JPH11312864A - Carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify the maintenance of a carrier by making the cleaning work of a rotary mechanism unnecessary by preventing the adhesion of flux to the mechanism. SOLUTION: A carrier is provided with a substrate holding piece 30 attached to the surfaces of an outer frame formed of two pairs of frame materials mutually facing and a moving material 21 bridging the gap between the frame materials, with the surfaces being faced to a substrate holding space formed of the frame materials and the moving material 21, and a rotary mechanism 27 which presses the substrate holding piece 30 inward and, at the same time, makes the piece 30 rotatable in the outward direction. A cover 41 is provided to cover the bottom side of the mechanism 27 and flux is applied to the lower surface of a substrate 31 while the substrate 31 is fixed to the carrier. Therefore, the cover 41 prevents the adhesion of the flux to the lower surface of the substrate 31.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a carrier for holding a board when transferring a wiring board in an automatic soldering apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art One of manufacturing apparatuses for electronic equipment includes a step of soldering to a substrate by an automatic transfer device. During such a process, the substrate is transported while being held by the carrier.

A conventional automatic soldering apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0004] In order from the upstream side, an entrance elevator installation 1, a first drive installation 2, a flux spraying installation 3, a soldering installation 4,
A second drive facility 5 and an exit elevator facility 6 are provided.

[0005] A supply conveyor 7 is provided above each of the facilities 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 so as to run from the entrance elevator facility 1 to the exit elevator facility 6, and the supply conveyor 7 is provided. Below the supply conveyor 7 is provided a return conveyor 8 which is substantially parallel to the supply conveyor 7 and can run in the opposite direction to the supply conveyor 7.

[0006] The entrance elevator facility 1 is provided with an entrance-side elevator (not shown) that can move up and down between an upstream end of the supply conveyor 7 and a downstream end of the return conveyor 8. The flux spraying equipment 3 is provided with a spray nozzle 9 capable of blowing upwardly below the supply conveyor 7 and a dust collecting blower 10 above the supply conveyor 7. A duct 11 is connected to the upper end of the duct. The soldering equipment 4
A preheater 12 and a solder tank 13 are respectively provided from the upstream side along the lower surface of the supply conveyor 7 and a ventilation facility 14 is provided above the supply conveyor 7.
Is provided, and a duct 15 is connected to the ventilation equipment 14. The exit elevator facility 6 is provided with an exit-side elevator (not shown) that can move up and down between a downstream end of the supply conveyor 7 and an upstream end of the return conveyor 8.

The supply conveyor 7 has two strip-shaped rails 16a and 16b running in parallel with each other, and a carrier 17 can be placed on each of the rails 16a and 16b.

The carrier 17 will be described.

The main frame members 18a and 18b are opposed to each other and are in the form of a pair of elongated prisms, and the main frame members 18a and 18b
A pair of sub-frame members 19a and 19b which are provided between the two members.
A rectangular outer frame 20 is formed by the
a and 18b are mounted on the rails 16a and 16b, respectively. Each of the sub-frame members 19a, 19b
Between the two first movable members 21 and 21 (one not shown)
Each of the first movable members 21 has a clamp shape at both ends, is movable in the longitudinal direction of the sub-frame members 19a and 19b, and is tightened with the first thumb screw 22. The sub-frame members 19a and 19b can be fixed at predetermined positions. The main frame members 18a, 18b
A second movable member 23 is provided between the first movable member 21 and the second thumb screw 2.
4 allows the main frame members 18a and 18b to be fixed at required positions. The main frame members 18a and 18b, the sub-frame member 19b, the first movable member 21 and the second movable member 23 form a rectangular substrate holding space 25.

[0010] The substrate holding space 2 of the first movable member 21
A strip 26 is provided on the side face facing 5, and the strip 26 and the first movable member 21 form an inverted L-shaped cross section. The first
A required number of hinges 27 urged inward by a spring (not shown) are fixed to the lower surface of the movable member 21 and the outer side surface of the strip 26 by bolts 28, 28, and the strip 26 is the axis of the hinge 27. It is rotatable around 29 at the outside. A comb-shaped first substrate holding piece 30 is fixed to a surface of the band plate 26 facing the substrate holding space 25,
The lower edge of the substrate holding piece 30 can hold the peripheral edge of the substrate 31.

The first movable member (not shown) is provided with a strip, a hinge, a bolt, and a first substrate holding piece (all not shown), similarly to the first movable member 21. The first substrate holding piece not to be opposed faces the first substrate holding piece 30.

Each of the first movable members 21 of the sub-frame member 19b
A required number (two in the figure) of clamp-shaped fixtures 3 are provided between them.
A second substrate holding piece 33 having a hook-like lower end is fixed to a side surface of each fixture 32 facing the substrate holding space 25. The second movable member 2
3 between the first movable members 21 (2 in the figure).
) Of the fixtures 32 are detachably provided, and the second substrate holding pieces 33 are fixed to the side faces of the fixtures 32 facing the substrate holding space 25, respectively.

The soldering process in the automatic soldering apparatus will be described.

According to the external dimensions of the board 31 to be soldered, the first movable members 21 are fixed to the sub-frame members 19a and 19b by the first thumb screws 22 and the second movable members 23 are fixed. Is fixed to the main frame members 18a and 18b by the second thumb screws 24.

The outer peripheral edge of the substrate 31 is hung on the lower end of the second substrate holding piece 33 while the lower end of each strip 26 is pressed outward. When the pressed state is released, each band plate 26 rotates inward around the axis 29 by the repulsive force of the spring of the hinge 27. Each of the first substrate holding pieces 30 is engaged with an outer peripheral edge of the substrate 31, and the substrate 31 is fixed to the substrate holding space 25 of the carrier 17.

The carrier 17 is placed on the supply conveyor 7 of the first drive facility 2 and the supply conveyor 7 is run by the first drive facility 2 and the second drive facility 5. When the carrier 17 is conveyed into the flux spraying equipment 3, the spray nozzle 9 sprays and applies a flux to the carrier 17 and the substrate 31 from below. The flux removes stains such as oxides, sulfides, and oils on the lower surface of the substrate 31 to prevent oxidation.

The dust blower 10 ventilates the flux spraying equipment 3 through the duct 11.

When the carrier 17 is conveyed into the soldering equipment 4, the lower surface of the substrate 31 is preheated by the preheater 12, and then passes over a solder jet 34 generated from the solder bath 13 and rising. Then, the lower surface of the substrate 31 is soldered.

When the carrier 17 and the substrate 31 are out of the soldering equipment 4, the traveling of the supply conveyor 7 is stopped. The lower end of each of the strips 26 is pressed outward, and the outer peripheral edge of the substrate 31 and the first substrate holding pieces 30 are pressed.
And the substrate 31 is released from the carrier 17.
Remove from

The carrier 17 on the supply conveyor 7 is lowered by the exit-side elevator (not shown) of the exit elevator equipment 6, and the return conveyor 8
Will be transferred above. The carrier 17 is transported to the entrance elevator facility 1 by the return conveyor 8 and the entrance-side elevator of the entrance elevator facility 1 (not shown).
And transferred again onto the supply conveyor 7. Thereafter, the soldering operation is repeatedly performed in the same procedure.

[0021]

In the conventional carrier described above, when the flux is sprayed on the lower surface of the substrate 31, the flux adheres to the hinge of the carrier 17. Since the flux solidifies with the passage of time, as the soldering operation is repeated, the hinge 27 becomes difficult to move or does not move, which may make it difficult to attach or detach the substrate 31 to or from the carrier 17. There is. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically wash the hinge 27, which requires a lot of maintenance.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and the hinge 27 has been described.
This prevents the flux from adhering to the surface, eliminates the need for cleaning the hinge 27, and simplifies maintenance.

[0023]

According to the present invention, a substrate holding space is formed by an outer frame formed by two pairs of frame members facing each other and a movable member extending between the respective frame members. A substrate holding piece is provided on a surface of the movable material facing the substrate holding space,
In a carrier having a rotation mechanism that urges the substrate holding piece inward and is rotatable in an outward direction, the present invention relates to a carrier provided with a cover so as to cover a lower part of the rotation mechanism. The flux is sprayed from below the carrier to apply the flux to the lower surface of the substrate and the carrier, and the cover prevents the flux from adhering to the rotating mechanism.

[0024]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 in FIG.
The same components as those in the middle are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

In the drawing, reference numeral 41 denotes a cover made of a thin plate having a thickness of about 0.3 mm, and has a cross-sectional shape bent outward in an L-shape. The cover 41 is provided in the same number as the hinges 27 corresponding to the hinges 27, and covers the lower part of the hinges 27. A required number (two in the figure) of holes 42 through which the bolts 28 can be inserted are formed at one end of the cover 41.
The cover 41 is fixed to the outer side surface of the band plate 26 together with the hinge 27 by two bolts 28 inserted into the holes 42.

The operation will be described below.

The substrate 31 is fixed to the carrier 17 and the carrier 17 is placed on the supply conveyor 7 in the same procedure as in the prior art. The carrier 17 is a flux spraying equipment 3
When it is conveyed inside, the flux is sprayed from below the carrier 17 by the spray nozzle 9. Flux is applied to the lower surface of the substrate 31 and the carrier 17 and the cover 41 prevents the flux from adhering to the hinge 27.

Thereafter, the lower surface of the substrate 31 is soldered in the same procedure as in the prior art.

In the above embodiment, the same number of the covers 41 as the number of the hinges 27 are provided corresponding to the hinges 27. However, if the cover 41 is provided so as to cover below the hinges 27, However, the number of the covers 41 is not limited to the number described above.

Although the first substrate holding piece 30 is rotatably provided on the first movable member 21 via the band plate 26, other members facing the substrate holding space are provided with the second substrate holding piece. Alternatively, the first substrate holding piece 30 may be rotatably provided.

Further, the shape of the cover 41 is the same as that of the hinge 2.
Any other shape, such as a curved surface, may be used as long as the shape covers the lower part of.

Further, the case where a hinge urged inward by a spring is used as the rotation mechanism of the band plate 26 has been described, but the invention can also be used when another rotation mechanism such as a hinge is used. Needless to say, there is.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the flux is sprayed on the lower surface of the substrate, the cover prevents the flux from adhering to the rotating mechanism, so that the rotating mechanism does not need to be cleaned. The rotation mechanism does not become difficult to move, and the substrate can be easily attached to and detached from the carrier. Therefore,
Maintenance is simplified, and various excellent effects are exhibited, such as the soldering work including the maintenance work can be performed by one person.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a hinge attachment portion in the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a cover according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a cover according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a cover according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing an automatic soldering apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state where a flux is sprayed on a substrate housed in a carrier.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a hinge attachment portion in a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 17 carrier 18 main frame member 19 sub-frame member 20 outer frame 21 first movable member 23 second movable member 25 substrate holding space 26 band plate 27 hinge 30 first substrate holding member 31 substrate 33 second substrate holding member 41 cover

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A substrate holding space is formed by an outer frame formed by two pairs of frame members facing each other and a movable member extending between the respective frame members, and the substrate holding space of the outer frame and the movable member is provided. In a carrier having a rotation mechanism for urging the substrate holding piece inward and rotatable outward, a cover is provided so as to cover a lower portion of the rotation mechanism. A carrier characterized by being provided.