Component pick and place spindle assembly with compact internal linear and rotary displacement motors and interchangeable tool assemblies
AssigneeUniversal Instruments Corporation
InventorPhillip A. Ragard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compact spindle assembly for surface mounting and insertion of electrical components comprises a unitary casing in which electric rotary and linear displacement motors are housed in order to provide for actuation of a vacuum nozzle and easily interchangeable tool assemblies such that components may be picked from a supply, squared and/or centered during transfer to a placement station, and placed at a particular position on a circuit board or the like.
Claims15
In a head assembly for pick and place of components, and comprising a component pick-up device reciprocatable along a longitudinal axis and means for imparting reciprocation to said pick-up device, the improvement comprising:
- a casing;
- said reciprocation imparting means comprising a direct drive linear motor enclosed within said casing;
- means, connected to said casing and operatively associated with said pick-up device, for squaring said component relative to an orthogonal coordinate system having one axis generally parallel to said longitudinal axis;
- and
- means, operatively associated with said pick-up device, for orienting said component about said longitudinal axis, said orienting means comprising a direct drive rotary motor enclosed within said casing and operatively associated with a tool assembly having component engaging fingers.
In a head assembly for pick and place of components, and comprising a component pick-up device reciprocatable along a longitudinal axis and means for imparting reciprocation to said pick-up device, the improvement comprising:
- a casing;
- said reciprocation imparting means comprising a direct drive linear motor enclosed within said casing;
- means, connected to said casing and operatively associated with said pick-up device, for squaring said component relative to an orthogonal coordinate system having one axis generally parallel to said longitudinal axis;
- a tool assembly, operatively associated with said pick-up device and connected to said casing, said tool assembly comprising fingers engageable with and disengageable from said component in response to operation of said linear motor in order to accomplish said squaring;
- and
- means for removeably connecting said tool assembly as a unit to said casing;
- whereby similarly connectable tool units are interchangeably attachable to said casing so as to provide for changing of component handling constraints such as size and function.
In a pick and place head assembly for handling electrical components, said head assembly comprising a vacuum tube reciprocatable along a longitudinal axis in order to accomplish pick-up and placement of a component, the improvement comprising:
- an electric linear displacement motor and an electric rotary displacement motor enclosed within a casing as a unit and operatively associated as a unitary head with a tool assembly connected to said casing, in order to impart linear and rotational displacement to said component according to a controller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.