JPH0758446A - Flux coater - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To secure the stable flux feed amount regardless of making a gap between a coating member and a printed board for enhancing the endurance and the reliability while securing the even coated state. CONSTITUTION:Within the flux coater, flux F is contained in a syringe 1 freely movably supported in vertical and horizontal directions, a nozzle 10 provided with a conduction part 14 conducting the flux F in the syringe 1 is provided in the syringe end part to be made to communicate with the conduction part of this nozzle 10 further to impregnate the nozzle end part with the flux F led from the conduction part 14, next, at least either one out of a sponge 15 and a brush attaches a selected coating member to be brought into slide-contact with an electrode pattern for coating it with a rated amount of the flux X before an electronic component is soldered after the electrode pattern of a printed board.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coating device for applying a flux for preventing oxidation prior to soldering an electronic component to an electrode pattern which is a predetermined portion of a printed circuit board.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In mounting an IC component, which is an electronic component, on a printed circuit board, an electrode pattern is provided at a predetermined position on the printed circuit board, flux is applied to the electrode pattern to prevent oxidation, and then the IC component is mounted. It is designed to solder the leads of.

Recently, there is a tendency that a large number of leads project from an IC component at a narrow pitch, and also in the electrode pattern of the printed circuit board described above, a large number of electrodes are arranged in parallel at a narrow pitch. .

However, since the above-mentioned flux is a liquid having a low viscosity, when the flux is applied to the electrode pattern, the flux easily diffuses more than necessary. Therefore, conventionally, a coating device has been adopted for the purpose of coating the flux only on the electrode pattern.

For example, there is a coating device as shown in FIG. In this, the opening end of the syringe 1 for storing the flux F is directed downward, and the nozzle 3 having the pores 2 is fitted therein. Further, the nozzle 3 is attached to a holder 4 which constitutes a drive mechanism.

The nozzle 3 is lowered together with the syringe 1, the tip of the nozzle 3 is made to face the electrode pattern 5 formed on the printed board P with a narrow gap, and the flux F in the syringe 1 is filled with air. Is supplied, the flux F is dropped from the tip of the nozzle 3 and applied to the electrode pattern 5.

The holder 4 moves the tip of the nozzle 3 along the electrode pattern 5 at a constant speed to apply the required minimum amount of flux F. After the coating, it rises and waits for the transport of another electrode pattern or the printed circuit board P.

A flux applicator as shown in FIG. 4 is also used. This is one in which a swab 6 is vertically attached to the holder 4. The lower end cotton portion 6a of the cotton swab 6 is once immersed in the flux F of the flux storage container 7 arranged in the vicinity thereof, and is reciprocally driven between the cotton swab 6 and the electrode pattern 5 of the printed circuit board P. That is, the swab 6 is impregnated with the flux F, moved onto the printed circuit board P, and slidably contacts the electrode pattern 5 to apply the flux F.

[0009]

However, there are problems in each of the conventional flux applicators. That is, in the apparatus shown in FIG. 3, the narrow gap between the tip of the nozzle 3 and the printed circuit board P must be maintained during the coating operation.

For example, if the gap is too large, the width of the applied flux F becomes uneven. Further, since the printed circuit board P has a warp or undulation, if the gap is too small, the tip of the nozzle 3 may contact the substrate P, and the electrode pattern 5 is naturally damaged.

If the amount of flux supplied from the nozzle 3 is not constant and there is unevenness, the coating width is not constant and unevenness occurs. When air is mixed into the flux F when it is supplied from the syringe 1, the air moves to the pores 2 of the nozzle 3 to easily interrupt the supply of the flux F, resulting in low reliability.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 4, the application amount becomes large only after the swab 6 is impregnated with the flux F, and the application amount is suddenly reduced thereafter. That is, the applied amount is not uniform and a stable applied state cannot be obtained. Also,
It is necessary to replace it in a short time because the cotton shavings will easily come off when applied and have no durability.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to make it unnecessary to bring a coating member into contact with a printed circuit board, which is a member to be coated, and use nerves to maintain a gap. An object of the present invention is to provide a flux coating device that secures a stable flux supply amount and achieves a uniform coating state with improved durability and reliability.

[0014]

A flux applying apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a nozzle having a conducting portion for conducting flux, and means for supplying the flux to the conducting portion of the nozzle. The coating means is provided so as to communicate with each other, is impregnated with the flux, and the flux is applied to a predetermined portion formed on the member to be coated.

The flux applying apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention stores the flux in a syringe that is movably supported in the vertical and horizontal directions, and has a conducting portion at the end of the syringe for conducting the flux in the syringe. Prior to soldering the electronic component to the electrode pattern of the printed circuit board, a nozzle is provided, which is connected to the conductive portion of the nozzle, and a coating member for impregnating the flux guided from the conductive portion is attached to the tip of the nozzle. A coating member is slidably contacted with the electrode pattern to apply the flux quantitatively. At least one of a sponge and a brush is selected as the application member.

[0016]

In the first aspect of the invention, the flux is supplied to the conducting portion of the nozzle, the coating means protruding from the nozzle is impregnated with the flux introduced from the conducting portion, and the flux is applied to a predetermined portion of the printed circuit board.

In the second invention, the flux is stored in the syringe and is guided to the nozzle provided at the end of the syringe. The flux is introduced into and impregnated into the coating member (at least one of the sponge material and the brush) attached to the tip of the nozzle. Prior to soldering an electronic component to an electrode pattern on a printed circuit board, a coating member is brought into sliding contact with the electrode pattern to quantitatively apply flux.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It is a flux coating device as shown in FIG. Reference numeral 1 in the drawing is a syringe which is a flux supply means, and stores the flux F therein. This syringe 1
The upper part (not shown) is communicated with the air supply source. The lower end is an opening, and the upper end of the nozzle 10 is fitted through the connector 9.

The connecting tool 9 is attached to a holder 4 which constitutes a drive mechanism (not shown). The drive mechanism can move the syringe 1 and the nozzle 10 together with the holder vertically and horizontally.

The nozzle 10 is composed of two upper and lower nozzles 1.
The upper nozzle 11A, which is composed of 1A and 11B and is directly fitted to the connector 9, is provided with a through hole 12 having a diameter slightly smaller than the lower end opening diameter of the syringe 1, and the lower nozzle 11B is even smaller. The diameter communicating hole 13 is continuously provided. These conducting holes 12 and 13 form a conducting portion 14 provided in the nozzle 10.

Further, the lower end of the lower nozzle 11B is formed in a concave shape along the axis, and the sponge 15 as a coating member is formed therein.
However, it is fitted with the lower end thereof protruding from the end of the nozzle 10. That is, the upper end surface of the sponge 11 faces the conduction hole 13.

In the flux coating device thus constructed, the printed circuit board P positioned at a predetermined position.
The holder 4 is moved with respect to the electrode pattern 5 which is a predetermined position of the and is lowered. The syringe 1 and the nozzle 10 descend together with the holder 4, and the sponge 15 at the tip of the nozzle 10 contacts the electrode pattern 5.

In this state, the flux F in the syringe 1
Air is supplied to the substrate and the sponge 15 is moved along the electrode pattern 5. The flux F is supplied from the syringe 1 to the sponge 15 through the respective conductive holes 12 and 13, and the end of the sponge 15 is brought into sliding contact with the electrode pattern 5 to apply the flux F.

That is, the sponge 15 is always impregnated with a fixed amount of the flux F, and the end portion of the sponge 15 is slidably contacted with the electrode pattern 5, whereby the required minimum amount of the flux F is obtained.
Is dispensed and applied.

Unlike the conventional case, it is not necessary to maintain the gap between the printed circuit board P and the coating member, which saves labor. Even if the printed circuit board P is warped or undulated, it can be absorbed by the elastic deformation of the sponge 15 itself, and the applied amount is stabilized.

Even if the amount of the flux F supplied from the nozzle 10 to the sponge 15 is uneven, since the flux F is once impregnated in the sponge 15, the amount applied to the electrode pattern 5 is constant.

In particular, even if air is mixed into the conduction holes 12 and 13 and the supply of the flux F is interrupted,
The flux F impregnated in the sponge 15 can be continuously supplied, and there is no immediate effect.

The sponge 15 has excellent durability, and the shape change of the protruding end portion is small even during long-term use, and stable application can be performed. A flux coating device as shown in FIG. 2 may be used.

The holder 4 connected to the drive mechanism and the syringe 1 for storing the flux F may be the same as those described above with reference to FIG. The nozzle 10A itself is basically the same, but a brush 16 is adopted here as an application member attached to this lower end portion.

That is, the upper end of the brush 16 is fitted and fixed to the lower end of the nozzle 10A. The lower end portion, which is the tip of the brush 16, projects from the nozzle 10A. By supplying air to the syringe 1, the flux F is supplied to the brush 16 via the conducting portion 14 and impregnated therein.

The drive mechanism is operated to bring the tips of the brushes 16 into contact with the electrode patterns 5 on the printed circuit board P, and to move and urge the brushes 16 along the electrode patterns 5. The flux F is supplied from the brush 16 to the electrode pattern 5, and the flux F is applied to the electrode pattern 5.

Even in such a structure, the brush 16 is always impregnated with a fixed amount of the flux F, and the required minimum amount of the flux F can be applied by the tip of the brush slidingly contacting the electrode pattern 5.

It is not necessary to maintain the gap between the printed board P and the coating member as in the conventional case, and it does not take time and effort. Even if the printed circuit board P is warped or undulated, it can be absorbed by the elastic deformation of the brush 16 itself, and the applied amount is stabilized.

Even if the amount of flux supplied from the nozzle 10A to the brush 16 is uneven, since the brush F is once impregnated with the flux F, the amount applied to the electrode pattern 5 is constant.

In particular, even if air is mixed into the conducting portion 14 and the supply of the flux F is interrupted, the flux F impregnated in the brush 16 can be continuously supplied, and there is no immediate effect.

Since the brush 16 has excellent durability, there is little change in the shape of the tips during use, and stable application can be performed for a long time. Although the printed circuit board P is fixed and the sponge 15 and the brush 16 which are application members are moved to apply the flux F to the electrode pattern 5 in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the coating member may be fixed and the printed circuit board P may be moved to draw the coating pattern.

Further, it suffices that a means capable of supplying a constant flux to the sponge 15 and the brush 16 which are application members is provided, and the shape structure of the nozzles 10 and 10A is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. Further, it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention, the coating member is brought into contact with the printed circuit board, which is the member to be coated, to apply the flux, so that the gap between the coating member and the printed circuit board is maintained. No need to use nerves, making work easier.

Moreover, since the coating member is once impregnated with the flux to perform the coating, the flux supply can be stabilized and a uniform coating state can always be obtained. The coating member can absorb warpage and undulation of the printed circuit board, and has effects such as improvement in durability and reliability.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a part of a flux coating device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a part of a flux coating device showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a part of a flux coating device showing a conventional example of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a part of a flux coating device showing a still another conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

P ... Printed circuit board, 5 ... Electrode pattern, F ... Flux, 1 ... Syringe, 14 ... Conductive part, 10, 10A ... Nozzle, 15 ... Sponge, 16 ... Brush.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hideo Chikaoka 33, Shinisogo-cho, Isogo-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A flux applying apparatus for applying a flux to a predetermined portion formed on a member to be coated, the nozzle having a conducting portion for conducting the flux, and means for supplying the flux to the conducting portion of the nozzle. A flux coating device comprising: a coating unit that is connected to the conductive portion of the nozzle and that is impregnated with flux and that is provided so as to project from the nozzle. 2. A flux applicator for quantitatively applying a flux to the electrode pattern before soldering an electronic part to the electrode pattern formed on a printed circuit board, storing the flux and moving it vertically and horizontally. A syringe that is freely supported, a nozzle that is provided in this syringe and that has a conducting portion that conducts the flux in the syringe, and a nozzle that communicates with the conducting portion of this nozzle and that has its end protruding and attached. A flux coating device comprising: a coating member which is impregnated with a flux guided from a conducting portion, and a protruding end portion of the flux is slidably contacted with the electrode pattern to quantitatively coat the flux. 3. The flux applying device according to claim 2, wherein the applying member is at least one of a sponge and a brush.