Patent ID: 8342381
Filing Date: 2013-01-01
Classification: B41F,B41P,H05K

Abstract:
1. A solder feeder in a printer, wherein the solder feeder is adapted to replenish a solder pool with solder, and the printer is adapted to execute alternately a forward print process and a backward print process, said printer comprising: only one squeegee supported on a head, a drive source fixed to the head, the drive source is adapted to drive the squeegee so that the squeegee is brought into contact with the solder pool from an upstream side of a forward direction when the forward print process is executed, and to drive the same squeegee so that the same squeegee is brought into contact with the solder pool from a downstream side in a forward direction when the backward print process is executed, wherein, in the forward print process, the squeegee is configured to press the solder pool on a surface of a mask from the upstream side in the forward direction while moving the head relatively along the surface of the mask in the forward direction to apply solder onto a substrate through the opening part of the mask of which lower surface is put on the top of the substrate, and wherein, in the backward print process, the same squeegee is adapted to press the solder pool from the upstream side in a returning direction while moving the head relatively along the surface of the mask to apply solder onto a substrate through the opening part of the mask, the solder feeder comprising: solder feeding means for feeding the solder; solder amount measuring means, attached to the head, for measuring an amount of solder in the solder pool when the squeegee passes through the solder pool on the downstream side in a moving direction before switching in a process where switching is made from any one of the forward print process and backward print process to the other; solder replenishment necessity determination means for determining whether solder replenishment is required, based on the amount of solder measured by the solder amount measuring means; and replenishment control means for controlling the solder feeding means to replenish the solder pool with the solder, based on a result of the determination made by the solder replenishment necessity determination means.