System and method for judging cleaning of reflow oven

Abstract

The invention provides a system and a method for judging cleaning of a reflow oven. The system comprises a collecting device, a weighing device and a control device. A collection device is disposed in the cooling zone and is configured to collect contaminants. And the collecting device is mounted on the weighing device. The weighing device is configured to weigh the collecting device to obtain weight information of the collecting device. The control device is configured to judge whether the reflow oven needs to be cleaned based on the weight information of the collecting device. The method includes collecting contaminants in a cooling zone by a collection device, weighing the collection device to obtain weight information of the collection device, and determining whether the reflow oven needs to be cleaned based on the weight information of the collection device. Based on the judgment that the reflow soldering furnace needs to be cleaned, the method can prompt a user to clean the reflow soldering furnace at a proper time, so that the production efficiency of the reflow soldering furnace is improved, and the unnecessary downtime is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a reflow soldering furnace, and more particularly to a system and method for judging the cleaning of the reflow soldering furnace. Background Art

[0002] In the process of making printed circuit boards, electronic components are usually mounted on the circuit board using a process called "reflow soldering". In a typical reflow soldering process, solder paste (e.g., tin paste) is deposited on a selected area on the circuit board, and the wires of one or more electronic components are inserted into the deposited solder paste. The circuit board then passes through a reflow soldering furnace, in which the solder paste is reflowed (i.e., heated to a melting or reflow temperature) in a high temperature zone of the furnace chamber of the reflow soldering furnace, and then cooled in a cooling zone of the furnace chamber to electrically and mechanically connect the wires of the electronic components to the circuit board. The term "circuit board" or "printed circuit board (PCB board)" used herein includes substrate assemblies of any type of electronic components, such as wafer substrates. In the reflow soldering furnace, air or a substantially inert gas (e.g., nitrogen) is usually used as a working gas, and different working gases are used for circuit boards with different process requirements. The furnace chamber of the reflow soldering furnace is filled with working gas, and the circuit board is soldered in the working gas when it is conveyed through the furnace chamber by a conveyor. Summary of the invention

[0003] Solder paste includes not only solder, but also flux that makes solder wet and provides good solder joints. Other additives such as solvents and catalysts may also be included. After the solder paste is printed on the circuit board, the circuit board is conveyed on a conveyor through multiple high-temperature zones of the furnace of the reflow soldering furnace. The heat in the high-temperature zone causes the solder paste to melt, and organic compounds including mainly flux containing volatile organic compounds (called "VOC") vaporize to form steam, thereby forming "pollutants". These pollutants are mixed with the working gas in the high-temperature zone to form waste gas. The accumulation of these pollutants in the furnace of the reflow soldering furnace can cause some problems. For example, when the circuit board is conveyed from the high-temperature zone to the cooling zone, the pollutants will also flow to the cooling zone, and they will condense into liquid and / or solid after cooling in the cooling zone and drip onto the circuit board to contaminate the circuit board, so that subsequent cleaning steps must be performed. In addition, condensation may also drip on subsequent circuit boards, which may damage components on the circuit board or make it necessary to perform subsequent cleaning steps on the contaminated circuit board.

[0004] The inventors have found that in the prior art, the reflow oven is cleaned by pre-arranged maintenance, however, the pre-arranged maintenance may be performed too early or too late, thereby causing undesirable downtime and reducing production efficiency.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a system and method for judging the cleaning of a reflow soldering furnace, which collects pollutants in a cooling zone through a collecting device, weighs the collecting device that has collected the pollutants to obtain its weight information, and judges whether the reflow soldering furnace needs to be cleaned based on the weight information. When it is judged that the reflow soldering furnace needs to be cleaned, the present application can prompt the user to clean and maintain the reflow soldering furnace at a reasonable time, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing unnecessary downtime.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present application, the present application provides a system for judging the cleaning of a reflow soldering furnace. The reflow soldering furnace includes a high temperature zone and a cooling zone. The system includes a collecting device, a weighing device and a control device. The collecting device is arranged in the cooling zone and is configured to collect contaminants. The collecting device is mounted on the weighing device. The weighing device is configured to weigh the collecting device to obtain weight information of the collecting device. The control device is configured to judge whether the reflow soldering furnace needs to be cleaned based on the weight information of the collecting device.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present application, the collecting device is arranged in the first cooling zone of the cooling zone or in the interval area between the first cooling zone of the cooling zone and the second cooling zone of the cooling zone. The high temperature zone, the first cooling zone and the second cooling zone are arranged in sequence along the conveying direction of the workpiece in the reflow soldering furnace.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present application, the weighing device is arranged in the cooling zone or outside the cooling zone.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present application, a collecting device comprises a collecting surface and a collecting groove. The collecting surface is configured to allow pollutants to adhere thereto. The collecting groove is connected to the collecting surface and is configured to collect pollutants flowing out of the collecting surface. The collecting surface is a conical surface.

[0010] According to the first aspect of the present application, the material of the collection surface of the collection device is set to be the same as the material of the surface of the reflow oven chamber device in the cooling zone, so that the collection surface of the collection device attaches pollutants with the same adhesion properties as the surface of the reflow oven chamber device.

[0011] According to a first aspect of the present application, the weighing device is a precision balance.

[0012] According to the first aspect of the present application, the control device is configured to compare the weight information of the collection device that has collected the pollutants with the weight threshold of the collection device, and when the weight information of the collection device that has collected the pollutants reaches the weight threshold of the collection device, it is determined that the reflow oven needs to be cleaned. The control device is configured to compare the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collection device with the weight threshold of the pollutants, and when the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collection device reaches the weight threshold of the pollutants, it is determined that the reflow oven needs to be cleaned.

[0013] According to the first aspect of the present application, the control device is further configured to determine whether the reflow oven needs to be cleaned after a predetermined time based on the weight information of the collecting device, or to determine whether the reflow oven needs to be cleaned immediately based on the weight information of the collecting device.

[0014] According to a first aspect of the present application, the control device is a controller of a reflow oven or is different from the controller of a reflow oven.

[0015] According to the first aspect of the present application, the system further comprises an indication device, which is configured to generate an indication of whether the reflow oven needs to be cleaned based on a signal received from the control device, and the indication comprises a visual indication or an audible indication.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present application, the present application provides a method for judging the cleaning of a reflow soldering furnace. The reflow soldering furnace includes a high temperature zone and a cooling zone. The method includes: collecting pollutants in the cooling zone by a collecting device, weighing the collecting device to obtain weight information of the collecting device, and judging whether the reflow soldering furnace needs to be cleaned based on the weight information of the collecting device.

[0017] According to the second aspect of the present application, judging whether the reflow oven needs to be cleaned based on the weight information of the collecting device includes: comparing the weight information of the collecting device that has collected the pollutants with a weight threshold of the collecting device; and when the weight information of the collecting device that has collected the pollutants reaches the weight threshold of the collecting device, judging that the reflow oven needs to be cleaned.

[0018] According to the second aspect of the present application, the method further includes: obtaining initial weight information of a collection device that has not collected pollutants; and obtaining the sum of the initial weight information of the collection device and a pollutant weight threshold as a collection device weight threshold.

[0019] According to the second aspect of the present application, judging whether the reflow oven needs to be cleaned based on the weight information of the collecting device includes: obtaining the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collecting device based on the initial weight information of the collecting device that has not collected the pollutants and the weight information of the collecting device that has collected the pollutants; comparing the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collecting device with a pollutant weight threshold; and judging that the reflow oven needs to be cleaned when the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collecting device reaches the pollutant weight threshold.

[0020] According to a second aspect of the present application, the initial weight information of the collecting device that has not collected pollutants is obtained in the following manner: after each cleaning of the reflow oven, the collecting device that has not collected pollutants is weighed to obtain the initial weight information of the collecting device.

[0021] According to a second aspect of the present application, collecting pollutants in the cooling zone by a collecting device includes placing the collecting device in a first cooling zone of the cooling zone, and collecting pollutants attached thereto by the collecting device. Alternatively, collecting pollutants in the cooling zone by a collecting device includes placing the collecting device in a spacing area between the first cooling zone of the cooling zone and the second cooling zone of the cooling zone, and collecting pollutants attached thereto by the collecting device. The high temperature zone, the first cooling zone, and the second cooling zone are sequentially arranged along the conveying direction of the workpiece in the reflow oven.

[0022] According to a second aspect of the present application, determining whether the reflow oven needs to be cleaned includes: determining whether the reflow oven needs to be cleaned after a predetermined time has passed; and determining whether the reflow oven needs to be cleaned immediately.

[0023] According to a second aspect of the present application, the method further comprises generating an indication of whether the reflow oven needs to be cleaned based on the judgment. Generating an indication of whether the reflow oven needs to be cleaned comprises: generating a visual indication or an auditory indication of whether the reflow oven needs to be cleaned.

[0024] According to a third aspect of the present application, the present application provides a reflow oven, which includes the aforementioned system for judging the cleanliness of the reflow oven.

[0025] According to a third aspect of the present application, the present application provides a reflow oven for implementing the aforementioned method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The drawings are not drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component represented in different figures is represented by the same reference numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:

[0027] Figure 1A is a three-dimensional diagram of the reflow oven of the present application;

[0028] Figure 1B yes Figure 1A A perspective view of a reflow oven with the housing removed is shown in FIG.

[0029] Figure 1C yes Figure 1B A perspective view of a reflow oven in an open state is shown in FIG.

[0030] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a system for determining cleaning of a reflow oven according to an embodiment of the present application installed on a portion of the reflow oven;

[0031] Figure 3A is a block diagram of a system for determining the cleaning of a reflow oven according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 3B is a block diagram of a system for determining cleaning of a reflow oven according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A perspective view of an embodiment of the system shown in FIG. 1 in which the collecting device and the weighing device are installed in a reflow oven;

[0034] Figure 5A yes Figure 2 A perspective view of an embodiment of the system shown in FIG. 1 in which the collecting device and the weighing device are installed in a reflow oven;

[0035] Figure 5B yes Figure 5A A partial enlarged view of

[0036] Fig. 6A yes Figure 2 A perspective view of the system shown in FIG. 1 in which the collecting device and the weighing device are installed together;

[0037] Figure 6B yes Fig. 6A A perspective view of the collecting device shown in FIG.

[0038] Figure 6C yes Figure 6B Bottom view of

[0039] Fig.6D yes Fig. 6A A perspective view of the weighing device shown in FIG.

[0040] Fig. 6E yes Fig.6D A top view of

[0041] Figure 7 is a flow chart of a method for determining the cleaning of a reflow oven according to the present application;

[0042] Fig. 8A yes Figure 7 A detailed flow chart of one embodiment of step 714 is shown in FIG.

[0043] Figure 8B yes Figure 7 A detailed flowchart of another embodiment of step 714 is shown in FIG. 714 ; and

[0044] Fig. 9 yes Figure 3A-3B A block diagram of the control device is shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Various specific embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings that form a part of this specification. It should be understood that although terms indicating directions, such as "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc., are used in this application to describe various example structural parts and elements of the present application, these terms are used here only for the purpose of convenience of description and are determined based on the example orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed in the present application can be set in different directions, these terms indicating directions are only for illustration and should not be regarded as limitations.

[0046] Figure 1A is a three-dimensional diagram of the reflow oven 100 of the present application, Figure 1B yes Figure 1A The reflow oven 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a perspective view with the housing 101 removed. Figure 1C yes Figure 1B The reflow oven 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a perspective view in an open state to clearly illustrate various components of the reflow oven 100 and the relationship between the various components.

[0047] like Figure 1A As shown, the reflow oven 100 includes a housing 101, and various components of the reflow oven 100 are arranged in the housing 101. Figure 1B-1C As shown, the reflow oven 100 includes a high temperature zone 102 and a cooling zone 103. The reflow oven 100 includes a reflow oven chamber 110 for subjecting a workpiece (e.g., a circuit board) (not shown) passing therethrough to a high temperature treatment and then a cooling treatment. The reflow oven chamber 110 spans across several high temperature zones 102 and several cooling zones 103. The reflow oven 100 also includes several reflow oven chamber devices 111, which are arranged above and / or below the reflow oven chamber 110. The reflow oven chamber device 111 is configured to deliver an airflow to the reflow oven chamber 110 to process the workpiece in the reflow oven chamber 110. The reflow oven chamber device 111 of the high temperature zone 102 delivers a hot airflow to the reflow oven chamber 110 to subject the workpiece to a high temperature treatment. The reflow oven chamber device 111 of the cooling zone 103 delivers a cold airflow or a normal temperature airflow (e.g., an airflow in the external environment) to the reflow oven chamber 110 to cool the workpiece. The upper reflow oven chamber device 111 is disposed above the reflow oven chamber 110, and the lower reflow oven chamber device 111 is disposed below the reflow oven chamber 110. The upper reflow oven chamber device 111 is configured to deliver an airflow to the lower reflow oven chamber 110 through a through hole (not shown) on its bottom surface 124. The lower reflow oven chamber device 111 is configured to deliver an airflow to the upper reflow oven chamber 110 through a through hole 126 on its top surface 125.

[0048] Figure 2This is a stereoscopic view of a system 300 for judging the cleaning of a reflow oven 100 according to an embodiment of the present application installed on a portion of the reflow oven 100 to clearly illustrate various components of the system 300 and the relationship between the various components and their installation positions.

[0049] Figure 2 A portion of a reflow oven 100 is shown, which includes a plurality of lower reflow oven chamber devices 111, above which the reflow oven chamber 110 is disposed. The portion of the reflow oven 100 includes a high temperature zone 102 and a cooling zone 103. The system 300 is installed to the portion of the reflow oven 100. The system 300 includes a collecting device 201, a weighing device 202, a control device 203, and an indicating device 204.

[0050] like Figure 2 As shown, the collecting device 201 is installed in the cooling zone 103 of the reflow oven 100 and is configured to collect pollutants. During the normal operation of the reflow oven 100, the workpiece (e.g., circuit board) is conveyed through the reflow oven chamber 110 of the reflow oven 100 to be processed. The vapor pollutants evaporated from the high temperature zone 102 will condense to the surface of the reflow oven chamber device 111 and the surface of the collecting device 201 after reaching the cooling zone 103. During the normal operation of the reflow oven 100, the collecting device 201 collects pollutants at the same time as the surface of the reflow oven chamber device 111, so that the pollutants collected by the collecting device 201 can reflect the degree of contamination of the reflow oven 100. While the pollutants are attached (condensed) to the surface of the reflow oven chamber device 111, the collecting device 201 is also attached (condensed) with pollutants, thereby collecting the pollutants thereon. The material of the collection surface 601 of the collection device 201 is set to be the same as the material of the surface 125 of the reflow soldering oven chamber device 111 of the cooling zone 103 (i.e., the top surface 125 of the lower reflow soldering oven chamber device 111), so that the collection surface 601 of the collection device 201 attaches contaminants with the same attachment properties as the surface 125 of the reflow soldering oven chamber device 111. This setting of the collection device 201 helps to make the system 300 more accurate in judging the cleaning of the reflow soldering oven 100. When the reflow soldering oven 100 is initially installed, the collection device 201 is installed in the reflow soldering oven 100. After each cleaning of the reflow soldering oven 100 is completed, the collection device 201 is also cleaned accordingly and installed in the reflow soldering oven 100 after the cleaning is completed, so as to collect contaminants during the normal operation of the reflow soldering oven 100.

[0051] The collecting device 201 is mounted on the weighing device 202. In this embodiment, the weighing device 202 is installed in the cooling zone 103 of the reflow oven 100. In other embodiments, the weighing device 202 is installed outside the cooling zone 103 of the reflow oven 100 (see Figure 5A-5B). The weighing device 202 is configured to weigh the collecting device 201 to obtain the weight information of the collecting device 201. The weighing device 202 weighs the collecting device 201 that has collected the pollutants to obtain the total weight information of the collecting device 201 and the collected pollutants. The weight information of the collecting device 201 that has collected the pollutants can reflect the degree of contamination in the reflow oven 100. The weighing device 202 is also configured to weigh the collecting device 201 that has not collected the pollutants to obtain the initial weight information of the collecting device 201.

[0052] The control device 203 is connected to the weighing device 202, for example, by a connecting line (not shown). The control device 203 is configured to obtain the weight information of the collecting device 201 from the weighing device 202 in real time. The control device 203 is also configured to determine whether the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned based on the weight information of the collecting device 201 obtained from the weighing device 202. The control device 203 is also configured to output a control signal indicating whether the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned. For example, when it is determined that the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned, the control device 203 outputs a control signal indicating that the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned. Determining whether the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned includes determining whether the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned after a predetermined time has passed, and determining that the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned immediately.

[0053] The indicating device 204 is connected to the control device 203. The indicating device 204 is configured to receive a control signal from the control device 203 and generate an indication of whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned based on the control signal. The indication includes a visual indication or an auditory indication. In this embodiment, the indicating device 204 is an indicator light. In other embodiments, the indicating device 204 includes a display, or other suitable indicating devices or structures.

[0054] When determining whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned, the control device 203 compares the weight information of the collection device 201 that has collected pollutants with the collection device weight threshold. When the weight information of the collection device 201 that has collected pollutants reaches the collection device weight threshold, the control device 203 determines that the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned, otherwise it is determined that the reflow oven 100 does not need to be cleaned. In one embodiment, the control device 203 obtains the sum of the initial weight information of the collection device 201 that has not collected pollutants and the pollutant weight threshold as the collection device weight threshold.

[0055] In another embodiment, when determining whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned, the control device 203 compares the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collection device 201 with the pollutant weight threshold. When the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collection device 201 reaches the pollutant weight threshold, the control device 203 determines that the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned, otherwise it is determined that the reflow oven 100 does not need to be cleaned. The control device 203 obtains the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collection device 201 based on the initial weight information of the collection device 201 that does not collect pollutants and the weight information of the collection device 201 that collects pollutants, for example, based on the difference between the two. In other embodiments, the control device 203 determines whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned by other appropriate methods.

[0056] In one embodiment, the initial weight information is the weight information when the collection device 201 is initially installed in the reflow oven 100 before determining whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned each time, or the weight information when the collection device 201 is installed in the reflow oven 100 after cleaning is completed. At this time, the collection device 201 does not collect pollutants.

[0057] In one embodiment, the pollutant weight threshold is obtained through historical data. For example, in multiple actual operations of the user, the control device 203 obtains the weight value of the pollutants collected by the collection device 201 when the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned. More specifically, the weighing device 202 weighs the collection device 201 that has not collected pollutants to obtain the initial weight information of the collection device 201, and weighs the collection device 201 that has collected pollutants when the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned to obtain the pollution weight information of the collection device 201. The control device 203 obtains these weight values ​​of the collection device 201, and processes these weight values ​​to obtain the weight value of the pollutants collected by the collection device 201 when the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned, and uses it as the pollutant weight threshold. In other embodiments, the control device 203 obtains the pollutant weight threshold by other suitable methods.

[0058] In one embodiment, the control device 203 is a controller of the reflow oven 100. In another embodiment, the control device 203 is an additional control device that is different from the controller of the reflow oven 100. In one embodiment, the indicator device 204 is an indicator device of the reflow oven 100. In another embodiment, the indicator device 204 is an additional indicator device that is different from the indicator device of the reflow oven 100.

[0059] In another embodiment, the system 300 includes a collecting device 201, a weighing device 202, and a control device 203, and the structures and operations of these devices are the same as those of the aforementioned devices.

[0060] Figure 3Ais a block diagram of a system 300 for determining the cleaning of a reflow oven 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3B 1 is a block diagram of a system 300 for determining the cleaning of a reflow oven 100 according to another embodiment of the present application.

[0061] like Figure 3A As shown, in one embodiment, the system 300 for judging the cleaning of the reflow oven 100 includes a collecting device 201, a weighing device 202, a control device 203 and an indicating device 204. The collecting device 201 is installed in the cooling zone 103 of the reflow oven 100 (see Figure 2 The collecting device 201 is mounted on the weighing device 202. Figure 3A The connection line 301 between the collecting device 201 and the weighing device 202 is shown to represent a physical connection. The weighing device 202 is configured to weigh the collecting device 201 to obtain weight information of the collecting device 201. The control device 203 is connected to the weighing device 202 via the connection line 302 (e.g., a data line). The control device 203 is configured to receive the weight information of the collecting device 201 from the weighing device 202 via the connection line 302, and determine whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned based on the weight information.

[0062] When judging whether it is necessary to clean the reflow soldering furnace 100, the control device 203 compares the weight information of the collecting device 201 that collects the pollutants with the weight threshold of the collecting device. When the weight information of the collecting device 201 that collects the pollutants reaches the weight threshold of the collecting device, the control device 203 judges that the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned, otherwise it is judged that the reflow soldering furnace 100 does not need to be cleaned. In another embodiment, when judging whether it is necessary to clean the reflow soldering furnace 100, the control device 203 compares the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collecting device 201 with the weight threshold of the pollutants. When the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collecting device 201 reaches the weight threshold of the pollutants, the control device 203 judges that the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned, otherwise it is judged that the reflow soldering furnace 100 does not need to be cleaned. In other embodiments, the control device 203 judges whether it is necessary to clean the reflow soldering furnace 100 by other suitable methods. The control device 203 is also configured to output a control signal of whether the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned. The indicating device 204 is connected to the control device 203 via a connecting line 303. The indication device 204 is configured to receive a control signal from the control device 203 via the connection line 303 and generate an indication of whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned based on the control signal.

[0063] In another embodiment, the system 300 includes a collecting device 201, a weighing device 202, and a control device 203, and the structures and operations of these devices are the same as those of the aforementioned devices.

[0064] like Figure 3B As shown, the reflow oven 100 includes a system 300 . Figure 3B System 300 and Figure 3A The structure of the system 300 is the same as that of the system 300 in FIG.

[0065] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment in which the collecting device 201 and the weighing device 202 of the system 300 are installed in the reflow oven 100 .

[0066] like Figure 4 As shown, the cooling zone 103 of the reflow soldering furnace 100 includes a first cooling zone 104 and a second cooling zone 105. The first cooling zone 104 is adjacent to the high temperature zone 102. The high temperature zone 102, the first cooling zone 104 and the second cooling zone 105 are arranged in sequence along the conveying direction of the workpiece in the reflow soldering furnace 100. When the workpiece is conveyed in the reflow soldering furnace 100, it passes through the high temperature zone 102, the first cooling zone 104 and the second cooling zone 105 in sequence. The first cooling zone 104 and the second cooling zone 105 include a lower reflow soldering furnace chamber device 111, which has an upper surface 117. The reflow soldering furnace chamber device 111 is mounted to the frame 118 of the reflow soldering furnace 100. A narrow and long cavity 119 is arranged between the lower reflow soldering furnace chamber device 111 of the first cooling zone 104 and the lower reflow soldering furnace chamber device 111 of the second cooling zone 105, which is formed by a shell with an upper opening. The shell includes a bottom 120, a front side ( Figure 4 Not visible in the middle), rear side 121, left side ( Figure 4 The bottom 120, front and rear sides 121 of the housing are formed by a portion of the frame 118 (e.g., a plate structure), and the right wall of the reflow oven chamber device 111 below the first cooling zone 104 and the left wall of the reflow oven chamber device 111 below the second cooling zone 105 form the left and right sides 122 of the housing, respectively.

[0067] The collecting device 201 is mounted on the weighing device 202. The weighing device 202 is mounted to the bottom 120 of the cavity 119. In one embodiment, the weighing device 202 is mounted to the bottom 120 of the cavity 119 by fasteners, such as screws. In other embodiments, the weighing device 202 is mounted to the bottom 120 of the cavity 119 by other suitable means.

[0068] In the cooling zone 103, when the contaminants condense onto the surface 117 of the reflow oven chamber device 111 below, the contaminants will also condense onto the collection surface 601 of the collection device 201 (see Figure 6B). The collecting surface 601 is configured to allow pollutants to adhere thereto. The collecting device 201 collects pollutants adhered (condensed) thereon through the collecting surface 601. The weighing device 202 weighs the collecting device 201 to obtain its weight information. When the collecting device 201 does not collect pollutants, the weighing device 202 obtains the initial weight information of the collecting device 201. When the collecting device 201 collects pollutants, the weighing device 202 obtains the sum of the weight information of the collecting device 201 and the collected pollutants.

[0069] like Figure 4 As shown, when obtaining the contaminant weight threshold through historical data, when obtaining the historical data, the collecting device 201 and the weighing device 202 are installed at the same position of the reflow oven 100. The contaminant weight threshold obtained at the same position is used by the control device 203 to determine whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned.

[0070] Figure 5A yes Figure 2 The system 300 shown in FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment in which the collecting device 201 and the weighing device 202 are installed in the reflow oven 100. Figure 5B yes Figure 5A A partial enlarged view of .

[0071] like Figure 5A-5B As shown, the weighing device 202 is mounted outside the cooling zone 103, and the collecting device 201 is mounted on the weighing device 202. The bottom end 605 of the collecting device 201 is mounted to the weighing device 202. The main body 604 of the collecting device 201 extends through the frame 118 into the cooling zone 103, so that the collecting surface 601 of the collecting device 201 is disposed in the cooling zone 103. In the cooling zone 103, when contaminants condense onto the surface 117 of the reflow oven chamber device 111 below, the contaminants will also condense onto the collecting surface 601 of the collecting device 201.

[0072] The weighing device 202 is mounted to the reflow oven 100 via a mounting structure 501. In this embodiment, the mounting structure 501 is formed by a plate structure that is bent into a Z-shape and includes an upper end 502 and a lower end 503. The upper end 502 is fixed to the frame 118, and the weighing device 202 is mounted on the lower end 503. The weighing device 202 is fixed to the lower end 503 of the mounting structure 501 via a fastener 504. The mounting structure 501 is a rigid structure for supporting the weighing device 202. In other embodiments, the mounting structure 501 includes other suitable structures for mounting the weighing device 202 to the reflow oven 100.

[0073] like Figure 5A-5BAs shown, when obtaining the contaminant weight threshold through historical data, when obtaining the historical data, the collecting device 201 and the weighing device 202 are installed at the same position of the reflow oven 100. The contaminant weight threshold obtained at the same position is used by the control device 203 to determine whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned.

[0074] Fig. 6A yes Figure 2 A perspective view of the system 300 in which the collecting device 201 and the weighing device 202 are installed together is shown in FIG. Figure 6B yes Fig. 6A A perspective view of the collecting device 201 is shown in FIG. Figure 6C yes Figure 6B Bottom view of Fig.6D yes Fig. 6A A perspective view of the weighing device 202 is shown in FIG. Fig. 6E yes Fig.6D Top view of the .

[0075] like Fig. 6A As shown, the collecting device 201 is mounted on a weighing device 202. The weighing device 202 weighs the collecting device 201 thereon to obtain its weight information. Figure 6B-6C As shown, the collecting device 201 includes a collecting surface 601, a collecting groove 602, a main body 604 and a collecting mounting portion 603. The collecting surface 601 allows pollutants to adhere thereto and is configured to collect pollutants adhered thereto. The collecting surface 601 is a conical surface, which is used to reduce the influence of the airflow discharged from the upper reflow oven chamber device 111 on the weighing device 202 when weighing the collecting surface 601, so that the weighing is more accurate. When too much pollutant is collected on the collecting surface 601, the pollutant will flow down along the collecting surface 601 to the collecting groove 602. The collecting groove 602 is configured to collect pollutants flowing out of the collecting surface 601. The collecting groove 602 is connected to the bottom of the collecting surface 601 to collect pollutants flowing down from the collecting surface 601, thereby preventing the pollutants collected on the collecting surface 601 from flowing out of the collecting device 201 and causing the collecting device 201 to collect the pollutants inaccurately. The collecting groove 602 collects the pollutants flowing out from the collecting surface 601 , so that the collecting device 201 can collect the pollutants more accurately. The groove portion of the collecting groove 602 is arranged toward the collecting surface 601 .

[0076] The main body 604 is generally cylindrical. The main body 604 extends downward from the collecting groove 602 to the bottom end 605 of the collecting device 201. The collecting mounting portion 603 is disposed at the bottom end 605 of the collecting device 201. The collecting mounting portion 603 is configured to be detachably mounted to the weighing device 202, for example, to the first mounting portion 611 (see FIG. 2 ) of the weighing device 202. Figure 6D-6E), so that the collecting device 201 is mounted to the weighing device 202. The collecting mounting portion 603 is cylindrical. In this embodiment, the collecting device 201 includes two collecting mounting portions 603. In other embodiments, the collecting device 201 includes other suitable numbers of collecting mounting portions 603.

[0077] like Figure 6D-6E As shown, the weighing device 202 includes a first mounting portion 611, a main body portion 613, and a second mounting portion 614. The first mounting portion 611 is configured to enable the collection device 201 to be mounted to the weighing device 202. The first mounting portion 611 includes a receiving hole 612, which is configured to accommodate the collection mounting portion 603 of the collection device 201. In this embodiment, the first mounting portion 611 is generally cylindrical, and the receiving hole 612 is cylindrical. The collection mounting portion 603 of the collection device 201 is inserted into the receiving hole 612 of the weighing device 202, so that the collection device 201 is mounted to the weighing device 202. The inner diameter of the receiving hole 612 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the collection mounting portion 603, so that the collection mounting portion 603 of the collection device 201 can be inserted into the receiving hole 612 of the weighing device 202. In other embodiments, the first mounting portion 611 includes other suitable structures, and the receiving hole 612 includes other suitable structures. The first mounting portion 611 is mounted on the main body portion 613. A weighing mechanism is provided in the main body 613 for weighing an object mounted thereon. The second mounting portion 614 is configured to enable the weighing device 202 to be mounted to the reflow oven 100. The second mounting portion 614 extends from the main body 613, for example, extending outward from the bottom of the side of the main body 613. In this embodiment, the second mounting portion 614 is a flange. The second mounting portion 614 includes an opening 615. A fastener, for example, a screw, can pass through the opening 615 of the weighing device 202 to fasten the weighing device 202 to the reflow oven 100. In one embodiment, the weighing device 202 is a precision balance. In one embodiment, the precision balance has a range of 300g and a resolution of 5mg. In other embodiments, the weighing device 202 includes other suitable devices.

[0078] Figure 7 It is a flow chart of a method 700 for determining the cleaning of the reflow oven 100 of the present application.

[0079] like Figure 7 As shown, at step 702, the method 700 for determining the cleaning of the reflow oven 100 begins to be executed. Then, the process proceeds from step 702 to step 710.

[0080] At step 710, pollutants are collected in the cooling zone 103 by the collecting device 201. In one embodiment, the collecting device 201 is placed in the first cooling zone 104 of the cooling zone 103, and pollutants attached thereto are collected by the collecting device 201. In another embodiment, the collecting device 201 is placed in the interval area between the first cooling zone 104 of the cooling zone 103 and the second cooling zone 105 of the cooling zone 103, and pollutants attached thereto are collected by the collecting device 201. The high temperature zone 102, the first cooling zone 104, and the second cooling zone 105 of the reflow oven 100 are sequentially arranged along the conveying direction of the workpiece in the reflow oven 100. Then, the process proceeds from step 710 to step 712.

[0081] At step 712, the collection device 201 is weighed to obtain the weight information of the collection device 201. Weighing the collection device 201 to obtain the weight information of the collection device 201 includes weighing the collection device 201 that has not collected pollutants to obtain the initial weight information of the collection device 201, and weighing the collection device 201 that has collected pollutants to obtain the weight information of the collection device 201. Then, the process proceeds from step 712 to step 714.

[0082] At step 714, it is determined whether the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned based on the weight information of the collecting device 201. Determining whether the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned based on the weight information of the collecting device 201 includes determining whether the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned based on whether the weight information of the collecting device 201 that has collected the pollutants reaches the collecting device weight threshold, and determining whether the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned based on whether the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collecting device 201 reaches the pollutant weight threshold. Determining whether the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned includes determining whether the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned after a predetermined time has passed, and determining whether the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned immediately. Then, the process proceeds to step 716 from step 714.

[0083] At step 716, an indication is generated based on the above determination as to whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned. Generating an indication as to whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned includes generating a visual indication or an auditory indication as to whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned. Then, the process proceeds from step 716 to step 718, and the execution of the method 700 for determining whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned is terminated.

[0084] At step 714, determining whether it is necessary to clean the reflow soldering oven 100 includes determining whether the weight information of the collection device 201 that collects the pollutants reaches the collection device weight threshold. If the weight information of the collection device 201 that collects the pollutants reaches the collection device weight threshold, it is determined that the reflow soldering oven 100 needs to be cleaned, otherwise it is determined that the reflow soldering oven 100 does not need to be cleaned. In another embodiment, at step 714, determining whether it is necessary to clean the reflow soldering oven 100 includes determining whether the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collection device 201 reaches the pollutant weight threshold. If the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collection device 201 reaches the pollutant weight threshold, it is determined that the reflow soldering oven 100 needs to be cleaned, otherwise it is determined that the reflow soldering oven 100 does not need to be cleaned. Fig. 8A -B shows the specific operation of step 714.

[0085] Fig. 8A yes Figure 7 A detailed flow chart of one embodiment of step 714 is shown in FIG. Figure 8B yes Figure 7 A detailed flow chart of another embodiment of step 714 is shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, at step 714 , it is determined whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned based on the weight information of the collecting device 201 .

[0086] like Fig. 8A As shown by Figure 7 Step 712 in the above process is transferred to step 802. At step 802, a weight threshold of the collecting device is obtained based on the initial weight information of the collecting device 201 that has not collected pollutants and the pollutant weight threshold. The initial weight information of the collecting device 201 that has not collected pollutants is obtained, and the sum of the initial weight information of the collecting device 201 and the pollutant weight threshold is obtained as the weight threshold of the collecting device. The initial weight information is the weight information of the collecting device 201 when it is initially installed in the reflow oven 100 before determining whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned each time, or the weight information of the collecting device 201 when it is installed in the reflow oven 100 after cleaning, at which time the collecting device 201 does not collect pollutants. Then, step 802 is transferred to step 804.

[0087] At step 804 , the weight information of the collection device 201 that has collected the pollutants is compared with the collection device weight threshold. Then, the process proceeds from step 804 to step 806 .

[0088] At step 806, it is determined whether the weight information of the collecting device 201 that has collected the pollutants reaches the collecting device weight threshold. If the weight information of the collecting device 201 that has collected the pollutants reaches the collecting device weight threshold, the process proceeds to step 808. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step 804, where the updated weight information of the collecting device 201 that has collected the pollutants is compared with the collecting device weight threshold to determine whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned.

[0089] At step 808, it is determined that the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned, and a control signal for cleaning the reflow oven 100 is output. Then, the process proceeds from step 808 to Figure 7 Step 716 in .

[0090] like Figure 8B As shown by Figure 7 Step 712 in goes to step 812.

[0091] At step 812, the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collecting device 201 is obtained based on the initial weight information of the collecting device 201 that has not collected pollutants and the weight information of the collecting device 201 that has collected pollutants. The initial weight information of the collecting device 201 that has not collected pollutants is obtained, and the weight information of the collecting device 201 that has collected pollutants is obtained, and the difference between the initial weight information of the collecting device 201 and the weight information of the collecting device 201 that has collected pollutants is obtained as the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collecting device 201. The initial weight information is the weight information when the collecting device 201 is initially installed in the reflow oven 100 before determining whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned each time, or the weight information when the collecting device 201 is installed in the reflow oven 100 after cleaning, at which time the collecting device 201 does not collect pollutants. Then, step 812 is transferred to step 814.

[0092] At step 814 , the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collection device 201 is compared with the pollutant weight threshold. Then, the process proceeds from step 814 to step 816 .

[0093] At step 816, it is determined whether the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collecting device 201 reaches the pollutant weight threshold. If the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collecting device 201 reaches the pollutant weight threshold, the process proceeds to step 818. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step 814, where the updated weight information of the pollutants collected by the collecting device 201 is compared with the pollutant weight threshold to determine whether the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned.

[0094] At step 818, it is determined that the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned, and a control signal for cleaning the reflow oven 100 is output. Then, the process proceeds from step 818 to Figure 7 Step 716 in .

[0095] In one embodiment, the pollutant weight threshold is obtained through historical data. For example, in multiple actual operations of the user, the control device 203 obtains the weight value of the pollutants collected by the collection device 201 when the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned. More specifically, the weighing device 202 weighs the collection device 201 that has not collected pollutants to obtain the initial weight information of the collection device 201, and weighs the collection device 201 that has collected pollutants when the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned to obtain the pollution weight information of the collection device 201. The control device 203 obtains these weight values ​​of the collection device 201, and processes these weight values ​​to obtain the weight value of the pollutants collected by the collection device 201 when the reflow soldering furnace 100 needs to be cleaned, and uses it as the pollutant weight threshold. In other embodiments, the control device 203 obtains the pollutant weight threshold by other suitable methods.

[0096] Fig. 9 yes Figure 3A-3B The block diagram of the control device 203 is shown in FIG. Fig. 9 As shown, the control device 203 includes a bus 901, a processor 902, a memory 903, an input interface 904, and an output interface 905. The processor 902, the memory 903, the input interface 904, and the output interface 905 are connected to the bus 901. The processor 902 can read a program (or instruction) from the memory 903, and execute the program (or instruction) to perform data processing and / or control functions of various components of the reflow oven 100. The processor 902 can also write data or a program (or instruction) into the memory 903. The memory 903 can store programs (instructions) or data. By executing the instructions in the memory 903, the processor 902 can control the memory 903, the input interface 904, and the output interface 905.

[0097] The input interface 904 is configured to receive weight information from the weighing device 202 through the connection line 302. The input interface 904 is also configured to convert the received weight information into a signal recognizable by the processor 902, and output the signal to the processor 902. The processor 902 is configured to process (e.g., calculate, judge) the received signal to output a control signal indicating that the reflow oven 100 needs to be cleaned.

[0098] The output interface 905 is configured to receive a control signal from the processor 902, convert the control signal into an output signal suitable for the indicating device 204, and send the output signal to the indicating device 204 through the connecting line 303, so that the indicating device 204 generates an indication that the reflow soldering oven 100 needs to be cleaned, for example, including the need to clean the reflow soldering oven 100 after a predetermined time has passed, and the need to clean the reflow soldering oven 100 immediately.

[0099] Although the present disclosure has been described in conjunction with the examples of the embodiments summarized above, various alternatives, modifications, changes, improvements and / or substantially equivalent solutions, whether known or currently or foreseeable in the near future, may be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. In addition, the technical effects and / or technical problems described in this specification are exemplary rather than restrictive; so the disclosure in this specification may be used to solve other technical problems and have other technical effects and / or may solve other technical problems. Therefore, the examples of the embodiments of the present disclosure as stated above are intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is intended to include all known or earlier developed alternatives, modifications, changes, improvements and / or substantially equivalent solutions.

Claims

1. A system (300) for judging the cleanliness of a reflow oven (100), wherein the reflow oven (100) comprises a high temperature zone (102) and a cooling zone (103), characterized in that: The system (300) comprises: A collecting device (201) disposed in the cooling zone (103) and configured to collect pollutants; a weighing device (202), the collecting device (201) being mounted on the weighing device (202), the weighing device (202) being configured to weigh the collecting device (201) to obtain weight information of the collecting device (201); and A control device (203) is configured to determine whether the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned based on the weight information of the collecting device (201).

2. The system (300) according to claim 1, characterized in that The collecting device (201) is arranged in a first cooling zone (104) of the cooling zone (103), or in a spacing area between the first cooling zone (104) of the cooling zone (103) and the second cooling zone (105) of the cooling zone (103), The high temperature zone (102), the first cooling zone (104) and the second cooling zone (105) are arranged in sequence along a conveying direction of the workpiece in the reflow oven (100).

3. The system (300) according to claim 1, characterized in that The weighing device (202) is arranged in the cooling zone (103) or outside the cooling zone (103).

4. The system (300) according to claim 1, characterized in that The collecting device (201) comprises: a collection surface (601) configured to allow the contaminants to adhere thereto; and a collecting groove (602) connected to the collecting surface (601) and configured to collect pollutants flowing out from the collecting surface (601), Wherein, the collecting surface (601) is a conical surface.

5. The system (300) according to claim 4, characterized in that The material of the collecting surface (601) of the collecting device (201) is set to be the same as the material of the surface of the reflow oven chamber device (111) of the cooling zone (103), so that the collecting surface (601) of the collecting device (201) attaches pollutants with the same adhesion properties as the surface of the reflow oven chamber device (111).

6. The system (300) according to claim 1, characterized in that The weighing device (202) is a precision balance.

7. The system (300) according to claim 1, characterized in that The control device (203) is further configured to: Comparing the weight information of the collecting device (201) that has collected the pollutants with a collecting device weight threshold, and when the weight information of the collecting device (201) that has collected the pollutants reaches the collecting device weight threshold, determining that the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned; or The weight information of the pollutants collected by the collecting device (201) is compared with a pollutant weight threshold, and when the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collecting device (201) reaches the pollutant weight threshold, it is determined that the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned.

8. The system (300) according to claim 1, characterized in that The control device (203) is further configured to: Determining that the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned after a predetermined period of time based on the weight information of the collecting device (201); or Based on the weight information of the collecting device (201), it is determined that the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned immediately.

9. The system (300) according to claim 1, characterized in that The control device (203) is a controller of the reflow oven (100) or a controller different from the reflow oven (100).

10. The system (300) according to claim 1, characterized in that The system (300) further comprises: An indication device (204) is configured to generate an indication of whether the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned based on the signal received from the control device (203), wherein the indication includes a visual indication or an audible indication.

11. A method (400) for judging the cleanliness of a reflow oven (100), wherein the reflow oven (100) comprises a high temperature zone (102) and a cooling zone (103), characterized in that: The method (400) comprises: collecting pollutants in the cooling zone (103) by a collecting device (201); Weighing the collecting device (201) to obtain weight information of the collecting device (201); and Based on the weight information of the collecting device (201), it is determined whether the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned.

12. The method (400) according to claim 11, characterized in that: Judging whether the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned based on the weight information of the collecting device (201) comprises: comparing the weight information of the collecting device (201) that has collected the pollutants with a collecting device weight threshold; and When the weight information of the collecting device (201) that has collected the pollutants reaches the weight threshold of the collecting device, it is determined that the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned.

13. The method (400) according to claim 12, characterized in that: The method (400) further comprises: Acquiring initial weight information of the collection device (201) that has not collected pollutants; The sum of the initial weight information of the collection device (201) and the pollutant weight threshold is obtained as the collection device weight threshold.

14. The method (400) according to claim 11, characterized in that: Judging whether the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned based on the weight information of the collecting device (201) comprises: Obtaining weight information of pollutants collected by the collection device (201) based on initial weight information of the collection device (201) that has not collected pollutants and weight information of the collection device (201) that has collected pollutants; Comparing the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collecting device (201) with a pollutant weight threshold; and When the weight information of the pollutants collected by the collecting device (201) reaches the pollutant weight threshold, it is determined that the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned.

15. The method (400) according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that: The initial weight information of the collection device (201) without collecting pollutants is obtained by: After the reflow oven (100) is cleaned each time, the collecting device (201) that has not collected pollutants is weighed to obtain initial weight information of the collecting device (201).

16. The method (400) according to claim 11, characterized in that: Collecting pollutants in the cooling zone (103) by means of a collecting device (201) comprises: Placing the collecting device (201) in the first cooling zone (104) of the cooling zone (103), and collecting the pollutants attached thereto by the collecting device (201); or The collecting device (201) is arranged in the interval area between the first cooling zone (104) of the cooling zone (103) and the second cooling zone (105) of the cooling zone (103), and the pollutants attached thereto are collected by the collecting device (201). The high temperature zone (102), the first cooling zone (104) and the second cooling zone (105) are arranged in sequence along a conveying direction of the workpiece in the reflow oven (100).

17. The method (400) according to claim 11, characterized in that: Determining whether the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned includes: Determining that the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned after a predetermined time has passed; and It is determined that the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned immediately.

18. The method (400) according to claim 11, characterized in that: The method (400) further comprises: Based on the determination, an indication is generated as to whether the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned, Wherein, generating an indication of whether the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned comprises: generating a visual indication or an auditory indication of whether the reflow oven (100) needs to be cleaned.

19. A reflow oven (100), characterized in that: The reflow oven (100) comprises: The system (300) for judging the cleanliness of a reflow oven (100) as claimed in claims 1-10.

20. A reflow oven (100) for implementing the method (400) of claims 11-18.

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