BOARD TRANSFER APPARATUS

Abstract: A board transfer unit which enables to reduce impact on stopping although a printed circuit board on which electronic components are mounted is transferred at high speed. The board transfer unit comprises sensors for detecting the length, width, and thickness of the board, and the board weight is calculated based on the detected data from the sensors. Then, the board transfer unit receives information on types of components mounted on the board from a machine in the previous process. Optimal acceleration and deceleration speeds are selected from previously prepared data based on the board weight and the types of components mounted in the previous process. Accordingly, the board transfer unit realizes the optimal board transfer corresponding to diversifying board weight and mounting conditions.

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of transfer units for printed circuit boards on which electronic components are mounted. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Fig. 4 shows the outline of a transfer unit of the prior art for printed circuit boards (hereafter referred to as "board") on which electronic components are mounted. In Fig. 4, a transfer motor 21, board guide 22, and driving pulley 23 are fixed to the shaft of the transfer motor 21. A pulley 25 is disposed at both ends of the board guide 22. A belt 24 is wound around the two types of pulley 23 and 25, and runs parallel to the board guide 22. One end of a guide width adjusting screw 26 is directly connected to a guide width adjusting motor 27, and the other end is screwed to a nut 30 provided on a support frame 32 of the board guide 22. One end of a guide rail 28 having grooves lengthwise is supported by a bearing 33 provided on a support frame 29, and the other end is loosely inserted into a bearing 33 provided on a support frame 32. A board guide 34 is fixed to a support frame 29 in parallel to the board guide 22. The board guide 34 has the same belt mechanism as the board guide 22 inside, and the belt runs synchronized to the belt 24. A cylinder 35 is provided at the end of the board guide 34 as a stopper. The operation of a board transfer unit as configured above is explained next. Drive power is transmitted to the belt 24 through the pulley 23 when the transfer motor 21 is rotated at the constant speed. The belt 24 then runs parallel to the board guide 22 via the pulley 23. The board is transferred by placing it on the belt 24. After starting the board transfer, the cylinder 35 is actuated, and the rotation of the transfer motor 21 is stopped when the board contacts the cylinder 35, thus stopping the board at a specified position. Next, the operation for transferring boards with different widths is explained. When the guide width adjusting motor 27 is rotated, the guide width adjusting screw 26 directly connected to the shaft of the guide width adjusting motor 27 also rotates. By rotation of the guide width adjusting screw 26, the nut 30 which is screwed to the guide width adjusting screw 26, moves back and forth according to the rotation direction of the guide width adjusting screw 26. Therefore, the board guide 22 remains parallel to the board guide 34 while it moves to adjust the width therebetween. The above operation allows the transfer of boards with a range of widths. Fig. 5 shows a velocity diagram of the board during transfer in the prior art. If boards are transferred at high speed using the board transfer unit of the prior art, the transfer speed of the board will suddenly increase or decrease as shown in Fig. 5. This will apply a large acceleration or deceleration force to large, small, light, and heavy components temporarily mounted on the board and held by the adhesivity of a material such as solder paste printed on the board, causing dislocation, inclination, or dropping off of mounted components. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Aspects of the invention are defined in the claims. The present invention can offer a board transfer unit which can transfers the board at an optimal acceleration and deceleration rate within the extent to prevent detrimental effect on mounting conditions and components on the board. The board transfer unit of the preferred embodinent selects the optimal accelerated and decelerated speeds previously set according to the weight of the board and types of mounted components, and transfers the board on which electronic components are mounted at selected acceleration and deceleration speeds. The preferred embodiment prevents detrimental effect on mounted electronic components during the board transfer. The impact on contacting a cylinder, which is a stopper, for stopping the board can also be reduced by transferring the board at the optimal acceleration and deceleration speeds. Accordingly the present invention can enable the safe and reliable transfer of boards. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is an outline of a board transfer unit of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an example of a board transfer velocity diagram of the present invention. Fig. 3 is an operation flow of the present invention. Fig. 4 is an outline of the prior art. Fig. 5 is an example of board transfer velocity diagram of the prior art. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is explained with reference to Fig. 1. In Fig. 1, a transfer motor 1, board guide 2, and driving pulley 3 are fixed to the shaft of the transfer motor 1. A pulley 5 is disposed at both ends of the board guide 2. A belt 4 is wound around two types of pulley 3 and 5, and runs parallel to the board guide 2. One end of a guide width adjusting screw 6 is directly connected to the shaft of a guide width adjusting motor 7, and the other end of the guide width adjusting screw 6 is screwed to a nut 9 provided on a support frame 16 of the board guide 2. One end of a guide rail 8 having grooves lengthwise is supported by a bearing 18 provided on a support frame 17, and the other end is loosely inserted into a bearing 19 provided on a support frame 16. A board guide 20 is fixed to a support 15 on the support frame 17 in parallel to the board guide 2. The board guide 20 has the same belt mechanism as the board guide 2 inside, and the belt runs synchronized to the belt 4. A cylinder 10 is provided at the end of the board guide 20 as a stopper. Sensors 11, 12, and 13 respectively detect the length, width, and thickness of the board. A controller 14 controls the board transfer and also receives information from a machine in the previous process about components mounted on the board. The operation of the board transfer unit as configured above is explained next. Drive force is transmitted to the belt 4 through the driving pulley 3 when the transfer motor 1 is rotated. The belt 4 runs parallel to the board guide 2 via the pulley 5. The board is transferred by placing it on a pair of belts 4. After completing transfer, the cylinder 10 actuates when the board contacts it, and stops the rotation of the transfer motor 1, thus stopping the board. The operation for transferring boards with different widths is explained next. When the guide width adjusting motor 7 is rotated, the guide width adjusting screw 6 directly connected to the shaft of the guide width adjusting motor 7 also rotates. By rotation of the guide width adjusting screw 6, a nut screwed to the guide width adjusting screw 6 moves back and forth according to the rotation direction of the guide width adjusting screw 6. Therefore, the board guide 2 remains parallel to the board guide 20 while it moves to adjust the width. The above operation allows the support and transfer of boards of a range of widths. Figs. 1, 2, and 3 explain the operation of the board transfer unit as configured above. The controller 14 detects the length, width, and thickness of the board using the sensors 11, 12, and 13, and calculates the weight of the board to be transferred based on specific gravity previously registered for automatically recognizing the board weight. Then, based on information such as the calculated weight of the board to be transferred, the controller 14 selects the optimal acceleration and deceleration speeds from the previously prepared data table. The board is controlled and transferred according to the selected acceleration and deceleration speeds, which form a trapezoidal speed curve as shown in Fig. 2. This curve is set to minimize the impact on contact with the stopper, taking into account the weight of the board. Next, the controller 14 recognizes the type of components mounted on the board from production information received when communicating with the controller (not illustrated) of a machine in the previous process. The controller 14 then selects the optimal acceleration and deceleration speeds for recognized components from the previously prepared data table. Smaller acceleration and deceleration speeds from two pairs of acceleration and deceleration speeds selected by the controller as described above are selected as the optimal acceleration and deceleration speeds for driving the transfer motor 1. Drive force is transmitted to the belt 4 through the driving pulley 3 when the transfer motor 1 is rotated. The belt 4 then moves parallel to the board guide 2 via the pulleys 5 to transfer the board placed on a pair of belts 4. After starting transfer, the board stops on contacting the cylinder 10, which is the stopper. Since the controller 14 is transferring the board at an extremely low speed at the moment of contact between the board and the stopper, the impact force can be sharply reduced. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention transfers the board at the optimal acceleration and deceleration speeds to prevent any detrimental effect on the electronic components mounted on the board during transfer. In addition, it reduces the impact with the stopper by reducing the transfer speed at that point. Accordingly, the present invention enables the safe and reliable transfer of boards and electronic components mounted or temporarily mounted on the board. Reference numerals for drawing 1 transfer motor 2 board guide 3 driving pulley 4 belt 5 pulley 6 guide width adjusting screw 7 guide width adjusting motor 8 guide rail 9 nut 10 cylinder 11 sensor 12 sensor 13 sensor 14 controller 15 support 16 support frame 17 support frame 18 bearing 19 bearing 20 board guide

Claims: A board transfer unit for transferring a printed circuit board on which electronic components are mounted, which is operable to select appropriate acceleration and deceleration rates for the unit's operation from a plurality of previously set rates, based on the weight of the board and types of mounted components, and to transfer the printed circuit board using the selected acceleration and deceleration rates. A board transfer unit as defined in Claim 1, wherein said board transfer unit is operable to select smaller acceleration and deceleration rates as the appropriate acceleration and deceleration rates from: first acceleration and deceleration rates selected based on the weight of the printed circuit board, and second acceleration and deceleration rates selected based on types of components mounted on the printed circuit board. A board transfer unit as defined in one of Claims 1 and 2, wherein said board transfer unit comprises means (11-14) for automatically recognizing the weight of the printed circuit board. A board transfer unit as defined in one of Claims 1 and 2, wherein said board transfer unit comprises input means for receiving information on types of electronic components mounted on the printed circuit board. Apparatus comprising: a board transfer unit as defined in Claim 4; and a machine located upstream of said board transfer unit in a circuit board processing path; wherein said board transfer unit is operable to receive information on types of electronic components mounted on the printed circuit board from said machine.

Inventors: KASHIWAZAKI TAKAO, KONNO HIRONORI, SENO MAKITO, YASUNAGA KOICHI, KASHIWAZAKI, TAKAO, KONNO, HIRONORI, SENO, MAKITO, YASUNAGA, KOICHI
Applicants: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC IND CO LTD, MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B65G43
IPC codes: H05K13, B65G43, B65G21