Circuit assembly system

A robotic component insertion system for assembly of electrical components to printed circuit boards, comprising:

• an insertion station for securing at least one circuit board in a predetermined board position;
• programmable insertion robot means for gripping said components and inserting them into predetermined locations in said circuit board;
• and
• clinching means for clinching one or more leads of the components after said leads of each component have been inserted from a first side of said board through apertures in the board to extend from a second surface thereof, comprising:
• a clinch element for contacting and bending said leads;
• programmable drive means for driving said clinch element through a programmable clinch movement sequence substantially within a plane adjacent said second surface in response to control signals for blending at least one lead of the inserted component as it is gripped by the robot means in the inserted position;
• and
• programmable controller means for providing control signals to said drive means so as to pass said clinching element through a programmably determined sequence of movements substantially within said plane to contact and bend one or more leads of said component to secure said component in its inserted position, wherein the clinching element effects the bending of a lead by running into the lead during the course of its programmably determined travel.

In a component insertion system, the improvement comprising:

• component feeder means for storing a plurality of components;
• robot means for sequentially picking up components from said component feeder means and delivering said components to a presentation station, said robot means comprising a robot controller for controlling the operation of said robot means;
• lead straightening plate disposed at said presentation station, said plate having an opening pattern defined therein in correspondence with the lead pattern of the component;
• said robot comprising means for inserting the component leads into said opening pattern of said plate, and thereafter, with said plate fixedly positioned, moving the component body through a predetermined series of oscillatory movements so as to respectively exercise the component leads to substantially straighten the leads.

A robotic component insertion system, comprising:

• an insertion station;
• circuit board transferring and locating system for transferring a circuit board to said insertion station at a predetermined reference position;
• a component presentation station;
• a plurality of component feeder devices for feeding a plurality of types of components;
• presentation robot means for sequentially selecting predetermined ones of said components from said feeder devices and delivering the selected components to said presentation station;
• insertion robot means for sequentially picking up said selected components at said presentation station and inserting said selected components at predetermined locations on said board;
• and
• active clinching means for clinching leads of said selected components to said board after insertion of said leads through an aperture pattern in said board to extend from a surface of said board, said means comprising:
• an active clinching element for contacting and bending said leads;
• programmable drive means for actively driving said clinch element through a programmable clinch movement sequence substantially within a plane adjacent said board surface in response to control signals for bending at least one lead of the inserted component as it is gripped by said insertion robot means in the inserted position;
• and
• programmable controller means adapted to provide control signals to said drive means so as to pass said clinching element through a programmably determined sequence of movements substantially within said plane to contact and bend one or more leads of said component to secure said component in its inserted position, wherein the clinching element effects the bending of a lead by running into the lead during the course of its programmably determined travel.

In a robotic component insertion system for inserting in circuit boards a plurality of different types of electrical components having at least one lead depending from the component body, wherein the system includes an insertion station, a presentation station, a plurality of component feeder devices disposed at predetermined locations, a presentation robot for sequentially selecting predetermined ones of the components from the feeder devices and delivering the components to the presentation station, a lead straightening plate disposed at the presentation station having an opening pattern defined therein in correspondence with the lead pattern of the respective components, and an insertion robot for sequentially gripping the selected components at the insertion station and inserting the selected components at predetermined locations on the circuit board, a method for inserting said components into said circuit board, comprising a sequence of the following steps:

• securing the printed circuit board at said insertion station;
• using the presentation robot to sequentially select predetermined components from said feeder devices and present the selected components to said presentation station, insert the leads of the component in the corresponding openings of the lead straightening plate, move the component body through a predetermined series of oscillatory movements with the leads so inserted so as to respectively exercise and thereby substantially straighten the component leads, and thereafter release the component at said presentation station;
• using the insertion robot to sequentially pick up said selected components at said presentation station in coordination with said presentation robot means, and thereafter to insert the selected component at a predetermined location in the board;
• and
• actively clinching the leads of the inserted component while gripped by the insertion robot.

A robotic component insertion system, comprising:

• an insertion station at which a circuit board is located;
• a component presentation station;
• a plurality of component tube feeder devices for feeding a plurality of types of components, each for storing a plurality of components having in-line leads and presenting one of said stored components at a corresponding feeder pickup location which is directly accessible independent of the feeder locations of the other tube feeders;
• presentation robot means comprising means for controlled movement along each of the orthogonal X, Y and Z axes for sequentially picking up said selected components from said feeder devices at said respective feeder pickup locations and delivering said selected components to said presentation station;
• and
• insertion robot means for sequentially picking up said components at said presentation station and inserting said components at predetermined locations in said circuit board.

In a robotic component insertion system including a presentation station, at least one component feeder means for storing a plurality of components, a robot for sequentially picking up components from said component feeder means and delivering the components to the presentation station, and a lead straightening plate disposed at the presentation station and including an opening pattern defined therein in correspondence with the lead pattern of the components;

• a method for straightening the leads of said components, comprising a sequence of the following steps:
• using the robot to grip a component by its body at the component feeder;
• and
• using the robot to insert the leads of the gripped component into the opening pattern of said lead straightening plate and thereafter move the component body through a predetermined series of oscillatory movements so as to respectively exercise the component leads to substantially straighten the leads.

A component lead straightening and cutting apparatus, comprising:

• component feeder means for storing a plurality of components each characterized by a component body and one or more component leads depending from the body;
• robot means for sequentially picking up components from said component feeder means and delivering said components to a presentation station, said robot means comprising a robot controller for controlling the operation of said robot means;
• lead straightening plate disposed at said presentation station, said plate having an opening pattern defined therein in correspondence with the lead pattern of the component;
• said robot comprising means for inserting the component leads into said opening pattern of said plate;
• means for providing relative movement between the component body and said plate with the body gripped by the robot and the leads inserted in said opening pattern so as to provide a predetermined series of relative oscillatory movements therebetween, thereby respectively exercising the component leads to substantially straighten the leads;
• and
• cutting means in cooperation with said lead straightening plate for cutting the leads of the selected component to a predetermined length.