CN114502380B - Screen printer - Google Patents

Abstract

A screen printer (1) is provided with: a storage compartment (81) for storing a template sheet (15) having an opening (15 a) corresponding to the electrode (3) on the substrate (2); a sheet holder (14) for holding the edge of the die sheet (15) so as to be detachable; a conveying device (51) for conveying the template sheet (15) between the storage bin (81) and the sheet holder (14); and a print head (16) for filling the opening (15 a) with paste placed on the template sheet (15) held by the sheet holder (14).

Description

Screen printer

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a screen printer that prints paste such as solder onto a substrate by sliding a print head over a stencil sheet.

Background

Conventionally, there is a screen printer that screen-prints conductive paste such as solder onto electrodes of a substrate. The paste supplied onto the stencil is transferred to the substrate by bringing the stencil (mask) into contact with the substrate and sliding the squeegee of the print head over the stencil. The template includes a template sheet (mask body) provided with pattern holes corresponding to electrodes of the substrate, and a template frame (mask frame) supporting the periphery of the template sheet.

For example, patent document 1 describes a template in which a sheet-like member made of resin is further attached to the outer edge of a template sheet, and a template frame for supporting the outer edge of the sheet-like member is included. The operator mounts the stencil frame to the stencil holder and performs screen printing.

Patent document 2 describes a screen printer in which an operator mounts a stencil sheet to a stencil holder.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent application laid-open No. 2013-159722

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open No. 2013-111847

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In a screen printer, a stencil sheet is used that matches a substrate to be printed, and when the model of the substrate to be printed is changed, the stencil sheet needs to be replaced every time. As shown in patent document 1, in the conventional screen printer, the stencil frame is attached to and detached from the stencil holder by an operator to exchange the stencil, and thus the workload of the operator is large. Patent document 2 discloses a screen printing machine capable of attaching and detaching a frameless stencil sheet, but requires replacement of the stencil sheet by an operator.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-described conventional problems and to provide a screen printer capable of automatically replacing a stencil sheet.

Means for solving the problems

The screen printer of the present invention comprises:

a storage bin that accommodates a template sheet having an opening corresponding to an electrode on a substrate;

a sheet holder for holding the edge of the die sheet so as to be detachable;

A conveying device that conveys the template sheet between the magazine and the sheet holder; and

and a print head for filling the opening with paste placed on the die sheet held by the sheet holder.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, a screen printer capable of automatically replacing a stencil sheet can be provided.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a main portion of a screen printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of a screen printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a side view of a main portion of a screen printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a top view of the die plate pieces.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the mobile body.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the formwork holder as seen from below.

Fig. 7 (a) is a plan view of the formwork holder, and fig. 7 (b) is a side view of the connecting member.

Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the air pressure control system.

Fig. 9A is an explanatory diagram illustrating conveyance of the template pieces.

Fig. 9B is an explanatory diagram illustrating conveyance of the template pieces.

Fig. 9C is an explanatory diagram illustrating conveyance of the template pieces.

Fig. 10A is an explanatory diagram for explaining a step of conveying the template pieces.

Fig. 10B is an explanatory diagram for explaining a step of conveying the template sheet.

Fig. 10C is an explanatory diagram for explaining a step of conveying the template pieces.

Fig. 10D is an explanatory diagram for explaining a step of conveying the template pieces.

Fig. 10E is an explanatory diagram for explaining a step of conveying the template pieces.

Fig. 10F is an explanatory diagram for explaining a step of conveying the template sheet.

Fig. 10G is an explanatory diagram for explaining a step of conveying the template pieces.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the die sheet transported to the loading and unloading position Pa.

Fig. 12A is an explanatory view for explaining a step of attaching a template sheet to a sheet holder.

Fig. 12B is an explanatory view for explaining a step of attaching the template sheet to the sheet holder.

Fig. 12C is an explanatory view for explaining a step of attaching the template sheet to the sheet holder.

Fig. 12D is an explanatory view for explaining a step of attaching the template sheet to the sheet holder.

Fig. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an operation of performing the screen printing operation.

Fig. 14 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an operation of performing the screen printing operation.

Fig. 15 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an operation of performing the screen printing operation.

FIG. 16 is a front view of a storage silo (magazine).

Fig. 17 is a plan view of the storage bin with the upper wall removed.

Fig. 18 (a) is a perspective view of a main portion of the inside of the storage bin, and fig. 18 (b) is a side view of the storage bin as seen from a longitudinal section.

Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a main portion of the front of the interior of the storage compartment.

Detailed Description

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a screen printer comprising: a storage bin that accommodates a template sheet having an opening corresponding to an electrode on a substrate; a sheet holder for holding the edge of the die sheet so as to be detachable; a conveying device that conveys the template sheet between the magazine and the sheet holder; and a print head that fills the opening with paste placed on the die sheet held by the sheet holder.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the screen printer according to the first aspect, wherein the conveying device conveys the stencil sheet to a lower side of the sheet holder, and the sheet holder is attached to and detached from the stencil sheet with respect to a lower portion of the sheet holder.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the screen printer according to the first or second aspect, wherein the sheet holder holds the stencil sheet by applying tension in a plane direction.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the screen printer according to the second or third aspect, wherein the screen printer includes a lifter that moves the sheet holder to a holding position below and a standby position above the stencil sheet.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the screen printer according to the fourth aspect, wherein the stencil sheet has a plurality of holes formed along an outer edge, the sheet holder has a plurality of protrusions protruding downward, and the plurality of protrusions are inserted into the plurality of holes of the stencil sheet by the movement of the sheet holder to the holding position by the lifter.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the screen printer according to the fifth aspect, wherein the sheet holder includes an actuator for applying tension to the stencil sheet by moving the plurality of protrusions toward the outside in the plane direction.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the screen printer according to the sixth aspect, wherein the actuator is a cylinder that operates by air pressure.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the screen printer as set forth in the sixth aspect, wherein the actuator includes: a first cylinder that moves protrusions inserted into holes formed in a parallel set of outer edges of the die plate toward the outside in the face direction; and a second cylinder that moves protrusions inserted into holes formed at the other set of outer edges toward the outside in a plane direction orthogonal to a direction based on the movement of the first cylinder.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the screen printer according to the eighth aspect, wherein the screen printer includes a sheet holder driving section that adjusts the air pressure supplied to the first cylinder and the air pressure supplied to the second cylinder, respectively.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the screen printer according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the conveying device includes: a moving body intersecting a conveying direction and having a holding portion for holding the template sheet, and conveying the template sheet in the conveying direction; and a pair of guide rails that are disposed along a conveying direction of the template sheet and support the template sheet conveyed by the movable body from below.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the screen printer according to the tenth aspect, wherein the holding portion has an adsorption portion that adsorbs the stencil sheet.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the screen printer according to the eleventh aspect, wherein the holding portion holds a portion of the lower pattern piece exposed between the pair of guide rails, and the moving body has a vertical driving portion that moves the holding portion in a vertical direction.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the screen printer according to the twelfth aspect, wherein the holding portion has: an upper surface in contact with a lower surface of the template sheet; and a pin protruding upward from the upper surface, wherein the suction portion opens to the upper surface and suctions and holds the lower surface of the die piece.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the screen printer as defined in the thirteenth aspect, wherein the holding portion is provided with at least two suction portions at a distance from each other in the conveying direction, and the pins are disposed between the two suction portions.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the screen printer according to any one of the tenth to fourteenth aspects, wherein the guide rail has a relief portion for avoiding interference with a projection projecting downward from the sheet holder.

Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of the screen printer of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the specific configurations of the following embodiments, and configurations based on the same technical ideas are all included in the present invention.

(embodiment)

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to fig. 1 to 4. Fig. 1 is a plan view of a main portion of the screen printer 1. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a main portion of the screen printer 1. Fig. 3 is a side view of a main portion of the screen printer 1. Fig. 4 is a top view of template sheet 15. The screen printer 1 conveys the stencil sheet 15 stored in the magazine 81 to the attachment/detachment position Pa of the sheet holder 14, and attaches the stencil sheet 15 to the sheet holder 14 at the attachment/detachment position Pa. The screen printer 1 also brings the pattern piece 15 into contact with the substrate 2, and screen-prints paste such as solder onto each of the plurality of electrodes 3 provided on the substrate 2.

Hereinafter, the conveyance direction of the die sheet 15 is referred to as the X-axis direction (front-rear direction), the movement direction of the substrate 2 is referred to as the Y-axis direction (left-right direction), and the up-down direction is referred to as the Z-axis direction. The X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction are orthogonal to each other. The operator who performs the operation of the screen printer 1 is usually located on the side of the direction in which the stencil sheet 15 is pulled out from the magazine 81 (X-axis direction), and here, the side on which the operator is located is referred to as the front of the screen printer 1, and the side on which the magazine 81 is disposed on the opposite side is referred to as the rear of the screen printer 1.

The screen printer 1 includes a base 10, a unit moving mechanism 12A, a substrate holding unit 12, a magazine 81, a sheet holder 14, a conveyor 51, a print head 16, and a control unit 19. The storage compartment 81 stores a plurality of sheet-shaped template pieces 15. The sheet holder 14 is disposed above the substrate holding unit 12. The conveyor 51 conveys the die plate pieces 15 in the section from the storage bin 81 to the loading and unloading position Pa. The print head 16 is disposed above the sheet holder 14. The control unit 19 performs operation control of each unit of the screen printer 1. The screen printer 1 further includes a substrate carry-in conveyor 11, a substrate holding unit 12, and a substrate carry-out conveyor 13 provided on the base 10. The screen printer 1 includes a cover 10a covering the upper side of the base 10, and main components such as the unit moving mechanism 12A, the substrate holding unit 12, the sheet holder 14, the conveying device 51, and the print head 16 are disposed in a space surrounded by the cover 10 a. The control unit 19 is housed inside the base 10.

The substrate carry-in conveyor 11 carries in the substrate 2 (arrow R1 shown in fig. 1, 2, and 3) input from the outside of the screen printer 1 through the carry-in port 8 of the cover 10a, and transfers the substrate to the substrate holding unit 12. The substrate carry-out conveyor 13 carries out the substrate 2 received from the substrate holding unit 12 to the outside of the screen printer 1 through the carry-out port 9 of the cover 10a (arrow R2 shown in fig. 1, 2, and 3). The substrate 2 is conveyed in the order of the substrate carry-in conveyor 11, the substrate holding unit 12, and the substrate carry-out conveyor 13.

The substrate holding unit 12 includes a unit base 21, a pair of conveyors 22, a lower receiving portion 24, and a pair of substrate holders 25. The unit base 21 is supported by the unit movement mechanism 12A. The unit moving mechanism 12A is an XYZ θ table, and moves the substrate holding unit 12 in a horizontal plane (XY plane), in a Z axis direction, and rotates in a θ direction (around the Z axis). A pair of conveyors 22 are mounted to the unit base 21. The lower receiving portion 24 is lifted and lowered by a lift cylinder 23 provided in the unit base 21, and lifts the support substrate 2 from below so that both ends of the substrate 2 conveyed by the conveyor 22 and positioned to a predetermined operation position (position shown in fig. 2) are separated upward from the conveyor 22. The pair of substrate holders 25 are provided so as to be openable and closable in the X-axis direction, and are opened and closed by an actuator not shown. The pair of substrate holders 25 hold (sandwich) the two side portions of the substrate 2 supported by the lower receiving portion 24 in a lifted state from the X-axis direction. The lower receiving portion 24 lifts the substrate 2 so that the upper surface of the substrate 2 is at the same height as the upper surface of the substrate holder 25. The lift cylinder 23, the conveyor 22, and the substrate holder 25 are operated in accordance with instructions from the control unit 19.

The template sheet 15 is a mask for screen-printing paste on the electrodes of the substrate 2. The template piece 15 is made of metal, for example, SUS in embodiment 1, but may be made of resin. The die piece 15 is rectangular or square, for example, and is stored in the storage compartment 81 without being held in a frame. In fig. 2 and 4, a plurality of openings 15a corresponding to the arrangement pattern of the electrodes 3 on the substrate 2 are provided in the central region of the template sheet 15. A plurality of holes 15b penetrating in the thickness direction are provided along four sides at the edges of the die plate 15, respectively. Each hole 15b is formed as a long hole extending in a direction parallel to the adjacent side. In addition, a mark 15m for alignment is formed on the template sheet 15.

The print head 16 moves the paste placed on the template sheet 15 to print the paste on the electrodes of the substrate 2. In fig. 1 and 2, the print head 16 includes a base member 41 that moves in the X direction, two squeegee raising and lowering portions 42, a squeegee holder 43, and two squeegees 44. The base member 41 is provided so as to be movable in the X-axis direction in an upper region of the die piece 15 held by the piece holder 14. The squeegee raising and lowering portion 42 is attached to the base member 41 and has its output shaft 42a protruding downward of the base member 41. The squeegee holder 43 is attached to the lower end of the output shaft 42a of each squeegee raising/lowering portion 42 and extends in the Y-axis direction. The blade 44 is a thin plate member having an upper end portion held by each blade holder 43 and extending obliquely downward. The base member 41 is coupled to a head moving mechanism 41 a. The print head moving mechanism 41a is a mechanism that moves the base member 41 in the X direction, and operates based on a command from the control unit 19. Thereby, the print head 16 moves relative to the stencil sheet 15.

The conveyance of the substrate 2 by the conveyor 22 of the substrate holding unit 12 and the positioning operation to the working position, the lower receiving operation of the substrate 2 positioned at the working position by the lower receiving portion 24, the clamping operation by the pair of substrate holders 25, and the movement operation in the horizontal plane and the up-down direction of the substrate holding unit 12 are performed in accordance with instructions from the control portion 19. That is, the control unit 19 controls them to perform various operations.

The control unit 19 includes an image recognition unit 19a, a mechanism control unit 19b, a tension control unit 19c, and a storage unit 19d. The control unit 19 includes, for example, a processor, an FPGA, and the like. The image recognition unit 19a, the mechanism control unit 19b, and the tension control unit 19c may each be constituted by a plurality of processors or the like, or may be constituted by one processor.

The storage section 19d stores various production data required for screen printing paste such as solder onto the substrate 2. The storage unit 19d is a storage device configured from at least one of a memory, a hard disk, an SSD, and the like, and stores processing programs of the image recognition unit 19a, the mechanism control unit 19b, and the tension control unit 19 c.

The mechanism control unit 19b operates the substrate holding unit 12, the unit moving mechanism 12A, the print head 16, the conveying device 51, the magazine lifter 91, the print head moving mechanism 41a, the sheet holder driving unit 36 (described in detail later), and the like, thereby performing the conveyance, positioning, printing, and replacement of the template sheet.

In fig. 1, the reciprocation of the print head 16 in the X-axis direction is performed by the mechanism control unit 19b performing the operation control of the print head moving mechanism 41 a. The elevation operation of each squeegee 44 with respect to the base member 41 is performed by the up-and-down movement of the squeegee holder 43 by the operation control of the squeegee elevation section 42 corresponding to the squeegee 44 by the mechanism control section 19 b.

Next, a conveying device 51 that conveys the template sheet 15 will be described with reference to fig. 1, 3, and 5. The conveyor device 51 conveys the template sheet 15 between a loading position Pa where the template sheet 15 is loaded and unloaded with respect to the sheet holder 14 and the magazine 81. The conveying device 51 includes: a holding portion 53 that holds a hole 15b formed in an edge of the template sheet 15 substantially orthogonal to the conveyance direction, and conveys the template sheet 15 in the conveyance direction (X-axis direction); a pair of guide rails 55 arranged along the conveying direction of the template sheet 15; a Y-axis beam 59 (moving body) to which the holding portion 53 is fitted; and a Y-axis beam moving portion 59a that drives the Y-axis beam 59 in the conveying direction. The conveying device 51 slides both sides of the template sheet 15 parallel to the conveying direction on the guide rail 55 to convey the template sheet 15. The Y-axis beam moving unit 59a includes a motor, a feed screw, and other mechanism members, not shown, and moves the Y-axis beam moving unit 59a in the X-axis direction. Thereby, the holding portion 53 moves between the pair of guide rails 55 in the conveying direction (X-axis direction).

The guide rail 55 is a guide member that guides the template sheet 15 between the storage compartment 81 and the loading and unloading position Pa. The guide rail 55 has an L-shape in a longitudinal cross-sectional shape, for example, and the guide rail 55 includes: a horizontal portion 55a for supporting the template piece 15 from below; and a wall portion 55b extending upward from the flat portion 55 a. The front end portions of the guide rail 55 on the sheet holder 14 side are connected to each other by a support plate 56. The support plate 56 supports the edge of the front portion of the template sheet 15 that is conveyed to the attachment/detachment position Pa.

The holding portion 53 holds the pattern piece 15 and conveys the pattern piece 15 between the storage bin 81 and the attachment/detachment position Pa immediately below the piece holder 14. The holding portion 53 has a rectangular shape in a plan view, for example. The holding portion 53 has an upper surface 53s that contacts the lower surface of the die piece 15. The upper surface 53s is provided with a pin 58 engaged with the template piece 15, and a recess 57 serving as an adsorption portion for adsorbing the template piece 15.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 5, a pair of concave portions 57 arranged at intervals in the conveying direction are formed on the upper surface 53s of the holding portion 53 as suction portions. Pins 58 are disposed on the upper surface 53s between the concave portions 57 arranged in the conveying direction. Accordingly, recesses 57 are formed in front of and behind the pins 58, respectively. The concave portions 57 may be provided in at least two positions sandwiching the pin 58, but a plurality of concave portions 57 may be arranged in the holding portion 53 in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction. For example, the two concave portions 57 are arranged along the side of the holding portion 53 on the storage compartment 81 side. Suction holes 57a are formed in the bottom surface of each concave portion 57. Each suction hole 57a is connected to the suction device 61, and when the suction device 61 is operated, the concave portion 57 sucks the template sheet 15 located thereabove. The suction device 61 is, for example, a vacuum pump or a vacuum ejector. The holding portion 53 holds a portion exposed downward from between the pair of guide rails 55 from below.

The holding portion 53 can be moved in the up-down direction by a holding portion lifting mechanism 54 a. The holding portion lifting mechanism 54a is, for example, a cylinder. The holding portion lifting mechanism 54a is attached to, for example, a Y-axis beam 59 movable along the wall portion 55b of the guide rail 55. The Y-axis beam 59 moves in a space sandwiched between the guide rail 55 and the substrate holding unit 12. The holding portion lifting mechanism 54a is mounted on the rear side of the Y-axis beam 59. The Y-axis beam 59 is coupled to the Y-axis beam moving unit 59a, and is moved in the conveyance direction (X-axis direction) by the Y-axis beam moving unit 59 a. Thereby, the holding portion 53 can move in the X-axis direction together with the holding portion lifting mechanism 54 a.

A lower imaging camera 17a for directing the imaging field downward and an upper imaging camera 17b for directing the imaging field upward are attached to the front side of the Y-axis beam 59. The lower photographing camera 17a and the upper photographing camera 17b are moved in the Y direction by a camera moving mechanism (not shown) built in the Y-axis beam 59. The lower imaging camera 17a images the alignment mark 2m on the substrate 2. The upper photographing camera 17b photographs the mark 15m for alignment of the template piece 15.

In fig. 3, the movement operation in the horizontal plane of the lower imaging camera 17a and the upper imaging camera 17b is performed by the mechanism control unit 19b performing operation control of the Y-axis beam moving unit 59a and the camera moving mechanism. The control of the photographing operation by the lower photographing camera 17a and the control of the photographing operation by the upper photographing camera 17b are performed by the control unit 19, respectively, and the image data obtained by the photographing operation of the lower photographing camera 17a and the image data obtained by the photographing operation of the upper photographing camera 17b are transmitted to the control unit 19, respectively, and the image recognition processing is performed by the image recognition unit 19a of the control unit 19. Thereby, the position of the template sheet 15 held by the sheet holder 14 is identified, and the position of the substrate 2 held by the substrate holding unit 12 is identified.

The sheet holder 14 is coupled to the conveyed template sheet 15 and holds the template sheet 15. The sheet holder 14 includes a holder frame 14a having a rectangular opening at the center, and a connecting member 30 connected to the outer periphery of the die sheet 15 in the holder frame 14 a.

The connecting member 30 includes: two first connecting members 31 extending in the X-axis direction and connected to opposite edges (longitudinal edges of the template sheet 15) of the template sheet 15 in the Y-axis direction; and two second connecting members 32 extending in the X-axis direction and connected to opposite edges of the template 15 in the Y-axis direction (lateral edges of the template 15), respectively. The two first coupling members 31 are movable in the sheet holder 14 in a direction (X-axis direction) orthogonal to the two first coupling members 31, and the two second coupling members 32 are movable in the sheet holder 14 in a direction (Y-axis direction) orthogonal to the two second coupling members 32.

A coupling protrusion 30a protrudes from the lower surface of each of the coupling members 30 (the two first coupling members 31 and the two second coupling members 32), and the coupling protrusion 30a has a smaller dimension in the extending direction of the hole 15b (in the direction along the side of the template 15) than the holes 15b provided along the four sides of the template 15. A hole 14b for projecting the projection 30a from the inside of the holder frame 14a to the outside is formed in the holder frame 14 a.

The sheet holder 14 is movable between an upper standby position Pw and a lower gripping position Pc. The movement of the sheet holder 14 to two positions is performed by an elevator 71 provided to the screen printer 1. The lifters 71 are attached to the wall portions 55b of the pair of guide rails 55, respectively. The lifter 71 is connected to the upper surface of the holder frame 14a of the sheet holder 14. The lifter 71 is, for example, a cylinder (air cylinder). At the holding position Pc, the projections 30a of the sheet holder 14 are inserted into the holes 15b provided at the edge of the template sheet 15, and the projections 30a are moved outward in the surface direction of the template sheet 15, whereby the template sheet 15 is attached to the sheet holder 14. At the holding position Pc, a hole 55C is formed in the horizontal portion 55a of the rail 55 (see also fig. 12C). The hole 55c is formed for the purpose of avoiding interference between the protrusion 30a of the sheet holder 14 and the horizontal portion 55a, which are moved to the clamping position Pc, and for the purpose of reliably projecting the lower end of the protrusion 30a penetrating the hole 15b of the template sheet 15 downward from the lower surface of the template sheet 15. That is, the hole 55c serves as a relief portion for avoiding interference between the guide rail 55 and the projection 30a projecting downward from the sheet holder 14. The same relief portion is also formed in the support plate 56.

A drive cylinder 35 is provided in the sheet holder 14. The driving cylinder 35 includes two first cylinders 35a and two second cylinders 35b. As shown in fig. 12C, the first cylinder 35a couples the piston rod 35e extending in the Y-axis direction to the first connecting member 31, and moves the pair of first connecting members 31 in the Y-axis direction in opposite directions by advancing and retreating the piston rod. The second cylinder 35b similarly connects a piston rod extending in the Y-axis direction to the second connecting members 32, and moves the pair of second connecting members 32 in the X-axis direction in opposite directions by advancing and retreating the piston rod. The sheet holder driving section 36 operates the first cylinder 35a and the second cylinder 35b to impart tension to the die sheet 15.

The screen printer 1 includes a sheet holder driving section 36. In fig. 8, the sheet holder driving section 36 is connected to a pipe 39 connected to an external pressure source 40. The piping 39 branches into three systems in the sheet holder driving section 36. The piping 37 of the first system is connected to the two first cylinders 35 a. The sheet holder driving section 36 has a valve 37a and a first pressure adjusting section 37b connected in series with the piping 37 of the first system. The piping 38 of the second system is connected to the two second cylinders 35b. The sheet holder driving portion 36 has a valve 38a and a second pressure adjusting portion 38b connected in series with the piping 38 of the second system. The piping 72 of the third system is connected to the two lifters 71. The sheet holder driving portion 36 has a valve 72a and a third pressure adjusting portion 72b connected in series with the piping 72 of the third system. The valves 37a, 38a, 72a are controlled by the mechanism control unit 19b of the control unit 19, and supply and blocking of air pressure to the first cylinder 35a, the second cylinder 35b, and the lifter 71 are performed. When the valves 37a and 38a are opened to supply air pressure to the first and second cylinders 35a and 35b, the four cylinders 35a and 35b are operated in a state in which the four connecting members 30 are connected to the edges of the die plate 15, and the entire die plate 15 is pulled in the horizontal plane direction by moving the opposed connecting members 30 in the directions away from each other, whereby tension can be imparted to the die plate 15. When the valve 72a is operated to operate the lifter 71 downward, the sheet holder 14 can be moved from the standby position Pw to the gripping position Pc. When the valve 72a is operated in the reverse direction, the sheet holder 14 can be moved to the standby position Pw.

The first pressure adjusting portion 37b and the second pressure adjusting portion 38b individually adjust the air pressure supplied to the first cylinder 35a and the second cylinder 35 b. That is, the sheet holder driving section 36 can adjust the air pressure supplied to the first cylinder and the air pressure supplied to the second cylinder, respectively. By properly adjusting the air pressure, the tension of the die piece 15 can be controlled. In the present embodiment, the air pressure can be adjusted by dividing the system into two systems, i.e., the X direction and the Y direction, and therefore the tension of the die pieces can be adjusted in the X direction and the Y direction. The first pressure adjusting portion 37b and the second pressure adjusting portion 38b can use an electro-pneumatic regulator. When the electric air pressure regulator is used, the pressure is adjusted based on an input from a tension control unit 19c (see fig. 3) of the control unit 19. In this way, information on the optimum air pressure of the die pieces stored in the storage 81 is stored in the storage 19d in advance, and after the die pieces are replaced, the tension control unit 19c reads out corresponding data from the storage 19d and automatically sets the data in the first pressure adjustment unit 37b and the second pressure adjustment unit 38b. That is, the adjustment of the tension accompanied by the replacement of the template sheet 15 can also be automated. In the present embodiment, the first cylinder 35a and the second cylinder 35b are driven by air pressure circuits of different systems, but one system may be used to drive them.

Next, an outline operation of the screen printer 1 will be described with reference to fig. 9A to 9C and fig. 10A to 10G. Fig. 9A to 9C are schematic explanatory views for explaining the state where the stencil sheet 15 of the screen printer 1 is transported from the magazine 81 to be attached to the sheet holder 14. As shown in fig. 9A, the template sheet 15 carried out from the magazine 81 is transported to the loading and unloading position Pa below the sheet holder 14 as shown in fig. 9B. The mechanism control unit 19b controls driving of the lifter 71 so as to move the sheet holder 14 downward toward the template sheet 15 positioned at the attachment/detachment position Pa, and to clamp the template sheet 15, as shown in fig. 9C. First, an operation of the conveyor 51 to convey the template sheet 15 stored in the magazine 81 to the attachment/detachment position Pa below the sheet holder 14 will be described.

As shown in fig. 9A, the screen printer 1 includes a magazine lifter 91 that adjusts the height of the magazine 81. The magazine elevator 91 moves the magazine 81 so that the storage height of the template sheet 15 to be used matches the height of the upper surface of the horizontal portion 55a of the guide rail 55 in response to an instruction from the control unit 19.

As shown in fig. 10A, the Y-axis beam moving unit 59a drives the holding unit 53 between the template pieces 15 stored in the magazine 81 to the lower side of the template piece 15 to be transported, drives the holding unit 53 to the inner side of the magazine 81, and moves the holding unit 53 so that the pins 58 of the holding unit 53 are positioned directly below the holes 15b formed along the edges of the front portions of the template pieces 15.

Next, as shown in fig. 10B, the holding portion lifting mechanism 54a moves the holding portion 53 upward from the avoidance position toward the conveyance position. Thereby, the pin 58 of the holding portion 53 is inserted into the hole 15b formed along the edge of the front portion of the template piece 15. At the same time, the suction device 61 is operated to introduce negative pressure into the concave portion 57 located rearward (right direction of the drawing) of the pin 58, thereby sucking and holding the pattern piece 15.

Next, as shown in fig. 10C, the Y-axis beam moving portion 59a moves the holding portion 53 toward the attachment/detachment position Pa below the sheet holder 14. Thereby, the pins 58 of the holding portion 53 collide with the inner edges of the holes 15b of the template 15 to carry the template 15 out of the magazine 81. The opposed edges parallel to the conveyance direction of the template 15 are supported by the horizontal portions 55a of the guide rail 55, and the template 15 is slidingly conveyed on the horizontal portions 55 a. Further, the concave portion 57 of the holding portion 53 adsorbs the lower surface of the die piece 15, so that the holding portion 53 can stably grip the die piece 15.

When the conveying stroke of the holding portion 53 is short, the holding portion 53 is moved from the magazine 81 to the loading and unloading position Pa below the sheet holder 14 by two-stage movement. The holding portion 53 changes the pin 58 from the hole 15b inserted in the front portion of the die plate piece 15 to the hole 15b inserted in the rear portion at the intermediate position Pm between the storage bin 81 and the attachment/detachment position Pa.

As shown in fig. 10D, the Y-axis beam moving portion 59a moves the holding portion 53 to the intermediate position Pm. In the intermediate position Pm, the holding portion lifting mechanism 54a moves the holding portion 53 downward from the conveying position toward the avoidance position in accordance with an instruction from the mechanism control portion 19 b. Thereby, the pin 58 of the holding portion 53 is extracted from the hole 15b formed along the edge of the front portion of the template piece 15.

As shown in fig. 10E, according to the instruction of the mechanism control portion 19b, the Y-axis beam moving portion 59a moves the holding portion 53 toward the storage bin 81, and moves the holding portion 53 so that the pin 58 of the holding portion 53 is located directly below the hole 15b formed along the edge of the rear portion of the template piece 15.

Next, as shown in fig. 10F, the holding portion lifting mechanism 54a moves the holding portion 53 upward from the avoidance position toward the conveyance position in accordance with an instruction from the mechanism control portion 19 b. Thereby, the pin 58 of the holding portion 53 is inserted into the hole 15b formed along the edge of the rear portion of the template piece 15.

Next, as shown in fig. 10G and 11, the Y-axis beam moving unit 59a moves the holding unit 53 toward the attachment/detachment position Pa below the sheet holder 14 in response to an instruction from the mechanism control unit 19 b. Thereby, the pins 58 of the holding portion 53 collide with the inner edges of the holes 15b formed along the rear edges of the die plate 15 to convey the die plate 15 from the intermediate position Pm toward the attachment/detachment position Pa.

When the die plate 15 is further conveyed forward from the intermediate position Pm, the front portion of the final die plate 15 is placed on the support plate 56, and the front portion of the die plate 15 is supported by the support plate 56. Then, according to the instruction of the mechanism control unit 19b, the suction by the suction device 61 is stopped, and the holding unit lifting mechanism 54a moves the holding unit 53 downward from the transport position toward the avoidance position, so that the holding of the template sheet 15 by the holding unit 53 is released. Then, the Y-axis beam moving unit 59a is moved to retract the Y-axis beam 59 to a position where the Y-axis beam does not interfere with the substrate holding unit 12 which is then lifted to the attachment/detachment position Pa.

As described above, the template sheet 15 moves from the magazine 81 toward the loading and unloading position Pa below the sheet holder 14. The storage step of transporting and storing the storage bin 81 from the loading/unloading position Pa is performed in a reverse manner to the transport step described above. In the conveying step and the storing step, the engagement portion between the template piece 15 and the holding portion 53 is the same but the conveying direction is the opposite direction.

Next, an outline operation of attaching the template sheet 15 at the attachment/detachment position Pa to the sheet holder 14 will be described with reference to fig. 12A to 12D.

Fig. 12A illustrates a state in which the template piece 15 reaches the attachment/detachment position Pa. From this state, the mechanism control unit 19B operates the unit moving mechanism 12A to raise the substrate holding unit 12, and the substrate holder 25 is raised (see arrow Z2 in fig. 12B). As shown in fig. 12B, the substrate holder 25 lifts up a part of the template sheet 15 and stops at the attachment/detachment height of the template sheet 15. Thereby, the template 15 that is deflected downward between the pair of guide rails 55 can be horizontally supported.

Next, the mechanism control unit 19b transmits a drive instruction to the lifter 71. The lifter 71 moves the sheet holder 14 from the upper standby position Pw to the lower gripping position Pc (arrow Z3 in fig. 12B). The tab holders 14 insert the protrusions 30a protruding from the bottom surface into the holes 15b of the die tab 15, respectively. Thereby, as shown in fig. 12B, the protrusion 30a of the sheet holder 14 is inserted into the hole 15B of the die sheet 15.

Next, the mechanism control portion 19b sends a command to the sheet holder driving portion 36 to open the valve 37a and the valve 38a. Accordingly, the air of the pressure adjusted by the first pressure adjusting portion 37b is supplied to the first cylinder 35a through the first system pipe 37, the air of the pressure adjusted by the second pressure adjusting portion 38b is supplied to the second cylinder 35b through the second system pipe 38, and the first cylinder 35a and the second cylinder 35b are driven to move the four connecting members 30 to the outside of the sheet holder 14. As the coupling member 30 moves outward, each protrusion 30a of the coupling member 30 presses the hole 15b of the die plate 15 outward (see also arrow G1 of fig. 12C). Thereby, tension is given to the template piece 15, and the template piece 15 is held horizontally. In fig. 12C, the first connection member 31 and the projection 30a before movement are indicated by broken lines, and the first connection member 3I and the projection 30a after movement are indicated by solid lines.

Next, the mechanism control unit 19b operates the unit moving mechanism 12A to lower the substrate holding unit 12 (arrow Z4 in fig. 12D). As described above, the attachment of the template sheet 15 to the sheet holder 14 is completed. The template sheet 15 can be removed from the sheet holder 14 by performing a process reverse to the above-described process. When the assembly of the template sheet 15 to the sheet holder 14 is completed, the upper photographing camera 17b is moved downward of the template sheet 15 as shown in fig. 12D, and the alignment mark 15m (fig. 2) provided on the template sheet 15 is photographed. Then, the image recognition unit 19a recognizes the position of the template sheet 15 by performing recognition processing on the image (template recognition). The position of the template piece 15 identified by the template identification is stored in the storage unit 19d as information used when positioning the substrate 2.

Next, an operation of the screen printer 1 for performing a screen printing operation will be described with reference to fig. 13 to 15. The mechanism control unit 19b first operates the substrate carry-in conveyor 11 and the conveyor 22 of the substrate holding unit 12 when detecting that the substrate 2 is carried from another apparatus on the upstream process side, and carries the substrate 2 into the substrate holding unit 12 (see fig. 13). Next, the mechanism control unit 19b operates the substrate holding unit 12 to hold the substrate 2. The holding of the substrate 2 is specifically performed as follows: the lower receiving portion 24 is pushed by the lift cylinder 23 to make the height of the upper surface of the substrate 2 coincide with the height of the upper surface of the substrate holder 25, and the pair of substrate holders 25 are driven in the closing direction to sandwich both ends of the substrate 2 (see fig. 14).

After the substrate 2 is held, the mechanism control unit 19b operates the Y-axis beam moving unit 59a and a camera moving mechanism (not shown), positions the lower imaging camera 17a on the alignment mark 2m (fig. 2) provided on the substrate 2, and causes the lower imaging camera 17a to take an image of the mark 2m (see arrow H1 in fig. 14). Then, the image data of the mark 2m obtained is processed by the image recognition unit 19a, the position of the mark 2m in the substrate holding unit 12 is obtained, and the position of the substrate is recognized (substrate recognition) based on the obtained position of the mark 2 m. The control unit 19 calculates a horizontal movement distance and a rotation angle for aligning the substrate 2 with the template 15 based on the position of the template 15 read from the storage unit 19d and the position of the substrate 2 obtained by the substrate recognition. Based on the calculation result, the mechanism control unit 19b operates the unit moving mechanism 12A to move the substrate holding unit 12, thereby aligning the substrate 2 with the template 15.

As shown in fig. 15, when the alignment of the template 15 and the substrate 2 is completed, the control unit 19 controls the operation of the unit moving mechanism 12A to raise the substrate holding unit 12, and the pair of substrate holders 25 holding the substrate 2 relatively contact the lower surface of the template 15 from below, thereby bringing the upper surfaces of the pair of substrate holders 25 and the substrate 2 into contact with the lower surface of the template 15 (see arrow Z1). This brings the electrode 3 on the substrate 2 into a state of matching with the pattern opening 15a of the template 15.

After bringing the substrate 2 into contact with the template sheet 15, the control unit 19 performs blade coating by the blade 44 to transfer the paste on the template sheet 15 to the substrate 2.

The blade coating is specifically performed by the following means: one of the two squeegees 44 is lowered from the print head 16, and the base member 41 is moved in the Y-axis direction while being maintained in contact with the upper surface of the stencil sheet 15. Thereby, the squeegee 44 slides on the stencil sheet 15, and the paste on the stencil sheet 15 is pressed into the pattern opening 15a of the stencil sheet 15 by the squeegee 44, thereby being transferred onto the electrode 3 of the substrate 2. The control unit 19 causes the rear squeegee 44 to abut against the stencil sheet 15 when the print head 16 is moved from the front to the rear for blade coating, and causes the front squeegee 44 to abut against the stencil sheet 15 when the print head 16 is moved from the rear to the front for blade coating.

After the paste is transferred onto the substrate 2 by doctor blade application, the control unit 19 operates the unit moving mechanism 12A to lower the substrate holding unit 12, and separates the substrate 2 and the pair of substrate holders 25 from the pattern piece 15 to release the printing. Thereby, the paste remains on the electrode 3 of the substrate 2, and the paste is printed on the substrate 2.

After the plate removal, the control unit 19 releases the substrate 2 held by the substrate holding unit 12. Specifically, the substrate 2 is released by: the mechanism control unit 19b opens the pair of substrate holders 25, and then lowers the lower receiving unit 24 to drop both ends of the substrate 2 onto the pair of conveyors 22.

After the holding of the substrate 2 is released, the mechanism control unit 19b operates the unit moving mechanism 12A to move the substrate holding unit 12 in the horizontal plane, adjusts the orientation of the conveyor 22, and then operates the conveyor 22 and the substrate carry-out conveyor 13 to carry out the substrate 2 to the outside of the screen printer 1.

Next, a storage compartment 81 storing a plurality of template pieces 15 will be described with reference to fig. 16 to 18. Fig. 16 is a front view of the storage bin, and fig. 17 is a plan view of the storage bin in a state where the upper wall is removed. Fig. 18 (a) is a perspective view of a main portion of the inside of the storage bin seen from the XIV of fig. 16 in a cross section, and fig. 18 (b) is a side view of the storage bin seen from a longitudinal section. The storage compartment 81 includes a guide portion 82 that guides the template 15 in the carrying-in and carrying-out direction, and a fixing portion 83 that fixes the template 15 to the guide portion 82. The storage compartment 81 includes an upper wall 81a, side walls 81b, 81c, a lower wall 81d, a rear wall 81e, and a carry-in/out port 81f for carrying in/out the die plate piece. The back wall 81e is orthogonal to the removal direction of the template 15.

The guide portion 82 includes a first guide plate 82a, and the first guide plate 82a is disposed on one side (left side) in a direction orthogonal to the carrying-in and carrying-out direction and directly supports one of the opposite edges of the die sheet 15. The guide portion 82 includes a second guide plate 82b, and the second guide plate 82b is disposed on the other side (right side) in the direction orthogonal to the carrying-in/out direction and directly supports the other side edge of the opposing edges of the die pieces 15. The first guide plate 82a and the second guide plate 82b extend in the carrying-in and carrying-out direction of the template sheet 15. The guide portions 82, which constitute a pair of guide plates in the left-right direction, are arranged in the first guide plate 82a and the second guide plate 82b by a number corresponding to the number of stored sheets of the template sheet 15 in the up-down direction. The first guide plate 82a and the second guide plate 82b are fixed to the side walls 81b and 81c, respectively. The edges of the template pieces 15 inserted into the magazine 81 parallel to the extraction direction are placed on the guide 82. A pair of shelf plates 85 extending in the carry-in and carry-out direction are attached to the first guide plate 82a and the second guide plate 82b, respectively. The shelf 85 supports the bottom surface of the template piece 15.

The fixing portion 83 has a rectangular plate portion 83a extending in the removal direction of the template piece 15, and a V-shaped bent portion 83b extending downward from the rear end of the plate portion 83a and bent upward. The bending portion 83b is an elastic member, for example, a plate spring. The plate portion 83a of the fixing portion 83 is attached to the side wall 81b or 81c by, for example, a bolt.

When the template 15 is carried into the magazine 81 along the guide 82 and the inner side of the template 15 is in contact with the inner wall 81e of the magazine 81, the bent portion 83b of the fixing portion 83 is inserted into the hole 15b formed in the template 15 in the carrying-in and carrying-out direction of the template 15 by elastic force. Thereby, the die piece 15 is held between the bent portion 83b inserted into the hole 15b and the back wall 81e, and the die piece 15 is positioned in the storage compartment 81. The bent portion 83b may be a shape extending downward from the rear end of the plate portion 83a, in addition to the V shape, as long as it is an elastic member.

Next, refer to fig. 19. Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a main portion of the front of the interior of the storage compartment. The front end 82c of the guide 82 on the opposite side of the back wall 81e has an inclined surface inclined downward. The front end 85a of the shelf 85 opposite to the back wall 81e also has a downward inclined surface. This prevents the die plate pieces 15 from getting caught at the front ends of the guide portions 82 and the front ends of the shelf plates 85 when the die plate pieces 15 are carried into the storage bin 81 and carried out of the storage bin 81.

The storage compartment 81 includes a protrusion 86 along a side of an upper wall 81a of the storage compartment 81, and includes a recess 87 corresponding to the protrusion 86 along a side of a lower wall 81d of the storage compartment 81. Accordingly, the user inserts the protrusion 86 of one of the storage bins 81 into the recess 87 of the other storage bin 81, thereby fixing the other storage bin to the one storage bin 81. In this way, since the plurality of storage bins 81 can be combined and coupled to each other, each storage bin 81 can be made lightweight, and the load of conveyance of the storage bins 81 can be reduced.

The screen printer 1 according to the present embodiment includes: a storage compartment 81 that accommodates a plurality of template pieces 15 having openings 15a corresponding to the electrodes 3 on the substrate 2; a sheet holder 14 for holding the edges of the template sheet 15 to be detachable; a conveying device 51 that conveys the template sheet 15 between the storage bin 81 and the sheet holder 14; and a print head 16 that slides on the solder paste placed on the stencil sheet 15 held by the sheet holder 14. With this configuration, since the template pieces 15 in the state where the frame is not attached are stored in the storage bins 81, the number of storage bins 81 can be increased, and the size of the storage bins 81 can be reduced. The thickness of the conventional template frame is about 30mm, and the thickness of the template sheet 15 is about 150 μm, so that the template frame is greatly improved. Further, since the conveyor 51 conveys the frameless stencil sheet 15 from the magazine 81 and the sheet holder 14 holds the frameless stencil sheet 15 so as to be detachable, the screen printer 1 in which the labor for replacing the stencil sheet 15 is reduced and the space is saved can be provided.

The transfer device 51 may transfer the template sheet 15 to the lower side of the sheet holder 14, and the template sheet 15 may be attached to or detached from the sheet holder 14 with respect to the lower side of the sheet holder 14. Conventionally, a stencil sheet is attached to the print head side of the sheet holder, but since the stencil sheet 15 is conveyed downward of the sheet holder 14 and the stencil sheet 15 are attached to and detached from the sheet holder 14, interference with the print head above the sheet holder 14 can be avoided, and the assembly and the disassembly can be suitably automated.

The sheet holder 14 may hold the template sheet 15 by applying tension in the plane direction. According to this structure, since the tension is applied to the template 15 in the planar direction, the electrode 3 of the substrate 2 and the opening 15a of the template 15 can be prevented from being displaced.

Further, the lifter 71 may be provided to move the sheet holder 14 to the lower clamping position Pc and the upper standby position Pw of the clamping die piece 15. Since the sheet holder 14 can be moved to the gripping position Pc and the standby position Pw, the template sheet 15 can be smoothly conveyed to the gripping position Pc without interfering with the sheet holder 14.

The template piece 15 may have a plurality of holes 15b formed along the outer edge, the piece holder 14 may have a plurality of protrusions 30a protruding downward from the lower surface, and the plurality of protrusions 30a may be inserted into the plurality of holes 15b of the template piece 15 by the movement of the piece holder 14 to the holding position Pc by the lifter 71. This makes it possible to appropriately engage the sheet holder 14 with the template sheet 15.

The sheet holder 14 may have an actuator that moves the plurality of projections 30a outward in the plane direction to apply tension to the template sheet 15. Thereby, the sheet holder 14 can appropriately clamp the die sheet.

The actuator may be a cylinder that operates by air pressure.

The actuator may also include: a first cylinder 35a that moves the protrusions 30a inserted into the holes 15b formed in the parallel set of outer edges of the die plate 15 toward the outside in the face direction; and a second cylinder 35b that moves the protrusions 30a inserted into the holes 15b formed at the other set of outer edges toward the outside in the plane direction orthogonal to the direction of movement based on the first cylinder 35 a.

The screen printer 1 further includes a sheet holder driving unit 36 that adjusts the air pressure supplied to the first cylinder 35a and the air pressure supplied to the second cylinder 35b, respectively. Since the air pressure is adjusted by the first cylinder 35a and the second cylinder 35b, respectively, the sheet holder 14 can appropriately clamp the die sheet 15.

Further, the conveying device 51 according to the present embodiment includes: a Y-axis beam 59 intersecting the conveyance direction and having a holding portion 53 for holding the die piece 15, and conveying the die piece 15 in the conveyance direction; and a pair of guide rails 55 disposed along the conveyance direction of the template sheet 15 and supported from below the template sheet 15 conveyed by the Y-axis beam 59. Thereby, the frameless template 15 can be automatically replaced.

The holding portion 53 has a recess 57 for sucking the die piece 15. This allows the holding portion 53 to more reliably hold the die piece 15.

The holding portion 53 is held from a portion of the lower template piece 15 exposed between the pair of guide rails 55, and the Y-axis beam 59 has a holding portion lifting mechanism 54a for moving the holding portion 53 in the up-down direction.

The holding portion 53 has an upper surface 53s that contacts the lower surface of the die piece 15 and pins 58 that protrude upward from the upper surface, and the concave portion 57 opens on the upper surface 53s to suction and hold the lower surface of the die piece 15.

In the holding portion 53, at least two concave portions 57 are provided at intervals in the conveying direction, and the pin 58 is arranged between the two concave portions 57.

Further, the template sheet 15 includes a support plate 56 that connects the respective distal ends of the pair of guide rails 55 on the loading and unloading position Pa, and the front edge of the template sheet 15 is supported by the support plate 56 on the loading and unloading position Pa. By connecting the distal ends of the guide rails 55 to each other by the support plate 56, the front portion of the die sheet 15 reaching the attachment/detachment position Pa can be supported by being placed on the support plate 56. This allows the die piece 15 and the piece holder 14 to be stably attached and detached.

The guide rail 55 may have a hole 55c for avoiding interference with the projection 30a projecting downward of the sheet holder 14. Thus, the protrusion 30a of the sheet holder 14 can pass through the hole 15b of the template sheet 15 and reach the hole 55c of the guide rail 55, and thus the protrusion 30a of the sheet holder 14 can be prevented from coming out of the hole 15b of the template sheet 15.

The magazine 81 according to the present embodiment is a magazine 81 that accommodates a plurality of template pieces 15, and includes a guide 82 that guides the template pieces 15 in the carrying-in/out direction, and a fixing portion 83 that fixes the template pieces 15 to the guide 82. Thus, even for the frameless template 15, the fixing portion 83 can fix the template 15 to the guide portion 82, and thus can prevent the template 15 from moving in the storage compartment 81.

The fixing portion 83 may press the template piece 15 against the first guide plate 82a and the second guide plate 82b to fix the template piece. The fixing portion 83 presses the die piece 15 against the guide portion 82, and thus can prevent the die piece 15 from moving in the storage 81.

The die plate 15 is further provided with a carry-in/out port 81f for carrying in and out the die plate 15 and a back wall 81e disposed on the back side of the carry-in/out port 81f, and the fixing portion 83 has a bent portion 83b, and the bent portion 83b is inserted into a hole 15b formed in the die plate 15 in the carry-in/out direction of the die plate 15 and is an elastic member, and the die plate 15 is fixed by the fixing portion 83, the back wall 81e, and the bent portion 83b inserted into the hole 15 b. Thus, the die pieces 15 stored in the magazine 81 are positioned, and therefore, the magazine is suitable as a magazine for automatic replacement of the die pieces 15.

The front end 82c of the guide 82 on the opposite side to the back wall 81e may have an inclined surface inclined downward. This can prevent the die plate pieces 15 from being caught by the distal end 82c of the guide 82 when the die plate pieces 15 are taken and put.

Further, a plurality of storage bins 81 may be connected. This reduces the weight of each storage compartment 81, and reduces the labor required for the operator to transport the storage compartments 81.

Further, a protrusion 86 is provided along a side of the upper wall 81a of the storage compartment 81, a recess 87 corresponding to the protrusion 86 is provided along a side of the lower wall 81d of the storage compartment 81, and the protrusion 86 of one storage compartment 81 is inserted into the recess 87 of the other storage compartment 81, whereby the other storage compartment 81 is fixed to the one storage compartment 81. This enables stable vertical assembly of a plurality of storage bins.

In the above-described embodiment, the cylinder (the driving cylinder 35) is shown as the driving portion that drives the four connecting members 30 so as to relatively move the connecting members 30 facing each other out of the four connecting members 30 in the direction to separate from each other, and imparts the tension to the die piece 15, but the cylinder may not be necessarily used.

In the above-described embodiment, the means for connecting the four connecting members 30 to each other along the four edges of the die plate 15 is constituted by the connecting holes 15b provided at the edges of the die plate 15 and the connecting protrusions 30a provided at the connecting members 30 and fitted into the connecting holes 15b, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The edges of the die pieces 15 and the four connecting members 30 may be connected by other means. For example, the template sheet 15 may have a bending portion in which four sides are bent inward, and the sheet holder 14 may have a claw detachably engaged with the bending portion of the template sheet 15. As described above, the connection between the connection member 30 and the stencil sheet 15 is performed by fitting the connection protrusion 30a provided in each connection member 30 into the hole 15b provided at the edge of the stencil sheet 15, so that the connection between the connection member 30 and the stencil sheet 15 can be performed with an extremely simple structure, and the cost of the screen printer 1 can be reduced.

While the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It should be understood that such variations and modifications are included herein without departing from the scope of the invention as derived from the appended claims. In addition, combinations of elements and variations in the order of the elements in the embodiments can be realized without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

The effects of the respective embodiments and modifications can be obtained by appropriately combining any of the embodiments and modifications.

Industrial applicability

The screen printer of the present invention can be applied to a screen printer using a frameless stencil sheet.

Description of the reference numerals

1: screen printer, 2: substrate, 3: electrode, 8: carrying-in port, 9: carrying-out port, 10: base station, 11: substrate carry-in conveyor, 12: substrate holding unit, 13: substrate carry-out conveyor, 14: sheet holder, 14a: holder frame, 14b: hole, 15: template piece, 15a: opening, 15b: hole, 16: print head, 17a: lower photographing camera, 17b: top shooting camera, 19: control unit, 19a: image recognition unit, 19b: mechanism control unit, 19c: tension control unit, 19d: storage unit, 21: unit base, 22: conveyor, 23: lifting cylinder, 25: substrate holder, 30: connecting members, 30a: protrusion, 31: first connection member, 32: second connecting members, 35a: first cylinder, 35b: second cylinder, 44: scraper blade, 51: conveying device, 53: holding portion, 54a: holding portion lifting mechanism, 55: guide rail, 55a: horizontal portion, 55b: wall portion, 55c: hole (relief portion), 56: support plate, 57: recess, 57a: suction hole, 58: pin, 59: y-axis beam, 61: suction device, 71: lifter, 81: storage bin, 81a: upper walls, 81b, 81c: side wall, 81d: lower wall, 81e: inner wall, 82: guide portion, 82a: first guide plate, 82b: second guide plate, 82c: front end, 83: fixing portion, 83a: plate portion, 83b: bending part, 85: frame plate, 85a: front end, 86: protrusion, 87: recess, 91: storage bin elevator, pa: loading and unloading position, pc: clamping position, pw: and a standby position.

Claims (14)

1. A screen printing machine, wherein,

the screen printer is provided with:

a storage bin that accommodates a template sheet having an opening corresponding to an electrode on a substrate;

a sheet holder for holding the edge of the die sheet so as to be detachable;

a conveying device that conveys the template sheet between the magazine and the sheet holder; and

a print head for filling the opening with paste placed on the die sheet held by the sheet holder,

the conveying device is provided with:

a moving body intersecting a conveying direction and having a holding portion for holding the template sheet, and conveying the template sheet in the conveying direction; and

and a pair of guide rails disposed along a conveying direction of the template sheet and supporting the template sheet conveyed by the movable body from below.

2. The screen printer of claim 1, wherein,

the conveying device conveys the template sheet to the lower part of the sheet holder,

the sheet holder is configured to mount and dismount the template sheet with respect to a lower portion of the sheet holder.

3. The screen printer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the sheet holder holds the die sheet by applying tension in the planar direction.

4. The screen printer according to claim 2, wherein,

the screen printer includes a lifter that moves the sheet holder to a holding position below the stencil sheet and a standby position above the stencil sheet.

5. The screen printer of claim 4, wherein,

the template sheet has a plurality of holes formed along an outer edge,

the sheet holder is provided with a plurality of protrusions protruding downward,

the plurality of protrusions are inserted into the plurality of holes of the template sheet by movement of the sheet holder to the clamping position by the lifter.

6. The screen printer of claim 5, wherein,

the sheet holder has an actuator that imparts tension to the template sheet by moving the plurality of protrusions toward the outside in the plane direction.

7. The screen printer of claim 6, wherein,

the actuator is a cylinder that operates with air pressure.

8. The screen printer of claim 6, wherein,

the actuator includes: a first cylinder that moves protrusions inserted into holes formed in a parallel set of outer edges of the die plate toward the outside in the face direction; and a second cylinder that moves protrusions inserted into holes formed at the other set of outer edges toward the outside in a plane direction orthogonal to a direction based on the movement of the first cylinder.

9. The screen printer of claim 8, wherein,

the screen printer includes a sheet holder driving unit that adjusts the air pressure supplied to the first cylinder and the air pressure supplied to the second cylinder, respectively.

10. The screen printer of claim 1, wherein,

the holding portion has an adsorption portion that adsorbs the template piece.

11. The screen printer of claim 10, wherein,

the holding part holds a part of the template piece exposed from between the pair of guide rails from below,

the movable body has a vertical driving section for moving the holding section in a vertical direction.

12. The screen printer of claim 11, wherein,

the holding portion has:

an upper surface in contact with a lower surface of the template sheet; and

a pin protruding upward from the upper surface,

the suction portion is opened at the upper surface and suctions and holds the lower surface of the template piece.

13. The screen printer of claim 12, wherein,

in the holding portion, the adsorbing portion is provided with at least two at intervals in the conveying direction, and the pin is arranged between the two adsorbing portions.

14. The screen printer according to any one of claims 1, 10 to 13, wherein,

the guide rail has a relief portion for avoiding interference with a projection projecting downward from the sheet holder.