Patent ID: 6923117

Claim:
A solder paste printing apparatus for printing a solder paste supplied onto a surface of a printing mask having a number of opening, the printing apparatus comprising: a squeegee movable in a printing direction along the surface of the printing mask for printing on a circuit-forming body placed on a back surface of the printing mask; and an elongated pressurizing member that has an axial direction extending roughly parallel to an axial direction of the squeegee, the pressurizing member being arranged to form between the pressurizing member and the printing mask a first gap through which the solder paste can pass in a direction opposite to the printing direction of the squeegee during a solder paste printing operation, the pressurizing member also being arranged to form between the pressurizing member and the squeegee a second gap through which the solder paste can pass from the first gap toward the squeegee side of the pressurizing member, wherein the pressurizing member is provided in a vicinity of an edge of the squeegee so that a pressure toward the printing mask is applied to the solder paste by the pressurizing member when the solder paste passes through the first gap located between the pressurizing member and the printing mask during the solder paste printing operation, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the pressurizing member that is perpendicular to the axial direction of the pressurizing member is varied in the axial direction of the pressurizing member according to the number and size of the openings of the printing mask, thus varying the pressure to be applied from the pressurizing member to the solder paste against the printing mask.