonded to the electrodes of the substrate, the table is finely positioned to property align the leadwires and the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuto Onitsuka
  • Patent number: 5491888
    Abstract: A number of embodiments of component pick up and mounting devices that include a plurality of pick up heads. The speed of the device is improved by providing sensing of the orientation of the components picked up by the pick up devices in a common sensing station. The device also includes means whereby one of the pick up devices may pick up a component large enough to interfere with the picking up of components by the other pick up devices by precluding the picking up of components by the other pick up devices when such a component is picked up by the one pick up device. The device further increases the speed by permitting pick up, recognition and correction of component orientation and mounting either simultaneously or operation of two or more of these functions at the same time on different pick up devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sakurai, Hitoshi Onodera, Kenichi Indo, Hiroyuki Ohta
  • Patent number: 5489750
    Abstract: A method of mounting an electronic part with bumps on a circuit board is disclosed which enables bumps to be bonded to electrodes of the circuit board with certainty and which enables the judgement of the quality of bonding with precision. By making an area of the electrodes of the circuit board larger than those of the electrodes of the electronic part, the bumps heated and molten in the reflow soldering are spread over the electrodes of the circuit board to make its vertical cross-sectional configuration in a trapezoidal form. Therefore, the height dispersion of the bumps and the curvature of the circuit board are effectively absorbed whereby all the bumps can be bonded to the electrodes of the circuit board. Further, by measuring the planar area of the bumps, the judgement of the quality of bonding can be made with precision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji Sakemi, Yoshiyuki Wada
  • Patent number: 5457880
    Abstract: Cooperative patterns are formed in stencils and/or substrates that facilitate the monitoring and control of the circuit assembly process. A pattern of successively-larger etch blocks receives a corresponding pattern of same-size solder blocks; solder reflow problems are indicated when either too many or too few etch blocks are completely covered by solder after reflow. A pattern of same-size etch blocks receives a corresponding pattern of successively-larger solder blocks; problems with solder stencil clogging are indicated when smaller ones of the etch blocks do not receive solder paste during stenciling. Finally, component beacon openings or translucent areas are made in the electronics assembly at component locations. After component placement, the board is appropriately lit, and any uncovered openings indicate missing or grossly misaligned components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1995
    Assignee: Digital Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Philip E. McKinley, Carl J. Bloch, Ramaswamy Ranganathan
  • Patent number: 5456003
    Abstract: A method for packaging a semiconductor device having projected electrodes is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1995
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Yamamoto, Hiroaki Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 5454159
    Abstract: To manufacture I/O terminals on I/O pads of an electronic component, the electronic component, together with a transparent alignment component which has a reference feature, is placed in a fixture such that the I/O pads are seen through the alignment component and a first one of the two components has a fixed position in the fixture. Thereafter, a second one of the two components is moved in the fixture until a particular position is reached where the I/O pads are aligned with the reference feature; and at that particular position the second one of the two components is confined. Subsequently, the alignment component is replaced at its particular position in the fixture, as attained by the above steps, with an opaque template which has a hole pattern that matches and aligns with the I/O pads. Then, the template hole pattern as positioned by the replacing step, is used to fabricate the I/O terminals on the I/O pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1995
    Assignee: Unisys Corporation
    Inventor: Ronald A. Norell
  • Patent number: 5400497
    Abstract: An apparatus is for mounting electronic parts onto a substrate. The apparatus includes a parts supply device for holding a plurality of electronic parts and for moving to be positioned at a predetermined parts take-out position. The parts supply device includes a readable and writable memory for storing data indicative of the plurality of electronic parts held therein. The apparatus further includes a reading device for reading the data stored in the readable and writable memory provided in the parts supply device when the parts supply device moves relative to the reading device to the predetermined parts take-out position. The electronic part is extracted from the parts supply device position at the predetermined parts take-out position and mounted on a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhisa Watanabe, Masatoshi Yanagawa, Noriaki Yoshida, Takashi Noyama, Masao Iritani, Shinji Morimoto
  • Patent number: 5384956
    Abstract: A component mounting device including a measuring station where the length of the component is measured in two different angular positions so as to permit calculation of the corrective factors necessary by the displacement of the point of pick up of the component by the gripping device from its center so as to permit accurate positioning of the component on a substrate. The device operates to begin movement of the component toward its mounted position before the measuring has commenced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1995
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sakurai, Hitoshi Onodera, Hiroyuki Ohta
  • Patent number: 5379514
    Abstract: An electronic component installing apparatus includes a transporting unit for transporting an electronic circuit board to the apparatus at a predetermined position thereof and transporting the electronic circuit board therefrom, a head, having a suction nozzle, for drawing thereto an electronic component placed on an electronic component supply unit and installing the electronic component on the electronic circuit board, a device for placing the head at a given position along an X-axis and a Y-axis, and an optical signal transmitting/receiving device. The optical signal transmitting/receiving device includes first and second optical signal transmitting/receiving units for transmitting/receiving optical signals between the first and second units so as to control operation of the apparatus. The first unit is disposed at the head, and the second unit is disposed at a fixed section of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1995
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Okuda, Minoru Yamamoto, Tomoyuki Nakano, Wataru Hirai
  • Patent number: 5377405
    Abstract: A number of embodiments of component pick up and mounting devices that include a plurality of pick up heads. The speed of the device is improved by providing sensing of the orientation of the components picked up by the pick up devices in a common sensing station. The device also includes means whereby one of the pick up devices may pick up a component large enough to interfere with the picking up of components by the other pick up devices by precluding the picking up of components by the other pick up devices when such a component is picked up by the one pick up device. The device further increases the speed by permitting pick up, recognition and correction of component orientation and mounting either simultaneously or operation of two or more of these functions at the same time on different pick up devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sakurai, Hitoshi Onodera, Kenichi Indo, Hiroyuki Ohta
  • Patent number: 5372294
    Abstract: A method of preparing a component for automated placement is provided. The method includes disposing tacking medium on a substantially transparent member (210); engaging the tacking medium with the component (230); and imaging the component through the substantially transparent member (240).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1994
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Kiron Gore, Vahid Kazem-Goudarzi, Hai Teo
  • Patent number: 5359768
    Abstract: A very small integrated circuit package. The package of the present invention includes a substrate or die coupled to a heatsink. The substrate or die has solder bumps for being directly mounted to a circuit board. The heatsink is coupled to the die before the die is mounted to the circuit board. The heatsink is mounted using adhesive. By mounting the heatsink before the die is mounted, the heatsink may be used to handle of the substrate or die during the manufacturing and testing process, thereby increasing the reliability of the die by increased protection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin J. Haley
  • Patent number: 5342460
    Abstract: An outer lead bonding apparatus which includes a device supply section on which devices are arranged at predetermined positions, a transfer head assembly for picking up the devices from the device supply section, means for driving the transfer head assembly in a predetermined direction, a first monitoring camera for checking the devices picked up by the transfer head assembly for its positional exactness, a substrate driving means for moving the substrate in a predetermined direction, and a second monitoring camera for checking the electrodes of the substrate for their positional exactness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1994
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wataru Hidese
  • Patent number: 5311304
    Abstract: The apparatus for positioning electronic components on a printed circuit board or the like includes an optical system which allows to line-up the underside of the electronic component with the intended placement position on the circuit board. After proper positioning the circuit board relative the electronic component the later is placed on the circuit board and connected therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1994
    Inventor: Bernd Monno
  • Patent number: 5249356
    Abstract: An electronic component mounting apparatus includes a table for feeding in and out a printed circuit board and holding the board thereon, a supply section for supplying an electronic component, a head portion for suctioning the component thereto and mounting the component on the board, an XY-robot for placing the head portion at an arbitrary position, a suction device for suctioning the component thereto, arranged at the head portion and vertically moving with respect to the head portion, and having a function of placing the component in a rotational direction thereof, a recognizing camera for recognizing the component and measuring an error amount of a position of the component before and after correction of the position of the component, and a controller for controlling the head portion, the XY-robot, and the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1993
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Okuda, Wataru Hirai, Shiro Oji, Minoru Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5249349
    Abstract: A parts mounting device for precisely positioning parts and discriminating whether such position is proper wherein a recognition member recognizes parts and mounting lands on a printed circuit board and such information is processed to achieve a properly mounted part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1993
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaji Kuinose, Kazutaka Ikeda, Yutaka Yajima, Hideaki Takemoto
  • Patent number: 5233745
    Abstract: An apparatus for mounting electronic components on a circuit board, the apparatus being equipped with an X-Y table assembly moveable in a horizontal plane and monitoring device attached to the X-Y table assembly. An electronic component picking and mounting head is attached to the X-Y table assembly so as to be movable in accordance with the movement thereof and also arranged to be moveable vertically with respect to a lower surface of the X-Y table assembly. The head includes a rotating shaft disposed to be substantially parallel to the X-Y table assembly rotatable about its own axis and at least two nozzles attached to the rotating shaft so as to be rotatable in accordance with the rotation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1993
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Morita
  • Patent number: 5225026
    Abstract: Two parts to be bonded together, such as a circuit board and a chip, are brought into one-above-the-other relationship, and before bonding is performed, a detecting device with an upper opening and a lower opening is set between the two parts, and by the use of optical system that is lights which passes through the openings, a positional alignment between the two parts is performed by correcting any discrepancy between the two so that the two parts are properly set one on the other and accurate bonding is executed to the two parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1993
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Shinkawa
    Inventors: Kanji Ozawa, Yukitaka Sonoda
  • Patent number: 5224262
    Abstract: An electronic parts mounting apparatus, has a part mounting head on which nozzles for holding different sized electronic parts can be exchangeably mounted; the suction nozzles each having a reflection member thereon for receiving light from below a suction end of the nozzle and reflecting it past the suction end of the nozzle; a recognizing device below the part mounting head for receiving light from the direction of the part mounting head; a first illuminating device adjacent the recognizing device for directing illuminating light to a reflection member on a nozzle on the part mounting head for causing the reflecting member to reflect the illuminating light past a part held on the suction nozzle to direct a transmitted light image of the part to the recognizing device; a shutter movable toward and away from the part mounting head adjacent a position of a nozzle thereon for, when the shutter moves toward a nozzle, engaging the nozzle and blocking light from the first illuminating device from reaching a reflec
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1993
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Takaichi, Takashi Shimizu, Kanji Hata
  • Patent number: 5222293
    Abstract: A system, including a method and cognate apparatus, places an object on a carrier with great accuracy. Three prepositioned pins on a holder engage a corner portion of the carrier formed between adjacent side edges of the carrier to provide the corner in a predetermined fixed relation to the stops. Two prepositioned spaced target points at predetermined locations on the object are aligned in a predetermined orientation with the pins and thus with the adjacent side edges of the carrier, enabling the object to be placed on the carrier in precise manner. A sensing and placing mechanism, such as a camera, vision system and micropositioning table, senses the pin positions on the holder and target point positions on the object. The object is placed on the carrier in dependence upon the sensed pin and target point positions such that each target point is in a preselected position relative to the pins and pin engaged corner of the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Edward J. Ozimek, Clyde L. Fetterman
  • Patent number: 5212880
    Abstract: This invention is directed to an apparatus for packaging a semiconductor flip chip on a substrate by face-down bonding in which coherent light is used to irradiate a bonding head and the substrate, and the light reflected by the bonding head and the substrate form interference patterns. Adjustment of the inclination of the bonding head against the substrate is performed by observation of the interference fringes caused by the interference between the light reflected by the bonding head and the light reflected by the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Nishiguchi, Atsushi Miki
  • Patent number: 5194948
    Abstract: Alignment of each of a plurality of depending first conductive members (16), in an array of orthogonal rows and columns on an article (12), with a corresponding second conductive member (18) arranged in a like array on a substrate (14), is accomplished by positioning the article in spaced relationship from the substrate. The arrays of first and second conductive members (16,18) are first angularly aligned by rotating the article (12) so that the offset between a first column of first and second conductive members on the article and substrate, respectively, as seen by a television camera (32) at a first end of the article and substrate is the same as the offset between a second column of first and second members on the article and substrate, respectively, at the other end thereof as seen by a second camera (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Leroy D. L'Esperance, III, Hung N. Nguyen, Yiu-Man Wong
  • Patent number: 5177864
    Abstract: A method of mounting an electronic component having a plurality of leads on a printed circuit board. The method includes the steps of roughly observing the position of an electronic component, held by a suction nozzle of a carrier turntable, by a camera constituting part of a recognition unit and determining the rough deviation of the observed position from a desired position, roughly correcting the relative position of the electronic component and the circuit board by relative movement of the circuit board and the suction nozzle in the X and Y directions of the circuit board and the direction .THETA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1993
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenshu Oyama
  • Patent number: 5172468
    Abstract: An electronic part mounting apparatus enables reduction of the time required for attracting and mounting of a part and is reduced in cost and occupies comparatively little space as composed to conventional electronic part mounting apparatus. The mounting apparatus comprises a mounting head, an attracting nozzle mounted for vertical movement, an image pickup camera mounted in parallel to the attracting nozzle, and a mirror unit mounted for horizontal movement and including a plurality of reflecting mirrors disposed in opposing relationship to lower ends of the attracting nozzle and camera to define a light path from an electronic part attracted to the part attracting nozzle to the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1992
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Tanaka, Kazuhide Tago
  • Patent number: 5144747
    Abstract: A multichip integrated circuit package comprises a substrate having a flat upper surface to which is affixed one or more integrated circuit chips having interconnection pads. A polymer encapsulant completely surrounds the integrated circuit chips. The encapsulant is provided with a plurality of via openings therein to accommodate a layer of interconnection metallization. The metallization serves to connect various chips and chip pads with the interconnection pads disposed on the chips. In specific embodiments, the module is constructed to be repairable, have high I/O capability with optimal heat removal, have optimized speed, be capable of incorporating an assortment of components of various thicknesses and function, and be hermetically sealed with a high I/O count. Specific processing methods for each of the various module features are described herein, along with additional structural enhancements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1992
    Assignee: Integrated System Assemblies Corporation
    Inventor: Charles W. Eichelberger
  • Patent number: 5115559
    Abstract: A mounting apparatus for mounting electronic components, having a head having a pick-up nozzle mounted thereon for rotation in a direction .THETA. around an axis perpendicular to a component held on the nozzle and along a path between the delivery means and an X-axis and Y-axis table means; a motor connected to the mounting head for rotating the nozzle in the direction .THETA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1992
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenshu Oyama
  • Patent number: 5113565
    Abstract: A method is described for aligning a contact pattern on an electronic device held by a first movable support, with a bond site pattern on a lead frame held by a second movable support. The method includes the steps of: (a) creating and storing models of a chip's contact pattern and a lead frame's bond site pattern; (b) imaging the electronic device and lead frame; (c) determining the position of contacts on said electronic device and reorienting the contact pattern model to a best fit with the imaged contact position; (d) determining the position of each bond site on the imaged lead frame and reorienting the bond site model to a best fit with the imaged bond site position; (e) determining positional differences between the reoriented lead frame and contact pattern models; and (f) generating signals to reorient the first and second movable supports to minimize the positional differences when they are moved into a bonding positon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1992
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corp.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Cipolla, Paul W. Coteus, Glen W. Johnson, Philip Murphy, Christopher W. Oden
  • Patent number: 5097592
    Abstract: A circuit panel subassembly suitable for use in an eletromechanical apparatus includes a plurality of wires formed within an electrically conductive grid imbedded within a reaction injection molded panel which forms a part of the housing of the electromechanical apparatus. Wires are deployed in a pattern by using a wire organizing frame and the electrically conductive grid and the frame are subsequently imbedded in a reaction injection molded panel. Terminals attached to the ends of the wires remain exposed at spaced apart locations where components are to be mounted. Separate connector housings can be attached to the panel over the exposed terminals and other components or matable connectors can be attached thereto. The entire apparatus can be constructed robotically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Albert N. Schultz, Jr., Paul D. Zakary
  • Patent number: 5086559
    Abstract: An electrical component placing apparatus has an XY-axis table, including motors for moving the table in the X and Y axis directions between an electrical delivery unit and a printed circuit board. A pick and place head is mounted to the XY-axis table for movement therewith. The pick and place head has a body unit and a nozzle shaft rotatably mounted on the body unit for rotation about a vertical axis. The nozzle shaft has vacuum nozzles disposed on opposite ends thereof for picking and placing electrical components. A motor is operationally connected to the nozzle shaft for rotating the shaft about its axis. A further rotating device rotates the nozzle shaft in the vertical plane about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the vertical plane. A recognition unit is provided for externally recognizing an electrical component after the electrical component has been picked up by the vacuum nozzle and the nozzle shaft has been rotated by the rotating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1992
    Inventor: Kazuyuki Akatsuchi
  • Patent number: 5086557
    Abstract: A method for installing and assembling electronic circuit board component systems utilizes templates having installation instructions and conductor terminal markings printed thereon, which are temporarily mounted onto the circuit boards during wire connection assembly. In one embodiment, the circuit boards are advantageously configured with semiconductor logic and memory components on a separate board from hard wired and power supply components, which are less susceptible to failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1992
    Assignee: Medeco Security Locks, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard G. Hyatt, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5084962
    Abstract: An automatic electronic component mounting apparatus for automatically mounting electronic components on the printed circuit board includes an electronic component supply mechanism for supplying an electronic component to a predetermined position, at least one mounting head movable in a Y direction, a first controlling mechanism for moving the mounting head in the Y direction, a movable frame movable in an X direction, a second controlling mechanism for moving the movable frame in the X direction and controlling the position of the movable frame in the X direction, a support base supported to the movable frame, and a table carrying a printed circuit board and turnable in a .theta. direction. The table is rotatably supported on the support base so that when the X directional position of the movable frame is controlled by the second controlling mechanism, the X directional position of the table is also controlled. A third controlling mechanism is provided for controlling a .theta.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1992
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Kuniaki Takahashi, Koji Kudo, Shinichi Araya, Hitoshi Nakayama
  • Patent number: 5084959
    Abstract: A chip mounting apparatus includes an X-Y robot having a chip mounting head and a substrate position recognizing camera both positioned in an upper arm of the robot apparatus. The chip mounting head is for holding a chip to be mounted. A substrate holding member is for holding a chip mounting substrate and is disposed below the robot. A chip position recognizing camera is also disposed below the robot. The positional relationship between the chip mounting head and the substrate position recognizing camera is equivalent to the positional relationship between a chip mounting position of the chip mounting substrate and the chip position recognizing camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1992
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tateo Ando, Akira Kabeshita
  • Patent number: 5079834
    Abstract: The present invention consists in that printed patterns on a printed circuit board and component information near the printed patterns are photographed, that the type of an electronic component to be mounted and the mounting position and mounting attitude of the electronic component are recognized from the photographed image, and that the predetermined electronic component is mounted on the predetermined position of the printed circuit board at the predetermined attitude on the basis of the above information items. Further, a program for the mounting order of all the electronic components to be mounted on the printed circuit board is generated on the basis of the image processing information items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1992
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Itagaki, Yoshio Haeda, Keisuke Fujishiro, Susumu Nakayama
  • Patent number: 5067233
    Abstract: A method of forming an integrated circuit module ae disclosed. The module includes a plurality of integrated circuit layers having beveled vertical edges along a portion thereof. The layers are connected to a contact board disposed orthogonal to the layers and also having a beveled first surface formed to receive and support the integrated circuit layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1991
    Assignee: Grumman Aerospace Corporation
    Inventor: Allen L. Solomon
  • Patent number: 5058263
    Abstract: At least two manipulators have parallel axes of rotation. Each manipulator is provided with an arm connected to a common coupling member. Movement of the coupling member rotates the manipulators about their axes. The arms describe paths which intersect each other. The manipulators comprise a positioning device suitable for placing electrical components on a support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1991
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Peter H. J. Corbeij, Joseph J. H. M. Bongers
  • Patent number: 5054991
    Abstract: The wafer positioning apparatus has an X.multidot.Y axis drive mechanism for moving a mounting stock in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction in the X.multidot.Y coordinates on the horizontal plane; a wafer inserting section is fixed on the mounting stock and has a space for inserting a wafer horizontally; photosensors are installed at the wafer inserting section and arranged at regular intervals on positions corresponding to peripheral portions of the wafer so as to detect edge portions of the inserted wafer; and a rotary section is arranged at the center of the wafer inserting section to be attached to the center of the rear surface of the inserted wafer by suction. The wafer is held on a hand plate or the like of a separate carrier system and inserted horizontally into the center of the space within the wafer inserting section, and the photosensors act in this state and detect peripheral portions of the wafer, and at the same time the X.multidot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1991
    Assignee: MECS Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Kato
  • Patent number: 5048178
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of forming a multilayer microelectronic circuit package. According to the disclosed method, the first layer of the package has features that are brought into proximity to an optical system which is adapted for imaging a surface of the layer. The optical system images features on the surface of the first layer, and generates targets around selected ones of the features. The, the next layer of the circuit package is brought into proximity to the optical system. This next layer is moved, i.e., translated and rotated, until selected features of the layer coincide with the targets generated through the optical system. This next layer is then placed atop the previous layer. Finally, the layers are laminated to form the multilayer microelectronic circuit package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corp.
    Inventors: Perminder S. Bindra, Peter J. Lueck, Eberhard H. Naegele
  • Patent number: 5044072
    Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for the visual alignment and placement of electrical components, such as lead-carrying chip members, and pad members, such as pad-carrying printed circuit boards, for purposes of aligning, placing and soldering said leads to said pads. The method involves supporting the chip member vertically over said pad member, inteposing therebetween a beam splitter cube which provides a simultaneous view of the underside of the chip member and the surface of the pad when viewed through a stereo microscope means, interposing an adjustable polarizing filter means which permits the operator to adjust the visual contrast between the leads and the pads, thereby facilitating the proper X, Y and theta vertical alignment, and moving the component down onto the pad member for soldering thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Air-Vac Engineering Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruno Blais, Urs Berger
  • Patent number: 5042709
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are set forth for passively and precisely aligning pairs of objects, in particular, microelectronic components such as semiconductor lasers and fibers, utilizing fiducial marks. Additionally, methods and apparatus are set forth for combining passive and active alignment techniques where high degrees of alignment precision are required. Still further, techniques are described for fixing prealigned objects, independent of how the objects are prealigned, to a mounting surface in a manner that maintains the relative (aligned) position of the objects. Further yet, in order to help minimize manufacturing costs with respect to production of, for example, microelectronic assemblies, batch processing techniques are described which utilize the novel alignment procedures contemplated by the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1991
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael F. Cina, Mitchell S. Cohen, Ephraim B. Flint, Kurt R. Grebe, Douglas J. Hall, Kenneth P. Jackson, Modest M. Oprysko
  • Patent number: 5040293
    Abstract: A bonding method for bonding inner leads on a film to electrodes of semiconductor elements is performed by the steps of: individually positioning the film and semiconductor elements at a predetermined bonding position; individually recognizing the positions of the inner leads and electrodes; selecting a combination of one inner lead and one electrode which are positionally shifted relative to each other; correcting relative position of the inner lead and electrode which are positionally shifted so that the inner lead and electrode are aligned; the inner lead and electrode are bonded; relative positions of remaining inner leads and elctrodes are aligned; and the inner leads and elctrodes are individually connected by bonding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1991
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Shinkawa
    Inventors: Nobuto Yamazaki, Akihiro Nishimura
  • Patent number: 5021018
    Abstract: The method for constructing a panel assembly for a control unit comprises the steps of: creating a layout of the system to be controlled in a computer-aided-design system; providing in the layout circle areas for elements of the system to be illuminated to indicate a certain operating mode of the element; creating an overlay of centers for each of the circle areas in the computer-aided-design system; storing in a memory of the computer-aided-design system the layout of the system and a layout of the centers; printing a layout for an overlay of the system to be controlled to a desired scale; printing a layout of the centers to the desired scale; placing the layout of the centers adjacent an outer panel for marking centers thereon; drilling holes at the centers; placing the layout of centers over an inner panel for identifying the centers of the holes to be drilled; drilling holes in the inner panel; mounting light emitting means in the holes drilled in the inner panel; placing the overlay of the system on the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1991
    Assignee: Accurate Metering Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Duback, James R. Vogenthaler
  • Patent number: 5003692
    Abstract: A component mounting method for successively mounting electric components on a printed circuit board, which method comprises the steps of recognizing the position of an electric component retained by a suction nozzle by the effect of a suction force; recognizing the predetermined mounting position on a printed circuit board or any other suitable substrate, at a location spaced a predetermined distance from the printed circuit board; mounting the electric component after the latter has been aligned with the predetermined mounting position on the printed circuit board; and recognizing, through the suction nozzle, the electric component to determine if the electric component has been mounted properly after the suction nozzle has been elevated to a position spaced a predetermined distance upwardly from the printed circuit board. In the event that the latter has been mounted incorrectly, information indicative of an incorrect mounting of the electric component is recorded in a control data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1991
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Izumi, Kazumi Ishimoto, Yutaka Makino
  • Patent number: 4984731
    Abstract: The inventive method for packaging electronic component parts on a substrate by eutectic bonding after the substrate has been heated to exceed the eutectic temperature is designed to observe the thermal expansion of the substrate with a camera and moves the substrate stage in accordance with the observation result so as to modify the mount coordinates of the component part, thereby compensating the displacement of component parts caused by the substrate thermal expansion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1991
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuichi Imamura
  • Patent number: 4980971
    Abstract: A system (10) for precisely placing a semiconductor chip (16) on a substrate (11) includes a robotic arm (18) which is provided with a gripper (22) for separately picking up the chip and substrate. A first television camera (38) is carried by the robotic arm and serves to capture the image of the substrate to locate a pair of datum points (71a and 71b) thereon. A second camera (40), stationary with respect to the robotic arm, serves to capture the image of the chip (16), when engaged by the robot, to locate each of a pair of datum points (83a and 83b) thereon. A machine vision system (46) serves to process the output signal of the cameras (38) and (40) to establish the precise location of the datum points on the substrate and on the chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Michael K. Bartschat, Joseph S. Kovalchick
  • Patent number: 4980970
    Abstract: A method for mounting electronic parts on a printed board using a computer, an optical indicator controlled by the computer to optically indicate a position of insertion on the printed board into which an electronic part is to be inserted, and a parts locator having a plurality of pockets and controlled by the computer to rotate and open only one pocket is disclosed. Parts taken out at random from a parts box are put into opened pockets of a parts locator, or after the parts are inserted into the positions of insertion on the printed board indicated by the optical indicator, the remaining parts are put into the opened pockets of the parts locator. Subsequent mounting work can be performed only by taking out the parts from the pockets of the parts locator and inserting the parts into the optically indicated positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Kenji Uchida, Kiyomi Ohkubo, Makoto Matumoto