JP2022006810A - Soldering device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a soldering device configured so that an iron tip can be replaced, which can prevent a used iron tip from being mixed up with a replacement iron tip so that the used iron tip is used again.SOLUTION: A soldering device comprises: a cylindrical iron tip extending in an axial direction and having a through-hole to which thread solder is supplied; an iron-tip attachment part having a recessed portion which the iron tip can be attached to and detached from; an attachment holding part that holds an attachment state where the iron tip is inserted into the recessed part; and a control part that controls movement of the iron tip attachment part. The device further comprises: an iron tip detaching unit UT1 that detaches a used iron tip from the recessed part of the iron tip attachment part; and an iron tip attaching unit UT2 that attaches a replacement iron tip to the recessed part of the iron tip attachment part. The iron tip detaching unit UT1 and the iron tip attaching unit UT2 are arranged separately.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a soldering apparatus having a replaceable trowel tip.

In recent years, many electric devices are equipped with electronic circuits on which electronic components are mounted. In the electronic circuit, a terminal or a wire of the electronic component is inserted into a through hole (through hole) formed in a wiring board, and the tip portion thereof is soldered to a wiring pattern (land) formed around the through hole. By doing so, electronic components and wires are mounted and fixed on the wiring board. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a soldering apparatus that performs the soldering accurately and efficiently.

The soldering apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a cylindrical trowel tip. The soldering device supplies thread solder into the cylinder with the tip of the terminal (or wire) protruding from the through hole surrounded by the inner surface of the cylinder of the trowel tip. Then, by heating the tip of the trowel, the solder is melted and the melted solder (molten solder) is evenly supplied around the terminal, and the terminal and the land are soldered. By using such a soldering device, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of molten solder and / or flux to unnecessary parts.

In a soldering device provided with a tubular trowel tip, repeated soldering may cause deposits derived from solder flux to accumulate in the cylinder of the trowel tip. When the amount of flux fume deposited increases, it becomes difficult to supply the thread solder. Therefore, in the soldering apparatus provided with the tubular trowel tip, after performing the soldering work a certain number of times or for a certain period of time, the trowel tip must be cleaned or replaced in order to remove the flux flux accumulated in the cylinder. conduct. However, cleaning or replacing the trowel tip requires complicated work, which may increase the downtime of the soldering work and reduce the efficiency of the entire work.

Therefore, for example, in Patent Document 2, a device provided with a nozzle station provided with a plurality of replacement nozzles in a nozzle socket, removes a used nozzle from the nozzle unit into an empty nozzle socket, and then attaches a new nozzle to the nozzle unit. Is disclosed.

Japanese Patent No. 5184359 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-28290

According to the device disclosed in Patent Document 2, the trowel tip (nozzle) can be replaced automatically, but since the used trowel tip and the replacement trowel tip are arranged at the same station, the used trowel tip and the used trowel tip are used. The replacement trowel tip may be confused and the used trowel tip may be accidentally reattached.

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a soldering apparatus in which a used trowel tip is not confused with a replacement trowel tip and is not used again. be.

The soldering apparatus according to the present invention that achieves the above object has a tubular trowel tip having a through hole extending in the axial direction and to which thread solder is supplied, and a trowel mounting portion having a recess in which the trowel tip can be attached and detached. A soldering device including a mounting holding portion for holding a mounting state in which the trowel tip is inserted into the recess, and a control unit for controlling the movement of the trowel mounting portion. The trowel removal unit for removing the used trowel tip from the recess and the trowel mounting unit for attaching the replacement trowel tip to the recess in the trowel mounting portion where the replacement trowel tip is arranged are provided. The tip removal unit and the trowel mounting unit are provided as separate bodies.

In the soldering device having the above configuration, the mounting holding portion is engaged with an engaging recess formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the used trowel tip and the replacement trowel tip, a fixing pin inserted into the engaging recess, and the engagement. It has a drive unit that selectively moves the fixing pin to an action position inserted into the trowel recess and a non-action position not inserted into the engagement recess, and the control unit also controls the drive of the drive unit. Then, the control unit controls the drive unit, and the fixing pin moves from the working position to the non-acting position, so that the used trowel tip can be removed from the recess of the trowel mounting portion and the recess. The replacement trowel tip can be inserted into the trowel tip, and the fixing pin moves from the non-acting position to the working position, so that the replacement trowel tip is held in the recess of the trowel mounting portion. good.

Here, by moving the fixing pin from the working position to the non-working position, the used trowel tip may be displaced from the concave portion of the trowel tip mounting portion by its own weight.

Further, in the soldering device having the above configuration, the trowel removal unit has a movement blocking unit that engages with the trowel tip to prevent the trowel tip from moving, and the control unit is attached to the movement blocking unit. With the used trowel engaged, the drive unit is controlled to move the fixing pin from the working position to the non-working position, and at the same time, in the axial direction of the used trowel and from the used trowel. The used trowel tip may be removed from the recess of the trowel mounting portion by moving the trowel mounting portion in a direction away from the trowel mounting portion.

In the soldering device having the above configuration, the mounting holding portion is provided on the receiving portion provided on the trowel mounting portion, the used trowel tip and the replacement trowel tip, and the contact portion facing the receiving portion. One of the receiving portion or the contacting portion has a magnet, and the other has a portion formed of a ferromagnetic material or a portion provided with a magnet, and the receiving portion and the said portion. The used trowel tip or the replacement trowel tip is held in the recess of the trowel mounting portion by the magnetic force acting between the contact portion, and the trowel removal unit engages with the used trowel tip. The control unit has a movement blocking unit that prevents the movement of the used trowel tip, and the control unit has the used trowel tip engaged with the movement blocking portion in the axial direction of the used trowel tip. Further, the used trowel mounting portion may be moved in a direction away from the used trowel tip to remove the used trowel tip from the recess of the trowel mounting portion against the magnetic force.

In the soldering device having the above configuration, the control unit moves the trowel mounting portion to the trowel mounting unit, inserts the replacement trowel tip into the recess of the trowel mounting portion, and inserts the replacement trowel tip. The replacement trowel tip may be magnetically held by the trowel mounting portion by the contact portion approaching or abutting against the receiving portion of the trowel mounting portion.

In the soldering apparatus having the above configuration, the used trowel tip has a protrusion or a step portion on the outer peripheral surface, and the movement blocking portion engages with the protrusion or the step portion of the used trowel tip. The used trowel tip has a joint portion, and the protruding portion or the stepped portion of the used trowel and the engaging portion have the engaging portion rather than the protruding portion or the stepped portion of the trowel tip. The control unit engages in a state of being located upstream in the removal direction of the trowel, and the control unit moves the trowel mounting portion in a direction opposite to the removal direction of the used trowel tip. It may be configured to remove the used trowel tip.

In the soldering apparatus having the above configuration, the trowel removal unit may have a cooling means for cooling the used trowel tip removed from the recess of the trowel mounting portion.

In the soldering apparatus having the above configuration, the trowel removal unit may be configured to include a cleaning means for cleaning the used trowel tip removed from the recess of the trowel mounting portion.

Here, the cleaning means may be one that heats the used trowel tip to incinerate and remove the deposits.

Further, in the soldering apparatus having the above configuration, the soldering tip mounting unit may be configured to include a preheating means for preheating the arranged replacement trowel tip.

Here, the preheating means may be configured to be operated by the control unit from a predetermined time before the used trowel tip is replaced with the replacement trowel tip.

In the soldering device having the above configuration, the trowel mounting unit has a detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of the replacement trowel tip, and the detecting means means that the trowel mounting unit does not have the replacement trowel tip. When it is detected, the notification means may notify that there is no replacement solder tip.

In the soldering apparatus having the above configuration, a reading means for reading the individual information display displayed on the outer surface of the replacement trowel tip and a storage means for storing the data of the replacement trowel tip corresponding to the individual information display. Further, when the replacement trowel is attached to the trowel mounting portion, the control unit stores the data of the replacement trowel from the storage means based on the individual information display read by the reading means. It may be configured to read out and judge the suitability of the replacement trowel tip.

According to the soldering apparatus according to the present invention, the trowel removal unit for removing the used trowel tip from the recess of the trowel mounting portion and the trowel mounting unit for mounting the replacement trowel tip in the recess of the trowel mounting portion are separate. Since it is provided as a body, there is no risk of confusion between the used trowel tip and the replacement trowel tip.

It is a perspective view of an example of the soldering apparatus AP which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of the apparatus main body A1. It is a schematic vertical sectional view of the apparatus main body A1 shown in FIG. It is a vertical sectional view of a trowel tip 5a. It is a plan view of a trowel removal unit UT1 and a cross section taken along line AA. It is a plan view of a trowel mounting unit UT2 and a cross section taken along line BB. It is an operation explanatory drawing which removes the trowel tip 5a from the apparatus main body A1. It is an operation explanatory drawing which removes the trowel tip 5a from the apparatus main body A1. It is an operation explanatory drawing which removes the trowel tip 5a from the apparatus main body A1. It is an operation explanatory drawing which removes the trowel tip 5a from the apparatus main body A1. It is an operation explanatory drawing which attaches the trowel tip 5a to the apparatus main body A1. It is an operation explanatory drawing which attaches the trowel tip 5a to the apparatus main body A1. It is an operation explanatory drawing which attaches the trowel tip 5a to the apparatus main body A1. It is a control flowchart of the trowel tip exchange of the apparatus main body A1. It is a vertical sectional view of the state where the trowel tip 5b is attached to the apparatus main body A1. It is an operation explanatory drawing which removes the trowel tip 5b from the apparatus main body A1. It is an operation explanatory drawing which removes the trowel tip 5b from the apparatus main body A1. It is an operation explanatory drawing which attaches the trowel tip 5b to the apparatus main body A1. It is an operation explanatory drawing which attaches the trowel tip 5b to the apparatus main body A1. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the cooling means which cools a trowel tip. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other example of the cooling means which cools a trowel tip. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the means for heating and cleaning a removed trowel tip. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the means for preheating a replacement trowel tip. It is a front view and the bottom view of the trowel tip 5c. It is explanatory drawing of the mechanism which installs a trowel tip 5c in a predetermined direction in a trowel tip mounting unit UT2. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the means for detecting the presence / absence of the replacement trowel tip in the trowel attachment unit UT2. It is a front view and the top view of the replacement trowel tip 5a in which the individual information display of the trowel tip and the mounting direction display are made. It is a block diagram of the control means Cont.

The soldering apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

1st Embodiment (Overall configuration of soldering apparatus)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view when the electronic component Ep is soldered to the printed circuit board Bd by the soldering device AP. Four through holes Th are formed on the printed circuit board Bd fixed to the jig Gj, and land Ld is formed on the inner peripheral surface and the peripheral edge of each through hole Th. Then, four pin terminals P extending from the electronic component Ep arranged on the back surface side of the printed circuit board Bd are inserted into each of the four through holes Th from the bottom to the top, and from the upper surface of the printed circuit board Bd. The tip of the pin terminal P is in a protruding state.

On the other hand, the soldering device AP according to the present invention controls the operation of the manipulator ML as a moving means having the articulated arm Am, the device main body A1 attached to the tip of the manipulator ML, and the manipulator ML and the device main body A1. It is equipped with a control device Cont. The manipulator ML is installed on the base Bs, and the articulated arm Am is rotatable at each of the plurality of joints. The control means (control unit) Cont controls the rotational operation of the articulated arm Am of the manipulator ML to move the apparatus main body A1 to desired positions in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. Further, the control means Cont controls the operation of the cutter unit 2, the drive mechanism 3, the solder feeding mechanism 6, the trowel mounting portion 4, and the mounting holding portion 7a of the apparatus main body A1, which will be described later.

Further, in the area adjacent to the soldering area of the soldering device AP, the trowel removal unit UT1 for removing the trowel tip 5a from the device main body A1 and the trowel tip on the device main body A1 in which the three replacement trowel tips 5a are arranged. A trowel mounting unit UT2 for mounting the solder is arranged. When the soldering work is performed by the trowel tip 5a more than a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined time or more, after the trowel tip 5a is removed from the device main body A1 by the trowel removal unit UT1, the device main body A1 is removed by the trowel mounting unit UT2. A new trowel tip 5a is attached to. The configuration of the trowel removal unit UT1 and the trowel mounting unit UT2 will be described later.

When soldering is performed by the soldering apparatus AP, the apparatus main body A1 is moved in the X direction and the Y direction by the manipulator ML, and the printed circuit board Bd is positioned with respect to the land Ld. Then, as the apparatus main body A1 is moved in the Z direction, the tip of the trowel tip 5a comes into contact with the land Ld. In the embodiment described below, the soldering apparatus AP is used to position the pin terminal P protruding from the upper surface of the printed circuit board Bd in the solder hole 51 (shown in FIG. 3) of the iron tip 5a of the apparatus main body A1. The solder piece Wh supplied to the solder hole 51 of the tip 5a is melted and the pin terminal P and the land Ld are soldered. In the present embodiment, the apparatus main body A1 is moved, but the apparatus main body A1 may be fixed and the printed circuit board Bd may be moved, or both the apparatus main body A1 and the printed circuit board Bd may be moved.

(Device body A1)
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus main body A1, and FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the soldering apparatus shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, a part of the housing is cut off to display the inside of the apparatus main body A1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus main body A1 includes an apparatus unit U, a support member SP that movably supports the apparatus unit U within a predetermined distance range in the Z direction, and a cover C that covers the apparatus unit U and the support member SP ( The wavy line in FIG. 2).

The support member SP has a plate-shaped base Mf having a quadrangular YZ plane and a predetermined thickness in the X direction, and a plate-shaped base Mf having a predetermined width in the Y direction at the center of one side surface in the X direction of the base Mf in the Y direction. It includes a guide rail Mg that protrudes in the direction and is continuous in the Z direction, and a block Mb that is movably attached to the guide rail Mg in the Z direction.

The upper end of the base Mf in the Z direction is attached to the tip of the articulated arm Am of the manipulator ML. A wall 11 of the device unit U is attached to the block Mb over substantially the entire area in the Z direction. That is, the device unit U is fixed to the block Mb and can move in the Z direction integrally with the block Mb. Further, a movement restricting pin 91 is provided at the lower end of one side surface of the block Mb in the Y direction so as to project vertically from the side surface toward the outside.

On the other hand, a rectangular parallelepiped upper stopper portion 93 and a lower stopper portion 94 are provided so as to face each other at a predetermined distance in the Z direction at the position of the lower end portion of the base Mf in the X direction on one side surface in the Z direction. There is.

The movement control pin 91 provided on one side surface of the block Mb is located in the region between the upper stopper portion 93 and the lower stopper portion 94 of the base Mf, and in the initial state, that is, the tip 5a hits the wiring board Bd. When not in contact with each other, the movement restricting pin 91 is in contact with the lower stopper portion 94 due to the weight of the device unit U and the block Mb. In other words, the movement restriction pin 91 comes into contact with the lower stopper portion 94, so that the movement of the device unit U downward in the Z direction is restricted. On the other hand, when the trowel tip 5a abuts on the wiring board Bd and the device unit U moves upward in the Z direction, the movement restricting pin 91 abuts on the upper stopper portion 93, so that the device unit U moves upward in the Z direction. Movement to is restricted.

(Device unit U)
The device unit U includes a support portion 1, a cutter unit 2, a drive mechanism 3, a trowel tip mounting portion 4, a mounting holding portion 7a, a trowel tip 5a, and a solder feeding mechanism 6.

The support portion 1 includes an erected flat plate-shaped wall body 11. In the following description, for convenience, as shown in FIG. 2, the horizontal direction along the wall 11 is the X direction, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the wall 11 is the Y direction, and the vertical direction along the wall 11 is the Z direction. do. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the wall body 11 has a ZX plane.

The support portion 1 includes a wall body 11, a holding portion 12, a sliding guide 13, and a heater block holding portion 14. The wall body 11 is a flat plate-shaped wall body erected in the vertical direction. The wall body 11 serves as a support member for the device main body A1. The holding portion 12 is fixed at a position shifted upward from the lower end portion in the Z direction of the wall body 11. The holding portion 12 holds an air cylinder 31 which will be described later in the drive mechanism 3. The heater block holding portion 14 is a member for fixing the heater block 42, and is provided at an end portion (lower end portion) of the wall body 11 in the Z direction.

The sliding guide 13 is fixed in the vicinity of the lower end portion of the wall body 11 in the Z direction. The sliding guide 13 is fixed to the wall body 11 together with the cutter lower blade 22 described later in the cutter unit 2, and guides the cutter upper blade 21 described later in the cutter unit 2 so as to be slidable in the X direction.

The sliding guide 13 is a pair of members facing each other in the Y direction. The sliding guide 13 has a pair of wall portions 131 and a retaining portion 132. The wall portion 131 is a flat plate-shaped member extending in the X direction. One wall portion 131 is arranged in contact with the wall body 11, and the surface opposite to the wall body 11 is in contact with the lower end 22 of the cutter. Further, the other wall portion 131 is in contact with the side surface of the cutter lower blade 22. That is, the pair of wall portions 131 sandwich the cutter lower blade 22 from both sides in the Y direction. Then, the pair of wall portions 131 and the cutter lower blade 22 are fastened together with the wall body 11 with fasteners such as screws to be fixed.

The retaining portion 132 is provided on each of the pair of wall portions 131. The pair of wall portions 131 extend in the Z direction from the upper surface of the cutter lower blade 22 in the Z direction, and extend from the upper end portions of the pair of wall portions 131 in the Z direction toward the other. That is, the sliding guide 13 includes a pair of retaining portions 132. The tips of the pair of retaining portions 132 in the Y direction do not come into contact with each other, in other words, the sliding guide 13 has an opening at the upper portion. At least a part of the cutter upper blade 21 is arranged between the upper surface of the cutter lower blade 22 and the retaining portion 132. As a result, the cutter upper blade 21 is guided in the X direction and prevented from coming off in the Z direction.

The cutter unit 2 is a cutting tool that cuts the thread solder W sent by the solder feed mechanism 6 into solder pieces Wh having a predetermined length. The cutter unit 2 includes a cutter upper blade 21, a cutter lower blade 22, and a pusher pin 23.

As described above, the cutter lower blade 22 is fixed to the wall body 11 together with the sliding guide 13. As shown in FIG. 3, the cutter lower blade 22 includes a lower blade hole 221 and a gas inflow hole 222. The lower blade hole 221 is a through hole that penetrates the cutter lower blade 22 in the Z direction, and a thread solder W that penetrates the upper blade hole 211 described later of the cutter upper blade 21 is inserted. The edge portion of the upper end of the lower blade hole 221 is formed in a cutting edge shape. The thread solder W is cut into solder pieces Wh having a predetermined length by using the upper blade hole 211 and the lower blade hole 221. The cut solder piece Wh is pushed by its own weight or by the pusher pin 23 and falls downward inside the lower blade hole 221. The lower blade hole 221 communicates with the solder hole 51 described later of the trowel tip 5a via the solder supply hole 422 described later of the heater unit 4. The solder piece Wh that has fallen inside the lower blade hole 221 reaches the solder supply hole 422 and then falls into the solder hole 51.

The gas inflow hole 222 is a hole that communicates the outer surface of the cutter lower blade 22 with the lower blade hole 221. Gas supplied from a gas supply source (not shown) flows into the gas inflow hole 222. Then, the gas passes through the lower blade hole 221 and the solder supply hole 422 and reaches the solder hole 51. The gas is used to suppress the oxidation of the solder when the solder is heated and melted. That is, it is a gas for suppressing contact between the molten solder and oxygen. Examples of the gas include nitrogen gas, argon gas, helium gas, carbon dioxide and the like. In the soldering apparatus AP of this embodiment, it will be described as supplying nitrogen gas.

As described above, the cutter upper blade 21 is arranged on the upper surface of the cutter lower blade 22 in the Z direction. The cutter upper blade 21 is guided by the sliding guide 13 so that the sliding direction is in the X direction when sliding, and is prevented from coming off in the Z direction. That is, the cutter upper blade 21 slides in the X direction on the upper surface of the cutter lower blade 22 in the Z direction. The cutter upper blade 21 is slid by the drive mechanism 3.

The cutter upper blade 21 includes an upper blade hole 211 and a pin hole 212. The upper blade hole 211 is a through hole that penetrates the cutter upper blade 21 in the Z direction. The thread solder W sent from the solder feed mechanism 6 is inserted into the upper blade hole 211. The edge portion of the lower end of the upper blade hole 211 is formed in a cutting edge shape. The pin hole 212 is a through hole that penetrates the cutter upper blade 21 in the Z direction. A rod portion 231 described later of the pusher pin 23 is slidably inserted into the pin hole 212.

The pusher pin 23 has a rod portion 231, a head portion 232, and a spring 233. The rod portion 231 is a columnar member and is slidably inserted into the pin hole 212. Further, as the pusher pin 23 moves downward in the Z direction, the tip of the rod portion 23 protrudes from the pin hole 212. The head portion 232 is connected to the upper end of the rod portion 231 in the axial direction. The head portion 232 has a disk shape having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the pin hole 212. The head portion 232 is not inserted into the pin hole 212. That is, the head portion 232 serves as a so-called stopper that limits the movement of the rod portion 231 into the pin hole 212.

The spring 233 is a compression coil spring that surrounds the radial outside of the rod portion 231. The lower end of the spring 233 is in contact with the upper surface of the cutter upper blade 21, and the upper end of the spring 233 is in contact with the lower surface of the head portion 232. That is, the spring 233 receives a reaction force from the upper surface of the cutter upper blade 21 and pushes the head portion 232 upward in the Z direction. As a result, the rod portion 231 connected to the head portion 232 is lifted upward in the Z direction, and the lower end of the rod portion 231 is maintained so as not to protrude from the lower end of the pin hole 212. A retaining rod (not shown) is provided at the lower end of the rod portion 231 in the Z direction to prevent the rod portion from coming out of the pin hole 212.

The pusher pin 23 pushes the solder piece Wh that is cut by the cutter upper blade 21 and the cutter lower blade 22 and remains in the lower blade hole 221 downward. The pusher pin 23 is always pushed upward by the elastic force of the spring 233, that is, on the side opposite to the cutter lower blade 22. That is, when the head portion 232 is pushed, the rod portion 231 projects downward from the lower end portion of the pin hole 212 in the Z direction. Then, the head portion 232 is pushed by the cam member 33 described later of the drive mechanism 3.

In the cutter upper blade 21, the upper blade hole 211 and the pin hole 212 are provided side by side in the X direction. By sliding in the X direction, the cutter upper blade 21 moves to a position where the upper blade hole 211 and the lower blade hole 221 overlap vertically, or a position where the pin hole 212 and the lower blade hole 221 overlap vertically. .. In the cutter upper blade 21, the upper blade hole 211 and the lower blade hole 221 overlap when sliding to one sliding end, and the pin hole 212 and the lower blade 21 overlap when sliding to the other sliding end. It may slide so that it overlaps with the blade hole 221.

Then, when the thread solder W is sent from the solder feed mechanism 6 in a state where the upper blade hole 211 and the lower blade hole 221 overlap each other in the Z direction, the thread solder W that has passed through the upper blade hole 211 is transferred to the lower blade hole. It is inserted in 221. As described above, the edge portion of the lower end of the upper blade hole 211 is formed in a cutting edge shape, and the edge portion of the upper end of the lower blade hole 221 is also formed in a cutting edge shape. The lower surface of the cutter upper blade 21 is in contact with the upper surface of the cutter lower blade 22. Therefore, with the thread solder W inserted in the lower blade hole 221, the cutter upper blade 21 slides in the X direction, so that the thread solder W is generated by the cutting edges of the upper blade hole 211 and the lower blade hole 221 respectively. Be disconnected. After cutting the thread solder W, the solder feed mechanism 6 is driven in the reverse direction to pull up the thread solder W, and the tip of the thread solder W is housed in the upper blade hole 211 to protect the tip of the thread solder W. You may do so. Then, at the time of the next soldering, the feed amount of the thread solder W is fed by adding the drive amount in the opposite direction as described above.

The cutter upper blade 21 is slid in the X direction by the cam member 33. Therefore, the cutter upper blade 21 and the pusher pin 23 are synchronized with the cam member 33. The cam member 33 pushes the head portion 232 when the pin hole 212 overlaps the lower blade hole 221 in the Z direction. Therefore, when the cutter upper blade 21 slides in the X direction, the tip of the rod portion 231 of the pusher pin 23 is accommodated in the pin hole 212. Therefore, when the cutter upper blade 21 slides in the X direction, the tip of the rod portion 231 and the upper surface of the cutter lower blade 22 are suppressed from coming into contact with each other, and the tip of the rod portion 231 and / or the cutter lower blade 22 are prevented from coming into contact with each other. Deformation, damage, etc. are suppressed.

As the upper blade 21 of the cutter slides in the X direction, the lower blade hole 211 and the pin hole 212 overlap in the Z direction. The head portion 232 is pushed by the cam member 33 in a state where the pin hole 212 overlaps the lower blade hole 211. As a result, the pusher pin 23 moves downward in the Z direction. When the pusher pin 23 protrudes downward from the pin hole 212 in the Z direction, a part of the pusher pin 23 is inserted into the lower blade hole 211. If the solder piece described later from which the thread solder is cut remains at the entrance of the lower blade hole 211, the tip of the pusher pin 23 pushes the solder piece and the solder piece falls.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the drive mechanism 3 includes an air cylinder 31, a piston rod 32, a cam member 33, a slider portion 34, and a guide shaft 35. The air cylinder 31 is held by the holding portion 12. The air cylinder 31 has a bottomed cylindrical shape. A piston rod 32 is housed inside the air cylinder 31, and the piston rod 32 is slidably driven (expanded / contracted) by the pressure of air supplied from the outside. The air cylinder 31 and the piston rod 32 form an actuator of the drive mechanism 3. The piston rod 32 is arranged inside the air cylinder 31, and a part of the piston rod 32 always protrudes from one end in the axial direction of the air cylinder 31 (here, the lower end in the Z direction). The air cylinder 31 is held by the holding portion 12 so that the surface on which the piston rod 32 protrudes faces the cutter unit 2, that is, faces downward in the Z direction.

The piston rod 32 penetrates a through hole (not shown) provided in the holding portion 12. The piston rod 32 is provided in parallel with the guide shaft 35, and reciprocates linearly along the guide shaft 35. The tip of the piston rod 32 is fixed to the cam member 33, and the cam member 33 slides in the Z direction due to the expansion and contraction of the piston rod 32. The sliding of the cam member 33 is guided by the guide shaft 35.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lower end of the guide shaft 35 is fitted in a concave hole provided in the cutter lower blade 22, and is screwed and fixed to the cutter lower blade 22 with a screw 351. Further, the upper portion of the guide shaft 35 penetrates the hole provided in the holding portion 12, and the movement is restricted by the pin 352. That is, the guide shaft 35 is fixed to the cutter lower blade 22 by the screw 351 and to the holding portion 12 by the pin 352.

In the present embodiment, the guide shaft 35 is fixed by screws 351 and pins 352, but is not limited thereto, and is fixed by a fixing method such as press fitting or welding. May be good. Further, in the present embodiment, the guide shaft 35 is a columnar member, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a polygonal cross-section, an ellipse, or the like may be used.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cam member 33 is a rectangular member, and is connected to a recess 330 having a part of a long side cut out in a rectangular shape and a through hole through which the guide shaft 35 penetrates. It is provided with a cylindrical support portion 331. A slider portion 34 is slidably arranged (in the X direction and the Z direction) in the recess 330. Further, the support portion 331 has a shape extending in parallel with the guide shaft 35, and is provided to suppress the rattling of the cam member 33. That is, when the cam member 33 has a certain thickness and is less likely to rattle, the cylindrical portion may be omitted and the support portion 331 may be formed only by the through hole.

The cam member 33 is supported by a columnar pin 332 provided in the intermediate portion of the recess 330 and whose central axis is orthogonal to the guide shaft 35, and a pin pushing portion 333 that pushes the pusher pin 23 adjacent to the recess 330. It is provided with a bearing 334 arranged inside the portion 331. The pin 332 is inserted into a cam groove 340, which will be described later, provided in the slider portion 34. Further, the bearing 334 is a member that is externally fitted to the guide shaft 35 and smoothly slides so that the cam member 33 does not rattle.

As shown in FIG. 3, the slider portion 34 is a rectangular plate-shaped member, and is integrally formed with the cutter upper blade 21. The slider portion 34 includes a cam groove 340 that penetrates in the plate thickness direction and extends in the longitudinal direction. The cam groove 340 is provided with a first groove portion 341 extending parallel to the guide shaft 35 on the upper side and a second groove portion 342 extending parallel to the guide shaft 35 on the lower side. The first groove portion 341 and the second groove portion 342 are provided so as to be offset in the X direction, and the cam groove 340 includes a connection groove portion 343 that connects the first groove portion 341 and the second groove portion 342.

A pin 332 of the cam member 33 is inserted into the cam groove 340, and the pin 332 slides on the inner surface of the cam groove 340 by moving the cam member 33 along the guide shaft 35. When the pin 332 is located in the connection groove portion 343 of the cam groove 340, the inner surface of the connection groove portion 343 is pushed. As a result, the cutter upper blade 21 integrally formed with the slider portion 34 and the slider portion 34 moves in the direction (X direction) intersecting the sliding direction (Z direction) of the cam member 33 (relative to the cutter lower blade 22). Sliding).

In this embodiment, the cam member 33 is provided with a pin 332 and the slider portion 34 is provided with a cam groove 340. However, in reality, the cam member is provided with a cam groove and the slider portion is provided with a pin. It may have a different configuration.

In the present embodiment, pneumatic pressure is used as the actuator of the drive mechanism 3, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a fluid other than air (for example, hydraulic oil) may be used (hydraulic pressure). Further, the method is not limited to the one using a fluid, and the one using electric power such as a motor or a solenoid may be used. In the present embodiment, one actuator, a cam, and a cam groove are used to slide the cutter upper blade 21 and press the pusher pin 23, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality (two) actuators may be provided so as to slide the cutter upper blade 21 and press the pusher pin 23.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the solder feed mechanism 6 supplies the thread solder W. The solder feed mechanism 6 includes a pair of feed rollers 61 and a guide tube 62. The pair of feed rollers 61 are rotatably attached to the support wall 11. The pair of feed rollers 61 rotate across the side surface of the thread solder W to feed the thread solder downward. The pair of feed rollers 61 are urged toward each other, and the thread solder W is sandwiched by the urging force. The length of the delivered thread solder W is measured (determined) by the rotation angle (rotation speed) of the feed roller 61.

The guide tube 62 is an elastically deformable tube body, and the upper end thereof is arranged close to a portion of the feed roller 61 to which the thread solder W is fed. Further, the lower end of the guide tube 62 is provided so as to communicate with the upper blade hole 211 of the cutter upper blade 21. The lower end of the guide tube 62 moves following the sliding of the cutter upper blade 21, and the guide tube 62 has a length that does not excessively pull or stretch within the range in which the cutter upper blade 21 slides. , And has a shape.

(Trowel mounting part)
As shown in FIG. 3, the trowel mounting portion 4 has a cylindrical heater block 42 and a heater 41 composed of a heating wire wound around the outer peripheral surface of the heater block 42, and has a wall body 22. It is fixed to the heater block fixing portion 14 provided at the lower end portion.

The heater block 42 has a cylindrical shape, and has a recess 421 having a circular cross section for attaching a trowel tip 5a to the end in the axial direction, and a solder supply hole 422 penetrating from the center of the bottom of the recess 421 to the opposite side. And have. A through hole 423 through which the plunger 722 of the solenoid 72, which will be described later, can be inserted is formed in the lower portion of the recess 421. The heater block 42 is provided in contact with the cutter lower blade 22 so that the solder supply hole 422 and the lower blade hole 221 communicate with each other. By providing the heater block 42 in this way, the solder piece Wh moves from the lower blade hole 221 to the solder supply hole 422.

(Mounting holding part)
The mounting holding portion 7a for holding the trowel tip 5a mounted in the recess 421 of the heater block 42 has a solenoid 72 and a mounting base portion 71 for mounting the solenoid 72. The mounting base portion 71 has a substantially L having a vertical portion 711 extending downward from the side end of the cutter lower blade 22 and a horizontal portion 712 extending horizontally from the lower end of the vertical portion 711 toward the heater block 42. It is a plate-shaped body having a character shape, and the solenoid 72 is attached and fixed to the horizontal portion 712. The solenoid 72 includes a main body portion 721, a plunger 722 that can be freely moved in and out of the main body portion 721, a flange-shaped portion 73 attached to an axially intermediate portion of the plunger 722, and a flange-shaped portion 73 and a main body portion 721. It has a compression coil spring 74 inserted in the outer periphery of the plunger 722 between the two. The power supply of the solenoid 72 is controlled to be turned on and off by the control unit Cont. When power is supplied to the solenoid 72 and it is turned “on”, the plunger 722 is pulled into the main body 721 against the elastic force of the compression coil spring 74. As a result, the engagement between the engaging hole 52 of the trowel tip 5a and the tip end portion of the plunger 722, which will be described later, is released, and the trowel tip 5a can be removed from the recess 421 of the heater block 42. On the other hand, when the power supply to the solenoid 72 is stopped and the power is turned off, the plunger 722 is pulled out from the main body 721 by the elastic force of the compression coil spring 74. As a result, the tip of the plunger 722 engages with the engaging hole 52 of the trowel tip 5a mounted in the recess 421 of the heater block 42, and the trowel tip 5a is fixedly held by the heater block 42.

(Trowel tip)
FIG. 4 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the trowel tip 5a. The trowel tip 5a is a member having a substantially cylindrical shape, and has a solder hole 51 having a circular cross section in the central portion thereof. A step 54 is formed in the tip 5a at a substantially central portion in the axial direction, and the lower side of the step 54 is a large diameter portion 55 having a large outer diameter, and the upper side of the step 54 is an outer diameter of the large diameter portion 55. It is said that the small diameter portion 56 is small.

The outer diameter of the small diameter portion 56 of the trowel tip 5a is set to be the same as or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the recess 421 of the heater block 42, and the small diameter portion 56 of the trowel tip 5a is inserted into the recess 421 of the heater block 42 to insert the trowel tip. 5a is attached to the heater block 42. An engaging hole 52 is formed on the outer periphery of the small diameter portion 56 of the trowel tip 5a, more specifically, at a position facing the through hole 423 of the heater block 42 when the trowel tip 5a is attached to the heater block 42. The engagement hole 52 has a shape in which the tip end portion of the plunger 722 can be engaged. As will be described later, when the trowel tip 5a is attached to the recess 421 of the heater block 42, the tip of the plunger 722 of the solenoid 72 inserts the through hole 423 of the heater block 42 and the engagement hole 52 of the trowel tip 5a. The trowel tip 5a is attached to and fixed to the heater block 42. Then, the solder hole 51 of the trowel tip 5a communicates with the solder supply hole 422 of the heater block 42, and the solder piece Wh is sent from the solder supply hole 422 to the solder hole 51. In the present embodiment, the engaging hole 52 is formed in a part of the circumferential direction of the trowel tip 5a, but it may be formed as a peripheral groove over the entire surface.

A release hole 53 extending from the outer periphery of the tip 5a to the solder hole 51 is formed in the large diameter portion 55 of the tip 5a. Since the large diameter portion 55 is exposed to the outside from the heater block 42 even when the trowel tip 5a is attached to the recess 421 of the heater block 42, the release hole 53 is formed by the molten solder in the solder hole 51. When the lower end opening is dammed, it serves to release nitrogen gas, vaporized flux, etc. supplied from a gas supply unit (not shown) to the outside of the trowel tip 5a.

Heat from the heater 41 is transferred to the trowel tip 5a, and the heat melts the solder piece Wh. Therefore, the trowel tip 5a is preferably made of a material having high thermal conductivity. In addition, a material having poor wettability with the molten solder is preferable in order to suppress adhesion of the molten solder. Examples of such a material include ceramics such as silicon carbide and aluminum nitride, and metals such as tungsten.

In the device main body A1, the trowel tip 5a has a cylindrical shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a cylindrical shape having a polygonal cross section or an elliptical cross section may be used. A different shape may be prepared according to the shape of the printed circuit board Bd to be soldered and / or the pin terminal P of the electronic component Ep (for example, the tip 5c in FIG. 24).

(Trowel removal unit UT1)
FIG. 5 shows a top view and a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the top view of the trowel removal unit UT1. The trowel removal unit UT1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5. The trowel removal unit UT1 has a bottom wall 811 having a rectangular top view, a rear wall 812 extending upward from one end in the Y direction of the bottom wall 811 and upward from the other end in the Y direction of the bottom wall 811. A plate-shaped movement blocking of the main body 81 having the extending front wall 813 and the upper end of the rear wall 812 of the main body 81 protruding in the direction of the front wall 813 perpendicular to the rear wall 812 from the center in the X direction. It has a part 82. As shown in FIG. 5B, the front wall 813 has a shorter vertical length than the rear wall 812, and the trowel tip 5a attached to the recess 421 of the heater block 42 enters the trowel removal unit UT1. It is possible. The upper surface of the bottom wall 811 has a horizontal portion 811a whose length is horizontal from the front wall 813 toward the rear wall 812, and an inclined portion 811b which is inclined upward toward the rear wall 812 following the horizontal portion 811a. Have. The length of the horizontal portion 811a of the bottom wall 811 in the Y direction is the same as or slightly larger than the diameter of the trowel tip 5a.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the movement blocking portion 82 has a rectangular shape in the top view, and is a rectangle having a width D and a length L from the substantially central portion of the end edge on the front wall 813 side in the X direction toward the rear wall side. A notch 820 is formed, which is shaped like a semicircle at the end of the wall. The width D of the notch 820 is set to be smaller than the outer diameter of the large diameter portion 55 of the trowel tip 5a and larger than the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 56. Further, the length L of the notch 820 is set to be longer than the outer diameter of the large diameter portion 55.

The main body portion 81 of the trowel removal unit UT1 and the movement blocking portion 82 may be integrally formed, or may be assembled after being molded. The material of the trowel removal unit UT1 is not particularly limited as long as it has heat resistance, and conventionally known materials can be used.

(Trowel mounting unit UT2)
FIG. 6 shows a top view and a sectional view taken along line BB of the top view of the trowel mounting unit UT2. The trowel-mounted unit UT2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 6. The trowel mounting unit UT2 has a rectangular parallelepiped main body 90 whose vertical height is longer than the axial length of the large diameter portion 55 of the trowel 5a, and a substantially central portion in the Y direction formed on the upper surface of the main body 90. It has three support holes 95 into which the tip 5a can be inserted at predetermined intervals in the X direction. The inner diameter of the support hole 95 is set to be the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the large diameter portion 55 of the trowel tip 5a. Further, the depth of the support hole 95 is set to be the same as or slightly shorter than the axial length of the large diameter portion 55 of the trowel tip 5a.

In the trowel mounting unit UT2 of the present embodiment, three support holes 95 are formed at predetermined intervals in the X direction, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a plurality of support holes 95 are formed in the X direction and the Y direction. Of course, it does not matter if the support hole 95 is provided. A large diameter portion 55 of the replacement trowel tip 5a is inserted into the support hole 95 in these support holes 95, and the small diameter portion 56 is prepared for replacement of the trowel tip 5a in an exposed state. The material of the trowel mounting unit UT2 is not particularly limited, and conventionally known materials can be used, but when the replacement trowel tip 5a described later is preheated, it is necessary to use a material having heat resistance.

(Removal of trowel tip)
The operation of removing the tip of the soldering device AP will be described. 7 to 10 show a process diagram of the operation of removing the trowel tip from the soldering apparatus AP. As shown in FIG. 7, the control means Cont controls the rotational operation of the articulated arm Am of the manipulator ML, and the small diameter portion 56 (shown in FIG. 4) of the trowel tip 5a of the apparatus main body A1 is a trowel removal unit. It is moved so as to engage in the notch 820 of the movement blocking portion 82 of the UT1. Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the control means Cont supplies electric power to the solenoid 72 and draws the plunger 722 into the main body 721 against the elastic force of the compression coil spring 74. As a result, the engagement between the engaging hole 52 of the trowel tip 5a and the tip end portion of the plunger 722 is released, and the trowel tip 5a can be removed from the recess 421 of the heater block 42. Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the control means Cont moves the apparatus main body A1 upward. At this time, the step 54 of the trowel tip 5a abuts on the lower surface of the notch 820 of the movement blocking portion 82 to prevent the trowel tip 5a from moving further upward, and the device main body A1 rises as the trowel tip 5a rises. The relative distance between the trowel tip 5a and the trowel tip 5a increases, and the trowel tip 5a comes off from the recess 421 of the heater block 42. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the removed trowel tip 5a rolls down the inclined portion 811b of the bottom wall 811 of the trowel tip removing unit UT1 and is stored in the horizontal portion 811a.

The control means Cont supplies power to the solenoid 72 to pull the plunger 722 into the main body 721 against the elastic force of the compression coil spring 74, and the engagement hole 52 of the trowel tip 5a and the tip of the plunger 722. The trowel tip 5a may fall from the recess 421 of the heater block 42 due to its own weight due to the disengagement with the trowel tip 5a, but normally, the trowel tip 5a is heated to 300 ° C. or higher and thermally expands. Therefore, it is useful to remove the trowel tip removing unit UT1 by using the movement blocking portion 82.

(Mounting operation of the trowel tip)
The operation of attaching the tip of the soldering device AP will be described. 11 to 13 show a process diagram of the operation of attaching the trowel tip to the semi-device main body A1. As shown in FIG. 11, the control means Cont controls the rotational operation of the articulated arm Am of the manipulator ML, and the recess 421 of the heater block 42 is prepared in the trowel mounting unit UT2 for a desired replacement trowel. Above the tip 5a, move it to a position where the central axis of the replacement trowel tip 5a and the central axis of the recess 421 of the heater block 42 coincide with each other. Then, the control means Cont supplies electric power to the solenoid 72 and draws the plunger 722 into the main body 721 against the elastic force of the compression coil spring 74. As a result, the tip of the plunger 722 is immersed in the through hole 423 from the inner peripheral wall of the recess 421 of the heater block 42, and the small diameter portion 56 of the trowel tip can enter the recess 421.

Next, as shown in FIG. 12, the control means Cont moves the apparatus main body A1 downward. As a result, the recess 421 of the heater block 42 engages with the small diameter portion 56 of the replacement trowel tip 5a. Then, the movement of the apparatus main body A1 is stopped at a position where the upper surface of the replacement trowel tip 5a and the inner top surface of the recess 421 are in contact with each other or close to each other. At this time, the through hole 423 of the heater block 42 and the engaging hole 52 of the replacement trowel tip face each other. Then, the control means Cont stops the power supply to the solenoid 72. Then, the plunger 722 protrudes from the main body 721 due to the elastic force of the compression coil spring 74, and the tip of the plunger 722 enters the through hole 423 of the replacement trowel tip 5a from the inner peripheral wall of the recess 421 to enter the replacement trowel tip. 5a is held by the heater block 42.

After that, as shown in FIG. 13, the control means Cont moves the apparatus main body A1 upward. Since the replaced trowel tip 5a is held by the heater block 42, it moves upward together with the device main body A1 and separates from the main body 90 of the trowel mounting unit UT2. After that, the apparatus main body A1 performs a predetermined soldering operation.

In this embodiment, the replacement trowel tip 5a is attached by moving the device main body A1, but the trowel mounting unit UT2 is moved, or both the device main body A1 and the trowel mounting unit UT2 are moved. The replacement trowel tip 5a may be attached by allowing the trowel tip 5a to be attached. Further, when the replacement iron tip 5a was attached to the recess 421 of the heater block 42, electric power was supplied to the solenoid 72 to pull the plunger 722 into the main body 721 against the elastic force of the compression coil spring 74. For example, by making the tip of the plunger 722 an inclined surface inclined in a direction away from the main body 721 from the lower side to the upper side, or by making it a spherical surface, the replacement iron tip without supplying electric power to the solenoid 72. When the upper end of 5a comes into contact with the tip end portion of the plunger 722, a force for moving the plunger 722 to the main body portion 721 may be applied to the plunger 722.
Further, in order to facilitate the insertion of the trowel tip 5a into the recess 421, each end portion may be chamfered, or the trowel tip mounting unit UT2 may be provided with an automatic alignment mechanism (compliance mechanism). Further, even if the upper part of the replacement trowel tip 5a is covered with a protective cover to remove the protective cover before the replacement, or the replacement trowel tip 5a is blown with an air flow before the replacement to remove foreign matter. good.

FIG. 14 shows a control flowchart for trowel replacement of the semi-device main body A1. When the apparatus main body A1 performs the soldering work (step S101), the number of soldering times is integrated (step S102). Then, it is determined whether or not the accumulated number of soldering times exceeds the set predetermined number of times (step S103). When the total number of soldering times exceeds a predetermined number, the trowel tip 5a is removed from the recess 421 of the heater block 42 in the trowel tip removing unit UT1 (step S104). Then, the trowel tip 5a to be replaced is selected by the control means Cont (step S105). Next, a new trowel tip 5a is attached to the trowel tip attachment unit UT2 (S106), and the number of times the new trowel tip 5a is used and the initial value are set (step S107). After that, it is determined in step S108 whether or not the soldering work is completed, and if the soldering work is not completed, the process returns to step S101 and the soldering work is performed. Further, even when the total number of times of soldering is less than the predetermined number in step S103, it is determined in step S108 whether or not the soldering work is completed, and if the soldering work is not completed, the process returns to step S101 and the soldering work is completed. Is performed, and when the soldering work is completed, the control is terminated.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 15 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the apparatus main body A1. The difference from the apparatus main body A1 of the first embodiment is the mounting holding portion 7b that holds the tip of the trowel mounted in the recess 421 of the heater block 42. Hereinafter, the mounting / holding portion 7b, which is different from the first embodiment, will be described.

The mounting holding portion 7b is composed of a receiving portion 75 extending downward from the side end of the cutter lower blade 22 and a contact portion 76 provided on the trowel tip 5b. The lower end surface of the receiving portion 75 comes into contact with the abutting portion 76.

The contact portion 76 is a rod-shaped member attached to the outer surface of the trowel tip 5b and extending outward in the radial direction. The contact portion 76 is fixed to the trowel tip 5b, and examples of the fixing method include, but are not limited to, screwing and press fitting. A fixing method that does not loosen or break when the trowel tip 5 is heated and the temperature rises can be widely adopted.

A magnet (for example, ferrite, neodymium magnet, etc.) 751 is attached to the tip of the receiving portion 75, and the contact portion 76 is formed of a ferromagnetic material such as iron, nickel, and cobalt. That is, the magnetic force of the magnet 751 provided at the tip of the receiving portion 75 exerts a pulling force on the receiving portion 75 on the abutting portion 76 formed of the ferromagnet. Although a permanent magnet is used as a magnet here, an electromagnet may be used. However, when an electromagnet is used, the electromagnet always needs to be energized in order to maintain the mounted state of the trowel tip 5b and the trowel tip holding portion 4. From the viewpoint of energy saving, those using permanent magnets are preferable.

The contact portion 76 is formed so as to be in contact with the receiving portion 75 when the trowel tip 5b is inserted into the recess 421. When the contact portion 76 and the receiving portion 75 come into contact with each other, the contact portion 76 is pulled by the magnetic force of the magnet 751. Due to this magnetic force, the upward pulling force acting on the contact portion 76 also acts on the trowel tip 5b. In the mounting holding portion 7, the magnet 751 and the contact portion 76 are configured so that the upward pulling force acting on the trowel tip 5b becomes stronger than the gravity, and the trowel tip 5b is fixed to the recess 421.

In the apparatus main body A1 having such a configuration, the trowel tip 5b can be removed and attached in the same manner as in the first embodiment by using the trowel tip removing unit UT1 and the trowel tip mounting unit UT2.

First, in the removal of the trowel tip 5b of the device main body A1, as shown in FIG. 16, the control means Cont controls the rotational operation of the articulated arm Am of the manipulator ML, and the small diameter portion of the trowel tip 5b of the device main body A1 is removed. 56 is engaged with the notch 820 of the movement blocking portion 82 of the trowel removal unit UT1. Next, as shown in FIG. 17, the control means Cont moves the apparatus main body A1 upward. At this time, the step 54 of the trowel tip 5b abuts on the lower surface of the peripheral surface of the notch 820 of the movement blocking portion 82 to prevent the trowel tip 5a from moving further upward, and the magnet 751 and the abutting portion 76 The trowel tip 5b is disengaged from the recess 421 of the heater block 42 by raising the device main body A1 against the magnetic force of the above. The removed trowel tip 5b rolls down the inclined portion 811b of the bottom wall 811 of the trowel tip removing unit UT1 and is stored in the horizontal portion 811a, as in the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 18, the control means Cont controls the rotational operation of the articulated arm Am of the manipulator ML, and the recess 421 of the heater block 42 attaches the trowel tip 5b to the apparatus main body A1. Above the desired replacement trowel tip 5b prepared in the unit UT2, the central axis of the replacement trowel tip 5b is moved to a position where the central axis of the recess 421 of the heater block 42 coincides with each other. Then, the control means Cont moves the device main body A1 downward. As a result, the recess 421 of the heater block 42 engages with the small diameter portion 56 of the replacement trowel tip 5b. Then, as shown in FIG. 19, the movement of the apparatus main body A1 is stopped at a position where the upper surface of the replacement trowel tip 5b and the inner top surface of the recess 421 are in contact with each other or close to each other. At this time, the magnet 751 and the contact portion 76 are opposed to each other, and the replacement trowel tip 5b is held by the heater block 42 by the magnetic force between the magnet 751 and the contact portion 76. After that, the control means Cont moves the apparatus main body A1 upward. Since the replacement trowel tip 5b is held by the heater block 42, it moves upward together with the device main body A1 and separates from the main body 90 of the trowel mounting unit UT2. After that, the apparatus main body A1 performs a predetermined soldering operation.

In the soldering position AP of the present embodiment, by rotating the trowel tip 5b around the central axis, the receiving portion 75 and the abutting portion 76 are separated from each other, and the trowel tip 5b is removed from the recess 421 of the heater block 42. You may do it.

(Other embodiments)
(Cooling of used trowel tip)
The used trowel tip removed by the trowel removal unit UT1 has a high heat of about 300 ° C. immediately after the soldering work, so that the trowel tip cannot be moved from the trowel removal unit UT1 for a while. In addition, the worker may accidentally touch the tip of the trowel whose temperature has not dropped sufficiently. Therefore, the trowel removal unit UT1 may be provided with a cooling means. FIG. 20 shows an example of the cooling means. The cooling means Co1 shown in this figure has a nozzle 96 that injects a cooling gas, such as air supplied from a supply means (not shown), toward the removed trowel tip 5a. The trowel tip 5a removed by the movement blocking portion 82 of the trowel removal unit UT1 rolls down the inclined portion 811b to reach the horizontal portion 811a and stays here. The nozzle 96 injects a cooling gas onto the trowel tip 5a that remains in the horizontal portion 811a to air-cool the trowel tip 5a. The driving time of the cooling means Co1 may be a preset time, or a sensor for measuring the temperature of the trowel tip 5a is separately provided so as to drive the trowel tip 5a until the temperature becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature. May be good. In addition, a gas cooled to a temperature lower than the outside air may be used as the cooling gas.

FIG. 21 shows another example of the cooling means. The cooling means Co2 shown in this figure has a cooling container 98 provided with a cooling member 97 such as a Pelche element. The cooling container 98 has an internal volume capable of accommodating at least a part of the trowel tip 5a, and is installed in the horizontal portion 811a of the trowel tip removing unit UT1. The trowel tip 5a removed by the movement blocking portion 82 of the trowel removal unit UT1 rolls down the inclined portion 811b and is received in the cooling container 98. The cooling container 98 may be cooled in advance, or may detect that the trowel tip 5a is housed in the cooling container 98 by a sensor (not shown) and start cooling.

(Cleaning of used trowel tips)
Dross (mainly carbide of flux and oxide of solder) adheres to the solder hole 51, the lower surface, and the outer peripheral surface of the lower portion of the used trowel tip 5a removed by the trowel removal unit UT1. When such an deposit is attached to the tip 5a, it becomes difficult to efficiently transfer heat to the solder piece Wh or the like, and proper heating and melting of the solder is hindered. Therefore, in order to reuse the trowel tip 5a, a cleaning operation for removing deposits from the trowel tip 5a is required. Therefore, the trowel removal unit UT1 may be provided with a cleaning means CL, and the trowel tip 5a removed from the apparatus main body A1 may be cleaned by the trowel removal unit UT1. By cleaning the trowel tip 5a in a high temperature state immediately after the soldering work is completed, the temperature rising time can be shortened as compared with the case where the trowel tip 5a that has dropped to room temperature is raised to the cleaning temperature. FIG. 22 shows an example of the trowel removal unit UT1 provided with the cleaning means CL.

In the trowel removal unit UT1, the cleaning means CL is installed below the movement blocking portion 82. The cleaning means CL has a rectangular parallelepiped main body portion 77 and a tubular receiving portion 78 formed on the upper surface of the main body portion 77. An electric heater HT is provided inside the main body 77. The inner diameter of the receiving hole 781 having a circular cross section formed in the axial direction of the receiving portion 78 is set to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the large diameter portion 55 of the trowel tip 5a. The axial depth of the receiving hole 781 is set to a length at which at least a part of the small diameter portion 56 of the trowel tip 5a is exposed upward from the upper surface opening of the receiving hole 781. The peripheral edge of the opening of the receiving hole 781 is an inclined surface that inclines inward toward the lower side in the axial direction. This makes it possible to guide the trowel tip 5a removed by the movement blocking portion 82 to the receiving hole 781 by the inclined surface even if the falling position is slightly off the receiving hole.

When the trowel tip 5a removed by the movement blocking portion 82 is received in the receiving hole 781 of the cleaning means CL, heating of the trowel tip 5a by the electric heater HT is started. Of course, the electric heater HT may be driven before the trowel tip 5a is received. When the trowel tip 5a is heated to, for example, 450 ° C. or higher, deposits such as carbides on the trowel tip 5a are burned and removed. The remaining deposits are mainly metal oxides. The adhesive force between the metal oxide and the trowel tip 5a is weak, and most of them fall naturally due to mechanical vibration or their own weight. It may be removed. The heating temperature of the tip 5a by the electric heater HT is preferably 450 ° C. or higher from the viewpoint of burning the carbides in the deposit in a short time. The heating by the electric heater HT is controlled by the control means Cont so that the temperature is in the range of, for example, 450 ° C. to 650 ° C. Adhesions such as carbides on the tip 5a are considered to burn almost completely when the temperature of 450 ° C to 650 ° C is maintained for about 10 minutes.

(Preheating the replacement trowel tip)
After replacing the trowel tip, it takes a predetermined time to reheat the trowel tip to a temperature at which soldering is possible, and the efficiency of the soldering work by the soldering apparatus AP is lowered. Therefore, the replacement trowel tip may be heated in advance so that the solderable temperature is reached as soon as possible after the replacement. FIG. 23 shows an example of the trowel tip attaching means UT2 provided with the preheating means. The trowel mounting unit UT2 shown in this figure is the same as that described in the first embodiment except that it includes an electric heater HT as a preheating means. As the preheating means that can be used here, a conventionally known heating means other than the electric heater can be used.

The heating control of the replacement trowel tip 5a by the electric heater HT is performed by the control means Cont. For example, the replacement by the electric heater HT is performed from a predetermined time before the trowel replacement time predicted from the number of soldering operations and the integrated time. The tip 5a is heated. The heating temperature is, for example, the trowel tip temperature (about 400 ° C.) at the time of soldering work.

(Asymmetrical trowel tip attachment to the central axis)
When various electronic components are soldered to a wiring board, the tip may not be close to the terminals and wires of the electronic components to be soldered depending on the shape and density of the electronic components. Therefore, in such a case, the shape of the trowel tip is set to various shapes that can be brought close to the terminals and wires of the wiring board according to the shape of the electronic component to be soldered. In such cases, the shape of the trowel tip is often asymmetric with respect to the central axis. FIG. 24 shows an example of a trowel tip 5c that is asymmetric with respect to the central axis. FIG. 24A is a front view of the trowel tip 5c, and FIG. 24B is a bottom view of the trowel tip 5c. The trowel tip 5c shown in FIG. 24 has the same basic configuration as the trowel tip 5a shown in the first embodiment of FIG. 4, but has a D-shaped cross-sectional outer shape perpendicular to the large diameter portion 55 in the axial direction. Such a notch 57 is formed from a substantially central portion in the axial direction to the bottom surface. Further, a positioning hole 58 is formed on the outer periphery of the substantially central portion in the axial direction of the large diameter portion 55 at a position (180 ° in FIG. 24) separated from the notch portion 57 in the circumferential direction by a predetermined angle. The cutout portion 57 of the trowel tip 5c is for avoiding contact with electronic parts or the like when soldering.

Since the trowel tip 5c having such asymmetry needs to be mounted so as to be in a specific direction with respect to the device main body A1, it is also in a specific direction when it is arranged as a replacement trowel tip 5c in the trowel tip mounting unit UT2. Need to be. The trowel mounting unit UT2 shown in FIG. 25 is such that the replacement trowel tip 5c having such asymmetry is always held in a specific direction.

The trowel mounting unit UT2 shown in FIG. 25 has the same basic configuration as the trowel mounting unit UT2 shown in FIG. 6, and its vertical height is longer than the axial length of the large diameter portion 55 of the trowel tip 5c. It has a rectangular body portion 90 and a support hole 95 formed on the upper surface of the main body portion 90 at a substantially central portion in the Y direction and into which a trowel tip can be inserted at predetermined intervals in the X direction. The inner diameter of the support hole 95 is set to be the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the large diameter portion 55 of the trowel tip 5c. The depth of the support hole 95 is set so that at least a part of the small diameter portion 56 of the trowel tip 5c is exposed upward from the upper surface opening of the support hole 95. On the other hand, unlike the trowel mounting unit UT2 of FIG. 6, a through hole 83 is formed which penetrates between the inner peripheral surface of the support hole 95 and the side surface of the main body 90 (the left side surface in FIG. 25). Inside the through hole 83, there is an engagement member 84 that engages with the positioning hole 58 of the tip 5c, and a compression coil spring whose one end abuts on the engagement member 84 to urge the engagement member 84 toward the support hole 95. 86 and a lid member 85 that abuts on the other end of the compression coil spring 86 and closes the side opening of the main body 90 of the through hole 83 are arranged. The opening of the inner peripheral surface of the support hole 95 of the through hole 83 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the hemispherical tip portion of the engagement member 84 and smaller than the outer diameter of the main body of the engagement member 84. The engagement member 84 is always urged in the direction of the support hole 95 by the elastic force of the compression coil spring 86, and when the tip 5c is not inserted into the support hole 95, the hemispherical tip portion of the engagement member 84 Is held so as to project inward from the inner peripheral wall of the support hole 95.

When the trowel tip 5c is inserted into the support hole 95 and the lower end peripheral edge of the trowel tip 5c abuts on the hemispherical tip of the engaging member 84, the engaging member 84 is elastic of the compression coil spring 86 due to the outer peripheral surface of the trowel tip 5c. It immerses itself in the through hole 83 against the force, and the trowel tip 5c can be further inserted below the support hole 95. Then, the trowel tip 5c is completely attached to the support hole 95. At this time, if the trowel tip 5c faces in a predetermined direction, the positioning hole 58 of the trowel tip 5c is located at a position facing the engaging member 84, and the tip portion of the engaging member 84 engages in the positioning hole 58. The trowel tip 5c is supported by the support hole 95 in a predetermined direction. On the other hand, when the trowel tip 5c is not oriented in a predetermined direction in the support hole 95, the positioning hole 58 of the trowel tip 5c is not located at a position facing the engaging member 84, and the engaging member 84 has the trowel tip 5c. The state of being pressed by the outer peripheral surface of the trowel and being immersed in the through hole 83 is maintained. In this case, the trowel tip 5c has a central axis in the support hole 95 so that the positioning hole 58 of the trowel tip 5c is located at a position facing the engaging member 84, that is, the trowel tip 5c faces in a predetermined direction. Rotated to the center. When the positioning hole 58 of the trowel tip 5c is located at a position facing the engaging member 84, the tip of the engaging member 84 engages with the positioning hole 58 by the elastic force of the compression coil spring 86 and is the center of the trowel tip 5c. Rotation about the axis becomes impossible, and the trowel tip 5c is supported by the support hole 95 in a predetermined direction.

The attachment of the trowel tip 5c thus supported by the trowel attachment unit UT2 to the apparatus main body A1 is the same as the attachment operation in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 13. The engagement state between the engagement member 84 and the positioning hole 58 of the iron tip 5c is such that when the iron tip 5c is pulled upward from the support hole 95 as the apparatus main body A1 rises, the hemispherical tip of the engagement member 84 The portion abuts on the lower inner wall of the positioning hole 58, and the engaging member 84 immerses itself in the through hole 83 against the elastic force of the compression coil spring 86, so that the trowel tip 5c moves upward of the support hole 95. Further movement is possible.

(Detection of the presence or absence of a replacement trowel tip in the trowel mounting unit UT2)
FIG. 26 shows an example of the device main body A1 capable of detecting the presence or absence of a replacement trowel tip in the trowel mounting unit UT2. The apparatus main body A1 shown in this figure is provided with a camera CM as a detection means on the lower side surface of the horizontal portion 712 of the mounting base portion 71. The camera CM is capable of photographing a state near the lower part of the recess 421 of the heater block 42. As shown in the figure, when the support hole 95 of the trowel mounting unit UT2 does not have a replacement trowel tip, the control means Cont determines that the trowel mounting unit UT2 does not have a replacement trowel tip based on the image from the camera CM. Notify the operator by means of notification. At the same time, the control means Cont stops the attachment operation of the replacement trowel tip of the apparatus main body A1.

It is also possible to detect the presence or absence of the replacement trowel tip in the trowel mounting unit UT2 by another method. For example, a sensor such as a touch sensor or a photo interrupter may be provided on the inner peripheral surface or the bottom surface of the support hole 95 to detect the presence or absence of a replacement trowel tip by an on / off signal.

(Identification of replacement trowel tip)
FIG. 27 shows a trowel tip 5a on which the two-dimensional code M1 as an individual information display is printed on the side peripheral surface and the arrow M2 as a mounting direction display is printed on the upper surface. 27 (a) is a top view of the trowel tip 5a, and FIG. 27 (b) is a front view of the trowel tip. The storage means RAM (shown in FIG. 28) of the control means Cont stores the usage history information of the trowel tip 5a corresponding to the two-dimensional code M1 printed on the trowel tip 5a. Further, the camera CM provided in the apparatus main body A1 shown in FIG. 26 not only detects the presence or absence of the replacement trowel tip, but also detects the presence or absence of the replacement trowel tip, and also uses the two-dimensional code MA1 of the replacement trowel tip prepared in the trowel mounting unit UT2. It is also used as a reading means for reading.

When the replacement trowel tip 5a is attached to the apparatus main body A1, the two-dimensional code M1 of each trowel tip prepared in the trowel attachment unit UT2 is read by the camera CM of the apparatus main body A1. The control means Cont reads the usage history information of each trowel tip from the storage means RAM based on the two-dimensional code M1 read by the camera CM, determines the suitability of the trowel tip to be attached to the device main body A1, and determines the desired trowel tip. The device body A1 is moved and controlled so that the device body A1 can be attached to the device body A1. At this time, if the trowel tip is directionally attached, the control means Cont is based on the arrow M2 on the upper surface of the trowel photographed by the camera CM so that the trowel tip can be attached to the device body A1 in a predetermined direction. Move control of A1. In addition, usage history information such as the number of trowel tip half-attachment operations and the number of replacements is sequentially updated and stored in the storage means RAM. If the camera CM cannot be read by the two-dimensional code M1 when the trowel tip is replaced and attached, the control means Cont notifies the operator by the notification means, and at the same time, the operation of attaching the replacement trowel tip of the apparatus main body A1. To stop.

(Control means Cont)
FIG. 28 shows a block diagram of the control means Cont. The control means Cont stores a central processing unit CPU that performs arithmetic processing according to a control program, a storage means ROM (read-only memory) that stores a control program, and individual information such as usage history of each iron tip and arithmetic results. It includes a storage means RAM (random access memory), an input interface, and an output interface. From the input interface of the control means Cont configured in this way, detection signals such as an image signal from the camera CM and the tip temperature are input from each sensor. Further, the preheating temperature of the replacement trowel tip, the number of soldering operations at the tip replacement time, and the like are input from the setting input means. On the other hand, a control signal is output from the output interface to a manipulator, a cooling means, a cleaning means, a preheating means, a solenoid, a notification means such as a notification buzzer lamp, and the like.

Further, in the present embodiment, the printed circuit board Bd is fixed and the trowel tip 5a is moved, but the trowel tip 5a may be fixed and the printed circuit board Bd may be moved. Alternatively, both the printed circuit board Bd and the trowel tip 5a may be moved.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to this content. Further, the embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention.

AP soldering device A1 device body CL cleaning means CM camera (detection means, reading means)
Co1, Co2 Cooling means Cont Control means HT Electric heater (heating means)
M1 2D code (individual information display)
M2 arrow (mounting direction display)
UT1 Trowel removal unit UT2 Trowel mounting unit 4 Heater unit 41 Heater 42 Heater block 421 Recess 422 Solder supply hole 423 Through holes 5a, 5b, 5c Trowel tip 51 Solder hole 52 Engagement hole (engagement recess)
54 Step 55 Large diameter part 56 Small diameter part 57 Notch part 58 Positioning holes 7a, 7b Mounting holding part 71 Mounting base 72 Solenoid (driving part)
722 Plunger (fixing pin)
75 Receiving part 751 Magnet 76 Abuting part 77 Main body part 78 Receiving part 781 Receiving hole 82 Movement blocking part 820 Notch 83 Through hole 84 Engagement member 85 Lid member 86 Compression coil spring 90 Main body part 95 Support hole 96 Nozzle 97 Pelche element ( Cooling member)
98 Cooling container

Claims (14)

A tubular trowel tip with a through hole that extends in the axial direction and supplies thread solder,
A trowel mounting portion having a recess where the trowel tip can be attached and detached,
A mounting holding portion that holds the mounting state in which the trowel tip is inserted into the recess,
A control unit that controls the movement of the trowel mounting unit,
It is a soldering device equipped with
A trowel removal unit that removes a used trowel tip from the recess of the trowel mounting portion, and a trowel removal unit.
A trowel mounting unit in which a trowel tip is arranged and the trowel tip is mounted in the recess of the trowel mounting portion.
Equipped with
A soldering device characterized in that the trowel removal unit and the trowel mounting unit are provided as separate bodies. The mounting holding portion
Engagement recesses formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the used trowel tip and the replacement trowel tip,
The fixing pin inserted into the engaging recess and
A drive unit that selectively moves the fixing pin to an action position inserted into the engagement recess and a non-action position not inserted into the engagement recess.
Have,
The control unit also controls the drive of the drive unit,
The control unit controls the drive unit, and the fixing pin moves from the working position to the non-acting position to remove the used trowel tip from the recess of the trowel mounting portion and to the recess. The first aspect of claim 1, wherein the replacement trowel tip can be inserted and the fixing pin moves from the non-acting position to the working position so that the replacement trowel tip is held in the recess of the trowel mounting portion. Soldering device. The soldering device according to claim 2, wherein when the fixing pin moves from the working position to the non-working position, the used trowel tip is detached from the recess of the trowel mounting portion by its own weight. The trowel removal unit has a movement blocking portion that engages with the trowel tip to prevent the trowel tip from moving.
The control unit controls the drive unit in a state where the used trowel tip is engaged with the movement blocking unit to move the fixing pin from the working position to the non-working position, and the used trowel tip. 2. The soldering apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the trowel mounting portion is moved in the axial direction of the trowel and in a direction away from the used trowel tip, and the used trowel tip is removed from the recess of the trowel mounting portion. The mounting holding part
The receiving portion provided on the trowel mounting portion and the receiving portion
The used trowel tip and the replacement trowel tip are provided with a contact portion facing the receiving portion.
One of the receiving portion or the abutting portion has a magnet, and the other has a portion formed of a ferromagnet or a portion provided with a magnet.
The used trowel tip or the replacement trowel tip is held in the recess of the trowel mounting portion by the magnetic force acting between the receiving portion and the abutting portion.
The trowel removal unit has a movement blocking portion that engages with the used trowel tip to prevent the used trowel tip from moving.
The control unit moves the soldering tip mounting portion in the axial direction of the used trowel tip and in the direction away from the used trowel tip in a state where the used trowel tip is engaged with the movement blocking section. The soldering device according to claim 1, wherein the used trowel tip is removed from the recess of the trowel mounting portion against the magnetic force. The control unit moves the trowel mounting portion to the trowel mounting unit, inserts the replacement trowel tip into the recess of the trowel mounting portion, and inserts the replacement trowel tip.
5. According to claim 5, the replacement trowel tip is magnetically held by the trowel mounting portion when the contact portion of the replacement trowel tip approaches or comes into contact with the receiving portion of the trowel mounting portion. The soldering device described. The used trowel tip has a protrusion or a step on the outer peripheral surface, and the used trowel tip has a protrusion or a step portion.
The movement blocking portion has an engaging portion that engages with the protrusion or the step portion of the used trowel tip.
The protruding portion or the stepped portion of the used trowel and the engaging portion have the engaging portion on the upstream side in the removal direction of the used trowel tip from the protruding portion or the stepped portion of the trowel tip. Engage in position and
4. Soldering device described in the trowel. The soldering device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the trowel removing unit has a cooling means for cooling a used trowel tip removed from the recess of the trowel mounting portion. The soldering apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the trowel removing unit comprises a cleaning means for cleaning a used trowel tip removed from the recess of the trowel mounting portion. The trowel replacement device according to claim 9, wherein the cleaning means heats the used trowel tip and incinerates and removes deposits. The soldering apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the trowel mounting unit comprises a preheating means for preheating an arranged replacement trowel tip. The soldering device according to claim 11, wherein the preheating means is operated by the control unit from a predetermined time before the used trowel tip is replaced with the replacement trowel tip. The trowel mounting unit has a detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of the replacement trowel.
The solder according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein when the detection means detects that the trowel mounting unit does not have the replacement trowel tip, the notification means notifies that the trowel tip attachment unit does not have the replacement trowel tip. Attaching device. A reading means for reading the individual information display displayed on the outer surface of the replacement trowel tip, and
A storage means for storing the data of the replacement trowel tip corresponding to the individual information display, and
Further prepare
When attaching the replacement trowel tip to the tip mounting portion, the control unit reads the data of the replacement trowel tip from the storage means based on the individual information display read by the reading means, and the replacement. The soldering apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, which determines the suitability of a trowel tip.

Images