FR2494071A1 - TRANSFER MEDIUM FOR TRANSFERRING AT LEAST ONE ELECTRICAL OR ELECTRONIC COMPONENT TO A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD - Google Patents

Abstract

SUPPORT FOR TRANSFERRING ONE OR MORE ELECTRICAL AND OR ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS TO A PRINTED CIRCUIT AND CONTAINING A TRANSPORT BLOCK3 EQUIPPED WITH ONE OR MORE PRODUCT HOLDERS7 WHICH ARE EACH CONSISTING OF A VACUUM PIPETTE11 AND A CENTERING PLIERS9; EACH CENTERING CLAMP9 IS EQUIPPED WITH A PLURALITY OF CLAMPING FINGERS33 SPRING IN THE RADIAL DIRECTION, AND PRESENT, IN THE REST POSITION, AT THE TIGHTENING FINGERS33, A CROSS SECTION VARIING CONTINUOUSLY TOWARDS ITS FREE END13; CENTERING CLAMPS9 COOPERATE WITH CENTERING OPENINGS31 PRACTICED IN A CENTERING BLOCK21.

Description

"Transfer support for transferring at least one component

  electrical or electronic to a plate

printed circuit board".

  The invention relates to a transfer support for transferring at least one electrical or electronic component to a printed circuit board and comprising at least one vacuum orifice used for

retain the component.

  Transfer supports of the kind to which the present invention relates are known per se and form part of devices for the adequate positioning of prismatic electrical and / or electronic components of very small dimensions, of the order of a few millimeters at most, and without connection wires, so-called microcomponent components. These components arrive in packaging, such as

  tubular loaders or a strip-shaped support.

  The transfer support takes one or more components, most often by evacuating them, transfers these components to a printed circuit board

  to then position them on this plate.

  A device of the aforementioned kind, known from French patent application N0. 24 23 956 has the disadvantage that the components are not centered relative to the axis of the suction orifice, so that the components are on the transfer support with a fairly large positioning inaccuracy and that, by Consequently, they are placed on the printed circuit board with fairly large tolerances in

regard to their position.

  To overcome this drawback, it has already been proposed to center the components using a calibration plate which is movable in a transverse direction to

  component axis. This device presents the inconvenience

  deny low flexibility, especially if they learn to center several components simultaneously; it is necessary to have a separate calibration plate

  for each combination of components.

  The invention aims to provide a transfer support of a relatively simple construction, making it possible to center components, individually or collectively, in a safe and reproducible manner, so that their axis occupies an exact position relative to the

transfer medium.

  To this end, in accordance with the invention, the transfer support comprises a transfer block provided with at least one product holder support cooperating with a centering block provided with at least one opening.

  centering, product holder support which is essentially

  tily by a centering clamp and a vacuum pipette whose axes coincide, while the centering clamp comprises a plurality of clamping fingers which are elastically deformable in the radial direction and that, in the rest position, at the level clamping fingers, it has a cross section

continuously varying.

  This transfer support allows components to be gripped using the vacuum pipette, to obtain, by a relative displacement of the product support and the centering block and by the radial deformation of the

  clamping fingers, positioning of components such.

  that their axis coincides with the axis of the vacuum pipette; as, in this way, the components are exactly positioned relative to the transfer medium, their subsequent position on the printed circuit board

  is also exactly determined.

  According to another advantageous embodiment, the transfer support is remarkable in that the product holder support is slidably housed in the centering opening of the centering block forming part of the transfer support, while the cross section of the centering clamp is increasing towards its free end. Thanks to these measures, a compact construction is obtained, in which the centering block is driven in all the movements of the transfer support; the centering clamp can have a square, rectangular or round cross section. In another advantageous embodiment, the centering clip has, at least at the clamping fingers, a cylindrical outer contour with a conical end, the centering opening of the centering block also being conical. In this embodiment, the centering block is an independent unit, separate from the transfer support, but exactly positioned relative thereto. Thanks to these measures, it is possible to perform the

  transfer medium itself in a simpler way.

  We could give, it is true, a cross-section

  dirty. square or rectangular to the centering clamp and to the centering opening, but the construction is greatly simplified by the cylindrical and conical realization of the centering clamp and the centering opening respectively. This embodiment results in a very compact construction, especially in the sense

radial.

  Because in another embodiment, the centering clamp is provided with two parallel clamping fingers situated on two opposite faces, the risk of the component jamming in the centering clamp is almost zero, and the alignment of the component is done first in one direction and then in the direction

perpendicular to it.

  The gripping, centering and positioning of the components can be carried out in a simple and flawless manner since the vacuum pipette is movable relative to the centering clamp. The vacuum pipette can be brought into the optimal position for picking, centering and positioning each time

of a component.

  The transfer medium, according to the invention

  can be used for transferring a single component.

  The advantages of the invention stand out particularly in

  -the case of the simultaneous transfer of a plurality of components

  health. To this end, in accordance with the invention, the transfer support is characterized by a transfer plate having a matrix of openings where the product support supports are placed in a configuration corresponding to that which must be obtained for a plurality of components to be positioned on the printed circuit board, the centering block being produced in the form of a centering plate having a matrix of centering openings corresponding to the matrix of openings of the transfer plate, and all product holder supports having the same external dimensions. As all product holders have the same external dimensions, just use a

  standard transfer plate and centering plate.

  It is true that, as regards their internal dimensions, the product-holding supports depend on the product, that is to say that they depend on the length, width and thickness of the components, so that for different components it is

  necessary to use different product holders

  annuities; however, thanks to the standard external dimensions, a transfer plate can be fitted

  standard of various holders

  product arranged in the desired configuration. We therefore only exchange the parts which are specific to the product. Since, preferably, the product holder supports have been mounted, for example by sliding adjustment, by friction or by means of a quick coupling, the mounting and dismounting of the product holder supports

can be done quickly.

  As, in an advantageous embodiment, the centering openings were made in centering sleeves which are housed in the centering plate so as to be able to slide, it is possible, despite differences in thickness, to center simultaneously a plurality of components using the plate

standard centering.

  The following description, with reference to the

  attached sins, given by way of nonlimiting example, allows a better understanding of how the invention is implemented. Figure 1 shows schematically and in cross section a transfer support according to the invention. Figure 2 shows the transfer medium

  of Figure 1 in another position.

  Figures 3, 4 and 5 show a mode

  of the centering clamp

  Figures 6 and 7 show another mode

  for making the transfer medium.

  Figures 1 and 2 show a transfer support 1 provided with a transfer plate 3 having a matrix of openings 5 in which are placed product holder supports 7 in a configuration corresponding to that which must be obtained for a plurality of components C on a printed circuit board not shown. The product holder supports 7 consist essentially of a centering clamp 9 and a vacuum pipette 11 whose axes

  coincide with the axis A-A of the product holder 7.

  The vacuum pipette is housed in the centering clamp

slidingly.

  The product holder supports 7 essentially have a cylindrical outer contour with a conical end portion 13. A flange 15 and a reference boss 17 make it possible to position the product holder supports in the axial direction and around the axis relative to the transfer plate. 3. All supports

  product holders have identical external dimensions.

  The reference 21 indicates a centering plate which is supported by a support plate 23 whereas, between the centering plate and the support plate, a plate 25 is provided of material with elastic deformation, for example rubber. The centering plate 21 has a matrix of openings 27 corresponding to

  the opening matrix 5 of the transfer plate 3.

  In each opening 27, is housed a centering sleeve 29 so as to be mobile, sleeve which rests on the plate 25. Each centering sleeve has a conical centering opening 31. Figure 1 shows the transfer support 1 with a component C taken by the vacuum pipette 11 and retained by it

  above the centering plate 21.

  FIG. 2 represents the transfer support during the centering of the component C, centering which takes place so that the axis of the component comes to coincide with the axis A-A of the product holder support. For this purpose, the centering clamp 9 is provided with clamping fingers 33 which are elastic in the radial direction and which, by the cooperation of the conical end 13 of the clamp

  centering on the one hand and the inner wall of the opening

  on the other hand, are pushed in the radial direction towards the axis A-A, come into contact with the component C to position the latter, the component sliding on the end of the vacuum pipette. When the transfer plate 3 has been removed from the centering plate 21, the operation of the clamping fingers 33 is suppressed, while the vacuum pipette keeps the component centered in the centered position. Figures 3, 4 and 5 show on a larger scale a particular embodiment of the centering clamp 9, Figure 3 showing the centering clamp from below, Figure 4 in longitudinal section along the line IV-IV of Figure 3, and Figure 5 in longitudinal section along the line VV of Figure 3. The centering clamp 9 which, for clarity of the drawing, has been shown without vacuum pipette, is provided with two simple clamping fingers 35 which face each other, as well as two pairs of clamping fingers 37 and 39 which face each other pair by pair. The distance X separating the two internal clamping fingers 37 is less than the distance Y existing between the clamping fingers 35. As a result, during the centering of a component, the clamping fingers 37 come first into contact with the

  component, which is subjected to a first centering effected

  killing in one direction. Then, it is the clamping fingers 35 which come into contact with the component, which is now subjected to a second centering taking place in a direction perpendicular to the first direction; this is possible because the clamping fingers 37 exert only a low friction force on the component. Finally, the clamping fingers 39 come into contact with the clamping dof4s 37, while, in addition, the clamping fingers 35 are applied more strongly against the component, so that, by successive stages, the component is brought gradually in the centered position and that the reliability and the accuracy of the centering are increased. The clamping fingers 35 and 37 limit a chamber 41 whose dimensions are slightly larger

  the dimensions of the component to be transferred.

  Thanks to the presence of the elastic plate shown in Figures 1 and 2, the separate product holder supports can perform different strokes during centering; if, in a centering clamp, a component is already retained centered by the clamping fingers, while the centering of other components is not yet finished, it is possible, thanks to the presence of the elastic plate 25, to move the entire centering clamp and the corresponding centering sleeve a short distance; during this additional displacement, there is definitive centering of other components having

  other dimensions and other tolerances.

  Figures 6 and 7 show another embodiment of the transfer medium, respectively

  in the loading position and the centering position.

  In this embodiment, a centering plate 41 is part of the transfer support 1. The openings

  of centering 53 are not conical, but cylindrical.

  At clamping fingers 57, the cross section

  the centering pliers 55 are increasing towards the end. The centering plate 51 is movable by

  compared to the transfer plate 3 and the support

product 7.

  FIG. 6 represents the way in which the transfer support 1 is placed above a magazine holder support 59 containing magazines 61; each charger contains a stack of components C. Rods 63 push the stacks so as to bring them into the centering clamps 55 and to abut them against the vacuum pipettes 11, which each take a component to then retain it. When the centering plate 51 is moved in the direction of the magazine carrier 59, from the loading position shown in FIG. 6 into the centering position shown in

  FIG. 7, the clamping fingers 57 are elastically deformed

  tick in the radial direction towards the axis A-A, as already described, and there is centering of the components. It goes without saying that the centering plate 51 must be driven in all the movements of the transfer support. FIG. 7 also shows that the transfer support 1 is offset in the transverse direction with respect to the magazine support 59. With this measure, it is obtained that the upper component is clearly separated from the underlying component, so

  that we avoid that two components are taken simultaneously-

  on the same battery, which would cause failures.

  The product holders are product specific and can be coded in a manner known per se, for example by colors, bar code etc.

Claims (7)

  1. Transfer support used to transfer at least one electrical or electronic component to a printed circuit board and comprising at least one   vacuum port used to hold the component, characteristic   in that the transfer support (1) has a   transfer unit (3) provided with at least one support   product (7) cooperating with a centering block (21, 51)   provided with at least one centering opening (31, 53),   product holder port (7) which consists essentially of a centering clamp (9, 55) and a vacuum pipette (11) whose axes coincide, while the centering clamp (9, 55) has a plurality of fingers of   clamping (33, 35, 37, 39; 57) which are elastically de-   formable in the radial direction, and that in the position   rest, at the clamping fingers, it   te a continuously varying cross section.   2. Transfer support according to claim 1, characterized in that the product holder support (7) is slidably housed in the centering opening (53) of the   centering block (51) forming part of the transfer support   fert (1), while the cross section of the clamp   centering (55) increases towards its straight end   bre. 3. Transfer support according to claim 1, characterized in that, at least at the fingers of   clamp (33), the centering clamp (9) has a   cylindrical outer tower with a conical end (13) the centering opening (31) of the centering block (21) also being conical.   4. Transfer support according to one of the claims   1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the center clamp   ge (9, 55) is provided with two parallel clamping fingers 249 '71 he   (37, 39) located on two opposite faces.   5. Transfer medium according to any one   of the preceding claims, characterized in that   the vacuum pipette (11) is movable relative to the pin this centering (9, 55).   6. Transfer medium according to any one   of the preceding claims, characterized by   transfer plate (3) having an opening matrix   tures (5) o are placed product holder supports (7) in a configuration corresponding to that it   must be obtained for a plurality of components in position-   On the plate with metallic tracks, the center block   trage (21) being in the form of a pre-centering plate   feeling a matrix of centering openings (31) cor-   corresponding to the matrix of openings (5) of the transfer plate (3), and all the product holder supports (7)   having the same external dimensions.   7. Transfer support according to claim 6, characterized in that the centering openings (31> are made in centering sleeves (29) which are housed in the centering plate (21) so as to be able to slide.