GB2356372A

GB2356372A - Depaneling cutter assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2356372A
Application number: GB9927158A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Kenneth Arran
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-11-18
Filing date: 1999-11-18
Publication date: 2001-05-23
Also published as: GB9927158D0

Abstract

A depaneling assembly (1) has a cutting implement comprising at least one cutting blade (3) adapted to be generally inaccessible to an operator when in use. At least one of said cutting blades (3) is shaped to provide a mechanical advantage which is imparted from a moveable auxiliary member (8,15) in a fashion so as to provide a suitable and sufficient cutting force at a cutting blade edge (3C). A push rod (6) carries the blade (3) into an exposed position and throws the cutting edge (3C) in a sideward direction as defined by a hinge pin (5) and blade aperture (3B) arrangement. Spring guides (15) are moved closer together and a spring (8) associated with the blade (3) is compressed which moves the blade (3) in a cutting action. The assembly is useful particularly for depaneling printed circuit boards (PCBs).

Description

2356372 DEPANELING ASSEMBLY The invention of the application relates to an

assembly for use, particularly but not exclusively, incutting rigid boards such as printed circuit boards or the like in the process conventionally known as depaneling.

A printed circuit board (PCB), is a term used for the flat circuit board used to hold electronic components and printed conductive pathways between said electronic components. PCBs are an integral part of almost every product that contains one or more electronic component. They are manufactured in their multi-millions on a world wide scale and represent a considerable source of national income per annum.

Printed circuits comprise electrical circuits, made by depositing suitable conductive material onto the surface of a flat insulating base. In such circuits a network of fine conductive lines, printed and bonded on a thin ceramic or plastics sheet, replaces the wiring used in conventional circuits. In addition, other electrical elements, such as transistors, resisters, condensers and inductors that serve to modify the flow of current may be introduced to the circuit by printing or mounting those elements onto the same base as printed wiring.

Subsequently, printed circuits are found in a wide variety of consumer products such as communication equipment, television and radio receivers, security equipment, hearing aids, telephones, computers and in instrumentation for defence equipment and aviation equipment and the like.

A printed circuit board (PCB) comprises a flat board made of nonconducting material., such as plastics or fibreglass, on which electronic components are mounted, commonly in pre-drilled holes designed to hold them. The components on a printed circuit board, or more specifically the holes that hold them in suitable positions are connected electrically by pre-defined conductive metal pathways that are printed on the surface of the board. The metal leads protrude from the electronic components and are soldered to the conductive metal pathways to form a connection. In order to maintain the integrity and good working order of a printed circuit board it should be handled by the edges and protected from dust/dirt/particulate matter and static electricity so as to avoid damage and contamination. PCB bases are typically constructed from one of several material types, the most widely used and toughest is a material called TR4". FR4 is produced in large uniform sheets onto which the template and circuitry of one or more PCBs are printed and it is typically supplied to manufacturers of the finished product in a form larger than it has to be in a finished state. The sheet comes with at least one and (typically between 1-20) printed circuits thereon, each PCB essentially compartmentalised by grooves and held minimally together by tabs, peduncles or "knock-outs". PCBs have to be separated from one another and additional parts of the board that are obsolete. In the instance of a board comprising 20 PCBs each board has to be separated from its adjacent partner and the obsolete material; this process is conventionally referred to as depaneling.

The process of separating individual PCB's from a sheet, or depaneling of a sheet of PCBs, involves multiple cutting steps, which may be performed manually or by an automated assembly. The process of separation (depaneling) can be technically complex and expensive, it involves the removal or severing or cutting of a tab, peduncle or "knock-out" in the PCB. In essence there are a plurality of grooves in a PCB that need to be continuous thus removal of 3 obsolete material is essential in order to maximally miniaturise the PCB.

It is known to employ personnel in order to operate tools that saw or nibble or brake the PCB along its tabs. This form of the prior art offers flexibility in that the removing and reconfiguration of each board is versatile simply because the individual conducting the operation is able to visualise and act accordingly in the areas that require sawing or nibbling or braking. However, disadvantageously, this method offers a poor quality product due to human error and the method requires constant supervision. Additionally due to human error there is an unacceptable amount of unit failures which represents an expensive manufacturing add on cost. Furthermore, personnel are required to use extremely sharp equipment (equipment capable of severing rigid boards/substrates) which represents a potential hazard. Moreover, personnel can also suffer from repetitive strain injury by performing repeated identical actions. Therefore, safety considerations with respect to presentation of a sharp cutting edge to an individual and the potential for repetitive strain injury, in addition to direct inhalation and exposure to glass-dust and the like exacerbate safety/health concerns. Furthennore static, from the personnel/operators themselves, causes dust/particulate matter to aggregate to the PCB itself.

Additional forms of the prior art include complex and expensive computer controlled routing machines, these, advantageously, do not require direct or continuous supervision and they can also be reconfigured to cut a variety of PCB's. However, they are disadvantageously very expensive and require constant mechanical maintenance. Additionally, they are not cost effective because multiple boards are still cut with one head cutting one tab at a time (eg.

4 PCBs per sheet equals 4 times longer). Furthermore, the cutters themselves 4 do not last very long and the dust, though optionally extracted, has to be cleaned from the PCB, this process in itself is slow and labour intensive.

Other forms of the prior art include pneumatic nibblers which can cut up to ten tabs in one direction only, they however, cannot be reconfigured. Whilst this method offers a relatively low maintenance cost the device itself cannot be reconfigured. Thus PCB units can only be cut in one direction at any one time.

Consequently two machines are required for two directions of cut and three machines for three directions of cut and so on. Accordingly, the costs for such an assembly mounts depending on the complexity of the PCB to be cut.

Other more basic forms of the prior art include manual scoring and/or breaking which disadvantageously puts the PCB under undue stress, moreover, such a method is very slow and labour intensive and prone to unacceptable failure rate and wastage.

The most notable problems associated with the prior art include the process speed in relationship to vast quantities required of specific batches of PCBs, since none of the prior art devices methods are particularly quick, this imposes a cost to the user. Furthermore, unit failure or wastage is something to be mitigated in order to reduce the numbers of damaged/broken PCB's. In addition, from a health and safety aspect it is desired to reduce hazards and repetitive strain injury to manual operators that are exposed to potentially hazardous conditions during depaneling such as, repetitive actions, inhalation of dusts and/or particulate matter and exposure to sharp cutting edges of various machines required to cut rigid boards.

The invention of the current application has elegantly and inventively overcome many of the problems associated with the prior art by providing a rapidly and easily reconfigurable assembly that comprises a cutting means which is ideally concealed from operators and wherein a mechanical advantage is achieved by suitably positioning a cutting head with respect to a movable auxiliary member, furthermore, said mechanical advantage is imparted to a cutting blade edge so that rigid boards may be cut easily and accurately to within a small margin of tolerance and confinement within a small area.

It is an object of the invention to provide a depaneling assembly that is cost effective.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a depaneling assembly that can be easily and rapidly reconfigured.

It is a yet further object of the invention to provide a depaneling assembly of improved reliability due to reduced unit failure.

It is a yet further object of the invention to provide improved safety for operators of a depaneling assembly.

In its broadest aspect of the invention there is provided in, or for use in, a depaneling apparatus a cutting implement comprising at least one cutting means adapted to be inaccessible to an operator when in use and/or at least one cutting means wherein a mechanical advantage is imparted from a moveable auxiliary member in a fashion so as to provide a suitable and sufficient cutting force at a cutting blade edge.

6 According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided in, or for use in a deparieling apparatus at least one cutting means comprising a cutting blade suitably sized, shaped and adapted so as to cut selected portions and/or areas of a rigid board at pre-determined selected positions, wherein, said cutting blade is attached to, or associated with, a moveable auxiliary member, which member is resiliently biased with respect to said cutting means, so that in use said cutting means and said moveable auxiliary member co-operate reciprocally and additively so as to cyclically thrust the cutting blade through a cutting action.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention said cutting means includes a resiliently biased reciprocating member which acts to selectively force the cutting blade, ideally forward, into a cutting position. At rest, the bias of said member acts to retract said blade into a concealed resting position. Ideally, hydraulic means are used to overcome this resting condition and so operate said cutting means. In contrast the bias of said auxiliary member acts to thrust the cutting blade forward. However, the relative strength of the said two bias is selected so that, at rest, the reciprocating member dominates and thus the blade is concealed. Conversely when a counter hydraulic force is applied to the reciprocating member the bias of the reciprocating member is incrementally overcome until a critical position is reached where upon the bias of the auxiliary member can be exerted on the cutting blade. In this fashion the cutting means and auxiliary member co-operate at rest in a reciprocal fashion but when cutting, after the application of a selected amount of hydraulic force, in an additive fashion.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention said cutting means comprises a cutting blade suitably positioned so as to present a first cutting edge of said 7 cutting blade to a rigid board which it is desired to cut, ideally said first cutting edge of said cutting blade is suitably angled with respect to said cutting means and ideally said first cutting edge of said cutting blade is angled in the region of 30' with respect to a selected plane of a rigid board or a horizontal axis of 5 said cutting means.

In a yet further preferred embodiment of the invention said cutting blade is relatively concealed, wherein said cutting blade is totally concealed in the instance of the assembly being at rest, and in the instance of said assembly being operated said cutting blade presents a cutting edge to an upper surface of a rigid board and is not accessible to an operator and/or user of said assembly. In such a manner said cutting blade is not exposed directly to an operator/user thus reducing the potentially hazard/exposure of a sharp/cutting edge to said operator and/or user.

In a yet further preferred embodiment of the invention said cutting means is adapted so as to be provided with a spring housing wherein said spring housing houses said reciprocating member including at least one spring means and at least one spring guide means. Ideally said spring housing and/or said reciprocating member is relatively angled with respect to said movable auxiliary member. It will be appreciated that the angle is the cosine of the angle with respect to an axis defining the central longitudinal axis of the movable auxiliary member and an axis between the working point or fulcrum of the movable auxiliary means and the central longitudinal axis of the movable auxiliary member (ie cos = a/h). Even more ideally said angle is selected so as to provide suitable actual mechanical advantage, and even more ideally said actual mechanical advantage is in the order of 2 to 9 times that of the ratio of output 8 force to input force and even more ideally the angle of said spring housing with respect to said moveable auxiliary means is in the order of 5 to 40' and most ideally 26'.

More ideally still, said reciprocating member and said auxiliary member, are slidably and pivotally connected theretogether, and more preferably still said connection comprises a channel means defining said slidable connection and the channel means is positioned at a selected angle with respect to said cutting blade edge. Moreover, said auxiliary member is provided with suitable guide means whereby the cutting force of the cutting means is converted into a selected directional force so as to control the relative positioning of the cutting blade tbrough each cutting cycle. Ideally the cutting blade traces a downward and forward then backward and upward path.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art of providing a deparieling apparatus that the configuration as hereiribefore described allows for upward/downward motion of said moveable auxiliary member wherein said movement is converted into a force imparting selectively angled upward/downward movement of said cutting blade, thereby enabling an actual mechanical advantage to be conferred to a cutting blade edge.

In a yet further preferred embodiment of the invention said deparieling apparatus comprises a plurality of cutting means.

In a yet further preferred embodiment of the invention said reciprocating member comprises a rod means suitably sized and shaped and adapted so as to move in an upward and downward manner, so that selective movement of said 9 rod means corresponds to the selective depaneling of a pressure plate, ideally, at least a part of said rod means is in contact with at least a part or at least a part of a surface of, a pressure plate and most ideally said pressure plate is suitably positioned below said rod means.

In a yet ftirther preferred embodiment of the invention said reciprocating member further comprises a spring means associated with or attached to said rod means so as to provide resilient movement of said rod means, ideally said rod means is provided with linear bearings and even more ideally at an upper end of said rod means, said rod means is attached to, or associated with, a pivot 10 or roller means of a cutting means.

In a yet further preferred embodiment of the invention said depaneling apparatus has a tolerance in the order of less than +/- 0.5mm and ideally 0.9mm.

In a yet finiher preferred embodiment of the invention the force imparted from said cutting edge of said cutting means to a rigid board is in the region of 200 800lbs/in' (1.4 x 1Okg/m2 - 5.6 x 105 kg/m), ideally 240lbs/in 2 (1.68 x I O'kg/m).

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a depaneling apparatus, as hereinbefore described, for use in depaneling of a printed circuit 20 board.

The invention will be described by way of example only, with reference to the following figures, wherein:- Figure I represents a cross-sectional view of a cutting means for a depaneling assembly, in the instance of a rod means being in a resting position.

Figure 2 represents a cross-sectional view of a cutting means for a depaneling assembly, in the instance of a rod means being in a semiextended position.

Figure 3 represents a cross-sectional view of a cutting means for a depaneling assembly, in the instance of a rod means being in a contracted position.

Figure 4 represents a side cross-sectional view of a cutting means for a deparieling assembly, in the instance of a rod means being in a semiextended position, (side cross-sectional view of Figure 2).

Figure 5 represents a side view of a cutting blade.

Figure 6 represents a front cross-sectional view of a depaneling apparatus.

With reference now to Figure I there is shown a front cross-sectional view of a depaneling assembly (1) in the instance of a push rod means (6) being in an extended position at reference line (A). Said push rod means (6) comprises an elongate body which at a lower region (6B) is attached to or associated with a domed nut (13) via a lock nut (12). Around a selected lower portion of rod means (6B) there is provided spring (9), at an upper region of said rod means (6C) there is provided a pivot link or roller or bearing (7). At an area below region (6C) there is provided a linear bearing housing (I IA) housing ball bearings (11). At an upper region of spring (9) there is provided a spring I I retainer (16), whereby said spring retainer (16) acts to hold in static position assembly (1) in use.

Roller or bearing (7) is suitably positioned in an aperture of cutting blade (3). Furthermore provided in cutting blade (3) is a second aperture (3B), said blade aperture (3B) is suitably shaped and sized so as to house a hinge pin (5). At an upper portion of cutting blade (3) is an area (3A) which is appropriately shaped so as not to expose sharp edges to an operator/user and is so shaped so as to conceal cutting blade (3C) when at rest and to be inaccessible to an operator when cutting.

Cutting blade (3) is encased by a dowel (4) in an anvil (2). Furthermore, cutting blade (3) is provided with a spring (8) which is housed in an appropriate housing aperture. At opposite ends of said spring (8) there is provided a pair of spring guide means (15). Spring (8) is configured so as to exert an upward force on blade (3).

Referring now to Figure 2 push rod means (6) is shown to have moved upwardly, so as to be in a semi-extended position, in this instance reference line (A) is represented having moved upwardly. In this figure, hinge pin (5), which is located in aperture (3B) of cutting means (3), moves downwardly and rearwardly within said aperture and so hinges the cutting blade (3) in a lower region of said aperture. Spring guides (15) move closer together and consequently spring (8) in the cutting blade is caused to depress which in turn permits the movement of cutting blade edge (3C) to be positioned over a tab (D).

12 Hydraulic or pneumatic or manual articulated means (not shown) are used to move push rod means (6) from an extended to a contracted position. As the incremental force extended by said hydraulic means on said push rod means (6) increases, the ability of rod means (6) to overcome the thrusting action of the spring (8) decreases until a critical position is reached, whereby spring (8) can become operational. Thereafter the upward force of spring (8) and the articulated means are additive in thrusting blade (3) into a cutting position.

Referring now to Figure 3 there is shown push rod means (6) in a fully contracted position, so that spring (9) and spring (8) are fully contracted and spring guides (15) of cutter blade (3) are positioned adjacent one another.

Spring (8) is thus fully depressed, and hinge pin (5) positions area (3A) of cutting blade (3) against tab (D) and cuts same off, given the sharpness of area (3C) and the force imparted.

Cutting blade (3) (18) and linear bearings (11) of push rod means (6) are housed within a body (17) which covers all moving and -potentially hazardous parts from a user/operator.

Referring now to Figure 4 there is shown a side cross-sectional view of a deparieling assembly in a partially retracted position, wherein blade (3Q is observed cutting tab (D), furthennore, it can be seen that spring (8) is in a relatively compressed state. Additionally, it is apparent that linear bearing means (I I and I I A) is suitably held in position by a circular clip (14). The cutting blade (3) is housed within a body (17) so as to prevent ingress of dust and/or the like and direct exposure to an operator/user.

13 Referring now to Figure 5, there is shown a side view of a cutting blade (3) wherein a cutting edge (3C) is provided at a selected angle () with respect to a dotted axis, typically representing the plane of a rigid board. Cutting blade (3) is suitably shaped to enable clearance of appropriate dowel (4) at areas (313 and 3E) adjacent an upper cutting edge (3Q, said cutting edge (3C) acts against a tab (D) when said tab is placed in the area (313). Aperture (19) is suitably shaped to provide housing for spring (8) and spring guides (15) (not shown in this figure), said aperture (19) is curved at a lower region (20) and is provided with a straight edge at an upper region (2 1). The axis extending from point (X) in aperture (19) to a point (Y), ie the central longitudinal axis of the spring and what is defined as the working point of the movable auxiliary member in aperture (3B) is at an angle () with respect to the longitudinal axis of aperture (19) and visa versa. Angle () is selected so as to confer actual mechanical advantage from upward movement ofpush rod means (6) to downward angular movement of cutting blade area (3C).

Referring now to Figure 6 there is shown a depaneling assembly (1) suitably positioned in an apparatus (C), for cutting a rigid PCB. Dome nut (13) is suitably positioned so as to trace across a pressure plate (24) and wherein said pressure plate (24) is held in position by a frame (23) which also acts to support depaneling assembly (1).

Hydraulic, pneumatic or manual activator cylinder (25) provides power to move the pressure plate (24) upwardly and downwardly to an appropriate position at an appropriate rate. The assembly (1) and apparatus (C) are held in position by bolts (29) and guide posts (26) said guide posts (26) are provided with linear bearings (27) housed within bearing housing (28). In this way it will be 14 observed that pressure plate (24) serves to provide the information for depaneling assembly (1) in order that said assembly can be made to cut, via cutting blade (3), appropriate tabs from a co-ordinate plate (22). It will be appreciated that apparatus (C) may be provided with multiple depaneling 5 assemblies (1).

Thus, in operation the invention of the application provides rapid, accurate safer, depaneling of rigid boards and advantageously provides superior mechanical advantage strength and accuracy.

Claims

1. A depaneling assembly having a cutting implement comprising at least one cutting means adapted to be inaccessible to an operator when in use and/or at least one cutting means wherein a mechanical advantage is imparted from a moveable auxiliary member in a fashion so as to provide a suitable and sufficient cutting force at a cutting blade edge.

2. A depaneling assembly as claimed in Claim 1, in which there is provided at least one cutting means comprising a cutting blade suitably sized, shaped and adapted so as to cut selected portions and/or areas of a rigid board at pre-determined selected positions, wherein said cutting blade is attached to, or associated with, a moveable auxiliary member which is resiliently biased with respect to said cutting means, so that in use said cutting means and said moveable auxiliary member co-operate reciprocally and additively so as to cyclically thrust the cutting blade through a cutting action.

3. A depaneling assembly as claimed in Claim I or Claim 2, in which the cutting means includes a resiliently biased reciprocating member which acts to selectively force the cutting blade forward into a cutting position, said member being biased to retract said blade into a concealed resting position.

4. A depaneling assembly as claimed in Claim 3, in which one of manual, pneumatic or hydraulic means are used to overcome the reciprocating member bias to move the member and so operate said cutting means.

5. A depaneling assembly as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, in which a counter manual, pneumatic or hydraulic force is applied to the -16reciprocating member so that the bias of the reciprocating member is incrementally overcome until a critical position is reached where upon the bias of the auxiliary member can be exerted on the cutting blade.

6. A depaneling assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which said cutting means comprises a cutting blade suitably positioned so as to present a first cutting edge of the cutting blade to a rigid board which is desired to be cut, said first cutting edge of said cutting blade being suitably formed with respect to said cutting means, said first cutting edge of said cutting blade being disposed at an angle in the region of 30' with respect to a selected plane of a rigid board or a horizontal axis of said cutting means.

7. A depaneling assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the cutting blade is generally concealed, said cutting blade being totally concealed at the instant the assembly is at rest and, at the instant said assembly is operated, said cutting blade presents a cutting edge to an upper surface of a rigid board and is not readily or actually accessible to an operator and/or user of the assembly.

8. A depaneling assembly as clairned in any one of Claims 3 to 7, in which the cutting means is provided with a spring housing which houses said reciprocating member including at least one spring means and at least one spring guide means, said spring housing and/or said reciprocating member being relatively angled with respect to said movable auxiliary member.

9. A deparieling assembly as claimed in Claim 8, in which the angle at which the spring housing and/or reciprocating member is disposed is selected so as to provide suitable actual mechanical advantage in the order of 2 to 9 times that of the ratio of output force to input force.

10. A depaneling assembly as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9, in which the angle of said spring housing with respect to the moveable auxiliary means is in the order of 5 to 40'.

11. A depaneling assembly as claimed in Claim 10, in which the angle is 26'.

12. A depaneling assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 11, in which said reciprocating member and said auxiliary member are slidably and pivotally connected theretogether, said connection comprising a channel means defining said slidable connection, the channel means being positioned at a selected angle with respect to said cutting blade edge and said auxiliary member being provided with suitable guide means whereby the cutting force of the cutting means is converted into a selected directional force so as to control the relative positioning of the cutting blade through each cutting cycle.

13. A depaneling assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which said depaneling apparatus comprises a plurality of cutting means.

14. A depaneling assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 13, in which the reciprocating member includes a connecting rod so that selecting movement of the rod corresponds to the selective depaneling of a pressure plate and in which said reciprocating member further comprises a spring means associated with or attached to said rod so as to provide resilient movement thereof, said rod being attached to or associated with, at the upper end thereof, a pivot or roller means of a cutting means.

15. A depaneling assembly as claimed in Claim 14, in which the force imparted from a cutting edge of said cutting means to a rigid board is in the region of 200-800lbs/in2(l.4 x 105kg/M2 - 5.6 x 10' k g/M2).

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 17, Claims 1. A deparieling assembly having a cutting Implement comprising at least one cutting means adapted to be inaccessible to an operator when in use and/or at least one cutting means wherein a mechanical advantage is imparted from a moveable auxiliary member in a fashion so as to provide a suitable and sufficient cutting force at a cutting blade edge.

1.

2. A depaneling assembly as claimed in Claim 1, in which there is provided at least one cutting means comprising a cutting blade suitably sized, shaped and adapted so as to cut selected portions and/or areas of a rigid board at pre-determined selected positions, wherein said cutting blade is attached to, or associated with, a moveable auxiliary member which is resiliently biased_ with respect to said cutting means, so that in use said cutting means and said moveable auxiliary member co-operate reciprocally and additively so as to cyclically thrust the cutting blade through a cutting action.

5. A depaneling assembly as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, in which a counter manual, pneumatic or hydraulic force is applied to the i reciprocating, member so that the bias of the reciprocating member is incrementally overcome until a critical position is reached where upon the bias of the auxiliary member can be exerted on the cutting blade.

6. A depaneling assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which said cutting means comprises a cutting blade suitably positioned so as to present a first cutting edge of the cutting, blade to a rigid board which is desired to be cut, said first cuttinor edge of said cutting blade being ID suitably formed with respect to said cutting means, said first cutting edge of said cutting blade being disposed at an angle in the region of 30' with respect to a selected plane of a rigid board or a horizontal axis of said cutting means.

7. A depaneling assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the cutting blade is generally concealed, said cutting blade being totally concealed at the instant the assembly is at rest and, at the instant said assembly is operated, said cutting blade presents a cutting edge to an 1. ID upper surface of a rigid board and is not readily or actually accessible to an operator and/or user of the assembly.

8. A depaneling assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 7, in which the cutting means is provided with a spring housing which houses said reciprocating member including at least one spring means and at least one spring guide means, said spring housing and/or said reciprocating member being relatively angled with respect to said movable auxiliary member.

9. A depaneling assembly as claimed in Claim 8, in which the angle at which the spring housing and/or reciprocating member is disposed is selected so as to provide suitable actual mechanical advantage in the order of 2 to 9 times that of the ratio of output force to input force.

I 10. A depaneling assembly as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9, in which the angle of said spring housing with respect to the moveable auxiliary means is in the order of 5 to 40'.

11. A depaneling assembly as claimed in Claim 10, in which the angle is 26'.

12. A depaneling assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 11, in which said reciprocating member and said auxiliary member are slidably and pivotally connected theretogether, said connection comprising, a channel means defining, said slidable connection, the channel means being positioned at a selected angle with respect to said cutting blade edge and said auxiliary member being provided with suitable guide means whereby the cutting force of the cutting means is converted into a selected directional force so as to control the relative positioning of the cutting blade through each cutting cycle.

I A depaneling assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which said depaneling apparatus comprises a plurality of cutting means.

15. A depaneling assembly as claimed in Claim 14, in which the force imparted from a cutting edge of said cutting means to a rigid board is in the region of 200-800lbs/in 2 (1. 4 x I O'kg/m' - 5.6 x 105 kg/M2).

_P i

16. A cutting implement for use with a depaneling assembly, the cutting implement comprising at least one cutting means adopted to be inaccessible to an operator when the implement is in use, the or each cutting means providing a mechanical advantage which is imparted from a moveable auxiliary member in a fashion so as to provide a suitable and sufficient cutting force at a cutting blade edge.

ZD C,

17. A deparieling apparatus substantially as hereiribefore described, for use in the deparieling of a printed circuit board.

I

18.A cutting implement suitable for use with a depaneling apparatus, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

19. A depaneling apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.