Stirring mechanism for viscous-material printer and method of printing
AssigneeSpeedline Technologies, Inc.
InventorsGerald C. Pham-Van-Diep, Patsy Anthony Mattero, Timothy J. Joyce, Eric J. Gray
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printer includes a dispensing head for dispensing viscous material, such as solder paste. The dispensing head defines a chamber and includes at least one source port and a dispensing slot, wherein the viscous material flows from a supply mounted to the source port, into the chamber and out the dispensing slot. Within the chamber, a stirring mechanism is mounted. The stirring mechanism is coupled to a drive mechanism that displaces the stirring mechanism through the chamber, thereby stirring the viscous material. The stirring mechanism is particularly effective in preventing or reducing compaction of solder paste within the chamber.
Claims24
A printer for dispensing solder paste at predetermined positions on a printed circuit board, the printer comprising:
- a frame;
- a source of solder paste;
- a solder-paste dispensing head mounted to the frame, the dispensing head defining a chamber that has a longitudinal axis, the dispensing head also having at least one source port to which the source of solder paste is coupled so as to supply solder paste into the chamber, the solder-paste dispensing head also having a dispensing slot through which solder paste can exit the chamber and be deposited onto a printed circuit board;
- a stencil mounted to the frame and positioned to receive solder paste exiting from the dispensing slot of the chamber;
- a support apparatus coupled to the frame, the support apparatus positioned to place a printed circuit board mounted thereon in a position to receive solder paste that passes through the stencil;
- a stirring mechanism mounted within the chamber and extending through substantially all of the cross-section of the chamber perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the chamber;
- and
- a drive mechanism coupled with the stirring mechanism for reciprocal displacement of the stirring mechanism through the chamber along the longitudinal axis of the chamber.
A printer for dispensing solder paste at predetermined positions on a printed circuit board, the printer comprising:
- a frame;
- a source of solder paste;
- a solder-paste dispensing head mounted to the frame, the dispensing head defining a chamber that has a longitudinal axis, the dispensing head also having at least one source port to which the source of solder paste is coupled so as to supply solder paste into the chamber, the solder-paste dispensing head also having a dispensing slot through which solder paste can exit the chamber and be deposited onto a printed circuit board;
- a stencil mounted to the frame and positioned to receive solder paste exiting from the dispensing slot of the chamber;
- a support apparatus coupled to the frame, the support apparatus positioned to place a printed circuit board mounted thereon in a position to receive solder paste that passes through the stencil;
- a stirring mechanism mounted within the chamber, wherein the stirring mechanism includes a stirring blade defining at least one aperture through which the solder paste can flow as the stirring mechanism is displaced along the longitudinal axis of the chamber;
- and
- a drive mechanism coupled with the stirring mechanism for displacement of the stirring mechanism through the chamber.
A printer for dispensing a viscous material at predetermined positions on a substrate, the printer comprising:
- a viscous-material dispensing head defining a chamber having a longitudinal axis, the dispensing head also having at least one source port to which a viscous-material source can be coupled so as to supply viscous material into the chamber, the viscous material dispensing head also having a dispensing slot through which viscous material can exit the chamber and be deposited onto a substrate;
- a stirring mechanism mounted within the chamber and extending through substantially all of the cross-section of the chamber perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the chamber;
- and
- a drive mechanism coupled with the stirring mechanism for reciprocal displacement of the stirring mechanism through the chamber along the longitudinal axis of the chamber.
A printer for dispensing a viscous material at predetermined positions on a substrate, the printer comprising:
- a viscous-material dispensing head defining a chamber having a longitudinal axis, the dispensing head also having at least one source port to which a viscous-material source can be coupled so as to supply viscous material into the chamber, the viscous material dispensing head also having a dispensing slot through which viscous material can exit the chamber and be deposited onto a substrate;
- a stirring mechanism mounted within the chamber, wherein the stirring mechanism includes a stirring blade defining at least one aperture through which the viscous material can flow as the stirring mechanism is displaced along the longitudinal axis of the chamber;
- and
- a drive mechanism coupled with the stirring mechanism for displacement of the stirring mechanism through the chamber.
A method for printing solder paste comprising the steps of:
- supplying solder paste to a chamber of a dispensing head;
- providing a stirring mechanism mounted within the chamber and extending through substantially all of the cross-section of the chamber perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the chamber;
- providing a drive force to the stirring mechanism to reciprocally displace the stirring mechanism through the chamber along the longitudinal axis of the chamber, the stirring mechanism displacing solder paste substantially throughout the chamber as the stirring mechanism is displaced;
- and
- discharging the solder paste from the chamber onto a substrate.
A method for printing solder paste comprising the steps of:
- supplying solder paste to a chamber of a dispensing head;
- providing a drive force to reciprocally displace a stirring blade through the chamber along a longitudinal axis of the chamber, forcing solder paste through apertures in the stirring blade;
- and
- discharging the solder paste from the chamber onto a substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.