Patent · US Expired

Printed circuit board loader/unloader

US5093984A · kind A · utility

37Cited by
3References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 18, 1990
Grant dateMar 10, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 18, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T29/53274
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A printed circuit board loader and unloader in which a printed circuit board carrier is horizontally translationally moved in a straight line along a first axis and a pick and place head unit is horizontally translationally moved above the carrier in a straight horizontal line along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. A device stager holds a tube containing integrated circuit devices fed to it by a tube transporter. In a straight path from the opening of the tube facing the carrier is a slideway operatively connected with the tube holder. The slideway has gating and device fixing vacuum ports. The device stager is pivotable to (i) a pivot down position to slide devices from the tube onto the slideway and vacuum arrest and gate them, (ii) a pivot level position in which the devices are picked up from over the forward ports on the slideway, and (iii) a pivot up position which devices slide from the forward portion of the slideway into a tube in the tube holder of the device stager. The pick and place system loads the printed circuit board by vertically picking up devices from the level slideway, traveling horizontally to a pre-calculated position, and placing the devices i…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.