US 4,610,083 A · Method and apparatus for electronic component matching

Abstract

An electronic component matching system operates in conjunction with a component transport arrangement wherein a component-carrying supply tape from which components are removed for positioning upon a circuit board in a matched manner is linearly displaced. The components are thus sequentially moved to a pick-up point whereupon a predetermined number N of components having similar operating characteristics are incorporated in the same circuit. As the component-carrying supply tape is displaced toward the component pick-up point, an electro-optical sensor detects the presence or absence of components on the supply tape and provides this information to a microcomputer controller. The stationary sensor is positioned in spaced relation from the pick-up point along the component-carrying supply tape displacement path to allow for the detection of the predetermined number of components between the sensor and the pick-up point to ensure that a matched set of N components is available on the tape for incorporation in the same circuit. If the sensor determines that less than N components are present between the sensor and the pick-up point, the microcomputer advances the supply tape to the next group of matched components to prevent components from different matched groups having different operating characteristics from being incorporated in the same circuit. This system is particularly adapted for the automatic positioning of components such as transistors and diodes having matched operating characteristics for incorporation in the same circuit.

Claims19

Dependent claims

In the automatic feeding of electronic components of a single type positioned in spaced relation upon a moving component supply tape for sequential deposit upon a circuit board, wherein said electronic components are arranged along said supply tape in first and second groups in accordance with an operating characteristic thereof and wherein said first and second groups are separated by a gap in the components positioned on the supply tape, a system for positioning N electronic components from said first group on a circuit board in an electrically matched arrangement, where N is a positive integer greater than 1, said system comprising:

drive means coupled to said supply tape for linearly displacing in a step-wise manner the supply tape and the electronic components positioned thereon to a pick-up point;
movable engaging means positioned at said pick-up point for engaging and removing an electronic component from the supply tape positioned at said pick-up point and for positioning the electronic component upon the circuit board;
detection means positioned adjacent to the supply tape in spaced relation from said pick-up point in a direction therefrom opposite to the direction of displacement of said supply tape for detecting the absence of an electronic component upon the supply tape and for generating a first detection signal in response thereto;
and
first control means coupled to said drive means and to said detection means and responsive to receipt of said first detection signal for sequentially displacing N components from said first group to said pick-up point or for rapidly advancing the supply tape to the second group if there are less than N components remaining in the first group in preventing the positioning of electronic components from the first and second groups upon the same circuit board.

2 more elements

A method for positioning first electronic components upon a first circuit board and second electronic components upon a second circuit board, wherein said first and second electronic components are provided in spaced relation upon a supply tape and are arranged in respective first and second separated groups thereon and wherein said first and second electronic components are positioned in combinations of N components upon said first and second circuit boards, respectively, where N is a positive integer greater than 1, said method comprising:

displacing said supply tape in a step-wise linear manner so as to sequentially position each of said electronic components at a pick-up point;
counting the number of first electronic components in the first group as they are displaced toward said pick-up point;
positioning said first electronic components upon said first circuit board if the number of said first electronic components is .gtoreq.N;
detecting the absence of a first electronic component from the first group;
rapidly displacing said supply tape to the second group of electronic components thereon without removing the remaining first electronic components in the first group if the remaining first electronic components in the first group is <N;
replacing said first circuit board with said second circuit board;
and
positioning N of said second electronic components from the second group upon said second circuit board.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for electronic component matching

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for electronic component matching

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19