TW201603670A - Method for producing flexible printed circuit board, jig and apparatus for circuit board production - Google Patents

Abstract

To make it possible to specify a starting position of flexible printed wiring board formation and/or to stabilize a formation shape and/or to have excellent workability in manufacture and/or to reduce thermal capacity. Disclosed is a flexible printed board (FB) manufacturing method for forming a flexible printed board (FA) using a board manufacturing jig (10), said flexible printed board having a curved section (FB1). The method is provided with: a first holding step wherein one side of the flexible printed board (FA) is held by means of a first holding means (23); a hooking around step wherein, after the first holding step, the flexible printed board (FA) is supported by means of a plurality of supporting members (24, 25) in a state wherein the flexible printed board is hooked around the supporting members; a second holding step wherein, after the hooking around step, the other side of the flexible printed board (FA) is held by means of a second holding means (26), and a state wherein tension is applied to the flexible printed board (FA) is maintained; and a thermoforming step wherein the flexible printed board (FA) is thermoformed in a state wherein the holding state is maintained.

Description

Manufacturing method of flexible printed circuit board, jig for manufacturing circuit board, and circuit board manufacturing apparatus

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board, a jig for manufacturing a circuit board, and a device for manufacturing a circuit board.

In recent years, robots have been significantly developed, and robots capable of performing various operations have appeared. In addition, wearable electronic devices that can be worn on a human body or clothes have also been developed with various devices and are gradually becoming practical. In these robots or wearable electronic devices, a large number of wires for supplying electric power or transmitting electrical signals are used. However, in general, wires are formed by using copper wires as a wire core and covering the outer periphery of the wire core with an insulator. It is hardly scalable in itself. Therefore, for example, in the robot or the like, it is necessary to make the length of the electric wire wide in order to prevent the movement of the joint or the like, which is an obstacle to the design and practical aspects aimed at miniaturization and weight reduction.

In particular, in the use of a most sophisticated humanoid robot or a booster device that assists muscle strength in the human body, a large number of wires for operating the motor at the end are arranged via a multi-degree of freedom joint, or for transmission. A wire that is configured with electrical signals from various sensors at the end. Moreover, in order to increase the degree of freedom in the arrangement of these wires in a multi-degree of freedom joint, there is an increasing demand for forming a retractable wire.

On the other hand, in recent years, arm robots have been widely used as industrial robots. In the arm type robot, depending on the end effector attached to the distal end side of the arm (corresponding to the hand in the human body) or the driving method of the joint portion of the arm, the base end side to the front end side of the arm In addition to the cable, an air hose or a hydraulic hose for applying air pressure is sometimes required. In the case where the above-mentioned cable or hose is disposed in the joint portion, the cable may be bent or broken. Therefore, the wiring method is adopted in which the cable or the hose is temporarily taken out to the outside at a position closer to the base end than the joint portion of the robot arm, and the cable or the hose is disposed outside the joint portion. In the space, re-import the cable or hose into the arm at a position closer to the front end than the joint. However, in the method of arranging the cable in the space outside the arm, there is a space around the joint portion of the arm that can loosen the cable.

Further, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a cable is wound around a support rod by providing a support rod at a joint rotation center position of a joint portion of the robot arm, and the cable is pre-wound. The support rod is housed inside the arm to prevent the cable from being bent or broken. However, when the support rod is additionally provided, there is a possibility that the weight is increased, resulting in a decrease in function (motion speed, accuracy, etc.). In order to compensate for the reduction in the function, a high-standard motor or the like may be used or a necessary component may be added. However, in this case, the manufacturing cost is increased. Further, since the structure of the cable accommodating portion is complicated, there is a problem that the cable arrangement at the time of assembling the arm, the disassembly at the time of maintenance, and the like, and the removal and replacement of the cable are complicated. Thus, even in the robot arm, the requirements for the retractable electric transmission member are becoming higher and higher in order to avoid the above problem.

As a technique capable of satisfying the above-described requirements for an electric transmission member, there are, for example, the techniques disclosed in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3. Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose a retractable flexible printed circuit board which is formed by alternately arranging a shape having a curved shape portion, that is, a so-called pleat shape, and a method of forming the same. The flexible flexible printed circuit board disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3 uses a thermoplastic resin such as LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer) to pass through a temperature lower than the softening temperature of the resin by several tens of degrees C to about one bai C. It is heated for about 30 minutes to 60 minutes to be formed into substantially the same shape as the forming die.

Here, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 2, in the inside of the mold, a plurality of front ends are formed in a desired R-shaped plate at intervals where the flexible printed circuit board can pass, and in the pair of flexible printed circuits The plate is subjected to heat forming while applying a certain tension while passing through the inside of the mold.

Further, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 3, a plurality of pins formed in a desired R shape are disposed in the jig at intervals through which the flexible printed circuit board can pass, and a certain tension is applied to the flexible printed circuit board. At the same time, it is passed through the jig to perform heat forming.

[PRIOR ART DOCUMENT] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 8-57792 Patent Document 2: Japanese Gazette No. 2011-134884 (FIG. 2, paragraph 0044 of the specification, etc.) Patent Document 3: Japan Bulletin, JP-A-2011-233822 (Fig. 4, paragraph 0049 of the specification, etc.)

However, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 2, since the area in contact with the mold is large, the friction between the flexible printed circuit board and the mold becomes large, and it is difficult to perform stretching under a certain tension. Therefore, the formed shape is difficult to stabilize. Further, when the flexible printed circuit board is taken out from the mold, the operability is deteriorated due to the above-described large friction. Further, with respect to the portion of the flexible printed circuit board that needs to be formed, the plate of the mold is present at a position where the molding is not required, and the heat capacity is increased. Therefore, it is difficult to raise the temperature to the temperature required for forming.

Further, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 3, the operability at the time of providing the jig is improved as compared with the case of using the plate-shaped mold disclosed in Patent Document 2, and the influence of friction is small. However, in this method, the friction between the flexible printed circuit board and the jig is also large, so that it is difficult to perform stretching under a certain tension, and thus the formed shape is difficult to be stabilized. In the case where the number of pins is increased or a pin having a different R shape is disposed, the above situation is more conspicuous because the friction of the thicker pin is relatively large. Further, it is complicated to pass the flexible printed circuit board between the pins to be fixed, and the operability is very poor for the jig having a small pitch between the pins and a large number of pins.

Further, as a common disadvantage of the two methods of Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3, in addition to the above-described operability, there is a disadvantage in that soft printing cannot be fixed when a flexible printed circuit board is mounted in a mold or a jig. The forming start position of the board, therefore, even if the shape at the forming position is somewhat close to the design value, the overall shape of the product is unstable.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a method for manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board, a jig for manufacturing a circuit board, and a device for manufacturing a circuit board, which are capable of achieving at least one of the following effects. The fixing start position of the flexible printed circuit board can be fixed, the forming shape can be stabilized, the workability in the manufacturing process can be improved, and the heat capacity can be reduced.

In order to solve the above problems, in a method of manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board according to a first aspect of the present invention, a flexible printed circuit board having a bent portion at a plurality of positions is formed by a jig for manufacturing a circuit board, wherein the flexible printed circuit board The circuit board has a wiring layer and an insulating layer, the insulating layer is made of a thermoplastic resin, and the insulating layer covers the wiring layer from both sides; the manufacturing method of the flexible printed circuit board is characterized by: a first holding step: Holding one side of the flexible printed circuit board on the first holding member for holding one side of the flexible printed circuit board in the jig for manufacturing a circuit board; the winding step: the winding step performed after the first holding step The flexible printed circuit board is supported on the plurality of support members in a state of being hung on the plurality of support members, wherein the plurality of support members are formed in the jig for manufacturing the circuit board to bend the flexible printed circuit board to form a member of the bent portion; a second holding step: the soft printing is performed in the second holding step performed after the winding step The other side of the board is held in a second manufacturing member for holding the other side of the flexible printed circuit board in the jig for manufacturing a circuit board, thereby maintaining a state in which tension is applied to the flexible printed circuit board; and a heating forming step: In at least a part of the jig for manufacturing a circuit board, the flexible printed circuit board is heated and formed while maintaining the state in which the flexible printed circuit board is held.

Further, in another aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the jig for manufacturing a circuit board is provided with a first jig and a second jig, the first jig being disposed to be detachable with respect to the second jig; the first jig Provided: a front end fixing member constituting the first holding member, a plurality of supporting members, and a rear end fixing member constituting the second holding member; in the first holding step, the front end fixing member is used to hold one side of the flexible printed circuit board; In the second holding step, the other side of the flexible printed circuit board is held by the rear end fixing member.

Further, in another aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the distal end fixing member includes a distal end support portion and a locking pin, wherein the distal end support portion is in surface contact with one end side of the flexible printed circuit board, and the card is in contact with each other. The fixed pin protrudes in a direction away from the front end support portion; in the first holding step, the locking pin is inserted into a hole portion formed on one end side of the flexible printed circuit board.

Further, in another aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the one end side of the flexible printed circuit board is sandwiched by the front end fixing member and the front end holding mechanism; the front end holding mechanism has the front end holding member and the first driving means, wherein The front end gripping member can be moved toward or away from the front end fixing member, and the first driving means is for moving the front end gripping member.

Further, in another aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the support member includes a movable pin that can be inserted into the insertion hole penetrating the first jig, and the movable pin is inserted into the insertion hole, and The movable pin protrudes from the opposite side of the insertion side thereof so that the flexible printed circuit board can be hung on the movable pin; and the second jig is formed with a through hole for guiding the insertion of the movable pin.

Further, in another aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the jig for manufacturing a circuit board is provided to be slidable by driving of the jig slider; the jig slider is provided with a second driving device, the second driving The device generates a driving force for sliding the jig for manufacturing a circuit board.

Further, in another aspect of the invention, in the above-described invention, preferably, in the winding step, the flexible printed circuit board is held by the torque roller and the free roller, and the pair of rollers constituting the torque roller are held by the roller driving mechanism. At least one of the rollers applies a driving force by which tension is applied to the flexible printed circuit board, and in a state where the flexible printed circuit board is held, the free roller is caused to cross the conveying direction of the flexible printed circuit board In the direction of the movement, the board manufacturing jig is moved in the transport direction, and the board manufacturing jig is moved to a position where the movable pin is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the formed bent portion, and the board manufacturing jig is moved to the position After the position, the movable pin is inserted into the insertion hole, wherein the torque roller is provided with a pair of rollers that can be close to or separated from each other, and the free roller has a pair of rollers that can also be close to or separated from each other, and the free roller is located at a torque The roller is closer to the position of the first holding member side.

In addition, another aspect of the present invention is preferably, in the above invention, further comprising: a skew adjustment step, wherein the skew adjustment step is performed after the first holding step and before the hanging step, in the skew adjusting step, The skew direction of the flexible printed circuit board is adjusted by pushing the side pressing members onto the side of the flexible printed circuit board.

Further, a jig for manufacturing a circuit board according to a second aspect of the present invention is for forming a flexible printed circuit board having a wiring layer and an insulating layer and having a bent portion at a plurality of positions, wherein the insulating layer is made of a thermoplastic resin. Further, the insulating layer covers the wiring layer from both sides; the jig for manufacturing a circuit board is characterized by: a first holding member for holding one side of the flexible printed circuit board; and a plurality of supporting members for Curing the flexible printed circuit board to form a bent portion, wherein the flexible printed circuit board is bent in a state of being hung on the plurality of support members; and a second holding member for holding the other side of the flexible printed circuit board, Thereby, the state in which the tension is applied to the flexible printed circuit board is maintained.

Further, a circuit board manufacturing apparatus provided by a third aspect of the present invention is for forming a flexible printed circuit board having a wiring layer and an insulating layer and having a bent portion at a plurality of positions, wherein the insulating layer is made of a thermoplastic resin, and The insulating layer covers the wiring layer from both sides; the circuit board manufacturing apparatus is characterized in that: the torque roller is close to the separating mechanism, and has a torque roller composed of a pair of rollers, and the pair of rollers can be close to or separated from each other, And being movable toward or away from the flexible printed circuit board; the free roller is adjacent to the separating mechanism, having a free roller composed of a pair of rollers that can be close to or separated from each other and capable of approaching or moving away from the flexible printed circuit a direction of movement of the plate; a roller driving mechanism that applies a driving force to at least one of the pair of rollers constituting the torque roller, thereby applying tension to the flexible printed circuit board by the driving force; and a jig slider for The board manufacturing jig moves toward the conveying direction of the flexible printed circuit board; and the control unit performs the Control, that is, after holding one side of the flexible printed circuit board on the first holding member for holding one side of the flexible printed circuit board in the jig for manufacturing a circuit board, the free roller is brought close to the separating mechanism toward the soft printing The conveyance direction of the board moves in the direction in which the board is moved, and the jig for manufacturing the board is moved by the jig slider, and the jig for manufacturing the board is moved to the position where the movable pin is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the bent portion after the molding.

[Effects of invention]

According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve at least one of the effects of fixing the molding start position of the flexible printed circuit board, stabilizing the molding shape, improving the operability in the manufacturing process, and reducing the heat capacity.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the flexible printed circuit board FB according to the embodiment of the present invention, the board manufacturing apparatus 100, and the board manufacturing jig 10 will be described. In the following description, the board manufacturing jig 10 and the board manufacturing apparatus 100 for implementing the manufacturing method of the flexible printed circuit board FB will be described first, and then the manufacturing method of the flexible printed circuit board FB will be described. In addition, in the following description, description may be made using an XYZ rectangular coordinate system. In addition, the longitudinal direction of the board manufacturing jig 10 is set to the X direction, and the right side of FIG. 3 etc. is the X1 side, and the left side is the X2 side. In addition, the height direction of the board manufacturing jig 10 is set to the Z direction, and the upper side in the height direction of the board manufacturing jig 10 is set to the Z1 side, and the lower side is set to the Z2 side. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the X and Z directions, that is, the width direction of the jig 10 for manufacturing the board is set to the Y direction, and the outer side in the width direction of the jig 10 for manufacturing the board is set to the Y1 side and the back side to the Y2 side.

<About flexible printed circuit board>

Fig. 1 is a front cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a flexible printed circuit board FA (or a formed flexible printed circuit board FB) before molding. As shown in FIG. 1, the flexible printed circuit boards FA and FB of the present embodiment have an insulating layer F1, a conductive pattern F2, and an adhesive layer F3. As the material of the insulating layer F1, a thermoplastic resin such as LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer) is used. Specifically, the surface of the flexible printed circuit boards FA and FB is covered with an insulating layer F1 made of LCP, and a conductive pattern F2 is formed on the insulating layer of either side of the two insulating layers F1. Further, the adhesive layer F3 is formed so as to cover the conductive pattern F2. Further, another insulating layer F1 is adhered via the adhesive layer F3. That is, the flexible printed circuit boards FA and FB are configured such that the conductive pattern F2 (conductive layer) is sandwiched between the pair of insulating layers F1. However, the conductive pattern F2 (conductive layer) is not limited to one layer, and two or more layers may be provided. In this case, it is necessary to provide an insulating layer that separates the conductive patterns F2 (conductive layers) from each other.

When the flexible printed circuit board FA before the forming is formed, the light is heated for 30 minutes to 60 minutes at a temperature lower than the softening temperature of the resin constituting the insulating layer F1 by about several tens C to about one hundred C. The forming dies have substantially the same shape.

2 is a view showing a side shape of the flexible printed circuit boards FA and FB, wherein (A) shows a view of the flexible printed circuit board FA before molding, and (B) shows a view of the formed flexible printed circuit board FB. . As shown in FIG. 2(A), the flexible printed circuit board FA before molding has a state in which the bent portion FB1 is not formed.

On the other hand, the formed flexible printed circuit board FB has a plurality of curved portions FB1. The bent portion FB1 is formed in a manner similar to the outer peripheral shape of the fixed pin 24 or the movable pin 25 described below. Therefore, the curvature of the curved portion FB1 also corresponds to the curvature of the fixing pin 24 or the movable pin 25. Hereinafter, a manufacturing method of the board manufacturing jig 10, the board manufacturing apparatus 100, and the flexible printed circuit board FB for manufacturing the molded flexible printed circuit board FB from the flexible printed circuit board FA before molding will be described.

<Construction of the jig 10 for manufacturing a circuit board>

3 to 5 are views showing a configuration of a jig 10 for manufacturing a circuit board before mounting a flexible printed circuit board FA, wherein Fig. 3 is a side view, Fig. 4 is a plan view, and Fig. 5 is a front view. Further, for the sake of easy understanding, the movable pin 25 inserted in the insertion hole 211 and the sleeve 33 is displayed in a see-through manner in a hatched manner. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the shape of the front end side of the flexible printed circuit board FA. In addition, FIG. 7 is a side view showing the shape of the movable pin 25.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the jig 10 for manufacturing a circuit board has a first jig 20 and a second jig 30. The first jig 20 has a main body portion 21 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, for example. A positioning recess 22 is provided in the main body portion 21. The positioning recess 22 is a portion into which the positioning convex portion 32 (described later) of the second jig 30 is fitted, and the positioning convex portion 32 of the second jig 30 is fitted into the positioning concave portion 22 so as to be opposed to the second jig 30. The second clamp 30 is positioned. In the present embodiment, the positioning recess 22 is provided on one end side (X2 side) and the other end side (X1 side) in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the main body portion 21, respectively. However, as long as the first jig 20 and the second jig 30 can be reliably positioned, the position and number of the positioning recesses 22 can be appropriately changed. Further, as long as the first jig 20 and the second jig 30 can be positioned, other configurations may be employed. For example, a positioning convex portion is provided on the main body portion 21 instead of the positioning concave portion 22, and the main body portion of the second jig 30 is provided. 31 is provided with a configuration of positioning recesses and the like.

Alternatively, the first jig 20 and the second jig 30 may be fixed by a magnet. In this case, after the positioning convex portion 32 is fitted in the positioning concave portion 22, the first jig 20 is fixed to the second jig 30. However, instead of fixing by a magnet, the first jig 20 may be fixed to the second jig 30 by using a mechanical clip or other fixing member such as a screw clamp.

A distal end fixing member 23 is provided on one end side (X2 side) of the main body portion 21 in the longitudinal direction (X direction). The front end fixing member 23 corresponds to the first holding member. Further, the front end fixing member 23 has a front end support portion 23a and a locking pin 23b. The front end support portion 23a is provided in a flat plate shape, and is in contact with the back surface on the front end side of the flexible printed circuit board FA. Further, the locking pin 23b is provided in a cylindrical pin shape, for example.

Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the front end side of the flexible printed circuit board FA is provided with a cutout portion F4 which is then cut off (the cutting line F6 which is a boundary line to be cut later is also shown in FIG. 6), the cutout portion F4 A hole portion F5 is provided on the upper portion. Therefore, the front end side of the flexible printed circuit board FA is positioned by inserting the locking pin 23b into the hole portion F5.

In addition, the structure of the front end fixing member 23 is not limited to the structure shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. For example, the locking pin 23b may have a column shape represented by a quadrangular prism shape, a columnar shape represented by an elliptical column shape, or another protrusion shape. In addition, as long as the front end side of the flexible printed circuit board FA can be positioned, the distal end fixing member 23 may be configured such that the cut portion F4 of the flexible printed circuit board FA is sandwiched or the cut portion F4 is sucked and held.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, a fixing pin corresponding to the support member is provided on the one end side (X2 side) of the main body portion 21 and the portion closer to the other end side (X1 side) than the distal end fixing member 23. twenty four. The fixing pin 24 is a pin member fixed to the main body portion 21, and is provided so as not to be detachable from the main body portion 21, which is different from the movable pin 25 described below. However, the fixing pin 24 may be provided detachably from the main body portion 21. Further, the fixing pin 24 may be detachably attached to the main body portion 21, but is less likely to be detached from the main body portion 21 than the movable pin 25 (it is not easy to move).

Further, the curvature of the curved outer peripheral surface of the fixing pin 24 is a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the curved portion of the flexible printed circuit board FB to be formed. Further, the fixing pin 24 is provided such that its upper surface is substantially flush with the upper surface of the front end supporting portion 23a of the distal end fixing member 23. In other words, the transport line L that passes through the upper surface of the distal end support portion 23a and is parallel to the longitudinal direction (X direction) is in contact with the upper surface side of the fixed pin 24. Further, the fixing pin 24 extends in a direction perpendicular to the side surface of the main body portion 21, and the length of the fixing pin 24 is set to be larger than the length in the width direction (Y direction) of the flexible printed circuit board FA.

Further, a plurality of movable pins 25 (corresponding to the support members) can be disposed on the main body portion 21. In the present embodiment, the movable pin 25 is provided detachably from the main body portion 21. In order to achieve the above-described attachment and detachment, an insertion hole 211 is provided in the main body portion 21. The insertion hole 211 is provided to penetrate the body portion 21 in the width direction (Y direction). Further, the insertion hole 211 is formed to have a tolerance to the extent that the movable pin 25 can be inserted into the insertion hole 211, but after the movable pin 25 is inserted into the insertion hole 211, the movable pin 25 does not rattle.

As shown in FIG. 7, the movable pin 25 inserted into the insertion hole 211 has a pin portion 251 and a flange portion 252. The pin portion 251 is a pin-shaped portion having the same diameter, and the flange portion 252 is provided to have a larger diameter than the pin portion 251. Therefore, when the movable pin 25 is inserted into the insertion hole 211 from the front end side of the pin portion 251, the flange portion 252 cannot pass through the insertion hole 211, thereby locking the movable pin 25 to the first jig 20. Further, when the flange portion 252 is in contact with the main body portion 21, the length of the pin portion 251 protruding from the main body portion 21 in the Y1 direction is larger than the width of the flexible printed circuit board FA.

Further, in the configuration shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the insertion holes 211 are provided such that the apertures in the entire width direction (Y direction) are completely the same. However, the insertion hole 211 may be formed such that at least a part thereof has a tapered hole or the like, and the apertures are not completely the same. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a portion of the insertion hole 211 from the distal end side (Y1 side) of the movable pin 25 in the insertion direction to the intermediate portion of the insertion hole 211 may be formed as a straight hole 212 having the same diameter. The portion from the intermediate portion to the rear end side (Y2 side; the second jig 30 side) is formed into a tapered hole 213 whose diameter gradually increases toward the rear end side (Y2 side). Further, the insertion hole 211 may be integrally formed as a tapered hole.

In the configuration shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a total of nine insertion holes 211 as described above are provided. However, the number of the insertion holes 211 may be any number. Further, in the insertion hole 211, the insertion hole located on the lower side (Z2 side) with the conveyance line L interposed therebetween and the insertion hole located on the upper side (Z1 side) are alternately arranged. In the following description, the insertion hole 211 which is closest to the one end side (X2 side) in the longitudinal direction (X direction) is the insertion hole 211a, and is sequentially set toward the other end side (X1 side). Holes 211b to 211i are inserted. Further, when the flexible printed circuit board FA is in contact with the upper surface side of the fixing pin 24, the insertion hole 211 (insertion hole 211a) closest to the one end side (X2 side) in the longitudinal direction (X direction) is located below the conveying line L. Side (Z2 side).

In the following description, the movable pins 25 that are inserted into the insertion holes 211a to 211i as needed are referred to as movable pins 25a to 25i.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, in the main body portion 21, a portion corresponding to the second holding member is provided on a portion closer to the other end side (X1 side) in the longitudinal direction (X direction) than the insertion hole 211i. The rear end fixing member 26. The rear end fixing member 26 sandwiches the flexible printed circuit board FA between the rear end fixing member 26 and the rear end holding member 200 described below, thereby fixing the rear end side (X1 side end portion) of the flexible printed circuit board FA. Part of it. The rear end fixing member 26 is provided in the same flat shape as the front end support portion 23a, and is in contact with the back surface on the rear end side of the flexible printed circuit board FA. Alternatively, the rear end holding member 200 and the rear end fixing member 26 may be configured to correspond to the second holding member.

In addition, although the illustration is omitted, the rear end side of the flexible printed circuit board FA is also provided with the same cut-out portion as the cut-away portion F4 (however, the cut-out portion may be formed without the hole portion F5). Further, similarly to the distal end fixing member 23, the configuration of the rear end fixing member 26 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figs. 3 to 5, and other configurations may be employed.

Next, the second jig 30 will be described. The second jig 30 is a component mounted on the circuit board manufacturing apparatus 100, and is a component for mounting the first jig 20 (refer to FIGS. 4 and 5). That is, the first jig 20 is mounted on the circuit board manufacturing apparatus 100 by the second jig 30. Therefore, the second jig 30 has a main body portion 31 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is equal in size to the main body portion 21 when viewed from the side.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the main body portion 31 is provided with a positioning convex portion 32. The positioning convex portion 32 is a portion that is inserted into the positioning concave portion 22 to position the first jig 20 and the second jig 30. Therefore, the positioning convex portion 32 is disposed at a position corresponding to the positioning concave portion 22.

Further, the main body portion 31 is provided with a sleeve 33 as a through hole. The sleeve 33 is disposed at a position coaxial with the insertion hole 211 when the first jig 20 is fixed to the second jig 30. Therefore, the number of the sleeves 33 is the same as that of the insertion holes 211. Here, the sleeve 33 is provided with a larger diameter than the insertion hole 211. Specifically, the aperture of the sleeve 33 is set to the extent that the flange portion 252 can be inserted through the sleeve 33. Therefore, when the movable pin 25 is inserted into the sleeve 33, the pin portion 251 of the movable pin 25 passes through the sleeve 33. Further, the pin portion 251 can be positioned in the insertion hole 211 in a state where the flange portion 252 of the movable pin 25 is positioned in the sleeve 33. Therefore, the sleeve 33 has a guiding function of guiding the movable pin 25.

<Construction of Circuit Board Manufacturing Apparatus 100>

Next, the configuration of the board manufacturing apparatus 100 will be described below. FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a schematic configuration of the circuit board manufacturing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 9, the circuit board manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a control unit 110, a jig clamping mechanism 120, a jig slider 130, a pin ejecting mechanism 140, a torque roller approaching and separating mechanism 150, and a free roller approaching and separating mechanism 160. The roller drive mechanism 170, the front end holding mechanism 180, and the side pressing mechanism 190.

The control unit 110 is a control unit for controlling each drive unit, and includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), or a RAM (Random Access Memory, random access). Memory, non-volatile memory, etc., and stored in the memory with data or programs for performing various controls.

Further, the jig holding mechanism 120 has, for example, a pair of holding members 121, and the second jig 30 is held by the pair of holding members 121. The second jig 30 is fixed to the circuit board manufacturing apparatus 100 by sandwiching the second jig 30 by the jig clamping mechanism 120. Further, the jig holding mechanism 120 may be configured to be manually gripped, or may be configured to be automatically gripped by a driving source such as a motor.

In addition, the jig slider 130 is provided with a sliding motor 131 corresponding to the second driving device, and is driven by the sliding motor 131 to slide the board manufacturing jig 10 . When the jig 10 for manufacturing the circuit board is slid by the jig slider 130, the jig 10 for manufacturing the board can be slid with respect to a torque roller 151, a free roller 161, or the like described below.

In FIG. 9, a case where the conveyor belt 132 is used as an example of the jig slider 130 is exemplified, and members such as the clamp member 121 are fixed to a part of the conveyor belt 132. Since FIG. 9 is a schematic view, the conveyor belt 132 is illustrated in a state in which the length is short in FIG. 9, but the conveyor belt 132 is provided to have a length sufficient for the board manufacturing jig 10 to be sufficiently slid. Further, as the constituent elements of the jig slider 130, a feed screw or the like may be used in addition to the conveyor belt 132.

Further, the pin ejecting mechanism 140 is a mechanism that includes the air cylinder 141 and transmits the movable pin 25 toward the insertion hole 211 via the sleeve 33 by the operation of the air cylinder 141. Further, the pin ejecting mechanism 140 is further provided with a moving mechanism (not shown) for moving the air cylinder 141, and the movable pin 25 can be sequentially inserted into each of the insertion holes 211 by the operation of the moving mechanism.

Further, the torque roller approaching and separating mechanism 150 includes a torque roller 151, an air cylinder 152, and a biasing member (not shown). The torque roller 151 is provided with a driving roller 151a and a driven roller 151b, and the driving roller 151a and the driven roller 151b are disposed in the vertical direction. Further, in a state where the air cylinder 152 is not activated, the driving roller 151a and the driven roller 151b are separated from each other in the vertical direction by the urging force of the biasing member, and when the cylinder 152 is operated, the driving roller 151a is changed. The driven roller 151b is in a closed state in which they are close to each other, so that the flexible printed circuit board FA can be sandwiched by a predetermined pressing force.

Further, the free roller approaching and separating mechanism 160 includes a free roller 161, a cylinder 162, and a biasing member (not shown). The free roller 161 has a pair of driven rollers 161a and 161b, and the pair of driven rollers 161a and 161b are arranged in the vertical direction. Further, in a state where the air cylinder 162 is not activated, the driven rollers 161a and 161b are separated from each other in the vertical direction by the urging force of the urging member, and become the driven rollers 161a and 161b when the cylinder 162 is operated. The closed state close to each other enables the flexible printed circuit board FA to be clamped at a predetermined pressing force. Further, the free roller 161 is located closer to the one end side (X2 side) in the longitudinal direction (X direction) than the torque roller 151.

The roller drive mechanism 170 includes a drive motor 171 and can drive the drive roller 151a by operating the drive motor 171. Therefore, by driving the driving roller 151a in a state where the flexible printed circuit board FA is sandwiched by the driving roller 151a and the driven roller 151b, the flexible printed circuit board FA can be conveyed and on the other end side in the longitudinal direction (X direction) ( When the X1 side and the right side of FIG. 9 are transported, tension can be applied to the flexible printed circuit board FA.

Further, the front end holding mechanism 180 has a front end holding member 181 and a cylinder 182. As shown in FIG. 9 , the distal end holding member 181 is formed in a substantially L shape when viewed from the side, and the distal end holding member 181 is in contact with the distal end side of the distal end fixing member 23 . In order to achieve the above-described abutment, the distal end side abutting portion 181a is provided such that its length in the up and down direction (Z direction) is larger than the upper abutting portion 181b. Further, the upper surface contact portion 181b of the distal end holding member 181 abuts against the upper surface side of the cutout portion F4, and the cutout portion F4 is sandwiched between the upper surface contact portion 181b and the front end support portion 23a. In order to achieve the above operation, the distal end holding member 181 is formed to be movable in the vertical direction (Z direction) by the operation of the air cylinder 182 (corresponding to the first driving device). Thereby, the front end side of the flexible printed circuit board FA can be reliably fixed. Further, a concave portion (not shown) is provided on the upper contact portion 181b, and the locking pin 23b can be inserted into the concave portion.

Further, the side pressing mechanism 190 has a side pressing member 191 and a cylinder 192. The side pressing member 191 has a side surface abutting portion 191a that abuts against the side surface of the main body portion 21. When the side surface contact portion 191a comes into contact with the Y2 side surface of the flexible printed circuit board FA, the skew direction (angle direction) of the flexible printed circuit board FA can be adjusted. In order to achieve the above operation, the side pressing member 191 is formed to be movable in the width direction (Y direction) by the operation of the air cylinder 192.

Further, the circuit board manufacturing apparatus 100 may be configured to include the rear end holding member 200. However, the rear end holding member 200 may be configured separately from the circuit board manufacturing apparatus 100. The rear end holding member 200 is, for example, a plate-shaped member, and is in contact with the upper surface side of the cut-away portion F4 on the rear end side. Thereby, the cut portion F4 is sandwiched between the rear end holding member 200 and the rear end fixing member 26, whereby the rear end side of the flexible printed circuit board FA is reliably fixed. In order to securely fix the flexible printed circuit board FA as described above, the rear end holding member 200 may be configured to be attached to the rear end fixing member 26 by magnetic force, or may be configured to be mounted by a member such as a clip. The end fixing member 26 is on the end.

<About the manufacturing method of the flexible printed circuit board FB>

Next, a method of manufacturing the flexible printed circuit board FB will be described below. In the following description, the first step to the tenth step are sequentially described. However, in the method of manufacturing the flexible printed circuit board FB according to the embodiment of the present invention, of course, other various steps may be provided. .

(1) First step: before installation of the flexible printed circuit board FA (preparation)

First, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the preparation before the installation of the flexible printed circuit board FA is performed. To this end, the second jig 30 is fixed to the circuit board manufacturing apparatus 100 by the jig clamping mechanism 120. In order to be easily fixed, the jig 10 for manufacturing the circuit board is slid by the jig slider 130, and is disposed at a position that does not interfere with each part of the board manufacturing apparatus 100 (in FIGS. 10 and 11). It is a position relatively close to the left side with respect to the board manufacturing apparatus 100. Further, during the sliding of the board manufacturing jig 10, the front end holding mechanism 180 also slides, but the pin pushing mechanism 140, the torque roller approaching the separating mechanism 150, the free roller approaching the separating mechanism 160, and the side pressing mechanism 190 are not slide.

Further, after the board manufacturing jig 10 is slid, as shown in FIG. 11, the first jig 20 is attached to the second jig 30 by inserting the positioning convex portion 32 into the positioning recess 22. After the mounting, the board manufacturing jig 10 is directed to the side opposite to the front by the jig slider 130 (the right side with respect to the board manufacturing apparatus 100 in FIGS. 10 and 11) Sliding and moving the board manufacturing jig 10 to a position for mounting the flexible printed circuit board FA.

Further, before or after the board manufacturing jig 10 is slid toward the right side of FIGS. 10 and 11, the movable pin 25 is inserted into each of the sleeves 33. At this time, the movable pin 25 is inserted into a position where the pin portion 251 does not protrude from the outer side (Y1 side) side surface of the main body portion 31.

Further, when the flexible printed circuit board FA is mounted on the first jig 20, the respective portions of the circuit board manufacturing apparatus 100 and the flexible printed circuit board FA do not interfere with each other. Therefore, the distal end holding member 181 of the distal end holding mechanism 180 is in a state of being shrunk toward the upper side (Z1 side). In the same manner, the side surface pressing member 191 of the side pressing mechanism 190 is also retracted toward the back side (Y2 side), and the rear end holding member 200 is also retracted toward the upper side (Z1 side). Further, the driving roller 151a and the driven roller 151b of the torque roller 151 are separated from each other in the vertical direction. Further, the driven rollers 161a and 161b of the free roller 161 are also separated from each other in the vertical direction.

Further, in order to continuously perform the molding of the flexible printed circuit board FA, after the mounting of the flexible printed circuit board FA is completed, the first jig 20 is removed from the second jig 30, and the other first jig 20 is attached to the first Two clamps 30. That is, a plurality of first jigs 20 are present with respect to one second jig 30, and a flexible printed circuit board FA is sequentially mounted on each of the first jigs 20.

(2) Second step: installation of the front end side of the flexible printed circuit board FA

Next, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the flexible printed circuit board FA is mounted on the first jig 20. At this time, the locking pin 23b of the distal end fixing member 23 is inserted into the hole portion F5 of the flexible printed circuit board FA (corresponding to the first holding step). Thereby, the position of the front end side of the flexible printed circuit board FA is fixed. In a state in which the front end side is mounted, the lower surface of the flexible printed circuit board FA is in contact with the upper surface side of the fixing pin 24.

(3) The third step: start stretching the flexible printed circuit board FA

Next, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the rear end side surface of the flexible printed circuit board FA is pushed up to the side pressing member 191 of the side pressing mechanism 190 (corresponding to the skew adjustment step). Thereby, the position in the rotational direction of the flexible printed circuit board FA is fixed. Further, before or after the position of the flexible printed circuit board FA in the rotational direction is fixed, the air cylinder 182 is operated to move the distal end holding member 181 toward the lower side, thereby clamping the distal end side of the flexible printed circuit board FA. The front end support portion 23a is in contact with the upper surface contact portion 181b.

After the flexible printed circuit board FA is sandwiched between the front end support portion 23a and the upper surface contact portion 181b, the air cylinder 152 is operated to bring the drive roller 151a and the driven roller 151b of the torque roller 151 closer to each other in the vertical direction. Thereby, the flexible printed circuit board FA is clamped. Then, after the flexible printed circuit board FA is sandwiched, the drive motor 171 of the roller drive mechanism 170 is operated to drive the drive roller 151a toward the feed direction (the right side in FIG. 14) toward the conveyance direction of the flexible printed circuit board FA. Apply tension to the flexible printed circuit board FA.

After that, the air cylinder 162 is operated to bring the driven rollers 161a and 161b of the free roller 161 closer to each other in the vertical direction, thereby sandwiching the flexible printed circuit board FA. Thereby, by operating the drive motor 171 before the free roller 161 is closed, it is possible to better prevent the flexible printed circuit board FA between the distal end fixing member 23 and the torque roller 151 from being slack. However, the flexible printed circuit board FA may be sandwiched by the free roller 161 before the drive motor 171 is operated, or the flexible printed circuit board FA may be sandwiched by the free roller 161 before the flexible printed circuit board FA is sandwiched by the torque roller 151.

Further, after the flexible printed circuit board FA is sandwiched by the free roller 161, the pin ejecting mechanism 140 is moved to a position coaxial with the insertion hole 211a in the Y direction. However, the pin pushing mechanism 140 may be moved before the flexible printed circuit board FA is held by the free roller 161, and the pin pushing mechanism 140 may be moved in the next fourth step.

(4) Fourth step: inserting the movable pin 25a into the insertion hole 211a (corresponding to a part of the winding step)

Next, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the drive motor 171 of the roller drive mechanism 170 is operated to drive the drive roller 151a in a direction opposite to the transport direction of the flexible printed circuit board FA (the left side in FIG. 16). As a result, the flexible printed circuit board FA is relaxed and the free roller 161 can be lowered. However, the drive motor 171 may be operated to drive the drive roller 151a in the transport direction of the flexible printed circuit board FA. In this case, it is preferable that the drive torque is smaller than that in the case of the third step or the like. Torque.

In the driving state of the driving roller 151a, the free roller is moved closer to the cylinder 162 of the separating mechanism 160, and the free roller 161 is lowered. This lowering means that the free roller 161 is lowered to a position where the movable pin 25a is located closer to the transport line L side (upper side) than the flexible printed circuit board FA when the movable pin 25a is inserted into the insertion hole 211a. Location. In addition, at this time, the slide motor 131 of the jig slider 130 can be moved, and the board manufacturing jig 10 can be moved toward the other side (X1 side, the right side of FIG. 16) of the longitudinal direction.

After the free roller 161 is lowered, the cylinder 141 of the pin ejecting mechanism 140 is operated, and the movable pin 25a is inserted into the insertion hole 211a until the flange portion 252 comes into contact with the main body portion 21. Thereby, the pin portion 251 of the movable pin 25a protrudes toward the outer side (Y1 side), and the pin portion 251 can be in contact with the upper surface side of the flexible printed circuit board FA. Further, after the cylinder 141 is operated as described above, the cylinder 141 is returned, so that the cylinder 141 does not enter the casing 33.

(5) Fifth step: inserting the movable pin 25b into the insertion hole 211b (corresponding to a part of the winding step)

Next, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the movable pin 25b is inserted into the insertion hole 211b. For this purpose, the drive motor 171 of the roller drive mechanism 170 is operated to drive the drive roller 151a toward the transport direction (the right side in FIG. 18) of the flexible printed circuit board FA, and the free roller 161 is raised. Then, the slide motor 131 of the jig slider 130 is operated to move the board manufacturing jig 10 toward the longitudinal direction side (X2 side; the left side of FIG. 18), so that the movable pin 25b is inserted into the insertion hole 211b. The medium-time movable pin 25b is located closer to the transport line L side (lower side) than the flexible printed circuit board FA.

Then, the pin ejecting mechanism 140 is moved to a position coaxial with the insertion hole 211b in the Y direction. After the pin ejecting mechanism 140 is moved to the above position, the cylinder 141 of the pin ejecting mechanism 140 is operated, and the movable pin 25b is inserted into the insertion hole 211b until the flange portion 252 comes into contact with the main body portion 21. Thereby, the pin portion 251 of the movable pin 25b protrudes toward the outer side (Y1 side), and the pin portion 251 can come into contact with the lower surface side of the flexible printed circuit board FA. Further, after the cylinder 141 is operated as described above, the cylinder 141 is returned, so that the cylinder 141 does not enter the casing 33.

(6) Sixth step: repeating the same actions as the fourth step and the fifth step (corresponding to a part of the hanging step)

After the fifth step described above, the same operations as those of the fourth step and the fifth step are sequentially repeated, whereby the movable pins 25c to 25i are inserted into the insertion holes 211c to 211i and the flexible printed circuit board FA is hung in each The state on the movable pins 25c to 25i.

(7) Seventh step: opening the free roller 161

After the flexible printed circuit board FA is hung on the movable pin 25i, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the drive motor 171 is operated to drive the drive roller 151a toward the feed direction, and the cylinder 162 is stopped. The action is such that the free roller 161 is opened by the urging force of the urging member.

(8) Eighth step: opening the torque roller 151

Next, as shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, the rear end side of the flexible printed circuit board FA is sandwiched by the rear end holding member 200 and the rear end fixing member 26 (corresponding to the second holding step). Then, the cylinder 152 is stopped to operate, and the torque roller 151 is opened by the urging force of the urging member. Thus far, the operation of attaching the flexible printed circuit board FA to the board manufacturing jig 10 is completed.

(9) The ninth step: heating forming of the flexible printed circuit board FA

Next, as shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, the first jig 20 on which the flexible printed circuit board FA is mounted is removed from the second jig 30. Then, in a state where tension is applied to the flexible printed circuit board FA, the flexible printed circuit board FA and the first jig 20 are heated together (corresponding to the heat forming step) by an oven or the like, thereby forming a soft printing. Circuit board FB. The heating temperature can be heated at a temperature of about 200 ° C for about 30 minutes. Therefore, since the position on the distal end side of the flexible printed circuit board FA is fixed and the flexible printed circuit board FA is subjected to heat molding, the molded flexible printed circuit board FB can be manufactured. The shape is stable.

Further, after the molded flexible printed circuit board FB is obtained by heat molding, the flexible printed circuit board FB is removed from the first jig 20. In this case, as shown in FIG. 26, a concave portion 27 may be provided on the back side (Y2 side) of the first jig 20, and the detaching plate 28 may be fitted into the concave portion 27. The detaching plate 28 is provided with a hole portion 28a which is coaxial with the insertion hole 211 and has the same hole diameter. Thereby, the flange portion 252 of each of the movable pins 25 cannot pass through the detaching plate 28, but is locked to the side surface of the detaching plate 28. Therefore, by removing the detaching plate 28 from the recessed portion 27, the movable pin 25 can be extracted from the insertion hole 211, and the flexible printed circuit board FB can be easily removed from the first jig 20.

Further, as shown in FIG. 27, the first jig 20 may be configured to be separable. For example, it may be configured that the first jig 20 is divided into the two portions of the first divided portion 20A and the second divided portion 20B, and the first jig 20 can be the outer side (Y1 side) side at the divided portion 29 or The vicinity thereof is opened or closed as a fulcrum, and the divided portion 29 is located at an intermediate position in the up-and-down direction (Z direction) of the first jig 20. Here, it is preferable that the divided portion 29 is provided at a position between the movable pin 25 located on the lower side (Z2 side) and the movable pin 25 located on the upper side (Z1 side).

In the case where the configuration shown in FIG. 27 is formed, when the first jig 20 is opened with the divided portion 29 as a fulcrum, the tension between the first jig 20 and the flexible printed circuit board FB is weakened, so that it can be easily The flexible printed circuit board FB is removed from a jig 20.

(10) The tenth step: the removal of the resection F4

Next, as shown in FIG. 28 and FIG. 29, the excess portion of the formed flexible printed circuit board FB, that is, the cut-out portion F4 is cut off, so that the flexible printed circuit board FB formed into a wrinkle shape is brought into the factory state. Made into the final product. Further, the jig 300 having the blade portion and the fixing jig 400 shown in Figs. 28 and 29 are used for cutting so as to maintain the formed shape of the above-described three-dimensionally formed flexible printed circuit board FB.

The jig 300 having the blade portion is a jig having a blade portion such as a pinnacle die or a mold, and is provided with a pair of blade portions 301 so that the cut portion F4 on both end sides of the flexible printed circuit board FB can be cut. Further, the fixing jig 400 includes a jig frame 401 having a concave shape. A guide pin 402 that can be inserted into the hole portion F5 is provided around the concave portion of the jig frame 401, so that the front end side of the flexible printed circuit board FB can be held. Further, the fixing jig 400 includes a rear end holding portion 403 capable of positioning and holding the rear end side of the flexible printed circuit board FB. Therefore, by moving the jig 300 having the blade portion downward, the cut portion F4 on both end sides of the flexible printed circuit board FB can be cut.

Further, in the configuration shown in FIG. 29, a plurality of flexible printed circuit boards FB can be mounted in the fixing jig 400, and the plurality of flexible printed circuit boards FB can be cut at a time using the jig 300 having the blade portion. However, it is also possible to cut the flexible printed circuit board FB one by one.

The cut-off portion F4 on both end sides is cut off by using the jig 300 having the blade portion and the fixing jig 400 described above, thereby producing a final product.

In addition, a hole portion similar to the hole portion F5 may be provided on the rear end side of the flexible printed circuit board FB, and the same guide pin insertion hole as that of the guide pin 402 may be inserted into the hole portion, thereby enabling the flexible printed circuit. The rear end side of the board FB is positioned. Further, the cut portion F4 may be cut by another method than the above method. Examples of such a method include laser cutting by laser or router cutting using a router bit.

[About the comparative example]

Next, a comparative example of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 30 is a side view showing a configuration of a jig 10D for manufacturing a circuit board of a comparative example, and is a view related to Patent Document 3 described above. As shown in FIG. 30, the board manufacturing jig 10D of the comparative example is provided with the main-body part 11, and this main-body part 11 is provided with the some fixed pin 24D.

In this case, the flexible printed circuit board FA is passed between the fixed pins 24D while a certain tension is applied. Then, after the flexible printed circuit board FA is passed between the fixing pins 24D, heat forming is performed. In this case, the operability of passing the flexible printed circuit board FA between the fixing pins 24D is inferior, and the starting point side position (front end side position) of the flexible printed circuit board FA is unstable. In addition, since there is friction between the flexible printed circuit board FA and the fixing pin 24D, it is difficult to perform stretching under a certain tension. Therefore, the formed shape is difficult to stabilize. In particular, the larger the number of the fixing pins 24D, the larger the friction, so that it is difficult to perform stretching under a certain tension. Further, there is a problem that as the friction increases, the intermediate portion of the flexible printed circuit board FA becomes slack even if a certain tension is applied.

Fig. 31 is a side view showing an example in which the shape of the flexible printed circuit board FB is unstable. (A) in Fig. 31 shows the shape of the target flexible printed circuit board FB. In addition, (B) of FIG. 31 shows a state in which the curvature (R) of the curved portion FB1 does not match the target flexible printed circuit board FB, that is, a portion FB1a having a large curvature (R) is formed in the curved portion FB1. And a portion FB1b having a small curvature (R), thereby forming a form in which the shape is unstable.

In addition, (C) of FIG. 31 shows an example in which the position on the starting point side (front end side) of the flexible printed circuit board FA mounted on the board manufacturing jig 10D is shifted by the distance corresponding to the M portion. The misalignment of the starting point side (front end side) is also a form in which the formed shape is unstable.

<About effect>

According to the manufacturing method of the flexible printed circuit board FB, the jig 10 for manufacturing a circuit board, and the circuit board manufacturing apparatus 100, the following effects can be achieved.

In other words, since the position of the one end side (X2 side; the starting point side) of the flexible printed circuit board FA can be fixed by the distal end fixing member 23 (the locking pin 23b), it is possible to prevent the starting point side of the flexible printed circuit board FB from being displaced. . Thereby, the molded shape of the flexible printed circuit board FB can be stabilized.

Further, since the flexible printed circuit board FA can be supported in a state of being hung on the fixing pin 24 and the movable pin 25, the bent portion FB1 can be accurately formed on the flexible printed circuit board FA. Further, the other end side (X1 side; rear end side) of the flexible printed circuit board FA can be supported by the rear end fixing member 26. Thereby, even when the flexible printed circuit board FA is heat-molded, the state in which the tension is applied to the flexible printed circuit board FA can be maintained.

Further, in the present embodiment, the jig 10 for manufacturing a circuit board has the first jig 20 and the second jig 30, and the first jig 20 is provided detachably with respect to the second jig 30. Therefore, when the flexible printed circuit board FA is heated and formed, the first jig 20 can be removed from the second jig 30. Therefore, it is not necessary to heat the entire jig 10 for manufacturing the circuit board, and it is possible to reduce heating by an oven or the like. Heat capacity at the time of forming.

Further, the first jig 20 is provided with a distal end fixing member 23, a fixing pin 24, a movable pin 25, and a rear end fixing member 26, and can support one end side (X2 side) of the flexible printed circuit board FA on the side of the distal end fixing member 23, The other end side (X1 side) of the flexible printed circuit board FA is supported on the side of the rear end fixing member 26. Thereby, the flexible printed circuit board FA can be favorably heated and formed in a state where the flexible printed circuit board FA is bent by the fixing pin 24 and the movable pin 25.

In addition, the movable pin 25 is provided detachably with respect to the first jig 20. Therefore, when the flexible printed circuit board FA is hung on the movable pin 25, the required movable pin 25 can be inserted into the insertion hole 211, and it is not necessary to wear the flexible printed circuit board FA from between the movable pins 25. Excessive and troublesome operation. Therefore, the operation of attaching the flexible printed circuit board FA to the board manufacturing jig 10 can be easily performed.

Further, a sleeve 33 is provided at a position of the second jig 30 coaxial with the insertion hole 211, and the movable pin 25 can be inserted into the sleeve 33. Therefore, the movable pin 25 can be easily inserted into the insertion hole 211. Further, by inserting the movable pin 25 into the sleeve 33 in a state before the flexible printed circuit board FA is mounted in the first jig 20, the movable pin 25 can be efficiently inserted into the insertion hole 211.

Further, in the present embodiment, the distal end fixing member 23 is provided with a distal end support portion 23a and a locking pin 23b. Therefore, the position of the one end side (X2 side; the starting point side) of the flexible printed circuit board FA can be easily and reliably fixed. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably prevent the occurrence of a displacement on the starting point side of the flexible printed circuit board FA, and it is possible to further stabilize the molding shape of the flexible printed circuit board FB.

Further, in the present embodiment, the circuit board manufacturing apparatus 100 is provided with a front end holding member 181 and a cylinder 182 front end holding mechanism 180. Therefore, by driving the distal end holding member 181 by the air cylinder 182 with respect to the distal end fixing member 23, one end side (X2 side) of the flexible printed circuit board FA can be reliably held. Thereby, the position of the one end side (X2 side; the starting point side) of the flexible printed circuit board FA can be fixed more reliably. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the occurrence of the displacement on the starting point side of the flexible printed circuit board FA, and it is possible to further stabilize the formed shape of the flexible printed circuit board FB.

Further, in the present embodiment, the driving force for sliding the board manufacturing jig 10 is applied to the board manufacturing jig 10 by the sliding motor 131 of the jig slider 130. Therefore, when the flexible printed circuit board FA is hung on the fixing pin 24 or the movable pin 25, the board manufacturing jig 10 can be moved to a desired position, so that the flexible printed circuit board FA can be easily mounted to In the jig 10 for manufacturing a circuit board (first jig 20).

Further, in the present embodiment, the circuit board manufacturing apparatus 100 is provided with a torque roller approaching separation mechanism 150, a free roller approaching separation mechanism 160, and a roller drive mechanism 170. Therefore, the torque roller 151 can be driven by the roller driving mechanism 170 to apply tension to the flexible printed circuit board FA, and the free roller 161 can be raised or lowered by the air cylinder 162. Thereby, the operation of hooking the flexible printed circuit board FA to the fixing pin 24 or the movable pin 25 can be automatically performed. At this time, by moving the board manufacturing jig 10 by the jig slider 130, the movable pin 25 can be easily inserted into the position corresponding to the curved portion FB1.

Further, in the present embodiment, the board manufacturing apparatus 100 is provided with a side pressing mechanism 190 including a side pressing member 191. Then, by moving the air cylinder 192 and pushing the side pressing member 191 onto the side surface of the flexible printed circuit board FA, the adjustment of the skew direction of the flexible printed circuit board FA can be easily and accurately performed.

<Modification>

Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can be variously modified in addition to the above. This will be described below.

In the above embodiment, the case where the flexible printed circuit board FA is heat-formed using the fixing pin 24 and the movable pin 25 of a certain specific diameter has been described. However, it is also possible to heat-form the flexible printed circuit board FA by using the fixing pins 24 and the movable pins 25 of different diameters in combination. Further, the pitch between the curved portions of the flexible printed circuit board FA (the pitch between the portions of the curved portion FB1) may be changed, and FIG. 32 is a view showing the state.

In Fig. 32, the structure of the small-diameter fixing pin 24 and the movable pin 25, and the structure using the large-diameter fixing pin 24 and the movable pin 25 are combined with each other. In addition, in FIG. 32, in the portion where the small-diameter fixing pin 24 and the movable pin 25 are used, the pitch between the curved portions of the flexible printed circuit board FA (the pitch between the portions which become the curved portion FB1) is small, and In the portion where the large-diameter fixing pin 24 and the movable pin 25 are used, the pitch between the curved portions of the flexible printed circuit board FA (the distance between the portions which become the curved portion FB1) is large.

With such a configuration, the flexible printed circuit board FB can be manufactured by freely combining the curvature of the curved portion FB1 or the pitch between the curved portions FB1. For example, a molded portion having a small diameter and a narrow pitch in a curved portion of the flexible printed circuit board FB is suitable for a position where the arrangement space is small and needs to be stretched, and a molded portion having a large diameter and a wide pitch of the curved portion is suitable for a large installation space and a telescopic portion. A large amount of location.

Further, in the configuration shown in Fig. 32, an unformed region exists between a portion having a narrow pitch and a portion having a wide pitch, and by providing the unformed region, the portion to be heated can be minimized, thereby being shortened The length of the flexible printed circuit board FA before forming. Thereby, the product cost can be reduced.

Thereby, the flexible printed circuit board FB having a plurality of pitches can be processed as a whole including the unheated formed region. Therefore, a connection portion or the like in which the flexible printed circuit boards FB having different pitches are connected to each other is not required.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where one flexible printed circuit board FA is mounted in the jig 10 for manufacturing a circuit board has been described. However, a configuration in which a plurality of flexible printed circuit boards FA are mounted in one of the board manufacturing jigs 10 may be employed. Fig. 33 shows such a jig 10B for manufacturing a circuit board.

In Fig. 33, the cut-off portions on one end side and the other end side of a plurality of (three in Fig. 33) flexible printed circuit boards FA are connected to each other to form a cut portion F4B having a large length. In the case where the cut portion F4B thus integrated is provided, positioning or the like can be performed more accurately. However, the flexible printed circuit boards FA may be configured to be independent of each other without being connected to each other.

Further, a plurality of (three in FIG. 33) hole portions F5 are provided on the cut portion F4B on the one end side (X2 side). Further, a plurality of (three in Fig. 33) locking pins 23b are provided on the distal end fixing member 23. In this case, it is necessary to increase the lengths of the fixing pin 24 and the movable pin 25, and it is also necessary to increase the stroke of the cylinder 141 and the length of the torque roller 151 and the free roller 161 in the width direction.

According to this configuration, the plurality of flexible printed circuit boards FA can be formed by heating at a time, and the production efficiency can be improved.

Further, the board manufacturing jig 10 may be constituted by, for example, only the first jig 20. Further, the first jig 20 may be provided with the distal end fixing member 23, and as the supporting member, only a plurality of fixing pins 24 may be provided, or conversely, only a plurality of movable pins 25 may be provided.

10, 10B, 10D‧‧‧Clamps for circuit board manufacturing
20‧‧‧First fixture
20A‧‧‧ first split
20B‧‧‧Second segmentation
21‧‧‧ Main body
22‧‧‧ positioning recess
23‧‧‧ front end fixing parts (corresponding to the first holding part)
23a ‧‧‧Front support
23b ‧‧‧ card sales
24, 24D‧‧‧fixed pin (corresponding to an example of the support member)
25 (25a~25i) ‧‧‧ movable
26‧‧‧ Rear end fixing parts (corresponding to the second holding part)
27‧‧‧ recess
28‧‧‧Disassembly board
28a‧‧‧ Hole Department
29‧‧‧Segmentation
30‧‧‧Second fixture
31‧‧‧ Main body
32‧‧‧ positioning convex
33‧‧‧ casing
100‧‧‧Circuit board manufacturing equipment
110‧‧‧Control Department
120‧‧‧Clamp clamping mechanism
121‧‧‧Clamping parts
130‧‧‧Clamp slides
131‧‧‧Sliding motor (corresponding to the second drive)
132‧‧‧Conveyor belt
140‧‧‧pin push-out mechanism
141, 152, 162, 192‧‧ ‧ cylinder
150‧‧‧ Torque roller close to separation mechanism
151‧‧‧Torque roller
151a‧‧‧Active roller
151b‧‧‧ driven roller
160‧‧‧Free roller close to the separation mechanism
161‧‧‧Free roll
161a, 161b‧‧‧ driven roller
170‧‧‧Roll drive mechanism
171‧‧‧ drive motor
180‧‧‧ front-end retention mechanism
181‧‧‧ front end clamping parts
181a‧‧‧ front end abutment
181b‧‧‧The above abutment
182‧‧ ‧ cylinder (corresponding to the first drive)
190‧‧‧Side press mechanism
191‧‧‧ Side pressing parts
191a‧‧‧Side abutment
200‧‧‧Back end holding parts
211 (211a~211i)‧‧‧ insertion hole
212‧‧‧ Straight hole
213‧‧‧Conical hole
251‧‧‧ Department of Sales
252‧‧‧Flange
300‧‧‧Clamp with blade
301‧‧‧blade
400‧‧‧Fixed fixture
401‧‧‧Clamp frame
402‧‧‧Marketing
403‧‧‧Backend Holder
FA‧‧‧Soft printed circuit board before forming
FB‧‧‧ formed flexible printed circuit board
FB1‧‧‧Bend
F1‧‧‧Insulation
F2‧‧‧ conductive pattern
F3‧‧‧ adhesive layer
F4, F4B‧‧‧cutting department
F5‧‧‧ Hole Department
F6‧‧‧ cutting line

Fig. 1 is a front cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a flexible printed circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a view showing a side shape of a flexible printed circuit board in which (A) shows a flexible printed circuit board before molding, and (B) shows a molded flexible printed circuit board. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the configuration of a jig for manufacturing a circuit board before mounting a flexible printed circuit board. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of a jig for manufacturing a circuit board before mounting a flexible printed circuit board. Fig. 5 is a front elevational view showing the configuration of a jig for manufacturing a circuit board before mounting a flexible printed circuit board. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the shape of the front end side of the flexible printed circuit board. Fig. 7 is a side view showing the shape of the movable pin. Fig. 8 is a plan sectional view showing a modification of the shape of the insertion hole of the first jig. Fig. 9 is a schematic view showing a schematic configuration of a circuit board manufacturing apparatus. Fig. 10 is a side view showing a first step and showing a state of preparation before mounting a flexible printed circuit board in a jig for manufacturing a circuit board and a circuit board manufacturing apparatus. Fig. 11 is a plan view showing a first step and showing a state in which the flexible printed circuit board is mounted in the jig for manufacturing the circuit board and the board manufacturing apparatus. Fig. 12 is a side view showing a state in which a flexible printed circuit board is mounted in a first jig in a jig for manufacturing a circuit board and a circuit board manufacturing apparatus. Fig. 13 is a plan view showing a state in which a flexible printed circuit board is mounted in a first jig in a jig for manufacturing a circuit board and a circuit board manufacturing apparatus. Fig. 14 is a side view showing a state in which the flexible printed circuit board is held by the torque roller and the free roller and the flexible printed circuit board is stretched, with reference to the third step. Fig. 15 is a plan view showing a state in which the flexible printed circuit board is sandwiched by the torque roller and the free roller and the flexible printed circuit board is stretched, with reference to the third step. Fig. 16 is a side view showing a fourth step and showing a state in which the free roller is lowered and the movable pin is inserted into the insertion hole. Fig. 17 is a plan view showing a fourth step and showing a state in which the free roller is lowered and the movable pin is inserted into the insertion hole. Fig. 18 is a side view showing a fifth step and showing a state in which the free roller is raised and the movable pin is inserted into the next insertion hole. Fig. 19 is a plan view showing a fifth step and showing a state in which the free roller is raised and the movable pin is inserted into the next insertion hole. Fig. 20 is a side view showing a state in which the seventh step is performed and the free roller is opened after being formed into a state in which the flexible printed circuit board is hung on all of the movable pins. Fig. 21 is a plan view showing a state in which the seventh step is performed and the free roller is opened after being formed into a state in which the flexible printed circuit board is hung on all of the movable pins. Fig. 22 is a side view showing a state in which the eighth step is performed, and the state in which the rear end side of the flexible printed circuit board is held by the rear end holding member and then the torque roller is opened is shown. Fig. 23 is a plan view showing a state in which the eighth step is performed, and the state in which the rear end side of the flexible printed circuit board is held by the rear end holding member and then the torque roller is opened is shown. Fig. 24 is a plan view showing a state in which the first jig is removed from the second jig in order to heat-form the flexible printed circuit board. Fig. 25 is a front view showing a state in which the first jig is removed from the second jig in order to heat-form the flexible printed circuit board. Fig. 26 is a plan view showing a configuration in which a concave portion and a detaching plate are provided on a first jig, in a modified example. Fig. 27 is a front view showing a modification in which the first jig can be divided into a first divided portion and a second divided portion. Fig. 28 is a side view showing a tenth step and showing a state in which the formed flexible printed circuit board is mounted on a jig having a blade and a fixing jig. Fig. 29 is a plan view showing a tenth step and showing a state in which the formed flexible printed circuit board is mounted in a fixing jig. Fig. 30 is a side view showing the configuration of a jig for manufacturing a circuit board of a comparative example. Fig. 31 is a side view showing an example of a comparative example and showing that the shape of the flexible printed circuit board is unstable. 32 is a side view showing a modification of a jig for manufacturing a circuit board, which uses a fixing pin and a movable pin having different diameters, and is used for heating and forming a flexible printed circuit board having different pitches. Fig. 33 is a plan view showing a modification of the circuit board manufacturing jig capable of mounting a plurality of flexible printed circuit boards at a time.

10‧‧‧Chipboard manufacturing fixture

20‧‧‧First fixture

21‧‧‧ Main body

211 (211a~211i)‧‧‧ insertion hole

22‧‧‧ positioning recess

23‧‧‧ front end fixing parts (corresponding to the first holding part)

23a‧‧‧Front support

23b‧‧‧ card sales

24‧‧‧Fixed pin (corresponding to an example of a support member)

25 (25a~25i) ‧‧‧ movable

26‧‧‧ Rear end fixing parts (corresponding to the second holding part)

30‧‧‧Second fixture

31‧‧‧ Main body

32‧‧‧ positioning convex

33‧‧‧ casing

Claims (10)

A method of manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board, which is a method of forming a flexible printed circuit board having a bent portion at a plurality of positions by using a jig for manufacturing a circuit board, wherein the flexible printed circuit board has a wiring layer and an insulating layer. The insulating layer is made of a thermoplastic resin, and the insulating layer covers the wiring layer from both sides. The manufacturing method of the flexible printed circuit board includes: a first holding step: one of the flexible printed circuit boards The side is held on the first holding member of the board manufacturing jig for holding the side of the flexible printed circuit board; the winding step: the softening is performed in the winding step performed after the first holding step The printed circuit board is supported on the plurality of support members in a state of being hung on the plurality of support members, wherein the plurality of the support members are used in the board manufacturing jig for bending the flexible printed circuit board to form the printed circuit board a member of the bent portion; a second holding step: the second holding step performed after the hanging step, the flexible printed circuit board The other side is held in the second manufacturing member for holding the other side of the flexible printed circuit board in the jig for manufacturing a circuit board, thereby maintaining a state in which tension is applied to the flexible printed circuit board; and a heating forming step In at least a part of the jig for manufacturing a circuit board, the flexible printed circuit board is heated and formed while maintaining the state in which the flexible printed circuit board is held. The method of manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the board manufacturing jig is provided with a first jig and a second jig, and the first jig is disposed opposite to the second The jig is detachable, and the first jig is provided with: a front end fixing member constituting the first holding member, a plurality of the supporting members, and a rear end fixing member constituting the second holding member, in the first holding step, utilizing The front end fixing member holds one side of the flexible printed circuit board, and in the second holding step, the rear end fixing member is used to hold the other side of the flexible printed circuit board. The method of manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board according to claim 2, wherein the front end fixing member includes a front end support portion and a locking pin, wherein the front end support portion faces one end side of the flexible printed circuit board In the contact manner, the locking pin protrudes in a direction away from the front end supporting portion, and in the first holding step, the locking pin is inserted into a hole formed in one end side of the flexible printed circuit board. The method of manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board according to claim 2, wherein one end side of the flexible printed circuit board is held by the front end fixing member and a front end holding mechanism, and the front end holding mechanism has a front end clamp And a first driving device, wherein the front end clamping member is capable of being close to or away from the front end fixing member, and the first driving device is configured to move the front end clamping member. The manufacturing method of a flexible printed circuit board according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the support member includes a movable pin, wherein the movable pin can be inserted into an insertion hole penetrating the first jig By inserting the movable pin into the insertion hole and projecting the movable pin from the opposite side of the insertion side thereof, the flexible printed circuit board can be hung on the movable pin, and the second clamp is A through hole for guiding the insertion of the movable pin is formed. The method of manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board according to claim 5, wherein the jig for manufacturing a circuit board is provided to be slidable by driving of a jig slider, and the jig slider is provided with a second driving device The second driving device generates a driving force for sliding the jig for manufacturing the board. The method of manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board according to claim 6, wherein in the winding step, the flexible printed circuit board is sandwiched by a torque roller and a free roller, and the roller drive mechanism is configured to At least one of the pair of rollers of the torque roller applies a driving force, the tension is applied to the flexible printed circuit board by the driving force, and the free roller is oriented in a state where the flexible printed circuit board is clamped Moving in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the flexible printed circuit board, the jig for manufacturing the board is moved in the transport direction, and the jig for manufacturing the board is moved until the movable pin is disposed in the bent portion after the forming At a position on the inner circumference side, after the board manufacturing jig is moved to the position, the movable pin is inserted into the insertion hole, wherein the torque roller is provided with a pair of rollers that can be close to or separated from each other, The free roller has a pair of rollers which are also close to or separated from each other, and the free roller is located closer to the first holding member side than the torque roller. The method for manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the method for manufacturing the flexible printed circuit board further comprises a skew adjustment step, wherein the skew adjustment step is at the After the holding step and before the winding step, in the skew adjusting step, the skew direction of the flexible printed circuit board is adjusted by pushing the side pressing member onto the side surface of the flexible printed circuit board. A jig for manufacturing a circuit board for forming a flexible printed circuit board having a wiring layer and an insulating layer and having a bent portion at a plurality of positions, wherein the insulating layer is made of a thermoplastic resin, and the insulating layer is from two The wiring board is covered by the side, and the board manufacturing jig is characterized by: a first holding member for holding one side of the flexible printed circuit board; and a plurality of supporting members for making the flexible printed circuit The plate is bent to form the bent portion, wherein the flexible printed circuit board is bent in a state of being hung on a plurality of the support members; and a second holding member for holding the other side of the flexible printed circuit board, Thereby, the state in which the tension is applied to the flexible printed circuit board is maintained. A circuit board manufacturing apparatus for forming a flexible printed circuit board having a wiring layer and an insulating layer and having a bent portion at a plurality of positions, wherein the insulating layer is made of a thermoplastic resin, and the insulating layer is from both sides Covering the wiring layer, the circuit board manufacturing apparatus is characterized by comprising: a torque roller approaching separation mechanism having a torque roller composed of a pair of rollers, wherein the pair of rollers can be close to or separated from each other and can be approached Or moving away from the direction of the flexible printed circuit board; the free roller is adjacent to the separating mechanism, and has a free roller composed of a pair of rollers, wherein the pair of rollers can be close to or separated from each other and can be approached or away from the flexible printed circuit Moving in the direction of the plate; a roller driving mechanism that applies a driving force to at least one of the pair of rollers constituting the torque roller, thereby applying tension to the flexible printed circuit board by the driving force; Moving the jig for manufacturing the circuit board toward the conveying direction of the flexible printed circuit board; and the control unit Controlling the free roller after holding the side of the flexible printed circuit board on the first holding member on the side of the board manufacturing jig for holding the flexible printed circuit board Moving closer to the separating mechanism toward the conveying direction of the flexible printed circuit board, and moving the jig for manufacturing the circuit board by the jig slider, and moving the jig for manufacturing the circuit board to the movable pin The position of the inner peripheral side of the bent portion after molding.