KR20090122759A - Separation adjusting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A gap control device is provided to omit screw threads having different pitch by controlling a gap of a pickup unit. CONSTITUTION: A plurality of gear units(42) includes sets of a driving gear and a driven gear rotated by a different gear ratio. A first shaft(20) constrains the driving gear into a rotation direction, and allows sliding of the driven gear into an axial gear. A second shaft(30) allows an axial direction movement of the driven gear into a direction determined by a screw thread. A shape of the first shaft and an axial hole of the driving gear are formed with a polygon shape. The second shaft includes a forward direction screw thread(31) and a reverse direction screw thread(32). The gear units include a left side gear unit and a right side gear unit.

Description

Spacing device {SEPARATION ADJUSTING APPARATUS}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a spacing device, and more particularly to a pitch spacing of a pickup unit (or picker) for picking up a series of components, in particular a semiconductor component, in a semiconductor process, in particular a semiconductor inspection process. A spacing device of a structure.

In general, semiconductor inspection equipment inspects a variety of semiconductor components with a single device. In this case, for easy handling of several semiconductor components (for example, semiconductor chips or semiconductor packages), a tray called a "Jedek tray" is used for storing the semiconductor components.

The Xedek tray is a kind of standardized tray. Its characteristic is that the outer size is the same and the inside (particularly, the compartments) is designed in various ways according to the type of semiconductor component. Since the deck tray is standardized, it is possible to develop a handler in a modular form, and above all, the assembly, inspection, and measurement of several models in one semiconductor inspection equipment can be measured.

Similar to the above, in the assembly of the module parts of the mobile phone camera model that changes frequently, a tray for one purpose is used to accommodate multiple module parts for easy handling. In the case of assembly of mobile phone camera module components, manual assembly is expensive in labor, and in terms of productivity, economy and efficiency. Therefore, automation of the assembly process is considered the only way. However, due to the product characteristics of the mobile phone camera, the model life is very short, and therefore, actively dealing with the model change is considered the biggest obstacle in the automation process.

For the same reason as above, in the assembly of module parts of a mobile phone camera, the concept of using a deck tray, which is mainly applied to the inspection of semiconductor parts, is adopted and used in an automated process. In the case of manual assembly, the trays were different depending on the model, which was difficult to automate. However, although not the internationally standardized Jedek trays, some manufacturers (or assembling companies) have a uniform internal size of the trays. Attempts are being made to use such trays for automated assembly.

Usually, a semiconductor component or a mobile phone camera module is very light while being high-performance. For this reason, productivity is improved by using several pick-up units (namely, a picker) which can pick up and lift several parts at once, for carrying a part. On the other hand, if the type (size, etc.) of the part (or product) produced is changed, the pitch in the Jedeck tray or the standard tray, that is, the spacing between the whole parts, may change. The distance between the pickup units should be adjusted according to the change. At this time, the spacing (i.e. pitch) between the parts located in the tray is the same, so that even if the produced part is changed and the pitch between the parts is changed, the spacing between the pickup units should always be the same.

In accordance with the above requirements, devices have been developed in the prior art to adjust the gap between the vacuum suction pad (pickup unit or picker) corresponding to the pitch change of the component compartment (or pocket) of the tray. Such an apparatus is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2004-0009803 published under the name of "Semiconductor Chip Package Transfer Device with Free Pitch Adjustment of Vacuum Absorption Pad" as an example. have.

The conventional apparatus includes a structure in which a plurality of vacuum adsorption pads are threadedly inserted into a single screw rod, and a plurality of threads in opposite directions are formed on the single screw rod, respectively, based on a center dividing the vacuum adsorption pads. . In addition, in the conventional apparatus, a plurality of threads formed on the one hand with respect to the center have a pitch ratio of the thread from the first thread to the nth thread of 2n-1, so that the pitch of the vacuum suction pads is always changed at a constant ratio. .

However, the conventional apparatus requires a screw rod (or shaft) of a complicated structure in which many threads having different pitch ratios are formed for adjusting the spacing of the vacuum adsorption pad (i.e., the pickup unit). It causes dropping. In addition, since the conventional apparatus requires a thread of a relatively large pitch to a thread of a very small pitch, there is also a problem of lack of precision caused when the thread of a small pitch cannot be formed accurately. In particular, in order to pick up a large number of parts, and to increase the vacuum adsorption pad, there are limitations due to the precision of the thread and the length of the threaded rod.

In addition, the conventional apparatus requires an assembly process of inserting a large number of vacuum adsorption pads into a threaded rod with a large number of threads of different pitches, which is practically difficult, even if it is possible by a special design such as a threaded rod. Many problems are caused by the improper assembly of the vacuum adsorption pad.

Accordingly, the present inventors use two or more screw rods on which pickup units are installed, instead of forming threads of various pitches on one shaft (screw rod), and change the pitch of the screw rods, or the rotational speed of the screw rods. By differently, has been developed a device for adjusting the interval of the pickup unit corresponding to the pitch of the parts to be picked up, the technology for such a device, by the inventors, March 13, 2008, a domestic patent application It was filed in 2008-0023230. However, the above conventional apparatus, despite having a number of advantages, there was a problem that the limit of the number of the pickup pickup unit is adjusted. That is, in the conventional apparatus, an increase in the number of shafts (or screw rods) is excessively required in order to increase the number of interval-adjusted pickup units.

Accordingly, the technical problem of the present invention is that of a pickup unit for adsorbing and lifting units, in particular, components requiring spacing, without a large increase in the number of shafts, and without having to form a large number of threads with different pitches. It is to provide a spacing device, which enables the spacing control.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for adjusting a spacing, comprising: a plurality of gear units including sets of a main gear and a driven gear that rotate in engagement with different gear ratios; A first shaft for restraining the main gear in the rotational direction and allowing sliding of the main gear in the axial direction; A second shaft allowing the axial movement of the driven gear in a direction determined by its own thread, wherein the plurality of gear units are driven gear and driven gear axially moved at different distances by the different gear ratio; By this, the spacing is adjusted.

Preferably, for the axial sliding of the main gear, the shaft hole of the main gear and the shape of the first shaft may be made of a corresponding polygon (more preferably, quadrangle).

Further, the second shaft has forward and reverse threads of the same pitch, respectively, on the left and right of the reference position, and the plurality of gear units are axially opposite to each other by the forward and reverse threads. The left and right gear units may be moved, respectively.

In this case, each of the left gear units and the right gear units has a gear ratio relationship of n: 1 when n is a gear unit order from the reference position, so that the distances between neighboring gear units are always changed to be the same. It is desirable to be.

In addition, the reference block is fixed to the reference position in the axial direction, the distance between the reference block and the adjacent gear unit is preferably equal to the distance between the other neighboring gear unit.

In addition, the frame of each of the plurality of gear units, and the reference block is preferably provided with a plurality of pickup units for sucking up the components arranged in a row. In addition, the plurality of pickup units are slidably guided by a plurality of additional LM guides. In addition, each of the plurality of gear units includes a frame for supporting the first and second shafts, and a friction preventing bearing is installed between the main and driven gears and the frame.

According to the present invention, a pickup that picks up and lifts units requiring spacing, in particular a semiconductor component or a mobile phone camera module component, without a large increase in the number of shafts, and without having to form a large number of threads with different pitches. It is possible to provide a device capable of adjusting the interval of the unit. In addition, the apparatus according to the present invention, while maintaining the same distance between the pickup unit is always the same, in the precision of the gap adjustment, there is an effect that is superior to the conventional.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are provided as examples to ensure that the spirit of the present invention can be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below and may be embodied in other forms. And, in the drawings, the width, length, thickness, etc. of the components may be exaggerated for convenience. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

1 is a perspective view showing a gap adjusting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a gear unit of the gap adjusting device shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is shown in Figure 1 4 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the gear units of the gap adjusting device, and FIG. 4 is a front view showing the gap adjusting device having a plurality of pickup units for lifting a component (particularly, a semiconductor part or a mobile phone camera module) by a vacuum suction method.

First, referring to FIG. 1, a spacing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes first and second shafts 20 and 30 arranged in parallel with each other, a plurality of gear units 42a, 42b, 42c, 42d, 42e, 42f; collectively 42) and the like. In addition, the first and second shafts 20 and 30 and the plurality of gear units 42 are mounted on the base 10. More specifically, the base 10 has a pair of bearings 11 and 11 facing each other, wherein the first shaft 20 is rotatably supported by the bearings 11 and 11, The two shafts 30 are fixedly supported by the bearings 11, 11.

In addition, the plurality of gear units 42 may be moved in the axial direction by a self-built gear set along the first and second shafts 20 and 30, wherein Rotational driving of the first shaft 20 is performed by driving of the motor 70 connected to the first shaft 20. The configuration, operation, and mutual relationship of the gear units 42 will be described in more detail later. In addition, a plurality of LM guides including a linear guide portion 51 and a sliding portion 52 slidably installed along the guide portion 51 are parallel to the shafts 20 and 30 on the base 10. Is installed. The role or function of the LM guide will also be described below.

1 and 2, the gear unit 42 includes a gear set of a main gear 421 and a driven gear 422 meshed with a predetermined gear ratio. As mentioned above, since the gear unit 42 of the present embodiment is formed in plural, the main gear 421 and the driven gear 422 embedded therein are also made in plural. It is mentioned in advance that gear ratios of the main gear 421 and the driven gear 422 provided in the different gear units 42 are different.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the main gear 421 has a polygonal (preferably rectangular) axis hole. In addition, the shaft hole is fitted with a first shaft 20, the shape of the first shaft 20 (ie, cross-sectional shape) corresponding to the shaft hole to allow the axial sliding of the main gear 421. It consists of a polygon (preferably a rectangle). Due to the polygonal shape of the shaft hole of the main gear 421 and the first shaft 20, the main gear 421 may be slidably moved in the axial direction with respect to the first shaft 20, In the rotational direction, the main gear 421 is constrained to the first shaft 20. The restraint enables the main gear 421 to rotate integrally with the first shaft 20 when the first shaft 20 is rotated by the motor 70 described above.

In addition, the driven gear 422 is coupled to the second shaft 30 by screw transfer. More specifically, the second shaft 30 is formed with a thread, and the shaft hole of the driven gear 422 is formed with another thread corresponding to the thread of the second shaft 30. Accordingly, the driven gear 422 may be axially moved in the direction determined by the thread of the second shaft 30 when the driven gear 422 rotates in engagement with the main gear 421.

At this time, the driven gear 422 rotates and moves in the axial direction while maintaining gear meshing with the main gear 421, whereby the main gear 421 also shafts with the driven gear 422. Is moved in the direction. It can be understood that the axial hole of the main gear 421 and the slidable shape of the first shaft 20 allow the rotation and axial movement of the main gear 421 to be simultaneously performed.

In addition, the gear unit 42 includes a gear set of the main gear 421 and the driven gear 422 in an inner space defined by the frames 420 and 420 facing each other. In this case, bearings 423 are installed between the frame 420 and the gear set (ie, the main gear and the driven gear) to prevent friction between the rotating gear surface and the inner surface of the frame. The frame serves to support pick-up units requiring spacing, which will be described below, rather than the built-in function of the set and the support of the shaft.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the second shaft 30 has forward threads 31 and reverse threads 32 of the same pitch on the left and right sides with respect to the reference position near the center. In addition, the above-described gear units 42 include left gear units 42a, 42b, and 42c which correspond to the forward thread 31, and right gear units which correspond to the reverse thread 32. FIG. (42d, 42e, 42f). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the gear unit 42 has a moving direction determined by the shaft hole of the driven gear 422 and the thread direction on the second shaft 30 that is screwed thereto. Therefore, the left gear units 42a, 42b, 42c and the right gear units 42d, 42e, 42f are axially moved in opposite directions by the forward thread and the reverse thread.

As well shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the gap adjusting device 1 according to the present embodiment has one of the pickup units to be described below in the reference position separating the left gear unit and the right gear unit. It further includes a reference block 41 for supporting without moving left and right. In the present embodiment, the reference block 41 is fixedly installed on the base 10.

Referring to FIG. 3, the gear ratio relationship of the left gear units 42a, 42b, 42c positioned on the left side of the reference block 41 among the plurality of gear units 42 may be seen. Although not shown, the right gear units 42de, 42e, 42f (see FIG. 1) are also arranged in a symmetrical relationship with the left gear units, and the relationship between the right gear units is the same as the left gear units. . Therefore, the right gear units only operate in the same direction as described below, only in opposite directions to the left gear units. For convenience of explanation, each of the left gear units in order of being close to the reference block 41 may include a first gear unit 42a, a second gear unit 42b, and a third gear unit 42b. It is called.

The gear ratio between the main gear 421 and the driven gear 422 in the first gear unit 42a is 1: 1, and the main gear 421 and the driven gear 422 in the second gear unit 42b. ), The gear ratio is 2: 1, and the gear ratio of the main gear 421 and the driven gear 422 in the third gear unit 42c is 3: 1.

Thus, for example, when each of the first, second, and third gear units 42a, 42b, 42c rotates once by one rotation of the first shaft 20, the first, second, Each of the driven gears 422, 422, and 422 of the third gear units 42a, 42b, and 42c performs one rotation, two rotations, and three rotations in turn. Then, the driven gears 422, 422, 422 of the first, second, third gear units 42a, 42b, 42c are axially moved at the same time as the rotation by the screw thread of the second shaft 30, The driven gears 422, 422, 422 of the first, second, third gear units 42a, 42b, 42c, which are in gear gearing therewith, are also axially moved at the same distance as the driven gears.

As described above, the gear ratios (gear ratio between the main gear and the driven gear) of the gear sets provided in the first gear unit, the second gear unit, and the third gear unit 42a, 42b, 42c are 1: 1 and 2 :, respectively. In the case of 1, 3: 1, the intervals between neighboring gear units (between 42a and 42b and between 42b and 42c) are always kept the same and change.

Further, the spacing between the neighboring gear units 42a and 42b and between 42b and 42c is always the same as the first gear unit 42a and the reference block 41 shown in FIG. And when n is the gear unit order from the reference position at which the reference block 41 is present, the gear units 42a, 42b, 42c have a gear ratio relationship of n: 1, and by such gear ratio relationship, The gaps between the gear units can be changed while always being the same.

In the above, only the relationship between the reference block 41 and the gear units 42a, 42b, 42c located on the left side thereof has been described, but such a relationship is described with reference block 41 and the gear located on the right side therefrom. The same applies to the relationship between the units 42d, 42e, 42f (see FIG. 1). Therefore, the gap adjusting device 1 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is used to pick up parts (particularly, semiconductor parts or mobile phone camera modules) accommodated in a tray whose pitch is variable so that the intervals always change to a constant state. It can be properly used to adjust the spacing of the pickup units.

Referring to FIG. 4, the reference block 41 (indicated by a dotted line) and three gear units 42a, 42b, 42c (indicated by a dotted line) positioned on the left side of the reference block 41, and the reference In each of the other three gear units 42d, 42e, 42f (indicated by the dotted lines) located on the right side of the block 41, seven pickup units 60 are shown in the structure. Each of the pickup units 60 may include a nozzle unit 621 in which suction of a component is substantially carried out by vacuum, and the nozzle unit 621 may be connected to the gear units 42 and the reference block 41. It includes a connecting portion 622 for coupling. The connection part 622 is fastened to and fixed to the frame of the gear unit 42 or the reference block 41, while the upper part thereof is connected to one of the LM guides 51 and 52 of the plurality of LM guides. However, since the pick-up unit 60 connected to the reference block 41 does not require an axial sliding motion, the self-connecting portion 622 may not be connected to the LM guide. The use of the LM guide is for smooth axial sliding movement of the gear units.

The pickup units 60 may simultaneously pick up and lift up a semiconductor component (or camera module) 3 from a row of storage portions 2a spaced apart from each other at a first pitch P1 in the tray 2. Function At this time, if there is a change from the first pitch P1 to the second pitch P2 by replacing the tray 2, the gear unit based on the driving of the motor 70 and the above-described gear ratio of n: 1. By the movement of the 42, the distance between the gear unit 42 and the pickup unit 60 installed in the reference block 41 can be adjusted to correspond to the second pitch (P2).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the number of the interval-adjusted pickup units can be increased from five to seven, and moreover, seven or more in the related art, and using one motor, the pitch interval is 8 to 30. Automatic adjustment can be made between mm.

1 is a perspective view showing a spacing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the gear unit of the gap adjusting device shown in FIG.

3 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the gear units of the gap adjusting device shown in FIG.

4 is a front view showing a gap adjusting device having a plurality of pickup units.

Claims (8)

A plurality of gear units including sets of a main gear and a driven gear meshed with and rotated at different gear ratios; A first shaft for restraining the main gear in the rotational direction and allowing sliding of the main gear in the axial direction; A second shaft allowing the axial movement of the driven gear in a direction determined by its own thread, The plurality of gear units, the interval adjusting device characterized in that the interval is adjusted by the main gear and the driven gear axially moved at different distances by the different gear ratio. The method of claim 1, wherein the axial sliding of the main gear, the axial hole of the main gear and the shape of the first shaft is characterized in that the gap is formed of a polygon corresponding to each other. The method of claim 1, wherein the second shaft, each of the left and right of the reference position, the forward thread and the reverse thread of the same pitch, respectively, wherein the plurality of gear units are opposite to each other by the forward thread and the reverse thread, Spacing device, characterized in that it comprises a gear unit on the left and right side axially moved respectively. 4. The gear unit of claim 3, wherein each of the left gear units and the right gear units has a gear ratio relationship of n: 1 when n is a gear unit order from the reference position. Spacing device, characterized in that always change the same. The method of claim 4, wherein the reference position is fixed to the reference block relative to the axial direction, the spacing between the reference block and the adjacent gear unit is the spacing adjustment, characterized in that always equal to the spacing between other neighboring gear units. Device. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a plurality of pick-up units are installed in the frame of each of the plurality of gear units and the reference block to pick up and lift up the components arranged in a row. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of LM guides slidably guiding the plurality of pickup units. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of gear units includes a frame for supporting the first and second shafts, and a gap preventing device is installed between the main and driven gears and the frame. .

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