Method and apparatus for mounting electronic components

An electronic component mounting apparatus in which a plurality of electronic components preliminarily aligned in a mounting order at a prescribed position are picked up and held by suction with a plurality of nozzles provided on a mounting head and mounted in succession at prescribed mounting positions on a circuit board comprising:

• an electronic component feeding unit in which trays loaded with electronic components are stocked and a tray accommodating electronic components of desired type is successively transferred to a tray feeding position;
• a tray draw-out means having a draw-out arm for pulling out the tray which has been brought to the tray feeding position by coupling the tray to the draw-out arm and moving the draw-out arm forward and backward so that the electronic components desired to be picked up are brought to locate at a component pick-up position along a component transfer line;
• a component transfer mechanism which travels along one axis or the component transfer line for picking up by suction the electronic components located at the pick-up position and transferring them;
• a temporary holder which is disposed on the draw-out arm and is capable of holding a requisite number of electronic components thereon;
• and
• a switching means provided in the tray draw-out means for coupling the tray to the draw-out arm and for detaching the draw-out arm from the tray so as to allow the draw-out arm to move independently forward and backward and to cause the temporary holder on the draw-out arm to move toward a component feeding line.

An electronic component mounting apparatus comprising:

• an electronic component feeding unit having at least one tray loaded with electronic components;
• a tray draw-out assembly having a draw-out arm that is removably coupled with the tray, the draw-out arm is movable so that the electronic components are brought to a component pick-up position along a component transfer line;
• a component transfer mechanism which travels along the component transfer line for picking up the electronic components located at the pick-up position and transferring them;
• a temporary holder operatively coupled to the draw-out arm for holding a plurality of electronic components transferred by the transfer mechanism;
• and
• a mounting head for removing the electronic components from the temporary holder for placing them on a circuit board.

In an electronic component mounting apparatus for supplying component parts from a tray to a mounting head for mounting on a circuit board, the improvement comprising:

• a storage member for holding a plurality of electronic components in an X-Y alignment;
• a first coupling assembly on the storage member;
• a reciprocating tray draw-out assembly including a draw-out arm with a second coupling assembly on the draw-out arm for removable engagement with the first coupling assembly;
• a temporary holder for the electronic components mounted on the draw-out arm;
• a component transfer mechanism movably mounted to extend across a movement direction of the storage member to secure and remove electronic components from the storage member and to place them on the temporary holder;
• and
• a mounting head for removing the electronic components from the temporary holder when the draw-out arm second coupling assembly is released from the storage member and moves the temporary holder to a load station.

A method for mounting electronic components in which a plurality of electronic components, preliminarily aligned in a mounting order at prescribed positions, are picked up and held by suction with a plurality of nozzles provided on a mounting head and mounted in succession at prescribed mounting positions on a circuit board, comprising the steps of:

• A) selecting a tray loaded with electronic components of a desired type from a plurality of trays, each accommodating electronic components, and transferring the selected tray to a tray feeding position;
• B) moving a draw-out arm coupled to the selected tray for pulling out the tray, so that the desired type of electronic components are located at a pick-up position along a component transfer line;
• C) picking up the electronic components by suction with a transfer mechanism which moves along one axis on the component transfer line;
• D) returning the draw-out arm to a position on the component transfer line;
• E) transferring the electronic components that have been picked up by the transfer mechanism onto a temporary holder disposed on the draw-out arm;
• F) positioning another tray having electronic components at the tray feeding position;
• G) the series of steps from B) to F) described above are repeated until a requisite number of electronic components are transferred onto the temporary holder according to a desired mounting order;
• H) releasing the draw-out arm from connection to a tray;
• and
• I) moving the draw-out arm independently to a component feeding line, where the electronic components that have been transferred onto the temporary holder are picked up by nozzles on a mounting head, while a tray loaded with electronic components is transferred to a position at the tray feeding position.