Apparatus for positioning circuit components at predetermined positions and method therefor
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorNorio Kawatani
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for positioning circuit components such as flat package IC's at predetermined positions of a printed circuit board and a method therefor are disclosed. In the apparatus, a guide body is provided on the printed circuit board and a positioning member is installed on a retainer plate which holds one of the circuit components. The guide portion guides the positioning member to a point where the component coincides with the predetermined position.
Claims31
An apparatus for positioning circuit components at predetermined points, comprising:
- (a) means for releasably holding at least one component which is to be mounted at a predetermined position on a printed circuit board;
- (b) a positioning member installed on the holding means;
- and
- (c) means for transferring and placing the positioning member into a guide body at a known point on the printed circuit board, the guide body serving to guide the position member to a known position with respect to the printed circuit board, the guide body defining a recess and including a conductive pattern on which solder is deposited, and the positioning member including a bar whose tip is so formed as to be received in the recess defined by the guide body.
An apparatus comprising:
- (a) first means for grasping a circuit component;
- (b) second means for supporting said first means;
- (c) a positioning member installed on said first means in a first positional relationship with the first means;
- (d) third means for moving said first means and said positioning member toward a printed circuit board;
- and
- (e) fourth means formed on the printed circuit board for guiding said positioning member into a reference position of the printed circuit board when said positioning member is brought into contact with said fourth means so that the grasped circuit component is positioned at a predetermined position of the printed circuit board at which the grasped circuit component is to be installed, said predetermined position being in a second positional relationship with said reference position which is equal to the first positional relationship.
An apparatus for mounting an electronic component on a printed circuit board formed with conductive printed patterns which connect related circuit components, at least one of said patterns defining a location for receiving said component, comprising:
- guide means on said printed circuit board spaced at a predetermined location relative to said component-receiving location for positioning said circuit component;
- means for conveying said circuit component from a location remote from said printed circuit board to said printed circuit board, said conveying means including a positioning member and means for releasably retaining said circuit component at a location relative to said positioning member;
- said guide means and said positioning member cooperating to locate said circuit component retained on said retaining means for precise release to said predetermined location, the spacing of said guide means relative to said predetermined location being equal to the spacing between said positioning member and said circuit component on said retaining means.
An apparatus comprising:
- (a) first means for grasping a circuit component;
- (b) second means for supporting said first means;
- (c) a positioning member mounted on said first means in a first positional relationship with respect to the first means;
- and
- (d) third means for bringing said positioning member into a reference position relative to the printed circuit board in contact with means formed on the printed circuit board for guiding the positioning member into the reference position, whereby a circuit component grasped by said first means is positioned at a predetermined position on the printed circuit board, the reference position being in a second positional relationship with respect to the predetermined position which is equal to the first positional relationship of the positioning member with respect to the first means.
A method for positioning circuit components at predetermined positions on a printed circuit board comprising the steps of:
- (a) grasping one circuit component in a first positional relationship relative to a positioning member;
- (b) providing a convex body at a reference position on the printed circuit board;
- and
- (c) placing the positioning member on the convex body so that the positioning member is guided to the reference position and the grasped circuit component is positioned at a predetermined position of the printed circuit board on which the circuit component is to be installed, said predetermined position having a second positional relationship relative to the reference position which is equal to the first positional relationship.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.