Method and device for preventing scatter of solder of automatic soldering system

Abstract

To provide a method for preventing scatter of solder of an automatic soldering system, which can avoid a risk that short-circuit trouble may occur and defect such as stain on a printed circuit board to enhance qualities as a whole and reliability and which can be executed easily and at low cost.SOLUTION: A scatter prevention shutter 3, which moves to a set position Xs at which the shutter shuts off a space between a soldering head part 2 and an object T to be soldered or to a release position Xr at which the shutter opens the space between the soldering head part 2 and the object T to be soldered, is arranged preliminarily at the space between the soldering head part 2 and the object T to be soldered in a moving direction Fm of a soldering gun part 2i or of the object T to be soldered. When a primary soldering process, in which solder H supplied from a solder supply part 2s is attached to a tip of the soldering gun part 2i, is performed, the scatter prevention shutter 3 is moved to the set position Xs, and after the primary soldering process is completed, the scatter prevention shutter 3 is moved to the release position Xr.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and device for preventing solder splash in an automatic soldering system used when automatically soldering a connection portion of a wire or the like to a connection portion of a workpiece. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when connecting a connecting part such as a wire to a connecting part of a workpiece such as an electronic component, the connection is often made by soldering, and various automatic soldering systems that perform soldering automatically have been proposed. The present applicant has already proposed an automatic soldering system suitable for use in this type of soldering in Patent Document 1.

[0003] The automatic soldering system described in Patent Document 1 is intended to ensure the connection strength of the wire, improve connection quality, and eliminate poor connections (poor contact), as well as contribute to miniaturization and cost reduction without reducing production efficiency. Specifically, the system is configured with a robot mechanism having a rotation axis whose rotation can be controlled, an offset detection function unit that detects the amount of offset at the tip position of the wire relative to the central axis in the surface direction of the connection surface of the connected part when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface, and an arithmetic processing function unit that determines the corrected rotation angle of the rotation axis at which the tip position of the wire coincides with the rotation axis when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the surface based on the detection result of the offset detection function unit.The soldering process is equipped with a soldering head unit having a solder iron unit and a solder supply unit, and a robot mechanism unit that can move the soldering head unit in the X, Y, and Z directions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-184463 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the automatic soldering system described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 has the following problems to be solved.

[0006] That is, the soldering process in this type of automatic soldering system is usually provided with a soldering head having a soldering iron and a solder supplying part that supplies solder to the tip of the soldering iron. When soldering a connection part such as a wire to a connection surface (connected part), a primary soldering process is performed in front of the soldering target part to be soldered, in which solder is temporarily attached to the tip of the soldering iron, and then the soldering iron is advanced (lowered) to transfer the molten solder attached to the tip of the soldering iron to the soldering target part.

[0007] In this case, the primary soldering process involves contacting the solder at room temperature with the soldering iron, which has been heated to around 350°C, and the problem arises that some of the solder and flux will fly off unnecessarily when they come into contact.When this happens, the solder flies off as small solder balls, and if they adhere to the surface of the printed circuit board, there is a risk that they will cause short circuits in the circuits and components, and that the scattered flux will contaminate the printed circuit board, causing a deterioration in quality.

[0008] Furthermore, measures have been taken to prevent solder splatter by modifying or improving the solder or flux, or even the soldering method or mechanism itself. However, these measures tend to increase costs and are not necessarily sufficient to ensure solder splatter prevention, making them difficult to adopt.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a solder splash prevention device for an automatic soldering system which solves the problems existing in the background art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the method for preventing solder splash of the automatic soldering system 1 according to the present invention includes: supplying solder H from a solder supply unit 2s provided in the soldering head unit 2 to a tip of the soldering iron unit 2i; and preventing the splash of solder H when at least the soldering iron unit 2i or a predetermined soldering target unit T is moved to perform soldering. In this method, a solder supply unit 2s is provided in the soldering head unit 2 between the soldering head unit 2 and the soldering target unit T in the moving direction Fm of the soldering iron unit 2i or the soldering target unit T. The soldering head 2 is provided with a shatterproof shutter 3 which can be moved to a set position Xs for shielding the space between the soldering head 2 and the soldering target part T or to a release position Xr for opening the space between the soldering head 2 and the soldering target part T, and during the primary soldering process in which solder H from the solder supply part 2s is applied to the tip of the soldering iron part 2i, the shatterproof shutter 3 is moved to the set position Xs, and after the primary soldering process is completed, the shatterproof shutter 3 is moved to the release position Xr.

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the solder splash prevention device M of the automatic soldering system 1 according to the present invention supplies solder H from a solder supply unit 2s provided in the soldering head unit 2 to the tip of the soldering iron unit 2i, and when configuring a solder splash prevention device that prevents the solder H from splashing when soldering is performed by moving at least the soldering iron unit 2i or a predetermined soldering target unit T, a shield is provided between the soldering head unit 2 and the soldering target unit T in the movement direction Fm of the soldering iron unit 2i or the soldering target unit T. The solder splash prevention function unit Es is equipped with a shatterproof shutter 3 that moves to a set position Xs or a release position Xr that opens the gap between the soldering head unit 2 and the soldering target unit T, and a shutter movement mechanism unit 4 that moves the shatterproof shutter 3, and a movement control function unit Em that performs control processing to move the shatterproof shutter 3 to the set position Xs during a primary soldering process in which solder H is attached to the tip of the soldering iron unit 2i, and to move the shatterproof shutter 3 to the release position Xr after the primary soldering process is completed.

[0012] On the other hand, in the present invention, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is preferable that the shatterproof shutter 3 is configured in a tray shape having a bottom surface 3d and side surfaces 3s rising from the peripheral portion of the bottom surface 3d. The upper surface of the bottom surface 3d of the shatterproof shutter 3 can be formed of a buffer surface Df, and in this case, the shatterproof shutter 3 can be configured by providing a removable elastic sheet member D laid on the upper surface of the bottom surface 3d. Furthermore, the shutter movement mechanism 4 can move the shatterproof shutter 3 in the horizontal direction Fh relative to the soldering iron part 2i moving in the lifting direction Fmv. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the solder splash prevention method and device M for the automatic soldering system 1 of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration, the following remarkable effects are obtained.

[0014] (1) Even if the solder H, which is close to room temperature, comes into contact with the soldering iron portion 2i during the primary soldering process and some of the solder (solder ball) or flux scatters, the unnecessary solder and flux can be collected by the anti-scattering shutter 3, eliminating the risk of them adhering to the surface of the printed circuit board, etc., and preventing the risk of short-circuiting of circuits and components. In addition, it is possible to prevent problems such as the printed circuit board becoming soiled due to scattering of flux, thereby improving the overall quality and reliability.

[0015] (2) General-purpose solder H can be used, and the solder splash prevention device M can be easily retrofitted to a conventional automatic soldering system 1, making it easy and low-cost to implement while providing a reliable splash prevention effect.

[0016] (3) In a preferred embodiment, when constructing the shatterproof shutter 3, if it is formed in the shape of a tray having a horizontal bottom portion 3d and side portions 3s rising from the peripheral portion of the bottom portion 3d, unnecessary secondary scattering and lateral scattering can be prevented by the side portions 3s, so that scattered solder H, etc. can be more reliably collected.

[0017] (4) In a preferred embodiment, when forming the shatterproof shutter 3, if the upper surface of the bottom portion 3d is formed with a cushioning surface Df, the scattered solder balls can be received by the cushioning surface Df, thereby providing reliable and stable shatterproofing of the solder H by the bottom portion 3d.

[0018] (5) In a preferred embodiment, when constructing the shatterproof shutter 3, a removable elastic sheet member D is laid on the upper surface of the bottom portion 3d. This makes it easy to clean and maintain the shutter 3 by simply replacing the elastic sheet member D even if the shutter becomes badly soiled or deteriorated due to long-term use.

[0019] (6) In a preferred embodiment, when configuring the shutter movement mechanism 4, if the shatterproof shutter 3 is configured to move in the horizontal direction Fh relative to the soldering iron part 2i that moves in the lifting and lowering direction Fmv, the shatterproof shutter 3 can be arranged horizontally, which can be widely applied to a general automatic soldering system 1. In addition, since the shatterproof shutter 3 formed in the above-mentioned tray shape can be activated, scattered solder H and the like can be reliably collected and the implementation can be simplified. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a solder splash prevention device of an automatic soldering system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a solder splash prevention shutter in the solder splash prevention device; [Diagram 3] An enlarged view of the Z1 part in Figure 2 of the solder splash prevention device. [Figure 4] A schematic diagram of the entire process of the automatic soldering system. [Diagram 5] Block diagram of the automatic soldering system. [Figure 6] A flowchart for sequentially explaining the processing of the automatic soldering system. [Figure 7]A flowchart for explaining a specific processing procedure of the soldering process (step S10 in FIG. 6) of the automatic soldering system; [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the solder splash prevention shutter of the solder splash prevention device has been moved to a release position; [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the solder splash prevention shutter of the solder splash prevention device has been moved to a set position; [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the solder splash prevention device during soldering processing; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Next, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0022] First, the overall schematic configuration of an automatic soldering system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4 (FIGS. 1 and 8).

[0023] The illustrated automatic soldering system 1 shows an intermediate assembly of a sensor module as the workpiece A (soldering target part T), and has four connected parts (connection terminals) Aj... on a printed circuit board Ap. The wires (Wa...) that become the connecting parts to be soldered to the connected parts Aj... are lead wires Wa, Wb, Wc, and Wd. As shown in Figs. 1 and 8, the lead wires Wa... have a shape in which a covering part Wt... at the tip is partially removed to expose a part of the conductor part Wm... at the tip side.

[0024] Next, we will explain the mechanical system of the automatic soldering system 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the automatic soldering system 1 has a work soldering line 11 installed in the center, and this work soldering line 11 has four soldering processing units 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d arranged in sequence from the upstream side. That is, the work soldering line 11 has a function of sequentially transporting pallets 14 on which works A are set, and a function of sequentially transporting each work A set on each pallet 14 while stopping it at each soldering processing unit 11a, 11b, etc. for a certain period of time.

[0025] Four robot mechanisms R, R, RR corresponding to the soldering processing sections 11a, 11b... are sequentially arranged on the right side of the conveying direction Fs of the work soldering line 11. Each robot mechanism R is a six-axis industrial robot, and at its tip, it has a hand section attached to the rotation output section of the sixth axis.

[0026] Further, to the right of the robot mechanisms R, R, R..., a lead wire transport line 15 is provided which transports the lead wires Wa... clamped by the clamper 19 in synchronization with the above-mentioned workpieces A... (pallets 14...). The clamper 19 has the function of clamping four lead wires Wa, Wb, Wc, Wd of different colors which are used for one workpiece A. Meanwhile, as shown in Fig. 4, a lead wire stocker 16 which stocks a large number of lead wires Wa..., Wb..., Wc..., Wd... is provided near the lead wire transport line 15.

[0027] In addition, as shown in Fig. 4, a work carry-in section 17 is provided upstream of the work soldering line 11, and a work introduction section 17s is provided for putting the work A transported by the work carry-in section 17 on standby. Furthermore, a lead wire transfer robot (not shown) is installed near the work introduction section 17s, and a clamper standby section Xp is provided upstream of the lead wire transport line 15, so that the lead wires Wa, Wb... stocked in the lead wire stocker 16 can be transferred sequentially to the clamper 19 set in the standby section Xp by the lead wire transfer robot. On the other hand, a work removal section 18 is provided downstream of the work soldering line 11 for removing the work A from the work soldering line 11 after soldering. Rp indicates a work removal robot for removing the work A after soldering.

[0028] On the other hand, on the left side of the work soldering line 11 in the conveying direction Fs, four soldering units 12, 12, 12, 12 corresponding to the soldering processing sections 11a, 11b, ... are sequentially arranged. As shown in FIG. 1, one soldering unit 12 includes a soldering head section 2, which includes a soldering iron section 2i for soldering a soldering target section T (work A) and a solder supply section 2s for supplying solder H to the tip of the soldering iron section 2i. The soldering head section 2 also includes a moving mechanism section 2d for moving the soldering head section 2 in the XYZ directions. The soldering unit 12 is provided with a solder splash prevention device M according to this embodiment, which constitutes the main part of the present invention.

[0029] Next, the configuration of the solder splash prevention device M according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 and 8 to 10. FIG.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, this solder splash prevention device M is equipped with a shatterproof shutter 3 that moves to a set position Xs (FIG. 1) that shields the soldering head 2 and the soldering target part T in the movement direction Fm of the soldering iron part 2i, or to a release position Xr (FIG. 8) that opens the space between the soldering head 2 and the soldering target part T, and a shutter moving mechanism part 4 that moves this shatterproof shutter 3, and this shatterproof shutter 3 and the shutter moving mechanism part 4 constitute a shatterproof function part 5.

[0031] The shutter movement mechanism 4 includes a horizontal shutter support table 22 that is supported by a plurality of support columns 21 and is fixed in position, and a pair of left and right air cylinders (e.g., rodless cylinders) 23, 23 are disposed on an upper surface 22u of the shutter support table 22. Reference numeral 24 denotes a movable part that moves by controlling the drive of the air cylinders 23, 23.

[0032] The rear end of the shatterproof shutter 3 is fixed to the upper surface of the movable part 24 by a fixing part 24c that also has a position adjustment function. The shatterproof shutter 3 can be moved in a horizontal direction Fh with respect to the lifting direction Fmv, which is the moving direction Fm of the soldering iron part 2i. This allows the shatterproof shutter 3 to be selectively moved to the set position Xs shown in Figures 1 and 9, i.e., the set position Xs between the soldering head part 2 and the soldering target part T in the moving direction Fm of the soldering iron part 2i, or the release position Xr shown in Figures 8 and 10, i.e., the release position Xr that opens the gap between the soldering head part 2 and the soldering target part T.

[0033] In this way, by configuring the shatterproof shutter 3 to move in the horizontal direction Fh relative to the soldering iron part 2i that moves in the lifting and lowering direction Fmv, the shatterproof shutter 3 can be arranged horizontally, which can be widely applied to a general automatic soldering system 1. In addition, since the shatterproof shutter 3 formed in the above-mentioned tray shape can be activated, scattered solder H and the like can be reliably collected and also contributes to easier implementation.

[0034] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the shatterproof shutter 3 is configured in a tray shape having a horizontal rectangular bottom surface 3d and side surfaces 3s rising from the periphery of the bottom surface 3d. In this case, one end in the longitudinal direction is disposed as the front end. By forming the shatterproof shutter 3 in this shape, unnecessary secondary scattering and scattering in the lateral direction can be prevented by the side surfaces 3s, so scattered solder H and the like can be more reliably collected.

[0035] Furthermore, the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 3d of the shatterproof shutter 3 is formed by a buffer surface Df. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, it is configured by providing a removable elastic sheet member D laid on the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 3d. Specifically, the shatterproof shutter 3 itself is formed of a heat-resistant stainless steel material or the like, and the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 3d is covered with an elastic sheet member D using a sponge, which is a foamed product of a synthetic resin such as polyurethane, to form a two-layered bottom surface.

[0036] In this way, when constructing the shatterproof shutter 3, if a removable elastic sheet member D is provided on the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 3d, cleaning and maintenance can be easily performed even if the shutter becomes dirty or deteriorated due to long-term use, etc., by replacing the elastic sheet member D. Also, with this configuration, the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 3d of the shatterproof shutter 3 is formed into a buffer surface Df, so that scattered solder balls can be received by the buffer surface Df, and the bottom surface portion 3d can reliably and stably prevent the solder H from scattering.

[0037] Next, the configuration of the drive system and control system of the automatic soldering system 1 including the solder splash prevention device M according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0038] In FIG. 5, Cs denotes a system controller. The system controller Cs includes a system controller body 31, which is provided with a display 31d having a touch panel 31t. The positioning camera 24 is connected to the system controller body 31 via an interface 32. The robot mechanism R including the hand Rh and various actuators Ro for driving each robot axis in the soldering processing unit 11a is connected to the system controller body 31 via an interface 34. Although the soldering processing unit 11a has been described above, the other soldering processing units 11b, 11c, and 11d are also connected in the same manner as the soldering processing unit 11a. Furthermore, the soldering units 12 including the shutter movement mechanism 4 are connected to the system controller body 31 via interfaces 35. In addition, the work removal robot Rp and the lead wire transfer robot (not shown), the work soldering line 11, the lead wire transport line 15, the work loading section 17 and the work unloading section 18, their respective drive mechanisms (not shown) are also connected to the system controller main body 31 via the necessary interfaces.

[0039] The system controller Cs also has a computer function incorporating a CPU and an internal memory 36, and the internal memory 36m has a program area 36mp for storing comprehensive control programs (software) for executing various arithmetic processes and various control processes (sequence control), and includes a data area 36md in which various data (databases) can be written. The program area 36mp stores a soldering sequence program Cpf for operating the automatic soldering system 1, thereby executing each functional unit. Specifically, in relation to the present invention, the program area 36mp includes a movement control functional unit Em for performing a control process for moving the shatterproof shutter 3 to the set position Xs during the primary soldering process in which the solder H is applied to the tip of the soldering iron part 2i, and for moving the shatterproof shutter 3 to the release position Xr after the primary soldering process is completed.

[0040] Next, the solder splash prevention method according to this embodiment, including the overall operation of the automatic soldering system 1, will be described according to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 with reference to the drawings, particularly FIGS. 8 to 10.

[0041] 4, the work A carried in by the work carry-in section 17 is set in the pallet 14 at the work introduction section 17s, which is the standby position (step S1). A lead wire transfer robot (not shown) sets (transfers) a first lead wire Wa of a different color from the lead wire stocker 16 to the clamper 19 located at the clamper standby section Xp on the lead wire transport line 15 (step S2). This transfer process is similarly performed for the remaining three (generally N) lead wires Wb, Wc, and Wd (step S3).

[0042] Once the transfer process is complete, the clamper 19 is transferred by the lead wire transport line 15 to the soldering process section 11a where the first lead wire Wa is soldered as the next process (step S4). Once the clamper 19 has been transferred to the soldering process section 11a, the first lead wire Wa is gripped by the hand section Rh of the robot mechanism R in the soldering process section 11a (step S5). The lead wire Wa gripped by the robot mechanism R is then immediately transferred to the corresponding position in the work A, i.e., the position facing the connection part Aj (see FIGS. 1 and 8) (step S6).

[0043] Then, when the above process is completed, that is, when the lead wire Wa is moved to a position facing the connection part Aj, the positioning camera 24 takes an image of the vicinity of the tip position Ws of the lead wire Wa (step S7). As a result, image data (detection data) of the positioning camera 24 is provided to the system controller main body 31, and the positioning control function of the system controller Cs drives and controls the actuator group Ro of the robot mechanism R, and performs positioning processing by feedback control of the position of the lead wire Wa (steps S8, S9). As a result, when the tip position Ws of the lead wire Wa becomes a fixed position relative to the connection part Aj, the soldering unit 12 is driven and controlled to execute the soldering process (step S10).

[0044] The procedure of this soldering step will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 7 and the schematic diagrams shown in FIGS.

[0045] 8 shows the initial state of the soldering process. In the initial state, the shatterproof shutter 3 has moved to the retreated release position Xr, and the soldering head 2 is in the uppermost position.

[0046] From this state, the air cylinders 23, 23 are driven and controlled by the movement control function unit Em, and the shatterproof shutter 3 moves forward (step S101). As a result, the shatterproof shutter 3 stops at the set position Xs (step S102). This set position Xs is between the soldering head unit 2 and the soldering target part T in the movement direction Fm of the soldering iron part 2i, and is the position shown in FIG. 9 that shields the soldering head unit 2 from the soldering target part T.

[0047] Next, the soldering head unit 2 is controlled to perform a primary soldering process in which solder H is applied to the tip of the soldering iron unit 2i (step S103). In this case, solder H is supplied from the solder supply unit 2s provided in the soldering head unit 2, and solder H is applied to the tip of the soldering iron unit 2i. In this case, the position of the soldering head unit 2 may be maintained as it is, or may be lowered to a required height, that is, to the vicinity of the shatterproof shutter 3, or may be any other position. Then, when a termination condition is satisfied, the primary soldering process is terminated (step S104). This termination condition may be a set time lapse or a set supply amount (supply length) of solder H, or the like.

[0048] During the primary soldering process, solder H, which is at near room temperature, is brought into contact with solder iron part 2i, which has been heated to around 350°C. Upon contact, some of the solder H and flux, etc., will scatter as shown by arrow Fn in Figure 9. However, the scattered solder H and flux are collected by the splash prevention shutter 3 located below, preventing them from scattering outside the splash prevention shutter 3.

[0049] Thereafter, when the primary soldering process is completed, the air cylinders 23, 23 are driven and controlled by the movement control function unit Em, and the shatterproof shutter 3 is moved backward and returned to the release position Xr (step S105). Fig. 10 shows the shatterproof shutter 3 returned to the release position Xr. Then, since the space between the soldering head unit 2 and the soldering target part T is released, the soldering head unit 2 is displaced downward to a predetermined set position (steps S106, S107). In this case, the entire soldering head unit 2 may be configured to be lowered, or only the soldering iron unit 2i may be configured to be lowered.

[0050] As a result, the tip of the soldering iron part 2i approaches or comes into contact with the soldering target part T as shown in FIG. 10, and the solder H attached to the tip of the soldering iron part 2i is transferred to the connection part Aj of the soldering target part T, and a soldering process (secondary soldering process) is performed in which the lead wire Wa is soldered to the connection part Aj (step S108). Then, when a termination condition set by time or the like is satisfied, the soldering process is terminated (step S109). In addition, the soldering head part 2 is moved upward and controlled to return to the home position, which is the initial state shown in FIG. 8 (step S110). The soldering process is terminated by the above. After this, if the next soldering process continues, the same process is executed according to a predetermined timing (steps S111, S101...). Therefore, in the case of FIG. 6, the workpiece is transferred to the next process, and the soldering process for the next lead wire Wb... is executed in the same manner.

[0051] Therefore, according to the method and device 1 for preventing solder splash in the automatic soldering system 1 according to this embodiment, as a basic technique, a splash prevention shutter 3 that moves to a set position Xs that shields the space between the soldering head 2 and the soldering target part T or to a release position Xr that opens the space between the soldering head 2 and the soldering target part T is provided in advance between the soldering head 2 and the soldering target part T in the movement direction Fm of the soldering iron part 2i or the soldering target part T, and the splash prevention shutter 3 is moved to the set position Xs during the primary soldering process in which solder H from the solder supply part 2s is applied to the tip of the soldering iron part 2i. In addition, since the anti-scattering shutter 3 is moved to the release position Xr after the primary soldering process is completed, even if the solder H at a temperature close to room temperature comes into contact with the soldering iron part 2i during the primary soldering process and some of the solder (solder ball) or flux scatters, the anti-scattering shutter 3 can collect the unnecessary solder and flux, eliminating the risk of them adhering to the surface of the printed circuit board, preventing short-circuiting of circuits and components, and preventing problems such as soiling of the printed circuit board due to scattering of flux, thereby improving the overall quality and reliability. In addition, general-purpose solder H can be used, and the solder splash prevention device M can be easily retrofitted to a conventional automatic soldering system 1, making it easy and low-cost to implement and providing a reliable anti-scattering effect.

[0052] Although the preferred embodiment has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and the detailed configuration, shape, material, quantity, numerical values, etc. can be changed, added, or deleted as desired without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0053] For example, the shatterproof shutter 3 is moved in the horizontal direction Fh with respect to the soldering iron part 2i moving in the lifting direction Fmv, but the direction is not limited to these directions. Also, the example of soldering by moving the soldering iron part 2i is shown, but the same can be applied to the case of soldering by moving the soldering target part T. Meanwhile, the shatterproof shutter 3 is configured in a tray shape having a horizontal bottom part 3d and side parts 3s standing from the peripheral part of the bottom part 3d, but the side parts 3s are not essential components, and may be only the horizontal bottom part 3d, or may be formed in a curved shape with the center of the bottom part 3d bulging downward. Furthermore, the example of forming the planar shape into a rectangle is shown, but the shape is arbitrary, such as forming the tip into a semicircular shape. Also, the case where a removable elastic sheet member D is laid on the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 3d has been shown, but the use of the elastic sheet member D is optional, for example, the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 3d may be coated with a frictional paint or the like. On the other hand, the shutter moving mechanism portion 4 has been shown to use an air cylinder 23..., but it can be replaced with other actuators having a similar function, such as an electric cylinder. Also, the robot mechanism R... can be replaced with a mechanical element having a similar function, and does not necessarily mean a general robot. Similarly, the soldering has been shown to use an example where a wire (Wa...) that serves as a connecting portion is connected to a connected portion Aj..., but it can be used when connecting a connecting portion and a connected portion including various parts and materials. [Industrial Applicability]

[0054] The automatic soldering system according to the present invention can be used when automatically soldering connection portions of various wires to connection portions of various workpieces in the manufacturing process of electronic components, electronic equipment, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1: Automatic soldering system, 2: Soldering head, 2s: Solder supply, 2i: Soldering iron, 3: Anti-scattering shutter, 3d: Bottom, 3s: Side, 4: Shutter movement mechanism, M: Solder splash prevention device, H: Solder, T: Soldering target, Es: Solder splash prevention function, Em: Movement control function, Fm: Movement direction of soldering iron, Fmv: Lifting direction, Fh: Horizontal direction, Xs: Set position, Xr: Release position, Df: Cushioning surface, D: Elastic sheet member

Claims

1. A method for preventing solder splatter in an automatic soldering system that supplies solder to a tip of a solder iron from a solder supply unit provided in a soldering head unit and prevents solder splatter when at least the solder iron unit or a specified soldering target unit is moved to perform soldering, the method comprising the steps of: providing a splash prevention shutter between the soldering head unit and the soldering target unit in the movement direction of the solder iron unit or the soldering target unit, the splash prevention shutter moving to a set position that shields the soldering head unit and the soldering target unit or a release position that opens the space between the soldering head unit and the soldering target unit; moving the splash prevention shutter to the set position during a primary soldering process in which solder from the solder supply unit is applied to the tip of the solder iron unit; and moving the splash prevention shutter to the release position after completion of the primary soldering process.

2. a solder splash prevention device for an automatic soldering system that supplies solder to a tip of a solder iron from a solder supply unit provided in a soldering head unit and prevents solder splash when at least the solder iron unit or a specified soldering target unit is moved to perform soldering, the device comprising: a splash prevention function unit that has a splash prevention shutter that moves between the soldering head unit and the soldering target unit in the movement direction of the soldering iron unit or the soldering target unit to a set position that shields the soldering head unit and the soldering target unit or a release position that opens the space between the soldering head unit and the soldering target unit, and a shutter movement mechanism unit that moves the splash prevention shutter; and a movement control function unit that performs control processing to move the splash prevention shutter to the set position during a primary soldering process in which solder is attached to the tip of the solder iron unit, and to move the splash prevention shutter to the release position after the primary soldering process is completed.

3. 3. The solder splash prevention device for an automatic soldering system according to claim 2, wherein said splash prevention shutter is configured in the shape of a tray having a bottom surface and side surfaces standing up from the periphery of said bottom surface.

4. 4. The solder splash prevention device for an automatic soldering system according to claim 3, wherein the upper surface of the bottom portion of the splash prevention shutter is formed of a cushioning surface.

5. 5. The solder splash prevention device for an automatic soldering system according to claim 4, wherein said splash prevention shutter comprises a detachable elastic sheet member laid on the upper surface of said bottom portion.

6. The shutter movement mechanism moves the soldering iron unit in a horizontal direction relative to the soldering iron unit moving in a vertical direction.

3. The solder splash prevention device for an automatic soldering system according to claim 2, wherein said splash prevention shutter is movable.

Images