Apparatus and method for automatic pitch conversion of pick and place heads, pick and place head and pick and place device

A method for automatic pitch conversion of pick and place heads comprising the steps of:

• moving a pick and place head to at least one auto pitch station;
• operating a motorized pusher of the at least one auto pitch station in a X-coordinate direction for changing a position of at least one row in the X-coordinate direction, wherein the at least one row carries a plurality of pickers/grippers within the pick and place head;
• operating a motorized changeover fork of the at least one auto pitch station in a X-coordinate direction to get into mechanical contact with one picker/gripper of the respective row;
• and,
• carrying out a relative movement in a Y-coordinate direction between the changeover fork and the pick and place head changing the pitch in the Y-coordinate direction between two consecutive pickers/grippers.

A pick and place head, comprising:

• at least two pickers/grippers which are arranged at least one row oriented in a Y-coordinate direction;
• two guides per row, wherein the pickers/grippers are movable along the guides in the Y-coordinate direction;
• a ruler per row to which the pickers/grippers are lockable in position;
• two pair of blocks, between which the two guides are mounted and the blocks are moveable in a X-coordinate direction rails oriented in the X-coordinate direction;
• elastic elements, for biasing each row towards a frame element of the pick and place head which is oriented in the Y-coordinate direction;
• and,
• a lock mechanism, for holding the pickers/grippers of the at least one row at a desired position along the rails.

A pick and place device, comprising:

• a plurality of individual transport lanes;
• at least one auto pitch station which is mounted stationary on the pick and place device;
• a motor for operating a transport system to move at least one pick and place head to the at least auto pitch station, wherein the transport system stretches across the plurality of individual transport lanes;
• and,
• a sensing system, used to calibrate and to verify a position and a pitch of a plurality of pickers/grippers of the at least one pick and place head.

A method for automatic pitch conversion of at least one pick and place head comprising the steps of:

• moving a pick and place head with a transport system between a first auto pitch station and a second auto pitch station;
• moving at least one row to a maximum position of the X-coordinate direction within the pick and place head;
• pivoting a locking device into a locking relation with the at least one row at the maximum position;
• operating a motorized changeover fork of the first auto pitch station and/or the second auto pitch station in a X-coordinate direction to get into mechanical contact with a shaft of one picker/gripper of the respective row;
• carrying out a relative movement in a Y-coordinate direction between the changeover fork and the pick and place head for all pickers/grippers of the at least one row and thereby changing the pitch in Y-coordinate direction between two consecutive pickers/grippers;
• operating a pusher in a Z-coordinate direction to bring a selected picker/gripper of the at least one row to an elevated position in which the picker/gripper is disabled;
• and,
• operating a motorized pusher of the first auto pitch station and/or the second auto pitch station in a X-coordinate direction for changing a position of at least one row in the X-coordinate direction, wherein the at least one row carries a plurality of pickers/grippers within the pick and place head.

An apparatus for automatic pitch conversion for pick and place heads, comprising:

• a first auto pitch station and a second auto pitch station for adjusting a pitch in a X-coordinate direction and/or adjusting a pitch in a Y-coordinate direction of pickers/grippers of at least one pick and place head;
• a first actuator, operated by a motor gear assembly of the first auto pitch station, wherein the first actuator changes the pitch in the X-coordinate direction between rows of pickers/grippers of the respective pick and place head and a first actuator, operated by a motor gear assembly of the second auto pitch station, wherein the first actuator changes the pitch in the X-coordinate direction distance between rows of pickers/grippers of the respective pick and place head;
• a second actuator operated by the same motor gear assembly of the first auto pitch station, wherein the second actuator changes the pitch in the Y-coordinate direction between the pickers/grippers within a row of the respective pick and place head and a second actuator operated by the same motor gear assembly of the second auto pitch station, wherein the second actuator changes the pitch in the Y-coordinate direction between the pickers/grippers within a row;
• and,
• a third actuator is arranged between the first auto pitch station and the second auto pitch station for moving the pickers/grippers in a Z-coordinate direction in order to disable individual pickers/grippers.

A pick and place device, comprising:

• a plurality of individual transport lanes;
• a first auto pitch station and a second auto pitch station which are mounted stationary on the pick and place device;
• a shaft changeover mechanism with at least one shaft pusher, movable in the Z-coordinate direction, is arranged between the first auto pitch station and the second auto pitch station, wherein the shaft changeover mechanism moves the pickers/grippers in a Z-coordinate direction in order to disable individual and selected pickers/grippers of the pick and place head;
• a motor for operating a transport system to move at least one pick and place head between the first auto pitch station and the second auto pitch station, wherein the transport system stretches across the plurality of individual transport lanes;
• and,
• a sensing system, used to calibrate and to verify a position and a pitch of a plurality of pickers/grippers of the at least one pick and place head.