Automatic adjustable H-shaped tower support block system for stencil printing machine

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic adjustable H-shaped tower support block system for a stencil printing machine. An apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a frame; a unit coupled to the frame and configured to deposit a material on an electronic substrate; and a substrate support assembly coupled to the frame. The substrate support assembly is configured to support an electronic substrate. The substrate support assembly includes a table and a stationary support secured to the table. The stationary support extends from a first edge of the table to a second edge of the table. The substrate assembly further includes an adjustable support releasably secured to the table. The adjustable support extends from the first edge to the second edge and is spaced apart from the fixed support. The substrate assembly further includes at least one guide mechanism configured to releasably secure the adjustable support in place on the table.

Description

Background of the Invention 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present application relates generally to stencil printers and related methods for printing viscous materials (e.g., solder paste) on electronic substrates (e.g., printed circuit boards (PCBs)), and more particularly to adjustable support systems for supporting the electronic substrates during printing operations. 2. Background technology

[0003] When manufacturing surface mounted printed circuit boards, a stencil printer may be used to print solder paste onto the circuit board. Typically, a circuit board having a pattern of pads or some other conductive surface on which the solder paste is to be deposited is automatically fed into the stencil printer; and one or more small holes or marks on the circuit board (called "fiducials") are used to properly align the circuit board with the stencil or screen of the stencil printer before printing the solder paste onto the circuit board. In some systems, an optical alignment system implemented as an imaging system or vision system is used to align the circuit board with the stencil.

[0004] Once the circuit board has been properly aligned with the stencil in the printer, the circuit board is raised to the stencil, solder paste is dispensed onto the stencil, and a wiper blade (or scraper) traverses the stencil to force the solder paste through the apertures in the stencil and onto the circuit board. As the scraper moves across the stencil, the solder paste tends to roll in front of the blade, which desirably causes mixing and shearing of the solder paste to achieve a desired viscosity to facilitate filling the apertures in the screen or stencil. Solder paste is typically dispensed onto the stencil from a standard box. The stencil is then separated from the circuit board, and adhesion between the circuit board and the solder paste leaves most of the material on the circuit board. Before printing additional circuit boards, the material left on the surface of the stencil is removed during a cleaning process.

[0005] Another process in circuit board printing includes inspecting the board after solder paste has been deposited on the surface of the board. Inspecting the board is important to determine if a clean electrical connection can be made. Excess solder paste may cause a short circuit, while too little solder paste in the proper location may prevent electrical contact. Often, imaging inspection systems are further employed to provide two-dimensional or three-dimensional inspection of the solder paste on the board.

[0006] It is generally desirable to support the electronic substrate uniformly across its lower surface so that the entire upper surface is along a plane coplanar with the stencil.It is known to support the electronic substrate on a substrate support or table using support blocks having coplanar upper support surfaces. Summary of the invention

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an apparatus for depositing a viscous material on an electronic substrate. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes: a frame; a unit coupled to the frame and configured to deposit a material on an electronic substrate; and a substrate support assembly coupled to the frame. The substrate support assembly is configured to support an electronic substrate. The substrate support assembly includes a workbench and a fixed support member fixed to the workbench. The fixed support member extends from a first edge of the workbench to a second edge of the workbench. The substrate assembly further includes an adjustable support member releasably fixed to the workbench. The adjustable support member extends from a first edge to a second edge and is spaced apart from the fixed support member. The substrate assembly further includes at least one guide mechanism configured to releasably fix the adjustable support member in an appropriate position on the workbench.

[0008] Embodiments of the apparatus may further include configuring at least one guide mechanism to move linearly along the side rails of the workbench. The at least one guide mechanism may include a U-shaped body having a first leg portion configured to ride along the side rails. The at least one guide mechanism may include a fixture guide assembly configured to releasably fix the adjustable support to the workbench. The fixture guide assembly may include a housing and a cylinder assembly, the cylinder assembly including a piston configured to extend and retract within the housing. The piston rod of the cylinder assembly may be configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position, in which the fixture guide assembly clamps the adjustable support to the workbench, and in which the fixture guide assembly lifts the adjustable support off the workbench. The piston rod of the cylinder assembly may further be configured to de-energize from the retracted position to decouple the piston rod from the adjustable support. The cylinder assembly may include a compression spring to bias the piston rod to the extended position. The first edge of the workbench may include a first side rail and the second edge of the workbench may include a second side rail. The at least one guide mechanism may include: a first guide mechanism, the first guide mechanism being configured to move linearly along the first side rail of the workbench; and a second guide mechanism, the second guide mechanism being configured to move linearly along the second side rail of the workbench. The first guide mechanism and the second guide mechanism may be configured to releasably fix the opposite ends of the adjustable support in an appropriate position. Each of the first guide mechanism and the second guide mechanism may include a U-shaped body having a first leg portion configured to span along the side rail. Each of the first guide mechanism and the second guide mechanism may include a clamp guide assembly, the clamp guide assembly being configured to releasably fix the adjustable support to the workbench. The clamp guide assembly may include a housing and a cylinder assembly, the cylinder assembly having a piston rod, the piston rod being configured to extend and retract within the housing. The piston rod of the cylinder assembly may be configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position, in which the clamp guide assembly clamps the adjustable support to the workbench, and in which the clamp guide assembly lifts the adjustable support off the workbench. The piston rod of the cylinder assembly may further be configured to be de-energized from the retracted position to disengage the piston rod from the adjustable support. The cylinder assembly may include a compression spring to bias the piston rod toward the extended position. The apparatus may further include a controller configured to control the operation of the at least one guide mechanism.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for releasably securing an adjustable support to a workbench of an apparatus. In one embodiment, the method includes: providing a fixed support on the workbench, the fixed support extending from a first edge of the workbench to a second edge of the workbench; providing an adjustable support on the workbench, the adjustable support extending from the first edge to the second edge and spaced apart from the fixed support; and releasably securing the adjustable support to the workbench by at least one guide mechanism.

[0010] Embodiments of the method may further include: linearly moving at least one guide mechanism along a side rail of a workbench. The method may further include: using a clamp guide assembly of the at least one guide mechanism to releasably secure the adjustable support to the workbench. The clamp guide assembly may include a housing and a cylinder assembly having a piston configured to extend and retract within the housing. The piston rod of the cylinder assembly may be configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position, in which the clamp guide assembly clamps the adjustable support to the workbench and in which the clamp guide assembly lifts the adjustable support off the workbench.

[0011] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a substrate support assembly for a stencil printer. In one embodiment, the substrate support assembly includes a workbench and a fixed support member fixed to the workbench. The fixed support member extends from a first edge of the workbench to a second edge of the workbench. The substrate support assembly further includes an adjustable support member releasably fixed to the workbench. The adjustable support member extends from the first edge to the second edge and is spaced apart from the fixed support member. The substrate support assembly further includes at least one guide mechanism, which is configured to releasably fix the adjustable support member in an appropriate position on the workbench. The at least one guide mechanism may include a fixture guide assembly, which is configured to releasably fix the adjustable support member to the workbench. The fixture guide assembly may include a housing and a cylinder assembly, the cylinder assembly having a piston, the piston being configured to extend and retract within the housing. The piston rod of the cylinder assembly is configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position, in which the fixture guide assembly clamps the adjustable support member to the workbench, and in which the fixture guide assembly lifts the adjustable support member off the workbench. When the piston rod is in the retracted position, in the event of a power loss, the cylinder assembly is configured to lock in the retracted position to ensure that the adjustable position tower does not lose position within the stencil printing machine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component shown in various figures is represented by the same reference numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every figure. In the drawings:

[0013] Figure 1 It is a front perspective view of a stencil printing machine;

[0014] Figure 2 It is a front view of the stencil printing machine;

[0015] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A top plan view of a stencil printing machine shown in FIG. 1 with portions of the structure removed;

[0016] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a support surface having a fixed support block and an adjustable support block;

[0017] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a support table having a right guide mechanism and a left guide mechanism that together are configured to releasably engage an adjustable support block to clamp the adjustable support block to the support table;

[0018] Figure 6 is a stereogram of the right-side guide mechanism;

[0019] Figure 7 is an enlarged side view of the right side guide mechanism showing the piston of the cylinder in a retracted position to clamp the adjustable support block to the support table;

[0020] Figure 8 is an enlarged side view of the right side guide mechanism showing the piston of the cylinder in the extended position to lift the adjustable support block off the support table;

[0021] Fig. 9 is an enlarged side elevational view of the right side guide mechanism showing the piston of the cylinder disengaged from the adjustable support block, wherein the adjustable support block rests on the support table;

[0022] Fig.10 is a three-dimensional diagram of various aspects of the guide mechanism; and

[0023] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of the cylinder assembly of the right guide mechanism and the left guide mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The present disclosure generally relates to material coating machines (referred to herein as "stencil printers," "screen printers," "printing machines," or "printers") and other equipment used in surface mount technology (SMT) production lines and configured to apply assembly materials (e.g., solder paste, conductive ink, or packaging materials) to substrates (e.g., printed circuit boards, referred to herein as "electronic substrates," "circuit boards," "boards," "PCBs," "PCB substrates," "substrates," or "PCB boards") or to perform other operations such as inspection, rework, or placement of electronic components on substrates. Specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to stencil printers used to produce printed circuit boards.

[0025] For the purpose of illustration only and not to limit the generality, the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure does not limit its application to the construction and arrangement details of the components set forth in the following specific embodiments or shown in the accompanying drawings. The principles set forth in the present disclosure can be used in other embodiments and can be practiced or executed in various ways. Similarly, the words and terms used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be considered as limiting. Any reference to the examples, embodiments, components, elements or actions of the systems and methods cited in the singular form herein may also include embodiments including the plural form, and any reference to the plural form of any embodiment, component, element or action herein may also include embodiments including only the singular form. References in the singular or plural form are not intended to limit the currently disclosed systems or methods, their components, actions or elements. The use of "including", "comprising", "having", "containing", "involving" and their variations herein is intended to cover the items listed thereafter and their equivalents and additional items. References to "or" may be interpreted as inclusive, so that any term described using "or" may indicate any of a single term, multiple terms, and all of the terms described. In addition, in the event of inconsistencies in the usage of terms between this document and documents incorporated herein by reference, the usage of terms in the incorporated referenced documents supplements the usage of terms in this document; for inconsistencies that cannot be reconciled, the usage of terms in this document prevails.

[0026] For purposes of illustration, embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to a stencil printer for printing assembly materials (such as solder paste) onto a circuit board. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to stencil printers for printing solder paste onto a circuit board, but may be used for other applications where other viscous assembly materials such as glue and encapsulants need to be dispensed. For example, the apparatus may be used to print epoxy resin for use as a bottom filler for chip-scale packages. Further, stencil printers according to embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to those printers for printing assembly materials on circuit boards, but include those printers for printing other materials on a variety of substrates such as semiconductor wafers. In addition, the terms "silk screen" and "stencil" may be used interchangeably herein to describe a device in a printer that defines a pattern to be printed onto a substrate. In some embodiments, a stencil printer may include a printer supplied by ITW Electronic Assembly Equipment of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. or Edison TM A series of stencil printing machine platforms. An exemplary stencil printing machine is generally used Figure 1 In this embodiment, the stencil printer 5 is supplied by ITW Electronics Assembly Equipment Company of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Series of stencil printing machine platforms.

[0027] refer to Figure 2 , a stencil printer of an embodiment of the present disclosure is generally indicated at 10. As shown, the stencil printer 10 includes a frame 12 that supports components of the stencil printer. The components of the stencil printer may include, in part, a controller 14, a display 16, a stencil 18, and a print head or print head assembly generally indicated at 20 that is configured to apply solder paste in a manner described in more detail below.

[0028] like Figure 2 As shown and described below, the stencil and printhead assembly can be suitably coupled or otherwise connected to the frame 12. In one embodiment, the printhead assembly 20 can be mounted on a printhead assembly gantry 22, which can be mounted on the frame 12. The printhead assembly gantry 22 enables the printhead assembly 20 to move in the y-axis direction under the control of the controller 14 and to apply pressure to the printhead assembly when it engages the stencil 18. In a certain embodiment, the printhead assembly 20 can be arranged above the stencil 18 and can be lowered in the z-axis direction into contact with the stencil to form a seal with the stencil.

[0029] The stencil printer 10 may also include a conveyor system having a track (not shown) for transporting printed circuit boards (sometimes referred to herein as "printed wiring boards," "substrates," or "electronic substrates") to a printing position in the stencil printer. The track may sometimes be referred to herein as a "tractor feed mechanism" that is configured to feed, load, or otherwise deliver circuit boards to a working area of ​​the stencil printer (which may be referred to herein as a "printing nest") and unload circuit boards from the printing nest.

[0030] Additional references Figure 3 , the stencil printer 10 has a support assembly, generally indicated at 28, for supporting a circuit board 29 (shown in phantom), which elevates and secures the circuit board so that it is stable in place during the printing operation. In some embodiments, the substrate support assembly 28 may further include a specific substrate support system, such as a firm support, a plurality of pins, or a flexible tool, which is positioned under the circuit board when the circuit board is in the printing position. The substrate support system may be used in part to support the inner area of ​​the circuit board to prevent the circuit board from flexing or warping during the printing operation.

[0031] In one embodiment, the print head assembly 20 can be configured to receive solder paste from a source (such as a dispenser, such as a solder paste box) that provides solder paste to the print head assembly during a printing operation. Other methods of supplying solder paste can be used instead of a solder paste box. For example, solder paste can be manually deposited between the blades or deposited from an external source. In addition, in one embodiment, the controller 14 can be configured to use a computer with a suitable operating system (such as Microsoft Windows provided by Microsoft Corporation). Operating system) having application specific software to control the operation of stencil printer 10. Controller 14 may be networked with a main controller used to control a production line for manufacturing circuit boards.

[0032] In one configuration, the stencil printer 10 operates as follows. A circuit board 29 is loaded into the stencil printer 10 using a conveyor track. A support assembly 28 raises and secures the circuit board 29 in a printing position. The print head assembly 20 is then lowered in the z-axis direction until the blade of the print head assembly contacts the stencil 18 with a desired pressure. The print head assembly 20 is then moved across the stencil 18 in the y-axis direction by the print head assembly gantry 22. The print head assembly 20 deposits solder paste onto the circuit board 29 through the aperture in the stencil 18. Once the print head assembly has completely traversed the stencil 18 across the aperture, the print head assembly is lifted off the stencil and the circuit board 29 is lowered back onto the conveyor track. The circuit board 29 is released from the stencil printer 10 and carried away so that a second circuit board can be loaded into the stencil printer. To print on the second circuit board 29, the print head assembly is lowered in the z-axis direction to contact the stencil and moved across the stencil 18 in the opposite direction to that used for the first circuit board.

[0033] An imaging system 30 may be provided for the purpose of aligning the stencil 18 with the circuit board 29 before printing and inspecting the circuit board after printing. In one embodiment, the imaging system 30 may be disposed between the stencil 18 and the support assembly 28 on which the circuit board is supported. The imaging system 30 is coupled to an imaging system gantry 32 to move the imaging system. In one embodiment, the imaging system gantry 32 may be coupled to the frame 12 and include a beam extending between the side rails of the frame 12 to move the imaging system 30 back and forth over the circuit board 29 in the y-axis direction. The imaging system gantry 32 may further include a carriage device that accommodates the imaging system 30 and is configured to move in the x-axis direction along the length of the beam. The construction of the imaging system gantry 32 for moving the imaging system 30 is well known in the field of solder paste printing. The arrangement enables the imaging system 30 to be located at any position below the stencil 18 and above the circuit board 29 to capture images of predefined areas of the circuit board or stencil, respectively.

[0034] After applying solder paste to the circuit board once or more times, excess solder paste may accumulate at the bottom of the stencil 18, and a stencil wiper assembly (generally indicated at 34) may be moved under the stencil to remove excess solder paste. In other embodiments, the stencil 18 may be moved over the stencil wiper assembly.

[0035] refer to Figure 4, the support assembly 28 includes a printer table 40, which provides an operating surface 42 on which the electronic substrate is printed. The support assembly 28 further includes a fixed tower (sometimes referred to as an H-shaped tower) indicated generally by 44, which is fixedly mounted on the printer table 40 by a locating pin arranged adjacent to a fixed electronic substrate conveying track. As shown, the fixed tower 44 extends from one side of the printer table 40 to the opposite side of the printer table. The fixed tower 44 includes an elongated body 46 having an upper support surface 48, on which the electronic substrate rests when performing a printing operation. As shown, one end of the elongated body 46 includes a first feature 50 and the opposite end of the elongated body includes a second feature 52. In the illustrated embodiment, each feature 50, 52 is implemented as a slot. Features 50, 52 are each configured to help an operator manipulate the fixed tower 44.

[0036] The support assembly 28 further includes an adjustable position tower (sometimes referred to as an adjustable position H-shaped tower), generally indicated by 54, which is movable relative to the fixed tower 44. Specifically, the adjustable position tower 54 extends in a direction parallel to the fixed tower 44 and can be moved or adjusted to position the adjustable position tower closer to or farther away from the fixed tower. The adjustable position tower 54 can be configured to be coupled to and decoupled from the adjustable electronic substrate conveying track. The support system 28 uses the adjustable electronic substrate conveying track and its drive mechanism to position the adjustable position tower 54 as needed to support electronic substrates and substrate work holders of various sizes. In addition, the adjustable position tower 54 can include a set of permanent magnets (each permanent magnet is indicated by M) to minimize the sliding of the adjustable position tower when the adjustable position tower is not clamped in place and rests on the workbench 40.

[0037] As shown, the adjustable position tower 54 includes an elongated body 56 having an upper support surface 58, on which the electronic substrate work holder rests when the printing operation is performed. As shown, the upper support surface 48 of the fixed tower 44 and the upper support surface 58 of the adjustable position tower 54 support the electronic substrate work holder together during the printing operation. One end of the elongated body 56 of the adjustable position tower 54 includes a first receiving feature 60 and the opposite end of the elongated body includes a second receiving feature 62. As will be described in more detail below, each of the first receiving feature 60 and the second receiving feature 62 is configured to receive a rod or pin to move and releasably fix the adjustable position tower 54 relative to the printer table 40. In one embodiment, each receiving feature 60, 62 (specifically referring to the receiving feature 60) includes a first slot 64 and a second slot 66, which extends in a direction transverse to the first slot 64. The second slot 66 is configured to receive the rod mentioned above and described in more detail below. The receiving features 60, 62 of the adjustable position tower 54 are configured to facilitate movement of the movable rail without moving the adjustable position tower 54. As described below, when the controlled air pressure in the pneumatic air cylinder is reduced, the pins do not engage the adjustable position tower 54. The movable rail can be moved to the rear of the stencil printer 10 by its drive system without affecting the position of the adjustable position tower 54.

[0038] refer to Figure 5 , a portion of the frame 12 of the stencil printer 10 is shown. For the purpose of the following discussion of the electronic substrate support assembly 28, a portion of the frame 12 defines the printer table 40, which may also be referred to as a table casting or a table support. In one embodiment, as shown, the support assembly 28 includes side rails 70, 72, which are mounted on the right and left sides of the printer table 40, respectively. Each side rail 70, 72 is implemented as a linear support member, which is configured to receive a slide of a movable guide mechanism. Specifically, the right side guide mechanism (generally indicated by 74) is disposed on the right side rail 70 and is configured to move linearly along the length of the side rail. Similarly, the left side guide mechanism (generally indicated by 76) is disposed on the left side rail 72 and is configured to move linearly along the length of the side rail. Each of the right guide mechanism 74 and the left guide mechanism 76 includes a slide 78 (shown on the right guide mechanism) that is straddled along its corresponding side rail 70. In order to reposition and clamp the adjustable position tower 54, a right guide mechanism 74 and a left guide mechanism 76 are respectively installed on the right and left sides of the printing press table 40 to fix the two ends of the adjustable position tower. Each guide mechanism 74, 76 is configured to releasably engage the receiving features 60, 62 of its corresponding adjustable position tower 54.

[0039] refer to Figure 6 , the right side guide mechanism 74 is shown mounted on its corresponding side rail 70. As shown, the right side guide mechanism 74 includes a generally U-shaped body 80 having: a first leg portion 82, the first leg portion is configured to span along the side rail 70; a second leg portion 84, the second leg portion functions as a drive coupling to move the guide mechanism; and a bottom portion 86, the bottom portion configured to connect the first leg portion and the second leg portion. The first leg portion 82 of the U-shaped body 80 includes a carriage 78 as described above, which is configured to span along the side rail 70 in a well-known manner. The right side guide mechanism 74 further includes a clamp guide assembly (generally indicated at 88) configured to releasably secure the adjustable position tower 54 to the printing press table 40. As shown, the clamp guide assembly 88 is formed on or secured to the bottom portion 86 of the U-shaped body 80 and is vertically oriented relative to the U-shaped body. It should be appreciated that the left side guide mechanism 76 is a mirror image of the right side guide mechanism 74 and that the construction of the left side guide mechanism is similar, if not identical, to that of the right side guide mechanism.

[0040] refer to Figure 7 , the clamp guide assembly 88 includes a housing 90 and a cylinder assembly supported by the housing. The cylinder assembly includes a piston rod 92, which is configured to extend and retract within the housing 90. In one embodiment, the piston rod 92 is pneumatically controlled to extend and retract within the housing 90. In a certain embodiment, the cylinder assembly is a standard commercial double-acting cylinder controlled by a solenoid valve. The head portion 94 can be configured with a threaded end that is fastened to the piston rod 92 of the cylinder assembly. The housing 90 can be formed as a part of the bottom portion 86 of the U-shaped body 80 of the guide mechanism or fixed to the bottom portion. As shown, the piston rod 92 of the cylinder assembly is in a retracted position. In this position, the piston rod 92 of the cylinder assembly is configured to clamp the adjustable position tower 54 to the printing press table 40 to fix the adjustable position tower. Specifically, the piston rod 92 includes a head portion 94, which is configured to be received in the second slot 66 of the receiving feature 60 of the adjustable position tower 54. As the piston rod 92 is retracted, the head portion 94 of the piston rod engages the receiving feature 60 to secure the end of the adjustable position tower to the press table 40. Return to Reference Figure 4 , the adjustable position tower 54 can be used with the fixed tower 44 to perform printing operations on electronic substrates. When in the retracted position, if there is a power lose or air loss, the default pneumatic configuration of valve 1, valve 2 and pilot check valve 1 ( Fig.11) locks the cylinder assembly in the retracted position to engage a magnet disposed in the adjustable position tower to ensure that the adjustable position tower 54 does not become dislocated within the stencil printing machine 10.

[0041] refer to Figure 8 , the piston rod 92 of the cylinder assembly is in the extended position. Figure 7 As most clearly shown, the piston rod 92 of the cylinder assembly further includes a bottom engagement portion 96 that is spaced apart from the head portion 94 of the piston rod. The purpose of the bottom engagement portion 96 is to engage the receiving feature 60 of the adjustable position tower 54. In this position, the cylinder assembly is configured to lift the adjustable position tower 54 off the press table 40 to reposition the adjustable position tower in the y-axis direction toward or away from the fixed tower 44. As shown, the cylinder assembly further includes a compression spring 98 to bias the piston rod 92 toward the extended position. As described herein, the guide mechanisms 74, 76 are used to couple and decouple with the adjustable position tower 54 to position the adjustable position tower in a desired position.

[0042] refer to Fig. 9 When the cylinder assembly is de-energized (all air pressure exhausted) from the retracted position, the compression spring 98 moves the piston rod 92 to an intermediate position where it is decoupled from the adjustable position tower 54. In this position, the guide mechanism 74 can move independently of the adjustable position tower 44.

[0043] refer to Fig.10 , the right-side guide mechanism 74 and the left-side guide mechanism 76 are each passive mechanisms, meaning that they do not have an internal system to drive them to move along their corresponding side rails 70, 72. As shown, the right-side guide mechanism 74 is connected to the adjustable electronic substrate conveying track 112 by the coupling pin 110 to drive the right-side guide mechanism to move linearly along its corresponding side rail 70. Similarly, the left-side guide mechanism 76 is connected to its corresponding coupling pin and adjustable electronic substrate conveying track. As shown, the coupling pin 110 extends through the opening in the second leg portion 84 of the U-shaped body 80 of the right-side guide mechanism 74 to engage and move the right-side guide mechanism. The design of the components of each guide mechanism 74, 76 is related to its corresponding conveying track 112, so that when the conveying track is adjusted to adapt to the set position of a specific specific electronic substrate, the adjustable position tower 54 is also in a suitable position to support the electronic substrate or the electronic substrate work holder.

[0044] refer to Fig.11, showing the operation of the cylinder assemblies for the right guide mechanism 74 and the left guide mechanism 76. The main air is coupled to valve 1, which in turn is coupled to valve 2. The pilot check valve 1 coupled to the main air is arranged to control the delivery of air to the adjustable tower right cylinder assembly and the adjustable tower left cylinder assembly. Valve 1, valve 2 and pilot check valve 1 can be coupled to a controller 14 to control the operation of the cylinder assemblies.

[0045] A variety of different controllers (such as controller 14) can perform a variety of different operations discussed above. Using data stored in an associated memory and / or storage device, the controller 14 also executes one or more instructions stored in one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, and the controller 14 may include and / or be connected to the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, which can generate manipulation data. In some examples, the controller 14 may include one or more processors or other types of controllers. In one example, the controller 14 is at least one processor or includes at least one processor. In another example, in addition to or instead of a general-purpose processor, the controller 14 uses a dedicated integrated circuit to perform at least a portion of the operations discussed above, and the dedicated integrated circuit is customized to perform specific operations. As shown by these examples, many specific combinations of hardware and software can be used according to the examples of the present disclosure to perform the operations described herein, and the present disclosure is not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software components. The examples of the present disclosure may include a computer program product, which is configured to perform the methods, processes, and / or operations discussed above. The computer program product may be or include one or more controllers and / or processors configured to execute instructions to perform the methods, processes, and / or operations discussed above.

[0046] For the purpose of illustration, embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to a stencil printer for printing solder paste onto a printed circuit board. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to applications associated with stencil printers, but may also be applicable to other types of equipment for depositing materials onto electronic substrates. For example, the principles disclosed herein may be applied to a dispenser for dispensing viscous materials onto a printed circuit board. In addition, as described above, although solder paste is represented as an exemplary material, other materials may also be deposited, such as adhesives, epoxies, bottom fill materials, and encapsulation materials. In addition, the terms "silk screen" and "stencil" may be used interchangeably herein to describe a device in a printer that defines a pattern to be printed onto a substrate.

[0047] Thus, having described several aspects of at least one embodiment, it will be appreciated that various changes, modifications and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such changes, modifications and improvements are intended to be a part of the present disclosure and are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the previous description and drawings are intended only as examples.

Claims

1. An apparatus for depositing a viscous material on an electronic substrate, the apparatus comprising: frame; a unit coupled to the frame, the unit configured to deposit a material on the electronic substrate; as well as a substrate support assembly coupled to the frame, the substrate support assembly being configured to support the electronic substrate, the substrate support assembly comprising: Workbench, a fixed support member fixed to the workbench, the fixed support member extending from a first edge of the workbench to a second edge of the workbench, an adjustable support releasably secured to the workbench, the adjustable support extending from the first edge to the second edge and spaced apart from the fixed support, and At least one guide mechanism is configured to releasably secure the adjustable support in position on the workbench.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one guide mechanism is configured to move linearly along the side rails of the workbench.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein: The at least one guide mechanism includes a U-shaped body having a first leg portion configured to span along the side rail.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein: The at least one guide mechanism includes a clamp guide assembly configured to releasably secure the adjustable support to the workbench.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein: The clamp guide assembly includes a housing and a cylinder assembly including a piston configured to extend and retract within the housing.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein: The piston rod of the cylinder assembly is configured to move between a retracted position in which the clamp guide assembly clamps the adjustable support to the workbench and an extended position in which the clamp guide assembly lifts the adjustable support off the workbench.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein: The piston rod of the cylinder assembly is further configured to be de-energized from the retracted position to decouple the piston rod from the adjustable support.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein: The cylinder assembly includes a compression spring to bias the piston rod to the extended position.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein: The first edge of the workbench includes a first side rail and the second edge of the workbench includes a second side rail, and Wherein, the at least one guiding mechanism includes: a first guiding mechanism, which is configured to move linearly along the first side rail of the workbench; and a second guiding mechanism, which is configured to move linearly along the second side rail of the workbench, and the first guiding mechanism and the second guiding mechanism are configured to releasably fix the opposite ends of the adjustable support member in appropriate positions.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein: Each of the first guide mechanism and the second guide mechanism includes a U-shaped body having a first leg portion configured to span along the side rail.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein: Each of the first guide mechanism and the second guide mechanism includes a clamp guide assembly configured to releasably secure the adjustable support to the workbench.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein: The clamp guide assembly includes a housing and a cylinder assembly including a piston configured to extend and retract within the housing.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein: The piston rod of the cylinder assembly is configured to move between a retracted position in which the clamp guide assembly clamps the adjustable support to the workbench and an extended position in which the clamp guide assembly lifts the adjustable support off the workbench.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein: The piston rod of the cylinder assembly is further configured to be de-energized from the retracted position to decouple the piston rod from the adjustable support.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein: The cylinder assembly includes a compression spring to bias the piston rod toward the extended position.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control operation of the at least one guide mechanism.

17. A method of releasably securing an adjustable support to a work surface of an apparatus, the method comprising: Disposing a fixed support member on the workbench, the fixed support member extending from a first edge of the workbench to a second edge of the workbench; disposing an adjustable support on the workbench, the adjustable support extending from the first edge to the second edge and spaced apart from the fixed support; as well as The adjustable support is releasably secured to the workbench by at least one guide mechanism.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising linearly moving the at least one guide mechanism along a side rail of the table.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising releasably securing the adjustable support to the workbench using a clamp guide assembly of the at least one guide mechanism.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein: The clamp guide assembly includes a housing and a cylinder assembly, the cylinder assembly including a piston configured to extend and retract within the housing, and Wherein, the piston rod of the cylinder assembly is configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the clamp guide assembly clamps the adjustable support to the workbench in the retracted position and the clamp guide assembly lifts the adjustable support off the workbench in the extended position.

21. A substrate support assembly for a stencil printer, the substrate support assembly comprising: Workbench; a fixed support member fixed to the workbench, the fixed support member extending from a first edge of the workbench to a second edge of the workbench; an adjustable support releasably secured to the workbench, the adjustable support extending from the first edge to the second edge and spaced apart from the fixed support; as well as at least one guide mechanism configured to releasably secure the adjustable support in position on the workbench, the at least one guide mechanism comprising a clamp guide assembly configured to releasably secure the adjustable support to the workbench, the clamp guide assembly comprising a housing and a cylinder assembly having a piston configured to extend and retract within the housing, wherein the piston rod of the cylinder assembly is configured to move between a retracted position in which the clamp guide assembly clamps the adjustable support to the workbench and an extended position in which the clamp guide assembly lifts the adjustable support off the workbench, and Wherein, when the piston rod is in the retracted position, in the event of a power loss, the cylinder assembly is configured to lock in the retracted position to ensure that the adjustable position tower does not lose its position in the stencil printing machine.

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