JP7744975B2 - Work equipment - Google Patents

Description

This specification discloses a working device.

Conventionally, work devices capable of automatically replacing substrate support members that support substrates are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printing device that loads a transport jig with a pre-installed substrate support member inside, removes the substrate support member from the loaded transport jig and places it on a support table, and then loads the transport jig after removing the substrate support member. The transport jig has a frame, multiple arms extending inward from the frame, and concave protrusion holders (first to fourth protrusion holders) disposed on the top surface of the distal end of each arm. The protrusion holders are disposed in pairs on the left and right. The substrate support member has a pair of cylindrical protrusions disposed to protrude from the left and right sides of the main body. The pair of protrusions is held by the corresponding protrusion holders on the transport jig. Furthermore, the second and fourth protrusion holders, paired on the left and right sides of the transport jig, are adjustable in the front-to-rear direction to accommodate multiple types of substrate support members of different sizes. The operator adjusts the positions of the second and fourth protrusion holders according to the substrate support member to be used, attaches the substrate support member to the transport jig, and then stores the transport jig in a storage unit and sets it in the printing apparatus main body. When storing the transport jig in the storage unit, the operator also uses a barcode reader to read the barcodes affixed to the substrate support member and the transport jig, as necessary, to verify that the correct members are stored in the storage unit. The printing apparatus main body removes the transport jig with the attached substrate support member from the storage unit and transports (carries) it forward so that the substrate support member is positioned above the support table. The printing apparatus main body then raises the support table to lift the multiple protrusions on the substrate support member from the respective protrusion holders of the transport jig. The printing apparatus main body then moves the transport jig backward and then lowers the support table, transporting (carrying) the transport jig backward and fixing the substrate support member on the support table.

International Publication No. 2016/199207

Patent Document 1 describes a method in which a worker performs verification by reading barcodes affixed to the substrate support member and the transport jig using a barcode reader. However, verifying the barcodes manually is a significant burden, and there is also the risk that the worker may forget to perform the verification process. For this reason, it is desirable to automatically determine whether the support member is appropriate using a simple configuration.

The main purpose of this disclosure is to automatically determine whether a support member that supports a substrate is appropriate using a simple configuration in an automatically replaceable support member.

This disclosure takes the following measures to achieve the above-mentioned main objective.

The first working device of the present disclosure is a working device that performs work on a substrate on a support member placed on a table, and includes a control device that controls the loading of a transport jig holding the support member and automatic replacement of the support member, and a reading device that reads a read portion provided on the support member, and the transport jig includes a first arm member that supports a first side portion on the outer edge of the bottom surface of the support member, and a second arm member that is positioned so that the tip ends of the first arm member and the second arm member face each other and face the first side portion on the outer edge of the bottom surface. and a second arm member supporting the edge portion, wherein the support member includes, as the readable portion, a first readable portion provided on a third edge portion adjacent to the first edge portion on the outer edge of the bottom surface, and a second readable portion provided on a fourth edge portion opposite the third edge portion on the outer edge of the bottom surface, and the control device, after the conveying jig holding the support member is carried in, reads the first readable portion and the second readable portion of the support member with the reading device to determine the size of the support member.

After the transport jig is loaded, the control device of the first working device disclosed herein reads the first and second readable portions of the support member held by the transport jig to determine the size of the support member relative to the transport jig. The first readable portion is located on a third edge of the bottom outer edge of the support member, adjacent to the first edge supported by the first arm, and the second readable portion is located on a fourth edge of the bottom outer edge of the support member, facing the third edge. Therefore, by reading the first and second readable portions of the support member, the distance between the third and fourth edges, i.e., the size of the support member, can be determined. As a result, in a device in which the support member that supports a circuit board is automatically replaceable, it is possible to determine whether the support member is appropriate using a simple configuration.

The second working device disclosed herein is a working device comprising a working device main body that performs work on a substrate on a support member placed on a table; a storage unit that can store multiple transport jigs vertically that can hold the support members; and a storage unit lifting device that raises and lowers the storage unit. The working device also comprises a memory unit that pre-stores information identifying the transport jigs stored in the storage unit and information identifying the support members held on the transport jigs, associating them with each other, as support member information. A readable portion bearing information identifying the transport jig is provided on the side of the transport jig. The working device main body comprises a reading unit that reads the readable portion and is capable of loading a transport jig that is stored in the storage unit and is at a predetermined lift position. When the storage unit is raised and lowered and the readable portion passes the reading unit, the reading unit reads the readable portion, and determines whether the support member held on the transport jig is appropriate based on the read information and the support member information stored in the memory unit.

The second working device disclosed herein comprises a working device main body, a storage unit, a storage unit lifting device, and a memory unit. The memory unit pre-stores information identifying the transport jig housed in the storage unit and information identifying the support member held by the transport jig, in association with each other, as support member information. The working device main body is capable of loading a transport jig housed in the storage unit that is at a predetermined lifted position. The working device main body further comprises a reading unit, which reads the readable portion provided on the side of the transport jig when the storage unit is raised or lowered by the storage unit lifting device and the readable portion passes the reading unit, and determines whether the support member held by the transport jig is appropriate based on the read information and the support member information stored in the memory unit. This allows a simple configuration to determine whether the support member that supports a substrate is appropriate before loading a transport jig holding the support member.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a working device according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the working device. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the internal configuration of the working device. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical connection relationship of the working device. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the support member as viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the support member as seen from the bottom side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the support member as viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the support member as seen from the bottom side. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between a reader and a storage rack. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the appearance of a transport jig to which a support member is attached. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an arm member. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a pusher. FIG. 10A and 10B are explanatory views showing an operation when a support member is removed from a transport jig. 10A and 10B are explanatory views showing an operation when a support member is removed from a transport jig. 10A and 10B are explanatory views showing an operation when a support member is removed from a transport jig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a support member carrying-in process. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a support member carrying-in process. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of supporting substrate information stored in a storage device.

Next, the form for implementing this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the working device 10 of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the working device 10. Figure 3 is a side view showing the internal configuration of the working device 10. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical connections of the working device. In Figures 1 to 3, the left-right direction is the X-axis, the front-rear direction is the Y-axis, and the up-down direction is the Z-axis.

The working device 10 performs a predetermined operation on a substrate S supported by a substrate support member 90. In this embodiment, the working device 10 is configured as a printing device that, as a predetermined operation, uses a squeegee 22 to push solder paste on a screen mask M into pattern holes P1, P2 formed in the screen mask M, thereby applying (printing) the solder paste onto the substrate S below through the pattern holes P1, P2. The working device 10 is combined with a mounting device that mounts electronic components on the substrate S with printed solder to form a component mounting system. Furthermore, the working device 10 is capable of automatic replacement of the screen mask M or automatic replacement using a transport jig 80 for the substrate support member 90 when changing the printing target to a different type of substrate S.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the working device 10 comprises a working device main body 11, an exchange device 60, a storage rack 70, and a control device 100. The working device main body 11 has a head device 20 including a head 21, support rails 29 that support the screen mask M and the transport jig 80, first and second substrate transport support devices 30, 40 that transport and support the substrate S using dual lanes, a camera device 50, and a reader 65. The working device 10 also has an operation panel installed in front of the working device main body 11 that displays various information and allows the worker to perform various input operations.

The head device 20 is installed on the upper level of the work device main body 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the head device 20 includes a head 21 and a head moving device 26 that moves the head 21 in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction), which is the printing direction. The head moving device 26 includes a Y-axis slider 27 that moves along a guide rail 28 extending in the front-to-back direction, and a motor that drives the Y-axis slider 27. The head 21 includes a squeegee 22, a squeegee lifting device 23 that raises and lowers the squeegee 22 using, for example, an air cylinder, a pusher 24, and a pusher lifting device 25 that raises and lowers the pusher 24 using, for example, an air cylinder. The squeegee 22 is a plate-shaped member that extends left and right (X-axis direction), which is perpendicular to the printing direction. The pusher 24 is lowered by the pusher lifting device 25 and moved back and forth by the head moving device 26 while protruding downward, thereby pushing back and forth to transport the screen mask M and the transport jig 80 on the support rails 29. The pusher 24 is also used to retrieve the substrate support member 90 on the tables 36, 46 to the transport jig 80 that has been carried onto the support rails 29 when replacing the substrate support member 90 using the transport jig 80, or to remove the substrate support member 90 from the transport jig 80 that has been carried onto the support rails 29 while holding the substrate support member 90, and place it on the tables 36, 46.

The screen mask M is a thin metal plate fixed with a predetermined tension to a rectangular frame F. The screen mask M has pattern holes P1 and P2 formed therein for printing solder onto the substrate S transported and supported by the first and second substrate transport and support devices 30 and 40, respectively.

As shown in Figure 3, the support rails 29 are a pair of left and right rails extending in the front-to-rear direction (Y-axis direction) and are installed between the head device 20 and the first and second substrate transport support devices 30, 40. The support rails 29 support the screen mask M and transport jig 80 in a horizontal position and guide the screen mask M and transport jig 80 pushed by the pusher 24 so that they move in the front-to-rear direction.

The first and second substrate transport and support devices 30, 40 transport and support the substrate S, and also bring the supported substrate S into contact with and separate from the screen mask M on the support rails 29. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the first and second substrate transport and support devices 30, 40 include conveyor devices 31, 41, conveyor spacing change devices 34, 44, conveyor lifting devices 35, 45, tables 36, 46, and support member lifting devices 37, 47. The conveyor devices 31, 41 include conveyor belts attached to a pair of front and rear side frames 33s, 43s, respectively, and a motor that drives the conveyor belts. The pair of side frames 33s, 43s are erected on base frames 33b, 43b, and substrate guides 32, 42 are attached to the upper ends of the pair of side frames 33s, 43s. The conveyor spacing change devices 34, 44 change (adjust) the spacing of the conveyor belts by moving one or both of the pair of side frames 33s, 43s closer to or farther apart. This allows the first and second board transport and support devices 30, 40 to transport and support boards S of different sizes. The conveyor lifting devices 35, 45 raise and lower the conveyor devices 31, 41 (conveyor belts) by raising and lowering the supports supporting the base frames 33b, 43b. The tables 36, 46 are support platforms having an installation surface on their upper surfaces on which the board support members 90 can be installed. The support member lifting devices 37, 47 raise and lower the supports supporting the tables 36, 46 to raise and lower the board support members 90 installed on the tables 36, 46.

The board support member 90 supports the board S from the underside and is replaced with a member of a size appropriate for supporting the board S, as shown in Figures 5A, 5B, 6A, and 6B. The board support member 90 comprises a support member main body 91 and an adapter 92 that is detachably attached to the bottom surface of the support member main body 91. A recess 91a is formed on the top surface of the support member main body 91. The recess 91a is provided, for example, when producing a board S with components mounted on both sides. After solder paste is printed on one side of the board S to mount the components, the recess 91a is provided to prevent interference with the mounted components when printing solder paste on the other side of the board S. Therefore, the support member main body 91 is dedicated to producing that board S, but the adapter 92 is detachable from the support member main body 91. Therefore, when changing the board S to be produced, it is sufficient to replace only the support member main body 91 as long as the size is appropriate, and the adapter 92 can be used as is. Furthermore, a recognition mark 91b for recognizing the support member main body 91 is provided on the upper surface of the support member main body 91. In this embodiment, the recognition mark 91b is an ID code bearing unique information for identifying the support member main body 91.

A pair of first pin members 94a (first engaged portions) are provided on a first side portion 92a at the outer edge of the bottom surface of the adapter 92, which engage with the first arm member 82a, one of a pair of arm members 82 of the transport jig 80 that holds the substrate support member 90. Furthermore, a pair of second pin members 94b (second engaged portions) are provided on a second side portion 92b opposite the first side portion 92a at the outer edge of the bottom surface of the adapter 92, which engage with the second arm member 82b, the other of the pair of arm members 82.

Two first recognition marks 93c are formed on the third side 92c adjacent to (orthogonal to) the first side 92a at the outer edge of the bottom surface of the adapter 92. Two second recognition marks 93d are also formed on the fourth side 92d opposite the third side 92c at the outer edge of the bottom surface of the adapter 92. The first and second recognition marks 93c, 93d are used to recognize the position and size (front-to-back width) of the board support member 90 when the working device main body 11 replaces the board support member 90.

1 and 2, the camera device 50 comprises a camera body 51 and a camera movement device 55 that moves the camera body 51 back and forth and left and right (X and Y directions). The camera movement device 55 has an X-axis slider 56, a motor that drives the X-axis slider 56, a Y-axis slider 58, and a motor that drives the Y-axis slider 58. The Y-axis slider 58 is a long member that extends left and right and is bridged between a pair of left and right Y-axis guide rails 59, and moves back and forth along the Y-axis guide rails 59. The X-axis slider 56 moves left and right along an X-axis guide rail 57 provided on the Y-axis slider 58. The camera body 51 is fixed to the X-axis slider 56 and has two imaging fields (upper reading section 52 and lower reading section 53) on the top and bottom. The camera device 50 acquires the position of the substrate S by using the lower reading unit 53 to capture an image of a mark formed on the upper surface of the substrate S carried in and supported by the first and second substrate transport and support devices 30, 40. The camera device 50 also acquires the position and size (front-to-rear width) of the substrate support member 90 by using the upper reading unit 52 to capture an image of a mark (first and second recognition marks 93c, 93d) formed on the bottom surface of the substrate support member 90 (adapter 92) carried in together with the transport jig 80 onto the support rails 29. The camera device 50 also acquires the position and size (front-to-rear width) of the substrate support member 90 by using the lower reading unit 53 to capture an image of a mark (recognition mark 91b) formed on the upper surface of the substrate support member 90 (support member main body 91) placed on the table 36, 46.

The exchange device 60 receives a storage rack 70 containing exchangeable parts such as screen masks M and transport jigs 80, and transports the exchangeable parts between the storage rack 70 and the work device main body 11. The exchange device 60 includes a left unit 61a installed on the left side of the front of the work device main body 11, and a right unit 61b installed on the right side of the front of the work device main body 11. The left unit 61a and the right unit 61b each include a rack support member 62 that receives the storage rack 70 and supports its underside from both the left and right sides, and a rack lifting device 63 that raises and lowers the rack support member 62. The rack lifting device 63 is configured, for example, by a combination of a ball screw mechanism and a motor, or a linear motor. The storage rack 70 supported by the rack support member 62 is raised and lowered together with the rack support member 62 by the rack lifting device 63. Furthermore, the left unit 61a and the right unit 61b have a frame forward/backward moving device 64 that feeds the frames of the replacement parts in the storage rack 70 forward and backward from both the left and right sides by means of belts, rollers, or the like.

The storage rack 70 is a storage unit that has a pair of left and right support rails 71 in multiple tiers, one above the other, and is capable of storing replacement parts on each support rail 71. Openings 72, 73 are formed on the front and rear of the storage rack 70, facing the work device main body 11. Replacement parts are inserted and removed by an operator through the opening 72 on the front side, and are carried in and out by the frame front-rear movement device 64 through the opening 73 on the rear side. When the storage rack 70 is received in the replacement device 60, the frame front-rear movement device 64 uses the rack lifting device 63 to send replacement parts supported on support rails 71 of the storage rack 70 that are positioned at approximately the same height as the support rails 29 of the work device main body 11 to the work device main body 11. The frame front-rear movement device 64 also sends replacement parts supported on the support rails 29 of the work device main body 11 to the support rails 71 of the storage rack 70 that are positioned at approximately the same height as the support rails 29. The storage rack 70 may be transported by an operator to the receiving position of the exchange device 60, or may be loaded onto an automatic guided vehicle (AGV) and automatically transported to the receiving position of the exchange device 60 by the automatic guided vehicle.

The reader 65 detects the storage orientation of the transport jig 80 stored in the storage rack 70 and acquires identification information of the transport jig 80. As shown in FIG. 7 , the reader 65 is provided on the front of the work device main body 11 so as to face the side of the transport jig 80 (frame 81) stored in the storage rack 70 when the exchange device 60 has received the storage rack 70. One side of the transport jig 80 is provided with an identification mark 83 for identifying the transport jig 80. In this embodiment, the identification mark 83 is an ID code bearing unique information for identifying the transport jig 80. The storage orientation and identification information of the transport jig 80 are acquired by the reader 65 reading the identification mark 83 when the storage rack 70 storing the transport jig 80 is raised or lowered by the rack lifting device 63 and the side of the transport jig 80 passes in front of the reader 65. The storage orientation of the transport jig 80 is determined to be correct if the reader 65 can recognize the recognition mark 83, and is determined to be incorrect if the reader 65 cannot recognize the recognition mark 83 of the transport jig 80.

8 and 9, the transport jig 80 is a jig used to load and unload the substrate support member 90, and includes a rectangular frame 81 and a pair of arm members 82 (first arm member 82a, second arm member 82b) that are fixed to the frame 81 with their tips facing each other and hold the substrate support member 90 from both sides. In this embodiment, the transport jig 80 has two pairs of arm members 82 that hold the substrate support member 90, and can transport two substrate support members 90 used in the first and second substrate transport and support devices 30 and 40 at the same time.

As shown in FIG. 10, each arm member 82 (first arm member 82a, second arm member 82b) has a base member 821, an arm plate 822, a holding member 823, a side plate 825, a lock plate 826, and a lock block 827. To facilitate understanding of the configuration, the front side plate 825 and lock plate 826 are indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 10. The base member 821 is fixed to the frame 81. The base end of the arm plate 822 is rotatably supported by the base member 821, and a holding member 823 is rotatably attached to the tip of the arm plate 822. The side plates 825 are provided on both sides of the arm plate 822. The base end of the side plate 825 is rotatably supported by the base member 821, and a holding member 823 is rotatably attached to the tip of the side plate 825. Furthermore, the side plate 825 receives the biasing force of a torsion coil spring 824 provided on the rotation shaft on the base member 821 side and biases the arm plate 822 upward. The side plate 825 is placed in a substantially horizontal position by a stopper formed on the base member 821, and holds the arm plate 822 in a substantially horizontal position. The holding member 823 constitutes the tip of the arm member 82 and engages with a pair of first pin members 94a provided on a first side portion 92a or a pair of second pin members 94b provided on a second side portion 92b at the outer edge of the bottom surface of the substrate support member 90 to hold the substrate support member 90. As a result, the substrate support member 90 is held from both sides by the tips (holding members 823) of the pair of arm members 82. The substrate support member 90 held by the pair of arm members 82 is detached from the transport jig 80 and placed on the tables 36, 46 by pressing down and spreading out each arm plate 822 of the pair of arm members 82 above the tables 36, 46.

The lock plate 826 locks the arm plate 822 so that it cannot be pressed down. The lock plates 826 are arranged on both sides of the arm plate 822, and a lock block 827 is fixed between the two lock plates 826 so that it is located below the arm plate 822. The base end of the lock plate 826 is rotatably attached to the base member 821 at a position eccentric to the pivot axis on the base end side of the arm plate 822, and is pulled toward the arm plate 822 by the biasing force of a tension spring 828 engaged with the lock plate 826 and the arm plate 822 at the tip end side of the base end. The lock block 827 engages with a notch 822c formed on the underside of the arm plate 822, thereby locking the arm plate 822 so that it cannot be pressed down. Furthermore, the tips of both lock plates 826 protrude above the arm plate 822 when the lock blocks 827 are engaged with the notches 822c of the arm plate 822.

In the arm member 82 configured in this manner, the arm plate 822 is locked so that it cannot be pressed down, as the lock block 827 engages with the notch 822c of the arm plate 822 due to the biasing force of the tension spring 828. Therefore, even if an unintended force acts on the board support member 90 or the arm plate 822, the arm member 82 (arm plate 822) will not be pressed down, preventing the board support member 90 from detaching. The lock of the lock plate 826 can be released by pressing down on the tip of the lock plate 826, which protrudes above the arm plate 822.

The lock plate 826 is unlocked and the arm plate 822 is pressed down by a single pusher 24. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the pusher 24 has a pair of front and rear pusher plates 241 arranged on the left and right at a distance corresponding to the distance between the pair of arm members 82, and a pusher roller 242 arranged between each pair of front and rear pusher plates 241. When the pusher 24 is lowered by the pusher lifting device 25 above the pair of arm members 82, the lower ends of the pair of pusher plates 241 abut against the tip of the lock plate 826, and the tip of the lock plate 826 is pressed down by the pusher plate 241 (see Figure 13). When the tip of the lock plate 826 is pressed down, the lock block 827 descends, and the engagement between the lock block 827 and the notch 822c of the arm plate 822 is released (see Figure 14). This unlocks the arm plate 822. As the pusher 24 moves further downward, the pusher roller 242 comes into contact with the arm plate 822, and the arm plate 822 is pressed down by the pusher roller 242 (see FIG. 15 ). As a result, the pair of arm members 82 are pushed apart, and the substrate support member 90 held by the pair of arm members 82 is detached from the arm members 82.

The control device 100 is configured as a microprocessor centered around a CPU, and in addition to the CPU, is equipped with ROM, RAM, a memory device 101, input/output ports, etc. The control device 100 exchanges signals with the head device 20, first and second substrate transport support devices 30, 40, camera device 50, exchange device 60, reader 65, etc. The control device 100 is also communicatively connected to a management device 200 that manages the entire work system including the work device 10. The management device 200 manages the progress status of the line including the work device 10, etc.

The operation of the working device 10 configured in this manner will now be described. In particular, the operation of the changeover to replace the screen mask M or the substrate support member 90 will be described. The changeover is performed by setting the storage rack 70 in the exchange device 60 and executing the mask carry-out process, support member carry-out process, support member carry-in process, and mask carry-in process in this order.

The mask unloading process is a process of unloading a screen mask M supported on the support rails 29 of the working device main body 11 and storing it in the storage rack 70. In this mask unloading process, the control device 100 controls the rack lifting device 63 so that the empty support rails 71 of the storage rack 70 are at approximately the same height as the support rails 29 of the working device main body 11. Next, the control device 100 controls the head moving device 26 so that the screen mask M supported on the support rails 29 is pushed forward by the pusher 24 and unloaded from the working device main body 11. The control device 100 then controls the frame forward/backward moving device 64 so that the unloaded screen mask M is stored in the storage rack 70. Note that the mask loading process is basically performed by the reverse operations of the mask unloading process, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

The support member unloading process is a process in which the transport jig 80 is used to unload the substrate support member 90 from the table 36, 46 of the working device main body 11 and store it in the storage rack 70, while the support member loading process is a process in which the transport jig 80 is used to load the substrate support member 90 from the storage rack 70 and place it on the table 36, 46 of the working device main body 11. Figures 16 and 17 are flowcharts showing an example of the support member loading process executed by the control device 100. Note that the support member unloading process is basically executed by the reverse operations of the support member loading process, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

In the support member loading process, the control device 100 first controls the rack lifting device 63 to raise the storage rack 70 until the support rail 71 supporting the transport jig 80 to be loaded is approximately flush with the support rail 29 of the work device main body 11 (step S100). Next, the control device 100 performs a reading operation in which the reader 65 reads the recognition mark 83 on the side of the transport jig 80 (frame 81) as the side of the transport jig 80 passes through the reader 65 (step S110) and determines whether the reading was successful (step S120). If the control device 100 determines that the reading was unsuccessful, it determines that the orientation of the transport jig 80 relative to the storage rack 70 may be incorrect, and outputs an error to the operation panel without loading the transport jig 80 (step S290), thereby ending the support member loading process.

On the other hand, if the control device 100 determines that the reading was successful, it performs a verification process to verify the read information (step S130) and determines whether the verification was successful (step S140). The verification process is a process for determining whether the substrate support member 90 held by the transport jig 80 that is about to be loaded is correct. Specifically, the verification process is performed by recognizing the substrate support member 90 held by the transport jig 80 from the support member information stored in the memory device 101 based on the identification information of the transport jig 80 acquired in step S110, and determining whether the recognized substrate support member 90 matches the substrate support member 90 requested to be replaced during the changeover. The support member information is stored in the memory device 101, with the identification information of the transport jig 80 and the identification information of the substrate support member 90 associated with each other, as shown in FIG. 18. The support member information can be stored in advance in the memory device 101, for example, by reading the recognition mark 83 on the transport jig 80 and the recognition mark 91b on the substrate support member 90 using a reader when an operator sets the substrate support member 90 on the transport jig 80.

If the control device 100 determines that the matching has failed ("NO" in step S140), it determines that the transport jig 80 to be loaded is holding an incorrect substrate support member 90, and outputs an error to the operation panel (step S290) without loading the transport jig 80, thereby terminating the support member loading process.

On the other hand, if the control device 100 determines that the matching is successful ("YES" in step S140), it then controls the two substrate support members 90 held by the transport jig 80 to be transported above the tables 36, 46 of the first and second substrate transport and support devices 30, 40 (step S150). That is, the control device 100 controls the frame front-to-rear moving device 64 to send the transport jig 80 from the storage rack 70 to the support rail 29. The control device 100 then controls the pusher lifting device 25 to lower the pusher 24, and controls the head moving device 26 to use the pusher 24 to push the transport jig 80 on the support rail 29 backward and load it in.

Next, the control device 100 controls the camera device 50 so that the upper reading unit 52 of the camera body 51 reads the first and second recognition marks 93c, 93d on the bottom surface of the substrate support member 90 held by the transport jig 80 at predetermined positions (step S160). The control device 100 then recognizes the front-to-rear width (size) of the substrate support member 90 based on the positions of the read first and second recognition marks 93c, 93d (step S170) and determines whether the recognized size is appropriate (step S180). This determination can be made based on size information for the next substrate S to be produced. If the control device 100 determines that the size of the substrate support member 90 held by the transport jig 80 is inappropriate, it transports the transport jig 80 to the storage rack 70 (step S190). That is, the control device 100 controls the head moving device 26 so that the pusher 24 pushes the transport jig 80 on the support rail 29 forward and carries it out, and also controls the frame front-back moving device 64 so that the transport jig 80 is transferred from the support rail 29 to the storage rack 70. Then, the control device 100 outputs an error to the operation panel (step S290) and ends the support member carry-in process.

On the other hand, if the control device 100 determines that the size of the substrate support member 90 held by the transport jig 80 is appropriate, it controls the support member lifting device 37 or 47 to raise the table 36 or 46 to the printing height (step S200). Next, the control device 100 controls the pusher lifting device 25 to lower the pusher 24 directly above the raised table (step S210) and waits for a predetermined time to elapse (step S220). Here, the predetermined time is the waiting time until the substrate support member 90 is detached from the transport jig 80 and placed on the table 36 or 46. As described above, when the pusher 24 lowers, the pair of left and right pusher plates 241 first abut against and press down the lock plates 826 of the pair of arm members 82, unlocking the arm plates 822. Then, as the pusher 24 further descends, the pair of left and right pusher rollers 242 come into contact with and press down on the corresponding arm plates 822, spreading the pair of arm members 82. As a result, the substrate support member 90 is detached from the pair of arm members 82 and placed on the table. In this way, by simply controlling the pusher 24 to descend from directly above the pair of arm members 82, the substrate support member 90 can be detached from the transport jig 80 and placed on the table.

When the control device 100 places the substrate support member 90 on the table 36 or 46, it controls the support member lifting device 37 or 47 to lower the table 36 or 46 to its initial position (step S230). The control device 100 similarly controls the other substrate support member 90 held by the transport jig 80 to be placed on the other table. As described above, the spacing between the pair of front and rear conveyor belts of the conveyor devices 31 and 41 is changed (adjusted) by the conveyor spacing change devices 34 and 44 based on size information about the substrate S to be transported. Therefore, if a substrate support member 90 that is larger than the size information about the substrate S to be transported is loaded, the substrate support member 90 may interfere with the conveyor device 31 or 41 when placed on the table 36 or 46, potentially resulting in damage to the substrate support member 90 or the conveyor device 31 or 41. In this embodiment, the control device 100 confirms that the forward/backward width (size) of the brought-in board support member 90 is appropriate before placing the board support member 90 on the tables 36, 46, thereby preventing the board support member 90 from interfering with the conveyor devices 31, 41.

Next, the control device 100 controls the camera device 50 to read the identification mark 91b on the upper surface of the board support member 90 (support member body 91) placed on the table 36 or 46 using the lower reading unit 53 of the camera body 51 (step S240). The control device 100 then performs a verification process to compare the identification information of the support member body 91 obtained by reading the identification mark 91b (step S250) and determines whether the verification is successful (step S260). The verification process is performed by determining whether the support member body 91 identified by the obtained identification information matches the support member body 91 requested for replacement during the changeover. If the control device 100 determines that the verification is unsuccessful, it retrieves the board support member 90 placed on the table 36 or 46 to the transport jig 80 on the support rail 29 (step S270). This process is performed in the same manner as the support member removal process. That is, the control device 100 lowers the pusher 24 directly above the table on which the corresponding substrate support member 90 is placed, pushes apart the pair of arm members 82, raises the table to the printing height, and raises the pusher 24 to hold the substrate support member 90 on the pair of arm members 82.

On the other hand, if the control device 100 determines that the matching is successful, it transports the transport jig 80 that has removed the substrate support member 90 to the storage rack 70 (step S300), and ends the support member transport process. That is, the control device 100 controls the head moving device 26 and the frame forward/backward moving device 64 so that the transport jig 80 supported on the support rail 29 is pushed forward by the pusher 24, transported out of the working device main body 11, and stored in the storage rack 70.

Here, we will explain the correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the present disclosure described in the claims. Specifically, the substrate support member 90 corresponds to the support member, the working device 10 corresponds to the working device, the transport jig 80 corresponds to the transport jig, the control device 100 corresponds to the control device, the camera device 50 corresponds to the reading device, the first arm member 82a corresponds to the first arm member, the second arm member 82b corresponds to the second arm member, the first recognition mark 93c corresponds to the first readable portion, and the second recognition mark 93d corresponds to the second readable portion. Furthermore, the support member main body 91 corresponds to the support member main body, and the adapter 92 corresponds to the adapter. Furthermore, the recognition mark 91b corresponds to the third readable portion. Furthermore, the pusher 24 corresponds to the push-down member, and the pusher lifting device 25 corresponds to the push-down member lifting device. Furthermore, the working device main body 11 corresponds to the working device main body, the storage rack 70 corresponds to the storage section, the rack lifting device 63 corresponds to the storage section lifting device, the memory device 101 corresponds to the memory section, and the recognition mark 83 corresponds to the read section.

It goes without saying that the present disclosure is in no way limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the working device 10 has two lanes for transporting and supporting the substrate S, but it may also have only one lane.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the working device of the present disclosure was described as being applied to a printing device, but this is not limited to this, and the device may be applied to any working device, such as a component mounting device, that performs work on a board supported by a support member and that can automatically replace the support member.

As described above, the control device of the first working device disclosed herein reads the first and second readable portions of the support member held by the transport jig after the transport jig is loaded, and determines the size of the support member relative to the transport jig. The first readable portion is provided on a third edge portion of the bottom outer edge of the support member adjacent to the first edge portion supported by the first arm, and the second readable portion is provided on a fourth edge portion of the bottom outer edge of the support member opposite the third edge portion. Therefore, by reading the first and second readable portions of the support member, the distance between the third and fourth edges, i.e., the size of the support member, can be determined. As a result, in a device in which the support member that supports a board is automatically replaceable, it is possible to determine whether the support member is appropriate using a simple configuration.

In the first working device of the present disclosure, if the control device determines that the size of the support member is appropriate, it may remove the support member from the transport jig and place it on the table, but if it determines that the size of the support member is inappropriate, it may not place the support member on the table. This prevents interference with other members within the working device caused by placing a support member of a different size on the table.

In this case, the support member may include a support member main body that supports the substrate on its upper surface and an adapter detachably attached to the bottom surface of the support member main body, wherein the first readable portion is provided on the third side of the outer edge of the bottom surface of the adapter, and the second readable portion is provided on the fourth side of the outer edge of the bottom surface of the adapter. By making the adapter detachable from the support member main body, even when changing the substrate being produced, it is possible to replace only the support member main body and use the adapter as is.

Furthermore, in this case, a third readable portion bearing information specific to the support member body may be provided on the top surface of the support member body as the readable portion, the reading device may be capable of reading from above and below, and the control device may place the support member on the table and then use the reading device to read the third readable portion to determine whether the support member body is appropriate. This makes it possible to more reliably determine whether the support member body is appropriate.

The first working device of the present disclosure may also include a push-down member and a push-down member lifting device that raises and lowers the push-down member, wherein the first arm member and the second arm member are configured to be rotatable about pivot axes that are parallel to each other, hold the support member at a predetermined rotational position where their tip ends face each other, and release their hold on the support member by being pressed down on each other; when the control device determines that the size of the support member is appropriate, it may control the push-down member lifting device to lower the push-down member, thereby causing the push-down member to press down the first arm member and the second arm member and place the support member on the table. This allows automatic replacement of the support member with simple control.

A second working device of the present disclosure comprises a working device main body, a storage unit, a storage unit lifting device, and a memory unit. The memory unit pre-stores information identifying a transport jig housed in the storage unit and information identifying a support member held by the transport jig, in association with each other, as support member information. The working device main body is capable of loading a transport jig housed in the storage unit that is at a predetermined lifted position. The working device main body further comprises a reading unit, which reads a readable portion provided on the side of the transport jig when the storage unit is raised or lowered by the storage unit lifting device and the readable portion passes the reading unit, and determines whether the support member held by the transport jig is appropriate based on the read information and the support member information stored in the memory unit. This allows a device capable of automatically replacing support members that support substrates to determine whether the support members are appropriate with a simple configuration before loading a transport jig holding the support members.

This disclosure can be used in industries such as the manufacturing of transport jigs, support members, and work equipment.

10 Working device, 11 Working device body, 20 Head device, 21 Head, 22 Squeegee, 23 Squeegee lifting device, 24 Pusher, 25 Pusher lifting device, 26 Head moving device, 27 Y-axis slider, 28 Guide rail, 29 Support rail, 30 First substrate transport support device, 31, 41 Conveyor device, 32, 42 Substrate guide, 33b, 43b Base frame, 33s, 43s Side frame, 34, 44 Conveyor spacing change device, 35, 45 Conveyor lifting device, 36, 46 Table, 37, 47 Support member lifting device, 40 Second substrate transport support device, 50 Camera device, 51 Camera body, 52 Upper reading unit, 53 Lower reading unit, 55 Camera moving device, 56 X-axis slider, 57 X-axis guide rail, 58 Y-axis slider, 59 Y-axis guide rail, 60 Exchange device, 61a Left unit, 61b Right unit, 62 Rack support member, 63 Rack lifting device, 64 Frame front-rear moving device, 65 Reader, 70 Storage rack, 71 Support rails, 72, 73 Opening, 80 Transport jig, 81 Frame body, 82 Arm member, 82a First arm member, 82b Second arm member, 83 Recognition mark, 90 Substrate support member, 91 Support member main body, 91a Recess, 91b Recognition mark, 92 Adapter, 92a First side portion, 92b Second side portion, 92c Third side portion, 92d Fourth side portion, 93c First recognition mark, 93d Second recognition mark, 94a First pin member, 94b Second pin member, 100 Control device, 101 Storage device, 200 Management device, 241 Pusher plate, 242 pusher roller, 821 base member, 822 arm plate, 822c notch, 823 holding member, 824 torsion coil spring, 825 side plate, 826 lock plate, 827 lock block, 828 tension spring, F frame body, M screen mask, P1, P2 pattern holes, S substrate.

Claims (6)

A working device that performs work on a substrate on a support member that is installed on a table,
a control device that controls the transfer jig holding the support member to be brought in and the support member to be automatically replaced;
a reading device that reads the read portion provided on the support member;
Equipped with
the transport jig includes a first arm member that supports a first side portion at the outer edge of the bottom surface of the support member, and a second arm member that is arranged so that tip ends of the first arm member and a second arm member that supports a second side portion at the outer edge of the bottom surface that faces the first side portion,
the support member includes, as the read portion, a first read portion provided on a third side portion adjacent to the first side portion at the outer edge of the bottom surface, and a second read portion provided on a fourth side portion opposite to the third side portion at the outer edge of the bottom surface;
After the conveying jig holding the support member is carried in, the control device reads the first read portion and the second read portion of the support member with the reading device to determine the size of the support member.
Working equipment. The working device according to claim 1,
When the control device determines that the size of the support member is appropriate, the control device removes the support member from the conveying jig and places it on the table, and when the control device determines that the size of the support member is inappropriate, the control device does not place the support member on the table.
Working equipment. The working device according to claim 2,
the support member includes a support member body that supports the substrate on an upper surface thereof, and an adapter attached to a bottom surface of the support member body;
the first read portion is provided on the third side portion at the outer edge portion of the bottom surface of the adapter,
the second read portion is provided on the fourth side portion at the outer edge portion of the bottom surface of the adapter;
Working equipment. The working device according to claim 3,
As the readable portion, a third readable portion on which information unique to the support member body is written is provided on an upper surface of the support member body,
The reading device can read both up and down,
the control device places the support member on the table, and then reads the third read portion with the reading device to determine whether the support member body is proper.
Working equipment. The working device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A push-down member;
a pusher member lifting device that lifts and lowers the pusher member;
Equipped with
the first arm member and the second arm member are configured to be rotatable about rotation axes that are arranged parallel to each other, and hold the support member at a predetermined rotation position where their tip ends face each other, and release the hold of the support member by being pressed down on each other,
When the control device determines that the size of the support member is appropriate, the control device controls the push-down member lifting device to lower the push-down member, thereby causing the push-down member to push down the first arm member and the second arm member, and place the support member on the table.
Working equipment. A working apparatus comprising: a working apparatus main body that performs work on a substrate on a support member that is placed on a table; a housing unit that can house a plurality of transport jigs that can hold the support members vertically; and a housing unit lifting device that lifts and lowers the housing unit,
a storage unit that stores in advance, as support member information, information that identifies the transport jig accommodated in the accommodation unit and information that identifies the support member held by the transport jig in association with each other;
a first readable portion on a side surface of the transport jig, the first readable portion having information for identifying the transport jig written thereon;
the work device body includes a reading unit that reads the first read portion, and is capable of transporting a transport jig that is in a predetermined lift position among the transport jigs housed in the storage unit, and when the storage unit is lifted and the first read portion passes the reading unit, the reading unit reads the first read portion, and determines whether the support member held by the transport jig is appropriate based on the read information and support member information stored in the memory unit ;
the work device body is provided with a camera device, and when the support member held by the transport jig is carried into the work device body, the camera device captures an image of a second read portion provided on a bottom surface of the support member in order to determine whether or not the support member should be placed on the table .
Working equipment.